After Mr. Cross and the horse were settled, all three of them stood before the inner gate of Sienne Magic Academy.
Unlike the decorative iron entrance they had passed through earlier, this inner gate meant business. A pair of guards flanked the archway, swords at their sides, their navy uniforms immaculate as they exuded gusto and authority.
"Hold!"
The three of them halted.
One of the guard stepped forward, his hand raised.
"State your business. The inner campus is restricted to students, faculty members, and invited guests."
Ravi fumbled with her bag and pulled out a small identification card.
"I'm Ravi Eschanon. These two are with me."
The guard glanced at the card and nodded.
"Ah, Ravi. The ace of our school. Good to have you back."
"Thank you."
Then he looked at Eli and Julianna. His eyes lingered on Julianna's sword.
"Still, I cannot allow those without a visitor permit to enter. Please understand."
Before Eli could step in, Julianna yawned and scratched the back of her head.
"I knew something like this would happen."
She rummaged through her pockets for a moment as the two pairs stared awkwardly at each other, then withdrew a small identification card similar to Ravi's.
"Here. Julianna Owens. Sienne Knight Academy. Class of—"
Both guards straightened instantly like they had just saw a ghost. The one holding Ravi's card nearly dropped it.
"M-Miss Owens! Our apologies. We didn't recognize you out of — sorry, please, go right ahead!"
All three of them entered the campus with unexpected ease, while Julianna waved them off like she was shooing flies.
"Thanks, boys!"
Ravi stared at her, mouth slightly open.
'The First Sword privilege is something else.'
Well… and the fact that she worked for House Lagranche, the harsh reality of social class persisted.
But the truth was much simpler than Eli had thought.
"I used to come here after school and beat up these nerds until sunset! Such fun times."
"Huh?"
Julianna turned around and grinned silly.
"These mages were so arrogant back in my years. Still is. But man! The ones back then were something special. They loved challenging knight students and making fun of our subpar intellect. So I beat their asses and never lost once! I think I carved my name on a wall somewhere."
Ravi's expression went through about five stages of grief in two seconds.
'So THAT'S your reputation with these magic students. No wonder the guards were scared shitless. You terrorized the campus!'
Eli could only sigh.
"Please stop scaring our guide."
"I'm not scaring anyone. I'm just being nostalgic!"
Past the inner gate, the academy grounds opened up into a massive and sprawling campus that Eli recognized from the game.
In HOTA, the academies of Sienne were shown in a collection of images: hallways, lecture halls, libraries, and the like. Safe to say, it didn't do reality any justice.
Beyond the gate, a path lined with silver birch trees led to a cluster of elegant quartz buildings with tall arched windows. The air carried the faint scent of old parchment and wisteria. Sunlight dappled the white stone pavement in golden patches. Not too glaring, not too soft. It brought just the right amount for the skin to absorb the nutrients of the gods.
Ravi walked beside Eli with her hands clasped behind her back, her posture still painfully rigid.
"The main lecture hall is the largest building where we take core subjects with everyone," she said, gesturing to a grand structure of white quartz at the end of the path.
"Most first and second-year classes are held there. Third-years and above spend more time on their concentrations in their respective halls. The elemental wing is behind the main hall — that's where my classes are."
Though her voice was stiff and robotic, at least the stammering was cured.
"The library is at the center," Ravi said, "and the faculty offices are in the north building."
When he read the story, Eli couldn't picture which buildings lay in which direction. But now, that satisfaction of finally obtaining a concrete answer to an age-old question warmed his chest.
Meanwhile, Julianna was busy watching a student levitate a boulder the size of a carriage.
"Woah… that's awesome. I've never seen those brats do that!"
Eli narrowed his eyes.
"Never? You bullied them every day, though…"
Juli puffed her right cheek and cupped her chin.
"Exactly! I only went here to pick a fight. This is my actual first time touring."
He smiled in defeat. A unique character like Julianna couldn't be reasoned, even if he tried.
As they moved along, Eli couldn't help but notice cracks in the seemingly pristine campus.
There was a collapsed section of the eastern wall, patched with plain brick instead of the original quartz and marbles; lecture halls were empty with darkened windows; a garden courtyard where the hedges had grown wild and untrimmed, encroaching dusty benches no one seemed to sit on anymore.
The students moved between them carrying staves, crystal vials, and textbooks thick enough to double as weapons. But it wasn't as hustling and bustling as Eli had thought it would. The campus felt… thin.
'There should be more people here.'
Eli glanced at Ravi.
"Ravi, how many students does the academy have right now?"
She hesitated for a second, just enough to confirm his suspicion.
"…Around three hundred. It used to be closer to six hundred when the Marchioness was alive."
'They lost half!?'
Sure, Navia Lagranche's death two years ago sent shockwaves through the entire Latia Kingdom, let alone Sienne. But this drastic decrease of students, commoners at that, were abnormal.
'No… this makes sense if you account for the Duchess's influence.'
The Duchess's plan to dismantle House Lagrange was deeper than Eli had thought. Without the Marchioness backing the academies politically and financially, families who depended on the House's protection would think twice about sending their children here.
Not to mention pressure from other nobles, who had voiced disagreements over the "erasure" of social class. The funding was essentially cut off, faculty would leave for safer positions, while prospective students would not dare to step foot on the academy's ground.
Julianna, who had been content to gawk at mages' tricks and relive through old memories, finally snapped her attention back to them.
"It's different," she said, scanning the buildings with a complicated expression. "When I was here, this place was super packed. You couldn't walk ten steps without bumping into someone."
Ravi's gaze dropped to the cobblestones.
"It's… similar over the Knight Academy."
Julianna didn't respond. She just clicked her tongue and looked away.
Eli watched two of the brightest students hailing from the academies the Marchioness had built and felt an ache settle in his chest. She had built them for the people of Sienne. She had poured her heart and soul into the welfare of her people, despite the criticisms and scorn. And in just two years after her death, they were already withering.
He looked at the cracked wall again, then the overgrown courtyard, and the empty classrooms.
'Irene… you'd cry if you saw this.'
Eli straightened his back and turned to Ravi.
"Ravi."
Ravi looked up at her.
"Yes?"
"Take me to the Headmistress's office. I have urgent business to discuss with her."