Jin stared up at the huge walls of Lucaria. He had never seen a city wall this massive and thick before.
The walls were covered in all sorts of sculptures and engravings, which somehow made them look both majestic and elegant at the same time.
Surrounding the walls was a deep, water-filled trench, adding another layer of protection for the city.
But what really caught Jin's eye was the large gate leading into the city. He couldn't even imagine how the city guards managed to close something that massive.
On either side of the bridge leading to the gate stood two tall statues one of a man, the other of a woman.
They wore armor and helmets that hid their faces, and each held a long sword. Their swords crossed each other like an X.
It wasn't just the gate that impressed him. The road itself was beautiful, lined with flowers. Even the lamps along the road were lit with fire, almost like magic.
There were many people entering and leaving the city, all dressed in elegant outfits.
Jin saw a group of men in matching uniforms black suits with long white cloaks, each showing the knight's emblem from the statue.
The women wore white outfits, either skirts or pants, with black cloaks that had the emblem of the female statue.
Hanging from everyone's cloak male or female was a golden necklace signed with a unique number, probably to identify each person.
Jin realized that anyone in these uniforms must be academy students, while the rest of the crowd in mixed clothes were just regular city residents.
He kept walking with the saints and passed through the gate doors easily since the guards immediately recognized Park and Lamar.
"What a beautiful city!" Jin thought to himself.
Inside, the city was crowded with people, with many branching streets lined with fancy buildings and houses Jin had only seen in books before.
The tall wooden buildings had multiple floors, flowers and buds hung from their rooftops, adding a beautiful touch to the city's atmosphere.
As Jin walked along the wide streets paved with cobblestones and iron, he passed by many busy markets.
There were shops and street vendors selling their goods everywhere.
The interesting part was that these markets were very organized, unlike the ones he had seen in Anvil.
While he was moving towards the academy, Jin saw many palaces, each surrounded by vast gardens filled with flowers and trees.
One of the most exciting features of the city was that all roads seemed to lead to the Academy.
The academy was as large as a city, if Jin could describe it.
The academy had three main gates one to the north, one to the south, and one to the east.
Jin entered the academy through the south gate when he arrived.
Inside the academy, there were tall towers and many gardens.
Each garden had a large fountain plaza with plenty of benches and small shops, giving a comfortable and relaxing feel.
The academy's architecture was very precise and detailed.
To the northeast of the academy were thirteen halls, while the northwest contained several residential buildings that looked like student dormitories.
In the center of the academy stood the most secure-looking building; it probably was the administration building.
In the southeast, there was a large training ground, and in the southwest, many buildings were spread out, including a massive library.
Park smiled. "What do you think? Isn't this place amazing?"
Jin looked around, left and right, amazed.
"This.... it's just insane! This place looks amazing for real!"
Park laughed. "Yes, it is, but you still didn't see anything yet."
"But now, you must follow me to meet with the Academy Council."
"Okay," Jin replied, feeling very excited.
But before they went, Lamar stopped to tell them that she had some important things to do.
Lamar looked at Jin, and although her gaze was usually the same, it seemed slightly different.
"I advise you to be careful around the royal families here. Whatever happens, make sure you don't put yourself on their bad side."
She spoke with Park for a bit after that, and then she left.
After that, they headed to the administration building in the center of the academy and went inside.
Inside, there were many doors and rooms. The building had three floors, each serving a different purpose.
The first floor was for students, the second for teacher administration, and the third where Park and Jin went was for the academy officials.
Jin stood in front of a large door decorated with gold and steel.
"Wait here for a moment," Park said as he entered the room.
"Okay," Jin replied.
While Jin was waiting, a group of students passed by and looked at him with despise.
At first, he ignored them, but it became annoying when a red-haired student came closer, staring at him with contempt.
"Look at those ragged clothes he looks awful," he mocked.
Another laughed. "Haha, ugly one too."
"Smells like garbage, why is this trash even here?"
Jin looked at them calmly. "That's none of your business."
He was used to this kind of treatment from the wealthy people, so he wasn't surprised by their reactions.
"Haha, looks like you don't know your place here," he spat on the ground near Jin's feet, staring directly at him.
The others laughed behind him, and one girl said, "You should kneel and bow, you disgusting scum! Don't you know who you're talking to?"
Then the red-haired guy suddenly pushed Jin to the wall as he laughed.
Jin wanted to punch him, but at that moment, the headmaster's door behind him opened. An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, stepped out and smiled kindly at everyone.
"It looks like we're going to have a long talk with your parents, Mark."
Mark's face went pale, like he had seen a ghost.
"Sir…" he stammered, then bowed deeply to the old man.
Everyone in his group followed with a bow as well.
Park smiled and looked at Jin. "Looks like you start causing troubles from the very beginning."
Jin looked at Park and the old man and sighed.
"This idiot started all of this," he said, pointing at Mark.
Mark's head wrinkled with anger; he tried to say something, but words failed him in front of the academy's president.
The old man chuckled warmly. "Alright, come in, Arthur's son."
Jin sighed, shrugged, and followed the old man and Park into the room.
Mark muttered as he stared outside the room, "I'll kill that bastard."
A boy with short black hair, leaned against the wall, and said,
"Don't rush. The headmaster seems to know him."
He added, "If you want to deal with him, you'll have to do it secretly."
Mark smiled. "Ah… you're right."
The room Jin entered was large, with everything inside looking expensive.
He felt a little nervous, afraid he might break something and be in debt for the rest of his life.
"Come, sit down," the old man called, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk.
Jin sat down, looking around the room.
"I'll have to go now, Jin, so see you later and make sure you enjoy your time here," Park said, smiling and patting his shoulder.
Jin smiled back. "Thank you for everything."
Park left the room, leaving Jin alone with the headmaster, who sat with his hands clasped on the desk.
Jin looked at the old man and asked, "You seem to know my father."
"Of course. Arthur was an excellent student here," he replied.
"My grandfather told me about that before."
"Ah, Adrian… how is he doing these days?"
Jin looked down. "He passed away three months ago."
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."
Jin answered, "It's okay. I thought you already knew."
The old man replied, "Oh? Why would you think that?"
"Didn't Park tell you anything about me?"
He stroked his chin and looked at Jin. "No. He only told me that you are Arthur's son and that you're interested in joining our academy."
Jin sighed. "Right. Anyway, may I know your name?"
The old man smiled. "I am Saruman, the headmaster of this academy."
Jin replied respectfully, "It's an honor to meet you, Headmaster Saruman," and extended his hand.
Saruman laughed and shook Jin's hand.
"The school year starts in two days, so you need to prepare and get familiar with the classrooms and other facilities here."
Jin smiled. "Of course. May I visit the big library here?" His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yes, you may. But let me ask you to avoid causing trouble here."
"You know, there are many students from the noble families and some of them are royals too."
Jin sighed. "I can guess that."
Saruman smiled and stood, looking out the window behind him.
"There are some powerful families here, and I don't have real authority over them. So try to stay away from them as much as possible."
Jin looked at him. "Okay, thank you for the advice."
Saruman smiled. "I look forward to seeing you again."
"Anyway, a teacher will come to guide you to your dorm room."
Jin replied, "Sure, thank you."
Jin left Saruman's office to find a thin teacher with large glasses waiting for him.
"Hello, I'm Teacher Howell. I'll take you to your dorm room, and tomorrow I'll show you the rest of the academy."
Jin stared at his huge glasses and muttered, "What huge glasses…"
"Nice to meet you, Teacher Howell," he said.
Howell adjusted his glasses. "Follow me."
They headed to the dorm complex, which had two very large buildings one for boys and one for girls.
They reached room 642.
"This is your room, student Jin." Howell handed him the key.
"Here you go, rest well, and tomorrow I'll show you the rest of the academy."
"Okay, thank you." Jin entered the room and whistled.
"What a luxurious place…"