Chapter 61: Crème de la Crème

The journey to Eidelgard was taking considerably longer than Rian had expected.

Maybe it was the influx of people trying to get into the Capital as Eidelgard Academy started its school year, but every road heading there was clogged with carriages.

Instead of looking at his remaining lifespan, which just made him depressed, Rian drew his attention inward and tried to form his second Magic Circle.

And thankfully, it worked like a charm.

Really, after everything that has happened and all of the magic that he used, Rian managed to push his first ring to the point that all he had to do was finish the job.

Not long after, he could confidently say that he was a 2-Star Mage.

The effects could be felt instantly, as Rian could feel his capacity getting bigger. Even the spells that he had forgotten were starting to return to him, and he felt like he wouldn’t get tired as easily as before.

On the physical side, his stats had improved as well. After all, he would call his system a scam if his physical stats hadn’t improved after taking all that beating from Felix.

[STR: 10 → 15]

[SPD: 11 → 17]

[STAM: 12 → 18]

Now, Rian was confidently stronger than the average healthy person. But compared to those who were trained from birth, his values were still lacking by at least twenty points—if not more.

’Hey, it’s not much. But it’s honest work...’

Suddenly, a knock came from outside the carriage. Before either Rian or Alicia could respond, the door opened, and Charlotte climbed inside naturally.

"Move over."

Rian looked toward the seemingly endless line of carriages behind her. "What happened to yours?"

"I became tired of listening to my knights argue over which road would be faster."

"So you’re here to gossip?"

"Precisely."

Charlotte lowered herself onto the remaining seat before narrowing her eyes at him. "Did you just form another circle?"

Rian allowed a faint smile to appear. "I am now pleased to announce that you are speaking to a 2-Star Mage."

The Lowenhardt heir simply stared at him before sighing softly to herself. "I know you were sick and at home for most of your time at Eidelgard Preparatory Academy...but everyone entering from our class is at least 3-Stars, Mage or Knight."

"What?!"

Though he couldn’t really blame anything other than his circumstances. Eidelgard Academy was the most elite school, and obviously, those who came with prior training ruled said elite school as well.

If Rian remembered correctly, Magic Circles were divided up into three stages:

The First through Third Circles constituted the Low Stage. The Fourth through Sixth formed the Intermediate Stage, while the Seventh through Ninth belonged to the High Stage.

Your average Joe wouldn’t even make it past the Third Circle by the age of forty, but the elite noble children within Eidelgard already possessed it by age eighteen.

Rian leaned back into his cushion, sulking. "Does it truly matter whether I possess two circles or three? It’s just a number anyway."

"Yes, it does," Charlotte sighed at his pouting. "It affects what field expeditions you’re allowed to join as well as—"

"Wait, field expeditions?"

Upon hearing the word, Rian suddenly sat upright in his seat, listening intently. At the sudden interest, Charlotte was weirded out, but continued anyway.

"Yeah, all houses regularly organize trips into the Academy’s hunting grounds. The stronger the monster you hunt, the more merit you’ll earn as well. But you can only hunt strong monsters if you have higher Star levels."

"How much merit are we talking...?" Rian asked with much interest in his voice.

"Enough to erase those ninety-one demerits you somehow accumulated before attending a class at all."

Rian really hadn’t thought about this angle before, but maybe coming to Eidelgard Academy proved more fruitful than he originally intended.

"What happens to the monsters afterward?"

"Participating students are allowed to claim one material from the monster, while the rest went to the Academy."

Rian’s eyes lit up instantly. He was so tunnel-visioned on mana crystals that he had completely forgotten the other source of concentrated mana that could extend his lifespan as well—

Monster cores.

So by hunting regularly, Rian would be able to both get rid of his demerits as well as have a way to extend his lifespan. A ’two birds with one stone’ type of situation.

From the other side of the carriage, Alicia sighed, already getting a gut feeling that he was cooking up some kind of mischief.

By the time the carriage passed through the gates of the Royal Capital, the sun was already beginning its descent.

And Eidelgard was every bit as grand as Rian remembered it.

Large white walls covered the entire city’s perimeter, imposing and grand in scale. So much so that Rian felt like an ant in the vast expanse of the city.

Everywhere on the polished marble street, banners of the Royal Family’s golden crest were displayed boldly, making sure that everyone who entered engraved the name ’Eidelgard’ deep into their minds.

Even the avenue beneath their carriage appeared excessive. It was broad enough to accommodate several rows of carriages at once, yet remained crowded with people going about their day.

Merchants called from their storefronts, while uniformed knights patrolled the city, and noble carriages rolled through the crowd. Behind them stood rows of pristine white buildings reminiscent of classic Renaissance architecture, all fitted with square glass windows and topped with orange-tiled roofs.

It was the kind of scenery that screamed ’bougie medieval fantasy setting’ at the top of its lungs, not bothering to be discreet whatsoever.

Though Rian supposed that was appropriate.

This was the Royal Capital after all, the crown jewel, the crème de la crème of this country. If there was any place in the kingdom allowed to look this expensive...

This would be it.

Eventually, Eidelgard Academy appeared beyond the crowded avenue, and...calling it a school really felt dishonest to its scale.

It was an enormous complex of white stone that completely dominated the northern district.

Long, symmetrical wings surrounded an expansive courtyard filled with fountains and a carefully maintained garden. While countless arched windows covered its pale walls while steep black roofs and mighty towers rose above even them.

If one didn’t know, they would’ve guessed that the entire place was actually the royal palace. It was that much of a marvel in architecture and engineering.

Rian simply stared out the window of his carriage, taking everything in.

This was where he would spend the years ahead of him, and this was really where the story truly started. Though instead of feeling excited, a wave of nervousness crashed over him.

Rian didn’t know why, but for some reason, a bad feeling overwhelmed him as they approached the statement piece of the city.

And all he could do was sigh softly at it all.

"Please let me have a peaceful school life..."