[AN: I've been trying to write here and there on vacation. Again, sorry for the slow updates.]
"Princess?" I asked, incredulously. "You're the prince of Silvercrest, Brother!?"
Hermes chuckled and put his arm around Riviera's shoulders. "We've been married for 5 years now. I've been staying at the capital for some time."
My expression must have been funny because they both laughed at me.
"It's not that uncommon for a duke's heir to marry into the royal family," Riviera said. "Nowhere near as rare as a newly awakened reaching A-rank in a month and a half."
I laughed nervously. "No one told me anything about Hermes, only that I had an older brother who was away at the moment. It's quite a sudden shock."
"Your brother wanted to surprise you before you left for Pantheon," Father said. "So, sorry for not informing you."
Brother laughed and patted my shoulder. "Sorry, Brother. But the look on your face was priceless."
Mother cleared her throat. "Now that introductions are over, let's eat! I'm sure you're craving some good food, Kaiser."
I nodded enthusiastically. During the last month in the Zone, all I had was cooked squirrels and birds without any seasoning or preparation. My mouth watered as we all took our seats at the table and waited for breakfast to arrive.
Soon, droves of maids flooded into the dining hall with tons of plates, each with a wide variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits. The feast was even bigger than the one we had when I first arrived in the Mana Realm.
…
"Thank you for the meal, Mother and Father," I said, thanking my parents. I had cleared every plate within my reach and was extremely satisfied.
Father wiped his mouth with his napkin and smiled. "I wanted to send you guys off with a full stomach. Pantheon Academy is known for its rigorous discipline, so the food there primarily focuses on nutritional value and physical strength rather than taste."
Everyone had finished with their meals, so we continued to talk before Phiona and I had to depart. They continued to question my absurd growth rate, but I feigned ignorance and told them it was just a product of my training.
Since all of my family and Riviera were former students at Pantheon Academy, they gave me the rundown of how the entrance exam would go as well as more information about the school in general.
"Even though we are in peaceful times, don't let your guard down. Especially against the Demonkin," Father said with a stern face. "They started the last war against Humans after a fight broke out in Pantheon between high ranking families. Netherbane only retreated after other nations joined in to stop it. Their animosity for humans hasn't subsided even after 50 years of peace."
"I'll be careful, Father," I said, equally as serious. According to what I had read about before, Netherbane Imperium was a vicious territory where only the strong survived. Due to their environment, I could guess that they were very temperamental and judgemental.
"Also," Father said, adding one more thing to the long list of do's and don'ts of Pantheon Academy. "Since the Pantheon Tournament is next year, there will be a lot of politics involved in the school. It will receive a lot more funding this and next year due to the tournament, so try not to get involved in factions among the students. The competition to rank high will be tenfold of what it usually is. Since you are going to be the strongest human initially, a lot of people will try to vie for your favor. Ignore it and just focus on your studies. You don't have to worry about politics and scheming right now. Just enjoy your time there and focus on getting stronger."
"Yes, Father. I'll do my best."
He sighed and his normal jovial smile returned. "Alright, now that you have been briefed, you can go and clean yourself up as well as pack your stuff. Since they require travel in the city to be by carriage, the trip should take a week."
We concluded breakfast and I went back to my room. My bath had already been prepared so I eagerly tore off my dirty clothes and hopped in.
*SPLASH*
"Ahhhh, that's nice."
The warm water felt like heaven compared to the cold rivers I had washed myself in before.
"Pantheon Academy is going to be interesting. Especially with the Pantheon Tournament next year."
[I'm excited, master.]
"Me too. I'll get to meet a bunch of new people and races."
…
At the front gates, Phiona and I stood in front of a luxury carriage with the Raijin crest, a falcon with piercing golden eyes. Everyone, including the head maid, Levena, and the vice head maid, Francesca had come to see us both off.
We wouldn't be back until winter break, 4 and a half months later.
"*Sniff* I'm going to miss you guys," Mother said as she wiped her tears away. "It feels like I barely spent any time with you, Kaiser."
I embraced her with a smile. "It's only a few months, Mother. Once I get back, we can do anything you want."
Her eyes brightened and her tears stopped. "Promise?"
"I promise."
I let her go and turned to face my Father and Brother.
"Good luck, Son," Father said with his usual jovial smile. "I know it's unnecessary with your strength, but we'll still worry about you all the same."
"Beat 'em up good, Brother!" Hermes exclaimed. "Don't let them walk all over you."
I nodded to both of their words, even though my brother's seemed to be a little excessive.
"Kaiser," Riviera said to me from next to Hermes. "My younger sister is also going to be a first-year at the academy. Look out for her for me, okay?"
"Of course, Sister. She's family, so I won't let anything happen to her."
Riviera smiled at my response.
I turned to the last person who was seeing me off. The white-haired beauty that was my Grandmother looked at me with a complicated expression. She was the person I had gotten to know the most in the Mana Realm, so I was sad to leave her.
"You have the potential to become great," She said. "The academy is the perfect place to reap that potential. Don't waste it."
'So much for a heartfelt goodbye.'
"Yes, Grandmother. I won't disappoint you."
"It's not about what I want. Don't do it for my sake but for yourself. The academy is a place to find your path in life." The edge of her lips rose up and her eyes sparkled for a moment. "I'm curious to see what kind of path you take, Kaiser."
I smiled warmly. "Of course. I'm excited for my future as well. I won't waste the opportunity given to me by everyone," I said as I turned to everyone present. "I will see you all in the winter."
Phiona also said her goodbyes to everyone and we climbed into the carriage. The driver directed the two beautiful clydesdales and the vehicle began to move forward, away from the Raijin estate.
I looked back to my family in front of the sprawling mansion surrounded by forest.
'Be well, everyone.'
…
In the Elysium Empire…
"Goodbye, Father…"
A beautiful elven girl with long, dark green hair and round green eyes sat beside a bed with a solemn expression. In the bed, a regal man with green hair was asleep. His cheeks were sunken and his skin was as white as snow. The girl held the man's hand tightly with a trembling grasp.
"When I return, I'll be powerful enough to save you," She said. "I promise."
The girl released his hand and turned to the door of the room. Light from outside the window of the wooden room shone through, making the crown adorned with green crystals on the girl's head shine brilliantly. Before she left the room, the elf looked back at her sleeping father one last time. Her eyes filled with determination as she closed the door behind her.
…
In the Scaleguard Oligarchy…
*BOOM*
In a large training courtyard, two forces collided with a massive explosion. One figure was a tall man with large muscles. He had short, bright violet hair with a scruffy beard of the same color. Lightning surrounded his body, causing a loud crackling of electricity to ring out around the grounds.
"You are still not listening to me, Serena," The large man said in annoyance. "Vincent was able to use his lightning freely by the age of 12. The fact you have taken this long to produce your lightning is a disgrace to the Thunder clan as well as the entire Dragon race."
Across from the man, a curvaceous girl with long purple hair in a ponytail was kneeling on the ground out of pain. She held her liver and panted in exhaustion.
"I apologize for my incompetence, Father," She said. Her fists were clenched in fury.
The man she called father only had disappointment on his face. "This is enough. It's time for you to depart for Pantheon. Hopefully, those monsters in the academy can beat your powers out of you."
…
Also in the Scaleguard Oligarchy…
"Goodbye, Yvental. Your mother also sends her regards."
A man, a boy, and a girl stood in front of a carriage. The man had crimson hair and a kind face with no facial hair. He was also fairly thin and wore simple but luxury clothes.
Yvental scoffed at his father's words. "You don't have to lie, Father. Mother couldn't care less about me leaving."
The boy shared most of his father's features, only he was shorter and had more casual clothes.
Yvental's father couldn't dispute the remark. He knew his wife had lost all interest in her son, which hurt him very much. But he couldn't do anything about it.
"It's okay, Ven. We're here for you and that's what matters," The girl said. She also had red hair and was a head shorter than her brother. Her clothes were fancier than her father's and brother's, pointing to how much value she held to the clan. "You'll prove everyone wrong and become the best dragon!"
The boy smiled at his sister's encouragement and picked her up in a large hug. "Thanks, Josephina. I'll come back soon."