Elydes
Chapter 328: Accepted

Chapter 328 - Accepted

One ninety-nine. Two hundred.

Kai aligned the rows of gold mesars on the table of the inn. The sunlight filtering from the window made the hawks embossed on the coins shimmer.

All there.

A butler from House Helion had delivered his winnings at the crack of dawn.

When he made that bet on a whim, he hadn’t truly expected to receive the money, but he had underestimated the pride and deep pockets of patricians. Letting a few chatty candidates spread word of the wager must have helped, too.

Before the Winter Intake was over, the cleaning staff also knew he and Rain escaped the first room in thirteen and a half minutes—an indisputable win.

Easiest money I ever made.

Kai felt a twinge of guilt recalling Jorin’s disbelieving babbles and shattering ego, but the snide insults that came before washed that away. No one forced the short boy to take the bet—or to behave like an insufferable brat. His family could afford to pay.

A fair deal, though Helion House might argue otherwise.

Tapping his fingers on the hardwood desk, Kai ran his hand over the gold to store it in his ring. Two hundred mesars. Most people wouldn’t see that much money in their entire life—and he won it on a stupid bet. He didn’t know how to feel about that.

Proud, thrilled and melancholic?

Numb and overwhelmed?

A mix of everything.

He was entering a different world.

From starving in the dingiest town of the archipelago, he’d risen to the gilded halls where the Republic’s elites mingled. Even the commoner applicants seemed accustomed to servants fluttering around them like invisible drones—tossing aside meals from chefs who honed their skills over decades.

It seemed yesterday that he’d run along the shores of the archipelago—scalding sand beneath his bare feet, salty wind in his hair. A nobody from a forgotten corner of Elydes. Now, Nerethi's rooftops sprawled for miles beyond his window. He stood in one of the Republic’s largest cities, about to enroll in one of its most prestigious academies.

The shift felt jarring—like he had missed a step in between.

Two years alone in the Sanctuary probably didn’t help…

His memories of the time there were a muddled tangle he didn’t wish to touch. He went in as a child and emerged as an adult. Everything moved in a rush afterwards.

He had only been on the mainland for a few months—and not quiet ones. Yes, he just needed some time to adjust.

A knock pulled him from his thoughts.

“Hey.” Flynn poked his head through a crack in the door. A giddy grin on his face. “Ready to go? The streets are getting packed. We can’t be late.”

At least he’s adapting well…

“Coming!” Kai grabbed his spatial bag and headed downstairs into the common room where Rain was waiting. A crowd of late risers lingered over breakfast at the Wandering Soldier’s tables.

Flynn skipped the steps to reach the white-haired boy, uncaring of the glances from the other patrons. “Ready to go. Did you get everything?”

“Yes—” Rain let himself get hauled to his feet, looking amused by Flynn’s excitement. “I’m curious to see the academy’s portal…”

Kai followed the chattering duo into the bustling streets. The crisp morning air was untouched by the harsher city smells, carrying the scent of fresh bread from a nearby bakery.

They splurged on a private carriage to reach the central district. The mustached coachman welcomed them aboard, guiding an awakened horse at a brisk pace; the enchantments smoothed out any bumps in the road.

“Do you think the academy is as large as they say? In a high mana zone?” Flynn continued sharing his expectations. He had been radiating enthusiasm since he qualified for Martial Studies with a top fifty score and earned twenty credits.

“…I heard portals were rare in lower kingdoms…” Rain hadn’t been fazed by earning first rank, but looked equally eager to see the human academy.

“Hmm.” Kai nodded along with their conversation, rubbing his eyelids with the heel of his hand. They had all done well in the practical tests, perhaps too well.

The flexibility of his elemental magic had carried him through the last trial and the optional sparrings. Ranking fourth, his plan to keep a low profile looked ever more naive, though he still hoped to blend in better at the academy.

It was worth it to get two hundred credits.

The rewards for Mana Studies were much higher, proportional to the heftier tuition fee. Students still preferred to pay the enrollment with mesars if they could afford it.

There must be better uses for credits.

Before even stepping foot in Raelion, Kai could see the cracks in its veneer of fairness. Hardly surprising…

“Mat?” Flynn poked his shoulder as the carriage rolled to a stop. “Come back among us mortals. We're at the checkpoint. Time to get off.” He grabbed both their bags and hopped onto the paved street.

Kai followed him. The arched gate to Nerethi’s central district cast a shadow over them; the black stone crenellations glimmered fifty meters above. Every line and angle seemed sculpted to intimidate, bearing the howling wolf of House Hart, burnished gold on a dark-green field.

With few exceptions, commoners paid twenty silvers for the privilege of entry—a hard boundary in everything but name.

Why don’t you rob them already?

Guards in the Hart livery regulated the flow, their posture as straight as the halberds they carried. The queue to pass was predictably short. A stone-faced man scrutinized Raelion’s acceptance letters before waving them through.

Crossing the thick walls of the gate, wards washed over them, scanning for threats and marking their mana. Kai rubbed his arms to stave off the uneasy feeling. The mark would fade once they left the district. Hallowed Intuition confirmed it.

Damn annoying.

Exiting into a wider street, he shielded his eyes from the rising sun. Dense mana tingled on his skin, and the sweet aroma of flowerbeds blooming in winter made his nose twitch.

There were few passersby, and plenty of carriages rolling over the sparkling pavement—their rates incomparable to those outside. Behind the enchanted fences, the most modest house dwarfed the palaces in Higharbor.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Why does everything need to be so grand?

Kai jogged to catch up with Rain and Flynn. The academy’s property was a short walk from there.

Unlike the late summer testing, Winter Intake applicants were given only three days to settle their affairs. It had been a mad rush to finalize his deals with Reishi and purchase what he might need for the academy.

While the shops at Raelion sold everything, Valela had warned him their wares often came with an upcharge. He wouldn’t waste money just because he had them.

“A chip for your thoughts?” Flynn slowed to flank him on the sidewalk. His excited gleam dulled. “Uh… is that how you say it? You've been quiet since yesterday. You know my wisdom is at your disposal if you want to share the burden.”

“Thanks.” Kai tried to smile nonchalantly. “I’m fine.”

Ahead of them, Rain was studying the window of a smithy with suspicious zeal.

Did they organize?

“I’ve just been busy with stuff,” Kai said. He must get his act together.

“Are you suuure?” Flynn tilted his head at him. “You aren't sick? Hungry? Cold? Sleepy?” His brows rose with each question. “Or are you also feeling the need to steal that guy’s wig?”

With a side glance, he guided his gaze across the street, where a man was getting off a carriage. His lush mane of golden hair fluttered in the wind. With a studied gesture, the guy tossed his hair back, each strand falling in perfect locks.

“I bet he’s bald,” Flynn whispered, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “No one has that much hair. And did you see how they move? There isn’t a breath of wind in this street.”

Huh… That’s true…

The color could be from a bloodline, but normal hair didn’t bounce like that. Suddenly, Kai got the impulse to pull off a strand and study it. “It must be a wig…”

“Yep,” Flynn nodded, then turned to him with a more serious look. “Hey… I know it’s a lot. All of this.” He spun his finger over the city and the passersby. “Every building has more floors than is reasonable. I can walk a week without crossing the same street. And the people? So many of them. Everywhere. Always new faces. They just live surrounded by strangers…”

He pinched his face while shaking it. “That still doesn’t even scratch it. You know the candidates at the test could recite the last seven generations of their family? Like, is that normal? Every conversation they mention something I’ve never heard of and I just nod.” His shoulders slumped with a sigh. “So, uh… yeah… everything here is a lot… It’s okay if you’re having second thoughts.”

Kai walked quietly, unsure of what to say.

Guess I wasn’t the only one….

Without his memories of Earth, he would have been much more overwhelmed by the mainland.

He has never left the archipelago. I should have thought of that…

Flynn hung his head and mumbled. “Tell me what bothered you was something similar. Or I’ll feel very, very awkward.”

“Uhm… something similar,” Kai chuckled to lighten the mood. “Sorry, I was just surprised. You always look so… at ease? Excited by all the new and crazy stuff?”

“Yeah…” Flynn raked a hand through his hair and smiled bitterly. “I’m only better at hiding it. Half the time, I think I or those around me are going crazy. Maybe I should have just stayed in Higharbor. I had my place there. A comfy couch. A decent job. It was a bit boring, but also relaxing…”

Flynn glanced at the students joining the stream. Almost all had families and servants in tow, hauling trunks of luggage. “And now I’m here,” he said. “Going to Raelion with weirdos who can recite their last seven generations. But I’m not special like you.”

“What did you say? Special?” Kai laughed. He only had a few extra memories—that’s it.

“You know what I mean,” Flynn said. “I didn’t come out of the womb flinging spells. Brewing potions at six months old and learning swordsmanship from a mystical master. And I don’t turn my foes into toads in my free time.”

“I can’t turn people into toads.”

“You can’t, yet.” Flynn gave him a pointed look. “Give it a few years. We’re going to a magic academy.”

That's not how magic works…

“I’ll give it my best try,” Kai said, knowing the bounds of reality wouldn’t win him the argument. “You also got into Raelion with a pretty high score. Who cares about the family trees of the other students? It’s not them.”

“Uh… Thank you.” Flynn took the compliment with unusual humility. “I got lucky in the practical tests. The other candidates were stupid. Like really silly battle maniacs. Hmm… guess not all stereotypes of Martial Studies are false. They say smart ones are already at Raelion.”

“Well, we’ll see when we get there. They might all be silly.” Kai spotted their destination in the distance.

White spires soared above the city’s palaces. He could see the corner of the dense hedge circling the academy’s central property. If the rumors were true, they’d be at Raelion in less than an hour.

“Mat?”

Kai glanced at his tall friend, back to his self-assured pace and grin. “Yes, Flynn?”

“Just know I’ll deny everything I told you in the last ten minutes. And if you tell Rain that I’m not special, you’re going to wake up bald. ”

“I appreciated our talk too.” Kai clapped his back with a smile. “And it might be worth going bald if I get a wig like that guy.”

“Nah, you’re too short to sport that kind of mane. It’d make your head look too big. Though… I might pull it off.”

“So, you’re looking to go bald?” Kai summoned a flickering flame in his palm. “I can help with that. Free of charge.”

“Flynn blew off his spell. “Maybe in a few years.”

Catching up with Rain, they joined the queue of prospective students outside the property. An assistant examiner checked the admission letters.

Kai bent to scoop up Hobbes, savoring the silky fur between his fingers. His registered cat familiar flopped in his arms with a grumpy glare at the wait.

Who knew I’d be going to school again? What’s the worst that can happen? Bad grades?

There were worse places to go if he wanted to solve his doubts.

He had bled, sweated, and clawed his way through years of grueling effort to get here. Now he’d see how his peers had used that time.

~~~

They should be here…

Valela flicked open the golden lid of her pocket watch. The hands of the clock had barely moved since the last time she checked, sixtee—seventeen seconds earlier. Her breath fogged, but she didn’t feel cold.

She paced in the square radiating around the Summornarium, one of only seven publicly known spatial nodes in the Republic. The snow coating the dome made it glimmer like diamonds, far cheaper than the arrays inside.

A sparse crowd had gathered, waiting for the first group from the Winter Intake. Friends, retainers and guides charged to welcome the new arrivals.

They should be here soon. If he got in…

While she believed in Kai’s skills, the course-specific tests were unpredictable. A poor fit or disgruntled examiner could halve your points. And what if one of his friends failed to get in?

Flynn had proven himself a capable informant in Higharbor, but here he was up against candidates who had been tutored from birth. And that other boy, Oraine? She knew he wasn’t patrician and little else. How skilled could a traveling caster be? Mana Studies was probably the most sought-after course in the Republic, even during the mid-year acceptance.

They can always try again next year.

Valela chewed her lip, checking the pocket watch again—thirty-three seconds.

Now, they’re definitely late.

A slight thrum of mana spread through the square, so subtle she would have missed it if she weren't looking for it. The movement behind the windows of the Summonarium confirmed what her senses felt.

They’re here.

Valela stalked closer, then backed away from the circular building. Her gaze flitted among the four entrances. Where should she look? She could watch at most three doors at a time. What if she missed him?

Before she could find a solution, hundreds of teens began flooding into the square, their expressions struck between awe and nausea. This would be the only time most of them crossed a portal; airships were far more practical for ordinary travel.

We should have organized better.

It was the first group of arrivals, divided by ranking. She stood on her toes, looking for a familiar face among the crowd.

Is he not with them—

“Are you looking for someone?” A voice exclaimed behind her ear.

Valela jolted back, nearly tripping as she turned to face the culprit. A pair of amused gray eyes met hers. ”You… you’rehere.” Her mouth fought between a smile and a scowl.

“Hi.” Kai offered a slight smile, playing innocent. “Did you wait long?”