Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Founding the Magic Academy
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“What are you doing right now?”
“How about it? They’re too far away to hear us yet. Should I make a bit more noise?”
At this point, he couldn’t help but think it might have been less hassle to just wait outside until nightfall.
Ruyan stared at Alize in disbelief before finally giving up and looking away.
“Do whatever you want.”
“You’ve got some guts, huh? Fine. Then the negotiations are completely off.”
With her ultimatum delivered, Alize started hopping around, drawing the soldiers’ attention.
“Hey, look over here!”
Her voice was so loud that even people far away turned to stare at her.
In the end, Alize’s shouts successfully drew the soldiers’ eyes over the castle walls.
“Alize, what’s going on?”
A few soldiers, drawn by her voice, recognized her and approached.
Having achieved her goal, Alize turned back to Ruyan with a triumphant grin.
“See? Even now...”
But Alize couldn’t finish her sentence. Ruyan had already vanished.
“Wow! I’ve met all sorts of scum, but this is a new level of shameless.”
Alize craned her neck, scanning every corner, but couldn’t find even a trace of him.
The soldiers who had approached her followed her frantic gaze, looking around curiously.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Oh, nothing. I just lost something. It’s no big deal.”
Alize quickly schooled her expression and slipped away from the soldiers.
But her eyes burned fiercely.
That was definitely the voice from back then.
Not just Ruyan had recognized his opponent.
At that moment, Ruyan had already entered the depths of the village and was searching for lodging.
If it’s fate, we’ll meet again.
Ruyan did feel a sliver of curiosity about Alize.
What did her true face look like?
What was her goal in eliminating the shadow, and what did she want from him now?
He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious.
But that was as far as it went.
Ruyan had no intention of wasting time on mere curiosity.
Right now, his long-cherished goal of five years took precedence over some chance encounter.
“Ten silvers, though. No better than highway robbery.”
There was no way Ruyan, who had just emerged into the world, had that kind of money.
He had barely two silvers to his name.
After losing Blanc, he hadn’t engaged in any economic activity, so his funds were understandably tight.
As a result, Ruyan had to settle for a rundown inn.
The inns on the main street look way out of reach for two silvers.
Forcing his way into a remote alley, he glanced around and spotted a decrepit inn on the verge of collapse.
That one should do.
As he entered the shabby inn, the dozing innkeeper glanced at him sleepily.
“Meals are 20 coppers, lodging 30 coppers.”
The innkeeper showed little interest in his guest, but Ruyan found that reassuring.
Indifference is best for both of us.
Even in the Central Plains, innkeepers knew that seeing and hearing nothing was the key to a long life.
The Sobles Continent was probably no different.
Ruyan approached the innkeeper and silently placed 50 coppers on the counter.
The innkeeper pocketed the coins and slid a key across the counter.
“Third floor, last room. Want your meal brought up?”
“No need. I’ll come down.”
Remembering the Central Plains for a moment, an old habit slipped out unbidden.
But the innkeeper didn’t seem to care, burying his head in his arms again.
Ruyan climbed to his room indifferently, locked the door, and sat cross-legged on the bed.
I haven’t done any proper training in the last two days.
After five years of rigorous daily cultivation, his dantian already itched with impatience.
As Ruyan closed his eyes and focused, vast internal energy surged from his dantian.
Hummm.
Two full cycles of internal energy!
He hadn’t fully reached his previous life’s realm, but this was still an astonishing achievement.
He had long surpassed the transcendent stage, condensing his qi aura to conceal its form.
In the Central Plains, fewer than twenty martial artists had reached such a level. It was enough to dominate a region single-handedly.
But Ruyan’s accomplishments didn’t end there.
As his dantian opened and a blue dragon rose, golden wings resembling sunlight unfurled along its path.
One, two, and finally three wings rode atop the blue dragon, charging together.
Three mana circles!
Astoundingly, he had shattered the barrier of the second circle and reached the third.
Whoosh.
The golden mana flowing from the three circles exceeded one cycle by the Central Plains’ standards.
As mana and internal energy blended into the Return Heart Technique, a faint green aura flickered around Ruyan’s body.
That perfect fullness!
The massive energy flowing through his meridians was no different from the Divine Bow of his previous life awakening once more.
No, it’s different from back then.
He had advanced even further.
Now he wielded magic as a new weapon.
After a light Lesser Heavenly Circulation to check his condition, Ruyan began the full Greater Heavenly Circulation.
“Meditation.”
A third-circle mental magic that enhanced mana affinity and concentration.
To ordinary mages, it was merely an auxiliary spell for better meditation.
But when this “useless” magic settled into Ruyan’s body, something extraordinary happened.
Shhh.
His body blurred, then rippled like heat haze on a spring day.
Ruyan could already interfere with natural energies through mental power alone.
Adding magic’s power made his body assimilate with nature itself, on the verge of dispersing.
Wind Body Unification!
In a realm transcending time and space—Ruyan’s alone—the Return Heart Technique asserted its presence vividly.
How much time passed?
“Huuu.”
Ruyan exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
Irresistible presence of the Divine Bow slammed down—thud!—restoring his fading form.
“That’s enough for today.”
Darkness had thickened outside the window.
He had entered the inn with the sun high overhead, and now a long time had passed.
To found the magic academy today, he needed to move before it got any later.
Skipping his meal, Ruyan quietly slipped out of the inn and hurried toward the Mages’ Association.
This marked the true beginning of Ruyan’s journey.
As Ruyan descended the mountain, he set two primary goals.
First, establish a magic academy.
That was the very reason he had emerged into the world—it had to come first.
Second, eliminate every last mage from the Brighton Academy.
He had already dealt with the northern branch chief, but Ruyan’s rage hadn’t subsided.
He had merely punished them; forgiveness was out of the question.
Not even if the Brighton Academy crumbled entirely and all its mages perished.
Ruyan would never utter the word “forgiveness” amid that carnage.
They had committed an unforgivable sin.
Blanc, who had departed, would never return.
If you bastards have the skill to undo what you’ve done, then I’ll forgive you.
Ruyan bit his lip, etching “Brighton” deep into his heart.
He wanted to storm their headquarters right then, but everything had its order.
For now, founding the academy to carry on Blanc’s legacy came first.
Mages’ academies clash often, so following the natural path will lead to them eventually.
The streets were cloaked in darkness, but the Mages’ Association blazed with light.
Good, not too late.
Many mages came and went.
Mason Village had few mages, leaving the association quiet before—this was a stark contrast.
As Ruyan entered, a mage in the association’s signature white uniform greeted him.
“What brings you here?”
“I want to found a magic academy.”
Ruyan stated his business politely enough, but the response was icy.
“Sigh, these days every tom, dick, and harry wants to start an academy.”
The mutter was soft, but Ruyan’s ears caught it clearly.
A dissatisfied one.
That was all Ruyan felt—no displeasure, just letting it pass.
In the Central Plains, rumors painted him as a “demon who’d wipe out three generations with a glance,” but it was exaggeration.
In truth, he was deeply patient. He wouldn’t kill over a mutter.
As Ruyan stared blankly without changing expression, the association mage boredly handed over a form.
“You’re actually a mage, right?”
“If proof is needed, I can demonstrate a spell immediately.”
“Tch, whatever. Fill this out.”
The mage tossed over the academy founding application.
The three-page form had numerous fields, many tricky for Ruyan.
The most troubling was this:
-Q. Magic institution from which you graduated?
Strictly speaking, it was self-taught...
Blanc’s theories formed the foundation, but Ruyan had acquired them independently.
Forming mana circles and manifesting spells by fusing theory—all his own achievements.
Hmm, how to explain this best.
If it asked for a master, he’d have written “Blanc” without hesitation.
But “graduated” from an institution he’d never even seen? Tricky.
Better to tell the truth.
Ruyan disliked needless lies.
Especially ones that could cause early trouble.
Self-taught wasn’t a crime.
-None.
Ruyan filled it out honestly and plainly.
Perhaps too plainly.
When he submitted the carefully completed form, the mage didn’t even glance at it before thrusting out a hand.
“Ten gold.”
“What...”
“Academy founding fee.”
The questions were awkward, and now this—more surprises.
Troublesome. I didn’t expect it to cost so much.
Did his dismay show? The mage sighed heavily and grumbled on.
“Don’t ask why it’s so expensive. We have to update the national academy registry, report to the capital, include it in the periodical with a magic theory intro...”
Only then did Ruyan realize the Mages’ Association handled more than simple matters.
Money aside, there was plenty to manage.
I thought too lightly of this.
Ruyan’s naivety had reasons.
He was the Divine Bow.
A supreme being who stood alone.
With the Martial Alliance or Demonic Cult trembling at his mere presence, why bother building a faction?
Such a man knew nothing of the hassles of running a group.