Chapter 42 Arrival At Ainrk
The journey to the Ainrk academy was estimated to take five to seven days with carriage, even in good weather conditions.
The reason for such a longpse 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 family 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 would be inconvenient if he keptmuting from our home to the bustling city, where his attention was mostly focused on.
I had no idea as to the cause of such an anomaly, but since someone had to manage the vastnds far away from the Kingdom''s hub, my father''s noble lineage was ced in charge of it.
I didn''t mind much, though. It was thanks to this that we hardly had guestse over, and even though I was already 12, I hadn''t for once left our territory.
As a shut-in type of person, 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 and heard stories from Alphonse and Anabelle, going into unfamiliar territory gave me the chills.
Using detailed maps of the Eastern Kingdom, the path we were to take was already mapped out. The inns we would be staying in had also been decided on.
It was at times like this that I wished teleportation magic existed. Well, it did… but using it would only allow the magic-user to transverse short distances. It was also a very rare type of magic andplex to boot.
''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 glee.
"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 after being cramped up in the carriage, 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 could apply 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 to form my fourth mana Core. The process was slow as heck too, so I decided to give up on that task.
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, Ainrk." 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 pain from 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.
''They must be following orders…maybe…'' My thoughts trailed.
Still, keeping my eyes on the beautiful city before me, I couldn''t help but be in awe as a result of its beauty.
Our carriage was greeted by therge city walls, totally unlike anything I had seen in our territory. This was a big ce. We had passed by other cities on our way here, many of which were amazing too, but this was on another level!
"A-Amazing!" I eximed in excitement.
During myst life, suchrge structures were hardly seen, except in the pce, but my eyes saw several tall buildings within the city.
The Coachman nodded. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could swear that the man heaved a sigh of relief.
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 that 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, Iid my eyes on the beautifulndscape of the city. It was truly a wonderful sight for sore eyes.
I looked out the window and saw a bustling city life. Structures such as cafes, libraries, chill spots, shops of varying kinds, and so many other new things that I have never 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 appropriatelyported 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 ce around, it would be selfish of me.
''Everyone must be tired at this point…''
Thanks to my difort during the carriage ride and after requesting for so many breaks, it took us seven days to reach Ainrk 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 heaved a sigh of relief.
Moving at a steady pace, since we were already in the city, our carriage trailed across the main road, which was tiled with luxurious stones. The streets were clean, and the people around gawked at our grand entry.
After turning at some routes, we headed straight down a path that led to the massive structure that I realized was the Academy. I had seen many drawings of the ce, but since it was my first time gazing upon the ce in person, I was nearly breathless.
Even from a distance, I could tell that this was beyond doubt the best Academy in all of the Eastern Kingdom, Ainrk Academy!