After rescuing Carmilla, Sylutia stayed behind at Gras College for a while, living together with Carmilla as they exchanged insights on Blood Clan secret arts. Sylutia helped Carmilla fill in the gaps in Clovante's history that she hadn't fully experienced.
In the evening, the two of them walked along the riverbank in the sunset glow, talking about Clovante's past.
"That Empress never married in her lifetime. After reorganizing the entire dynasty, she handed the throne to an adopted heir from the royal family and then passed away. From her ascension to the handover of the crown, she ruled the Blood Dynasty for nearly three hundred years, ranking second in the dynasty's history for longest reign, second only to the founding ancestor of the Blood Dynasty."
"Although her successors weren't as wise as she was, they still maintained two hundred years of stability. It wasn't until the next succession crisis that the dynasty began to decline." Carmilla spoke of her ancestor with a voice full of emotion.
"Although many great nobles among the Blood Clan had plenty to say about her centralizing power and suppressing the various factions, within the royal family, there was considerable reverence for this Empress. My sister Catella once said that her ideal was to become the second Clovante." Saying this, Carmilla stopped walking.
Along the river channel of the Grass District stood neat red-brick buildings. This city wasn't ostentatious, yet it possessed an ancient, time-honored character. In the dusk, lights in the riverside buildings lit up one by one, adorning the river's surface.
"Thinking about it this way, she probably already knew that Clovante's memories had awakened within her, yet she didn't resist."
"Sending me out was likely also her way of trying to keep me from becoming like her. Besides, if there were two Clovantes, we might have ended up in a fight to the death." Carmilla stopped walking and sat down on the sloped riverbank. Sylutia sat down beside her.
"After lowering my Bloodline rank, the influence of the memories within my blood weakened. If those two hadn't been hunting me, I probably could have barely suppressed it and then sought help from the 'Origin Hourglass' faction to find a solution."
"However, Empress Clovante's thoughts were probably different from my sister's. She would likely think that my previous actions were too weak, that placing the royal bloodline within the Mage Alliance was quite dangerous, so she wanted to capture me and bring me back."
After sorting through her experiences of leaving the Cliffside Royal Court, Carmilla gradually came to understand Catella's original arrangements.
Sylutia listened by her side, occasionally holding Carmilla's wrist to comfort her.
During their afternoon walk, Carmilla spoke a great deal, as if all the thoughts and feelings she had bottled up inside her before were pouring out today. Among them were childhood experiences, her complex feelings toward her sister Catella, and her respect and fear of Clovante.
"Although we're twins, I don't have Catella's great ambition. At first, our talent starting points were the same, but while I was busy playing around and being lazy, she worked even harder. That was also when she gradually began to pull ahead of me and eventually took over the throne from our mother."
After saying this, Carmilla lay back on the hem of the young girl's skirt, looking up at the slowly darkening sky. The riverside breeze blew gently, and she slowly closed her eyes, then nuzzled closer into Sylutia's embrace.
The girl's slender, fair fingers smoothed Carmilla's hair as she looked down at this Blood Clan princess.
"Are you thinking about your sister Catella?"
"A little. I'm worried she might be devoured and fused by Clovante. But for her, that would probably be willingly accepted." Carmilla opened her eyes again, speaking with somewhat sorrowful words.
Although Catella was still alive and would become very powerful, the twin sister she remembered in her memories might never return.
The two of them talked softly by the riverbank until the sky was completely dark. Only then did they get up and head to the riverside restaurant, where lights blazed and voices clamored, making it feel like the two of them, walking in from the darkness, had stepped back into the civilized world.
After the break ended, Sylutia returned to Tetis College. There were only a few days left until the start of the semester.
After resting well, the young girl lay on her soft, big bed, recalling the experiences of this break. It had only been two months, yet it felt like she had lived through centuries. Now, when she tried to recall the names of her other classmates, they felt somewhat unfamiliar.
What a long and special experience it had been...
She stared at the ceiling, raising her wrist. Between her slender fingers hung a pendant, a gift of thanks from Carmilla.
[Red Tear Pendant] (Fourth Tier · Rare)
'Crafted from a precious Red Tear gemstone, imbued with the blood of a Blood Clan royal. It can be used to call upon and sense the other party, and also to strengthen Bloodline Aspect abilities and spells.' (Special Sense +2, Bloodline Power +1)
Although the boost was only '+1,' the fact that it worked on all Bloodline Aspect abilities and spells made it quite a rare treasure. What's more, it contained Carmilla's blood, made before she had stripped away her royal bloodline. Using this pendant, she could roughly sense Carmilla's location.
Putting the pendant away, Sylutia lay in bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the new school year began. At the simple opening ceremony, the instructor outlined the goals for this academic year.
First, to get all the apprentices to step into the Third Tier this semester. Second, to begin practical experience in the Shadow World, content that could only be accessed after reaching the Third Tier.
After the ceremony ended, the apprentices gathered together to discuss.
"Tetis College's progress requirements are really high. We've only been enrolled for a year, and they want everyone to reach the Third Tier." A certain apprentice who was already at Third Tier complained.
"Actually, I don't think we need to be in such a hurry." Another apprentice, who had been at Third Tier since the first half of the year, responded.
"Being too hasty can easily cause mental issues." An apprentice who had advanced during summer break said the same.
"Am I the only one who thinks advancing is a really important thing? You bunch of bastards who already advanced!" An apprentice still at Second Tier stood up indignantly.
"Ahahaha." The classroom was filled with laughter.
After the complaints and jokes ended, Sylutia, as the Chief, was given a task. The academy hoped she could assist in guiding those classmates who hadn't advanced yet.
"Although it doesn't have much to do with you, if you do a good job on this, the academy will give you a nice reward." The instructor found her and explained.
Logically speaking, guiding apprentices through advancement was obviously more suited to the instructors, but the academy had other considerations.
First, for a school to survive, it didn't just need various resources and secret arts; it also needed some soft power, which was the degree of mutual solidarity among its members. This emotional bond was easiest to establish among fellow peers and easiest to turn into a long-term relationship.
Many mages' lifelong friendships were formed during their student years. After all, once they graduated, either working or immersing themselves in research, their channels for communication and socializing would become quite narrow.
Peers had more common topics, more shared experiences, and faced more similar difficulties and situations. These were the soil for the seeds of friendship to sprout. Between instructors and students, aside from academic exchanges, there was much less in other aspects, and it was hard to have significant overlap in life.
"I understand." Sylutia nodded slightly, indicating she grasped the academy's expectations.
"I'll do a good job leading everyone." She said the words to reassure the instructor.
This black-haired young girl was elegant, quiet, extremely methodical, and steady in her work. Many instructors considered her one of the most perfect Chiefs in recent decades.
The reason for saying 'one of the Chiefs' was because the current fifth-year Chief of the academy, Norez, was also exceptionally excellent, far surpassing previous years.
In the mage academy, grade levels were a symbol of strength. First-year freshmen needed to complete one year of study, and passing the end-of-term exam would allow them to advance to second year.
Second-year required completing two years of study. Third-year required three years. Fourth-year required four years. Fifth year had no fixed duration, and most of the time, apprentices no longer stayed at the academy, only returning for necessary ceremonies and further studies.
Under normal circumstances, Tetis College students could all pass their end-of-term exams and advance to the next grade. However, the fourth year had a threshold that would block a small number of apprentices, causing them to repeat the year. Its hard requirement was advancing to the Fourth Tier.
In other words, one had to step into the Fourth Tier to become a fourth-year apprentice. Otherwise, they would be held back.
Going from the Second Tier at the start of enrollment to advancing to the Fourth Tier six years later was a massive difficulty leap. Probably only Tetis College would dare to set such standards.
"In recent decades, only the group led by Norez had all members cross the Fourth Tier threshold within six years." The instructor recalled.
Hearing this, Sylutia couldn't help but compare the situation of the Hidden Grove Alliance. She sighed, realizing that the Mage Alliance was indeed much better at nurturing talent. As someone who had experienced both, she could very tangibly perceive the huge gap between the two.
The Hidden Grove Alliance was very much like the old apprenticeship system, where a craftsman would take on a few apprentices to help with work while teaching them a thing or two.
The Mage Alliance, on the other hand, had long established a mature academy system. They had dedicated personnel to organize the secret art texts and materials collected from various sources, to collate, verify, and improve them. They also widely accepted improvement proposals from excellent members within the school. If a proposal was deemed useful, they would give rewards and subsidies, and update the new content into the school's entire library and archives.
Resources in various branches and locations, and talents in various fields and industries, were all registered and filed. Whenever needed, they could be consulted and requisitioned immediately. Their ability and speed in mobilizing resources far surpassed the Hidden Grove Alliance.
This kind of advantage in system and structure was something the Hidden Grove Alliance had never possessed.
However, this wasn't to say that the Hidden Grove Alliance was ignorant. In fact, they were already quite open and progressive, allowing apprentices to freely choose any school within the entire alliance to join, and no longer strictly restricted the exchange of secret arts or the exchange of resources.
If compared to other continents, or the past eras of the Fourth Continent, one would find this kind of openness and progressiveness to be extremely rare.
On many continents, supernatural knowledge was held in the hands of the nobility, and ordinary people simply couldn't access it. Many factions each recruited their own talents, and there was never a situation where they pooled resources to teach together. It was very closed off. Some would even only pass on secret arts to blood-related descendants within the clan, never to any outsiders.
The small witch faction that Sylutia's old friend from Scorchstone City, Kolaia, had joined was a similar family-based system.
They had entrenched themselves on a stretch of coastline, controlled the local forces, were extremely familiar with the area, and possessed all the local precious resources. Joining them was like joining a family, establishing lifelong senior-junior relationships.
The downside was that one could only access the secret arts knowledge, resources, and people within the faction, limiting the breadth of one's insights and cognition. But the upside was that the members within the faction were closely bonded, very united, and would take responsibility for almost all major life events.
The new school year began. Sylutia spent this semester in fulfillment and tranquility. She started learning the advanced 'Dense Runes' and gradually got in touch with the crafting of mechanical creations.
At the end of the semester, the annual Silver Bell Festival began once more. This time, the one leading the group was not Norez, but another fifth-year Chief, a senior apprentice sister Sylutia had met the previous year.
"I get to see you again this year, Hedra. My name is Mias. I'll be leading you all to participate in the festival this time." The senior apprentice sister with chestnut-colored, wavy hair introduced herself with a smile.
"Greetings, Senior Mias." The young girl obediently nodded. Seeing her slightly cute appearance, the other couldn't help but gently tap Sylutia's forehead.
"I'm also relying on Hedra's good assistance this time. Your senior sister here is very weak, not as strong as Senior Norez. If I lose control of the situation, I'll make a big fool of myself." She said with a beaming smile.
After the introduction, she also learned the spell that Norez had used before and brought everyone to the 'Tower of All Things.'
This Silver Bell Festival was still lively, but for Sylutia, the novelty had diminished quite a bit. After all, she had seen most of these things before.
One additional stroke of luck was that she could gather again with a few other friends this time.
At this Silver Bell Festival, not only did Aurora come, but Lovier and Carmilla also participated. The four of them toured the various exhibition halls together, occasionally buying things, and talking about their experiences over the past half year.
Although they were now each in different academies, they didn't feel like strangers. In fact, because of the brief separation, they were even more excited and happy about this rare reunion. Carmilla, who used to be quite reserved in conversation, also spoke up quite a bit this time.
Through this gathering, Aurora and Lovier also got to know and understand this classmate with her bright golden hair quite a bit better.
"Back in the Asra District, Carmilla hardly ever spoke to anyone in class. I always thought she was the kind of cold and aloof type." Lovier pressed her fingers lightly against her chin, reminiscing about the past.
"I had just transferred schools back then, so I was quite shy and rarely spoke. Later, I just happened to run into Hedra on the street, and that's when we started talking and getting familiar." Carmilla brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she recalled the explanation.
"Is Carmilla's health doing alright?" Aurora turned her head, carefully observing, asking with slight concern.
"She still looks a bit weak." Compared to her time in the Asra District, Carmilla indeed seemed a bit paler now.
"It's fine, I'm used to it. After I advance to the Fourth Tier later, it should improve somewhat." Carmilla responded in a soft, weak voice. Her current appearance was not much different from when the two of them first met her in the Asra District, still carrying that fragile tone.
On the other side, the young girl who knew the true situation of this Blood Clan princess slightly tilted her head, finding it a bit amusing.
Because both Lovier and Aurora happened to have met and gotten together with Carmilla during her weakest period, in their impressions, Carmilla had always been that kind of sickly, delicate beauty in need of care.
Well, although she was indeed very weak now, Carmilla at her peak had also reached the Sixth Tier. If one considered the title of Blood Clan Queen and the boost from her bloodline, she could probably reach combat power comparable to the Seventh Tier. She wasn't someone just anyone could mess with.
In a few more years, after Carmilla completed her studies and graduated, she wouldn't need to keep hiding anymore. She could take back the bloodline abilities she had stripped away, and at that time, she would recover the powerful strength of a Blood Clan princess.
But for now, according to Carmilla's account, she was doing quite well at Gras College. There was plenty of ancient historical knowledge here that interested her, and she could also learn many new things that the Blood Clan had never understood.
Perhaps this Blood Clan princess would forge a path completely different from the past in the future, and also carve out another path of advancement for the Blood Clan.
The four of them chatted and laughed, and before they knew it, the day of the Silver Bell Festival had passed. Time flowed gently.
Comments