904 Enrollment
Armin smiled after hearing the old man's words, feeling a little more at ease.
His insecurity was quite obvious, and that was due to his poor background. As a matter of fact, there were only three main Academies with free tuition fees. The others had to be paid, or they could allow a loan or even just give miscellaneous tasks to the students in order to cover their tuition fees.
Thanks to the Marshall Academy's free tuition fee for first-year and second-year students, Armin had a chance to learn, show his talent, and even earn a scholarship.
The thought of being able to build his future with his own hands, without wealth or status over him, gave him a lot of hope.
The two continued to chat a bit more, and before long, the train began to slow as it approached the Shadow Immortal's Domain. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The once lush forest area of this region was already gone. Nonetheless, there were still areas with patches of trees as a natural resource of the region.
As the travel took plenty of time, the sun was already beginning to set...
Then, as the train entered Clovis City, the place where the Academy was located, Armin looked at the window and searched for the signs of the Academy. After all, he heard that it was a grand place.
"It's there..." Armin muttered.
The sight of Marshall Academy in the distance filled Armin with awe. Even from here, the dark, gothic structures exuded a very imposing aura for him...
After a couple more stations, where he saw several Black Towers or perhaps Arcane Towers, Armin knew that this city was a lot more powerful compared to the Melthorn City where he had come from.
"Well," Zeno said, standing up as the train came to a halt, "looks like we've arrived. We'll see each other again." As Zeno said this, his body collapsed into many pieces of feathers... It was a Movement Spell!
A few people saw this as well and were shocked as the old man vanished. However, knowing that this place had numerous Arcanists all over the world, they immediately calmed down.
Nonetheless, some of them were still a bit spooked at what had happened and held their charms, talismans, or various Artifacts in their hands to give them courage and move on.
Apparently, the Academy not only teaches Dark Arts but also Mystic, Psychic, and Elemental Arts.
'Amazing... This really feels like a place of the Immortal.' He thought.
Soon, Armin worked his way through the crowd, asking questions here and there, confirming that the large group wasn't unusual.
Among the applicants, an astounding 340 students had chosen to pursue Dark Arts.
Aside from that, he also learned that today's examination wasn't about acceptance—each student who could basically enter Phantasm State could enter the Academy.
Instead, the assessment right now was to determine their class placement.
Marshall Academy divided students into ranks, with Class 1 reserved for the elite—the most talented, promising Arcanists.
On the other hand, Class 2 and the subsequent classes would be placed progressively based on skill and potential, with each lower class receiving less prestigious instructors and more foundational materials.
No matter what, the Academy also needed money to operate, and most of the resources would still be provided to the talented.
"Mhmm?"
Suddenly, the Academy grounds buzzed as rumors circulated about the attendees. Armin overheard one boy exclaim, "Did you see Karla Moonspire? She's the daughter of Lyrus Moonspire, the famous Dark Arcane Researcher! She was the one who made that new version of Recording Crystal... They must be really rich now... I wonder why she decided to enroll here instead."
Armin's eyes widened. Lyrus Moonspire was legendary in arcane circles and was known for pushing the limits of arcane theory and practice. At the very least, that was what he read in the old newspaper in Melthorn Kingdom.
She was the reason why the Recording Crystal had become so advanced right now...
Armin glanced at the girl, curious about her appearance.