Elena’s Transformation and a Curious Encounter

Her flaxen, wavy hair cascaded down, framing a face of snow-white skin and delicate features. A shy blush touched her cheeks, while her emerald eyes, like tranquil springs, shimmered with a hint of timidity. She wore the capital’s most fashionable cinched long dress. The bodice accentuated her graceful curves, while the fluffy, lace-trimmed midi skirt highlighted her slender legs.

Generous expanses of her fair skin were revealed on her arms, creating a soft, hazy allure. Elena, at this moment, no longer resembled a country girl; instead, she looked every bit the vibrant, aristocratic maiden from the imperial capital.

“Put this on too,” Ai Ou handed Elena a white beret.

“Excellent!”

Gazing at the transformed Elena, Ai Ou made no attempt to hide his profound admiration for her.

“Young Master, how do I look?”

Elena twisted slightly, a picture of bashfulness. Perhaps a young girl from the countryside still found it hard to adapt to the rhythm of a large city, and the impact of wearing such urban clothes was significant.

“You look beautiful, Elena. It suits you wonderfully.”

Elena’s pretty face flushed, and she dared not meet Ai Ou’s appreciative gaze. She truly loved this outfit, especially since the Young Master had chosen it for her. Moreover, the clothes here were undeniably far more exquisite than anything found in the White Domain.

“Once I enroll in Saint Roland Academy, you will continue to follow me. Have Maud the butler find you a place to live, and then you will come to my residence to attend to me personally.”

Saint Roland Academy permitted students to bring one personal attendant. This was because once one became a mage, their status became eminent, and with the academy’s strict entry and exit policies, it was best for servants to handle daily chores. Therefore, compared to the elderly Maud, the youthful and radiant Elena was far more suitable as a personal attendant.

After all, only philosophers would seek to bind strong men, stacking male upon male. Gentlemen always chose women, and beautiful women at that.

Ai Ou observed the bashful Elena, so close he could discern the pleasant, virginal fragrance emanating from her. He had already sent a letter home, confident that his father, Allen, would be overjoyed upon learning of his successful enrollment.

****

The following day, Ai Ou emerged from the inn, dressed in the orange standard robes issued by the academy.

The innkeeper, spotting the mage’s robes on Ai Ou, instantly filled with respect. These robes were the symbol of a Saint Roland Academy student, a fact known throughout the imperial capital, and no one dared to imitate them. Seeing Ai Ou in the Saint Roland Academy mage’s robes, he understood that Ai Ou had successfully enrolled. He looked at Ai Ou with a touch of awe.

Maud had already prepared the rhino carriage and waited at the entrance.

“Young Master, you look truly dashing now. Master Allen will surely be delighted to see you.”

As he gazed at the spirited Ai Ou, Maud saw the reflection of a young Allen in his eyes. Yet, the Ai Ou before him was far stronger than Allen; at the very least, Allen was no mage.

Ai Ou offered a slight smile upon hearing Maud’s praise. Donning the mage’s robes, Ai Ou’s handsome, profound features gained an extra touch of elegance. His flowing golden hair gave him an air of nobility that surpassed even the aristocratic youths of the imperial capital.

Elena stood behind Ai Ou, her heart pounding rapidly as she watched him.

Soon, the rhino carriage arrived at the entrance of the magic academy. The academy guards, as was customary, stopped Ai Ou. However, upon seeing the emblem with the academy crest on his chest, the guards immediately granted passage, their eyes filled with respect. Commoners harbored a deep yearning for mages, who represented the most esteemed status among humans.

“Greetings, Your Excellency. Please proceed to that line for registration.”

Upon hearing the guard’s words, Ai Ou offered a slight smile and led Elena towards the registration area. At the registration desk, a boy stood before Ai Ou—or rather, a child, half a head shorter than Ai Ou. An old man accompanied this child.

“Hello, I’m Schwarzenegger from the capital of the Atron Empire.” The boy, who was processing his enrollment ahead of Ai Ou, suddenly turned around and greeted Ai Ou warmly.

‘Schwarzenegger? I don’t see any muscles on you. And you call yourself Schwarzenegger?’

Upon hearing the name Schwarzenegger, Ai Ou suddenly thought of a certain governor, inwardly scoffing. However, Ai Ou grew wary once he realized the boy before him was from another country. Each nation had its own exclusive magic academy. Why would this individual not attend his own country’s academy, choosing instead to come specifically to the Holy Empire’s magic academy?

The Atron Empire and the Holy Augustan Empire were two neighboring countries, separated by a mountain range known as the Beast Forest. The Atron Empire lay to the east, and the Holy Empire to the west. The Beast Forest teemed with all sorts of magical beasts, and to reach Saint Roland Academy, one had to detour around its northernmost or southernmost edges. Few dared to traverse the Beast Forest directly, save for Ninth-tier powerhouses or those in the Saint Realm.

‘To go to such great lengths to come here, there must be some hidden agenda, right?’

Though his heart was on alert, Ai Ou maintained a composed exterior, nodding to the boy.

“I am Ai Ou, from the White Domain of the Holy Empire. This is my maid, Elena,” Ai Ou politely introduced himself to the boy named ‘Schwarzenegger.’

“White Domain? I haven’t heard of it.”

“Oh, my hometown is just a remote, rural area, located on the empire’s periphery, so Your Excellency may not have heard of it.”

Upon hearing that Ai Ou was merely from the countryside, Schwarzenegger’s initial enthusiasm waned, replaced by a touch of disdain. After all, people from rural areas were not worth befriending. Those who lived in the capital always held a sense of superiority over rural areas, even across different countries. People from big cities discriminated against those from smaller cities, and those from smaller cities discriminated against those from the countryside, forming a chain of prejudice.

“Student, hurry up.” The examiner at the registration desk urged.

Part of the enrollment process involved re-testing a student’s strength. Saint Roland Academy was, after all, concerned about imposters stealing academy emblems.

“Coming.” Schwarzenegger stopped chatting with Ai Ou and immediately went for his test.

Yet, upon seeing the test results, Ai Ou was greatly astonished. The boy named ‘Schwarzenegger’ possessed a superior affinity for elements, and as for his spiritual power, it was…

“Schwarzenegger, twelve years old, spiritual power level: exceptional.”

Ai Ou couldn’t help but look at him with renewed interest upon hearing the number reported by the examiner. This guy was so young, yet his spiritual power was incredibly high. Truly, one should not judge a book by its cover.

“Ai Ou, what’s wrong? Are you already surprised? Is this all it takes? Is this it?” Schwarzenegger said nonchalantly, “My level is merely decent, I suppose. It’s considered good in my country, but here at Saint Roland Academy, it’s only considered upper-tier.”

Despite his words, Schwarzenegger harbored the arrogance of a true genius. After all, not everyone so young possessed such formidable talent; a superior elemental affinity and an exceptional spiritual power level meant that virtually no other young person could compare. This made Schwarzenegger immensely proud of his gifts. Seeing Ai Ou’s astonished expression, he inwardly thought of a word with great contempt: ‘country bumpkin’.

‘Am I lowering myself by associating with someone like this?’