Chapter 191: Arranged Marriages and Visions

Chapter 191: Arranged Marriages and Visions

Having just arrived, they didn’t want to keep their senior classmates waiting for too long. Within fifteen minutes, the freshmen returned to the dormitory entrance.

The group then made their way to the dining hall.

"The academy has two dining halls, one to the north and one to the west. We’re heading to the second dining hall in the west."

The second dining hall was enormous and could be seen from a distance.

As they approached, they noticed a notice board at the entrance, listing the day’s special dishes.

Today’s Special: Crystal Mushrooms from the Underworld, which mildly enhance mental activity. 20 gold coins per serving.

Today’s Special: Electric Thorn Dragon Meat from Zone 1, which slightly strengthens the body. 12 gold coins per serving.

Today’s Special: Ice Rainbow Fish from the Underworld, which mildly increases resistance to ice elements. 30 contribution points per serving. Available only to Second-Class Wizard Apprentices and above.

...

The notice board was filled with such information.

A group of apprentices gathered around the board, discussing something. They could faintly hear some grumbling about the high prices.

"The food in the dining hall must be purchased, with prices ranging from low to high. The recommended dishes on the board are the most expensive, and even we can only afford them occasionally," Du Weini explained to the freshmen.

"Although they are expensive, most of the recommended dishes are worth the price. Sometimes, if you arrive too late, you might not even get them. Some dishes require a certain rank to purchase."

The freshmen were stunned by the prices on the notice board.

Most of them came from noble families with comfortable backgrounds, but even so, they had never eaten dishes that cost 12 to 20 gold coins.

The prices were practically highway robbery!

Du Weini noticed the freshmen’s expressions and smiled, saying nothing.

Once they tasted the flavors and effects of those dishes, they would realize the gold coins were well spent.

Inside the second dining hall, the space was divided into several areas, each with its own unique style and a variety of strange dishes.

The freshmen found a place to sit, and soon, a few staff members came over to take their orders.

To their surprise, these staff members were not human but a unique type of female humanoid creature.

They had chestnut-colored hair, smooth skin, and faces that seemed to have stepped out of a painting.

Their large, round eyes were deep and soulful, their ears fine and folded back, giving them a slight elven appearance.

They stood about one meter tall, slightly taller than halflings.

"These are Water Sprites, the dining hall’s staff," Du Weini introduced. "They are gentle and love cleanliness, and they can also manipulate water elements."

"Why have I never heard of these creatures before?" one of the freshmen asked.

"It’s normal," Du Weini smiled. "Water Sprites are extraplanar beings. They don’t exist on this continent, so you’ve never seen them."

"They were summoned to the academy from another world and have signed contracts to serve the academy in exchange for compensation."

The appearance of the Water Sprites seemed to trigger a flurry of questions from the freshmen.

Du Weini patiently answered each one, while Xie Qin sat expressionless beside her.

Soon, the Water Sprites returned with their trays.

A beautiful Water Sprite placed a tray in front of Fei Laming, giving him a sweet smile as she left.

Fei Laming’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but watch the Water Sprite’s retreating back.

Before, he had thought the girl next door was the most beautiful person he knew and had even dreamed of marrying her when he grew up. But now, he suddenly found the Water Sprite quite appealing.

After a lively meal, Xie Qin and Du Weini led the freshmen to the Logistics Department to collect their academy maps, rulebooks, exchange lists, books, robes, and badges.

"The badge is your student identification. You need to wear it to enter many places, so keep it safe. It will cost you to replace if you lose it."

After delivering this final reminder, Du Weini and Xie Qin left.

The freshmen carried their supplies and returned to their dormitories in small groups.

The dormitories were single rooms, complete with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom. The furniture was new, and the accommodation was excellent.

The freshmen, having just experienced many new and exciting things at Starlight Academy, were clearly very excited. They gathered in the hallways to chat and exchange stories.

After all, they were just teenagers, still quite immature despite their growing physical maturity.

Fleming didn't join them, heading straight back to his dormitory.

No sooner had he put his things down than Donohue came over to visit.

"Fleming, what courses are you planning to sign up for tomorrow?"

Fleming had already made up his mind and answered without hesitation, "All of them! I want to sign up for all the foundational courses!"

Donohue's lips twitched slightly. "Do you really have to push yourself so hard?"

Fleming shrugged and asked, "What courses are you planning to take?"

Donohue sighed. "Since you're doing it, I can't back out. I'll sign up for all of them too. I don't want to fall behind you."

Fleming smiled and patted his shoulder. "Let's work hard together!"

Having finally entered Starlight Academy, Fleming cherished this opportunity immensely.

Even without the threat of expulsion, he would still strive with all his might.

After all, this was his only chance to transcend the mundane!

Who wouldn't want to live longer and witness the peak of the continent's wonders?

After a brief chat, Donohue left.

Fleming closed the door and eagerly picked up the books he had received from the logistics department, carefully flipping through them.

The Star Ring Meditation Technique!

This was the only book freshmen received for free.

To get more books, one had to borrow from the library or spend gold coins and contribution points to exchange for them.

Taking a deep breath, Fleming calmed his mind and focused on the book in his hands.

He had just asked Senior Duvenie, and among the current second-level wizard apprentices, the fastest to master the Star Ring Meditation Technique was Senior Sherman, who took only twenty-five days. The slowest one didn't take more than a month and a half.

Fleming didn't aim to break the twenty-five-day record, but he at least wanted to master it within a month and a half.

Only then could he stand out among the freshmen.

Although he had only been there for less than a day, Fleming could already feel the intense competitive atmosphere in the academy.

Everyone was diligently studying and practicing, striving to improve their strength every second.

This gave him a sense of urgency, making him reluctant to waste even a moment.

"One day, I will enter the Dragon Skeleton Tower!"

In Flash City, the royal capital, the council chamber was filled with tension.

Kei furrowed his brow, deep in thought, while Brad, Jorden, and Staley kept their eyes down, remaining silent.

Just a short while ago, the Second Prince, Wesley Anest, and the First Princess, Adela Anest, failed the aptitude test and missed their chance to enter Starlight Academy.

Upon hearing this news, the king had sighed deeply many times in front of them.

Brad and the others were not surprised. The king was only a legendary knight, not a formal wizard, so the probability of his descendants having wizard aptitude was no different from that of ordinary people.

After a moment, Jorden, the most impatient of the three, couldn't bear the silence and gave Brad a meaningful glance.

Brad rolled his eyes inwardly but still cleared his throat and broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, it's not really the fault of Prince Wesley and Princess Adela. The odds of having wizard aptitude are one in a thousand, and the two of them can't control their aptitude."

Kei sighed. "I know, I'm not blaming them. But the royal family has never had a wizard apprentice, and in the long run, this could negatively impact the royal family's prestige."

Brad and Staley exchanged glances.

This was indeed a problem!

Jorden, not thinking as deeply as the other two, spoke bluntly, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. Even if Prince Wesley and Princess Adela didn't pass the aptitude test, there are still many other princes and princesses in the royal family. Surely one of them will have wizard aptitude, right?"

Guided by the idea of expanding the royal lineage, Kei had fathered many more children over the years.

Upon hearing Jorden's words, he first froze, then a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

Yes!

As long as he had enough children, one of them would surely have wizard aptitude!

He still had over a hundred years to live. As long as he continued to expand the royal lineage, he would eventually cultivate a wizard apprentice for the royal family.

And with the empire's current resources, even if the apprentice had poor aptitude, with the empire's full support, they could be nurtured into a third-level wizard apprentice through sheer resources!

The more Kei thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. His mind began to wander, and he soon thought of another method.

"What do you think about arranging marriages between the royal family and the wizard apprentices of Starlight Academy?"

Brad and the others were taken aback, but they quickly understood the king's intention.

This was a plan to improve the royal family's genetic pool through marriage with wizard apprentices.

After a moment of silence, Brad hesitated. "Your Majesty, many noble families in the empire have the same idea, and they have already approached the wizard apprentices at the academy. However, very few have agreed to the marriages."

Kai frowned at the news but quickly relaxed.

The wizard apprentices at Starlight Academy are currently in their prime, naturally focused on their studies and advancement rather than marriage. With Su Nan as a role model, anyone with ambition would refuse a noble marriage arrangement.

However, that was in the past.

With the establishment of Starlight Academy, the competition among students has become increasingly fierce.

Many students from common or minor noble backgrounds have far from substantial wealth, making it difficult to cover the academy's substantial expenses.

To acquire resources, they must spend a significant amount of time and energy on missions.

But if they were to marry into a noble family, with ample financial support, they could save more time for their training and studies, quickly progressing through the early stages.

This is a win-win situation for both the students and the nobles.

It's easy to imagine that more and more wizard apprentices will opt for noble marriages in the future.

In this regard, the royal family undoubtedly has a significant advantage.

The resources the royal family can provide far exceed those of the lower nobility.

While this is true, Kai knows that such matters cannot be rushed and require careful consideration.

Firstly, there are currently no members of the royal family of marriageable age, with the eldest, Yabei, not yet eighteen.

Secondly, selecting the right candidates for marriage is crucial.

Kai's preferred targets are naturally the outstanding students with the greatest potential to advance to third-tier wizard apprentices, such as Xie Man, Cole, Arthil, and Ethan.

However, he is also well aware that these individuals do not need the empire's support and are unlikely to agree to a marriage arrangement.

Perhaps, in the distant future, when they no longer see a path to further advancement, they might consider having children.

But that is a long way off.

Excluding these individuals, Kai is not interested in the other mid-level wizard apprentices.

He prefers to select promising freshmen and arrange marriages with them while they are still weak, supporting their rapid growth. This way, the relationship between both parties will be more solid.

Identifying promising freshmen is not something that can be done quickly; it requires a long period of observation to make a decision.

After a moment of thought, Kai had a plan in mind. He moved on to another topic.

"How is the resource mobilization going?"

At the mention of business, Breed and the others instinctively sat up straight.

"All resources have been gathered in the border cities, enough to support a large-scale war!"

Kai nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Have there been any unusual movements from the neighboring countries?"

"Besides increasing their military presence in the towns bordering the empire, there have been no other unusual actions," Breed replied.

Kai nodded in understanding.

The actions of the neighboring countries were not surprising.

They are preparing to defend against the possibility of the Starlight Empire launching a unification war in the southeastern domain.

The current Starlight Empire, in terms of territory, is no less expansive than the former Azure Empire and, in terms of overall strength, is even more powerful. Not to mention, it is the only empire with a wizard in residence.

One could say that the Starlight Empire is better equipped and stronger than the Azure Empire to unify the southeastern domain.

Even if the Starlight Empire claims it has no intention of unification, no country would believe it.

In fact, Kai does indeed have plans to unify the southeastern domain.

And that is just the first step; his ultimate goal is the entire Starlight Continent.

On this point, Su Nan and he had a deep discussion, and the two brothers reached an agreement.

With Su Nan's support, Kai's confidence has grown even stronger.

Thinking about the empire's future, even though he is much more composed than before, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

At that moment, an internal affairs officer suddenly appeared at the hall's entrance, bowing respectfully.

Kai glanced at him and said coolly, "What is it?"

"Your Majesty, the Thornflower Principality has sent a messenger to request an audience."

This news caused all four men in the hall to pause in surprise.

Jodan frowned and said, "At this time? Could they have discovered our plans?"

Stally, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "I don't think so. Although Thornflower Principality has increased its military presence in the border cities, that was before the empire mobilized resources. They likely don't know the empire's intentions yet."

Kai thought for a moment and waved his hand. "Have him taken to the reception hall. I will meet him there."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end