Beast Taming? Nah, Dragon Herding is Way Better! - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: The Academy
The Flammenherz Kingdom’s Capital City.

Within this place that can be considered a massive strategical fortress of a city, with one of its sides, the west, being the only thing that is exposed to open danger as its north and east are covered by a nearby mountain range, and the south leads to an open sea, this is one of the hardest places to attack in a war among all the capital cities of the nearby kingdoms, something that makes other sovereigns, kings and queens alike, jealous of such strategically placed capital city.

Of course, while it makes it easier to defend it like this, said defense only applies for a similar level of power between the kingdom and the opposing party should someone attack them, as everyone in this world knows the absolute rule when the war already involves high caliber mages and martial artists.

Said rule is the rule stating that ‘All paltry tricks are meaningless in front of absolute and indomitable strength’, a rule that really applies to everyone given that the difference of the higher-level mages and martial artists are just that absurd compared to the lower-level ones, so much that not even numbers can make up for the difference in strength between them.

That rule is also exactly the reason why it just makes the capital city of this kingdom all the more secure, as one of those absolute powers within the neighboring countries and kingdoms is located within the palace housing the royal family, a great mage of rumors that is capable of leveling a city flat with just one of their spells.

Unfortunately for the common folks’ eyes though, they do not have, and most likely will never have the opportunity to meet this legendary court mage of rumors, as this person’s identity is like a hidden treasure that is veiled with all sorts of traps amidst the mist covering its true appearance.

This isn’t of any concern to Diluc though as he starts appreciating the entirety of the city with his eyes, a perfectly circular city that spans over what it seems to be a million kilometer of area, causing even considerable level experts to fail gauging the actual size of the city that stands proud with all sorts of establishments on either sides of the paved roads he and the elven beauty beside him is walking on, making him wonder just what sort of opportunities he can obtain here, his mind concluding that whatever amount that is, it is definitely far more than he can attain if he just travels aimlessly by himself.

Thinking of a place for the two of them to talk though, the young man couldn’t help but deduce of a single place that is definitely going to be less populated than the density of people walking on the streets they are currently on, this idea of his causing him to look at the elven beauty holding his hand and following just right behind him, opening his voice as he starts asking.

“What do you say we move to the Academy first?” consulting his current companion, Diluc asked with a smile on his face, his voice surprisingly still clear when it arrives on the elven beauty’s long ears despite the drowning noise produced by the people walking to and from around them, his words causing her to hesitate for a while before she eventually nods her head to him.

Seeing how she hesitates for a second, Diluc couldn’t help but wonder what is it that made her act like that, however, thinking that he shouldn’t really concern himself with all the things she doesn’t want to tell him, as well as the fact that she also agrees to his suggestion eventually, he just opts not to ask her why she hesitated.

As they walk along the way following the location of the tallest tower in the city, the two of them marvels on the sight of everything around them, a lot of people from all walks of life either travelling and roaming the streets, some of them meanwhile enters shops that can be seen seemingly just waiting for the customers to arrive, while some are arguing and haggling with the owner of the roadside stalls usually located in the less populated streets.

What they saw isn’t limited to normal, pure blooded humans though as all sorts of races are also populating the streets, making it apparent that the stand of the Flammenherz Kingdom is something that accepts the diversity of life, unlike some extremist neighboring kingdoms who are more than happy to claim themselves and the race under their leadership to be the ones superior compared to the others, and that claim despite the fact that they can’t live without trading and commerce whit their neighboring kingdoms.

“We’re near…” seeing the sky-scraping tower already getting bigger and bigger with each one of their steps, Diluc announces causing the elven beauty, Alea to snap out of her wandering daze previously looking at all sorts of people populating this city, her mind quite assured that she is not the only one that doesn’t seem to be a normal human.

Hearing his words, Alea merely nodded as she recalls this feeling of not being alone once again, assured that except for the time when she got kidnapped by the rotten people of that merchant’s caravan, her time within the Academy is definitely going to be better than she expected, especially with this exceptional person becoming her friend.

“Should we start taking the entrance exams then? I heard that the first part of the exams are something that can be taken independently…” she suggested as both of them nears the premise of the greatest academy within the kingdom and the neighboring lands around it, trying to buy as much time as she can to hide her identity from him, as somehow, she couldn’t help but feel like there will be an estrangement between the two of them if he found out about it, something that she doesn’t really want to happen given that he is the first male friend she ever had.

“Is there a benefit of doing so?” wondering why she suggested such thing, Diluc asks as he turns around to meet her gaze, a gaze that seems to flicker brightly in hope and joy as she heard the question that just comes out of his mouth.

“My guardian said that the students who passed the first part of the entrance exams are already eligible to enroll in the academy, and they will be given temporary lodging the moment they complete the first part of the exams” Alea said with a smile on her face as she starts telling him about all sorts of things that he can access the moment he got accepted into the academy, things that doesn’t really register to him anymore the moment he heard of the fact that this lodging will be free of charge, as well as the fact that any students are already eligible to access the library of the academy, but of course, just a limited part of it.

“Then I see no reason for us not to take this exam now…” Diluc’s eyes glows as he starts looking forward to passing this entrance exams even more, his steps noticeably increasing in speed that made the elven beauty struggle to catch up to him once again.

Seeing the excited look on his face, Alea couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief as it seems like she can still hide her identity to him for the time being, allowing her to focus on the upcoming exams they are about to take the moment they enter the premise of the academy.

Finally standing in front of the gates of this place, both the emperor-like young man formerly a relatively high ranking noble because of his parents as well as the elven beauty who seems to be someone far more significant than just a normal noble, looks at the gates of this academy with quite the astonishment in their eyes.

While it is not as grand as the main gates of the walls of the Capital City, it is certainly far greater than the size of the entrance where they pass through to enter inside the city, this gate that is decorated by some symmetrical engravings on each of the steel bar of it appearing quite refined and regal, coupled with the arch situated right above the gates with what seems to be the symbol of the academy on it, made it appear all the more professional and pleasing to the eyes.

The emblem on the center of the arch is something simple, yet appears to be great and proper for the purpose of the academy all the same, a detailed shield design overlayed with a crossed sword and a magic staff right in front of it, the emblem that they will be wearing upon their clothes the moment they managed to pass the entrance exams just waiting for the two of them.