Chapter Seventy-Two: The Royal Capital

Gazing up at the towering city gates of the royal capital, Andy was filled with emotion. He and Catherine, after a journey of less than half a year, had finally arrived. Although the many exotic sights along the way had thrilled Andy, the long journey had ultimately left both him and Catherine weary and bored.

At times like this, Andy couldn't help but miss the high-speed trains of his previous life. Catherine, on the other hand, told him that they must one day get their hands on one of those astral ships they’d seen; then they could travel wherever they pleased. Andy's heart had burned at the sight of the astral ship, but he knew that with his current abilities, even if someone gave him a ship for free, he couldn’t keep it.

He had never heard of such things on the Dolun continent, but he had heard of Golden Mages more than once. If he were to suddenly acquire an astral ship, it would be snatched from him before he even knew what happened.

His most pressing concern was still to increase his strength. That was his main reason for coming to the capital: to quickly find a way to enhance his mental power and reach the standard required for promotion to Bronze Mage.

On the way to the capital, Andy had maintained a daily regimen of meditation, but to little effect. He could barely sense any improvement in his mental strength—undoubtedly the fault of his mediocre third-class talent.

Catherine claimed she was confident of advancing to Silver Mage within two years. Although Andy had prepared himself for this, he still felt a pang of envy. Unfortunately, Catherine could at most offer him some guidance in deciphering spell models, but when it came to improving meditation efficiency, she had little to offer.

However, Andy remembered Stein mentioning that while magical aptitude was important, the support of cultivation resources was not to be overlooked. He’d also heard during a conversation with Oliver that the capital possessed abundant resources to help enhance mental strength; even some of the less gifted scions of great noble houses managed to attain Bronze Mage status at a young age.

Thinking of this, Andy couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation. Together with Catherine, he made his way toward the city gates.

As befitted the capital of a kingdom, the crowds were dense, and even entering the gates required queuing. While waiting, Andy noticed something posted on the city wall: a large proclamation that had drawn a throng of onlookers.

“Are they putting out a nationwide warrant for bald monks?” Andy muttered to himself, rubbing his smooth head in jest.

He soon realized, after overhearing the nearby chatter, that he was mistaken.

On his way to the capital, the heir to the throne, Linda Elan, had already been crowned. After her ascension, Queen Elan had enacted several reforms, which the people of the capital referred to as the “Queen’s New Policies.”

The proclamation detailed the main points of these new policies. Andy had no intention of joining the crowd to read it; his mind was set on entering the city quickly to seek out ways to increase his power. In his view, no matter how advanced a political system might be, in the end, it’s still might that makes right.

After his exchange with Bill in Dallas City and that day’s glimpse of the astral ship, Andy’s horizons had subtly shifted. He now knew that the plane he was on was called the Azure Plane, and in the endless astral sea, there were at least three thousand other planes. The Elan Kingdom, where he had been born, was considered a great power only on one continent of the Azure Plane. Compared to the Arcane Empires Bill had mentioned—empires that ruled across hundreds of planes—it was utterly insignificant.

Andy, a traveler from Earth, felt no sense of belonging to the Elan Kingdom. He saw himself as nothing more than a passerby. He was far more intrigued by Bill’s talk of the endless planes of the astral sea. Witnessing the splendor of different civilizations across the multiverse seemed to him the only justification for his journey through worlds.

Sometimes, he even wondered if, among the endless planes, there might be one where he could find his former home—Earth.

Although Andy had no interest in the so-called “Queen’s New Policies,” he still caught fragments of conversation from others as he waited in line. It seemed that under the new policies, the power of Parliament was no longer monopolized by the great noble houses. With the Queen’s support, mages, merchants, lesser nobles, and scholars had chosen representatives to form a Lower House. Alongside the Upper House made up of great noble representatives, the Elan Kingdom had henceforth embarked on a system of joint rule between monarch and Parliament.

Soon, Andy and Catherine entered the capital. The first thing that caught Andy’s eye was the countless domed buildings. Most striking was the magnificent palace complex to the north, built along the mountainside and stretching all the way to the summit. Majestic and resplendent, the polished marble gleamed in the sunset. Atop the highest building, the Elan Kingdom’s flag fluttered in the wind for all to see. Andy needed no one to tell him that this was the Queen’s palace.

He couldn’t help but inwardly mock the kingdom’s flag. Although a bit abstract, Andy could still make out the design: a deep blue horizon where sea meets sky, and a sailing ship with wings outstretched. Did the flag have to be so unconventional? Andy sighed at the royal family’s outlandish taste.

But soon his attention was drawn elsewhere—to another group of buildings no less impressive than the palace. Most notable were the dozens of mage towers rising high in the northwest of the city. Andy knew at once this had to be the renowned Grim Academy.

Hiring a carriage, Andy and Catherine quickly arrived at Grim Academy and, after asking for directions, found the admissions office.

It was a small white building with a sign reading “Freshman Admissions Office.” Inside, there was only a middle-aged woman, dozing at her desk from boredom.

Andy rapped on the desk to wake her. She opened her eyes, a trace of annoyance flickering across her face before she suppressed it, glancing at Andy with thinly veiled impatience. “Here to enroll, are you? Let’s see your acceptance letter.”

“Ah… I don’t have one,” Andy replied, holding only a letter of recommendation.

“No acceptance letter? Then you’re here to register. Got your mental aptitude report? If you’re first-class or above, you can enter without an exam.”

“Please take a look at this,” Andy said, not wanting to let her ask any more awkward questions, and hurriedly handed her Captain Barton’s letter of introduction.

“Oh, so you have a graduate recommendation. I wonder which mage’s prized pupil you are?” The woman’s smile widened as she took the letter, but as she read its contents, her smile instantly chilled.

“So, you’re being referred to Steward Spick. You’re in the wrong place. Go straight down that road to the end—that’s where you need to be,” she said with a look of disdain.

With that, she took out her makeup kit and began touching up her face, ignoring Andy completely.

Puzzled, Andy decided to follow her directions and check out the other office. He picked up Catherine and left, sparing a moment of silent sympathy for the middle-aged woman, as he had noticed Catherine quietly drawing a circle on the floor as they left.

…

An hour later, the middle-aged woman, now vexed by a sudden outbreak of acne, received her next visitor.

It was Cain, whom Andy had seen queuing at the gates with Arvis.

A minor disagreement at the gate had been quickly smoothed over by Cain’s good-natured mediation. Little did Arvis know, however, that his name now lay quietly in Cain’s little notebook—highlighted in yellow.

As Cain entered, he was greeted by the sight of the woman’s pimpled face. Though the sight made his stomach turn, Cain was ever the polite and cheerful child. Smiling, he greeted her, “Ma’am, here to enroll!”

Lost in her own world, the woman paid him no heed, so Cain repeated, even louder, “Enrollment, ma’am!”

In her irritation, the woman slammed the table and snapped, “What are you hollering for? In a hurry to be reborn, are you?”