Onward to the Sun

Chapter 7: Astaria Academia, School of Sword & Sorcery

Chapter 7: Astaria Academia, School of Sword & Sorcery

The sky was already turning into a gradient shade of different colors—dark blue, purple, red, and orange. A few moments later, I finally saw the outskirt of Astaria Academia. It was enclosed by a forest with centuries-old trees and like Tempus City, it also had high walls surrounding it that were at least five meters in height. But regardless of that, I can see a few establishments and structures inside the magical academy. I do not know for how long we traveled, but my back already feels numb because of the journey. So, seeing the entryway of the academy has given me dopamine and satisfaction. Finally, we have arrived at our destination.

Raiyah followed the cobblestone pathway that seems to have split the forest into two pieces and as we neared the academy, the wall seems to go higher and the features of its gate became more prominent. The gate was painted jet-black and at both sides of it, there exists statues—on the left side, the sculpture was of a man who was holding a sword and shield, and on the right side, it was a woman who was holding this magic staff. There was an arc on top of the gate too which stated Astaria Academia: School of Sword & Sorcery.

Finally!

The gate was open and we went past it, finally entering the academy’s grounds. What I saw were buildings of various shapes and sizes, but they looked very classic, with a hint of lowkey gothic style. However, the architecture is very aesthetic and standard. I can liken the place to a medieval construction, with all those sharp rooftops and exquisite designs that I only saw before in historical books and documentaries—it was not out of free-will, but rather a requirement for a specific subject when I was in my Junior years. At the very center of the academy lies a massive structure that almost looked like a palace and we went straight into it.

There were students around too, with the same uniform as Helios and they all stared at us, especially at me, with curious eyes—as if wondering who I was, soon they shall know—I am nothing but a fraud. I am sure that it was not me who saved Helios at all, it possibly cannot be. Because I am a normal person. Even if the idea seems amazing, it is too good to be true. If I was really an acnologian, why is it that my powers are just manifesting now? It does not make sense at all, and no matter what angle I will look from, I am very sure that when I get tested here, as Helios has stated, I will come out as a norman, or what they call to those people who cannot wield acnologia.

I stared back at them and gave them a once over. I focused on their uniform. The only difference in terms of their uniform and Helios’s is that the dominant color of Helios’s uniform is dark blue, while the rest exhibited uniforms of blue and light blue shade.

“What do the uniforms indicate?” I asked Helios.

“It serves as a marker on what tier a specific acnologian belongs to. Those who have dark blue uniform are those who belong to the Divine Tier, there are only five of us, and if ever, you shall be sixth. I have a feeling you belong to the Divine Tier since your aura is very powerful, though it seems to just have awakened from you. Going back, those who have blue uniforms are acnologians who belong to the Legendary Tier, and lastly, those who have light blue uniforms are those who belong to the Paladin Tier.”

I nodded as I mentally took note of it.

“There are certain general rules, however, with the divisions.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Those who belong to the Paladin Tier can move up and be promoted to the Legendary Tier, with proper education, training, and polish. However, no one can be promoted to the Divine Tier. The Divine Tier is exclusive only to those who have powerful acnologia at birth. It is all about gift and talent that separates the Divine Tier from the rest of the class.”

I nodded once more.

“Approximately, the Divine Tier is the rarest, so, we only have one class of five students. As for the Legendary Tier, there is about thirty percent of them on this campus, and the remaining seventy percent, are the ones who belong to the Paladin Tier. As for now, Astaria Academia has twenty thousand students, all in all.”

As we approached the palace-like building, I continued to ask questions.

“I do not know exactly the curriculum of this academy, but what happens to the alumni? To those who finally graduated?” I asked.

“Some become professors of the academy, some are hired to work for the kingdom, and some become licensed Adventurers. It depends on the choices of the acnologian. But the higher your tier is, the more opportunity shall be given to you once you graduate from the Academy.” He explained. I do not know why I suddenly became interested; not like I will become a student of this place. Of course, not! My goal is to find my way back home. Nothing more and nothing less. And as Helios has stated, the headmistress of this academy might be able to help with my peculiar case. I have no plans of staying much longer.

Raiyah stopped in front of the entrance of the palace-like building, which I can immediately tell as the main building, or the main school, of the Academia. We hopped out of Raiyah and she snorted as if she was finally relieved of carrying heavy baggage, and Helios started to pet her, “go back to your stable and rest, Raiyah. Well done, my baby girl.”

As if understanding the words of Helios, the mare snorted once more and galloped away towards her stable which is probably somewhere in the academy. Later on, Helios and I walked towards the large porch of the building and as if on cue as well, the wide black doors of the main building opened, revealing a dark woman with pointy ears. She was as tall as Helios, and she has this elegant charisma that seems to lure all your senses in. My eyes widened upon the realization that she did not belong to the human race. She was an elf and it was her ears that gave her away. She was mesmerizing and beautiful—with her jet-black hair that featured curly ends, and she also had these purple eyes that were too out of this world. Like Helios, she also wore a dark blue uniform, the only difference between the two is that she featured a striped dark blue and black skirt that was three inches above the knee, and she had sandals on. I can already tell—she belongs to the Divine Tier. She is part of Helios’s class.

“Helios, where have you been?” It was the first thing the woman said, and I can feel the fury in her voice along with exasperation as if the sudden disappearance of Helios has made trouble for her. “You are becoming too negligent, I must say! The only reason you are not getting expelled yet is that you belong to the Divine Tier and there are only a few among us there. Stop taking advantage of the system and be responsible for your actions. You are no longer a kid so stop acting like one already. Stop giving trouble to us! We had enough of putting up with your selfishness already.”

“Alright, hello, Santina.” He greeted her, as if not caring about all the many things she said. She seems to realize that Helios was not alone, and the woman looked at me with curious eyes. “Who is she?”

“A hopper.” Helios replied which made Santina, the dark elf, raise one of her eyebrows.

“Hopper?” I asked.

“Someone who came from another world and teleported to this world. That’s the Layman’s term that we call people like you.” He replied after. “And until now, a Hopper is just a myth and a legend.”

Santina’s eyebrows slightly creased because of the declaration of Helios, and she sighed after. “You think I will believe that? Hoppers are only myths, legends, and fairy tales. They are not real.” She reiterated.

“Yet here I am,” I pursed my lips after.

“There is only one way to find out if you both are telling the truth, let’s proceed to Headmistress Nesferota Aragona. I am sure she would know whether the girl is lying or not.” Santina said confidently, still refusing the truth that I am not from this world. Though she seems to be taking it lightly now. “Follow me,” she declared.

“I am Luna Clockwork, a ‘hopper’.” I introduced myself to Santina while stressing the ‘hopper’ word because I need to emphasize that I was not lying at all, and also, I find it too awkward to be referred to as ‘the girl’ which is why I had to state my name.

“I see, I am Santina Caroline, princess of the Northern Ire Kingdom of Elves and an illusionist acnologian. I belong to the Divine Tier.” She introduced herself as she walked regally across the lobby. I simply nodded as I looked around me in awe—everything was grand. The ceiling was very high too and it featured a lot of chandeliers that had their stones glowing. The tinted windows that were twice my height were also beautiful and since the sun is already setting, the glasses glowed a warm hue.

Santina walked the lobby first and we simply followed, the large chamber became slimmer as we walked across it until we were through the corridors that were decorated with paintings and small statues. The marble floor was very clean to the point that I can even see my own reflection in it already.

“Where have you been through, Helios?” Santina asked as if she could no longer contain her curiosity that she has been mentally battling since our arrival.

“I fought against a Nightwalker,” Helios replied, “on my own.”

“Are you an i***t? You could have died. You know Nightwalkers are acnologians who have sold their soul to the Dark Lord, in order to gain more power. Anyway, you must have heard of the rumors, then. That was very reckless of you, Helios. It is a good thing you managed to leave unscathed. I do not even sense any fatigue or injury from you. I am guessing that you won.”

“No... I didn’t.”

“Why are you still alive, then?” Santina asked. “You should have been dead if you lost against a Nightwalker.”

“It is thanks to Luna,” he pointed a finger to me at the exact moment that Santina was looking back to check on us, and she raised an eyebrow as if demanding an explanation. I remained silent because I was unsure and reluctant, and I do not even truly know if it was really me who did that. I just know that a magical light started to flow within his veins the moment I touched him, and that miraculous light was the thing that saved him. “If it was not for her, I may be as good as dead now. A cold corpse. She found me in the forest on the outskirt of Tempus City, with a hole in between my chest and bite marks around my body. The Nightwalker I fought was a Summoner, and his tactic was having me fight all of his wolves first before he directly attacked me. He left me to bleed shortly, thinking I will already die, but Luna suddenly came, like a blessing and gift sent from Nirvana.”

“How convenient—a healer,” Santina mentioned.

“I cannot really say that Luna is a healer because not only did she manage to heal all my fatal injuries, but she also relinquished my mana power and even the state of my tattered clothes—as if time has reversed only for me. With just one touch.”

Santina’s fast-paced walking suddenly became slower, as if that caught her interest already. “What do you mean?” She turned to face us after, then she looked at me with those scrutinizing eyes, “is what he said true?”

I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. “I am really unsure. But what he said was true, a light suddenly emerged from my hand that touched Helios’s almost-dead body, and the light traveled across his veins, straight to the parts of his body that were injured, and when the light was gone, Helios’s injuries were all gone. I think it is just a coincidence, though.” I said, shyly.

“Only one way to find out...” Santina stated.

“Headmistress Aragona.” She and Helios said in unison, showcasing that they both have the same person in mind.

“Let’s go immediately to the Headmistress’s Office.” Santina’s walk became faster again. Helios and I had no choice to also speed up our pace in order to catch up with Santina. I do not know why, but it seems like Santina was suddenly excited upon hearing what I might be able to do.

“A Hopper... A healer, no, not a healer... But someone who can heal, replenish mana, and fix items... Tempus Imperium...” She was whispering to herself as we walked, and it seems like she has managed to identify something already. She excitedly turned her back in order to face us, and she walked towards me and she held my hand with an excited expression painted on her beautiful face. “Your acnologia is called Tempus Imperium! That’s it... And your name ‘Clockwork’, that is the name of Eclipse Clockwork, the first and last Tempus Imperium wielder ever recorded in Acnologian History. She is a demigoddess—a half-human and a half goddess.”

Eclipse Clockwork... She might be my mother; the idea somehow made my heart pound faster... And that is when a sudden realization struck me, I never asked my Dad about the name of my mother. I thought that if she remained unknown, then I will not be too inclined to look for her. I thought that the less I know about her, the more it will be easier to live without her. That is why whenever my Dad tells stories of her, I would often say that he shares something else.

I closed my eyes, remembering my Dad again and his reasoning when I asked why I adopted the surname of my mother, rather than his and he told me that he made a promise with my mother before, that I will be given with her name, and not Dad’s. They were not married. They were planning to, though, after I was born. But yeah, my mother suddenly disappeared as if she never existed in the first place, and that ruined everything.

“That is impossible. I came from a world where magic—err, where acnologia does not exist.”

“Again, there is one way to find out whether my assumptions are true or false, we go now to the Headmistress and tell your peculiar state to her. She is an intellectual, and she knows more than anyone else among us. I am sure she can figure out your situation if ever you really are telling the truth.”

And with that, we moved once more while I ignored the curious gazes of the students we were passing by.