"You want to tour the academy? Let me take you around. I've been here quite a few times and know my way around," Geoffrey offered.
"Hydis Magic Academy is one of the top ten academies in the Empire, a first-rate Magic Academy. It's ranked much higher than Ocean City Magic Academy and has far more rules—some areas are off-limits to outsiders."
Hearing this, Caius nodded. "Then let's go together."
"We're coming too!" Warren and Walter chimed in.
Just as Martina was about to speak, Geoffrey interjected, "You'd better stay behind. Someone needs to wait for the recipient."
Martina pouted, a little disappointed, but still nodded in agreement.
Apart from Kiki, who was new to the team and visiting for the first time, the others had accompanied Geoffrey on delivery trips to Hydis Magic Academy before. They weren't particularly interested in sightseeing.
The main reason they wanted to follow along was Caius himself.
The strength he had displayed made it clear he was destined for more than just being an obscure Brass-rank mercenary. Building a good relationship with him now seemed crucial.
But for the sake of the mission, Martina had no choice but to stay behind and wait.
"By the way, you mentioned Ocean City also has a Magic Academy?" Caius asked curiously.
"Yeah, it's called Ocean City Magic Academy, but it's only a third-rate Magic Academy. It doesn't compare to Hydis Magic Academy at all," Geoffrey explained.
Caius nodded, contemplating. Perhaps he could start by exploring Ocean City Magic Academy to understand how such institutions operated.
"Up ahead is the grand training ground. It's a public space where students exchange magical knowledge," Geoffrey suddenly said.
Caius looked over—impressive! The field was enormous.
In the Wasteland Corporation, academy training grounds were usually 400 to 800 meters long, but this one easily exceeded 1,000 meters. It was incredibly spacious.
The lush grass of the training field was dotted with students engaging in various activities. Some were having picnics, others napped under trees, some played with their pet beasts, while others gathered to discuss magic.
One student raised a hand, conjuring a head-sized water sphere. Another proudly displayed their newly formed stone armor. Others had visible currents of wind swirling around them, lifting them slightly off the ground.
Watching these students freely demonstrate their magic, Caius couldn't help but feel envious.
He had always wanted to learn wind magic. The village's guard captain had once told him that wind magic was one of the few branches capable of enabling flight at an early stage.
Caius was passionate about flying. In his previous life, his mercenary squad had stolen an armed helicopter from a corporate lackey, and that machine had become his personal ride.
But if he could soar through the skies using his own power, Caius imagined it would be far more thrilling than being crammed into a cockpit.
After crossing the vast training ground, they arrived at a building that resembled a cathedral.
Compared to a church, however, this structure was grander and longer. Through the stained-glass windows, Caius could see large classrooms inside—each resembling a parliamentary hall, with a wide podium at the front and rows of seats arranged before it.
Just then, he spotted a class in session.
Each curved table could seat five people, but the classroom wasn't full. Some tables had only two students, others three, and in total, there were only about forty students, spaced apart comfortably.
Caius thought the seating was quite roomy—even someone of his size would find it comfortable.
He wanted to try sitting down himself.
But Geoffrey informed him that outsiders weren't allowed inside the academic buildings.
For the next forty minutes, Caius and Kiki followed Geoffrey and the others around the academy before returning to the training ground.
The academy was enormous. Forty minutes wasn't nearly enough time to see everything.
Unfortunately, many areas were off-limits to outsiders. They could only admire the scenery and experience the atmosphere from designated pathways.
The library, pet beast garden, magic practice area, dueling grounds, and academy magic shop—Caius couldn't see any of them.
"One day, I'll be able to enter those places!" Caius declared confidently.
Geoffrey and the others simply smiled without comment.
Confidence was good, but without magical talent, it was meaningless.
Hydis Magic Academy was not like Ocean City Magic Academy—it wasn't a place where money alone could buy admission.
Unless, of course, one had enough wealth to influence the academy itself…
They all agreed that with Caius's physique, he could undoubtedly become an outstanding warrior. But a mage? That seemed far less likely.
However, Kiki seemed to believe in Caius wholeheartedly. Clenching her tiny fists, she chimed in, "Then… then I'll get in too, Meow!"
"Haha, we'll go in together then!" Caius laughed heartily.
"Mm!" Kiki nodded eagerly, and Geoffrey and the others didn't have the heart to dampen her enthusiasm.
Just then, a commotion erupted from the training ground.
Curious, Caius turned to see students gathering in one direction, their voices rising in excitement.
Intrigued, he followed the crowd.
It seemed classes had ended, and students were exiting the academic buildings. However, they were all stepping aside, creating a clear path down the center.
Then, as a wave of murmurs spread through the crowd, a particular group of students emerged.
What made them stand out?
First, their attire.
While ordinary students wore blue uniforms, this group wore white as the primary color, accented with gold. Their outfits were simpler in design yet exuded an air of elegance and nobility.
Then there was their demeanor—each of them carried themselves with an air of pride, walking with their heads held high, faint smiles playing on their lips as they basked in the reverence of those around them.
Lastly, they bore silver-white unicorn emblems on their sleeves.
Seeing them, one word immediately came to Caius's mind—
Nobility!
Yes, this group exuded the unmistakable aura of wealth and power.
But what truly caught Caius's attention was the figure leading them.
A tall young woman.
Unlike the others, her outfit was predominantly gold with silver-white accents, exuding an even greater sense of nobility.
She seemed around seventeen or eighteen, yet carried herself with grace and poise. Her fitted uniform accentuated her nearly flawless figure.
As she walked, her golden hair shimmered like waves in a sea of sunlight, flowing elegantly with each step.
A silver-white rapier was fastened to her waist.
Her chin was slightly lifted, radiating confidence and pride.
Though expressionless, her golden eyelashes and striking blue eyes gave her the ethereal presence of a celestial being.
Her beauty was breathtaking, even to Caius.
Perfect.
Back in his past life, corporate technology had reached the pinnacle of cosmetic surgery. Changing one's face was a simple matter.
Many Wasteland celebrities went to extreme lengths for beauty, some even replacing their entire faces with custom-designed synthetic implants that made them look like characters from fantasy holovids.
If you had the money, you could be as beautiful as you wanted.
Caius had seen countless beauties before.
But compared to this girl?
There was no comparison.
The artificial perfection of those corporate-engineered faces paled before her natural radiance.
Those fake faces were like AI-generated images—no matter how flawless, they always looked unnatural.
Caius could even tell which celebrities had faces made by the same corporation, despite their different designs.
But this girl?
Her beauty was real—beyond the reach of technology.
It was the kind of beauty that, once seen, could never be forgotten.