Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Black and White Knights
The day had finally arrived.
One of the most important events within the Royal Academy of Cyden officially began today.
Over the next three days, nearly one thousand candidates from across the kingdom would chase their dreams of becoming students of the academy.
Because of the selection ceremony, all academic activities were temporarily halted for these three days.
All second, third, and fourth-year students were free from classes and could instead enjoy watching the arrival of their new juniors.
Standing before the grand entrance of the academy, a girl stood quietly among the countless people walking around her.
Her eyes shone brightly with excitement.
Her long blonde hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, while her academy attire was stretched tightly around her chest, causing many male students to glance at her with interest while some female students looked at her with jealousy.
"I’ve been waiting for this day! The day I will finally find my prince! There is no way I’m going to marry that arrogant idiot. I’ll choose my own husband instead. Hopefully someone from a major noble house."
"Then I’ll live happily ever after, quit my life as a tamer, and spend my days as a spoiled and beautiful wife. Kiukiukiu!" she giggled mischievously while covering her mouth with one hand with sly expression appeared across her face.
The truth was, she never actually wanted to come here for the sake of studying. She only came to escape the forced marriage and hopefully find a man who truly matched her preferences.
Her name was Gloria Azustera, a tamer from the Duchy of Quivar. She lived in a luxurious mansion together with her father, who was the mayor of one of the duchy’s major cities. Her mother had already passed away from illness when Gloria was still a child.
Because of her beauty, countless men had attempted to win her heart over the years. However, she rejected every single one of them. But one day, a noble house belonging to a Duke family arrived and formally proposed marriage to her.
The Duke’s son was an arrogant teenager who constantly believed himself to be the strongest tamer in the entire duchy. Gloria truly disliked that kind of person.
However, if she outright refused the marriage proposal, she feared that her father’s position as mayor might become compromised because of offending the Duke family.
Luckily, due to her own talent, she was selected as one of the candidates for the Royal Academy, and the news arrived at the perfect timing.
Because of that, she told the Duke family that she wished to focus on her studies first for the next four years before giving them her final answer.
Fortunately, that arrogant young master did not attend the same academy as her.
"Alright! Let the mission begin!" Gloria declared enthusiastically while making a fist. Then, she immediately began walking forward.
As she walked through the academy hallways, Gloria was genuinely amazed by the academy’s design. The walls were built from beautifully colored stones, while the floors were made of polished marble that reflected her face clearly.
Many tall pillars decorated with intricate carvings lined the hallways, giving the entire place an elegant and majestic atmosphere.
Many colorful flags hung from each pillar, each one bearing the design of powerful and unique monsters.
Meanwhile, the ceiling was covered with breathtaking frescoes and oil paintings, creating the illusion of an open heaven above them.
But the most important figure painted there was Cyden Azure, the founder of the academy and also the very first king of the Kingdom of Cyden.
As she continued looking upward with interest, she suddenly bumped into someone.
Thump!!
The impact was so strong that it caused her to fall onto her buttocks. It honestly felt as though she had crashed into a solid tree.
"Auuch!"
"Ahh, sorry. Are you hurt?" a male voice suddenly asked her.
Gloria immediately looked up, ready to get angry, but the moment she saw the man before her, she became completely speechless.
He had black hair and beautiful golden eyes, along with a sharp jawline and a tall build.
’Ahh... did I actually find my prince already. T-This is way too fast!’ Her heart began thumping wildly inside her chest.
"Excuse me?" the man asked once more while offering his hand toward her.
"Ahh! It’s actually fine, thank you." Gloria replied quickly before immediately grabbing his hand.
The moment their hands touched, she could not stop herself from smiling inwardly.
’So many calluses...he must train extremely hard.’ Gloria thought while secretly admiring him.
"If you’re alright, then I’ll take my leave." the black-haired man said before walking away, leaving Gloria behind before she could even ask for his name.
"Arrghh! What is wrong with me?! I missed such a golden opportunity!" Next time I need to become more alert and proactive!" she vowed to herself dramatically.
She took one final glance at the man’s back before he disappeared completely into the crowd.
After that, Gloria continued walking again, though now feeling slightly disheartened and sighing non-stop. Soon, she arrived at a massive open area within the academy.
"Be careful!" someone suddenly shouted at her.
"Huh?" Gloria turned toward the voice in confusion.
Suddenly, a massive stone boulder came flying toward her and crashed nearby, causing her to lose balance and fall backward. Before she could even recover, another boulder rushed directly toward her.
"Kiyaaak!" Gloria screamed while covering her face with both hands.
However, before the boulder could hit her, a black slash wave suddenly appeared and blasted the incoming boulder into countless fragments.
Gloria slowly opened her eyes and saw a man standing before her with his back facing her protectively. He possessed slightly long white hair.
Then, he turned his head slightly over his shoulder, revealing sharp black eyes that emitted a cold and intimidating aura.
Gloria became completely speechless. But deep inside her heart...
’S-So terrifying...but he’s incredibly handsome!’ she thought nervously.
"Hey, are you alright?" a group of people hurriedly approached Gloria.
Meanwhile, the white-haired man simply left the area and walked away without any word.
"I-I’m fine," Gloria replied while trying to regain her composure.
"Didn’t you read the signboard at the entrance? This is the Battle Arena. You literally walked straight into the middle of an ongoing battle just now." one of them explained.
"Ahh! Sorry, sorry! I really didn’t notice it." Gloria bowed apologetically.
At the same time, she secretly tried stealing another glance at the man who had saved her, only to see him already leaving the area.
A strange sense of anticipation suddenly filled her heart. On just her very first day, she had already encountered both her black-haired and white-haired knights.
But at that moment, she still did not know, that both of them would eventually become extremely important people in her life.
