Rocky and Alice walked side by side on the tree-lined path of the Holy Academy of Mercia. The trees in the late summer season were exceptionally charming, with sunlight streaming through the branches and creating various shapes on the cobblestones. The air was filled with the scent of rain-soaked soil.

The academy was very large and located in the central district of Nomenge, the imperial capital of the Reles Empire. It was surrounded by government offices, so there was no need to worry about unauthorized personnel entering. The decorations here were exceptionally detailed and magnificent, clearly designed by highly skilled architects and artists. Bronze sculptures were displayed on both sides of the road, representing the outstanding students of the Holy Academy of Mercia throughout the generations. Some had already passed away, while others were currently in the center of power in this vast empire.

Rocky had already changed into the academy's standard uniform, consisting of a white shirt and a white scarf. However, the outer mage robe had been replaced with a loose black cloak. He had also removed the silver cross and heritage insignia from his collar, replacing them with the student emblem of the Holy Academy of Mercia. It consisted of four circles overlapping a cross, with the cross representing the goddess Tiran and the four circles representing the Senate, Pontifical Palace, and the upper and lower houses, symbolizing religious, royal, and civil authority.

Alice was also wearing the uniform, her black skirt swaying lightly with each step, and her small leather shoes making a soft sound on the ground. However, she didn't have a student emblem on her collar, as she had entered the academy as an attendant, and the school apparently had no intention of giving her a student status.

The two turned a corner, and suddenly a blue building came into view. The entire building was blue, enveloped in glass that reflected dazzling colorful lights as the sunlight shone upon it. Only up close could one see the exquisite reliefs on the glass walls.

"This is the Moon Palace, the central building of the entire academy," Rocky glanced at Alice and said, "Its original name is 'Minastan,' which means wisdom and diligence in the ancient Rhine language. When viewed from above, it resembles a crescent shape, and the interior decoration is themed around the starry sky. There is a crystal lamp that looks like the moon hanging from the dome, hence the name."

"It's beautiful... but what's the meaning behind it?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Whether it has meaning or not depends on whether you are religious... It is actually a church for the students of this academy to attend worship."

"Huh?" Alice raised an eyebrow. She noticed that Rocky had walked past the front gate of the Moon Palace without any intention of stopping. "Rocky, aren't you a clergyman? Shouldn't you go in and greet your deity?"

Rocky didn't answer but instead led the way toward another path on the other side of the Moon Palace. "If we keep going this way, we'll reach the library. It is the largest building in the academy, with a wide collection of books that includes famous works from nearly a thousand years ago. There are even some rare editions... and after passing it, we'll reach the teaching area. The classroom for Elemental Studies is in the White Stone Hall. Classes probably haven't started yet, so we'll be there just in time... Later, we may have to introduce ourselves, so be honest and don't cause any trouble."

Alice pouted. "I know, but it seems like you're quite familiar with this academy. It doesn't look like you're a new student at all, as if you've been here before."

Rocky shook his head. "I just took the time to memorize the student handbook provided by the school. That's the basics..."

He paused, his gaze drawn to something. He couldn't look away.

Alice followed his gaze and noticed a bronze statue. Compared to the other statues on both sides of the path, it didn't stand out. It appeared to be a young girl, facing the path with a book in her left hand and a paintbrush in her right hand. She had a serene expression, with a faint smile on her lips. The limitations of the bronze sculpture couldn't fully capture her beauty, but it was still evident that she must be incredibly beautiful. The sculptor had done everything possible to convey her beauty.

But no matter how beautiful the statue was, it couldn't possibly compare to Alice, a living being. Even when they first met, Rocky hadn't stared at her like this. It was the first time Alice had seen such an expression on Rocky's face.

So much tenderness, so much... sorrow.

"Rocky... if we don't leave soon, we'll be late," Alice felt a pang of jealousy. She couldn't accept that she was less beautiful than a statue.

Rocky seemed to be startled awake from a dream, instinctively raising his palm. Threads of faint light gathered around his pupils, a sign that he was about to use magic.He quickly realized his improper behavior and quickly dispelled the magic. The winter returned to his eyes again, and he turned and walked away without looking back at the bronze statue.

During the rest of the journey, Rocky remained silent, with his eyes lowered, lost in his thoughts.

Until the two arrived at the White Stone Hall, a snow-white building made entirely of marble.

Rocky gently pushed open the door, and a huge stepped auditorium was exposed before their eyes. The podium was located at the bottom, and the audience seats were raised higher towards the back.

Due to the little incident on the way, the auditorium was almost full by the time they arrived. The magic instructor was already standing on the podium, ready to start the class. Elemental studies were one of the hottest courses at the Mercy Saint Academy, and even students who did not specialize in it would make time to attend the class.

There are two ways to learn magic. The best option is to train under a mage and live in a magic tower, receiving personal instruction from a powerful mage and studying the magical heritage that has passed through countless ages. A mage born from this kind of learning is called an inheritor mage and has unique insights into magic, being known as the "mage among mages". However, there are very few mysterious and great mage instructors, and they only take on one disciple. If the disciple cannot inherit as the next mage instructor, it means the end of the lineage. Therefore, mage instructors must select exceptional magical geniuses carefully to continue their brilliant legacy. This kind of exclusive magical learning path was destined not to become mainstream.

Thus, another option emerged, which was public education provided by professional magic instructors. Although it seemed to differ by only one word from a mage instructor, the reality was entirely different. Each mage instructor possessed terrifying magical abilities akin to natural disasters, while magic instructors only needed to have a thorough understanding of various basic magic knowledge. Mages taught by magic instructors would become renowned mages, capable of wielding the power of magic, but destined to never reach the heights of inheritor mages. However, they had the advantage of being able to spread magic widely. Additionally, they were the main source of magic users in the Reles Empire's military, as very few inheritor mages served the empire.

Rocky's arrival drew everyone's attention, and hundreds of eyes stared at him, mostly filled with confusion.

There are many students in the academy, and although they may not know each other personally, they would have at least encountered each other. After all, this is the Mercy Saint Academy, and any one of your classmates could be a friend or opponent in the future. As long as there is an opportunity to learn more about each other, no one will let it pass.

Rocky was obviously unfamiliar to them, with some people whispering and exchanging information. But in the end, no one knew anything about this blue-haired youth, indicating that he was a transfer student.

Alice, who was following behind Rocky, also received attention from the students, but their interest quickly waned when they noticed that she wasn't wearing a student emblem. The remaining lingering gazes from students were mostly from male students.

Rocky nodded slightly to the students and the magic instructor on the podium, then spoke, "I am Rocky Dolaville Oxias... and this is my companion, Alice."

Then, he led Alice to sit in the empty seats at the back row, took out a notebook and pen from his pocket, and prepared for the class.

Such a brief introduction was enough for these mostly extraordinary young individuals to gain more knowledge. Although the magic instructor's lecture was vivid and colorful, there were very few students actively listening to him. The term "rebel" was spreading among the whispered conversations.

Rocky glanced at Alice, and she nodded in agreement. The magical connection between a contracted master and their apostle allowed commands to be communicated without the need for spoken words.

Their voices were very low, but Alice had excellent hearing. While listening to the students' conversations, she quietly relayed them to Rocky.

"So, this is the 'Suppression of Rebels Hero'... Although his entire family committed serious crimes, they are still blood relatives. I wonder what his feelings were when he beheaded his own sister?"

"Probably excited, considering he was bestowed with the title of intermediate priest at such a young age."

"But it's only impressive on the surface. In reality, it's just a ceremonial position with no real authority. The Senate must reward him with something to save face, but they cannot actually let him take a position of power.""He was able to survive because of the blessing of Tyrannus... If he can betray once, he can naturally betray again. If I were the Pope, I would never forgive such an inherently rebellious bastard."

"He is not a bastard. The Oxias family is of pure bloodline, followers of a different religion."

Alice stopped her account here. She couldn't continue. Fury overflowed in her fiery eyes. She suddenly stood up, her movement so forceful that it even knocked over the chair behind her.