"Well then, since the young master wishes to keep a low profile, I suppose there's no helping it. In that case, let me brief you about the city you'll be heading to—Savent City."
Witt pulled out a rolled-up map and spread it across the table before Hel.
"Savent City is divided into nine sections: the central main district, the southern new district, and seven academic districts that surround the core. Each of those seven districts belongs to one of the Seven Great Societies. The school you'll be attending, Skoll Academy, is located at the heart of the Skoll District in the northwest part of the city."
"The entire district belongs to the Academy?"
Hel raised an eyebrow. The layout on the map was already clear enough, but she couldn't help her confusion. If almost the whole city was taken up by academies, how could normal urban life even function? Was this world's version of Academy City or something?
"Yes, young master," Witt replied earnestly.
"Savent City, as the capital of the Nation of Scholars, is its very core. The city was built specifically for scholars from across the world. Each of the seven societies specializes in a distinct field of study. The Skoll Society excels in bloodlines—bloodline evolution, alteration, and fusion are all key disciplines under them.
Although the Skoll Society has faced some sanctions from the Savent government in the past, those were nothing but superficial punishments. Their standing within the city remains untouchable."
"I see…" Hel nodded slightly, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"So what about the other societies? What are their specialties?"
"The Hati Society, our closest ally, focuses on biological cultivation. The rest are devoted to alchemy, potion-making, machinery, the arts, and history."
"Strange," Hel murmured.
"None of that sounds like proper magic."
"Yes, that's correct." Witt smiled awkwardly.
"All of the greatest mages from the Three Empires study in the Magic Empire's capital, Sosel City. The Nation of Scholars, to be blunt, merely gathered the disciplines the Magic Empire didn't want and formed its own academic assembly."
"Ah, so that's how it is."
"However," Witt quickly added, "aside from alchemy and potion-brewing, our other disciplines are actually more advanced than those of the Magic Empire." He seemed eager to defend his homeland's pride, even if the statement sounded like a consolation.
"Understood," Hel said with a faint smile. At least she had chosen the academy best suited for her—Skoll Academy. That meant she wouldn't need to split her attention between study and survival.
After that, Witt continued introducing the customs and culture of the Nation of Scholars. When he had finished, he disembarked from the carriage to his own.
This time, Hel's entourage consisted of twenty fifth-tier puppet knights and one top combatant—catgirl Niv. She called Niv her "strongest asset" for good reason: Hel had given her the Heartscape World originally anchored to the Wolffang chieftain. Flooded with spiritual energy and elemental crystals, Niv had ascended—becoming the first among her sisters to reach Saint rank.
Being death-attribute and always by Hel's side certainly helped. If she didn't improve, who would? Right, Hagev?
Hel rubbed Niv's furry head affectionately before glancing at the others seated opposite her. There sat her personal maid Anna, and four Bloodlust Elf maids—the "attendant corps."
As for Nikki, Visti, and Maia, the trio of little witches—Hel brought them too, though they were staying inside the Undead Space. That pocket realm had since been remodeled into a comfortable villa zone, more than enough to house the three troublemakers.
Hel's reason for keeping them close was simple: she feared the Witch of Desire might have a way to locate other witches. Thus, even Niv's main body remained hidden within the space.
Of course, there was another reason. Ever since the "Slave Matron" trait had been removed from Nikki, she'd reverted to her mischievous bratty nature. Other than being timid before Hel, she'd gone back to bullying others—especially the newly arrived Visti. So, odds were, Niv had tossed her into the "discipline sphere" for reflection.
As Hel pondered these things, her carriage crossed the borders of the Mandrake Principality and entered the Nation of Freedom.
The newly rebuilt Free Nation was in full swing—its citizens bustling with energy as reconstruction continued everywhere. The new King of Freedom had enacted generous tax breaks and land policies to attract immigrants and repopulate the nation. The strategy worked—throngs of people from neighboring countries were pouring in.
Yet, according to Ember's intelligence network, large numbers of foreign nobles had already begun scheming to seize the new settlers' lands. And rather than stopping them, King Fray had reached secret agreements with those nobles, suppressing news of their actions.
Through her carriage window, Hel watched gaunt laborers toiling under the scorching sun, sweat glistening on their bony frames. Endless crowds of immigrants streamed toward this "promised land," smiling with hope—believing they had escaped one prison for freedom. But in truth, they had merely leapt from one cage into another, one with even harsher chains.
"To truly save these people," Hel murmured, "it's not enough to give them land. One must overthrow the entire rotten political order."
Yet, in a world governed by extraordinary powers, could a proletarian revolution ever truly succeed? Hel shook her head. Such thoughts were premature.
As the saying goes: 'When poor, cultivate oneself; when prosperous, aid the world.' For now, her strength was still far from enough to challenge the ruling class.
To change the world, she would have to endure—to hide. Hide until she no longer feared anyone. Hide until no witch could hunt her down, forcing her to flee her home like a dog in the night. Hide until she could fully seize her own destiny—no longer dragged by others' whims.
With that conviction, Hel raised her small hand toward the blazing sun overhead and clenched it tightly. As if to block out the blinding light—or to grasp, once and for all, her own fate.