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Walking through the corridors, I kept comparing my surroundings with the map to understand where I was. If the map was correct, I needed to return to the mages' wing, then go down one floor and walk straight ahead, where the storage hall should be.
As I walked down the corridor, I saw different stuphons, ranging from humans to the occasional orc dressed in armor. The latter grimaced at the sight of me.
Passing by one of the classrooms, I spotted Nreu and Heya sitting at desks, surrounded by other stuphons—it was probably their class. They were already wearing mage uniforms. I couldn't make out their insignias, but it seemed to me that Nreu was not particularly happy to see his younger sister nearby. After all, she was more talented than he was.
Back in the castle, the princes and princesses had never gotten along well with one another, since any of them could become the next emperor or empress. Of course, many had arranged marriages, but if the empire formally absorbed those kingdoms, even politically, it would still benefit them. And when the emperor and empress eventually stepped down from the throne, that would be a major advantage in the struggle for succession. Not to mention the endless schemes and hidden games at court.
After glancing at them, I continued walking.
I found myself wondering—was it possible to make friends here, or was this place just like the court, where no one could truly be trusted?
From what I understood, both nobles and commoners studied here. Talent mattered more than status, patronage, or bloodline.
After going downstairs, I saw a line of young people waiting and realized I had come to the right place.
Looking around, I decided to confirm it just in case.
"Excuse me, is this the line for the storage hall?" I asked the girl standing in front of me.
She had dark hair, a pretty face, and a slim figure. Judging by her clothes, she wore loose-fitting trousers and a simple shirt.
The girl looked up at me carefully, clearly trying to assess who I was and where I came from.
But since I was now an exiled prince, dressed in plain clothes without any decorations or crests, she had likely taken me for an ordinary person.
"Yes, this is the line for the storage hall. And if you don't want trouble, don't talk to me, or you might regret it," the girl said irritably before turning away.
I silently nodded and waited for my turn.
The line moved slowly, but eventually I began to see the door and the sign above it. On average, each person—or representative of another race—spent five to ten minutes inside. Most likely because of uniform fitting and adjustments for different races.
While waiting, I looked around the line.
There were humans, light elves, dark elves, and even.
If I remembered correctly, the highest quality weapons were forged by dwarves—they were masters of their craft.
Opening the map, I searched for a specific location. Once I found it, I made a mental note to visit the forge later to see whether dwarves actually worked there or if it was staffed by other races.
Pulled from my thoughts, I realized it was finally my turn. The girl in front of me had already gone inside.
A few minutes later, the door opened, and she stepped out. Seeing me, she clicked her tongue and walked away.
Shrugging, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The smell of fabric greeted me immediately.
Different uniforms hung along the walls, ranging from mage robes to swordsman gear.
At the far end stood a desk, behind which sat a man dressed in plain clothing, clearly indicating that he was neither a professor nor a stuphon.
Approaching the desk, I studied him. As far as I could tell, he was a hired worker whose job was simply to distribute uniforms and room keys.
He looked me over as well, then after a few seconds sighed and asked,
"Mage or swordsman talent?" the man asked in a raspy voice, staring directly into my eyes.
"Swordsman. Mage Hunter," I answered calmly.
I noticed his eyebrow twitch, though he quickly hid his surprise.
Walking out from behind the desk, he moved along the wall, pushed aside several uniforms with one hand, and pulled out a specific one. Returning to the desk, he took out a knife and handed it to me.
"You need to bind it, so no one but you can wear it, and so any attack against you will be blocked by a magical shield. If you damage or lose the uniform, a new one costs forty currency. Also, sign here to confirm receipt," the man said in the same calm, raspy voice, handing me both the knife and a document confirming I had taken the uniform from storage.
Nodding, I pricked my finger with the knife.
A drop of blood landed on the crest of the uniform, and it immediately began to glow.
I handed the knife back and signed the receipt.
The man nodded, then pulled a key from the desk drawer and placed it on top of the uniform.
"You're free to go. Don't lose the room key. That's a fifty currency fine, and replacing the lock costs one hundred," the man warned.
I mentally noted that I would need to treat both the uniform and key like precious treasures. I still had no idea how difficult it was to earn currency in the academy.
Leaving the storage hall, I noticed the line had grown even longer.
Letting the next person through, I draped the uniform over my arm and checked the map.
Now I needed to find the stuphon dormitories.
To get there, I had to leave the academy, cross the courtyard, walk through the park, and the dormitories should be somewhere beyond it.
Mentally approving of my plan, I listened absentmindedly as stuphons chatted among themselves.
Continuing down the corridor and descending another staircase, I finally found the academy exit.
Stepping outside, I saw a park where stuphons sat beneath trees. Some were resting, while others were clearly discussing something with friends.
Hearing the laughter of different races around me, I walked through the park.
The sun shone brightly overhead, and a gentle breeze ruffled my hair, forcing me to try and fix it. But since both my hands were occupied, I quickly gave up on the idea.
Sighing, I continued toward the dormitories.
After another ten minutes of walking, I spotted two buildings. As far as I could tell, one was for women and the other for men.
Watching where the male students were heading, I followed them toward the same dormitory.
The dormitory was a multi-story building made of white stone.
Approaching the door, I struggled a little before finally pushing it open and stepping inside.
The hall was large.
To the left was a staircase, while in the center stood tables and sofas. From what I understood, this was where stuphons gathered to discuss studies—or perhaps organize joint missions.
Looking at the key, I saw that the room number and floor were engraved on the keychain.
Since my room was on the second floor, I saw no reason to use the elevator.
Climbing the stairs, I entered a long corridor illuminated by magical lamps. Each door had a room number engraved on it.
After checking the number on my key, I approached the correct door and unlocked it.
Stepping inside, I looked around the room.
It was small.
A single bed stood against the right wall, while a desk was placed opposite it near the left wall.
For someone who had grown up surrounded by luxury, the room looked barely larger than my bed and wardrobe back at the castle.
But now this could be called my home, and I would have to adapt if I wanted to survive.
Walking over to the bed, I placed my uniform and map on top of it.
Then I returned to the door, glanced around one last time, and locked it from the inside.
Of course, stuphons couldn't enter another student's room without the resident's consent, but it was still reassuring to know the door was locked.
Returning to the bed, I examined the uniform.
It was entirely black with red accents along the sides.
The crest depicted a sword shattering some kind of spell.
Pressing the crest twice, I saw the time appear.
It was six in the evening, which meant I still had four hours left before the ritual.
After changing into the uniform, I didn't feel any discomfort—except for the red cloak.
It kept bunching awkwardly and made me look like I had a hump on my back.
Thankfully, it could either be shortened or detached completely.
Walking over to the wardrobe, I began hanging up the clothes from my bag.
As I remembered, the academy had holidays before New Year and during summer, and during those breaks I would be free to focus on my own affairs. I would only need to return at the start of the next academic year.
Deciding to rest a little, I lay down on the bed still wearing the uniform and closed my eyes.
Today had been overwhelming, and it still wasn't over.
Before I knew it, sleep claimed me.