Academy 1

Anglie had little time to relax. The carriage convoy soon entered the outskirts of Maruya Port.

Small trading villages surrounded the entirety of Maruya like a ring of outer marketplaces. Vast streams of people flowed through them, and the place was exceptionally bustling.

It was already past three in the afternoon when the convoy arrived.

Dark clouds packed the sky. The black convoy mingled with a large procession of carriages and people, moving forward slowly. This was a major merchant caravan that had come to trade sea salt with Maruya. Anglie and the others had encountered and joined it two days earlier. Naturally, as the price, the Baron had paid the caravan fifty gold coins, which included the fee for guaranteeing their entry into the city as members of the caravan.

The Baron sat on the driver's seat of the first carriage, gazing at the enormous city in the distance.

Tall grayish-white stone walls stretched from left to right, with no end in sight. The city gate directly ahead stood open, revealing bustling, crowded streets and throngs of people within. Some people drove carts out of the city, heavy cargo dragging behind them. Other carriages were negotiating with the guards over entering the city. These guards wore polished black iron armor that gleamed brightly, helmets on their heads and spears in their hands, fully armed from head to toe.

Anglie climbed out of the carriage and sat beside his father. "Is this Maruya City?" he asked softly.

"Yes. Once we enter, we'll be in the outer city. Joining this merchant caravan makes entering the city much more convenient, and we can skip the separate inspection." The Baron smiled. "Otherwise, even with a port entry permit, inspections at this time would probably be troublesome. We'd have to wait a long time. Merchant caravans are different."

Anglie nodded and swept his gaze around.

Double-horse carriages filled the area around them. Their convoy was buried among the mass of carriages and drew little notice. The soldiers beside them had long since stored their weapons and armor in the carriage compartments, disguising themselves as ordinary traveling merchants.

When they reached the city gate, a young, fat man descended from a redwood carriage at the very front of the merchant caravan. Dressed in gray-black robes, he looked more like a cook frying dishes than a caravan manager.

The fat man smiled as he quietly exchanged a few words with the three guards at the gate, then slipped one of them a small pouch. The guards immediately waved them through with broad smiles.

Anglie noticed that the guards' gazes were extremely sharp. When their eyes swept over him, he could even sense that they had clearly recognized their identities. They simply pretended not to know.

Mixed in with the merchant caravan that had been allowed through, their convoy quickly entered the city. Maruya's streets were very clean, with little dirt or garbage on the ground. Both sides of the street were densely lined with all manner of stalls, much like a flea market from his previous life. Some sold salt, some sold seafood, and some bought goods. There were also pearl sellers, as well as vendors displaying strange creatures Anglie had never seen before.

From time to time, stall owners and customers could be seen arguing and shouting by the roadside. Anglie's convoy traveled down the middle of the street, everyone staring curiously at the scenes on either side.

A group of port officials strolled leisurely past the roadside stalls, collecting management fees one by one. Carriage convoys laden with bags of salt passed Anglie and the others from time to time.

After traveling for roughly half an hour and turning down two streets, Anglie and the others arrived at an intersection. Beneath a cluster of grayish-white stone buildings beside it, a plump middle-aged noblewoman was already waiting with three servants.

The Baron spotted her from afar, and a smile appeared on his face. He leaped down from the carriage at once, opened his arms, and strode over. "My dear sister Maria, it has been such a long, long time since I last saw you. Seeing that you are in good health truly makes me overjoyed," he said loudly.

A gentle smile also surfaced on the middle-aged noblewoman's face. "Dear brother, I am also very happy to see you." The two embraced, and only then did the Baron gesture for Anglie, who had been following behind, to step forward.

"This is Anglie, my second son." The Baron patted Anglie on the shoulder. "He was born after you married. I suppose the two of you have never met?"

Maria's gaze fell upon Anglie. She looked him over from head to toe before smiling. "A fine child. I hope you and Buster will get along well. He is my son—your cousin."

Anglie hurriedly lowered his head respectfully. "Thank you for the compliment, Aunt Maria."

Maria nodded. "All right, I have already prepared a dinner at the manor, and Rose Manor has been cleared out for you. You can move in directly. But Brother, why did you bring so few people? Where is old Ward?"

The Baron's expression shifted slightly, darkening. "We'll discuss that later. Let's go back first."

Maria froze for a moment, then nodded. "All right, we'll go back first. Henderson, lead the Baron." "Yes, Madam," one of the servants beside her replied respectfully.

Anglie did not follow his father into the first carriage. Instead, he stepped back and boarded the second one. He knew that his father and aunt had not seen each other for many years and should have things to discuss in private.

Inside the carriage, Maggie, Cilier, their relatives, the apothecary, Captain Mark, and the others all wore somewhat gloomy expressions. When they saw Anglie get in, it was as though they had found their backbone.

"Young Master Anglie, now that we've reached the port, what can we do? Other than killing, I don't know how to do anything..." Mark asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Mark. You're one of my father's old retainers. Father will certainly make proper arrangements," Anglie said with a smile.

Beside him, Maggie and Cilier pressed close against him, trying to conceal the turmoil in their hearts. In this unfamiliar place, once the Baron had found his footing, aside from Anglie—the person most important to him—he might not concern himself much with anyone else. Especially those young men and women who could do nothing; even if they were related to him by blood, he might not take extra care of them. Moreover, with their territory gone and their income cut off, they might no longer be able to maintain their former lives. Thus, everyone was filled with worry.

Anglie sat in the carriage, considering how to comfort everyone.

Then the carriage slowly came to a stop.

"Anglie, get out here quickly!" the Baron's voice called from outside.

Anglie got down from the carriage in confusion. He saw both his Aunt Maria and his father standing outside, faint joy on their faces. "Father, Aunt Maria, what is it?"

The three carriages were parked by the roadside. After the supplies had been removed, the guards had boarded the carriages as well, leaving just enough room for everyone. At this moment, only Anglie and the other two had gotten out.

"Your father told me that you wish to enter an academy and study. That is a good idea. It is rare for your father to support it as well." Maria smiled. "You arrived at just the right time. Maruya Port Academy is currently accepting new students. Anyone under sixteen who meets the admission requirements may enroll."

"Maruya Port Academy?" Anglie had never heard the name before, so he looked toward his father.

"It is an old-established academy here, an excellent place that teaches combat techniques, tactical experience, music, literature, dance, painting, and all kinds of knowledge. I heard it even has the qualification to recommend students to Andes Alliance Academy." The Baron smiled. He walked to Anglie's side and whispered, "If you want news of the Alliance Academy and wish to formally obtain the qualifications to study there, this is a necessary step!"

Anglie was slightly stunned. "Is it expensive?"

"The enrollment fee is one hundred gold coins. Whatever course you wish to study, you must pay the corresponding fee. But for the knowledge you can learn, that price is nothing." The Baron looked relaxed.

Anglie, however, quietly sighed in relief. One hundred gold coins was not expensive to him, considering he had plundered the wealth of numerous bandits and horse thieves, as well as that of Count Philip and the other two. The wealth obtained from those horse thieves alone had amounted to around two hundred gold coins. Adding the nearly thousand gold coins from Philip, Anglie could now be considered something of a little rich man.

"Today happens to be the final day. The academy is still accepting registrations. If you go sign up right away, you can enroll directly," Aunt Maria explained. "I heard from your father that you wish to enter Andes Alliance Academy? If you perform well at Port Academy, perhaps you can be recommended to the Alliance Academy."

Understanding dawned on Anglie. "Then please have someone show me the way, Aunt. I'll go register immediately!"

Maria nodded. "I have a good relationship with Sir Shiva at the academy's registration office. His son recently needed a favor from Powat. So when I speak now, my words still carry some weight." Powat was her husband, Anglie's uncle by marriage. Anglie had heard that he was a minor official in the port's inspectorate.

"Then thank you, Aunt." Anglie was delighted and offered his thanks respectfully.

"However, the academy provides boarding. You will need to prepare your own clothes and other daily necessities," Maria reminded him.

"All right, I'll prepare them at once," Anglie answered.

Maria had a servant named Henderson take Anglie away alone to register at the academy.

Before he left, the Baron heavily patted Anglie on the shoulder. He said nothing, but his eyes were full of hope and expectation. Maggie and the others from the convoy also came out to see Anglie off.

Before everyone, Anglie forcefully kissed Maggie and Cilier on the cheeks, making it clear that both girls were under his protection. Only then did he take his packed luggage and leave with Henderson.

Even Anglie himself felt that this departure was rather rushed. But since he had happened to catch the registration period, and since he could no longer improve his physical abilities, the thoughts in his heart only became firmer.