Chapter 72

Should I go after telling Alabata one thing?

With that thought, I called out to a soldier standing at regular intervals like a telegraph pole inside the castle. He told me that Alabata would call me and asked me to wait in the guest reception room on the first floor. I felt like I was gradually getting a grasp of the castle's layout. While thinking about that, I went to the dining hall where everyone was waiting and called out to them.

"I've been asked to deliver a message to Alabata. She said we should wait in the reception room on the first floor, so let's get our necessary belongings and wait there."

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in their own way and headed to the bedroom where we had spent the night. In the bedroom, Ail checked her outfit and quietly changed her jacket. Eliza and I also prepared for the outing.

It seemed that everyone was ready in about fifteen minutes, but Stras was standing outside, looking exhausted from waiting. It seemed that the men had finished their preparations in no time.

"What took you so long?"

"I only took about five minutes, but generally, it takes ten to thirty minutes for makeup, getting dressed, and washing up, doesn't it?"

"Thirty minutes..."

I ventured to give a general opinion as a representative of women. Stras muttered, "Thirty minutes... What do you need to dress up so much for...?" and scratched his head.

If the women of the world heard that, Stras might be in for a fiery reception.

Unaware of the terrifying nature of his words, Stras led us to the reception room.

When we arrived at the reception room, Alabata was standing at attention in front of the door. She was not in armor but in a costume that looked like a wrap-around garment, resembling a traditional ethnic outfit.

"Ah, you've arrived. I'll be your guide today."

Saying this, Alabata pounded her chest with her fist.

"I was thinking of visiting the Magic Academy, but wouldn't it be better to have a mage guide us?"

I asked for confirmation, but as expected, Alabata shook her head with an enthusiastic expression.

"What are you talking about? I also attended the Magic Academy. I was in the lowest class, though. Ha ha ha ha!"

Alabata laughed to herself and started walking. We exchanged glances for a moment but hurried to follow her.

Mapleleaf is said to be a country specialized in sacred magic, also known as healing magic. Considering that the predecessor of the Holy Empire was the Mapleleaf Holy Church, a religious organization, it made some sense.

However, if the focus is too much on healing magic, other talented mages might not have a sufficient environment to study their respective magics. While specializing in one area sounds good, it eliminates the possibility of combining multiple magics from the start.

With these concerns in mind, we walked through the holy city and eventually arrived at a large building.

Like other buildings, it had white walls and a roof, but what caught the eye were the many large, round columns. It looked like a huge building with the appearance of a Greek temple.

It didn't look like an educational institution, but the people entering and exiting the building were mostly young boys and girls, wearing outfits similar to Alabata's, giving them a somewhat student-like atmosphere.

Everyone wearing the same uniform is the same at the Fidic Academy, but perhaps in this world, everyone has a designated uniform.

Alabata told us to wait a moment, so we looked at the academy building from the outside. Then, Alabata returned with someone. It was a middle-aged man wearing a small navy blue cape over a white outfit. He looked at us with a gentle smile and tilted his head slightly.

Alabata stood in front of us with the man and cleared his throat, turning his palm toward the man.

"This is Sir Cameron, a senior instructor at the Holy City Magic Academy. In Mapleleaf, senior instructors at the Magic Academy are considered to be the highest-level mages, equivalent to court mages, and Sir Cameron is recognized as one of the top mages in the country."

"I am Cameron Ridge. Nice to meet you."

Introduced by Alabata, Cameron bowed deeply. Then, Alabata glanced at us and turned back to Cameron.

"I mentioned earlier that this is Aoi, a senior instructor at the Fidic Academy. And these are Stras and Eliza, general instructors. Also, there are students from other countries, including Lord Court. Lastly, there is Shenli, who is from our country and attends the Fidic Academy."

"Oh!"

While bowing to Alabata's introduction, Cameron blinked at Shenli. Feeling his gaze, Shenli shuddered and looked down.

"Shenli, is it? So, you were able to enter the Fidic Academy. That's great. I remember, Shenli couldn't use healing magic. At the Fidic Academy, you should be treated as a mage of considerable ability. It's a case of being in the right place, isn't it?"

Cameron's words, though cheerful, subtly belittled Shenli. Shenli shrank back, looking intimidated.

Feeling that something was wrong with the conversation, I stepped in to support Shenli as a representative of the instructors.

"Shenli is a serious and very talented student. I'm sure she will become a fine mage in the future."

Upon hearing this, Cameron paused for a moment and then smiled gently again.

"Is that so? That's good. After all, in our academy, it's difficult to develop talents other than healing magic. In that regard, the Fidic Academy must allow the study of various magics simultaneously, right? That's wonderful. Your curriculum must be excellent. If we tried to do that here, we'd end up with half-baked mages."

Saying this, Cameron let out a light laugh.