Dante did not spend time exploring the Etraverse. Unfortunately, one thing that separated the Quantum Network from a digital network was that it could not be time-dilated, so everything there occurred in real-time.
Dante did not have the time to enter the Etraverse because Beatrice hurriedly informed him that they had reached the Eternal Academy. She even pulled Dante over to glance at the academy from the Observation Deck, and Dante was absolutely blasted away.
The Eternal Academy was like a giant floating plane in the cosmos. It was a huge continent-shaped mass that was made of endless buildings that sprawled across every inch of land. There were segments filled with greenery and life, as well as segments filled with rocks and mountains. There were even places with water and seas, not to mention fiery lands full of lava and active volcanoes.
Most importantly, there was a futuristic urban scene spread across the entire plane that even populated the 'natural zones'. Beneath the plane was a spinning blueish-purple nebula-like existence that looked similar to pictures of the milky way.
Above the plane, one could see hundreds of ships coming and going, as well as many interstellar cars traveling with the atmosphere of the plane. In the center was a building so tall that it was larger than anything else on the entire plane, piercing straight into space itself.
Dante was utterly awed by this sight. He had never and would never have seen something like this, not in the flesh. He couldn't help but clutch his chest and wipe his eyes as tears began to form.
He was not sad, but full of gratitude. Gratitude for the chance that brought him here, and gratitude to the higher dimensional being that allowed him to stay here.
He would be a corpse buried under the earth for thousands of years on earth before he could even hope to see something like this.
Not to mention he had access to it and was even soon going to be a part of it!
Dante could only feel gratitude to the godly forces of the universe for choosing him to enjoy this, while Beatrice by the side glanced at him with a smile. She felt that she could understand how awed he would be, for she too was moved when she first saw the academy for herself.
Soon, the Inferno docked at one of the special receiving spaceports for new students. Despite what Dante thought, there was no nepotism or separation, as their ship should have high-class rights and priority. However, they queued in the end obediently and when he came down, he noticed there were many youths like himself of varying races.
Well… for some of the aliens here, Dante could only assume they were youths because their physiology obviously couldn't tell him that unless he specifically researched how they would look at different stages of life.
They were also clad in varying attires, standing in different groups having formed cliques as they seemed to wait for something. When Dante landed, he noticed that there were only about 3 pure humans in this entire bay that had over 2000 people at least from what he could count.
While everyone was in cliques, it wasn't that they shunned each other but were just unfamiliar for now. However, there was a clear gap given to the 3 pure humans in the center, and they did not seem to care. Rather, they seemed to take pride in this separation and held their chests out.
At least, that was how they looked to Dante. As for the aliens around, they seemed to occasionally glance at the pure humans in the center with slight hostility and unfriendliness in their expressions.
Dante glanced at Beatrice askance. "I think you have severely underplayed how much strife exists between pure humans and mixed races."
Beatrice chuckled dryly. "Well, what could I say? I couldn't say we're on the brink of a cultural and political war, could I?"
Dante was surprised. "Political as well?"
"Well yeah. Mixed breeds and aliens want more representation in the upper echelon of the government, but every position with even the slightest power is held by a pure human. How do you think they would feel?" Beatrice shrugged and explained.
Dante was speechless. In that case, wasn't this universe is few steps away from a Boston Tea Party situation? Or had something like that already happened?
He followed Beatrice into the bay and naturally, all eyes turned to them. In truth, having more than 2000 peers stare at you felt exactly as you thought, but Dante wasn't a shut-in. He often visited social spaces and had some social acclaim of his own on earth, so he could force himself to be calm.
Beatrice simply did not care and like the other pure humans, seemed to swagger as she walked. Dante noted that this seemed to be sub-conscious and natural, not another ploy by her to cause trouble. It seemed like pure humans of this universe really did treat themselves as nobility, even if they didn't harp on about it.
Dante did not frown or shake his head at this. In truth, he didn't care. He had been a part of the privileged class since he was born and he wasn't the type of idiot to go on social media to virtue signal by tarnishing his own group/caste for likes and fame.
He had fully enjoyed the privilege his background brought him and continued to do so, so he would do the same here. It would only be a problem if he was obviously a part of the other side, but he wasn't, now was he?
However, not sabotaging himself was one thing, but he couldn't muster the swagger that Beatrice and the other pure humans had. He felt it was unnecessary and a bit cringe anyway.
The aliens in their path made way with cold eyes as they walked towards the pure humans in the center. When they reached them, Dante noticed that it was two older men and one young female who were also glancing at them with smiles.
Of the two older men, one was tall and burly, with bronze skin slightly darker than Dante's own and long brown hair that reached his waist. He wore a combat exosuit as identified by Dante's AI chip which was of the Army's upper echelon.
The other man was grizzled and lightly tanned, with a wide grin and two sharp blue eyes. He was slightly shorter than the other fellow and not as burly but was definitely more lithe. His combat exosuit was brownish-red, which was the same as the other man.
As for the young girl between them, she looked to be about 16 years old with a body that belonged to a 21-year-old at least in terms of physical development. It was her youthful face and aura that gave her away, but Dante could be wrong.
After all, the state of genetics in this universe made it such that trying to gauge by physical looks was extremely difficult unless you adapted to the standard here.
The girl had long blue hair that seemed watery, and her eyes were also aqua blue. She was fair-skinned and a little cute but leaned more toward being beautiful. She wore a long blue dress that complemented her hair and eyes and stood there nobly as if the world revolved around her.
Beatrice waved a hand and greeted them. "Hello, hello. It's great to see gentlemen from the 2nd Solar Corps here."
The two men nodded and smiled. "It is also great to see the Admiral and Vice Admiral from the 34th Fleet. It's our honor sir and madam!"
Dante was surprised that they could tell, but Beatrice seemed to treat this as normal. "You two are Lieutenant Generals (AN: One tier below General and the top of the army rank) so there's no need for that. We can also learn a lot from you."
Beatrice then glanced at the young woman who was sizing Dante up with interest. "Hello, beautiful young miss. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
The young woman turned her eyes to Beatrice and then bowed politely with a curtsy, something Dante thought would be obsolete here. In truth, he was right since the mixed races were confused by her actions.
"I am Louisa Nicolaides, second daughter of Mikael Nicolaides, Patriarch of the Nicolaides family." She introduced herself in a calm and elegant manner.
Beatrice seemed partially surprised and then nodded. "I was wondering who could have two whole Lieutenant Generals as her protectors to the Eternal Academy. So you're the pearl of Uncle Mikael's eye. I've heard about you."
Louisa seemed surprised and then raised an eyebrow. "You sound familiar with my father. May I know how?"
Beatrice paused and then slapped her forehead. With an amused smile, she also curtsied, but it looked weird with her skin-tight admiral's uniform that displayed all her S-grade curves.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Beatrice Portinari, first daughter of Augeus Portinari, Patriarch of the Portinari family."