The journey to the Ainzlark academy was estimated to take five to seven days on carriage, even in good weather conditions.
The reason for such a long lapse of time was because of the distance of our home from the school’s location.
Even though our family was a renowned noble family, a Duke’s one to be exact, our territory was quite far from the big cities in the Eastern Kingdom. How crazy was that?
That was why my father often had to spend a great deal of time away from home, since it was inconvenient I’d he kept commuting from his territory to the bustling cities, where his attention was mostly focused on.
I had no idea the cause of such an anomaly, but since someone had to manage the vast lands far away from the Kingdom’s hub, my father’s noble lineage was placed in charge of it.
I didn’t mind much, though. It was thanks to this that we hardly had guests come over, and even though I was already 12, I hadn’t for once left our territory.
As a shut-in such as myself, what more could I ask for.
Well, those days were over now. The real world awaited, and though I had read enough about them in books as well as heard stories from Alphonse and Anabelle, going into unfamiliar territory gave me the chills.
Using detailed maps of the Eastern Kingdom, the path we would be taking was already plotted out. The inns we would be staying in were also decided.
It was at times like this that I wished teleportation magic existed. Well, it did… but using it could only allow the magic-user to transverse short distances. It was also very rare and complex.
‘Ah, plus mana consumption…’
Perhaps this would be solved once I grew more as a Magic-User. The thrill of solving so many problems welled up within me as I smiled to myself in ecstasy.
“Hehehe…”
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It’s funny how long five days can be when all you do is sit in a carriage. It was very tortuous, and my butt ached so much.
We rested every once in a while and made stops to stretch, but a greater deal of our time was spent on the road.
To pass the time, I read the book Alphonse gifted to me. It was very interesting, and I couldn’t wait till I applied all I was learning practically.
Still, there was a limit to merely reading and being unable to practice what was being learned.
The urge to practice disturbed me greatly, but I calmed myself with meditation. Since the carriage wobbled every now and then, it was very difficult forming my fourth mana Core. The process was slow as heck too, so I decided to give up on the venture.
The days moved slowly, but steadily, and finally, on the seventh day, we arrived at the city of our destination.
“Young master, here we are… the Academic City, Ainzlark.” My coachman said to me with excitement.
I could tell that even he was relieved we had finally arrived at our destination. Other than myself, I felt more sorry for him, since he would be in even more hurt managing the ride.
Well, my two escort guards were also to be considered, but they were mostly silent. It was almost as if they weren’t even with us in the carriage.
‘Thay must be following orders…maybe…’ My thoughts trailed.
Still, laying eyes on the beautiful city before me, I couldn’t help being in awe as a result of its beauty.
Our carriage was greeted by the large city walls, totally unlike anything I had seen in our territory. This was a big place. We had passed by other cities on our way here, many of which were amazing too, but this was on another level!
“A-Amazing!” My voice leaked out.
Back in my days, such large structures were hardly seen, except in the palace, but my eyes saw several tall buildings within the city.
Not to act like a country bumpkin, but it was still so incredible!
‘Sure, it’s been 528 years since I died, but to think so many things have changed!’ I beamed.
The security at the city’s gate looked quite troublesome, but my coachman was able to secure our entry with no difficulty at all.
As we passed by the city’s gates, I laid my eyes on the beautiful landscape of the city. It was truly a wonderful sight for the eyes.
I looked out the window and saw a bustling city life. Structures such as cafes, many libraries, chill spots, shops of varying kinda, so many new things I hadn’t seen back home and even in the past.
As I took more exciting gazes around, my coachman interrupted my jumbled thoughts.
“Shall we head straight for the Academy, Young Master?”
Upon hearing what he said, I ceased my sightseeing and appropriately comported myself.
He must have noticed my interest in the city’s structure since he bothered asking. As much as I wanted a tour of the place around, it would be selfish of me.
‘Everyone must be tired at this point…’
Thanks to my discomfort on the carriage and requesting so many breaks, it took us seven days to reach Ainzlark when it would have taken us way less. I couldn’t impose any more on these people.
“Yes. Let’s see where I’ll be studying.” I smiled.
The Coachman nodded. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could swear that the man heaves a sigh of relief.
Moving at a steady pace, since we were in the city, our carriage trailed across the main road tiled with luxurious stones. The streets were clean, and the people around gawked at our grand entry.
After turning for some routes, we headed down a straight path to the massive structure that I realized was the Academy. I had seen many drawings of the place, but since it was my first time gazing upon the place in person, I was nearly breathless.
Even from our distance, I could tell that this was beyond a doubt the best Academy in all of the Eastern Kingdom, Ainzlark Academy!