At the border between the Kingdom of Ankat and the Blood Burial Forest, a magnificent city rose from the ground.
A massive transparent barrier enveloped the entire city like a silver veil, completely isolating it from the outside world.
At the edge of the barrier stood a towering gate.
On both sides of the gate, three Witch Statues, weathered by a thousand years of wind and frost, stood tall.
This was the natural divide that separated the mundane from the extraordinary, the “Dragon Gate” that countless young geniuses across the continent dreamed of crossing.
This was Kantaier Academy.
As the most powerful and expansive academic sanctuary on the continent, its scale and foundation rivaled even a superpower—hence its title as an “academy.”
It was renowned for its absolute diversity and inclusiveness.
As long as one wasn’t a member of the Demon Race, regardless of race or nation, anyone who could pass the grueling, almost cruel entrance exam was qualified to step through these gates.
But the threshold of Third Rank alone had already turned away countless people, not to mention the academy’s strict age limit.
In the outside world, someone who had reached Third Rank by this age would undoubtedly be called a “genius” wherever they went.
But here, being a genius only earned you the right to stand before this gate.
At this moment, the once bustling registration area had grown quiet.
Only a few teachers in charge of registration were idly sorting through forms, since hardly anyone came to register at this hour.
After all, for geniuses across the continent, Kantaier Academy was a sacred place they flocked to.
Everyone wanted to rush in and register on the very first day the gates opened.
Who would be stupid enough to wait until the last day?
Missing the deadline didn’t just mean trying again next year.
Many people barely met the age limit this year; if they delayed until next year, they would lose their eligibility entirely.
“Whew… seems like more people came to register this year than before.” A male teacher stretched and started a conversation with the female teacher beside him.
“Yeah.” The female teacher replied without looking up, quickly organizing the files.
“Young people these days are improving faster and faster. The word ‘genius’ is becoming less and less valuable.”
“But the competition is fiercer too, since the number of admission slots is limited.”
She paused, then added lightly, “And the academy has never accepted mere geniuses. It accepts prodigies.”
“True enough.”
The male teacher nodded, then couldn’t help glancing into the distance.
“But… why is that person still standing there staring? Who exactly is she waiting for?”
Even though he knew she definitely wasn’t looking at them, having that eager gaze fixed on them day after day was hard to ignore.
“Mind your own business.” The female teacher finally looked up and glared at him, lowering her voice to warn, “Let her look if she wants. It’s not like we’ll lose a piece of flesh. Given her status, it’s not our place to comment.”
Obviously, she was waiting for someone. Who that someone was, wasn’t for them, the teachers, to guess.
At a nearby tower.
A golden-haired girl stood quietly by the window, her azure blue eyes fixed unblinkingly on the registration area below.
“Your Highness, you’ve been waiting here for days now. Ever since the academy’s registration began, you haven’t stopped… Is something on your mind?” Angelina stood beside her, her expression hesitant.
Honestly, Angelina knew very well why Her Highness stood guard here every day.
She was waiting for the heir to the Adams Dukedom of the kingdom.
However, most people privately believed he wasn’t a legitimate bloodline, but some illegitimate child who’d popped out of nowhere.
Five years ago, the Adams couple had died in an accident, leaving only a young daughter.
The Old Duke, who had already retired, was forced to come back and barely keep the crumbling family afloat.
To make matters worse, that young lady seemed completely uninterested in inheriting the title.
Everyone thought this long-established family would eventually fall into ruin.
Those scheming wolves had long been eyeing this juicy piece of meat.
But just when everyone thought the Adams family couldn’t hold on any longer, the Old Duke suddenly made a grand announcement—he had found the lost legitimate heir.
His name was Sewei Adams.
“It’s nothing.” Eulalia smiled gently. “I’m just enjoying the view.”
Even as she said that, her eyes never moved away, filled with melancholy. Even Angelina could tell she was forcing a smile.
Time ticked by, and the sky gradually darkened.
Watching the sun about to sink below the horizon, the female teacher glanced at her watch and said, “It’s about time. Let’s get ready to close up.”
Kantaier Academy had no obligation to wait for examinees who couldn’t even show up on time for registration.
No matter how talented you were, if you lacked basic respect for the academy and concern for your own future, you didn’t deserve to be a student here.
What if something happened on the way? Then you’d have to accept your bad luck. After all, luck was also part of one’s strength.
“Uh… about what you promised me earlier, you still remember, right?” The male teacher leaned in and whispered to the female teacher.
Her stern expression stiffened for a moment.
“What’s the hurry with you, really.” She continued working quickly without pausing, but a faint blush flickered across her cheeks.
“Oh, oh.”
The male teacher didn’t notice her awkwardness at all. He had waited so long for this date with the cool and aloof goddess of his heart.
…
At the tower.
When she saw the academy gates beginning to close, Angelina spoke up, “Your Highness, there’s no need to wait any longer.”
“Let’s wait a little more.” Eulalia remained by the window, showing no sign of leaving. “I believe in him. He will come.”
“…Very well.” Angelina sighed and continued to accompany her.
…
The male teacher stared intently at the hands of his watch, his mind already wandering far away.
It was almost time to get off work. He had to seize this rare opportunity.
He’d heard a new omurice restaurant had opened in the commercial district, and business was booming.
She loved eggs, so she’d surely like it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a black speck appear on the setting sun. Then he suddenly remembered—
Oh right, he had to tell the chef not to add sesame seeds. She was allergic to sesame.
“Huh?”
He froze.
Was there a black speck on the sun?
Was he seeing things? Sensing something wrong, he squinted at the direction of the setting sun.
Not only did the speck not disappear, it was rapidly enlarging!
It was moving at an insane speed. In just a few seconds, it had already obscured the outline of the sun, diving down with a piercing shriek.
“Ah—!”
“Get out of the way!”
Vaguely, someone could be heard screaming, but the howling of the approaching object was much louder.
“What the hell?! What is that thing? Move!”
“Is it an attack?! A monster raid?!”
“Watch out!”
“Close the gate! Don’t let that cannonball smash in!”
Chaos erupted instantly.
But it was too late.
The gate was almost completely shut, but that unidentified “cannonball” had already reached the academy’s entrance, heading straight for the female teacher.
Without a thought for what the thing was, the male teacher’s body reacted first.
He lunged forward, shielding the female teacher tightly beneath him.
The expected bone-shattering impact never came.
Under the teachers’ emergency operation, the gate closed faster, but it still couldn’t keep the thing entirely outside.
Thump!
A crisp, heavy sound. The “cannonball” slammed hard into the edge of the gate.
The heavy doors shut at the last moment, catching the high-speed falling object in the gap between them, preventing the entire registration area from being blown away.
But the immense impact still sent dust flying near the academy’s gate.
“Cough, cough… Are, are you okay?” The male teacher coughed, waving away dust with one hand while the other supported him on the ground.
“I… I’m fine, it’s just…” The female teacher’s voice came from beneath him, but the dust obscured her expression.
“Can you get off me first? There are other people around.”
The male teacher finally realized and scrambled to his feet, clumsily helping her up.
“S-Sorry! I really didn’t mean to! I was just worried…” he stammered, terrified that his actions might backfire and ruin tonight’s date.
“It’s okay. I know you were protecting me, so…”
The female teacher turned her head slightly, her cheeks flushed, her voice barely a whisper, “…Thank you.”
Huh? Did that… actually work in my favor? The male teacher was ecstatic, feeling like he’d reached the peak of his life.
But the other teachers weren’t in the mood for their lovey-dovey nonsense.
Everyone had drawn weapons warily and was moving toward the gate to get a look at this astonishing “cannonball.”
Under the vigilant gazes of the teachers, the thick dust slowly cleared.
But what was stuck in the gap of the gate wasn’t some blind monster.
It was a dusty, fuzzy little head of black hair.
Since the head was drooping, no one could see its face. All they could hear was a slightly muffled yet crisp and soft girl’s voice:
“Um…”
“Could you guys stop staring and help me… get pried out of this crack first?!”
The desperate “cannonball” said so.
…
At the tower.
Witnessing this absurd scene, even the well-traveled Holy Knight of the Theocratic Nation, Angelina, was completely dumbfounded.
The events of the past few seconds were so surreal she wondered if she was still dreaming.
On the other hand, the Saint Candidate standing by the window, after a brief moment of shock, quickly recovered.
“Pfft—hahaha…” Eulalia’s gloom vanished completely as she covered her mouth with a light laugh.
Angelina was jolted back to reality by her laugh and said hesitantly, “Your Highness… are you…”
Even though the scene was indeed quite comical in hindsight, it wasn’t that funny, was it?
Moreover, this was the first time Angelina had seen this always-dignified and sacred Saint Candidate laugh so genuinely from the heart.
Even in private, when they were alone, she had never seen this.
Oh no. Could it be that Her Highness, unable to wait for that person, had snapped and was now giving up on herself?
Angelina was already seriously considering whether she should take Her Highness back to the Theocratic Nation and have the Lady Saint examine her brain… no, her body.
“HAHAHAHA—!”
After a long while, Eulalia wiped the tears of laughter from the corner of her eyes with her fingertip.
Before her loyal guard could forcibly escort her back to the country, she explained:
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
She turned around, her steps as light as a child who had finally received the gift she wanted.
“You’re right. There’s no need to wait anymore. Let’s go, Angelina.”
The golden-haired girl hummed a cheerful, unfamiliar tune as she walked away, leaving the female knight standing there in bewilderment.
What happened to Her Highness? Changing moods faster than flipping a book?
Angelina, utterly confused, turned back to look through the window at the black-haired blob still stuck in the gate crack.
Sure, the commotion was as loud as a monster siege, but that was clearly a girl? What exactly was Her Highness so happy about?
“Why are you still standing there like an idiot?” Eulalia’s teasing voice came from the end of the hallway.
“Didn’t we still have today’s Scripture review to do, my dear guard?”
Hearing these words that sounded like the end of the world, Angelina shuddered, quickly snapped her attention back, and hurried after her.
…Was it too late to go ask the Lady Saint to come over now?