The Silver Crown Eagle descended, its wings pushing against the air with a powerful, echoing sound. Below, the massive walls of Ironmarch came into view. Kellen, on its back, felt a surge of excitement. The journey had been long, but the thought of meeting Luceran again, his good friend made him energized.
He landed on the ground with a soft thud, a dozen meters away from the gate. The guards, who had been lazily leaning on their spears, now stood straight, their eyes wide and their hands gripping their weapons tightly. A Silver Crown Eagle was not something you saw every day in this small city.
Kellen took a step forward, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. The captain of the guards, a man with a thick scar across his brow, walked forward cautiously.
"Halt!" he commanded, his voice firm. "Who are you and what is your purpose here? No flying mounts are allowed inside the city walls without prior authorization from the Mayor's office."
Kellen smiled politely. "My apologies, Senior. I should have landed outside of the walls. My name is Kellen. I am a mage from the Immortal Academy and a friend of His Highness, Prince Luceran."
The captain's expression hardened. The name of the Prince held weight, but the story was unbelievable. A mage? And a friend of the Prince? This sounds too unreal for a person of that caliber to appear in Ironmarch.
"I find that hard to believe," the captain said, his eyes scanning Kellen's body. There was no insignia of the Royal Family on his attire, no sign of his status. "You can speak to the Mayor yourself. But you are to remain here until we verify your identity. Sergeant, inform the Mayor of our guest."
Kellen shrugged and nodded, understanding their caution. A middle-aged man with a brown leather armor came out of the gate and looked at Kellen with a wary expression. "Are you the one who claims to be a friend of the prince?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"Yes, I am," Kellen answered calmly. He could tell the man was also a mage from the way he carried himself and the faint mana ripples on his body.
The man frowned, and a small, translucent orb formed in his hand. He then sent a mana message into the orb, which glowed and disappeared. Kellen knew this was a high-level communication tools from the Immortal Academy.
The man then stood still, waiting for the orb to come back. After a few minutes, the orb came back and floated into his hand. The man's expression changed from suspicion to shock and respect. He immediately bowed. "My sincerest apologies for my rudeness, Young Master Kellen. The prince is waiting at the main office."
Kellen smiled and nodded, walking into the city. He followed the man as the guards parted way, their earlier skepticism replaced by awe, not everyone can become friends with the prince, especially if that person is not of nobility.
They walked through the busy city streets, the man leading him toward the main hall. As they reached the gate, Luceran was already waiting outside, standing tall and looking at Kellen with his usual calm demeanor. He then smiled and walked closer to Kellen.
"Kellen. It's been a while," Luceran said, his voice flat but a hint of warmth in his eyes. He then patted Kellen on the shoulder.
"Luceran! It is good to seer you again!" Kellen exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide smile.
They walked inside, leaving the guards and the middle-aged man behind. They sat down in a private room and the maid, Bela brought them tea. Luceran looked at Kellen, taking a sip of the tea.
"I didn't expect you to be here. How have you been?" Luceran asked, making small talk.
"I've been good. My teacher wanted me to deliver a message to Grand Marshal Lex Ragnar, so I am on my way to the Hall of Heroes," Kellen said, taking a sip of his tea. "I figured since I was passing through Ironmarch, I should visit you."
Luceran nodded, looking at the tea as he contemplated something. "That's good. We have a lot to talk about."
"How long do you plan on staying here?" Luceran asked, his voice still flat.
"A week at most, why?" Kellen asked, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"My party and I are planning to visit an ancient ruined city at the far west. It is a bit close to the Hall of Heroes, where the Grand Marshal is stationed," Luceran said. "I was wondering if you would like to tag along?"
Kellen's eyes widened, his face lit up with excitement. "That sounds like a great idea! I'd love to tag along. I've never been to an ancient ruin before."
"Good. It will be fun to have you with us," Luceran said, a small smile on his face.
They continued to catch up on each other's lives. Luceran talked about his progress and his plan to build a teleportation gate in Ironmarch. Kellen talked about his lessons and his teacher's expectations for him.
"Let's go. I'll introduce you to my subordinates," Luceran said, standing up.
"Aren't they all busy with their training?" Kellen asked.
"It can wait. This is more important," Luceran answered simply.
They walked out of the room and headed toward the training ground. When they arrived, the training ground was full of people. All of them were training hard. Kellen looked at the sight and nodded in approval. He knew that Luceran always chose the best people for his team. The sight was a testament to his good eye for people.
"They are a hardworking bunch," Kellen said.
"They are," Luceran agreed. "But they are still lacking a lot compare to elite forces."
"True." Kellen agreed with Luceran. They had seen their fair share of true elite forces across Primordia when they were having study trips across the regions of Primordia or even realms outside of Primordia.
He then clapped his hands loudly, and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Luceran then introduced Kellen to everyone.
"Everyone, this is my good friend Kellen from the Immortal Academy. He will be here with us for a week."
Everyone bowed to Kellen. Kellen smiled and nodded, greeting them back. Kellen scanned each of them from head to toe, while the other party also did the same thing, showing their curiosity to one another. Especially Luceran's subordinate. Not every Joe or Tom can be friends with the second prince, a 'good' friend at that.
Kellen was happy to see Luceran with a good group of people. Luceran was not the most sociable person when he was at the academy, contrary to him who made many friends there, so it was a surprise to see him with so many friends.
"He is a nice guy. But he seems… flat?" Cassandra whispered to Commander Borrin.
"He is just a bit shy," Commander Borrin replied with a smile.
"Shy? He looks like a genius to me," one of Cassandra's friends said, looking at Kellen trying gauge his mana.
Luceran heard them and chuckled softly. He then looked at Kellen. "You know, Kellen, they don't know that you were the top Immortal Successor of the Immortal Academy this year."
The moment the words left Luceran's mouth, Kellen's face turned a bit red, though he tried to maintain his composure to not look embarrassed.
"You didn't have to tell them that," Kellen sigh, his voice full of embarrassment.
Hearing the prince's words, the entire group, including Commander Borrin, now looked at Kellen with a mixture of shock and awe. The top student from the Immortal Academy. The most prestigious academy in all of Primordia, and the prince said that he was the top graduate!
"What a glory it is to have you here, Young Master Kellen," Commander Borrin said, his voice filled with newfound respect.
Kellen just stood there, embarrassed, and waved his hands, as if to dismiss the matter. Luceran just looked at him and smiled. He knew that his friend was humble, and that was one of the many things that he liked about him. The conversation continued, but now, it was a bit awkward.
Everyone was trying to talk to Kellen, asking him about his experience at the academy. Kellen, on the other hand, was trying his best to avoid the topic, but it does not work. Luceran just stood there, watching the scene with a smug smile on his face. He knew that Kellen would eventually forgive him, but for now, he would enjoy watching his friend suffer a bit.