Albion sat inside the royal carriage as it flew through the sky.
The massive carriage was pulled by several Wyverns, their powerful wings beating as they carried it toward Dragoon Academy.
Normally, something this large should have been far too heavy to fly.
But the carriage was equipped with anti-gravity magic.
Magical circles beneath the carriage constantly calculated its mass and weight, adjusting the amount of force needed to keep it floating. The Dragon Riders responsible for the carriage monitored the calculations while guiding the Wyverns through the sky.
Albion looked out through the window.
The Dragon Kingdom looked completely different from up here.
Villages became small dots below them. Roads stretched across the landscape, while rivers reflected the sunlight.
He leaned back in his seat.
'So this is how I'm getting to school.'
He looked at the carriage again.
Royal transportation was certainly something.
One of the Dragon Riders glanced back toward him.
"Your Highness, we'll reach Dragoon Academy shortly."
Albion nodded.
"Thanks."
He looked out the window again.
Somewhere ahead was his new school.
His old teachers had trained him for years.
His parents had raised him.
His grandfather had given him a legacy that stretched back thousands of years.
Now Albion was about to enter a completely different stage of his life.
Dragoon Academy.
He smiled slightly.
'Let's see what happens.'
The carriage continued through the clouds.
Albion rested his head against the side of the seat, watching the landscape below.
After a while, the Dragon Rider spoke again.
"We're approaching the Academy."
Albion sat up.
"Oh?"
He looked ahead.
At first, he could only see clouds.
Then the carriage passed through them.
Albion's eyes widened.
There it was.
Dragoon Academy.
The Academy had been built on a massive floating island above the Dragon Kingdom. Several large towers rose from the center, connected by bridges and walkways. Training grounds surrounded the main buildings, while smaller floating platforms hovered around the island.
Albion could already see students flying between the platforms.
Some rode Wyverns.
Others simply flew themselves.
A few were even using magical vehicles.
Albion stared.
"Okay."
He leaned closer to the window.
"That's bigger than I expected."
The Dragon Rider smiled.
"Dragoon Academy is one of the largest educational institutions in the kingdom."
Albion watched another group of students fly past.
"How many students are there?"
"Several thousand."
Albion blinked.
"Several thousand?"
"Yes."
'So much for knowing everyone.'
The royal carriage began descending toward the main landing platform.
As they approached, Albion noticed something else.
There were already two people waiting near the entrance.
One had familiar blue eyes and stood confidently with his arms crossed.
The other had dark hair and a familiar pair of red eyes.
Albion immediately recognized them.
"Asterion and Scarlet."
The carriage landed.
The anti-gravity magic slowly powered down while the Wyverns folded their wings.
Albion grabbed his bag and stepped out.
Asterion immediately smiled.
"Finally."
Scarlet crossed her arms.
"You took long enough."
Albion looked at them.
"You two arrived early."
"We've been here for almost an hour," Asterion said.
Scarlet nodded.
"And Asterion spent most of that time complaining about how long you were taking."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
Albion laughed.
"Good to see you two haven't changed."
Asterion smiled.
"Neither have you."
Albion looked at both of them.
"Well, technically we all changed."
Scarlet smirked.
"You're still shorter than me."
Albion stared at her.
"...We're going to have problems."
Asterion laughed.
"Come on. We should get inside."
The three of them started walking toward the Academy.
Albion looked up at the massive entrance.
A large crest was carved above the doors.
DRAGOON ACADEMY
He took a breath.
His first day had officially begun.
Albion suddenly looked back as another royal carriage landed behind them.
The doors opened, and the Dragonmaids stepped out one after another, carrying their bags.
They weren't students.
Instead, they had been given official paperwork allowing them to serve as Albion's personal staff while he attended the Academy.
Dragoon Academy had special arrangements for nobles and members of royal families. Students from important families were allowed to bring a limited number of maids or a butler to assist with their daily needs.
Albion looked at his maids.
"Everyone got everything?"
Tillroo nodded.
"Everything is packed, Your Highness."
Housekee checked the bags again.
"Clothes, books, personal items, and supplies are all accounted for."
Albion nodded.
"Good."
Another carriage soon arrived.
This time, the Charmers stepped out.
Eria, Wynn, Hiita, Aussa, Lyna and Dharc all carried their own bags as they joined the others.
Vesiculo followed them out.
Albion looked around at everyone.
"This is a lot of people."
Dharc laughed.
"You're the prince. What did you expect?"
"Honestly?"
Albion looked at the group.
"I was expecting fewer people."
Hiita shrugged.
"Too late now."
Albion sighed.
"Fair enough."
He turned toward the Academy.
Dragoon Academy wasn't exclusively for Dragons.
While Dragons made up a large portion of the student population, the Academy accepted people from all across the Albaz Nations.
Humans.
Elves.
Half-Dragons.
Elementals.
Beastfolk.
And many other races.
Students from other nations also attended, bringing cultures and abilities that Albion wasn't used to seeing in the Dragon Kingdom.
Albion found that part particularly interesting.
'This might actually be fun.'
He started walking toward the main gate.
Then he noticed something above the entrance.
A symbol had been carved into the stone.
A winged sun.
Albion stopped for a moment.
The symbol of Permanence.
The symbol of Ra.
The Winged Dragon of Ra was the God worshipped by the Albaz Nation, and the symbol could be found throughout the kingdom.
Albion looked at it quietly.
He had grown up seeing it everywhere.
On temples.
On royal buildings.
On military banners.
And now, above the entrance to his Academy.
He smiled slightly.
'Ra really is everywhere.'
He continued toward the gate.
Behind him, the others followed.
Today wasn't just Albion's first day at Dragoon Academy.
It was the first day of an entirely new chapter of his life.
Albion passed through the main gates with the others.
The moment they entered, he realized just how large Dragoon Academy really was.
The main courtyard was filled with students.
Dragons flew overhead, while others walked through the courtyard in their human or humanoid forms. Elves stood in small groups talking to each other, Elementals gathered around fountains and magical structures, and several Half-Dragons were carrying their bags toward the dormitories.
Albion looked around.
"So this is the Academy."
Asterion nodded.
"Yep."
Scarlet looked toward one of the large buildings.
"And that's the main administration building."
Albion followed her gaze.
The Academy was divided into several sections.
The largest building was the main academic hall, where students attended their normal classes.
There were separate buildings for magic, combat training, history, science and technology, and even political studies.
Beyond them were enormous training grounds.
Albion could see several students practicing with swords while others were casting spells.
One group of Dragons was even practicing aerial combat.
Albion's eyes immediately focused on them.
'Interesting.'
He had spent years training with Lyrios.
He wanted to see how the Academy taught combat.
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Your Highness."
Albion turned around.
One of the Academy staff members approached them.
She was an older Dragon woman wearing the Academy's formal uniform.
"Welcome to Dragoon Academy."
Albion nodded politely.
"Thank you."
She looked toward the group behind him.
"I assume these are your companions and staff?"
"Yes."
She checked the paperwork.
"Everything appears to be in order."
She then handed Albion a small magical device.
"This is your student identification crystal."
Albion looked at it.
The crystal immediately projected his information into the air.
Albion
Royal Dragon Prince
Age: 18
Year: First Year
Primary Attribute: Light
Secondary Attribute: Dark
Tertiary Attribute: Water
Albion stared at the display.
"...Do I really need my attributes written on this?"
The staff member smiled.
"Every student has their attributes recorded."
Albion sighed.
"Fair enough."
Asterion looked over his shoulder.
"What's mine say?"
Albion moved the crystal away.
"I'm not showing you."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
Scarlet laughed.
The staff member continued.
"Your classes will begin shortly. Your student schedule has already been prepared."
She handed him another piece of paper.
Albion looked at it.
His eyes slowly widened.
"That's a lot of classes."
Scarlet leaned over.
"Let me see."
Albion moved the schedule away.
"No."
"Albion."
"No."
Asterion laughed.
"Looks like the Prince is scared of school."
Albion looked at him.
"I've fought monsters stronger than most armies."
He pointed at the schedule.
"But this?"
He sighed.
"This is terrifying."
Even the Dragonmaids started laughing.
Albion folded the schedule and placed it inside his coat.
"All right."
He looked toward the massive Academy buildings.
"Let's get this over with."
The Academy bell suddenly rang.
DONG!
The entire courtyard became quiet for a moment.
Then thousands of students began moving toward their classrooms.
Albion looked around.
Asterion and Scarlet started walking.
"Come on."
Albion followed them through the crowd.
His first class was about to begin.
The group made their way to their first class.
Basic Magic.
Albion thought that made sense.
Not every student who entered Dragoon Academy knew how to use Glyphs. Some students had grown up around magic their entire lives, while others had barely touched it.
Albion was lucky.
He had been born into the royal family.
Asterion and Scarlet had grown up in the Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes Clans.
The Charmers had their own magical training and connections.
Even some of the nobles had private tutors.
But most students didn't have those advantages.
That was why the Academy started everyone with the basics.
When Albion entered the classroom, he immediately recognized the teacher.
A beautiful Elven-looking woman with long brown hair and pointed ears stood at the front of the room.
Mystical Elf.
Albion blinked.
'Of course.'
She was one of the most recognizable magical monsters from his previous life.
Mystical Elf turned toward the class.
"Good morning, everyone."
The students responded.
"Good morning, Professor."
Mystical Elf smiled.
"Today we will begin with the fundamentals of magical energy, Glyph formation and elemental control."
Albion took his seat.
Asterion and Scarlet sat nearby, while the Charmers found their own places.
The Dragonmaids remained toward the back of the classroom.
They were staff rather than students, so they weren't required to attend.
Albion looked around the room.
Then he noticed something.
His expression changed.
The classroom was divided.
Not officially.
There were no signs saying where anyone was supposed to sit.
But everyone understood it.
The nobles sat together near the front.
Students from famous clans occupied another section.
Students from wealthy families sat near them.
Meanwhile, commoners and students from less prestigious backgrounds were pushed toward the back.
Nobody had told them to do it.
They simply knew.
Albion frowned.
'Class division.'
He had seen it before.
But seeing it inside an Academy that was supposed to educate everyone annoyed him.
He looked toward a group of students sitting in the back.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked like they were trying not to draw attention to themselves.
Albion leaned back in his chair.
'So this is going to be one of those schools.'
Mystical Elf began writing on the board.
"Magic is not determined by one's birth. While some individuals inherit greater magical potential, skill comes from understanding and practice."
Albion's eyes narrowed slightly.
He glanced toward the nobles.
Several of them weren't even paying attention.
One was whispering to another.
Another had his feet on the desk.
Meanwhile, one of the students in the back was taking notes carefully.
Albion looked back toward Mystical Elf.
She seemed to notice it too.
Her expression remained calm.
But her eyes briefly moved toward the divided classroom.
"Before we begin," she said, "I want to make something very clear."
The classroom became quiet.
"Dragoon Academy does not recognize social rank inside the classroom."
A few noble students looked annoyed.
Mystical Elf continued.
"Your family name will not cast your spells for you."
She turned toward the board.
"Your wealth will not increase your magical control."
Then she looked across the entire room.
"And your lack of noble blood does not make you inferior."
Albion smiled.
'Okay.'
He leaned forward.
'Maybe this teacher is going to be interesting.'
The class continued with Mystical Elf explaining the basics.
She started with Attributes.
"Most races possess three natural Attributes," Mystical Elf explained as she wrote the six symbols onto the board. "Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Dark."
The students watched carefully.
"There is one major exception. Humans."
She pointed toward the human students.
"Humans are capable of learning and using all six Attributes. They do not have the same natural restrictions as most Monster races."
Albion glanced at his own hands.
'Light, Dark and Water.'
He had already spent years learning how his three Attributes interacted with each other.
Mystical Elf then moved on to Glyphs.
"A Glyph is a magical formula. By shaping magical energy into a specific pattern, you can produce a controlled effect."
She drew a simple circle on the board.
"Your first assignment is simple."
A magical diagram appeared in front of every student.
"A Light Orb."
The students began trying to reproduce it.
For the Humans and students with Light as an Attribute, the Light Orb was the standard exercise.
Students with other Attributes received smaller spells better suited to their natural affinity.
Albion looked at the Glyph in front of him.
Then he made it.
A small sphere of light appeared above his hand.
Asterion made his.
Scarlet made hers.
The Charmers had no difficulty either.
Mystical Elf looked toward them.
"You have clearly received prior training."
Albion nodded.
"Yes, Professor."
Mystical Elf smiled.
"Then you should consider taking Advanced Magic Training."
Albion looked toward the others.
They all seemed to have the same idea.
'Finally. Something actually challenging.'
Once the basic class ended, the students were given their schedules and could select their elective subjects.
Advanced Magic Training.
Sword Training.
History.
There were other options as well.
Some subjects, however, were mandatory for everyone.
History.
Geography.
Mathematics.
Literature.
And Alchemy.
Albion looked at the list.
"Alchemy?"
Eria nodded.
"Apparently it's considered important for understanding magical materials."
Albion shrugged.
"Fair enough."
Sword Training was taught by Buster Blader.
Albion already knew him.
His real name was Lancelot.
Considering Albion had spent years training under Sir Lyrios, he was curious about how another legendary swordsman taught.
Then came Alchemy.
Albion walked into the classroom with the others.
He looked around.
There were tables covered with equipment, ingredients and various magical flasks.
Then the professor entered.
The old man walked calmly toward the front of the classroom.
He adjusted his glasses.
"Hello, students."
Albion froze.
The professor smiled.
"I am your Alchemy Professor, Amnael."
Albion nearly choked on the drink he had just taken.
He coughed into his hand.
"Albion?"
Chame looked concerned.
"You okay?"
Albion waved her off.
"I'm fine."
He stared at the professor.
'Wait.'
His eyes widened.
'Banner?'
He looked at Amnael again.
The old alchemist continued preparing his equipment as if nothing was wrong.
'Why is Banner here?'
Albion's thoughts started racing.
'Wait, Amnael was Banner's alchemist identity in GX.'
He looked around the classroom.
'But if he's here...'
Albion's expression became increasingly confused.
'Where do people go after losing a Shadow Game in this world?'
He paused.
'Wait.'
Another thought hit him.
'If Banner is already here, does that mean GX already happened?'
Albion immediately shook his head.
'No. That can't be right.'
He stared at Amnael.
'Unless time works completely differently in the Monster World.'
Another thought appeared.
'And wasn't Banner's soul eventually connected to that cat?'
Albion slowly lowered his drink.
'What the hell is going on?'
Amnael suddenly looked directly at him.
"Prince Albion."
Albion straightened.
"Yes?"
Amnael smiled.
"You seem rather surprised to see me."
Albion stared at him.
"...You could say that."
Amnael chuckled.
"Interesting."
Albion narrowed his eyes.
'Oh, this is going to be one hell of an Alchemy class.'
To be continue
Hope people like this Ch and Give me power stones and enjoy