Chapter 68 68 The capital
[OP: ]
The great empire of Barnacle, the ruler of the western continent and the holder of one of the central positions in the current world, ruled over half of the continent. And aside from them, there were only five other central nations on this continent.
The Elven nation Vanraya, the subordinates of the empire; the theocracy of Cross, the country of religion; the Northern Alliance, the opposing forces; the Freedom federation of adventurers; and the Demonic Plains run by the demonic forces.
However, they are of little importance for now.
The great empire of Barnacle was slowly becoming the world's attention once again.
It was time for the entrance exam of the Great Academy of Idyllia, the central institute independent from any and all powers on this planet.
It was a special place that had existed even before the foundation of this empire, however, throughout the known history, this institution had changed its place a few times.
No one knows how or when it was actually created but everyone certainly knows and believes that it has existed since the dawn of this world.
The immortal headmaster of this institution, the strongest being in this world, is someone totally independent from any country, and even though the academy exists in the empire, in its capital city even more precisely, it isn't a part of the empire.
The academy is a special place that welcomes anyone who wishes to learn and can pass through the toughest tests it presents to them.
The entrance exam to enter the academy happens every three years and those who pass would have to stay in the academy for the following three years.
The academy offers dorm rooms of a diverse range but, aside from the holidays and vacations, the students aren't allowed to leave the premises of the academy.
They would have to stay in their dorms for the time they were a student, and, since the academy covered exactly a third of the capital city, it was more than big enough to accommodate thousands of students that were the best of the best in their own field of expertise.
But that aside… the capital city.
It was divided into three sections, and since it was the heart of the empire, it was a place that everyone on the continent and most in the world knew about.
Resembling a pie chart by structure, the capital city was first surrounded by high walls entirely made of fortified Maluium, a metal stronger than most available metals on the planet, and then it was divided by three smaller walls on the inside that divided the city into three distinct areas.
These walls created three perfect blocks, and at the point where they met, another higher triangular wall was constructed.
Within these walls stood the Golden Imperial Castle, which served as the residence of the royalty.
The city's structure clearly divided it into different parts, with the royalty residing at the center behind stronger walls than those guarding the city gates. One part of the city was entirely dedicated to the academy, another part was for the nobles acknowledged by the imperial rulers or the kings of different nations recognized by the empire, and the remaining part was presented to the common folks, including peasants, lower-class citizens, merchants, and ordinary people.
This part also belonged to the Adventurers since the Adventurers Association was situated here. However, compared to the upper-class area, the houses in this part were mostly constructed of wood and other commonly available materials. The stores only offered useful items related to adventurers, and in addition to their regular stock, they sold street food and relatively cheaper goods.
However, the people here were friendlier and had a more 'normal' demeanor, and the atmosphere was also lively throughout the day here.
In stark contrast, the upper-class area, the noble land of the capital, stood as a distinct realm within the city.
The people here were mostly from a family that owned an estate somewhere in the empire or at least the other part of the world, and the daily activities here contained a hint of what upper-class people usually do in the novels.
The houses here were grand, making the common people's dwellings pale in comparison. The goods sold were beyond the reach of an average person, and the area was highlighted by the presence of the grand 'Auction House' where the nobles lavishly spent the money they earned, largely thanks to the activities of the common people.
The two areas were like two totally different places and even though the area they covered was the same, the gap in population between the two areas was so great it was unbelievable they were both part of the same city.
And then there was the academy, a structure even bigger and fancier than the imperial palace itself…
The great academy was a place of hope, dreams, and faith.
It welcomed anyone that wished to study there, one didn't have to spend any form of money to receive the basic services of this place which included the accommodation and food, the teachers were the best of the best in their fields handpicked directly by the person that managed the entire institution, the being that had maintained and protected the academy from any external forces for as long as the history could be remembered.
He was the strongest archmage, someone that none knew much about, someone that was certainly strong enough to even stand against the reincarnations of the gods and higher beings, or the demons that even the mightiest feared.
None on this planet knew his actual identity as the 126th offspring of the Worldline, the person in charge of all the Great academies present throughout the Worldline.
All that was known about him was the fact that none in this world could stand against him, and it was foolish in itself to even think of doing something that could offend him.
The mightiest that had known his exploits feared him, the common folks that had seen and received his generosity admired him, the students that had passed from the great academy looked up to him and respected him with their hearts, and those who still sought the harm of the academy were yet unfamiliar with his true nature.
He was a person that had a perfectly neutral stand in this entire world. He was someone that didn't pay attention to any country or continent as long as it didn't directly affect anything related to the academy.
He minded his own business so the worldly powers left him alone.
Of course, Lucy and El weren't going to do anything like those pussies.
He was soon going to meet two of the most interesting people he had seen in his lifetime. However, these two people in question were moving through the market of the lower class area of the capital right now, going towards the tall tower visible even from their location.
Today was the day they shake the association and blow away all their past records established in the last hundred years. Today was the day they register as adventurers, free spirits that roam the world in search of thrill, riches, and treasures, and spend their lives in healthy peace. Today was the day two new names starts spreading throughout this capital city, this empire, and this world… and today was also the day they face something that had never happened during any of their runs during their game runs.
But before that, as the four people, El and Lucy, Eva and Nes, walked through the bustling market, the two in the front noticed a very familiar figure walking towards them.
They weren't expecting to see her so soon either, and she was going to be an important element of many of their future plans.
However, they didn't need to encounter her just yet.
So… they just normally walked, talked with each other, explained many things to Nes, and even as the girl wearing a hooded cape walked past them, they had no reaction to her.
And she also had no reaction to them. They were just some normal people in this normal market after all.
So, she walked ahead, but after a while of walking, she also stopped when she saw the familiar red system window in front of her.
[Ding!]
[Someone is trying to see through your mental body!]
[Emergency!]
[Triggering [Mental barrier]! Triggering [Mind reinforcement]! Triggering [Reverse analysis]!]
[…!]
[Emergency!]
[The invading forces are too powerful!]
[The [Mental barrier] has been breached! [Reverse analysis] has failed!]
[Emergency!]
[Someone has seen through your status window!]
[Ding!]
============
[ Sudden quest! ]
Find the one that has seen through your status window.
Time limit: 6 minutes.
Quest completion reward: 30 skill points, 6 Stat stones, 1 random item box.
Quest failure penalty: The memory of this event will be sealed.
============
"What in the fucking hell…?"
Her sky-blue eyes under the hood widened and a sudden fear overtook her mind.
She did not know what had just happened and, she was in the middle of the market with thousands of people all around her.
This was the very first time someone had seen through her unique status window despite all those skills she had put a significant amount of her resources to strengthen their current state.
She couldn't understand what to do and where to start looking for whom!
This situation was totally chaotic and unfamiliar to her… and since the one that actually caused this chaos, Lucy's amazing El, was now sitting inside an expensive cafe with her three companions, there was no way she was going to achieve the objective of this sudden quest.
She would fail, just like she did previously, and receive the penalty, just like she had the past nine times…
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