Chapter 50: The Academy’s Grandeur and a Mysterious Offer

Time flew by. Gern, confined to the basement, had lost track of the days. Fortunately, Miss Snow had provided numerous small diversions, otherwise, Gern truly would have gone mad during his stay.

As for why he hadn’t seized an opportunity to escape, Snow had stationed no less than six examiners, all Sixth-tier Knights, to guard the basement. Even if Gern possessed extraordinary abilities, he couldn’t possibly break through their blockade, especially with one of them specifically tasked with monitoring him.

Resigned, Gern could only wait patiently. Finally, on the afternoon of that day, the assessment concluded successfully. Gern, after a long confinement, once again beheld the sunlight.

He took a deep breath of the outside air, noticing a faint, refreshing fragrance.

Just as he was savoring the moment, a cool, crisp voice suddenly echoed beside him.

“Gern, how have you been feeling during this time? Not too bad, I hope?”

Gern’s body stiffened. He rigidly lifted his gaze forward, where a mature figure stood.

Snow slowly approached Gern, gently patting his shoulder.

“We owe you a great deal this time. All the spies sent by the Heretic God Cult have been eliminated. Otherwise, if they had infiltrated the Academy, who knows what chaos they might have caused.”

“Tell me, what do you wish for?”

Gern pondered for a moment. He didn’t really have any specific desires, though if given the choice, he’d want gold coins. However, making such a request felt too crude, and frankly, beneath him. This was an almost peerless witch, and asking for mere gold would undoubtedly diminish his standing.

“Miss Snow, I genuinely don’t have anything in mind right now. Would it be possible to tell you once I’ve given it more thought?”

“Haven’t thought of anything? Well then, how about this: once you’re back at the Academy, I’ll give your physique a comprehensive upgrade?”

“Huh? How does one upgrade their physique?”

“You’ll find out when the time comes.”

Watching the smile play on Snow’s lips, Gern couldn’t shake the feeling that it held a hint of mischief. ‘It must be my imagination,’ he thought.

****

After the assessment concluded, everyone rested for a night in the designated area. The following morning, airships carrying numerous students ascended into the sky.

Standing on the deck, Gern gazed at the magnificent fleet before him, letting out an involuntary sigh of awe.

“The Academy is truly wealthy.”

Each airship was incredibly expensive to build. The fact that the Academy could deploy so many at once was a testament to its technological prowess and immense financial resources. Across the entire continent, only Theoviga Academy possessed the capability to create such magical constructs.

The vast fleet soared over the entire assessment grounds. From above, one could glimpse the full scope of the arena. At its very center lay the student resting area, serving as the nucleus for hundreds of kilometers of assessment territory. Here and there, tiny black specks could be seen darting through the forests—most likely the large magical beasts inhabiting the testing grounds.

Before long, the fleet arrived above a sprawling complex of buildings. This was the officially administered territory of Theoviga Academy, its very facade.

Grand castles lined both sides of the road, and Gern observed numerous students training on the fields beneath them.

At that moment, Snow suddenly stepped forward to explain.

“This is the training district. All the training grounds for the faculty and students are located here.”

Startled by her sudden movement, Gern nearly tumbled off the airship.

“You scared the life out of me! Why do you walk so silently?”

“My cultivation is simply superior. Is that my fault?”

Snow shrugged, then continued her explanation to Gern.

“See behind the training district? Those are the cafeterias, four of them in total.”

“Oh? So many.”

“There’s no helping it; the Academy has a large population. Those three over there are for students, and this one here is for the faculty and staff.”

As she spoke, Snow gestured towards both sides of the road. These cafeterias were considerably smaller than the castles they had passed earlier, and their overall architectural style seemed rather peculiar.

While these buildings bore some resemblance to the castles, having borrowed certain external features and decorations to maintain a cohesive aesthetic, their underlying structure was distinctly different. Their core framework was clearly square, punctuated by numerous windows.

Gern felt a flicker of surprise. He had never encountered such an architectural style before.

“Miss Snow, these buildings…”

“Oh, you mean these? They were designed by an ancient sage. Don’t let their slightly less imposing exteriors fool you; their interiors are far more practical than those of the castles.”

“Is that so…”

Gern nodded, half understanding. As the fleet ventured deeper, he witnessed countless sights he had never imagined in his previous life.

For instance, there was an enormous plaza nestled between the grand castles, where a group of people patrolled with peculiar weapons. Then there was a beautiful, expansive lake—not surprising in itself—but what truly astonished Gern was the bridge spanning its surface, constructed entirely of wood. This wooden bridge traversed the entire lake, dotted with numerous pavilions that seemed to merge seamlessly with the water, as if the lake and its structures were always meant to be one.

This style of architecture was utterly new to Gern, who had never encountered anything like it in his previous life, finding it quite novel.

“What do you think? Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Gern nodded frantically, completely immersed in the awe inspired by these magnificent structures.

“I was equally struck when I first saw buildings of this style.”

Snow chuckled softly, patting Gern’s shoulder before slowly pointing towards a cluster of small, white buildings beyond the great lake.

“That’s the dormitory district.”

Gern followed the direction of Snow’s finger, spotting rows of two-story white cottages. Each cottage boasted a private courtyard outside, some featuring small ponds, others miniature pavilions reminiscent of those on the lake, and some even cultivated with fields of wheat.

Seeing this, Gern’s eyes lit up. ‘Could I also plant wheat here in the future,’ he wondered, ‘and bake my own dark bread?’

“Miss Snow, which one will I be living in?”

“Mm-hmm, you’ll find out shortly.”

Soon, the airship landed in a large open space adjacent to the dormitory district, an area typically reserved for mooring airships. To prevent students from illicitly using the vessels, a knight squad composed entirely of Fifth-tier members was stationed around the perimeter.

Upon seeing the airship descend, they all came forward to maintain order.

The next step was for the students to choose their own dormitories. Gern had initially assumed he would join the other students in selecting a room.

However, before he could take two steps, Snow seized his arm.

“Where are you going?”

“Aren’t we choosing dorms?”

Snow looked at Gern with a hint of exasperation, gesturing towards the distant dormitory district.

“Choose what dormitory? Your room has already been arranged. Come with me.”

“Huh?”

Gern was led away by Snow. Behind them, a graceful, golden-haired figure slowly departed from the crowd, following their path.