Violet Academy

White River City, the provincial capital, lay cradled in the arms of this mother river.

There were no vast golden wheat fields here, nor herds of cattle and sheep.

The city's prosperity rested entirely on its enormous commercial trade, with its central pillar being the industrial chain built around dungeons and monster materials.

Because White River Province possessed the densest cluster of dungeons in the entire kingdom, it had naturally become a holy land for adventurers.

On both sides of the enormous white river, wide enough for medium-sized merchant ships to sail abreast, stood countless towers and spired buildings.

There gathered the most comprehensive professional training academies in the entire province and even the surrounding regions.

As the last glow of the setting sun was about to fade, the magical streetlamps lining the roads began to light up one after another, casting a soft, warm yellow glow.

The scenery along the White River was completely different from the rustic tranquility of Grayrock Town. This place radiated youthful, restless energy.

Young men and women in uniforms of every color could be seen strolling along the broad stone-paved riverbank.

Some hurried along with heavy textbooks tucked under their arms, while others sat in pairs on riverside benches, whispering softly to one another.

Here, the boundaries between races seemed far less distinct.

Besides humans, beastfolk students retaining obvious animal traits could be seen weaving through the crowds everywhere.

There were even lizardfolk swordsmen dragging thick tails behind them, sturdy dwarf blacksmith apprentices, and nimble halflings.

This was a city of inclusiveness and endless possibility.

And no matter which corner of the city they stood in, whenever they looked up, they could see the grandest landmark rising along the White River.

It was White River City's largest magic academy.

Violet Academy.

At the peak of its towering central mage tower floated a massive circular structure made of countless metal rings and runes.

It was the floating library that countless students called the "Ring of Truth."

When night had fully fallen.

The enormous ring slowly rotated under the power of a magic array, releasing specks of white fluorescence like stardust, as though a brilliant Milky Way had descended into the mortal world.

Mysterious and beautiful.

At that moment, inside a private office within the tower encircled by the ring.

An elderly man dressed in a deep violet mage's robe sat behind a desk piled high with parchment.

He held an exquisite silver letter opener and slowly pried open an envelope sealed with wax.

The seal bore the emblem of the White River City Adventurers' Association.

Under normal circumstances, official correspondence like this would be handled by the administrative office.

But the old man knew very well that only one person in the world would deliberately send him a personal letter through this channel.

That old bastard far away in Grayrock Town.

An old fellow like himself, retired from the ranks of veteran adventurers yet still unwilling to live quietly.

The old man unfolded the letter and, beneath the light of the magical lamp on his desk, read it carefully from beginning to end.

"Heh..."

After reading the final line, the old man set down the letter and shook his head helplessly.

Who would have thought that this old fellow, who usually cared so much about saving face, would actually lower himself and ask for help over something like this?

Grayrock Town...

The old man's gaze passed through the window toward the southwest.

That was where their old captain had been born.

It seemed that old fellow truly intended to put down roots in that rural place and train a new batch of capable adventurers there.

"Fifteen days until the Golden Sheaf Moon."

The old man lightly tapped the desk with his fingers as he calculated in his mind.

The academy's students who had only just mastered basic spellcasting skills were like flowers in a greenhouse. They truly needed a real storm to temper them.

He could send them over under the pretense of an "off-campus internship." It would solve that old fellow's urgent problem while also improving the students' practical combat ability.

It would kill two birds with one stone.

Still, business was business.

It was rare to see that old fellow acting so humble, and a mischievous smile appeared on the old man's wrinkled face.

He immediately spread out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped his pen in ink.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In his reply, he wrote a long string of mocking remarks, every line brimming with delight at his old friend's current predicament.

He even deliberately dug up embarrassing incidents from decades ago, back when the two of them had still been adventurers in the same party.

Having finally gained the upper hand, he could make that old fellow stomp with rage while forcing him to swallow it down.

Just imagining that old bastard's beard-blowing, eye-glaring expression when he received the letter made the old man feel utterly satisfied.

Just as he was writing with gusto, his grin nearly stretching to his ears.

Knock, knock, knock.

The heavy oak door of the office was suddenly knocked upon.

The old man's expression froze instantly.

At a jaw-dropping speed, he wiped the smile off his face and stuffed the letter into a drawer.

Then.

He straightened his back, hardened his expression, and made his gaze stern and profound, instantly assuming the air of a serious, rigid professor.

After adjusting his collar, he finally spoke in a low, imposing voice.

"Come in."

"Professor Gideon."

As the heavy oak door was pushed open, a soft voice drifted inside.

The visitor did not walk directly to the desk. Instead, she stood by the door and respectfully bowed to the old man behind the desk.

Her movement was so flawless that no fault could be found with it, making her seem exceptionally polite.

Gideon adjusted his glasses and got a clear look at the visitor.

She was a young girl in the bloom of youth.

She had long, pure white hair like fresh snow, with two fluffy, adorable buns arranged on either side of her head.

Two finely braided little plaits also hung from her temples, trailing down along her cheeks.

The girl had a classically oval face, and her features were as exquisite as a work meticulously sculpted by an artist.

What set her apart most from ordinary humans were the ears peeking out from her hair.

They were long, with slightly upturned tips, declaring the elven blood flowing through her veins.

She wore an off-the-shoulder pure white dress, its collar decorated with delicate, intricate ruffles.

The outfit made her look not merely like a well-behaved student, but more like a display doll that had been carefully dressed up.

Seeing the girl's outfit, Gideon felt several dark lines form across his forehead.

He rubbed his throbbing temples and let out a helpless sigh.

"Cecilia, did your aunt dress you up again?"

Though it was phrased as a question, Gideon already knew the answer.

At Violet Academy, only that woman would do something like this.

Cecilia's aunt was also a renowned practical combat instructor at the academy.

She was a powerful veteran adventurer, but because of her extremely fiery temper and eccentric behavior, the other academy members privately called her the "Violet Madwoman."

But whenever she faced her own niece, that madwoman instantly became an incurable niece-obsessor.

Her greatest hobby was dressing her beautiful niece like an exquisite doll to satisfy some strange obsession with changing outfits.

Hearing the professor's question, Cecilia lowered her head a little shyly, lightly twisting the lace at the hem of her dress between her fingers.

"Auntie said... this dress suited today's sunshine."

Just as expected.

As Cecilia's mentor, Gideon felt deeply helpless about it.

Such a talented girl was going to be led astray by that madwoman.

"All right, sit down first."

Gideon pointed at the chair across from his desk.

Only after the girl obediently sat down and placed her hands properly on her knees did Gideon ask seriously.

"I called you here today because I wanted to ask whether you've chosen your career path yet."

At the mention of business, the shyness faded from Cecilia's face, and her expression turned serious.

At Violet Academy, once students had mastered basic combat or spellcasting techniques, they would face an extremely important choice.

They had to determine their future professional path and receive the academy's specialized training.

This was not unnecessary fuss.

Those self-taught adventurers outside might not understand, but academy-trained students were generally taught this knowledge.

A professional's power system was not merely a matter of piling up statistics.

After formally taking up a class, the growth coefficients of one's physical attributes underwent a qualitative transformation.

Attributes that had been difficult to improve before changing class would become far easier to raise after receiving class adjustments.

That was why the academy required students to meet the prerequisites for their chosen class as quickly as possible and complete the class advancement ceremony early.

Only then could they make use of class bonuses and maximize their gains throughout their future growth.

This was core knowledge that ordinary adventurers could never access, an educational barrier built on expensive tuition.