Adrian Lewin's POV
After the Assassin Guild Leader left and Valen made sure everything was in order, we resumed our journey and finally reached Academy City by nightfall.
Because the Third Year Event would attract people of every status and race, the preparations had been made with every possible detail in mind. Nobles, commoners, merchants, adventurers… and of course, beasts.
A massive area had been specifically reserved for magical beasts, guarded and managed by numerous SS-Rank Beast Masters. Their task was to calm, monitor, and control any creature brought by the guests.
The three of us landed in the designated area, and an SS-Rank Beast Master immediately approached to take our wyverns.
I climbed down from Aero and turned to look at him.
"Aero, don't cause any trouble, okay?"
Aero let out a low snort, his eyes narrowing as if offended by the accusation.
…Yeah. I was going to pretend that meant agreement.
Honestly, whatever happened would happen. There was no point worrying too much.
We handed over our wyverns to the Beast Masters, and once everything was settled, the Empress turned to me.
"So, Twelfth Lord, your plans remain the same?"
I nodded.
"Yes. I'll be staying at the hotel I own."
The Empress smiled, her beauty somehow even more breathtaking beneath the moonlight.
"Then I suppose we part ways here and head to our respective destinations. I did enjoy your company."
Valen glanced at me, gave a short nod, and silently moved behind the Empress like her ever-faithful shadow.
I watched them leave before turning toward the city.
Then I began walking toward my hotel.
As I moved through the bustling streets, my mind churned.
Now the real question was… how should I proceed from here?
Things were bound to get complicated if I didn't handle them properly.
By the time I reached my hotel and entered one of my private rooms, I was still thinking.
Should I become Elric again?
Or should I do something else?
After a moment of consideration, I nodded to myself.
Becoming Elric was the better option for now.
At the very least, it would show everyone that "Elric" had arrived for the event. Besides, switching between Adrian and Elric was easy enough. Entering and leaving the Academy wouldn't be an issue either with the Nature Force.
With that thought in mind, I changed my appearance into Elric and walked over to the mirror to inspect myself.
I froze.
Wait…
The academy uniform.
I had almost gone out wearing Adrian's clothes.
That would've been… awkward.
I quickly changed into my academy uniform before looking into the mirror once more.
Now I looked…
Dashing.
…Well, average.
But confidence was half the battle, right?
I shrugged and activated my teleportation.
After several jumps, I arrived near the Academy gate in an empty alleyway before casually stepping out and walking toward the entrance.
Security had clearly been tightened.
There were far more guards than usual, and their levels were significantly higher as well.
The strongest among them were S-Rank, while many others were A-Rank, with even the weakest being at least B-Rank.
That was honestly reassuring..... Like hell it was reassuring.
It was reassuring to others but not to me.
I walked toward the gate, and one of the guards quickly noticed me.
Seeing my uniform and ID, he raised a hand.
"Wait. We need to conduct further inspection."
I nodded and stopped in front of him.
The guard took my ID and ran it through a magical device that emitted a faint blue glow. After glancing at me and then back at the ID, he nodded and handed it back.
"You may pass."
I smiled politely and walked through the gate.
The moment I stepped inside, I stopped.
The academy…
It was breathtaking.
The entire place was decorated like a bride on her wedding day.
Golden lights floated in the air like stars, illuminating the pathways and buildings. Banners bearing the academy crest fluttered proudly in the wind, and elegant magical formations shone faintly across the walls and towers.
Magic circles were everywhere.
Some were clearly for security.
Some seemed decorative.
Others appeared to serve unknown functions or were linked together to form an enormous magical mesh covering the academy.
I remembered seeing the Academy like this in illustrations, animations, and video games.
None of them did it justice.
Not even close.
Seeing it with my own eyes was an entirely different experience.
And with Omniscient enhancing every one of my senses, the amount of detail I could perceive was overwhelming.
The intricate mana pathways.
The hidden runes woven into the decorations.
The countless layers of formations overlapping one another.
I was left speechless.
To think they had accomplished all this in just two weeks…
That was insane.
As I continued observing everything around me, I slowly made my way toward my dorm.
The academy was lively even at night.
Students moved around in groups, excitedly chatting about the upcoming event. Staff members hurried around making last-minute adjustments. Knights and guards patrolled in perfect synchronization.
And amid all of it…
I felt two familiar presences.
The Empress.
And Valen.
To be honest, I had sensed them much earlier.
But there was no point focusing on it until I reached a place where I could actually see them.
As I got closer, I finally spotted them.
The Empress stood gracefully beneath a glowing crystal lamp, her regal aura impossible to hide even in simple attire.
Standing before her was a female student.
A second-year, judging by her uniform.
She looked… a lot like the Empress.
The same hair.
The same sharp eyes.
The same beauty.
That had to be her daughter.
The imperial princess currently studying in the Academy.
The Fifth Princess of Empire and The Third daughter of The Empress, Rhiannon . The wild and untamed Princess
And thanks to Omniscient…
I could hear exactly what they were saying.
Elric POV
Elric with his Omniscient ability sees and hears The Empress talking to Rhiannon from very far. So Rhiannon, The Empress and Valen can't sense that Elric is watching them.
The Empress says to Rhiannon while Valen stands silently beside The Empress guarding her.
"Okay, now that we have talked about your studies here. We need to talk about something else."
Rhiannon nodded and smiled
"Sure mother. What else do you want to talk about?"
The expression of The Empress becomes strict
"The adult book you hid in your room....Amara found it and thought of it as official accounts of The Empire."
Rhiannon's face pales.
"What?"
The expression of The Empress becomes solemn
"If that was not enough Amara embarrassed me in front of The Twelfth Lord of The Coalition of The Twelve Lords, Adrian Lewin."
Rhiannon's face becomes paler knowing this time she created a big trouble.
The Empress asked
"So Rhiannon, what kind of punishment should I give you?"
Rhiannon looked nervous and started sweating, thinking about the punishment. Her own daughter is scared of The Empress. Valen is also listening to the conversation without showing any expression. Rhiannon suddenly got an idea.
"Ummm.... Can I suggest a punishment?"
The Empress nodded
"Sure, Let's listen to your punishment that you decided for yourself . This will also show how much you grasp severity of your actions."
Rhiannon swallows hard, clutching her academy robes nervously as she tries to sound confident
"Well... since I caused embarrassment before The Twelfth Lord... perhaps I should... study Coalition politics and etiquette for a month? With extra lessons from the royal tutors?"
She glances up at The Empress hesitantly
"And maybe... no magical sweets from the academy bakery for two weeks?"
Valen's eyebrow twitches slightly at the suggestion - even the stoic bodyguard knows how much Rhiannon adores those enchanted pastries but to think it will work as punishment.....he was doubtful.
"...And I'll personally apologize to Lord Adrian next time he visits court?"
Her voice gets quieter
"...Was that adequate, Mother?"
The expression of The Empress becomes blank like she wasn't sure if her daughter was joking but for now she continued.
"That may look a little bit appropriate considering that the Twelfth Lord isn't the kind of man to hold these kinds of things. But there is another problem."
Rhiannon shifts anxiously under The Empress gaze, her eyes flickering in alarm as The Empress mentions another problem. She glances briefly at Valen before her gaze returns to The Empress.
"Another... problem, Mother?"
She swallows hard, already anticipating the potential severity of yet another issue.
The Empress sighed and continued
"Actually two. First is that....Idiot, You shouldn't keep an adult book. You are an Imperial Princess."
Rhiannon winces under reprimand of The Empress, her cheeks turning faintly pink with embarrassment. She looks away in a mix of shame and defiance, fidgeting with the fabric of her academy robes.
"I... I know, Mother... I shouldn't have had the adult book. It was just...curiosity."
Valen lets out a small grunt, his usual stoic expression not even twitching a muscle - he's used to Rhiannon's antics by now
The Empress raised eyebrows
"Curiosity? About what exactly?"
Rhiannon squirms even more under the weight of question of The Empress, her shoulders hunching slightly. She fidgets with the hem of her uniform, avoiding eye contact. However, she admits reluctantly:
"About... certain... intimate things."
She flushes deeper, her embarrassment palpable. Valen silently raises an eyebrow, but remains silent. The topic is getting increasingly uncomfortable for both him and Rhiannon. They both await reaction of The Empress.
The Empress asked clearly tired of her answers
"What will you do about such things? The necessary education you might need for your married life would be given to you by imperial tutors."
Rhiannon flushes crimson, gripping her robes tightly as she stammers
"I-I didn't—! That wasn't—!"
She inhales sharply, finally meeting eyes of The Empress with a mix of frustration and mortification
"Mother, those boring imperial tutors just recite 'duty' and 'propriety' like drones! They make it sound like a tax negotiation!"
She gestures wildly
"I wanted to know what people actually feel—!"
She cuts herself off abruptly when she realizes Valen is still standing there.
"...This conversation is terrible."