The Aethon Academy.
The birthplace of heroes, Humanity's best academy, known by many other titles.
But to me, it was just where the main character would be and where I had to start changing this world's fate.
One step at a time.
As I said, it is considered humanity's greatest academy and always produces heroes. Just by this, you can imagine how hard it would be to get in.
However, for royalty, it is easy. They basically just give the acceptance letter since all the royal families are not only powerful but also extremely wealthy.
Unfortunately for me, my acceptance was terminated due to my being assumed dead, so there was only one other way to get in.
The Entrance Exam.
It was notorious for being extremely hard to pass, and it showed no favor regardless of status.
Anyone from 17 to 20 can apply, and the minimum rank is low E-rank.
This meant the exam consisted of nobles and commoners competing for a place. The exam is designed to identify the most talented candidates, so they're always on the lookout for strong performers.
The protagonist himself is a commoner and would pass the entrance exam, landing first place with ease.
Cliche, I know.
Regardless, the exam would be our first interaction, and I intended to use the opportunity to its fullest.
Firstly...
"Welcome, your highness, we have a large collection of the finest prosthetics for you to select from." A middle-aged man spoke in a salesman-like tone.
"Hmm."
If you hadn't guessed, I was currently at a prosthetic store that the station chief recommended.
The selection was quite impressive. I could see all kinds of limbs you would need, but what I paid attention to, obviously, were the arms.
They were actually really interesting to look at. Some seemed to look exactly like real arms, others had a cyberpunk vibe, looking more robotic, and all sorts of other arms were also on display.
There was also a tentacle for some reason.
Anyway, despite how weird they could be, the prothethics of this world was actually really interesting.
These prosthetics run on mana stones, meaning you'd have to refill them whenever they ran out.
Mana stones are expensive as hell, and that's why most people don't get these prosthetics, choosing to get cheaper ones that don't use mana stones.
Obviously, the upside is that these prosthetics could exert crazy amounts of force depending on the rank of the mana stone being used and the prosthetic itself.
The price usually wouldn't be a problem for a prince, but all my bank accounts got cleared when I supposedly died.
So technically... I was broke.
Luckily, the station chief gave me some money. I really do have to repay him someday.
Anyway, other than using the mana stones, there's one other fatal flaw with these prosthetics besides the mana stones.
They can be affected by other awakened.
These prosthetics use the mana from the mana stones to replicate the nerves of the real body. But someone with enough mana control can interfere with these artificial nerves.
Basically, imagine I'm fighting some really powerful enemy, they could literally make me punch myself or just disable my arm.
To me, however, this didn't matter too much because I have a way to solve both problems, and I'll only use the prosthetic I buy here until I meet a certain someone who can help me build a better one.
"I'll take that one." I pointed.
"Excellent choice, your highness." He spoke with a wide smile.
'His smile is kinda pissing me off.'
"That will be 50 000 units."
"..." I frowned and reluctantly handed the card I got from the station chief.
The station chief had given me about 55 000 units, so I was essentially broke again.
'Haa...' I sighed inwardly.
The fucker's smile grew wider. "You may take it now, your highness, or would you like it packaged?"
"I'll take it now."
"As you wish, your highness."
He then handed me the prosthetic.
Looking at it in my hand, I felt my anger disappear.
'Finally.'
Although I tried not to show it, losing my arm had taken a toll on me both mentally and physically, and in all honesty, I often tried not even looking to my right side.
The prosthetic I had chosen was a sleek black arm that was around the same size as my left arm. It had a small hole in the forearm meant for the mana stone and could only hold an F to E-rank mana stone at best.
It looked a bit robotic as you could see the crevices where the joints were, but for me, taking one that looked like a real arm felt uncomfortable, almost like I was denying the fact that I lost my arm.
Which I had no intention of doing.
Looking at the prosthetic, I noticed a tag hanging off the bottom.
[Built by Richard Palfer]
My eyes widened slightly.
"This..."
"Are you satisfied with your purchase, your highness?" The driver who had brought me here spoke.
He was an old man in a butler-type suit, with a sophisticated kind of vibe.
For a moment, I almost called him Alfred.
"...Yes, we shall leave soon, ready the car."
"Car?"
"Oh... I mean the motor vehicle."
"Yes, your highness." He bowed slightly, then left.
"Haa..." I let out a sigh.
'These people should just call it cars; motor vehicle sounds horrible.'
"Anyway..."
I took the prosthetic, ripped off the tag, and placed it on my right arm's stump.
I felt a tingly sensation in my right arm, and the prosthetic seemed to attach itself to me.
I tried moving it around and...
It worked.
My new right arm was moving smoothly and felt like I'd really regrown my limb.
I touched a nearby wall and dragged my hand across it.
"Amazing..."
I could feel it all from the hardwood floor to the rough brick wall and...
My face... I could feel my face.
I began touching myself...
...But really, though, it was incredible.
'How does it work so well?'
I wanted to know then more than ever. All the theory behind it and how it's built. My curiosity was piqued.
"Your highness, the vehicle is ready." The driver's voice came from behind, cutting my thoughts.
"Okay then," I composed myself, leaving the wonder for later. "Let's go."
Stepping out of the store with my new arm, I followed the driver toward the car.
The cars of this world are unique, but I prefer the cars back on Earth.
They looked better in my opinion.
The one I came with resembled a limousine but wasn't as nice-looking and was much shorter. It was dark blue, plated in armor, and its wheels were covered in this odd goo-like substance.
It's meant to get rid of friction, allowing for higher speeds, which is cool, but it looks like dog shits been smeared on the wheels.
Regardless, the extra speed did help since...
'The exam is in about a day, so I'm running low on time.'
"How long do you think it will take to reach the exam site?" I asked the driver as I entered the car.
"About eight to ten hours, your highness." He spoke.
"...Ten hours?" My eyes widened.
"Yes, your highness."
The exam site was extremely far away, comparable to a journey halfway across the United States back on Earth.
I was basically on the car equivalent of a bullet train.
'I take it back, that dog shit is pretty cool.'