“Erden Tower...” A familiar gateway had entered Urie's sight—just past the fountain housing the distinct statue of the winged dragon. It was a large stone arch, the entrance to a domain larger than what its image can contain on the outside.

—Indeed, there aren't any guards posted at the entrance, just like had brother said. The magic creatures inside have never tried to leave.

Urie wondered why the headmaster had led them here. The foot of Erden's Tower was an area normally not accessible to 2^nd years like them.

The headmaster spoke, nonchalantly picking his nose, "We'll all be taking a little field trip inside,” 

—Did I hear wrong? Isn't it too early for us? We haven't been taught anything other than mana circulation. If any magic beast were to approach... We'd have to rely on the headmaster to protect us.

“Ya, old ma—“ Elicia winced at the flick of a wrinkled finger and quickly corrected herself. “—h-headmaster, you said we were going inside?” she said, while rubbing the sore spot on her forehead

It was early morning and there were already quite a few people around—mostly wall veterans and school graduates making their living from hunting magic beasts. There were even current academy students working on their graduation requirements.

“Ya, look at all the people here. We look like lost kids! Are we really going in?" Elicia asked again.

Three immature-looking children, barely having reached the cusp of adolescence; although a few curious eyes fell on them, none had bothered to approach. They steered clear of the group's path seeing that headmaster Arinndra was accompanying. Urie noticed this and didn't know whether to feel wary or reassured.

“Keh! Yes, child. Don't worry about the magic creatures, those things don't dare come near when I'm around,” headmaster Arinndra said confidently, but his current sickly appearance left Urie with even more apprehension.

His hollow eyes seemed more recessed than usual; his wrinkles more pronounced than they were over the recent months; the headmaster's back had even developed a small hunch that slightly affected his gait.

—The headmaster might be strong... but the past year, he had somehow aged a great deal.

The only part of him Urie felt that hadn't changed, was the eerie glint in his yellow eyes. This he noticed during a few instances when they were with the headmaster for their lessons.

As they were about to step through the tower's doorway, Arinndra suddenly turned around to face the three children. His hand glowed red as he pinched his fingers together, before flicking everyone on the head like he did Elicia earlier.

“Ya! Why'd I get hit again!?” Elicia's chestnut-amber eyes teared in indignance.

“Keh! That was for insurance.” The headmaster turned back around to walk through the huge doorway. Urie followed behind him, so did Elicia and the quiet Celeste. The three, or rather, the two began whispering amongst themselves, trying to anticipate what plans the headmaster may have.

“Y-ya, what do you think Urie, Celeste? Y'think he might feed us to a m-magic creature?” Trembling like a newborn fawn, Elicia hid behind Celeste's red hair.

“Ah, don't worry about it. I don't think the old man would be the headmaster if he went on feeding his students to monsters,” Urie chuckled.

Passing through a long corridor and upon reaching its end, Urie felt a change in the feel of his surroundings. The air he breathed suddenly gave an invigorating sensation, as if he had entered into a world completely different from the outside.

—Ah, there's so much mana inside! So much that I can tell!

Lining the inner walls of the tower was a lush forest, growing with plentiful greenery and trees. At the far center, a huge pillar the same as the tower's image outside stood in a clearing, surrounded by various outcrops on barren land.

The first step they took inside immediately held the three children in awe as they stopped to marvel at the scenery welcoming their arrival. On a large platform of a certain elevation, they paused at the head of a staircase leading down to the forest below.

“Hah... It's too bright...” Celeste spoke while hovering her hand over her squinted eyes. She raised her head—her line of sight directed towards the ceiling. Bright was an understatement. The radiance glittering from above was enough to illuminate the entire city of Daerin at night.

—Is that the central pillar? The one eldest brother mentioned not to approach?

Urie was staring at a far distance when a wrinkly finger pointed exactly at the pillar he was examining.

“Today, we'll be paying a short visit over there,” the headmaster said, nonchalantly picking his nose. It was a surprise that he had yet to poke a hole through it for how long or how often his finger had wriggled around in his nostril. Equally as surprising was what he had just said.

“Ah! H-Headmaster, isn't that area dangerous?” Urie knit his eyebrows, asking to make sure.

“Keh—! I told you, with me around, it'll be like strolling across academy grounds, keheh!” the headmaster's chest stuck out in confidence. For the time being, Urie decided to trust him.

—If the situation ever turns into something we can't handle, I musn't hesitate to turn back with Celeste and Elicia.

There was an anxious pounding in his chest but it was gradually pacified by a refreshing warmth coming from his red mana seed. His unease was slightly alleviated. Urie didn't deem the feeling unnatural as it had happened before on more than one occasion. In fact, he welcomed the relief.

“Erden's Tower...” From the first mention of the tower's name and during the entire walk here, Urie had raised shoulders. With each step he took down the stairs, however, he now experienced a different sensation. 

At the forest they had yet to enter—urged by a jab of curiosity at his nape—Urie became giddy at the mystery of the unknown.