Chapter 19 — Aethelgard
The magic train moved smoothly along the elevated railway.
The tracks were supported by massive pillars, leaving the forest far below. Formation arrays protected the entire railway, allowing the train to travel unhindered through the vast sea of trees.
Ren sat by the window, quietly observing the scenery.
Suddenly, something caught his attention in the sky.
Two enormous flying beasts were fighting high above the forest.
They were both members of the same species, their massive wings beating against the air as they launched one attack after another.
'Stormwing Eagles.'
Both were Rank 1 Level 1 wind-element magical beasts.
Ren watched as one of the beasts launched several wind blades.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The other beast immediately responded with dozens of sharp wind needles.
The attacks collided in midair before several small tornadoes followed, tearing through the surrounding air.
Neither beast was willing to give the other a chance to rest.
Yet neither could gain the upper hand.
Every time an attack reached its opponent, a defensive barrier appeared around its body, blocking the spell and consuming a portion of its mana.
'They're evenly matched.'
Ren wasn't surprised by the length of the battle.
Mages weren't the only beings with extremely high mana regeneration. Magical beasts possessed powerful mana regeneration as well.
If two opponents of similar strength continued throwing spells at each other, their mana could be replenished almost as quickly as it was consumed.
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Eventually, it would become a battle of endurance.
Who had the better mana regeneration?
Who had greater endurance?
Who could maintain their defensive barrier for longer?
Of course, there were other possibilities.
One of them could have a hidden trump card.
Perhaps they were fighting over some valuable resource.
Or maybe they were fighting over a mate.
They could even be fighting simply to establish dominance.
Ren had no way of knowing.
And it wasn't particularly important.
The train had already passed beneath the area where the two beasts were fighting.
Several passengers nearby were still looking out the windows and discussing the battle excitedly.
Ren paid them little attention and continued watching the scenery.
The endless forest stretched as far as he could see.
Every so often, he spotted quasi-magical beasts moving between the trees.
However, nothing particularly dangerous approached the railway.
The formation array protecting the railway had another useful function. Its presence made the area around the railway unattractive, or even unpleasant, to powerful magical creatures.
As a result, stronger beasts generally avoided it.
Only weaker creatures occasionally wandered nearby.
The journey continued peacefully.
Eventually, the train arrived at its destination.
Ren stepped off the train and walked out of the station.
He looked around at the enormous city surrounding him.
'So I've finally arrived.'
'Aethelgard.'
Ren didn't waste any time.
He found a taxi and approached it.
"Where would you like to go, sir?" the driver asked.
"Aethelgard Grand University."
Ren opened the door and got inside.
The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Are you perhaps a new student?" he asked.
The university was currently accepting new students, and Ren had just stepped out of the station with his belongings. Considering his young appearance, it wasn't difficult to guess that he was probably a new student rather than an older student simply traveling through the capital.
"Yeah."
"I see."
The driver smiled.
"Then I give you my best wishes. I hope you become successful."
"I'll keep it in mind."
Ren turned toward the window.
As the taxi moved through the city, he quietly observed his surroundings.
Aethelgard was far more crowded than Nova City.
There were significantly more people on the streets, and the buildings seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction.
But what interested Ren most was the number of mages.
He could distinguish between ordinary humans, quasi-mages, and mages by the auras they naturally emitted.
Years of physical training had sharpened his senses considerably, and after awakening, the difference had become even clearer.
Ordinary humans gave off almost no noticeable aura.
Quasi-mages possessed a stronger physical presence.
Mages, however, were completely different.
Their bodies naturally radiated mana.
Ren could easily distinguish them from the crowd.
'There are quite a lot of mages here.'
In Nova City, encountering an mage on the street wasn't particularly common.
In Aethelgard, however, mages could be seen walking among ordinary people everywhere.
'As expected of the capital.'
The taxi continued forward.
Not long afterward, the driver stopped.
"We've arrived."
Ren paid the fare and stepped out.
He turned toward the enormous university standing before him.
'Aethelgard Grand University.'
The university was truly massive.
Numerous buildings stood within the campus, each serving different purposes. Training facilities, academic buildings, and other structures stretched deep into the university grounds.
A steady stream of students passed through the entrance.
Some were entering.
Others were leaving.
Ren observed them carefully.
Almost everyone he saw was either a quasi-mage or a mage.
The quasi-mages were most likely newly admitted students. Some of them were carrying luggage with them, clearly having just arrived in the capital to begin their university life.
The awakened mages, on the other hand, were likely existing students returning to the university.
Ren stood outside the entrance for a moment.
After spending so many years preparing for this day, he had finally arrived.
He adjusted his clothes and walked toward the entrance.