❈ ❈ ❈

12th of April, the Year 1202
8:23
Laeon Federation, City of Alexandria

❈

In the days following, Cordelia trained relentlessly, being ruthless to her own body. She had too many close calls in the exam which started this harsh training regimen. At times, Chloe pulled her away from it, forcing her big sister to accompany her in shopping and touring the city. Although the older girl found it annoying at times, she knew that she needed a fresh breath of air at times.

      When the morning of the 12th came, Cordelia received a letter from the innkeeper. It seems that the city was still cooperating with Cheiss Academy as the letter was written by them. Addressed to her, the letter informed the girl of her successful entry into Cheiss. 

      It also told her of the meeting place tomorrow; new students were to arrive at the city centre where the parliamentary building was situated, characterised by the four towers at each corner. For some odd reason, Chloe seemed much more energetic today. The sparkles emitted from her were even more intense than usual, so much so that Kuro stood on the other side of her mistress.

       Servants and student luggage would be teleported separately so Kuro had to bid farewell to her mistress before walking off towards an isolated section. Around Cordelia, only a few hundred boys and girls stood, proudly donning their new uniforms. Seeing how one’s attire could affect their ability, Cheiss Academy provided a choice of uniform

       The one that Cordelia chose was the blazer uniform; as the name suggested, it was a uniform with a noir blazer covering a white shirt and black skirt. On the rims of the blazer were edges of royal purple, including the cuffs. The other choice was the robe uniform which was geared towards caster mages. They wore the same skirt/trousers and shirt, except they covered it with a grey jumper and black robes which fell to their calves.

       At first touch, Cordelia could tell that the uniforms were made out of good materials with exceptional craftsmanship. She wouldn’t even flinch if a Tier 4 beast tried to swipe at her because the defensive seals on the uniform were just that strong. As expected of Cheiss Academy.

       The freshmen students were then segregated into small groups, each one headed by an instructor. Names were called out, feet shuffled and yells were heard as the process went smoothly. Since this was random, Cordelia didn’t know anyone in her group… except for one eastern girl.

       “Oh! Cordelia! You’re here!”

Ichika smiled demurely, a complete contrast from her manic behaviour days ago. She was like… what were those words? Ah, a Yamato Nadeshiko. The girl’s air and overall feeling had changed to that of an educated young girl of a noble household. Every movement was placid and sophisticated, the result of years of priming.

       “Good morning, Hideyoshi-san.”

She used the girl’s method of address, familiar with the Nihongo language. Stunned, Ichika recollected herself and was about to praise her but was interrupted by their leading instructor.

“We’ll be heading inside the parliamentary building soon. It’s been cleared of people just for today because of our exam. Make sure you don’t touch or disturb anything.”

❈ ❈ ❈

Chloe inwardly gushed and squirmed as she and a few hundred other young teenagers stepped into the teleportation room. Her older companion, her Big Sister, was staring at her weirdly as she constantly fidgeted without rest, unable to suppress the pure, hidden exhilaration at what was about to happen.

      She was so excited that unlike Cordelia, her Big Sister, Chloe didn’t have the concentration to admire the archaic and aesthetically pleasing runes that were slathered all over the walls. Brimming with a primal energy that pulsated with every second, strange symbols and hieroglyphs were arranged in complex patterns, shapes and forms which overlapped each other in an elegant dance. 

      Cordelia gulped heavily, feeling like everybody in the room had heard it as she took in her surroundings. In the centre was an extensive teleportation array, fixed with unrecognisable forms and shapes which were overlaid with several, if not dozens of circles. They were all interconnected with the spell circles that painted the walls, glowing mysteriously.

      Likewise, other examinees- no, they were now students- silently admired everything. It was impossible not to. The Cheiss Academy was a global power that had virtually endless resources right at their fingertips, yet even they would not dare to carelessly build a teleportation array. The sheer engineering ingenuity, money and assets that went into this would make anyone faint. It wasn’t far-fetched to say that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an opportunity to witness the inside of a teleportation array.

      Her weak knowledge of Runecraft failing her at that moment, Cordelia desperately tried to analyse and decode the array but it was a fruitless endeavour. She lamented mentally, her heart bleeding at all of the knowledge that was slipping away from her grasp. Even all the books I’ve bought in my life could not amount to this.

      “Alright, we’re activating the teleportation array now. Make sure you are standing within that circle as I’ve told you. Anyone who doesn’t… they die. You’ll be ripped apart from the disturbances in space and time. Even a Saint wouldn’t be able to save you.”

Kaine harshly reminded them of the gruesome consequences of their possible mistake, making many pale significantly as blood rushed from their face. Chloe was too busy, revelling in elation and enthusiasm to react while Cordelia remained stony-faced, her tight control on her emotions prevailing.

      She looked to her side and spotted the excited trio of Eldrich, Mareike and Abelard before smiling wryly. The brief experiences and events they went through together were already enough to cement them as good friends, much to her initial dismay. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She wasn’t supposed to drag them in as she did with Chloe. 

      But it happened anyway, and Cordelia found herself falling further and further into this pit. 

      I’ll think about it when it comes. Pushing the worries out of her cluttered mind, she noticed how a sickeningly dense influx of mana suddenly rushed towards them. Even from up here, Cordelia felt her insides turning and twisting, her head throbbing and her legs unsteady as she tried to comprehend the volume and density of that mana. It all pooled into the array, lighting everything up to blinding levels, to the point when she had to cover both hers and Chloe’s eyes in fear of actually going blind.

      And then, weightlessness. They felt like they were floating. For a few fleeting moments, Cordelia and Chloe were surrounded by a white radiance as they travelled through space and time. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable as it was unpleasant, as nobody really appreciated the feeling of floating. Some, in just a few seconds, already threw up while others remained stoic, either unaffected or had extremely high Will.

      Fortunately for most, the teleportation ended as their feet touched the ground. Dozens keeled over as they continued to retch this morning’s breakfast, a vile stench now passing through everybody’s noses. Scrunching her face in disgust, Cordelia blew it away with wind magic, much to their relief. 

      They were so preoccupied with processing what they just experienced that none of the students had examined their surroundings. Her spell circle vanishing, Cordelia rubbed her eyes to get rid of the disorientation before looking up, her mind-blowing.

      Just like the previous array, this one was hopelessly complicated. But this time, it was even more so. It was so impossibly complex, that just trying to decipher any of it made Cordelia’s head hurt. Not only that, but the teleportation room was a dozen more times clean and high-quality. Instead of being stone, the walls, ceiling and floor were made out of mithril, an ultra-conductive magic metal which was very rare and expensive. To make an entire room out of it was, by normal standards, considered insanity as it would cause any country to go bankrupt. If they were lucky, they might only go into a recession for decades.

      Having regained her bearings, she checked on her side to Chloe and instantly stiffened. Her face was the definition of ecstasy and delirium as her expectation crashed through the roof, now impossible to keep inside. At this point, she was even dancing, tapping and moving her feet in strangely melodic motions with her arms jumping every so often. 

      “Headcount!”

Kaine prioritised safety, so he counted everybody and after coming back with the full number, he clapped his hands to gain their attention.

“We’ll be exiting the teleportation room now. When we go outside, do not leave the group. If you are found to be wandering away, you will be expelled immediately, no question asked.”

He only said this because, in previous years, students had meandered around the academy, only to end up in a forbidden area and subsequently be either crippled or killed by the magic defences. Only those who have been informed beforehand would have any chance of surviving, let alone weak freshmen who are too caught up in their awe to defend or escape.

      “Did you hear that, Chloe?”

Whispering harshly, she spoke to the little girl who nodded absentmindedly. She didn’t hear it at all!

“Don’t leave the group. You’ll be expelled otherwise.”

This time, it elicited a reaction from her as she nodded so fast, fast enough to make you think that death was on her tail. Patting her head, Cordelia trailed the group as they cleared out from the teleportation room. They then crossed into an inhumanly large hallway with themes of black, gold and royal purple. Pointlessly intricate yet beautiful architecture lined the interior, partnered with equally rare and beautiful materials. 

      It seemed like Cheiss Academy made a point to show off as they used materials like Arcadian Wood, Dwarven Compound Bricks and more. At least the architect was skilled enough not to put these materials to waste as their presentation was perfect. They melded and combined each aspect and ingredient into a heavenly amalgamation of gaudiness and practicality.

      A minority of students were commoners or of low-birth, evident in their wonderment-filled eyes and cautious steps, as if afraid to tarnish the masterpiece with their dirty paws. During the journey, Chloe’s excitement rose and rose until Cordelia couldn’t take it anymore.

      Chopping her head, she reprimanded the girl.

“Calm down. I don’t see what you’re excited about.”

For many days now, she had been in this hyper state, refusing to tell her what it was about. Cordelia assumed that it was excitement for entering the famed Cheiss Academy but she knew that this was too much for just that.

      At last, they reached a monumental gate of epic proportions, riddled with locks, seals and magic spells which reinforced it immensely. Indeed, Cheiss Academy valued their teleportation network very much. Each array was tremendously expensive and laborious to maintain, so taking care of it was a matter of course.

      As the gates opened, a large flow of wind breezed through the crowd, the displacement of air caused by such a great movement. Sun rays peaked through the cracks before it developed into a fully-fledged sphere of extreme brightness and heat, causing many to squint. 

“Welcome to Cheiss Academy.” 

Kaine smirked at their dumbfounded faces.

      Breathtaking. There was no other way to describe it. Billowing forms of clouds passed under them, gaps in between providing a stunning view of the endless ocean below. But it wasn’t that that caused a collective sharp intake of breaths. No. It was the magnificent flying citadel that was called Cheiss Academy. 

      Resplendent towers of metal and otherworldly beauty curled and forged up into the skies, orbited by dozens, if not hundreds of tiny figures who flew to wherever they needed to. Down below was a mini-metropolis, booming in business and flourishing greatly as countless students in the same robes busied themselves around the stalls, shops and parlours, chatting animatedly with their companions. 

      Not only that, but there were titans of airships which languidly flew around, their designs mostly sharp and sleek with a colour palette similar to the hallway; black, gold and royal purple. Menacing cannons and weapons protruded from every angle, invisible waves of mana repeatedly moving through Cheiss Academy to check for intruders.

      And at the centre was a skyscraper. Stylised roughly like a crooked tree centuries old, it had a thick base constituting of tall buildings and structure before it curled slightly up, the waist of the ‘tree’ thinning with every metre. It then expanded outwards rapidly into several individual towers and obelisks which shone in the glint of the sun. 

      All of this was carried by the many engines below, each one stupendously large and burning up so much mana that it was incomprehensible. The scale of this operation made Cordelia’s mind spin, trying to calculate and fathom what she is seeing right now. 

      The Teleportation Building was a completely separate area with its own individual engine and shield. Some may consider this a foolish choice as it was better to store it deep within the heart of Cheiss Academy but the Headmaster though otherwise. All happenings on this separate island were open for anybody to see and could not be reached without flying, teleporting or anything similar. 

      The long-barrelled behemoths that were carried by patrol airships were also present on the island, latched onto the sides, ground and parts of the engine as well. Anyone who came into range would be blown into smithereens. Students were strictly reminded not to move close to it in any case whatsoever. 

      “Chloe?..”

Cordelia was going to ask if she was okay but she swallowed her words instantly. Since a young age, Chloe relied on sympathetic servants, maids and others to fill the hole in her chest. This often resulted in bedtime stories and similar things. Despite being forced to mature mentally, Chloe still had that childish innocence within her which was pricked by these fantasies, like that Knight in Shining Armour, the Dragon and the Princess… or that City Flying in the Sky. 

      Being a princess, she had heard of rumours about Cheiss Academy. One was the rumour that Cheiss Academy was a city that flew across the skies, unhindered and unfettered by the manacles of the earth. Logically speaking, she knew that this probably had little credit or truth. But her leftover innocence clamped onto that feeble hope, refusing to let go.

      Her hope had been fulfilled. 

❈ ❈ ❈

vaexis

Everything after the students enter the teleportation room was prewritten weeks before this chapter was even posted because I was writing for an English assignment. It was a piece of extended writing about some vague concept ('write a short story about someone who is expecting something'). Yes, I don't know either. That's why Chloe's excitement seems a bit over the top so yeah. That's also the reason why this chapter is a lot more descriptive.

      Anyways, have a nice day!