The Imperial Capital.
This city was entirely different from the one where Glory Cael Magic Academy was located.
If the latter was a tranquil city of magical academia, then this place was a true imperial metropolis.
The streets were wide and straight, paved with neat bluestone slabs, and the buildings on both sides were mostly constructed from light-colored granite, their walls carved with intricate reliefs depicting major events in the Empire's history.
Arches, domes, and colonnades—remnants of the classical imperial architectural style could be seen everywhere.
In the city's sky, patrols riding gryphons occasionally swept past, casting fleeting shadows below.
And in the east-central part of the city, a towering magic tower stood majestically, piercing the clouds.
The tower was constructed from pure white magical stone, its surface flowing with light-blue mana lines that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
This was the magic tower built specifically for the Hundred Academy Exchange, divided into various levels containing living quarters, academic zones, discussion areas, and laboratory sections—a true pinnacle of contemporary architecture.
At this moment, the spacious plaza in front of the magic tower was buzzing with noise and excitement.
Faculty and students from over a hundred magic academies across the continent were arriving one after another, flags fluttering across the plaza as their diverse academy uniforms interwove into a colorful tapestry.
Voices carrying luggage, organizing teams, searching for registration desks, and greeting long-lost friends blended together, filling the air with a warm and bustling atmosphere.
Beside a stone pillar on the eastern side of the plaza, two girls were warmly embracing each other.
“Long time no see! You look great!”
The first to speak was a girl with a brown ponytail named Kayla. She wore a deep-green academy uniform, and the badge on her chest was embroidered with a lush, ancient tree—the symbol of Greenfield Magic Academy from the Far South.
“Don't even get me started.”
The other girl, who was embracing her, let go and shook her head with a bitter smile.
She wore a deep-blue uniform with a hexagonal ice crystal badge pinned to her chest, indicating she was from Frost Ring Magic Academy on the border.
Her name was Adele.
“Our academy's carriage broke down twice on the way. The first time, the axle snapped while crossing a mountain pass, and the second time, we spent half a day waiting for a ferry at the crossing. It took us a whole twenty days of exhausting travel to get here. What about you?”
“We weren't much better off.”
Kayla sighed.
“We rented a public airship. They call it an airship, but it's really just a flying tin can. The cabin was too small to even turn around in, and the guy next door snored loudly enough to shake the heavens. I barely closed my eyes the entire trip.”
The two looked at each other and shared a bitter, empathetic smile.
Both of them were serving as the leaders of their respective academies this time, and since this was their second time participating in the Hundred Academy Exchange, they were already well-accustomed to such arduous journeys.
The groups standing behind them were sparse, each numbering fewer than ten people, but this was already the entirety of the representatives their academies could afford to send.
Compared to the Five Great Academies, which easily brought dozens of people in their delegations, they looked exceptionally pitiful.
“Oh, right!”
Kayla suddenly remembered something, glanced at the group behind Adele, and lowered her voice to ask:
“I heard that among your representatives this time, there's an incredibly talented freshman, right?”
“You mean Melina?”
Adele looked back at a girl with beautiful, jet-black hair who was quietly standing there reading a book. Although her appearance was ordinary, she exuded a mysterious aura.
An irrepressible pride surfaced on Adele's face.
“Yeah, she's indeed highly talented. Her various mana affinities and control precision have broken our academy's records for the past decade. I honestly feel that if she wanted to, she could have easily entered Glory Cael or Ironpledge Crucible of the Five Great Academies. But her family probably worried about not being able to afford the tuition and living expenses of those top-tier academies, which is why they sent her to ours.”
In most magic academies outside of the Five Great Academies, the students were overwhelmingly from commoner backgrounds, and noble children were a rare sight.
Thus, when they saw an exceptionally gifted student choosing an ordinary academy, their immediate thought was financial constraints.
“I really envy her talent.”
Kayla also followed Adele's gaze and said with a sigh:
“If she performs well at this exchange, she might catch the eye of someone from the Five Great Academies and get a chance to transfer.”
There had been precedents in previous sessions of the Hundred Academy Exchange—some students from ordinary academies, by demonstrating astounding strength or talent, caught the eye of the top brass of the Five Great Academies, earning transfer qualifications and direct, tuition-free admission.
For countless magic students of commoner origins, this was a shortcut to changing their destiny.
“Since we know it'll only make us feel bad, let's not talk about that.”
Adele withdrew her gaze, waved her hand, and changed the subject:
“Speaking of the exchange, does your academy have any academic research results prepared to present on stage this time?”
Kayla shrugged. “Our funds are a bit tight this year, so the dean said we shouldn't go and embarrass ourselves. We decided to skip the academic research presentation entirely, but I won't lose to you in the specialized defense this time!”
Kayla suddenly clenched her fist, a fighting spirit igniting in her eyes.
“I've pulled countless all-nighters in the library just for this!”
“Heh.”
Adele lifted her chin, refusing to back down.
“While we might not compare to the geniuses of the Five Great Academies, I'm confident I won't lose to you either.”
As the two were speaking, the sky above the plaza suddenly darkened.
A massive shadow swept across the ground, like a giant bird soaring through the sky.
The surrounding students raised their heads one after another, letting out gasps of admiration.
A massive airship was slowly descending from the clouds, its hull gleaming with a silvery-white metallic luster in the sunlight, its lines sleek and elegant.
A prominent emblem was painted on the side of the airship—a star hovering over an open magic book.
It was the symbol of Glory Cael Magic Academy.
In the world of magic, the weak had always revered the strong.
When this airship, representing one of the Five Great Academies, appeared in the sky above the plaza, the gazes of all the surrounding students were involuntarily drawn to it.
People stopped what they were doing, looked up, and watched the colossal vessel slowly touch down.
The airship soon landed smoothly in the designated berth in the center of the plaza, and the cabin door slowly opened with a soft hiss of releasing air pressure.
Then, the passengers began to step out one by one.
The first to appear was a girl with aqua-blue hair.
She wore Glory Cael's standard academy uniform, standing tall and straight, with a cold temperament and steps that were composed and elegant.
And as she walked down the gangway, the surrounding clamor seemed to quiet down for a brief moment.
Because the boys were all dazed by the sight, while the girls suddenly felt a sense of self-deprecation, fearing their voices might startle this goddess-like figure.
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