Chương 15: "A Ruff Morning (1)"

A young man with tousled blonde hair sprinted up a cobbled street, boots thumping against the stone. A battered, old sword hung at his waist, bouncing against his thigh as he ran. Despite his haste, the boy's wide-eyed expression brimmed with excitement as he took in the sights of the city around him. He wore simple, shabby clothing, a far cry from the well-dressed citizens around him, and on his back he carried an enormous rucksack stuffed to bursting.

"Arthur! Hurry up, we're going to be late!" a girl called out ahead of him. Arthur tore his gaze from a marble statue at a monument just in time to see the silver-haired young woman stop and turn toward him. Liana stood with one hand on her hip, her long silvery-white hair flowing down to her waist. At the moment, however, her delicate features were scrunched in exasperation directed squarely at Arthur.

Arthur flashed an apologetic grin and picked up his pace, adjusting the strap of the second bulky rucksack slung over his shoulder.

"Haha, sorry Liana!" he puffed as he caught up to her. He knew he deserved her scolding, after all, he had been the one to oversleep their first morning in Summit. Liana narrowed her pale blue eyes at him.

"I told you to sleep early last night!" she huffed.

"Why'd you have to pester those adventurers with all your questions until midnight? Honestly…" Arthur chuckled sheepishly in response. The two of them had arrived in Summit just the day before, wide-eyed villagers stepping foot into a major city for the first time. That night at the inn, Arthur's curiosity had indeed gotten the better of him. The moment he overheard a group of veteran adventurers swapping tower-climbing stories, he couldn't resist bombarding them with questions.

The Tower was the very reason Summit Kingdom had prospered so rapidly since. And now Arthur was here, about to attend the famed academy established in this kingdom, hoping to climb it himself one day. How could he not be curious about those who had braved its floors?

"I'm sorry," Arthur had repeated the same apology multiple times already. He readjusted his grip on his luggage, a pair of bulging burlap duffels nearly as large as he was.

"But did you hear the stories those adventurers were telling? One of them had made it to the fifth floor of the Tower! I had to ask how he did it." Arthur's eyes shone just thinking about it. Liana's stern expression softened slightly. She was as excited as Arthur in her own way, but as usual, she played the responsible older-sister figure.

"I know, I know…," she sighed.

"You want to learn everything you can, but we have our first day to worry about. The academy is giving new students a tour and orientation before the ceremony, and we can't miss that." Arthur nodded and increased his pace. Summit's streets were growing busy now, stalls opening in the marketplace, travelers and townsfolk milling about. The city had an energetic buzz, fueled by the prosperity the Tower had brought. As they hurried along, Arthur couldn't help but gawk at the surroundings.

Compared to their quiet farming village, Summit was enormous and full of marvels. Tall, Romanesque buildings lined the boulevard, boasting thick stone walls and grand arched doorways. Banners of various guilds—adventurer guilds, merchant companies, hunter clans—fluttered from second-story windows, their symbols proudly on display.

He saw blacksmiths advertising reinforced gear for Tower expeditions, apothecaries selling brightly colored potions, even street performers starting their reenactment of the hero's battle against the Demon King from half a century ago. It was like a living storybook page come to life in front of him. Liana noticed Arthur's attention drifting and elbowed him.

"Eyes forward! We can sightsee later," she said, though even she was peeking at a silhouette that pierced above the clouds: the Tower itself. They turned onto a broad avenue leading toward the academy's location deeper into the mountain. The road began to slope upward gently as the buildings were slowly being replaced by forestry. Other youths roughly their age were visible now, some accompanied by parents or mentors, all heading in the same direction.

Most were better dressed than Arthur and Liana, wearing crisp new travel coats or even portions of what looked like academy uniforms. Not to mention, he and Liana were lugging their own baggage on foot, whereas a number of students passed by in horse-drawn carriages or carts. Noticing her uneasy expression, Arthur gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about them. We earned our place here," he said firmly.

"Who cares if we don't have fancy clothes? Once classes start, we'll show everyone what we can do." There was pride in his voice. Liana returned his smile gratefully, nodding. Arthur always knew what to say to keep her focused. The academy's outer gates were somewhere far ahead. As they hurried past a limestone fountain at a small crossroad, a melodic voice suddenly caught Arthur's ear.

"… And lo, those who remain faithful shall be the ones to see the new dawn after the Tower's trials," came the gentle proclamation. Arthur slowed, instinctively drawn to the speaker. Off to the side of the street, in the shadow of a modest chapel, stood a middle-aged nun in a humble grey habit. She held a symbol of the Divine Sun in one hand and was addressing a small gathered cluster of people, citizens and academy students alike. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road.

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"Rejoice, children, for the Light watches over us even as the Tower casts its shadow," the nun continued. Arthur realized she was preaching, perhaps offering blessings for those daring to climb the Tower or attend the academy. The sincerity in her voice was comforting. As someone from a tiny village parish, Arthur had rarely seen clergy of this stature speaking to so many. He found himself slowing to listen. Liana took a few steps before realizing Arthur was no longer by her side.

She whirled around, turned around, only to spot him utterly absorbed in listening to a nun's preaching. Liana's mouth fell open in disbelief. With an annoyed groan, Liana marched back to him. Arthur didn't notice her approach until smack!, Liana delivered a light slap to the back of his head.

"Ow!" Arthur rubbed the back of his head and looked at Liana with a wounded expression.

"What was that for?" he protested. Liana looked at him with a stern glare.

"For getting distracted again, you dummy!" she scolded, cheeks flushed with anxiety and embarrassment. Realizing they had drawn a few curious glances from passersby and the nun mid-sermon, Liana immediately bowed toward the nun in apology.

"I-I'm so sorry! We're in a bit of a rush," she sputtered politely. The nun offered a forgiving smile and a polite nod. Arthur hastily dipped his head in apology as well, face burning. Liana seized his arm, tugging him away.

"Come on, Arthur," she hissed under her breath. Arthur allowed himself to be pulled along, casting one last sheepish wave toward the nun, who raised her hand in a gesture of blessing for the flustered youths. Once they were out of earshot, Liana shot Arthur a sidelong glance.

"Arthur, you have the attention span of a squirrel sometimes, I swear. I know you're excited by everything here; I am too, but can we please make it to the academy before something else catches your eye?" Arthur grinned, adjusting both packs on his shoulders.

"Okay, straight to the academy." Just then, the clatter of hooves on cobblestone sounded out behind them, a sleek black carriage moved past them. The carriage was drawn by a pair of magnificent white stallions and emblazoned on its door was a striking crest: a silver dragon intertwined with a blooming red rose. Arthur's and Liana's eyes widened as the carriage raced by in a blur. The wake of wind it kicked up fluttered Liana's hair. Then the moment passed, the carriage hurtling ahead up the road.

"Woah… that looked expensive. I hope not all nobles are like that at the academy, racing around like they own the place." Arthur remarked. Whoever sat inside was surely of high status. Liana lifted her suitcase again and nudged Arthur forward.

"Come on, we still have to walk a lot more. And who knows? Maybe not every noble student will be so bad." Arthur bobbed his head in agreement, and together, they resumed their travel to Summit Academy. * Not far ahead on the same road, inside the very carriage that had rushed past Arthur and Liana, sat Lady Celestia von Reingarde.

The interior of the carriage was furnished in luxury: plush velvet seats, polished paneling, and silk curtains that could be drawn for privacy, though they were presently tied back to allow Celestia a view of the passing scenery. Celestia lounged comfortably, appearing every bit the noble lady accustomed to such opulence. She wore a stylish traveling dress in deep burgundy, accented with black lace. It was an outfit tailored perfectly to her form and suitable for making an impression upon arrival.

In one gloved hand, Celestia held a folding fan, currently closed. With the other hand, she idly drummed her fingers against the seat, her mind clearly occupied with matters beyond the picturesque forest their carriage was moving through. In front of her sat her personal maid, Martha. She was holding a leather-bound notebook on her lap and was dutifully jotting down notes with a pen as Celestia spoke.

Even on this journey to begin her academy life, Celestia was attending to business, and Martha had grown adept at keeping up with her lady's quick mind.

"…In addition," Celestia continued, "I will be investing a portion of my personal funds to establish a guild-affiliated trading company we discussed. Summit is ripe for new business ventures, especially those that can support Tower expeditions. Adventurers will pay handsomely for quality gear, potions, and information. We'll give them a one-stop guild-corporation that handles it all." She tapped her fan thoughtfully against her chin.

"Start quietly acquiring shares in the smaller hunter guild outposts and blacksmith co-ops. I want our enterprise to have a stake in every major support service the Tower climbers need." Martha nodded as her pen continued to scritch across the page, recording every word. Celestia's crimson eyes flashed as she outlined her plans.

"See to it that this letter is delivered to Jade." At that, Celestia produced a sealed envelope from a purse at her side and handed it to Martha. The maid paused her writing to accept it with a slight bow.

"Jade will be overseeing the training for a different set of matters," Celestia explained.

"In the letter, I've requested that he relocate here to Summit City with his wife. His talents will be put to better use here. Make arrangements to purchase a comfortable home for them at the business district, somewhere near our main office. I want Jade to be fully settled and focused on operations, not worrying about domestic details." Martha finished writing the note about housing and safely tucked the letter into a satchel.

"Understood, my lady," she said primly. Everything was coming together. She wielded not only the power of her noble lineage but also knowledge that no one else in this world had As the carriage ride continued in relative silence, save for the steady clop of hooves and creak of wheels, Celestia's thoughts drifted to the academy's tour that was happening today, the introduction of the place for new students like herself, Arthur, Liana, and hundreds of others from all corners of the world. More importantly…

Her thoughts drifted to what she knew was coming soon after. The demon attack that would take place on these very academy grounds.