Chapter 359: Academy Visit [3]

Zura led them away from the administrative spire, gesturing toward the wide path ahead. "You have already seen this place, but let me still refresh your memory. This is the Welcome Plaza. It’s usually packed with students, but since it’s summer vacation, it’s pretty empty right now."

She gestured around at the sparse crowd. A few students sat on benches near the fountains, and a couple of stalls were still open, but most of the plaza was quiet.

"During the semester, you can’t even walk through here without bumping into someone. Club recruitments, food stalls, study groups, and impromptu ’sparring matches’ that end up getting broken up by faculty." Zura added, shaking her head fondly. "Anyway, let’s keep going."

She led them past the plaza and toward a large building with wide glass doors. "This is the main cafeteria: three floors, each one serving different styles of food. The first floor serves everyday meals, the second offers more formal dining and magical meals, and the third is reserved for special events and VIPs. The food is actually decent, and the head chef is a Master Magic Chef."

They continued down a tree-lined path, passing several smaller buildings along the way. "Those are the general study halls. First and second years have most of their classes there. Nothing too impressive, but they get the job done."

Further ahead, a small stone building came into view. It was old, with weathered walls and a single wooden door that looked like it hadn’t been replaced in centuries. Compared to the modern-style buildings they had passed, it looked almost out of place.

"What is this place?" Soren asked curiously.

"It’s the library," Zura replied with a mysterious smile.

"The library?" Soren raised a brow in confusion.

Zura grinned. "You’re thinking it’s too small for the best academy on the continent, right?"

Soren nodded honestly.

"That’s because you’re only looking at the shell," Zura explained proudly, gesturing toward the ancient structure. "The building itself is centuries old, preserved from the academy’s founding, but the interior was expanded using high-tier spatial magic. What looks like a tiny stone cottage on the outside is actually an endless labyrinth inside."

She began walking again as they took in the lingering spatial mana drifting near the entrance. "It holds miles of bookshelves, ancient archives, and private study rooms folded into localized dimensions. You could spend a lifetime in there and still not read everything."

"That’s indeed amazing," Soren muttered in awe.

"Mm, mm," Zura nodded enthusiastically. "Ethea and I used to come here all the time. Especially before exams, we would basically move into one of the private dimensional study rooms for days on end."

"And you usually fell asleep after thirty minutes of reading," Ethea added quietly, a subtle upturn at the corner of her lips.

Zura let out a light laugh, not even trying to deny it. "Hey, those spatial pockets are dangerously cozy! Can’t blame me for taking advantage of the atmosphere."

Soren chuckled, imagining the scene in his head.

They continued walking, passing more buildings along the way. A few training halls, potion workshops, and dormitories for first-year students. Zura pointed them out one by one without slowing down, her commentary brief but informative.

Eventually, they reached the end of the open grounds, where the pathway terminated before an imposing set of colossal stone walls embedded with glowing runic arrays. In the center stood a massive iron gate, guarded by two armed sentinels and flanked by a tall crystal pillar.

Zura stopped in her tracks and turned around, gesturing toward the structure. "Unfortunately, we will have to stop here. Because beyond these gates lies the inner campus. You can’t enter without special permission, and unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to bring guests inside yet."

"No, it’s alright," Soren reassured her. "I had a great time seeing everything. The outer campus feels massive and interesting on its own."

Zura grinned, nodding in agreement. "Actually, we only covered about a quarter of it. There’s plenty more to explore, so let’s keep moving!"

They spent the next hour walking through the remaining districts, taking in the rest of the sights before finally circling back to where they started at the welcome plaza.

Zura let out a satisfied exhale and turned to Soren. "So, what did you think?"

"It was fun," Soren said honestly. "Thank you for taking the time to show us around. I know how busy you are."

"Don’t mention it. It’s been a while since I got to play tour guide." Zura waved a hand dismissively, then glanced at Ethea. "And what about you?"

"It felt a little nostalgic," Ethea admitted. "Thank you, Zura."

"Anytime, Lea." Zura smiled, then gestured toward the main gate. "Come on, I’ll walk you both out."

They made their way back through the plaza and toward the academy entrance. As they approached the gate, Soren slowed his pace and turned to the two women.

"I’ll head out first and bring the car around," he said. "You two take your time."

Zura nodded. "We’ll be right behind you."

Soren nodded and quickly took his leave. The reason they were moving separately was simple. The academy’s exit was likely under surveillance by the Valmere family, and he couldn’t risk being seen with Ethea, who was in a wheelchair. That was why Zura had brought her in earlier, and it was safer if Zura brought her out too.

The only unfortunate thing was that they failed to encounter his little sister during the tour. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of her, even from a distance. But the academy was vast, and she was likely in the inner district or somewhere else on the grounds.

’There will be other chances,’ he told himself. ’Now that we have a connection to the academy, it’s only a matter of time.’

He reached the car, got in, started the engine, and pulled around to the pickup spot. A few minutes later, Zura emerged with Ethea, pushing her wheelchair at a casual pace. After helping her into the car, they said goodbye.

"Take care, you two," Zura said. "And don’t forget about dinner."

"We won’t," Soren replied. "See you later."

They watched until Zura’s figure disappeared into the campus. Soren pulled away from the curb and merged onto the road. They had only been driving for a minute when his phone buzzed.

"...It’s a message from Ryan."