Chapter 34: The Academy Beyond Borders

Zane’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped closer, hands behind his back, his presence towering despite his calm tone.

“Well then…” he said with a soft chuckle. “It’s my turn to ask questions.”

His gaze flicked from the unconscious girl to the trembling boy who could barely meet his eyes.

“So, tell me… Why did you follow me?” Zane asked, voice smooth but laced with quiet pressure. “Was it because I saw through that little illusion magic of yours?”

Ron swallowed hard, his lips parting slowly.

“Y-Yes…” he stammered. “B-Because it was… it was s-special magic. N-No one should have seen through it, not someone normal. We just wanted to know how—how you…”

Zane raised an eyebrow, folding his arms.

“Explain.” His voice carried the weight of command.

As Ron scrambled for words, Zane tilted his head, his thoughts drifting for a moment.

“Of course, I could just read his mind. It would be easy… but where’s the fun in that? This is more entertaining. I should interrogate people like this more often—especially the ones who annoy me. Heh…”

But as he looked at the boy’s shaking knees and pale face, a hint of guilt sparked within him—not for what he’d done, but because the kid was clearly terrified.

“Tch. He’s trembling like a leaf… too scared to even lie. This one’s not going to last long.”

He gave a small sigh.

“Well? Speak clearly. I don’t bite… unless I’m in a bad mood.”

Zane looked down at the kneeling boy, who could barely form words, eyes wide and body trembling like a leaf in a storm.

“Tch…” Zane sighed. “This won’t do.”

He extended his palm slowly, fingers relaxed, letting it hover just in front of Ron’s forehead.

“Calm down,” he said softly.

Snap.

A sharp sound rang out as he snapped his fingers. A glowing, whitish-blue magic circle appeared instantly above his palm, rotating gently, humming with ethereal energy. It radiated a calming whitish-blue aura that bathed the area in a peaceful light.

Then, from Zane’s palm, a soft pulse of white light surged forward like a warm breeze, wrapping around the kneeling boy like a protective cocoon.

Ron flinched at first, but as the aura washed over him, his heartbeat slowed. His breathing steadied. The tremble in his limbs faded—not gone completely, but now under control.

His eyes widened in astonishment. “W-W-What… what was that magic?” he stuttered—not out of fear, but pure surprise.

Zane stepped back, lowering his hand.

“Mental magic,” he said flatly. “You’ve calmed down now. Good. Now explain.”

Ron stared up, still on his knees, eyes wide as the whitish-blue aura faded from around him. His trembling had stopped, replaced by a strange calm. The fear was still there—but no longer overwhelming. He could finally think.

Mental magic…? he thought. I’ve never heard of that before. And that magic circle… it didn’t look like anything mages use.

Beyond anything he had seen, even in books.

Just then, Zane’s calm, commanding voice cut through his thoughts.

“Explain.”

Ron’s breathing was steady now, thanks to the strange mental magic Zane had just cast. He bowed slightly and began speaking, his voice still tinged with awe.

“This illusion magic… it was crafted by someone we know. A seventh-circle mage. He gave everything to protect us—to hide us from our enemies.”

Zane raised an eyebrow, interest flickering in his sharp gaze.

“Enemy, huh? And who exactly is this… enemy?”

Ron didn’t answer right away. Instead, he slowly removed a small silver ring from his finger, and did the same for Lia, who still stood silently beside him. The moment the rings left their fingers, a gentle shimmer rippled through the air.

The illusion wore off.

Ron’s simple brown hair turned to a soft cream blonde, and his dull eyes now gleamed a rich amber. Lia’s appearance shifted too—her brown hair brightened to a radiant golden-brown hue. Her eyes were still closed, but even behind the lids, one could feel an odd pressure as if something vibrant hid behind them.

Zane gave them a look… unimpressed.

“Well, you could’ve just done that earlier.”

Ron chuckled nervously.

“Well, sir, you had already seen through our disguises. But let me formally introduce us. I am Ron Volkov… second prince of the Glimmereach Kingdom. And this is Lia Isolde… second princess of the Thesmeris Kingdom.”

Zane gave a small smile.

“Nice titles… but you still explained nothing.”

Ron froze. “Ah… right…” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m getting there, sir. Our situation is—”

Zane raised a hand and cut him off.

“Wait. You’re the second prince, and she’s the second princess?”

Ron blinked. “Umm… yes?”

“And you both have an elder sibling, right?”

Ron was now visibly confused. “Yeah…?”

Zane’s eyes glinted playfully.

“Let me guess. You’re both being hunted by powerful assassins sent by your respective older brother and sister. The one who crafted the illusion magic was a close friend or loyal supporter—someone both of you trusted. He fought the assassin… lost… and used all his life force to cast this final spell to teleport you away. You ended up in that cart, and those assassins are still chasing you, right? And now, you’re looking for a place safe enough to breathe.”

Ron’s jaw dropped.

“H-H-How did you… how could you possibly know that??”

Zane shrugged, face calm.

“I mean… it’s so cliché, right guys?”

He looked off into the distance, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Ron blinked in utter confusion.

“W-What a-are you…”

“Nothing,” Zane said smoothly, cutting him off with a flick of his hand. “I just guessed. Now… where exactly are you two headed? This so-called safe place?”

“Umm… we’re actually going to Astralis Arcanum,” Ron said hesitantly, his voice soft, almost as if unsure how Zane would react.

Zane narrowed his eyes slightly. “To where now? Astra-what?”

Ron blinked in confusion. “You don’t know about it?”

Zane gave a small shrug, the corner of his mouth lifting in mild amusement. “You’re forgetting something important—I’m just a traveler from a faraway land. I haven’t exactly spent my time flipping through books about fancy academies.”

Ron chuckled nervously, scratching his head. “Oh yeah… right. You really are a traveler.”

“See? Told you,” Zane replied, his tone easygoing, though his gaze was still sharp with curiosity. “So what is this… Astralis Arcanum?”

Ron took a breath, settling into explanation mode. “It’s one of the six great academies of the world. Astralis Arcanum is located in a border city of the Valdoria Kingdom. It’s a very prestigious place, known for teaching all sorts of disciplines—magic, martial arts, weapon mastery, ancient arts, even things like strategy, enchantments, elemental theory… basically, if it has anything to do with power or skill, they teach it there.”

Zane raised an eyebrow. “You said ’one of the academies.’ So there are others?”

Ron nodded. “Yeah. There are five other major academies—each in one of the other five main kingdoms. Each one is famous in its own right and specializes in different things, often based on the race or kingdom’s strengths.”

Zane tilted his head slightly, considering. “So what makes Astralis Arcanum stand out from the rest?”

“Well,” Ron continued, “unlike the others, Astralis Arcanum doesn’t restrict entry by race or nationality. Most other academies are reserved for the dominant race of their kingdom—like the Elven academy only accepts elves, the Dwarven one only dwarves, and so on. But Astralis Arcanum welcomes everyone. Human, elf, dwarf, beastkin, spiritborn, even demons, though that’s rare. It doesn’t matter what kingdom you’re from. As long as you pass the entrance trials, you’re in.”

Zane gave a small hum, arms crossed. “And this place is in Valdoria?”

“Yes,” Ron confirmed. “But it isn’t ruled by Valdoria. That’s another special thing about it. While the academy sits inside the borders of the kingdom, it operates independently. The royal family of Valdoria supports and protects it, but they don’t govern it. Astralis Arcanum is considered neutral ground. No politics. No kingdom laws. It answers to its own council.”

Zane’s expression shifted slightly, his interest piqued. “Neutral, huh?”

“Exactly,” Ron said. “That’s why we’re going there. It’s one of the safest places we could go. If we manage to get admitted, the assassins won’t be able to touch us—not inside its walls. Even powerful nobles hesitate to make enemies of the Arcanum. And the trials, while tough, offer a fair chance to prove yourself no matter your background.”

Zane looked off into the distance for a moment, as if pondering something. Then, with a faint smile tugging at his lips, he said, “Hmm. Magic, martial arts, weapons, politics, danger, and a melting pot of races all thrown into one big pot… sounds like an interesting place.”

Zane glanced toward the girl lying nearby and said with a casual smirk, “Hmm… looks like your little girlfriend is about to wake up.”

Ron’s face turned bright red. “S-she’s not my girlfriend, sir!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Zane chuckled lightly. “Well, I got what I needed. And for giving me such interesting information, I’ll give you something in return.”

He raised his hand, and a yellowish magic circle formed in front of his palm. A soft yellow-white aura emerged and flowed gently into both Ron and Lia. It shimmered briefly on their skin before fading.

Ron blinked in confusion. “W-what was that, sir?”

Zane smiled. “Just a little upgrade. You’ll know when to use it.”

He turned away, giving a wave. “Farewell, kid. Make it to the academy. We’ll meet again.”

And with that, Zane vanished—teleporting in an instant, like he had never been there at all.

Ron stood in stunned silence. “He… just teleported…”

Behind him, Lia stirred. “Ron… what happened? Where is he?”

“He’s gone,” Ron said quickly. “We need to go. He’s really strong—crazy strong.”

Lia’s eyes widened in panic. “He’ll kill us if he finds us again!”

Ron held her shoulders. “Calm down, Lia. He’s not going to hurt us. Let’s just get to the academy. I’ll explain everything on the way.”

The two of them turned, leaving the clearing behind—heading toward Astralis Arcanum, unaware of how much their lives were about to change.

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