The trees around grew taller and more ancient, some even centuries old.
Occasional beastly howls emanated from deep within the forest, then quickly faded. Relo, traveling alone, wasn't frightened by the unfamiliar environment. He took out his Bauhinia badge and toyed with it.
The metal badge, with its lifelike Bauhinia flower, was unusual. It wasn't cold to the touch, making Relo wonder what material it was made of.
Glan's Academy of Natural Science, also known as the Glan's Royal Scientific Research Institute, was typically a place of study for the few nobles of Glan.
Magicians, as commoners referred to them, were essentially nobles who graduated from these academies.
However, 'magician' was just a term used by the common folk, born out of awe for the unknown. The nobility preferred the term 'scholars,' like the great magus who was burned at Aurora Cathedral centuries ago, who claimed to be a scholar studying celestial mechanics.
According to Antonio's "The Mysteries of Evolution," after completing their enlightenment phase at the academy, scholars would take graduation exams. Their results would determine if they could obtain the title of natural scholar, with further ranks including Adept Scholar, Transcendent Scholar, and Sage.
Becoming a Sage was the ultimate goal for all scholars, representing the pinnacle of human exploration into natural knowledge.
Pioneers in history were revered almost as "gods" among scholars, legendary figures accorded the utmost respect. Their academic achievements transcended national borders and were admired by scholars from other academies.
However, the criteria to become a scholar were extremely stringent.
In this era, most commoners didn't even have the opportunity to learn to read or write. They signed contracts with thumbprints. For ordinary people, the most important thing was to pray to the God of Light at the church. They never considered the noble pursuit of learning.
To become a student at any major Duchy's Natural Science Academy, apart from rare cases like Relo attempting entry through a contribution badge, most candidates had to pass a professional foundation exam.
Thus, it was generally nobles with familial knowledge who pursued academic studies.
Merchants, on the other hand, preferred to donate gold to churches in exchange for noble titles, using them to build connections and earn more wealth. Few were known to study at Natural Science Academies.
Given that even the succession of thrones in various duchies required recognition by the Pope of Aurora Cathedral; Sage, in the eyes of common folk, were far less revered than church bishops.
This made magicians in the eyes of commoners equivalent to nobles pursuing traditional knowledge – elegant, wealthy, learned, powerful, and mysterious.
Lost in these thoughts, Relo pocketed the Bauhinia badge and took out the Star Core necklace for closer inspection.
Having become familiar with the necklace's functions over the winter, Relo played with it, alone in the woods.
"Beep, beep, beep! Detected: species of the Pine subfamily."
Relo also tried to identify the soil beneath his feet.
"Beep, beep, beep! No valuable substances detected."
After playing for a while without uncovering the various information his father mentioned before his death, Relo lost interest and put the necklace away.
Dusk was setting in.
The forest grew darker earlier than outside, and temperatures dropped quickly. For the inexperienced, the forest at night was perilous, with the dim canopy seeming alive with shadowy, sinister claws in the darkness, ready to devour a lone traveler.
Tightening his fur coat, Relo stopped and took a simple tent out of his wooden box. While munching on jerky, he gathered branches and dry grass.
"What's this!"
Suddenly, a black insect crawling out of the fallen leaves startled Relo.
The insect, the size of a palm, had a black carapace with faint green luminescent antennae, seemingly warning Relo. Taking advantage of Relo's shock, the insect quickly disappeared into the dense forest.
Regaining his composure, Relo breathed a sigh of relief.
He had often heard his father speak of strange occurrences in the Eagle Forest, where even bizarre insects could be more dangerous than magical beasts. Though he didn't know this insect's species, it seemed non-aggressive, fleeing when Relo disturbed the leaves.
Unfortunately, it escaped too quickly for Relo to identify it with the Star Core necklace.
With no time to waste, Relo resumed his work.
After collecting enough wood and leaves, he struck a flint, igniting a flame. The temperature rose noticeably, and Relo relaxed. He spread some beast repellent around his tent and looked up. The sky was a dark blanket, with only the last traces of sunset illuminating the treetops.
Tap, tap, tap...
At that moment, the distant sound of horse hooves reached him, so unexpected that Relo thought he was hallucinating.
Relo had heard his father speak of man-eating trees in the depths of the Eagle Forest, capable of mimicking a baby's cry to lure humans for consumption. The mere thought was chilling.
"There's someone ahead!"
Relo tensed, raising his torch. Hearing a rough male voice, he relaxed. Even if they were bandits, he had nothing of value to steal.
Under Relo's gaze, four knights clad in metal armor, escorting a carriage, slowly approached.
The knights halted beside Relo.
The leading knight, his sharp eyes visible under his metal helmet, looked down at Relo, scanning the surroundings for danger. Once assured, he turned to the carriage behind him, "Master Owen, it's getting dark. We should rest here for the night."
A delicate white hand lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a noble youth of Relo's age, curiously observing Relo.
"Where are you from? Where are you headed alone?"
Shifting his curious gaze from the well-equipped knights, Relo looked at the noble youth, bowed slightly, and replied, "I'm from Onyx Lake Town, my name is Relo. I'm headed to Saint Glan Fort. As it's getting dark, I'm resting here temporarily."
Peering through the lifted curtain, Relo saw the soft crystal lamp light and exquisite decorations inside the carriage, feeling envious.
"You're also going to Saint Glan Fort? Call me Owen. I'm from Volso Town in the southern part of the Duchy, a scholar studying natural laws. I'm on my way to enroll in the Natural Science Academy at Saint Glan Fort. Hey, we're heading the same way. I can take you part of the way tomorrow."
The noble youth was surprisingly approachable, not showing disdain for Relo's commoner status. He turned to his knights, "Let's rest here tonight."
"Okay!"
The four knights dismounted and removed their helmets, revealing their faces.
Besides three robust men, there was a woman in her twenties, carrying a bow and arrows. After setting down her equipment, she, along with the three male knights, set up tents beside Relo's campfire.
(End of Chapter)