Chapter 375: The Academy

Chapter 375: The Academy

Soon, a nearly hundred-meter-tall giant cylindrical tower came into view, clearly serving as the docking point for the airship.

Around the docking area, several small black dots flitted back and forth, which were the griffin knights maintaining order.

Compared to the number of griffin knights in Manstir, the Imperial City of Tamriel had many more, with squads of them frequently soaring through the sky.

Rayn could see with his naked eye that the vast Imperial City had a total of four such airship docking points, each located in the four cardinal directions, all towering high above as tall towers.

At the same time, several long bridges extended from different directions on the tall tower, accommodating various airships.

As Rayn and Anna slowly disembarked from the airship with the crowd, they soon spotted the short Matteo waiting for them at the exit.

Beside him stood an elderly man dressed in a tailcoat, with the demeanor of a butler.

"Lord Rayn, Miss Anna, I've been waiting for you. Everything is ready," Matteo greeted them with a bow.

"Thank you for your hard work, Matteo," Rayn said with a slight smile.

This arrangement was suggested by the beautiful Jennifer, who sent Matteo ahead to the Imperial City to make the necessary preparations.

Initially, Jennifer had even considered purchasing a house for Rayn to stay in the Imperial City.

However, Rayn's title was still a Viscount, and his fiefdom was under the jurisdiction of Manstir Province. To purchase a house in the land-scarce Imperial City, even with sufficient funds, he could only consider properties in the Third Ring or beyond.

Even in the Third Ring, only nobles with fiefs in the Imperial City and its surrounding areas could directly purchase property; otherwise, he would have to pay several times the price and invest as a wealthy merchant.

After some thought, Rayn politely declined Jennifer's offer to buy a house but accepted her suggestion to send Matteo ahead as an advance scout.

Before his departure, during a gathering with the Duke of Manstir, the Duke had offered Rayn temporary residence at the Bavaria family's mansion in the Imperial City.

Considering Anna's safety, Rayn accepted the Duke's olive branch.

The Bavaria family's mansion was located in the Inner Ring, ensuring a higher level of security compared to the Third Ring and beyond. Additionally, its proximity to the headquarters of the Swordbearers made it convenient for Rayn's daily commute.

"It's my duty, and I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to come to the Imperial City of Tamriel. Thank you, Lord Rayn, for giving me this chance," Matteo said with a hint of excitement.

Although he was originally a young man from the small town of Flashgold, Matteo had already been in the Imperial City for nearly ten days, yet each day brought new and exciting experiences.

"By the way, Lord Rayn, I forgot to introduce you to this gentleman. This is Lord Aldo, the butler of the Bavaria family's mansion," Matteo tapped his head and said.

"Good day, Lord Rayn, and good day to the beautiful Miss Anna," Aldo smiled and greeted them respectfully.

"Hello, Butler Aldo."

"The Duke has already sent a letter ahead, and I have arranged your accommodations, Lord Rayn and Miss Anna."

"Mhm, thank you."

"Oh, and Lord Rayn, where is your pet license? I can help you with the registration process. The Imperial City has strict regulations regarding battle pets."

"Sure, thank you."

For this trip to the Imperial City, Rayn had brought along his Blood Feather Gryphon.

As for Cheesecake, the Lynx Warhound, Rayn had left him behind in Manstir with his sister Mint, along with Black, the Swift Warhorse.

Soon, Rayn and Anna boarded the luxurious carriage of the Bavaria family, heading towards the Inner Ring.

Inside the carriage, Butler Aldo shared some information about the Imperial City.

"The Imperial City has more than four airship docking points, and that doesn't even include the exclusive docking areas for the military, the Swordbearers, and other organizations."

"Oh? The headquarters of the Swordbearers has its own exclusive docking point?" Rayn raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Lord Rayn. By the way, whenever you visit the headquarters of the Swordbearers, just inform the servants, and they will arrange a carriage for you."

"Alright, thank you, but I won't need it for now. I plan to walk around first."

Rayn had already decided on his way that he would first visit the Bimuxie Zhuangzhuang Academy to seek Master Mogaro.

The second volume of the Steel Heart Advanced Meditation Technique was crucial to his mental power liquidation process, as obtaining a divine power crystal was a matter of chance.

To expedite the liquidation process, relying on advanced meditation techniques was the most reliable method.

"Certainly, Lord Rayn. The Imperial City has so many interesting places to explore. You can take Miss Anna around and show her the sights." Aldo, the butler in charge of their reception, said respectfully.

This respect was not without reason. In his letter, the Duke of Manstir had explicitly stated that they should do their best to accommodate all requests made by the young Viscount Rayn.

If there were difficulties, they should strive to overcome them.

If there were truly insurmountable problems, they should contact Sir Halowen for assistance.

Aldo, the butler in charge of reception, had never seen the Duke of Bavaria show such attention to a Viscount, almost surpassing the level of attention given to his own son, Sir Halowen, known as the 'Bavaria Spear.'

Aldo only knew that Lord Rayn was a Swordbearer, but even for a Ferrite Rank Swordbearer, the Duke's concern seemed excessive.

The next morning, as the sun's rays bathed the luxurious bedroom of the Bavaria residence, Ren gently loosened his embrace on the fair-skinned arm of the young girl and began to rise. He intended to visit the Bimux Zhuangzhuang Academy today, following the address recorded on the memory crystal.

"Ren?" Anna opened her sleepy eyes and spoke.

"Anna, you can rest a little longer. I'll take care of Blood Feather later, and I'm heading to the Academy."

"Okay! Come back early."

Since Anna already knew about Ren's plan to visit the Academy, she had no objections.

Following the address from the memory crystal, Ren soon arrived at his destination by carriage.

Located in a bustling yet secluded alley, the shop's iron signboard depicted a large barrel of beer, with a cup placed beneath the tap. The sign read 'Craig Winery'.

Although it was still early in the morning, the shop was already open for business.

Ren looked up at the sign and couldn't help but wonder, 'Is this a branch of the Academy, or is it the effect of some kind of magic?'

"Welcome, stranger. Is this your first time at Craig Winery?" A female receptionist approached with a smile and asked.

"Yes, I'm here to see Master Mogaro."

"Oh? Master Mogaro? Please follow me." The receptionist's eyes lit up as she spoke.

Soon, Ren followed the receptionist to the basement wine cellar. She rang a bell, and the wooden cellar door opened, revealing a middle-aged, disheveled man in a gray wizard's robe. He said, "Joey, why are you disturbing my sleep so early?"

But when he saw Ren and sensed his presence, he immediately rubbed his eyes in disbelief, staring at Ren with an expression of incredulity.

"Hmm? Who might you be?"

Although he didn't know Ren's specific situation, the hidden yet powerful aura emanating from Ren made it clear to even a fool that he wasn't a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice; at the very least, he was a fully fledged Wizard.

"I'm here to see Master Mogaro."

"Master Mogaro? If you wish to enter the Academy, I'll need to see your badge," the disheveled man said, looking at Ren with confusion.

He confirmed that he hadn't met Ren before.

However, since Ren addressed Mogaro as 'Master,' it seemed he was affiliated with the Academy.

"Please check. My name is Ren, and Master Mogaro should have informed the Academy about me."

"Please wait, I'll check right away." The receptionist hurried back inside.

Less than a minute later, she reappeared and said, "Master Ren, we've confirmed that Master Mogaro reported to the Academy more than a month ago. I'll escort you into the Academy now."

"Thank you."

As Ren stepped into the wine cellar, the ground flashed with intricate array patterns, and he seemed to enter a bubble. After a ripple passed through, he vanished from the cellar entrance.

As his vision blurred, Ren found himself in an underground hall.

"Hmm? Is this a teleportation array?"

"Yes, this is a short-distance teleportation array. The specific technique has been lost, but it was brought here by a powerful figure from the Academy long ago, recovered from ancient ruins." The disheveled man spoke with a hint of pride.

Meanwhile, in a spacious room within the Bimux Zhuangzhuang Academy's headquarters.

From afar, the sound of clanging and clinking filled the air.

A group of young men and women in gray wizard robes were busy working on variously shaped metal blocks, their sleeves rolled up. Some held hammers and occasionally struck the metal.

"Audrey, your Metal Transformation Spell is becoming more and more skilled. Unlike me, I can never fully succeed in transforming the components and have to manually correct them afterward."

"Ugh! I feel like I'm more of a blacksmith than a Metal-type Wizard with all this work. There's just too much to do!" A male wizard with chestnut-brown hair and a bitter expression complained.

"Pfft! Joseph, stop complaining. Is there a day when you don't grumble?" A graceful and slender young woman, seemingly in her late teens, with a captivating figure and a pretty face, spoke up.

"If you have the energy to complain, you might as well practice your Metal Transformation Spell." With that, she placed her fair and slender palms on a metal piece.

As she silently chanted a spell, the basin-sized iron block began to slowly transform. After nearly half a minute, it took on the shape of a hollow cylindrical column.

However, fine beads of sweat appeared on the young woman's forehead, indicating that the Metal Transformation Spell was still quite challenging for her.

"I have to agree with Joseph," said another older, curvy, and more mature female wizard nearby. "Recently, we've had too many Metal-type tasks. I haven't even had time to attend the Wizard Salon."

"Hey, have you heard the news?"

"Paul from the Clay Type, entered the First Rank Wizard, Late Stage two days ago. His mental power fog has reached over sixty percent, and he's only twenty-seven years old! He's truly amazing!" The mature female wizard shared some gossip.

"What? Hasn't he only been at the Academy for half a year? And he's already reached the advanced stage?" Joseph exclaimed in surprise.

"What's so strange about that? Don't forget, he's the heir of the Nixon Duke's family from the Imperial City. With the careful cultivation since childhood, it's not unusual for him to have such talent and progress," a mature female wizard rolled her eyes at Joseph.

"Oh, Alicia, what do you think? Compared to Nixon, how does the new student of Master Mogaro measure up?" Joseph suddenly thought of a question and turned to the mature female wizard.

"Are you talking about Rain, the one Master Mogaro has been raving about? I heard he has incredible talent and is already a full-fledged wizard at such a young age," the mature female wizard paused, but quickly recalled something.

"It's hard to say, but I think Nixon is still more impressive. The heritage and resources of a bloodline family are beyond the imagination of ordinary people," a female wizard named Alicia shook her head.

"I agree. Even if Rain's talent is comparable or slightly better than Nixon's, it doesn't matter. He has the guidance of high-ranking wizards within his family and access to various rare resources," Joseph nodded, expressing his envy.

"That's not necessarily true. After all, none of us have met Rain, so how can we be so quick to judge?" Audrey was the only one who disagreed, furrowing her brows as she spoke.

She was quite curious about Rain, whom Master Mogaro had mentioned several times.

And from what she understood, Rain's talent was exceptional.

Perhaps, with Rain's arrival, a new vitality could be injected into the Metal Element.

"Audrey, that's not..." Joseph was about to say something when a familiar voice interrupted him.

Suddenly, a voice known to everyone sounded, "Alright, instead of chatting, focus on making a few more puppet components to exchange for Contribution Points for the Academy."

As the voice faded, a short, red-bearded old man appeared abruptly behind them.

"Ah! Master Mogaro!" Joseph was startled and exclaimed in slight panic.

"Good day, Master Mogaro!" Audrey stuck out her tongue playfully.

The group of wizards and wizard apprentices greeted him.

"Good day, Master!"

"Good day, Master Mogaro!"

As they walked back down the corridor, Master Mogaro shook his head and sighed, "These three... Joseph has a good character, but his talent is quite average. After ten years, his mental power has only reached a vaporization level of twenty percent."

"Alicia is slightly better, with a vaporization level of over thirty percent, but she's already thirty-nine years old. This progress isn't fast enough, and all she thinks about is finding a partner. Her heart isn't in the study of wizardry."

"Among the three, only Audrey has the best mental power aptitude and the most perseverance. Unfortunately, her Metal Affinity is just average."

"Sigh! Trevor will be returning from his rotation in Fury Canyon soon, but these three don't seem capable of taking his place."

The rest were still wizard apprentices, so Master Mogaro didn't consider them.

Currently, in the Academy's residence, only these three had reached the rank of full-fledged wizards under Master Mogaro's tutelage.

"Speaking of Rain, I should write him a letter."

"But he's a Swordbearer, and much of his time is not his own. I'll wait a little longer." Master Mogaro thought to himself.

"Master Mogaro, there's a Lord Rain outside who wishes to meet you. He claims to be your student, but the Academy doesn't have his unique mental power signature on record, so we require your confirmation."

"What? Rain is here?" Master Mogaro put down his wine glass and stood up immediately.

Rain didn't have to wait long in the lobby. In just a few minutes, a familiar short man, barely five feet tall, with a red beard and a cheerful expression, strode towards them.

"Master Mogaro, it's been a while," Rain greeted with a slight bow.

"Hahaha, Rain! It's been too long!" Master Mogaro, upon seeing Rain, laughed heartily while pulling Rain by the hand and leading him inside.

"If I hadn't written to you, you might never have come!"

"Wait, hold on!"

"Rain, you... you've reached the Second Stage Liquidation as a wizard?" Master Mogaro, a veteran wizard at the peak of the First Rank, was naturally sensitive to such power. He had been too happy to notice it earlier, but after a few steps, he realized something was amiss.

The surging mental power emanating from his student Rain was astonishing, surpassing even his own.

"My student has surpassed me in power so soon after enrolling. How am I supposed to teach him now?" Master Mogaro was stunned.

He had given Rain the Steel Heart Advanced Meditation not long ago, when Rain had barely entered the First Rank. But now, Rain had reached the Second Stage Liquidation, surpassing him?

In Master Mogaro's office, Rain and Master Mogaro sat across from each other. Master Mogaro, excited, exclaimed, "So, Rain, you've completed the first level of Steel Heart Advanced Meditation and are ready for the second level?"

"Yes, Master, the reason I came to the Imperial City this time and chose to visit the Tatus Academy first was to learn the second level of the Steel Heart Meditation Technique as soon as possible. In a few days, I'll be heading to the headquarters of the Swordbearers to report."

"Hmm? You've been transferred to the Swordbearer Headquarters? At such a young age, you've already become a Ferrite Rank Swordbearer?" Master Mogaro's gaze towards Ren held a hint of increased appreciation.

As a veteran wizard, he was naturally well-informed about the Empire's Swordbearers. He knew that their promotions were earned through hard-fought battles and rigorous combat experience.

Similar to military achievements, promotions in the Swordbearers required numerous battles and the completion of various challenging tasks.

If one's abilities were insufficient, a promotion could be more of a burden than a reward, as the difficulty of the tasks they faced would increase significantly.

This was also why the Swordbearers held such high esteem; other factors like background played a smaller role.

"Well, Master, I'm not a Ferrite Rank Swordbearer," Ren hesitated for a moment before explaining.

"Hmm? Is it a temporary assignment?" Master Mogaro's eyebrows rose as he thought of something and chuckled. "Admiral Edwards seems to hold you in high regard."

"I'm an Electrum Rank Swordbearer," Ren decided there was no need to hide this information from his master, as many would come to know once he reported to the Swordbearer Headquarters.

Concealing it might lead to misunderstandings and a loss of trust, which would not be worth it.

"What!" Master Mogaro's eyes widened, and his hand shook, causing the Bordeaux wine he had just picked up to spill onto his wizard's robe.

However, he paid no attention to the spilled wine and immediately asked, "An Electrum Rank Swordbearer? How is that possible?"

"You..."

The next moment, as if realizing something, Master Mogaro calmed himself, waved his hand, and said, "You Swordbearers have confidentiality regulations, and I understand if you can't disclose details. I believe what you've told me."

"By the way, Ren, if you're here to exchange for the second level of the Steel Heart Meditation Technique, there's a minor but tricky issue. You don't have enough contribution points."

"Oh? Contribution points? Do I need to make contributions to the Academy to acquire it?"

"Yes, unfortunately, contribution points cannot be transferred. Otherwise, I'd gladly share some with you." Master Mogaro nodded.

"It's not the Academy's fault, really. I suspect that throughout the history of the Bimuxie Zhuangzhuang Academy, there hasn't been anyone like you who needs to learn the second level of the meditation technique right after joining." He couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Master, how can I quickly earn these contribution points?" Ren was quite understanding of the Academy's approach.

"Usually, you can earn contribution points by completing Academy tasks. Since our Academy isn't combat-oriented, there are various types of tasks, including manufacturing assignments. But these skills can't be learned overnight; they require a certain level of runecraft knowledge."

"Oh? Manufacturing? Engravings?" Ren's eyes lit up.

In terms of metalworking, Ren had yet to encounter anyone faster than himself, whose metal transformation technique had become an innate wizardry.

As for engravings, while he couldn't claim to be an expert, he possessed the skills of a novice engraver.

"Is it related to metal puppets?" Ren asked for confirmation.

"Yes, recently, our metalworking department received a large order from the military to produce 100 Fury Hammer Battle Puppets."

"Actually, with your status as a Swordbearer, completing the Academy's combat, guard, or patrol tasks should be relatively easy." Master Mogaro's perspective was quite the opposite of Ren's.

In his opinion, it would be a waste of Ren's rich combat experience and formidable strength to have him earn contribution points by making puppet parts.

"Since you're about to report to the Swordbearer Headquarters, you might not have enough time to complete combat tasks now. It's not too late to return to the Academy after your assignment."

"For these two days, I'll have someone show you around and familiarize yourself with the environment."

In Master Mogaro's eyes, Ren's progress was already astonishing, and there was no need to rush into completing tasks for contribution points. Instead, he could take his time and explore.

"Umm, Master, I'd like to inquire about the required contribution points for exchanging the second level of the Steel Heart Meditation Technique."

"That's not a lot. As a meditation technique, the second level of Steel Heart requires fewer contribution points compared to other second-level wizardries. If I remember correctly, it should be 500 points."

"And what about the contribution points for making the Fury Hammer Battle Puppet parts you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes, the contribution points vary for different parts. The final assembly and testing will be my responsibility, while others will be in charge of part manufacturing, engravings, and so on. Ren, if you're interested, I can have someone show you the specifics."

"Yes, Master, I'd like to take a look." Ren nodded, ready to get up.

"Oh, Ren, are you in such a hurry?" Seeing Ren's eagerness, Master Mogaro couldn't help but shake his head. "Alright, I still have to adjust these Fury Hammer Battle Puppets. I'll have Audrey show you around and familiarize you with the manufacturing process."

"Audrey~"

"Master, did you call me?" A lively-eyed young girl entered the room.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end