The Rhine Empire, which once unified the entire continent, came to an end seven hundred years ago. The brutal war of division that followed lasted for hundreds of years until the rise of the Reles Empire three hundred years ago gradually brought it to an end. The current territory of the Reles Empire extends southeast to the Kexili Sea, borders the Marta Desert to the north, and is bounded by the Uleh Mountains in the west, also known as the Devil Mountains.

This is a land of founding that every emperor dreams of having, vast and fertile, with natural barriers that are difficult to cross on all sides. With such a foundation, reuniting the continent is only a matter of time.

The Reles Empire is a religious state. Although it has an emperor in name, the real power behind this vast empire lies with an organization called the Holy See. They firmly control the political structure and military power of the Reles Empire, shining the glory of the goddess Tiran on every inch of land on the continent with their far superior magical civilization and advanced alchemy technology.

Nomenge, the capital of the Reles Empire, is a sacred place that most people yearn for. Legend has it that it is as magnificent as heaven, and most believers believe that it is a place favored by Tiran, where all wishes can be granted.

The Mercyia Holy Academy is not the only institution of higher learning in Nomenge, but it is definitely the most authoritative one. It was established by the Senate at the founding of the empire and is directly under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. Even the police and the military cannot enter at will. Therefore, it is the path that all future elites of Nomenge must go through. Without a degree from Mercyia Holy Academy, one does not have the qualification to enter high society. Aristocratic children take pride in studying at Mercyia Holy Academy, while children from common families see it as a stepping stone to a different life. It is as if stepping out of the gates of Mercyia Holy Academy already makes one a half-official and prominent figure.

Cam Oakland has been the dean of the academy for thirteen years. Many students who have passed by him have now become important figures in the empire. Even the current emperor once studied at Mercyia Holy Academy.

Therefore, although he is only the dean of an academy, Cam has a huge network of contacts and even the high-ranking officials of the empire have to show him respect.

It may seem glorious, but only he knows that being in such a position is actually playing with fire. He is not an indispensable figure for this vast empire. There are not many who can replace him as the dean of Mercyia Holy Academy, but there are certainly not few. Behind the prosperity of Nomenge, there are countless bodies of inexplicable deaths.

He is only fifty years old and far from the age of retirement, but he no longer wants to stay in this place of right and wrong. As long as there is one more year, he will submit his resignation to the Senate.

Cam picked up the envelope in his hand, a black envelope with crimson seal wax. The striking hexagonal star seal was pressed deep, and there was a bright silver emblem on the front. It was a one-eyed emblem surrounded by bound wings. At the bottom, a sword and a staff intersected, with flames at the edge of the emblem.

This is a letter from an archmage, and it bears the emblem symbolizing their magical heritage, indicating the importance the archmage attaches to this letter.

He read the letter sentence by sentence, then looked up silently at the young man sitting opposite him at the desk. He looked about fifteen or sixteen years old with blue hair and blue eyes, wearing a black hooded mage robe with a neatly marked white scarf around the collar. On the left side of the collar was a silver cross, and on the right was the same emblem of heritage as on the envelope. This shows that he is not only an intermediate priest of the Holy See, but also a disciple of an archmage.

"I already know the purpose of your visit," Cam broke the silence first. He flipped through a thick file in his hand, the resume of Rocky Dolaville Oxias. "So, what is your opinion?"

"In general, you should have appeared here in August of next year. It is now October, and you have missed the enrollment time...even if you are a priest, it is not allowed. There are many priests who wish to study at Mercyia Holy Academy."

Rocky didn't interrupt, he knew Cam hadn't finished.

"But your recommendation carries weight, and I am willing to reconsider," Cam looked at him, as if trying to read something from those glacier-like blue eyes. "What course do you want to study?"

"Elementalism."

Cam frowned and sat up slightly, "You are a disciple of the Merlin succession, taught by one of the most powerful archmages of this era. Yet, you come to this academy to study a course that may not even be as professional as your own teaching?""On the path of magic, no one can claim to be at the peak. It is necessary to constantly explore the truth and seek confirmation from other scholars," Rocky said.

It was a standard answer that couldn't be faulted by Cameron. Yet, because it was too standard, it sounded somewhat unreal coming from this young man.

Cameron suddenly stood up, pulled the curtains closed, and confirmed that the door behind Rocky was securely shut before lowering his voice and asking, "Are you here for revenge?"

"No," Rocky shook his head. "I am grateful for the Church's forgiveness. My fellow clansmen committed serious crimes and deserved to die... I have no grudge to seek revenge for."

Silence once again enveloped the Headmaster's office. Cameron looked at Rocky, but still couldn't discern any emotions from those eyes.

"Alright," Cameron stood up and signed his name on Rocky's enrollment application. "Your student status will be established within three days. You can start attending classes tomorrow."

"Thank you," Rocky also stood up, bowed slightly to Cameron, then turned and walked out of the office.

As Rocky walked out of the Headmaster's office, a girl of the same age immediately approached him. She had fiery long hair and amber-like eyes that were so captivating that one couldn't look away. She was also wearing a mage robe with the same emblem of inheritance as him, but a mage only had one disciple, so this girl was his apostle.

Each inheriting Mage had an apostle, connected by a magical contract, serving as the Mage's most loyal assistant and protector.

"Rocky, you're so slow!" The girl looked quite dissatisfied. "I almost fell asleep waiting for you."

"From the time I went in until I came out..." Rocky took out a silver pocket watch and checked the time. "A total of 17 minutes and 11 seconds. Your patience and ability to sleep are quite concerning."

"Well? Can you attend classes here?" The girl ignored Rocky's sarcasm, her face full of excitement. "How youthful and passionate it is! Our campus life!"

"Regardless of whether it is youthful or passionate, this campus life is mine, not yours." Rocky reminded her. "You are my apostle, responsible only for taking care of my daily life, Alice."

"Hey hey hey! This is not what we agreed upon when we were on the road!" Alice became anxious. "You promised..."

"You did ask if I could have some fun... but I didn't say anything at the time."

"Not saying anything means agreement!"

"But that time meant refusal."

"I'm not a mind reader, how would I know if not saying anything means refusal or agreement?"

"..."

"Ah, now you're not saying anything again. What does it mean this time?"

...........................................................................................................................

It was only after Rocky's figure disappeared behind the door that Cameron withdrew his gaze. He let out a long sigh, unbuttoned his collar, feeling as if he had just completed a duel.

This young man came from the Oxias Clan, one of the most respected and prominent families in the Reles Empire, known as the Cross Lament. They were loyal supporters of the Holy See and had made significant contributions on the battlefield since the establishment of the Empire. Their power even had the ability to influence the Senate's decisions. But nothing is constant, and the Oxias Clan committed the crime of defying the gods five years ago. The Pope personally ordered their arrest, but the clan resisted until the end and even called in the military to suppress them.

Cameron still remembered that night, it was a disaster for the entire Nomenge. The flames painted the night sky red, as if a war had broken out in the capital city. It took several days to clean the bloodstains from the streets.

The Oxias Clan fell into a deep abyss overnight. Most of the clan members were executed on the spot, and only a few who did not participate in the resistance were imprisoned. The only member who was released was Rocky Dolaville Oxias.

Rocky Dolaville Oxias, the rebel, was only ten years old at the time. He presented his own sister's severed head to the military and led the attack from the family's secret tunnel, quickly suppressing the bloody rebellion.

The blue-haired youth was acquitted by the Church and appointed as a mid-level clergyman. The silver cross on his collar was obtained at the cost of thousands of lives from his clan.This incident caused a shock throughout the empire at the time. The Holy See continued to clean up the remnants of the Oxias clan for several months, during which people were scared to even talk about it, afraid of being associated with it.

Meanwhile, the core member of the Oxias clan with the purest bloodline, Rocky Dolaville Oxias, managed to escape the purge and gradually faded from people's attention.

However, after five years, he has returned. Now a disciple of a sorcerer, he has come back to this city, soaked in the blood of his own people. Facing Kam, he says, "There is no revenge to be sought."

Kam reopens the curtains, and the sky is gloomy, as if a storm is brewing.