Alric landed on his two feet from atleast 5 meters high, creating a bit of gust to disperse from his position.
"Have you guys waited long? Sorry to make you come all the way here."
Arlet shook her head and replied.
"No, we just got here."
"Good morning Aria and Seven."
Aria and I greeted him back and bowed. I really don't like this guy for some reason, mostly because he hit me with some sort of charm spell twice, but I'll have to make do with this.
"Is everyone ready to go?"
Alric asked while holding out his right palm sidewards as if to catch a ball jetting his way. Nevertheless, he didn't break his gaze towards us.
"Yep!"
"Yes."
"Hn."
From the direction of Alric's palm appeared a sort of rift. It was an elongated portal the color of a star apple, it's size was big enough for an eight feet man to enter.
"I'll head on first!"
Arlet bawled obnoxiously and dove right into the portal, Alric looked at me and Aria as if waiting for us to enter as well. I returned a wrathful glare before pulling Aria to the portal alongside me.
The moment I entered the portal, it was like I randomly walked in to another location. We were at the front of a humongous sea of green mountains that stretched so far I couldn't see it's end. Above us was the amorphous clouds passing by the light blue sky.
One step made me travel an unimaginable distance in an instant. I turned around after hearing Alric arrive as well, he flicked his fingers and the portal shrunk to oblivion.
"Hey Alric, where's the Aries Kingdom?"
Arlet who was currently munching on homemade chocolate inquired Alric who was staring in front of him like he was reading an invisible screen.
"Is it your first time here, big sis?"
"Umu, I've never been to the Aries Territory before. All I know is, it's well protected."
Alric nodded while walking off to somewhere, sliding at vines and tree roots as we were on one of the mountains I have forementioned and because of that, we couldn't help but follow him. On the way, I picked up herbs that I happened to see and Aria helped me since she said it could be used for cooking.
It's been a total of 3 hours since we started following him and we haven't found anything that looked like a human settlement. Just as I was intending to ask him if he knows where we're going, he stopped in his tracks and pointed his palms at our direction like he was intending to conjure a fireball. Aria looked somehow frightened while I was preparing a magic circle, Arlet was unfazed.
"Alvis, activate『Share Sense』at three targets."
He mumbled which I happened to hear, but merely vaguely. Even though he's pointing at us, he wasn't breaking his gaze at a tree in front of him.
A massive metal gate the size of two buses paired to each other replaced the vibrant tree. No, perhaps it's only because we couldn't see it before until he uttered something that it came to sight.
"This is the entrance to the Aries Kingdom's entrance."
He said perkily. Upon his remark, Aria and Arlet became dumbfounded as they took in the image of this door. "What seemed to be a single gate housed an entire kingdom" is what they thought.
"This is a complicated spell done from the ancient times. It's a magic that made the entire Aries Kingdom not only invisible, but intangible to outsiders. The only ways to enter and exit are either the Teleportation Device or this gate. So far, I'm the only person who keeps using it."
Is what he explained to us while walking over to the gate and caressing it's mossy surface. Then to our surprised, with one hand, he pushed it open.
The gate creaked and shrieked loudly as it gave way for us. What first took our attention were countless eyes also giving us attention. A man even dropped a glass of magic crystals from just seeing us.
"The gate opened again!"
Again meant that this isn't the first time Alric had went to this place through the gate.
An old man in a black business attire came running to us while waving his hands, then later stopped to pant in front of Alric. It only lasted for a few seconds though.
"Alric Ruthenford, right?!"
"Y-Yeah?"
"It's nice to see you again, Sir Ruthenford! What brings you here today?"
Alric looked uneasy, he was looking at the crowd behind the old man since we were the center of attention right now and he's avoiding eye contact with him. In this case, I should stay quiet and let him handle the work.
"W-We came here to... uh... Enroll at the Magic Academy."
"The Magic Academy? Well then, let me guide you sir. You're a special guest afterall."
The unknown man told us to follow him and we did just that. Unable to hold her curiousity, Arlet spoke up.
"What the hell did you do this time, Alric?"
She whispered behind him, enough for only some of us to hear.
"It turns out that entering the kingdom through the gate gives the person national respect. Since not everyone can do such a feat."
"Why?"
"I guess you could say it's some kind of reward?"
Arlet looked at him doubtfully. And I know, me and Aria are keeping silent, right? We just don't know what to say in this situation.
When we entered the gate, it was already the merchant's district as many people were gathered here to buy either their daily needs or satisfy their greed. It was more livelier here than on the previous city which I lived in as it had an explosive population as addition to the size of the capital being wider.
Magic items were being tested and bubbles of different colors were floating in the air, the noise this place makes was somewhat fun to hear. Right now, I had 510,000 Mithras, I could probably buy something right now but I'll do that later when we find a place to settle down. I feel so uncomfortable with this amount of money around, it's literally worth more than a million yen. Being an adventurer sure pays alot.
While we were walking with the old man in front, he abruptly spoke up without taking a stop.
"I believe the Magic Academy is still a bit far off, Sir Ruthenford and company. Are you certain you want to make this trip? It will take us an hour from here to go to your destination."
The old man said, judging by the look on his face, he's already a bit exhausted for his age. He seems to be a 40 year old man, afterall.
"Oh, it's fine. You can go, we wouldn't want to trouble you in walking that far with us."
"Please forgive this humble servant, sir. My age seems to be catching up with me. Oh! And your insignia, I almost forgot!"
After he gave Alric some kind of decorated golden badge, the old man left. But before he did, he pointed to us the direction at which the academy was established which we thanked him for, so we continued without him.
"In exchange for the special treatment I'm given, I will become a protector of this country while I'm at it's territory."
Alric stated suddenly. Answering the questions in our heads that were doubtful of how he would be treated nicely just because he lifted a gate. It turns out it had a price and that gate serves as not only an entrance, but also a test of who's capable enough to be a protector of this kingdom.
"What kind of benefits are they?" Arlet asked.
"Discounts on what I buy. A special guest wherever establishment I go. You could say it's VIP."
I guess I should try opening that gate by myself someday too. I don't doubt my own strength.
"Hey, Aria. Want some chocolate banana?"
"Yes, please."
The moment Aria was asked by Arlet, it turned out we were already pretty close to the school building.
I daresay, it looks like a normal high school zone. Except, this is literally the biggest school I have ever seen. This might as well be a town rather than a school.
"The school is armed with various facilities developed for different kinds of subjects. For example are training grounds, breweries, herbal gardens, laboratories and monster containers. There are also dormitories where we'll stay in." Alric explained with a look of admiration.
"Well, since the exam starts in two days, how about we get some place to sleep."
I suggested, which made everyone's attention focus on me.
"I got that covered, wife. My father arranged me a manor at the noble's district."
It turns out that this Aries Kingdom's capital city not only has one giant wall to protect it, but also inner walls that separates the nobles and commoners. You could say the nobles who stand high in social status are protected by double walls while the commoners with only one.
"Eh? Wife?"
Alric exclaimed with a look of shock. His cheeks a bit sort of pink, but it didn't seem like he was disturbed, rather... Isn't he smiling like a pervert?!
Hold on... Does this guy...
"C-Could this be... Y-Y-Yuri!"
He shouted, although it wasn't that loud, it still caught me off guard. How does this person know about yuri?!
"Alric, you're too loud. And yep it's that kind of thing."
Upon hearing Arlet's answer, it was as if Alric was on a sugar rush with how tremulous he became. As if he had thousands of things he wanted to say but had to hold it in. This guy... He's a hardcore fan of yuri...
"What is yuri?"
Aria asked innocently while looking at Alric and Arlet. To be honest, I never bothered telling her about it since I thought that term didn't exist in this world.
"This!"
Without a single warning, Arlet grabbed my collars and pulled me over to land a score on my lips. Aria, as expected, was a bit more composed due to her getting used to it while...
"I still don't get it..."
*Thud*
There was a dull sound and it turned out that Alric had fainted on the street floor. His nose was bleeding, and as I refused to touch him, Arlet woke him up by giving him a number of slaps all the way.
"Did I finally arrive to heaven?"
But when he did wake up, Arlet made his head drop down to the floor once again to the point the cement almost cracked along with his skull.
"No, but you can go there right now!— More importantly, hey Seven. What other magic spells do you know besides those light swords?"
"Um... Just that and physical enhancement."
Everyone present stared at me in bafflement. Even some people our age were looking at me as if they've seen something disgusting in the streets and Arlet eventually dropped her chocolate banana.
"You... Wanted to go to this academy only knowing two spells?!" Shouted Arlet in great panic.
"Wh-Why? Isn't this a place to learn magic spells? A-Also, I heard practicing other spells will hinder my sword magic's growth so..."
"A-Aria! Grab her!"
I was suddenly lifted off the ground with a magic enhanced Aria and I was then sent to a nearby library with a shady looking old lady in a witch's hat.
There were numerous columns of bookshelves at our right side the moment we entered, I also noticed the books here were quite dusty and some even had spiderwebs on them. The witch looking old lady was decently a proper person despite the impression she gives off.
"What did you young ones come here for?"
The old lady asked after seeing us enter the building, the one to answer her was Arlet who explained to her in a hurry about me not knowing anything about magic.
I know math, science and physical education you know?!
And just like that, the old lady looked as if she was about to faint from shock of having heard news of her grandchild dying.
"Goodness gracious! Young lady, come with me! Minerva! Come take my place, I have something to do!"
She yelled at a spiral oak staircase likely leading to the second floor of the library. After that came the sound of someone climbing down as fast as possible, but before I could see who it was, I was pulled by the old lady to the sea of books.
"Seveeeen~ while you study we'll be staying in the manor, we'll visit you and pick you up later in the afternoon~!"
Arlet informed me while I was being dragged away, looking from my shoulder I could see that the girl this old lady called for was quite a blonde beauty around my age. Ah, I think I have a thing for blondies.
"What is your name, girl?"
"S-Seven Clavery... Miss..."
"Call me Lista. The honorifics are for you to decide."
"A-Alright... Lista-san."
"Oh my! What a polite young lady, that sounds so young. I like you now!"
N-No thanks please. I'm not into super older girls. And ofcourse I can't say that out loud.
I smiled for her forcedly and she led me to a long rectangular table with 8 seats in total. Once she sat down, she urged me to take a seat and in front of her crashed a dozen books. Like, how did she get them that quick?! Storage ring?!
"People like you come from time to time so I'm quite prepared, Seven-chan."
"O-Owh, thank you."
After I thanked her, her glasses seemed to have glinted, it was not that bright, but it didn't last long either.
"I wonder where to start. How about we go for the most basic spells?"
"L-Lista-san, is it really required to have alot of spells to join the school?"
"Not just alot, the test in the entrance exam have questions regarding such simple spells which is a given. For example are lighting a small fire, conjuring water, manipulating earth and redirecting air. And it's not just magic you have to worry about, there are also alchemy and astrology."
She explained whilst occupied with finding a certain book, but not long after that, she already found it, placed the book in front of me and turned the pages. From there, I saw what kind of book it was.
"Janitor magic..?"
It was a type of magic for cleaning, sanitizing and getting rid of things. It was the most basic she said.
I stretched out my hand and began entering the 3rd Stage. But my hand was suddenly slapped by Lista-san as if I did something wrong.
"Do NOT use magic within this library. Only Low-Tier Levitation spells are allowed within."
"By the way, why did you enter the magic academy when you're this... Uninformed?"
That's one nice way to call someone dumb. And my answer is, Leyla-san! She told me to come here so I will!
My lessons continued in isolation until I found something interesting before my friends arrive to get me back.