Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Knight Academy
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Walking on the Steps of Ares, I felt as if I were ascending Mount Olympus….
The reason lies in the material used to construct the stairs.
Every step feels like wearily climbing tens of meters of mountain road.
Reliant solely on the newly obtained “Ghoul Arm”, I desperately dragged myself, climbing the latter half of the path.
To be honest, Han Dong felt this was somewhat unfair.
Apprentice Knights majoring in the Cross Crusader talent have stronger body builds than others and would surely find such stair climbing easier.
Han Dong, reaching the top of the stairs and standing on the platform, could
clearly overlook the civilian area built against the city wall, including the
Samay Area where Nicholas once lived.
It should be pointed out that the four large civilian areas are separately located in the east, south, west, and north.
The position of the security bureau is near the edge of Samay close to the Ghana Civilian Area, the home of the Black Rose Knight Barton Martini, and the location where the Ghoul incident coincidentally occurred.
Otherwise, moving only within the civilian areas would consume a substantial amount of time.
Before the platform.
There was a round domed building made of white stone, enclosed on all sides by a stone wall ten meters high, the situation within the Knight Academy invisible from outside.
Entering the white stone building was the only option.
The gate was mechanized.
As Han Dong approached, the steam powered pistons, causing the large and small gears on the bronze doors to rotate and the doors to swing open of their own accord.
A luxuriously decorated room, with yellow bronze as the primary material, was revealed.
A row of steel steam bookshelves against the wall were neatly stacked with various freshman files.
Sitting in the center at the steel round table was a special person in charge.
He wore a wide-brimmed hat and was adorned with many metal ornaments…
most notably, under the brim of his hat, half of his face was replaced with yellow bronze machinery.
Han Dong wasn’t sure if the man’s brain was still intact.
“Please present your Knight Card.”
A standard voice filled with magnetism came from the semi-metallic mouth.
As Han Dong handed over his card, he closely observed the man’s metallic face. Through the hollowed brass gaps, he could vaguely see the intact and normally functioning brain tissue.
“Valen. Nicholas.
You have passed the ‘Four-Star Difficulty Rookie Event’ and have chosen to major in the comparatively less chosen [Mysticism].
You have been approved by the interview group; there appears to be no significant issues with your background or character.
Your card will now be fully activated, adding the features of ‘Treasury’ , ‘Academy Access Permit’, and ‘Bounty Permit’.
During your studies, the living allowances you will receive, or the monetary rewards from completing bounty tasks, will all be recorded in the ‘Treasury’. You can withdraw at any bank in Holy City and receive priority services.
Additionally, you may freely enter the common areas within the academy, and within the academy, or commissions placed within the city, take on bounty tasks occurring within the city.”
The golden Apprentice Knight card was seen to be fully activated via a device similar to a typewriter.
At the same time, the administrator took out a special metallic bound book from the safe in the desk. Printed on it was a logo with crossed sword blades and a white horse head.
‘Knight Handbook (Academy Version)’
“The Knight Handbook covers the arrangements for the new recruits, please follow the instructions to complete the new student registration process.
Furthermore, the relevant school rules are listed in the book; make sure to memorize all the rules in a short period of time. Those who violate the rules will be severely punished.
It should be noted that you only receive one copy of the Handbook, which cannot be shared with others. If lost, you will need to apply for a new one from the academy administration.”
“Understood.”
Han Dong carefully looked over the contents of the handbook.
The Prologue detailed the enrollment process for the ‘Apprentice Knights’.
Please go to the college of your major to obtain a schedule, and complete the ‘accreditation’ and mentor selection as per the different requirements of each college.
Proceed to the student housing area within the academy and acquire a random room number using your Knight Card.
“It’s somewhat similar to university… I wonder what the Mysterious
Department will be like. From the words of the administrator, Apprentice Knights majoring in Mysticism seem to be the least in number.”
Exiting the white domed building.
Dense green forests, wide marble paths, metal kerosene street lamps built every few tens of meters apart,
fresh air entering his body revitalized Han Dong, providing a feeling of paradise.
Because the area of the Knight Academy is huge, important spots within the school all have school bus stations… Han Dong did not wait for long before riding free of charge on a spacious carriage heading towards the Mysterious Department.
Han Dong noticed that every junction had a signpost.
The five major job paths correspond to the five major institutions within the Knight Academy. But, there were other important and indispensable institutions, such as:
the Knight Tower responsible for managing the Apprentice Knights, the Adventurer’s Guild responsible for issuing dangerous bounty quests in Holy City, the Market Area where you could trade and buy and sell items freely,
and the Mechanical Manufacturing Association, Alchemy Association, Textile Association… Writer’s Association, etc., covering various technological fields.
Han Dong was very interested in the Alchemy Association… also, he was somewhat curious about the Writer’s Association.
However, the Knight Academy lacked a landmark building present in most universities: the library.
“Perhaps because of the different major occupations, the library has been divided, with books categorised and placed within corresponding departments?”
The carriage arrived at the college area administered by the Mysterious Department.
The green campus scenery instantly changed… Han Dong never expected such a drastic difference.
Lush black deadwood trees marked a clear boundary with the academy’s public area.
Many crows perched on the branches of the dead trees, occasionally, you could hear the cry of a banshee from deep within the woods,
sometimes, you could see the shadow of a giant spider flashing through the woods, even without any walls set up, nobody would dare to trespass into these woods.
A spacious main road meandered through this eerie forest, stretching towards the main building area of the Mysterious Department.
Of course, to step on the main road, one would have to verify their identity in front of a large black hollow-metal gate… it seemed that as long as you stayed on the main road, you wouldn’t be attacked by the monsters or spirits in the woods.
As Han Dong got off the carriage and brought out his Knight identity card, a nearby crow on a branch flapped its wings, standing on the top of the gate.
Its black eyes stared at the card and Han Dong’s face.
Ka-zhi….
The gate slowly opened, allowing passage..