The old man appeared
“No way…”
The gate was so close, but he was stopped at the door.
Morina kept looking behind the door. Although the view was not clear due to the obstruction of the magic circle, she could still see a courtyard that looked like a garden and some figures walking in it.
But no matter how they shouted, the people inside turned a deaf ear to them and seemed to be completely unaware of the movement outside.
Among the three, Ximu had the best eyesight. After looking around for a while, she looked at her companion and asked uncertainly, "...A magician?"
"Hmm..." Ruixia pondered for a moment and nodded, "Judging from their clothes, they do look alike."
"What are so many magicians doing together?"
As soon as Morina asked the question, the three of them thought of the same thing unexpectedly.
So that's it... This might not be the private residence of some powerful person, but a study institution similar to a college!
No wonder there were so many flags with different emblems in the square just now. If so, the scale of this place that can attract so many children from noble families to gather here is probably incomparable to that of an ordinary country college.
"Is this a royal academy... How strange, why is it hidden in such a remote place?"
Ruixia's older sister is a magician, so he knows a thing or two about the famous magic academies on the continent - but no matter how hard he tries, there is really nothing in his memory that matches the academy in front of him.
"Are there any countries currently at war?"
The war mecha beasts by the lake, the anti-flying magic circle on the long bridge, and the sealing magic circle in front of him that completely blocks entry and exit... It's not surprising that Ximu would have such a guess.
"That's a lot. The continent is vast, and some countries would go to war with their neighbors every few years. Moreover, if war really came, choosing to close off entry and exit here would seem to suggest maintaining neutrality..."
The three of them pondered for a long time at the door, but they didn't dare to actually bombard the door.
Regardless of whether this sealing array had a counterattack mechanism, even if it succeeded, it would be too offensive. If a war were truly underway here, the people inside would surely be extremely nervous. If they rushed through the door at this moment, they would likely be mistaken for invaders and immediately kicked out by the magicians inside.
Imagine the scene of thousands of attack magic spells flying towards you. Even if you are as fast as Ximu, there is no way you can escape unscathed from such an attack.
"How about this, let's go around the perimeter and see if there are any other entrances or exits."
Standing here stupidly was no solution. After carefully tracing the pattern of the magic circle, Ruixia stood up, patted her clothes, and pointed to the road behind her, meaning to return the same way.
In desperation, the three of them walked along the long bridge back to the small pier. After meeting up with the large group of mechanical beasts on standby, they circled along the edge of the rock wall in the lake, observing and looking for loopholes in the magic circle.
It was not until then that they discovered that the buildings behind the iron gate were far more magnificent than what they had seen before.
The towering spire-roofed building is built against the mountain and reaches the sky. Looking up, you can feel a sharpness that reaches the stars.
Large buildings are constructed by splicing together countless arch structures. They are intricate and stacked layer by layer, with carved beams and painted rafters. They are majestic and beautiful, and cannot be built by ordinary forces.
Moreover, compared to the dark forests and lakes before, warm light mostly shines through the stained glass windows of the high-rise buildings, like flowers blooming on the walls, giving people a sense of security that they have finally returned to the world.
But unfortunately——
Although the pattern of the sealing array only appeared in front of the gate, it covered a very wide area, even including a small part of the water near the rock wall, making it impossible to sneak in from the side.
Normally, such a large array would have some weaknesses, but...
Among them, there was an assassin with high explosive damage, a mechanic, and a priest specializing in healing - there was not a single serious magician, let alone anyone who could do any professional research on magic circles.
After walking around most of the edge of the seal, they found that the back door of the academy was adjacent to the land, and what came into view was another monotonous and endless forest.
"Ahhhhh..." Molina covered her eyes, looking unable to accept it, "It's the woods again! I never want to see a woods again in my life, ahhhhh..."
Ruixia smiled bitterly and exchanged a glance with Ximu, then habitually and resignedly opened the screen to see what was happening nearby.
"Hello!"
A shout that did not belong to any of them suddenly came from the forest, startling all three of them.
The next moment, Ximu accurately found the source of the sound, leaped to the front of the team, and held the dagger in his hand.
Ruixia followed closely behind, looking a little nervous, but he did not show his weapon directly. He just looked past his teammates and looked at the position that Ximu had captured.
The person who came didn't seem to intend to hide his tracks. After a rustling sound of something passing through branches and leaves, a ray of light suddenly lit up, illuminating the staff underneath and the person holding the staff.
He was an old man who looked quite old, with a big beard, a dignified face, and a dark magic robe. He was in line with the image of a magician in the minds of ordinary people.
Perhaps offended by the cold wariness in Xi Mu's eyes, the old man's expression was unfriendly. After striking the ground with his staff to show his power, he demanded in a gruff voice, "Who are you? —This is wartime, and the Saint Feses School of Magic is under martial law. You've come here at this time, are you looking for death?"
St. Fessex College?
The mysterious existence finally had a name, but none of them had much knowledge of the history of magic. Even Ruixia, the only one who might know the answer, shook her head calmly.
But his eyes rolled, and he patted Xi Mu's shoulder, then walked past her to the front, and politely saluted her on the shoulder according to the common etiquette of the mainland.
"Sir, we mean no offense. We are adventurers without nationality. We got lost in the forest and stumbled upon this place."
After saying that, he even took out a badge from his pocket and held it in his hand to show it off.
It was an octagonal badge with ancient characters symbolizing directions on the eight corners, and a pattern of water waves and lightning intertwined in the center, symbolizing that one can reach any direction without fear of danger or obstacles.
Although this is probably a replica——
Fortunately, the old man did not examine them carefully. Perhaps because their age matched the rank indicated by the color of the badge, he did not doubt it any further.
"Well, it really is."
Fortunately, the old man did not examine them carefully. Perhaps because their age matched the rank indicated by the color of the badge, he did not suspect too much.
Given Ruixia's respectful and appropriate response, the old man, whose self-esteem was taken care of, softened his attitude a little. "Then you are really unlucky... The Kingdom of Lun'ate and the Kingdom of Keden are now at odds, and there are dangers lurking outside the courtyard. You dare to wander around here at such a young age? You are really audacious."
Danger lurks on every side?
In a sense, it wasn't wrong...but Ximu always felt that the danger he was referring to was not the same as the series of crises they encountered in the forest.
"Then, sir, you have come here alone to survey the enemy situation for the academy?"
Ruixia obviously felt the same way, but he didn't say it out loud. He continued to ask reasonable questions based on the situation described by the old man.
"I don't have the time for that!"
I don’t know what touched him, but the old magician blew his beard and glared, then waved his hand unhappily.
"Our Saint Feses Academy has always been impartial. All talented individuals, regardless of nationality, are welcome to enroll. However, if there is a war in our vicinity, we will never intervene. We will always close our doors and wait for the war to end. But once this door closes, there's no telling when it will reopen. Therefore, those who don't wish to remain in the academy can naturally leave voluntarily before the official closing."
"Oh... So you had something to do, so you took the risk of leaving?"
The old man did not answer Ruixia's question immediately. Instead, he looked far away in the direction of the college and suddenly sighed.
"Normally, there would be nothing wrong with staying in the academy and living a quiet life... but this time is different."
Perhaps because no one had talked to them for a long time, the old man became interested when he thought of this. While he was chattering, he also gave them a brief introduction to the historical background of the college.
This lakeside academy was founded by the great magician, Moon Sage Phises, who was born into the royal family of the Kingdom of Lun'ate.
Although he was born into a royal family, Phises was obsessed with magic and had no intention of fighting for power. It was said that he was blessed by the Moon Goddess at a young age and comprehended the laws in the full moon's image, becoming the Son of God of the Pantheon of the Kingdom at that time, a true "favored one of the Moon Goddess."
After he became an adult, he gradually distanced himself from the royal family because he was tired of all the power struggles. After leaving the kingdom, he founded an academy in a remote place to teach magic. He declared that he would never get involved in any national disputes. Any students who formed cliques would be expelled from the academy and would never be admitted again.
The aloof Sage of the Moon holds an outstanding status and profound magical powers. In the entire academy, the only person who can have a conversation with him on a similar level is probably Vice-President Mia Rodes.
This vice-dean is the chief court magician of the Kingdom of Keden. He is humorous and has made remarkable achievements in the laws of space. He once had a harmonious relationship with the dean, Fises, and they left behind many novel works and stories together.
But unlike the unborn Phises, this Vice-President served the royal family and naturally prioritized the interests of the nation. Now that the two nations were at odds, he, as the chief court mage, was forced to return to the military, and thus had recently left the academy.
"It's said that a fierce argument broke out between them in the Moon Viewing Tower the night before they left... Although no one knows the exact reason, the fact that the dean and vice-dean parted ways on bad terms certainly caused panic within the academy."
Looking at the old man sighing, Ximu looked at the tall towers in the distance and understood what they feared.
The relationship between the two who were once close friends deteriorated, and their countries were at war... If she were the vice-president who was proficient in the laws of space and so familiar with the internal affairs of the academy, she might really try to break through the blockade of the academy and take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the kingdom's biggest worry.
A man is innocent unless he is in possession of a treasure.
As long as the Moon Sage remains a powerful magician who controls a certain area, no matter how he declares that he has no intention of fighting, others will not believe him.
"Speaking of which..."
As if he suddenly remembered something, the white-bearded old man who had already sat down slapped his thigh while talking, and even his eyes lit up.
"Since you are adventurers, can you accept one of my commissions?"
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