The Path 023 (Patreon)

Though William hadn't been especially studious in his seventh incarnation, he had an advantage over others as he could will himself, via Dominate, to recall information from the books he had read. He didn't receive a perfect score, as he saw no reason to, but it was more than enough to qualify him for entrance into the Royal Academy.

Following the four-hour written exam, William and the other prospective students were given an hour for lunch and to enjoy a brief respite before the practical. During that time, William got to know Ahmad a little better. The youth's father, Thrune, was the Captain of a massive seafaring vessel called the Arracht. He took pride in the fact that said vessel was currently the largest in operation. It only had a fixed crew of forty, but, according to Ahmad, each possessed the strength to rival hundreds.

"But as robust as the crew of the Arracht is, they cannot compare to her mighty Captain!" bellowed Ahmad, followed by a throaty, barrel-chested laugh.

"Sounds like your father is quite the man," mused William, prompting the smile on Ahmad's face to broaden as he exclaimed, "And more! My father is the first in a century to face the Great Leviathan, Pota'a'matoi, and live to tell the tale! Why, he has even sailed to the four corners and overcome their mighty winds to peer over and beyond the world's edge!"

"Oh? And what did he find...?" asked William, genuinely curious. Andora wasn't the first world he had incarnated into that was purportedly flat, but he had never met anyone who claimed to be related to someone who had seen its edge.

Making a slow, sweeping gesture with his left hand, Ahmad's expression and tone embodied awe as he stated, "An endless firmament, affixed with innumerable stars and unknown constellations. Imagine the night sky, but extending past a non-existent horizon and even below your feet, calling to all like a Siren's song..."

While others might not have been able to imagine such a scene, William had little trouble as he routinely sat on the edge of the mysterious island between incarnations. There were no stars present, but he knew well the almost irresistible urge to leap into oblivion...

*doo-doo-dee*

Interrupting William's and Ahmad's discussion, a three-tone tune sounded over the campus-wide intercom before a deep, feminine voice stated, "All prospective First-Years are to report to the Nebula Nexus Arena. You have twenty minutes. I repeat, all prospective..."

"Guess we ought to head over," said William, rising from the table he was seated at in the Academy's massive, five-floor cafeteria. The quality of the food and services provided increased exponentially as you moved to the upper floors, but even as the son of a Duke, William was restricted to eating at ground level as it was sequestered by grade, not social class.

"How exciting!" exclaimed Ahmad, punching his oversized fists together, producing a sound similar to two stones colliding. Descendents of Giants had a natural affinity for storing Earth-elemental energy in their bodies, so Ahmad's flesh and muscle fibers were on par with those of a tree, and his bones were nearly as durable as heat-treated steel. And that was without further reinforcement from Aura.

"Save your energy," said William. "The theme changes each year, but the end result is always the same. Among the thousands of applicants trying to enter the Royal Academy, only one hundred will make the cut. And that includes legacy applicants and scholarship students..."

"If I fail, it simply means I was weak or unprepared," contended Ahmad, grinning without care. "Those born on the sea understand that nature and fate are fair mistresses. They will test you ceaselessly, but so long as you face them prepared, they will provide."

"That's an interesting way of viewing things," remarked William, approving of Ahmad's philosophy. It wasn't without flaws, as it suggested that those who were too weak 'deserved' to perish, but it was a better mentality than the entitlement exhibited by those who thought they were superior simply because they happened to slip out of a particular vagina...

...

..

.

As the name implied, the Nebula Nexus Arena was a spacious stadium on par with the venues that hosted the Olympics in William's first incarnation. The viewing stands were divided into two distinct levels, each capable of seating 50,000 people. There were also luxury sky boxes for high-ranking nobles, but the most prominent feature of the arena was its elliptical field, spanning 200m across and 180 wide. Emerald-green grass covered much of it, but the focal point was the square-shaped, white stone platform at the center and the fifty-meter-wide sphere floating above it, resembling a sapphire-blue star.

'Magic truly is amazing...' thought William, admiring the scene with a faint smile. He could have done without the numerous electronic displays and advertisements adorning the stadium's structure. However, as the Royal Academy was where many well-to-do businesses sourced talent, it wasn't surprising they had advertisements to condition students into considering careers with them.

'Oh...?'

Spotting a banner depicting Delphina, fully clothed in a white dress but in a rather suggestive pose, William stopped and raised his right brow. Every world and society had its own unique customs and norms, but it was still a little jarring seeing an advertisement sexualizing a girl who had only a few months prior turned thirteen.

"Wow, what a truly remarkable beauty..." remarked Ahmad, staring wide-eyed at the advertisement depicting Delphina lying on her back atop silk sheets, resembling the front-facing image of a dakimakura.

Surprised by Ahmad's remark, William looked up at him and remarked, "If I recall correctly, your people correlate beauty with muscle. I'm surprised you find such a...dainty form appealing."

"The beauty of an individual flower may not compare to a bouquet, but it's still something to be admired," replied Ahmad, punctuating his words with a smile and a wink.

'I see I'm dealing with a man of culture...' mused William, following behind Ahmad with an amused smile until they were forced to separate and enter different waiting areas. Prospective students had been split into groups of one hundred based on factors such as their given name and whether they were enrolled in the Mage or Warrior program, so Ahmad was assigned to Group 1 while William was in Group 17.

'This is going to be a long day...' thought William, entering the waiting room of his group to find most of the other examinees standing along the room's perimeter, wary of one another.

As several examinees noticed and took stock of William, his gauntlet, and the distinctive gold trim of his uniform, the atmosphere within the waiting room became even tenser. None recognized him, but even those from other countries recognized the crest sewn into his breast. They had also heard the rumors of the Gamma Star of the Oirthear Constellation running wild and fighting a Princess of the Astralis Kingdom, so those nearest the door immediately moved further away, giving William a wide berth.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, William maintained a bored expression as he scanned the room's occupants, analyzing their Mana, Aura reserves, and general dispositions. Claire was correct when she said there was only so much that he could do on his own, and because of his position, he was expected to have at least a few followers. Without them, he would, sooner or later, get lumped in with his brother's or Lyra's camps...

Noticing a group of three standing together and staring at him on the far side of the room, William couldn't help thinking of the trio of Justin, Sarah, and Tom. However, as there were two girls in the group instead of one, he doubted it was them.

Seeing William approach them, the trio's eyes widened before they exited their relaxed stances and stood with their bodies tensed, ready for a fight. The presumed leader, or at least the vanguard of the group, was a young boy with dark brown, nearly black hair and matching eyes. His body was lacking in terms of muscle, but he had thick calluses on his hands, a faint blade scar on his left cheek, and a determined, albeit nervous glimmer in his eyes as he stepped forward and asked, "Is there something you need from us, my Lord...?"

"What's your name...?" asked William, his expression and tone giving off an oppressive aura as he towered over the brown-haired youth by nearly a full head.

Swallowing hard but not backing down, the youth replied, "Timothy...my name is Timothy, Sir..."

"Just Timothy...?" asked William, unsurprised as, despite how 'modern' Axial was, the use of surnames was restricted to those of established heritages. As such, like in the case of Ahmad, it was common for those without to introduce themselves with their name and the name of their father or mother, depending on which held the higher position.

Furrowing his brows, Timothy confirmed William's suspicions by revealing, "We're orphans, Sir..."

'Interesting...' thought William, briefly casting a glance at Timothy's two companions. The first was a fairly innocuous-looking girl with messy hair and eyes that matched Timothy's, suggesting they were related, but the final member of their group stood out. At a glance, one might assume she was a Dwarf, similar to Theodore, but she had sharp, shark-like teeth and slightly pointed ears, indicating she was at least part Demon. However, as her hair was black, fixed in a small ponytail, and she had dark brown eyes with rounded pupils, one would assume the connection was distant. That was until they sensed the amount of Mana she was actively concealing...

'She must be a bastard child of a fairly high-ranking Demon...' concluded William, his gaze briefly lingering on the choker around the girl's neck. He couldn't sense any Mana from it, but it gave him the same impression that if he removed it, something would be unleashed...

Meeting Timothy's gaze, William's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Why have you come here, Timothy? What do you and your...friends hope to attain by entering and graduating from the Royal Academy...?"

Believing William was challenging his right to be there, Timothy steeled himself and asserted, "Anyone with the ability is allowed to apply for entry into the Royal Academy, noble or otherwise..."

"Okay?" responded William, raising his right brow, smiling in amusement, and chuckling as he pointed out, "That doesn't answer my question. What I want to know is what you have planned post-graduation. I see you have a sword and buckler on your back. Are you planning to join the Kingdom's military?"

Surprised by William's abrupt change in demeanor, Timothy found himself at a momentary loss before he tentatively replied, "I would like to become a Knight, but if that proves impossible...I was planning to join the Warrior's College as a Freelance Warrior..."

"Which region do you hail from...?" asked William.

Visibly tensing at the question, Timothy hesitated for several seconds before responding, "Thuaidh..." in reference to the northern territory of the Astralis Kingdom.

"Mmm...then you probably wouldn't accept if I asked you to join me, would you?" asked William, feigning disappointment as he crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

Blinking in surprise, Timothy nervously parroted, "Join you, Sir...?" with audible tension in his voice. As an orphan, he didn't have much loyalty toward the Thuaidh and the Constellation governing it. House Oirthear was also famed for treating its citizens well and promoting those who worked hard to prove themselves, so Timothy wouldn't mind settling in the East if it meant he could refine his skills further and protect the duo behind him.

"I like the look in your eyes," said William, extending his hand and smiling as he declared, "If you join me and serve faithfully, I will sponsor you and your friends' growth to its limits. Consider that a promise on my honor as the Gamma Star of the Oirthear Constellation."

"We accept...!" exclaimed one of the girls behind Timothy, the one William presumed to be his sister. At the same time, she slipped past Timothy and grasped William's hand with both her own, smiling with a starstruck gleam in her eyes like someone who had just met their idol or stumbled across a winning lottery ticket...

...

..

.