After breakfast, we returned to our room, gathered our belongings, and headed toward the teleportation gate. We arrived fairly early, as not many people were there yet.
The gate was enormous far larger than the one we had seen inside the cave. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people could have passed through it at once. The hall itself was vast, so much so that even sound seemed to be swallowed by the air; the towering statues lining the walls radiated grandeur.
"This place is incredible… I wish I could see something like this every day." Rei said, his mouth slightly open in awe and a hint of envy in his voice.
"I'm sure Asterin will be just as breathtaking." I replied, my eyes fixed on the statues.
Rei turned toward me.
"Where were you this morning? I thought you weren't even going to eat breakfast."
"I went to check out the training hall," I answered, waiting for his question so I could brag a little.
"Let me guess another massive building filled with new, strange things?" he said, shrugging, clearly past the point of surprise.
"Exactly! And they had equipment I've never seen before. You can train so efficiently there I hope Asterin has something similar." I clenched my fists, my eyes gleaming with excitement at the thought.
Rei chuckled softly.
"We'll see soon enough. Either way, I'm curious," he said, a determined fire burning in his eyes.
We found a spot to sit down and waited for Senna to arrive. After a while, among the crowd, we noticed a familiar blond head scanning the area—clearly searching for someone.
Certain it was Senna, I ran toward her.
"Senna!" I called out, placing my hand on her shoulder. "Finally, I found—"
"Ahh!" She flinched and instinctively attacked with her mana. I dodged out of reflex. "Sorry!" she said quickly, guilt in her eyes, as if she had committed a grave mistake.
"No worries, that was my fault. I startled you," I admitted, dismissing her apology.
"I just got scared because I couldn't sense anyone approaching. I was specifically searching for your and Rei's mana. How did you hide yours like that? Were you trying to scare me?" she asked, suspicion and confusion in her tone.
"I didn't hide it at all, and I wasn't trying to scare you. But… sorry again." I wanted to leave the situation as soon as possible everyone around was staring at us.
Senna touched her chin, lost in thought.
"Hmm. Narihu, you've really improved. You handle your mana so naturally now that I can't even distinguish it from the others. It's like it blends into the ambient mana itself… I can't understand how you're doing it." Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
I hadn't trained mana concealment in a while I never felt the need to. Maybe it was something that carried over from my previous life.
We joined Rei again and talked for a bit while waiting for departure.
Suddenly, a soldier blew a horn signaling the arrival of the royal family. Everyone stood up, forming two rows so that the royal carriage could pass through.
Moments later, the royal family appeared. The King and Queen waved to the gathered crowd as the carriage stopped before the gate.
The King stepped forward and began to speak:
"My children! Today marks a great day for all of you. I ask that you give your best at the academy and make Eldora proud!
If you excel, your names will not only be known throughout Eldora, but across the continent and perhaps even in Elyndra itself.
But above all, I ask you this, enjoy your time there. Make memories you will cherish for the rest of your lives!"
The King's voice was full of energy it filled everyone's hearts with determination and joy.
"WE WILL, YOUR MAJESTY!" the crowd shouted in unison, bowing deeply.
The King returned to his carriage and gave the command to begin.
The gate flared to life, overflowing with energy.
"Prepare for departure," the King announced.
As we stepped through, the world around us began to twist and shimmer until everything froze in stillness.
Before us stood Asterin Academy magnificent, noble, and radiating prestige. Words failed me.
I glanced at Rei and Senna; both stood in awe, their mouths agape.
A man was kneeling before the King.
"Welcome, King of Eldora! I am Yuren, Headmaster of Lunaris Academy."
"Please, do not kneel before me," the King said, helping him up. "It is I who should be grateful for accepting my daughter and these many students."
"I merely offered them the chance, Your Majesty," Yuren replied, his voice calm and wise. "It is up to them to prove they deserve their place."
Then he turned toward us.
"Welcome, everyone, to Lunaris Academy. I hope you will enjoy your time here and have the courage to pursue your dreams.
Tomorrow, the opening ceremony and the entrance assessment will take place it will determine which class you belong to.
For now, I'll show you to the dormitories, where you'll be living during your time here."
No one spoke. Not out of fear but because everyone felt the weight of the man's presence and wisdom.
He led us to the dormitory building, only a few minutes' walk away from the academy itself.
Before the entrance, he turned to us once more.
"This is Seraph Vin one of the instructors here. He will explain the dormitory rules and show you around.
Please continue from here, Vin," Yuren said, before approaching the King and Queen.
"Your Majesties, would you care to join me for a cup of coffee? There is something I wish to discuss."
His tone carried a seriousness that made it clear this was no mere invitation.
"Of course," the King replied, then turned to Saya. "Take care of yourself, my daughter. And please, don't do anything reckless that could have serious consequences."
His words carried the authority of a ruler but the worry in his eyes was purely that of a father.
"Show them how strong the next ruler of Eldora can be," he said seriously then, unable to keep a straight face, broke into laughter.
"You don't have to be so serious, my dear. Even if you're not the strongest, that's fine. A ruler's strength lies not in their sword," he said, placing his hand on her forehead,
"but in their mind and in the allies they gather."
Saya looked surprised for a moment, then hugged her father tightly. He returned the embrace, a rare, tender moment between them.
After that, we entered the dormitory, where Seraph Vin explained the rules.
It turned out the dorms were mixed no separate male and female wings but spending the night in the opposite gender's room was strictly forbidden and harshly punished.
Rei and I found our room it was just the two of us, but it was spacious enough for four.
The bed was enormous and so comfortable that I could hardly wait to sleep in it.
The view from the window was stunning mountains stretched across the horizon beneath a clear blue sky. The serenity and nobility of the scenery filled the room.
"Wow, Narihu… this is just… amazing," Rei said, nearly leaning out the window in awe.
"I agree. It's beautiful," I said, smiling. "We should decorate the room—it feels too empty like this." I began unpacking our things.
Rei flopped onto the bed, raising his hand into the air and clenching it into a fist.
"Narihu… let's make the most of this chance and become strong."
His eyes burned with determination.
I understood what he meant.
"Absolutely. We'll protect this peace, no matter what it takes," I said, gazing out the window as my thoughts drifted.
I will become stronger—to protect this peace and those I love. That's what I've always wanted.