DRAGONBORN SORCERER-Chapter 46: Niondra Mystic Academy

The nation of El Niora was no different from other Great Kingdoms in many respects.

However, it possessed several distinct traits that set it apart from the rest of them. Foremost among these was its unparalleled mastery over mage crafts and sorcery.

Unlike other nations where quests and monster activities were handled by clans or guilds, El Niora had entrusted this responsibility to the prestigious Niondra Mystic Academy.

In addition to teaching the young generation the arts of magic, graces, and blessings, the academy also assigned quests to its students. These quests were a means of assessing their ranks, worth, and potential.

One particularly unique feature of El Niora was the absence of any traditional warrior classes. Fighters, archers, tanks, and even heroes and guardians were nowhere to be found here. The only exception was the healer class, regarded as the eighth elemental grace, which was wielded by a select few. However, even this exception had its own peculiarities.

Thus, it was fair to call this the ’Country of Mages.’ To be recognized as a legitimate mage, one had to attend the Mystic Academy. It was a law mandated by the government.

El Niora was also governed not by a king, but by a board of seven individuals, each responsible for the nation’s regulation. As mages were the heart of El Niora, those on the board possessed immense strength and authority, making them some of the most powerful figures in the country.

"Yes, they’re all sorcerers," Maya said as she walked ahead of Skyler, while crossing the town and leading him toward Arnol Viser whom Skyler wanted to meet. "Each one masters a specific element and is known as one of the ’Seven Sovereigns’."

"Like the Flame Sorcerers?" Skyler asked, feigning understanding, "I’ve heard of them."

"You may have," Leon chimed in. "But if you’re thinking of the Flame Sorcerers from the so-called Xion group, you’re gravely mistaken. Our ’Seven Sovereigns’ are far more powerful than them."

Skyler barely listened, tuning out the braggadocious words.

’Yeah, I get it. They’re powerful. And I don’t care about them. I’m here for my work. I’ll be gone before the knew it.’

"By the way," Skyler asked as he attempted to shift the conversation elsewhere, "How much farther is your academy? We’ve been walking for hours."

"Are you tired?" Charlotte teased. "This is nothing compared to our daily warmups. But don’t worry, we’re almost there."

Her words were true. They soon arrived near the academy, and Skyler was taken aback by the structure of the country.

The towns were divided into distinct segments, each specializing in a different aspect of magical industry— item forging, scholarly pursuits of magic and mana, military training, magic-enhanced factories, even magical farming.

It was as if the entire country was a bustling marketplace, each sector selling goods crafted with mana and magic.

But none of it mattered to Skyler. What truly captivated his attention was the capital city, Niondra.

It was suspended high in the sky as though a floating and stationary island— as though a part of land descended directly from the heaven itself, radiating its brilliance and divinity majestically.

It was home to the Seven Sovereigns and a few selected ’High Profile Individuals’. Common people wouldn’t even have a dream to get an opportunity for visiting the capital.

Beneath it, there remained the vast academy— the Niondra Mystic Academy.

The academy itself was colossal, about five times the size of ’Rosevill Grand Church’. Its buildings radiated brilliance white and blue, gleaming with an elegance that enveloped the entire campus and dormitories.

Skyler could feel just how much mana it was unleashing which provided stability to the floating capital. It was the finest work of magic to show superiority— a symbol of supreme authority.

At the academy’s entrance, guards stood watch, preventing anyone without permission from entering. As Skyler attempted to cross the threshold, they halted him.

"You there," one of the guards said, as he looked at Skyler suspiciously. "Never seen you before. Care to identify yourself?"

"What’s going on, brother?" Emily called out in embarrassment. "He’s a close friend of the Queen of Rosevill. Don’t treat him like that."

The head of the guards, a tall man with crimson eyes and red hair like Emily’s, was Chris Harris— Emily’s older brother.

"Sorry, sister," he replied with a voice like a heavy boulder. "We’re just doing our jobs. No one gets in without proper identification."

Skyler sighed. He knew that something like this was inevitable. But he regained hi calm demeanour.

"Will this be enough?" he asked, handing over a letter from Rosaline. "I’m here to deliver this to Mr. Arnol Viser"

Chris scrutinized the emblem stamped on the letter. His keen eyes examined it thoroughly before speaking.

"This seems authentic," he said with a resigned sigh, returning the letter. "But we still need your proof of identity."

Skyler’s face filled with irritation. He hated being interrogated like this, even though he knew it was just part of the process. He handed over his Adventurer’s License.

It was a bit different than the last one. Previously, he was registered as only a stage-1 mage. However in the new one, ’Stage-5 Mage’ was curved on it.

It was Leonardo’s advise so that he could avoid unwanted attentions. After all, the strength he wielded was even greater than of a stage-5 mage.

Another thing that was changed, was the grace’s list which showed how many different elements he could wild.

"Skyler, is it?" Chris said, raising an eyebrow. "Stage-5 mage? Impressive. But what stands out is your affinities—Thunder, Water, and Light. That’s rare."

"Is it?" Skyler replied, feigning indifference. "What’s so remarkable about it?"

"Nothing much. Just Light grace is extremely rare in this country, that’s all." Chris explained, handing back the license. "Anyway, you’re cleared to enter. Apologies for the inconvenience. We’re just doing our jobs."

Skyler gave a stiff nod. "Thanks for letting me through."

With that, he crossed into the academy grounds with Emily, Maya, Charlotte, and the others. Emily’s face was still flushed with embarrassment, but Skyler paid little attention.

As they walked toward the main building, Maya suddenly froze, and panic seized her expression.

"Crap! We forgot to complete our assignment before returning!" she exclaimed, causing a ripple of anxiety among the group. Only Skyler remained confused.

"What assignment?" he asked, clearly lost.

The students’ eyes brightened, their earlier panic replaced with sparkling hope. In unison, they turned to Skyler with pleading expressions. "Please help us, Skyler."

’Don’t give me that puppy-dog eyes.’ He thought, seeing them suddenly changing their behaviour.

But their eyes were too pure— too innocent, and he could barely resist their faces. He couldn’t help himself but to sigh.

"Okay fine!" He replied, "If I can help, I’ll do it. So what’s the big deal?"

"Oh, it’s nothing big," Maya replied with a grin, though there was a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "We just need you to sign this paper."

"What’s it for?"

"It’s our assignment to save someone from bandits." Maya explained, as she tried to play it down. "But no one’s been in trouble, so we’ve been looking for someone to save. We figured it would be fun to capture them instead, but you ended up taking them all out."

"So that’s why they were mad at you?" Skyler raised an eye brow, "You’ve been taking up on them even though they weren’t attempting any thievery?"

"Well, duh!" Charlotte admitted with a sheepish grin. "We were bored, and this seemed like a fun idea. And to be honest, they were no match for us. Until." A hint of regret appeared on her face, "Until they used those Mana Prevention Crystals. But in the end, you did our job for us."

"Well, sorry about that," Skyler muttered.

Emily still had that red-faced. She wasn’t satisfied.

"Sorry doesn’t cut it. Just sign it, and we’ll show you the way to Professor Arnol."

With a resigned sigh, Skyler signed the paper, handing it back to them.

"Happy now?" he grumbled. "Now can you show me to Mr. Arnol Viser?"

"Gladly!" they replied with beaming smiles. "Follow us."

They led him into the office building. It was far larger than its outside looks. They had used every bit of magic just to established this institute.

As they approached the end of the corridor, they halted in front of a door. It was a normal door as for any other entrances. Though there was something different about this specific this one.

By the door there was a sign, and it clearly written as "Causation," which intrigued Skyler for some reasons.

Before he could inquire, the students took a few cautious steps back. They smiled forcibly when Skyler looked at them as though they were trying to hide something crucial.

Their faces filled with unease as they tried to ignore the sign.

"Bye! Have a great time!" they said, hastily retreating.

Skyler was left standing before the door, perplexed, but not particularly frightened.

’What’s the worst that could happen?’ he thought, before knocking.

The moment his hand made contact, the door surface triggered something and exploded outward, shrouding him in a cloud of smoke.