After rescuing Camilla, Sylutia stayed at the Glass Academy for a while and lived with Camilla. The two exchanged some secrets of the Blood Clan techniques, Sylutia helped Camilla complete the history of Colevanti had not fully experienced.
As evening fell, the two walked along the riverbank in the glow of the sunset, talking about Colevanti's past.
"That empress never married. After reorganizing the entire dynasty, she passed the throne to an adopted son from the royal family before passing away. From her ascension to the throne to her abdication, she ruled the Blood Dynasty for nearly three hundred years, making her the second longest-reigning emperor in the dynasty's history, second only to the ancestor who founded the Blood Dynasty."
"Although her successors were not as wise as she was, they maintained stability for two hundred years until the dynasty declined after another change of throne." Camilla spoke of her ancestor with deep emotion.
"Although many Blood Clan nobles have expressed their dissatisfaction with her consolidation of power and suppression of various factions, the royal family still holds this empress in high esteem. My sister Katera, once said that her ideal is to become the second Colevanti." Camilla paused at this point.
The riverbanks of Glass District are lined with neat red-brick buildings. The city is unassuming, yet possesses a long and ancient charm. At Twilight, the buildings along the river light up one by one, adorning the river surface.
Thinking about it this way, she probably already knew that Colevanti's memories were awakening in her, but she did not resist.
"They probably kicked me out to prevent me from becoming like her. Besides, if there were two Colevanti, we might end up fighting to the death." Camilla stopped walking and sat down on the slope by the riverbank, whereupon Sylutia followed suit.
"After the Blood Law rank is lowered, the influence of the memories within the bloodline also weakens. If those two weren't chasing me, I could probably barely suppress it, and then with the help of the ' Origin Hourglass ' faction, I could find a solution."
"However, Her Colevanti's thoughts are probably different from her sister's. She likely feels that our previous actions were too weak, and that placing the royal bloodline in the Mage Alliance is quite dangerous, so she wants to capture me and take me back."
After reviewing her experiences leaving the Sea Cliff Royal Court, Camilla gradually understood Katera's original arrangements.
Sylutia listened attentively, occasionally holding Camilla's wrist to comfort her.
During their afternoon walk, Camilla spoke at length, as if many thoughts and ideas that had been bottled up inside her were finally pouring out today. These included her childhood experiences, her complex feelings for her sister Katera, and her respect and fear for Colevanti.
"Although we're twins, I don't have Katera's ambition. We Qidian with the same talent, but while I was playing around and being lazy, she worked much harder. It was from that time that she gradually pulled ahead of me and took the throne from our mother."
After saying this, Camilla lay back on the girl's skirt, watching the sky slowly darken. A gentle breeze blew by the river. She slowly closed her eyes and then snuggled closer to Sylutia.
The young girl used her slender white fingers to tidy Camilla's hair, then looked down at the Blood Clan princess.
"Are you missing your sister Katera?"
"I'm a little worried that she might be devoured and merged with Colevanti, but I guess she'd do it willingly," Camilla said, opening her eyes again with a hint of sadness.
Although Katera is still alive and incredibly powerful, the twin sister she remembers may never return.
The two talked quietly on the riverbank until the sky was completely dark before they got up and went to the riverside restaurant, where it was brightly lit and noisy, making them feel as if they had stepped into the civilized world again after coming out of the darkness.
After the holiday, Sylutia returned to the Thetis Academy, where there were only a few days left before the start of the new semester.
After a good rest, the girl lay on the soft bed, recalling her holiday experience. Although it was only two months, it gave her the illusion of having lived for hundreds of years. Now, when she thought of the names of her other classmates, they all felt somewhat unfamiliar.
What a long and unique experience!
She looked at the ceiling, raised her wrist, and between her slender fingers was a pendant, a thank-you gift from Camilla.
[ Red Tear Pendant ] (Tier 4, Rare)
Crafted from precious red tear gemstones, infused with the blood of a Blood Clan royalty, this pendant allows one to connect with and sense another, and can also be used to enhance the Blood Law's " Aspect Power abilities and spells" (Special Sensitivity +2, Blood Law Power +1).
Although the amplification is only +1, it is still a very rare treasure because it works on all Blood Law- Aspect Power abilities and spells. What's more, it contains Camilla's blood, which she made before she was separated from her royal bloodline. You can use this pendant to sense Camilla's approximate location.
After carefully putting the pendant away, Sylutia lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The following day, the new school year began. At a simple opening ceremony, the teacher explained the goals for the school year.
First, we aim to get all students into Level 3 this semester. Second, we will begin their practical experience in the World of Shadows, which is something that can only be accessed after reaching Level 3.
Afterwards, the trainees gathered together to discuss.
" The Thetis Academy has very high progress requirements. We've only been enrolled for a year, and they're already demanding that everyone reach the third tier," complained a student who had already reached the third tier.
"Actually, I don't think there's any need to rush," responded a student who reached level three in the first half of the year.
"Being too eager can easily lead to mental health issues," commented one student who completed the advanced course over the summer.
"Am I the only one who thinks advancing in rank is a very important thing? You bunch of bastards who have already advanced!" A student who was still at the second rank stood up angrily.
"Hahaha." The classroom was filled with laughter.
After the banter and jokes ended, Sylutia, as the chief student, was also given a task: the Academy hoped she could assist and guide the students who had not yet advanced.
"Although it's not directly related to you, if you can do this well, the Academy will give you a good reward," the teacher told her.
Logically, teachers are undoubtedly more suitable to guide students in their advancement, but the Academy also has other considerations.
First, for a school of thought to survive, it needs not only various resources and secret techniques, but also some soft power, namely the degree of unity among its members. This emotional bond is easiest to establish among students of the same year and is also the easiest to turn into a long-term relationship.
Many Mage forge lifelong friendships during their student years, as after graduation, whether they are working or immersed in their own research, the channels for communication and interaction become very narrow.
Peers have more topics to discuss, more empathy, and encounter more similar problems and situations. These are the soil for the budding of friendship. However, between teachers and students, apart from academic exchanges, there is much less interaction in other aspects, and it is difficult for them to have much overlap in their lives.
"I understand." Sylutia nodded slightly, indicating that she understood the Academy's expectations.
"I will lead everyone well," she said, reassuring her teacher.
This dark-haired girl was elegant and quiet, and she was extremely organized and composed in her work. Many teachers considered her to be one of the most perfect chief students in recent decades.
The reason I say "one of the top students" is because Nores, the current fifth-year top student in the Academy, is also exceptionally outstanding, far surpassing previous years.
In the Mage Academy, grade level is a symbol of strength. First-year students need to complete a year of study and pass the final exam to advance to the second year.
The second year requires completing two years of study, the third year requires three years of study, the fourth year requires four years of study, and the fifth year does not have a fixed year. In addition, students do not stay at the Academy most of the time, but only return for necessary celebrations and further studies.
Normally, students at the Thetis Academy can complete their final exams and advance to the next grade. However, there is a threshold in the fourth year that prevents a small number of students from repeating the year. The hard standard for this is to advance to the fourth rank.
In other words, one must advance to the fourth level to become a fourth-year student; otherwise, one will have to repeat the year.
The leap from the second tier at the start of the semester to the fourth tier six years later is quite significant, and it's estimated that only the Thetis Academy would dare to design such a standard.
"In recent decades, only the class led by Nores has seen all of its students cross the threshold of the fourth tier after six years."
The teacher recalled.
Upon hearing this, Sylutia couldn't help but recall the situation on the Woodland Alliance side, and sighed that the Mage Alliance was indeed much better at cultivating talent. As someone who had experienced it firsthand, she could very clearly perceive the huge gap between the two.
The Woodland Alliance is very similar to the old-fashioned apprenticeship system, where a craftsman would bring along a few apprentices to help with the work and teach them some skills along the way.
Meanwhile, the Mage Alliance had long established a mature Academy system, with dedicated personnel to organize and collate the esoteric texts collected from various parties, and to improve them. They also widely solicit improvement proposals from outstanding members within the school, and if they are deemed useful, they will be rewarded and subsidized, and the new content will be updated in the entire school's library and archives.
Each branch has its own resources, and talents from various fields and industries are registered and included in the files. If needed, they can be searched and consulted at any time. The ability and speed to mobilize resources far exceed that of the Woodland Alliance.
The advantages of this system and structure are something the Woodland Alliance has never had.
However, this doesn't mean the Woodland Alliance is ignorant. In fact, they are quite open and enlightened, allowing apprentices to freely choose which school to join within the Alliance and no longer strictly restricting the exchange of secret arts, resources, and so on.
If we compare this to other continents, or to the past eras of the Fourth Continent, we will find that such enlightenment and openness are extremely rare.
Much of the extraordinary knowledge on the continent is held by nobles and is inaccessible to ordinary people. Various factions recruit their own talents and there is never a situation where they pool their resources to teach together. They are very closed off, and some even only pass on their secret techniques to their blood relatives and descendants, never to any outsiders.
The companions that Sylutia had met in Scorched Stone City, the small Witch faction that Comia had joined, were similar to a family-based system.
They occupy a coastal area, control the local power, are extremely familiar with the area, and possess all the local precious resources. Joining them is like joining a family and establishing a lifelong senior-junior relationship.
The downside is that you can only access the secret techniques, resources, and people within the faction, which limits your breadth of knowledge and understanding. However, the upside is that the members of the faction have close relationships and are very united, and they will be responsible for almost all major life events.
As the new school year began, Sylutia spent the semester in a fulfilling and peaceful manner, learning advanced Dense Rune and gradually getting involved in the creation of mechanical artifacts.
At the end of the semester, the Silver Bell Festival started again. This time, however, the leader was not Nores, but another fifth-year champion, who was an upperclassman whom Sylutia had met last year.
"It's nice to see you again this year, Hedra. My name is Mias, and I'm here to bring you to the celebration." The senior with long, chestnut-brown waves introduced herself with a smile.
"Hello Mias- senpai." The girl nodded obediently, and seeing her slightly cute appearance, the other party couldn't help but gently tap Sylutia's forehead with her hand.
"I'd also like to ask Hedra to help me out this time. I'm not as strong as Senior Nores, and I might embarrass myself if I can't control the situation," she said with a smile.
After the introduction, she followed Nores's example and cast a spell to lead everyone to the Tower of All Things.
The Silver Bell Festival was as lively as ever, but for Sylutia, the novelty had worn off considerably, since she had seen many of the things before.
What's even more fortunate is that she and several other friends were able to reunite this time.
This year at the Silver Bell Festival, not only Aurora came, but also Lovier and Camilla. The four of them toured the various exhibition halls together, occasionally buying something and talking about their experiences during the past six months apart.
Although everyone is now in different Academy, they don't feel like strangers. In fact, because of the short separation, they are even more excited and happy about this rare reunion. Camilla, who is usually quiet, has also spoken quite a bit this time.
Aurora and Lovier also got to know this classmate with the beautiful gold hair quite well through this gathering.
"Back in the Asura District, Camilla didn't talk much to anyone in her class. I always thought she was the kind of person who was aloof and reserved." Lovier pressed her fingers lightly against her chin, reminiscing about the past.
"I was quite shy when I transferred schools, so I rarely spoke. It was only after I bumped into Hedra on the street by chance that we started talking and getting to know each other," Camilla explained, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"How is Camilla?" Aurora turned around, looked her over carefully, and asked with a hint of concern.
"She still seems a bit weak." Compared to when she was in the Asura District, Camilla does indeed appear slightly paler now.
"It's alright, I'm used to it. It'll probably get better once I reach the fourth tier," Camilla replied softly. She looked much the same as when they first met in the Asura District, and her voice still carried a hint of weakness.
On the other side, the girl who knew the true situation of this Blood Clan princess tilted her head slightly, finding it somewhat amusing.
Because Lovier and Aurora happened to meet and get together during Camilla's weakest period, in their minds, Camilla has always been the kind of sickly beauty who needs to be taken care of.
Well, although she is indeed very weak now, Camilla was once at the Sixth Order in her prime. If we consider the title of the Blood Clan queen and the blessing of her bloodline, she can probably reach a combat power comparable to the Seventh Order. She is not someone that ordinary people can mess with.
In a few years, once Camilla completes her studies and graduates, she will no longer need to hide and will be able to reclaim her stripped-off bloodline abilities, at which point she will regain her powerful strength as Blood Clan princess.
However, according to Camilla's account, she's doing quite well at the Glass Academy. There's a lot of ancient historical knowledge that interests her, and she's also learning many new things that Blood Clan don't know.
Perhaps this Blood Clan princess will forge a completely different path from the past, paving another way for the Blood Clan to advance.
The four chatted and laughed, and the day of the Silver Bell Festival passed by unnoticed, time flowing gently.