Chapter 425
Arrival at the Tethys Academy
Chapter 425 Arrival at the Tethys Academy
"The items are packed, Miss Hedra," a servant in a black uniform reported from the carriage.
"Okay, thank you. I'll get in the car in a moment."
Looking at the apartment building in front of her and a few classmates who were seeing her off, Hiltiya nodded slightly to them and then waved goodbye.
Of the three, she was the last to leave. Aurora and Lovell had already arrived at the colleges they had been admitted to. In the past few days, Hilti had also finished arranging the final matters and was about to set off.
"See you next time, everyone." With that, Siltiah boarded the large carriage, and then the door closed, leaving her only able to see the outside through the window.
Soon, the carriage moved forward, the winged beasts pulling it flapped their wings, and the carriage gradually became lighter under the activation of a special device. Then, it was pulled up by the two winged flying horses in front and entered the air.
As the altitude gradually increased, the hustle and bustle of the streets below faded away, and the surroundings slowly quieted down, leaving only the whistling wind.
Hilti leaned against the window, admiring the view below. This was the second time she had looked at the area from above. From the air, the streets below appeared as straight lines, neatly dividing each block, creating a kind of aesthetic beauty reminiscent of mathematical ruler drawing.
Over the course of a year, Siltia had learned a great deal about the Mage Alliance, but it wasn't until she entered the Higher Academy and became a formal third-tier mage that she truly stepped into the inner circle of the Mage Alliance and came into contact with the full picture of this vast national organization.
She felt a mixture of curiosity and anticipation about the future.
The carriage moved forward, flying from morning until about four o'clock in the afternoon. Finally, Hiltiya saw large towers appearing on the horizon, their shapes exceptionally straight and towering.
As the carriage approached the towers, Hilti could see the windows on each floor, and through the glass, she could glimpse what lay within: some were neat rotundas, some were alchemy laboratories, some were libraries, and others were furnished with instruments of various sizes.
Compared to the Asura district, the buildings here have straighter and cleaner lines, and the streets are spotless. There are many formal mages of the third rank or above walking on the streets, while ordinary people without gender are relatively rare and can only be seen in some shops.
A few minutes later, the carriage came down and stopped in a clock square. The square was surrounded by square flower pots and plants, so it didn't look cold and monotonous. Some new students, like Hilti, had just gotten off the carriage and were looking around curiously.
After the carriage stopped, the driver helped unload several large boxes and then told Hiltiya.
"Please wait here for a moment, and someone will come to greet you soon, or you can go directly to the golden pavilion across the street to report." The driver pointed in a direction, which was one of the exits of the square, with a large golden pavilion by the roadside.
“Okay.” Hiltiya nodded.
The carriage then departed, and Hiltiya did not have to wait long before a young mage dressed in a black trench coat approached. He wore glasses and a pocket watch around his neck, a white scarf around his collar, and specially made white gloves on his hands.
"Hello, new student." He walked over, looked Siltiya up and down, and nodded slightly when he saw the silver clock badge she wore on her chest.
This was given to Hilti by the Tethys Academy after she was admitted, as a symbol of her identity.
“I am Damian, a third-year student at the Tethys Academy, and I am in charge of receiving you this time.” He introduced himself, then lightly touched the pocket watch on his chest, revealing a special badge pattern.
Upon seeing this, Hilti noticed that the badge she was wearing was emitting a silvery glow, so she nodded in homage.
"Hello, senior Damian."
Seeing that Hilti was relatively obedient and polite, the other party seemed to be in a good mood, so they began to tell her what to do next.
"First, we'll go to that golden pavilion to register and get your assigned dormitory number. Then the driver and I will take you to your accommodation."
"Come with me." With that, he led Siltiya over.
With several students ahead of them in line, the two started chatting.
Which school district are you from?
"Asura District, senior."
“Oh, that’s a peaceful place. I used to study in the ‘Mirnier District,’ where duels were very popular, whether it was academic debates, street fights, or competitions of achievements.” He said this with a hint of pride.
"Won't there be any casualties in the duel?" Shiltia asked curiously.
"Of course there will be, but they are a minority. You have to understand that people who fight often are less likely to get into trouble. The ones who are really more likely to get into trouble are those who rarely fight, because they don't know how to control their strength."
“The competitive atmosphere in Milne District is very intense. It’s an old campus of the Mage Alliance, and the competition for resources is fierce. If you only focus on studying, you probably won’t get anything,” he joked with a smile.
"The school will set up rewards for each weekly and monthly test, and then randomly draw lots. If you beat the other people in your group, you can get the reward."
"I actually quite like this format because the people in the same group are usually not that different in skill level, and it is very rewarding to defeat them."
“I heard that the ‘Asura District’ has the least funding and resources among the three school districts, so they simply didn’t implement this competitive reward mechanism because they didn’t have much room to set up rewards.”
"I see." Hiltiya thought for a moment and then asked.
"Could you tell me about the differences between the three university districts?"
"Oh, well, if you're interested, I'll tell you. It seems you didn't do any research when you enrolled."
"Among the three school districts, the 'Mirne District' was the first to be established. Many students here come from the core area of the Mage Alliance. They have received a complete mage education from a young age and have a very good foundation, making it easy for them to gain an advantage among their peers. The resources allocated here are also the most, but the competition is also very fierce. Anyone who can stand out in this school district is a promising talent."
"Secondly, there is the 'Gormosh District,' which is close to the west side of the Mage Alliance and has very rich mineral resources. It is also the district with the most mechanical and metal-related courses. Many students there are good at making their own weapons, artifacts, and armor. They can even wield greatswords and heavy hammers and can also tinker with some mechanical artifacts."
"The last area established was the 'Asura District'. Most of the students here come from the southeastern part of the Mage Alliance and the outside world. Because these areas were the areas where the Mage Alliance expanded later, many students came from outside and their foundation was not very good. Therefore, this place will pay special attention to giving students various basic courses. Also, because there are many students who are not from the Mage Alliance, they are not so concerned about their background and race, so the atmosphere is relatively peaceful and friendly."
"You must have worked very hard to get into Tethys Academy from the Asura District, because only about 10% of the new students at Tethys Academy each year come from that district."
"Let me think, this year's enrollment seems to be 76 new students, of which only 6 are from the Asura district."
"So little?" Hiltiya asked, somewhat surprised.
"Of course, the reputation of Tethys Academy doesn't allow just anyone to enter." There was a hint of pride in the other person's voice.
As the two were talking, the line finally closed, and it was Silti's turn. "Name?" a staff member inside the pavilion asked.
After saying "Hedra," the girl handed over her badge.
The person on the other end checked it, dipped their badge in ink, stamped the report form, and then returned it to the girl.
"Here's your room key, student handbook, and carrying orb." After saying that, the other person handed three items to Hilti.
The key has a slightly unusual design, with a square front and different segmented outlines inside. It seems to have special magic circle patterns engraved inside. If you insert it into the keyhole, it can activate the door.
The student handbook is not only a book, but also a third-order creation. The cover is made of sturdy and wear-resistant 'vertical brass', which can be used as a small shield. Inside is a special light yellow 'signature paper', which means that once the text is written on it, it will harden and cannot be modified. If it is erased or changed, the entire page will be damaged.
"This handbook isn't for you to use as a notebook. It's for your teachers or professors to stamp and record your credits and grades after you attend classes and complete your studies," the other person told Hiltiya.
"Also, try to carry that last magic orb with you at all times; it can greatly protect your safety."
"Thank you, I understand." The magic orb was similar to the one she had worn in the Asura district before; it seemed to be standard equipment for academy students, but she had enjoyed it earlier.
【Golden Vine Protection Orb】(Tier 4, Perfect): It can rapidly deploy a powerful protective shield to isolate attacks, and has a built-in special time slower that can slow down the flow of surrounding objects, achieving an effect similar to time slowing down. At the same time, the protection orb has built-in distress signals and location spells, and its activation will attract the nearest tower to sense it.
Hilti looked at it; the surface of the orb had golden vines, and its effect was almost the same as the 'Silver Vine Protection Orb' that she was currently wearing around her waist, only the color was slightly different.
"A golden orb, it seems you're highly regarded." Damian put on the monocle hanging from his chest and examined it closely.
"Is there any difference?" Shiltia asked curiously.
"In terms of effectiveness, there's not much difference, but the golden distress signal has a higher rating and is usually given to the top students in the grade as a reward." After reading it, he put down his monocle.
"So, your grades must be among the top in this year's freshmen, otherwise the college wouldn't be paying so much attention to you."
"Let's go, we'll move your things over first." Damian then brought the coachman over, carried Hiltia's several boxes upstairs, and then got into the car and set off for her dormitory.
"Let me see the address, South, Black Rose Palace-1..." He read the address aloud, his eyebrows slightly raised, and looked at it several times.
"How could it be this address?" He seemed puzzled, and looked up at the girl sitting opposite him in the carriage.
"What's wrong with this address, senior?" the girl asked, puzzled.
“Generally speaking, freshmen go to South-Shuixi Palace or Fengmian Palace, or East-Baishi Palace or Taoyan Palace. This is the first time I’ve seen someone go to ‘Black Rose Palace’ like you.”
Is that place special?
"Yes, the area around Black Rose Palace is a barren mountain. It was originally planned to be a residence for high-level mages, but it has been empty and has never been used. I didn't expect it to be put to use this time."
"Let's go take a look. I guess it's already been renovated while I wasn't paying attention."
Several tens of minutes later, their carriage arrived at their destination. After getting off the carriage, the two were quite surprised to see the mansion built against the mountain not far away.
Rather than a student dormitory, this place is more like a large villa, surrounded by a wall, with newly planted black roses in the yard.
"Are the living conditions for freshmen this good now?" Damian looked around again before leading Siltia over.
Upon arriving at the gate, Hilti took out the key and inserted it. With a slight click, the lock opened, and the two stepped inside.
The interior is decorated in a cozy style, with wooden planks on the floor and colorful flowers on the windowsills. The house has three floors, with the first and second floors used for living and the attic on the third floor used for storage.
On the living room table is a list detailing the house, including how to use the hot water, which day of the week someone comes to collect the trash and clean, and if you need to wash clothes, please put them in the box by the door, etc. If you are missing any basic household items, you can write them down on a cardboard sign and hang it up, and someone will bring them over to replenish them.
"This is almost the treatment of a college teacher. If it were a student, it would probably be an elite senior student who could enjoy it," Damian commented after reading it.
"It seems I've misunderstood you, Hedra. You wouldn't happen to be the descendant of some important figure, would you?" He rubbed his chin, thinking carefully.
"Forget it, I won't delve into these secrets."
“Where you live now is not far from the ‘minute hand area,’ about a 20-minute walk away. You usually attend classes there. Freshmen’s classes are very concentrated, so you don’t need to travel around. In another year or two, you may be studying in depth with a teacher or professor, and by then you will probably be familiar with this place.”
"The opening ceremony is in five days, and all the new students will attend. Your college uniform should be delivered before then, so remember to change into it then." He began to explain one by one.
"Regarding dining, there's a college restaurant in the 'Minute Hand Area,' which you can use with your student badge for free. If you want something better, you'll have to go outside to 'Red-tailed Sparrow Street' south of the college. There are many restaurants there that offer high-quality food. If you have the money, you can go there more often."
"In the first year of the academy, you will need to learn various basic secret techniques of this school. By the second year, you should be able to get in touch with some more practical things. At this time, you will usually be at the 'third level' and can find teachers or workshops outside to take on jobs and put what you have learned into practice."
"This way, I can not only train myself, but also earn a lot of money. As for the money, there are many uses for it."
"In a sense, the speed at which you earn money in the Mage Alliance is roughly equivalent to the speed at which you advance in rank, because powerful mages will use this positive cycle to continuously make themselves stronger."
"The only purpose of knowledge is to be used. If you just keep memorizing it, it will eventually become detached from reality, and you will end up doing too much useless work."
"Although everyone says that studying is hard, I have a different view. I actually really enjoy the process of mastering new skills and then using them to achieve something. It gives me a very fulfilling feeling and a great sense of accomplishment."
"Believe me, this addictive feeling is your greatest motivation to learn."
"Alright, as your senior, that's all I have to say. See you later. I'm currently not living in the academy, but at No. 78 'Black Stork Street.' If you have any new ideas or discoveries, feel free to come and discuss them with me. As for daily life matters, go to the academy's teachers; I'm not good at those things," he said jokingly.
"I understand, senior." Hiltiya smiled and bowed in thanks.
"Then see you next time, lovely Hedra." He waved and got into his carriage and left.
(End of this chapter)