Chapter 15: Trouble In Arcadia

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Trouble In Arcadia

Arcadia Academy stood at the heart of Valemont, occupying an enormous stretch of land in one of the city’s most valuable districts.

The academy covered more than two thousand acres, making it almost a city within the city. Tall buildings, training grounds, magical laboratories, dormitories, and countless other facilities filled the vast campus.

A pale golden defensive barrier surrounded the entire academy. From a distance, the barrier looked almost like a second sky hanging over the grounds. It protected the academy from outside threats while also monitoring everything within its range.

Although today was officially a rest day, the entrance was surprisingly quiet. There were very few students or instructors coming and going.

That was not particularly strange. Students at Arcadia Academy were not ordinary college students. Most of them spent nearly every spare moment training, studying magical theory, or improving their combat abilities. Even on their days off, very few were willing to waste an entire day relaxing outside the academy.

However, Xavier and Marcus soon noticed that they were not the only ones waiting outside the gates.

A group of roughly thirty people had gathered there. Most were young men and women around the same age as Xavier and Marcus, and several of their faces looked familiar.

Xavier recognized some of them almost immediately. They were people who had attended the government matchmaking event the previous day. Just like Xavier and Marcus, they had been assigned positions at Arcadia Academy, so they had arrived before the two o’clock reporting deadline.

The group was already discussing the different positions available.

"I’ve already made up my mind," one young man said excitedly. "I’m going for security. If I get that position, I won’t have to spend decades working my way up from the bottom," he added.

"Security sounds good to me too," another man quickly agreed. "You mostly have to monitor the entrance and deal with anything suspicious. How difficult can that be?" he said.

"I’d rather work in administration. At least I’d be indoors, and I heard the monthly salary is eight thousand crowns. If I can get that position, I’ll be satisfied," a young woman said, shaking her head.

"My partner and I are hoping to become cleaners," another woman said. "The work might be tiring, but at least it’s straightforward. You don’t have to make complicated decisions, and there aren’t many opportunities to make serious mistakes," she added.

She lowered her voice slightly.

"I’ve also heard that mistakes at Arcadia Academy can have much more serious consequences than they would at an ordinary workplace," she said.

"I don’t really care which position I get. As long as they give me a job, I’ll take it," someone else said, shrugging.

The conversation continued as more people discussed their expectations. For most of them, this would be their first proper job. They were excited about earning a steady income, receiving government benefits, and finally having some direction in their lives.

Xavier stood quietly among them and listened. He had no intention of competing for an ordinary position. His reasons for wanting to remain at Arcadia Academy were completely different.

The academy was filled with talented mages, martial practitioners, instructors, combat manuals, magical resources, and powerful people. For someone who needed to grow stronger without attracting unnecessary attention, it was an extremely useful place to stay.

Unfortunately, there was one problem. They still had to pass the academy’s assessment.

While everyone was talking excitedly about their future, a tall, thin young man suddenly spoke. His tone was noticeably different from everyone else’s.

"Do you really think getting a job at Arcadia Academy is as wonderful as you all imagine?" he asked.

The lively conversation immediately quieted down. Several people turned toward him.

The young man glanced around before continuing.

"I happen to know someone who works here. He’s related to my neighbor, and he’s told me things most outsiders have never heard," he said.

He paused deliberately.

"Just one week ago, six members of the academy’s night staff died," he said.

The crowd fell silent. The young man’s expression became serious.

"They didn’t die peacefully, either. Their bodies were found in terrible condition. From what I heard, something tore their hearts out," he said.

A few people’s expressions changed immediately.

"What?" one asked.

"Are you serious?" another said.

"How come I’ve never heard anything about that?" a third added.

Two men in the group immediately stepped forward.

"Stop spreading rumors," one of them said. "If ordinary academy employees had really been murdered, everyone would have heard about it," he added.

"Exactly," the second man agreed. "Look at the defensive barrier surrounding the academy. It’s not only meant to keep threats out. It also monitors the entire campus. If something dangerous entered the academy, the instructors would notice," he said.

The tall young man gave them a dismissive look.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about," he said.

He pointed toward the golden barrier.

"That defensive system may be powerful, but it consumes magical crystals every time it operates. Do you honestly think the academy can keep something like that running constantly?" he said.

His expression became more serious.

"There’s a special situation happening right now, which is why the barrier is currently active. Once that situation is dealt with, the academy will eventually shut the system down again," he said.

The people around him exchanged uncertain looks.

The young man continued before anyone could interrupt.

"And don’t assume that because the academy is filled with powerful instructors and students, ordinary employees will automatically be safe," he said.

He looked around the group.

"Think about it. If someone deliberately targeted Arcadia Academy, what kind of person would have the courage to do it?" he asked.

Nobody answered.

The young man gave them the answer himself.

"A powerful mage or martial practitioner," he said.

His voice dropped.

"An ordinary person wouldn’t even have the ability to get past the academy’s defenses. So if someone powerful really decides to attack this place, do you honestly think people like us would survive if we happened to be in the wrong place?" he said.

That question immediately made several people uncomfortable. There was no need to explain the difference between ordinary people and trained practitioners. The gap between them was enormous. A powerful mage could kill an ordinary person almost effortlessly. If someone with malicious intentions targeted the academy, an inexperienced employee would have very little chance of surviving an encounter with them.