At the same time, in the centermost part of Academy City.
A huge tower rose over the rest of the buildings of the city, filled with a majesty that astounded all the people that saw it for the first time.
This tower was called the [Great Library] and was perhaps the most famous building in the entire city.
However, the fame of this tower did not come only from the countless books containing endless knowledge inside, or the powerful people that inhabited it, using this tower as their place of seclusion.
No, a great part of the fame of this tower came from the person that owned it.
The Headmistress.
She was the maximum authority in Academy City. A powerful demigod that founded this city from scratch, in the center of the continent, and managed to keep the ideals of the city despite the pressure of the five big races surrounding it.
In Academy City, this person was a legend. Her words were like the words of a god.
And today, a guest arrived at this tower.
A golden-haired fox girl, with a doll-like beauty and an expressionless face that made her even more stunning.
She did not bother to enter through the door. Instead, she flew straight towards the top floor of the tower, going through the walls as though they did not exist.
Surprisingly, nobody in the tower noticed the intruder. None of the defensive arrays, surveillance arrays, or demigods guarding the tower detected her arrival.
Save for one person.
"You sure are an unusual visitor, Eve."
A soft voice resounded in the top of the tower, reaching at Eve's ears as soon as she put a foot on it.
"Wave," Eve mentioned the name of the owner of that voice with an expressionless look. Those who know her, though, could notice she was in a very good mood right now.
"It looks like your personality has not changed even a little since the last time we met." The woman called Wave turned around to face Eve with a smile.
Wave was incredibly beautiful, with caramel-colored hair descending until her waist and a pair of caramel eyes that seemed to see through the soul itself.
She carried herself with a scholarly aura, and the book in her hand showed how much she loved to learn about the world. Her slightly pointy ears added a touch of grace to her already otherworldly beauty, making someone that did not know well to think she was an elf.
The truth, however, was that she belonged to a completely different race.
Dragons.
The rulers of the monsters and beasts, known for their violence and savagery, and for many people, the strongest race in the entire world.
Nobody could associate the delicate and scholarly girl in front of Eve as a dragon, though. In fact, only the amber jewel-like scale on her forehead and the three small and beautiful scales in each of her cheeks gave away her identity.
"I must admit that when I heard that you threw away your position as Saintess to run away, I did not believe it. However, it looks like it's true." Wave said with a risen eyebrow and an amused smile.
"��� I was already tired of these old men. They only know how to talk about responsibilities and how I must behave with propriety. They are so boring."
Seeing the slightly exasperated expression in her usually expressionless friend, Wave could not help but giggle.
"Yeah, I'm sure that you must be having a difficult time as Saintess considering your personality."
"I do… Unfortunately, I can't be like you. Life here must be great."
Wave could not help but smile awkwardly when she heard that.
Immediately, a small frown appeared on Eve's expressionless face.
Even though she had not seen her friend in a long time, Wave was one of the few people in the world she cherished.
Due to that, she immediately noticed that her dragon friend was troubled by something.
"What is wrong?" Eve decided to ask.
Wave's smile turned bitter.
"Lately, more and more spies have been entering Academy City. Moreover, the number of nobles from the five races studying here has increased drastically in the last five years…"
Eve's gaze turned sharp.
"Do you mean…?"
"... Let's not talk about it now, okay?" Wave smiled wryly and waved her hand, deciding not to burden her friend with her worries. "Tell me the truth, what are you doing here? I know you well, Eve. Even though you don't like burdensome things, you are someone very responsible. Something like escaping from your responsibilities is not like you."
"… So you noticed."
"Of course, just like you noticed that I was troubled. We are friends, after all. Then, what is it?"
Eve hesitated slightly before finally deciding to reveal a part of the reason.
"… I'm here to observe someone."
"Huh?"
"A young man. My goddess and the Goddess of Fate seem very interested in him. I'm not sure of the reason, but the goddess told me to keep an eye on him and help him if it's necessary, as long as it does not interfere with his growth."
Wave was stunned. But one second later, she narrowed her eyes.
Immediately, she extended her hand, and one of the thousands of books on the topmost floor flew towards her hand.
She then opened it and started to search between its pages.
Not even three seconds later, she arrived at one of the pages.
And surprisingly, it contained a lot of information about Bloed, who just entered the city.
"Bloed Norman, sixteen years old, B-Rank. Has shown one of the greatest levels of talent of this generation. Proficient in sabersmanship and a strange kind of golem-making technique. It's rumored he killed more than ten A-Rank and B-Rank practitioners with just one slash of his saber. Moreover, he could be related to the Skysword royal family."
"… As always, your information network is astonishing."
"A lot of people owe me favors around the world. Plus, this boy is a very notorious one. I did not expect him to come to Academy City, though."
As soon as these words let Wave's mouth, Eve huffed and pouted.
Wave could not help but laugh seeing that.
"It looks like you failed to retain him in the beastmen countries, huh… But, this boy surely looks interesting… Hmm… Should I pay him a visit?"
Eve's gaze turned sharp.
"Don't mess with him. He is part of Moonlight Glow."
Wave was taken aback. But then, she giggled like someone that just saw an amusing toy.
"I'll think about it."
…
At the same time, in another part of the city.
A young girl woke up from her nap.
As soon as the girl woke up, her eyes lit up in excitement. She then jumped down from her bed and rushed out of her room with her honey-colored hair waving behind her.
"Sister, sister, he is here!"
"Gina? What is wrong?" A second girl looked at the honey-haired girl in surprise.
Different from the delicate and sweet appearance of the first girl, the second girl seemed like a seasoned warrior. Her black hair was cut short, something she did recently, and her slightly tanned skin revealed how harsh she was in her own training.
"Why are you so excited all of sudden?" The black-haired girl asked her younger sister in confusion.
"Sister, he is here! Finally, he is here! I saw it in my dreams!"
"Him? What do you mean?"
But then, the black-haired girl's eyes opened wide in realization.
"Wait a moment. Do you mean…"
"Yes, sister. Our hero is here!"