Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 739 - 738: Imperial Academy

In the following few days, there were no more fluctuations in the Mind Network. Daniel had begun investigating the rumors about the phenomena, while Gawain continued to monitor the domestic and foreign situation, focusing on the operation of the large Imperial machinery he had built. Time quietly passed by amidst all this.

On the first rest day of the Fog Month, the weather was uncharacteristically clear.

Today, there was something worth celebrating in Cecil City.

The radiant light of the sun dissipated the thin clouds in the sky, shining brightly on the streets of wintery Cecil. Citizens, dressed warmly and cheerfully, gathered and thronged toward the southern Mage District of the city.

An expansive and newly constructed building stood at the end of this street, adjacent to the Mage District’s architectural cluster, next to the Rune Research Center and the Magic Guide Technology Research Institute. Facing the district’s avenues and the semicircular "Knowledge Square," it resembled a coronet atop the South City District, receiving the citizens’ admiration and cheers.

— The Imperial Academy would officially go into operation today.

The guards of honor formed an impressive array in the Knowledge Square. A high podium was set up at dawn, with long blue-and-gold banners bearing the Sword and Plough Emblem draping down the sides. Under the newly risen sun, they exuded a solemn radiance. Four heavily armored White Knights stood vigil at the sides of the podium. When Gawain, dressed in formal attire, appeared, the White Knights and the soldiers lined up in the square simultaneously turned and saluted their loyal monarch amid the clashing of metal armor.

Before stepping onto the podium, Gawain turned to look at the newly constructed building behind the podium—

The castle-style main building of the Imperial Academy stood under the bright sky, flanked by two subsidiary buildings on either side and four sentinel towers around the Academy, all gleaming in the sunlight. Inside the Academy, new fountains, flowerbeds, and Magic Obelisks spun silently on the square, blending a classical mystical aura with the unique beauty of modern magical industry.

Gawain couldn’t help but recall the low, brick-and-tile houses, fenced walls, dust-filled squares, and the rickety shanties of the former Cecil General Academy.

What a transformation it has been.

As the southern borders developed, especially with the reorganization of the Old Anzu Kingdom, many of the foundations Gawain had laid in Cecil City became inadequate, particularly the rudimentary infrastructures that now faced necessary upgrades and renovations.

The Cecil General Academy was once instrumental in training the first batch of crucial intellectuals for the southern regions, completing the first four-year literacy mission. However, as the population of Cecil City continued to grow, demand for higher-level education increased, and seekers from all over the North poured in. The once-simple Academy had gradually become overwhelmed.

In response, Gawain began planning a larger capital Academy a year ago to serve as an "educational facility model" within the new order he was establishing. Originally named "Cecil Advanced Academy," it was later renamed "Imperial Academy" following the establishment of the Empire, undergoing a series of adjustments to fit the new imperial context. Today, it finally opens its doors to the public.

As an "advanced" academic institution to the Cecil General Academy, the Imperial Academy can accommodate more seekers and offer higher-level education. Initially divided into four divisions, focusing on Magic Guide Technology, Cultural Academics, Extraordinary Education, and Modern Military. It’s further subdivided into disciplines such as Runology, Mechanics, Philology, History, Law, Magic, Alchemy, Society, Natural Sciences, Military Strategy, Modern Weaponry, etc. It can be said that the entire new order Gawain was building is encapsulated within this Academy’s comprehensive and complex system.

This Academy will be open to all, just like the previous Cecil General Academy, as an institution that disregards the seekers’ backgrounds and prohibits any differential education.

The former Cecil General Academy has not been abandoned due to the establishment of the Imperial Academy. It remains preserved and has undergone some refurbishment and renovation. Only two streets away from the new Imperial Academy, it continues to execute literacy and foundational education functions, providing educational opportunities for seekers with little or no background.

In a way, the General Academy serves as a pathway for the lower class to enter the Imperial Academy — lower-class individuals with little to no foundational knowledge can scarcely keep pace with the specialized education of the Imperial Academy and cannot compete in a higher-grade institution with privileged peers. However, they can fill this gap at the General Academy, whose recommendation letters and scholarships will become aids for citizens aspiring to study at the Academy.

This is a makeshift but effective "patch measure" set up by Gawain within the current social structure.

Gawain stepped onto the podium prepared for him, wearing a heartfelt smile as he glanced slowly over the multitude gathered in the square.

Cheers erupted from all directions, with everyone in the square joyfully shouting and saluting the founder of the Empire.

"Citizens, welcome to this place. I’m pleased to announce to you that a new facility capable of bringing welfare to the Cecil Clan will be operational today. It’s right behind me..."

Among the crowd in the square, a young man with short brown hair stood in an inconspicuous corner, looking up at the Emperor of Cecil speaking on the podium like everyone else.

However, unlike others, though the young man’s eyes also contained respect, they appeared more composed, with a hint of curious appraisal.

Giant holographic projections stood by the sides of the square, with amplified voices resonating throughout, thanks to the magical devices. Every time Gawain Cecil said a few words, cheers would arise from the surroundings, prompting the young man to raise his head and look around—curiously observing the enthusiastic and joyous citizens, feeling the peculiar fervor emitted by everyone around him. He finally couldn’t help but tap a passerby next to him:

"Such a grand gathering... Is everyone here gathered voluntarily? How does everyone know there is a gathering today?"

The passerby glanced at the young man, loudly asking, "You’re from out of town, aren’t you?"

The loud voice seemed to make the young man slightly uncomfortable, having him retreat half a step back almost imperceptibly, yet maintaining a polite and courteous smile on his face: "I... I am indeed from out of town."

"Then it’s normal you’re not familiar," the loud-voiced passerby said cheerfully, "Such gatherings are major events in Cecil City. They usually showcase various new and interesting things, or significant new policies, which naturally catches everyone’s interest. There’s always newspaper coverage before the gatherings, and announcements on the Magic Web broadcasts. Basically, unless someone stays indoors all the time and doesn’t read newspapers, they’ll be aware of the gathering..."

The young man showed a look of sudden realization: "I see..."

Suddenly curious, the loud-voiced passerby asked: "Hey, young man, what brings you here?"

"I’m here to study," the young man replied with a smile, raising his hand to point to the direction of the Imperial Academy, "I’m going there."

"Wow—that’s incredible!" the loud-voiced passerby suddenly widened his eyes, "You are sure to have a promising future."

The young man blinked: "Why do you say that?"

"It’s simple reasoning, really. When you go to school, you learn more things. The more you know, the better job you can get. In factories, in the Administrative Office, in the army, all these respectable places require you to be able to read and write," the passerby said with a smile, revealing a hint of pride, "Take me for example, I used to do hard labor in the mountains, but now I am a technician in a factory, all because I attended night school back then..."

The young man listened somewhat blankly to the loud-voiced person speaking to him, gradually becoming a bit surprised.

These are simplistic "reasonings," but they are ultimately "reasonings."

A common citizen, sharing these "reasonings" with such confidence and happiness, this was truly an unprecedented experience for him.

"Anyway, young man, just study hard," the loud-voiced passerby suddenly reached out and pat the young man’s shoulder firmly twice, "I can see you have potential. This place welcomes people with potential. What’s that phrase Master Godwin said... Oh yes, this is a good era!"

The young man instantaneously widened his eyes in amazement as the other person’s hand was about to hit his shoulder. He instinctively frowned, attempting to dodge, but only slightly shifted before stopping in place, allowing the hand to heavily land on his shoulder.

The powerful impact on his shoulder caused the young man to sway slightly, a somewhat odd expression appearing on his face momentarily. He then concealed it with a slightly stiff smile, casually uttering a few words in response before turning his body and squeezing out from the crowd.

He intended to move towards the edge of the square and inconspicuously leave via some small path, returning to his temporary residence. However, after walking a few steps, he seemed to sense something and stopped.

Looking up, the young man slightly squinted in the bright sunlight, noticing two figures approaching not far off.

One was a blond man his age, whom he did not recognize.

The other was a cheerful man with silver short hair, dressed in a dark blue silk coat.

He recognized him.

He was someone from another family.

The heir of the Northern Duchess, Fendil Wilder.

The distinctive cold magic power aura was unmistakable, and evidently, the young Northern heir had yet to master the core magic control skills of Duchess Victoria. His appearance in the square was marked by an overt aura of magic power that could not be concealed.

The young man with short brown hair smiled as he walked towards the two figures in the distance. The other parties also clearly noticed him, and before he spoke, the heir of the North already raised his hand high, calling out loudly, "Elywen! You’re here too?"

Elywen Franklin quickly stepped forward, his eyebrows involuntarily furrowing slightly, "Fendil—shouting like that in the square is hardly behavior befitting a marquis."

"Come on, I barely got out of Auntie’s sight," Fendil Wilder immediately waved his hand, "Besides, for you to blend into the crowd and watch the gathering, is that befitting of a marquis?"

Beside the two, the blond young man, Philem, initially meant to greet a friend of a friend, but instead found himself wide-eyed and somewhat stupefied. He glanced at Fendil, then at the stranger labeled "Elywen," finally settling his gaze on Fendil, "...ah?"

"...Damn, I haven’t quite figured out how to say it yet," Fendil suddenly realized, he couldn’t help but press his forehead, then shot an eye at Elywen, "How many times is this now that you’ve messed up my affairs?"

Elywen paused for a moment, seemingly guessing some things. He looked at the bewildered Philem and then at Fendil, "So, this gentleman is...?"

"My travel companion, we met on the Highlanders—oh, Highlanders is a Magic Machinery Ship, you know, it’s..."

"I know the machinery ship, I traveled on the White River," Elywen shook his head helplessly, "So, you haven’t revealed your identity to this travel companion?"

"I didn’t want to spoil this rare journey," Fendil smiled bitterly, turning to Philem, "I’m sorry, Philem, but I didn’t mean to hide it. I simply wanted to ensure that my identity as the heir to the Northern Duchess wouldn’t affect our time together—meeting a friend outside the castle is truly not easy."

"Heir to the Northern Duchess..." The golden-haired young man from Balon finally confirmed the terms he heard, the shock making him feel almost breathless, "Oh my...so your full name is..."

"Fendil Wilder," Fendil said, then gestured at Elywen beside him, "This is Elywen Franklin, Marquis, son of the Duke of the West. Ah, I should take this opportunity to detail his titles and numerous honors, but frankly, that would be too tedious, so let’s skip that part.

"Elywen, the gentleman before you is Mr. Philem from Balon, the creator of Magic Shadow Drama, a distinguished playwright...at least, that’s how I see it."

Philem’s gaze jumped back and forth between the two heirs of duchies, and as someone aspiring to be an outstanding playwright, he suddenly had doubts about his capacity to script a drama.

In the face of a theatrical reality, his imagination as a playwright surprisingly seemed insufficient.