Arrival

After Ang returned to the Main Plane, he discovered that people here were accustomed to calling Tan'anster a "province," while on the Maple Sugar Plane, people more often called it a "duchy." This subtle difference initially made Ang feel slightly unaccustomed, but he soon realized that whether it was a "province" or a "duchy," there was no substantive difference to him.

Ang had enjoyed his conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Henry aboard the airship. From his observations, he could tell that they belonged to the nobility, though he did not know their exact titles. Eileen seemed to show some special interest in Ang, but he did not pay much attention to it. He did not think there was anything about himself worth their particular concern, so he continued focusing on his journey.

Time passed quickly, and by the following afternoon, Ang had arrived at Mosto Airfield. Located northwest of Tan'anster City, Mosto Airfield was an important transit hub for supplies throughout the province. When he disembarked from the airship, Ang bade Mr. and Mrs. Henry farewell. Before they parted, the Henrys warmly invited him to visit their home if he had the chance and left him their address in the city. Ang smiled and agreed, saying he would certainly pay them a visit if he had the time.

Sitting in the carriage, Ang felt somewhat excited. After all, this journey marked a true new beginning for him. The carriage headed into the city, passing bustling streets filled with pedestrians and vehicles. By the time it reached the gates of Tan'anster City, a long line had already formed ahead, waiting to enter. This was completely different from how easily he had left the small town before. Clearly, Tan'anster City was more prosperous and more heavily guarded than anywhere he had seen before.

As the line moved forward slowly, Ang gazed at the magnificent city through the carriage window, feeling both unfamiliarity and anticipation.

Ang had the carriage stop near the First Warrior Academy and got out. He slung his luggage over his back. Back in Oak Village, he had specifically found some canvas and sewn himself a sturdy, durable backpack. Though it was not much to look at, Ang did not care about such things. After paying the fare, Ang stood before the gates of Tan'anster First Warrior Academy, filled with emotion. This was the heart of the Provincial Capital, and the academy gates were indeed grand, far surpassing any building he had seen before.

To his surprise, there were no guards or gatekeepers outside the academy. He adjusted the weight of his backpack, took a deep breath, and stepped through the gates. Upon entering, Ang found a small square to his right, where several neat lines of people stood. From afar, he saw a banner bearing the words "New Student Enrollment." This was where new students registered.

Looking at the young people who would soon become his classmates, Ang felt both curious and nervous. He knew that his new life would officially begin here.

Standing in the square, Ang looked around and found that most of the new students had come with family members, while he was the only one who had arrived alone. It made him feel somewhat out of place. Most of the incoming students were around twelve years old, boys and girls alike, all still immature youths. By comparison, Ang felt conspicuous and awkward.

The Warrior Academy had a three-year program, and these young people would spend their adolescence here. Ang quietly reflected that people in this world generally married young; it was not uncommon for men to marry around the age of sixteen. Many commoners had to serve in the military soon after getting married, and by the time they returned home after completing their service, their children were often already four or five years old. People in this world were relatively healthy, so their chances of successfully having children were also high.

Ang casually chose a line and joined it. As it moved forward slowly, it was soon his turn. Standing before the registration desk, Ang took his discharge certificate from his backpack and handed it to the staff member in charge of registration.

In Tan'anster, those who had completed five years of service received a special benefit: after retiring from the military, they could choose to enter the Warrior Academy for further study. However, while such an opportunity was rare, tuition had to be paid out of pocket, which discouraged many retired soldiers. Most people preferred to return to their hometowns after leaving the military and continue farming or take up work related to the army, rather than spend more time and money on education.

In fact, Ang had not known about this policy at first. He had only learned of it through his conversations with Ina. Otherwise, he would still have been worrying over how to enter the Warrior Academy.

After checking Ang's discharge certificate, the staff member nodded and indicated that he could enroll. Ang let out a quiet breath of relief. Although the tuition was no small expense for him, this path of study and advancement was one he had decided to take long ago. Once the registration procedures were complete, Ang looked at the admission certificate in his hand and felt that his future was gradually taking on a new direction.

When the staff member handling admissions saw Ang's discharge certificate, he could not help but feel surprised. He had seen many students in this position, but never someone who had come to the Warrior Academy for further study after completing military service. What caught his attention even more were the clearly visible seals on the discharge certificate: the seal of the Military Department, Count Meredith's personal seal, and the seal of the River Bay City Lord's Mansion. Meredith's seal was particularly eye-catching, because it showed that Ang had retired from the front lines of the Maple Sugar Plane.

This discovery gave him a measure of respect for Ang. He could not help but think, To endure service in such harsh conditions and return alive, this person is no ordinary man.

Holding his admission certificate and discharge certificate, Ang followed the directions to the place where tuition was paid. The cost was fifty Gold Wack per academic year, no small expense for many families. Ang's heart ached a little over it, since every one of those Gold Wack had been earned with his life on the battlefield. Still, he knew the fee included accommodation and meals, making it fairly worthwhile. Ang comforted himself: at least he would no longer need to worry about food and lodging.

There were quite a few noble children at the First Warrior Academy, and most of them chose to commute because their families owned residences in the city. Students from out of town, like Ang, usually chose to stay in the academy dormitories. After paying the tuition, Ang received his dormitory key and class assignment notice.

Ang first headed for his dormitory. After wandering around the campus several times and asking a few people for directions, he finally found the dormitory building. The First Warrior Academy's architecture was carefully designed, both elegant and practical. The student dormitories were no exception: rows of small buildings that looked especially imposing.

Ang's dormitory was on the second floor. Following the room number on his key, he found his room. When he pushed open the door, he saw a comfortably furnished room with complete facilities, practically ready for someone to move in immediately. There were two beds in the room, so Ang guessed he might have a roommate, though that person did not seem to have arrived yet.

He set down his luggage and casually organized his weapons and other belongings. Ang had prepared his daily necessities back in River Bay City, part of his habit of planning ahead. During his conversations with Ina, he had heard her mention more than once that living expenses in Tan'anster City were high, so he had decided to prepare all the essentials before leaving home. Looking at the tidy dormitory now, Ang felt a surge of satisfaction.

As Ang was arranging his things, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a group of servants carrying large and small packages entered. The moment they saw Ang, they were clearly startled. Thinking he was one of them, they all greeted him. While they unpacked, Ang learned that they were servants of the Charles Family, and their young master would soon be studying at the First Warrior Academy. The servants mistook Ang for a servant as well, but Ang did not explain. They then told him that young master Charles would not arrive until the next day.

After exchanging a few brief greetings, Ang decided to leave the dormitory for the moment and look around the academy to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. After all, he would spend three years studying here. Getting to know the area was the first step, and he could not help reflecting on the differences between himself and those younger classmates.

As he wandered through the academy, Ang felt pleasantly at ease. The environment here was entirely different from what he had seen at Wolf Mage Academy and River Bay City Mage Academy. The Warrior Academy was filled with an atmosphere of combat, with a strong military character evident everywhere. It had well-equipped training grounds, a riding field, and an armory where all manner of weapons were arranged in neat rows, clearly providing abundant resources for the students' daily training and combat preparation.

Ang also made a trip to the library. Although its doors were not open, he still lingered outside for a while and looked at the interior layout through the windows. He was curious about the books housed there, but decided to explore it another time.

After dinner in the cafeteria, Ang returned to his dormitory and found that Charles's servants had already left. The room was spotless, and Charles's belongings had been arranged in perfect order. Ang noticed that Charles's things were clearly far more luxurious than his own, and he inwardly marveled at the difference between the lives of nobles and commoners. But he did not dwell on it. He simply put his own belongings in order and prepared for the academy life that was about to begin.