'It is best for Rudra if no one found out about his absurd level of growth.' Maria mused as she looked at Rudra. Rudra, on the other hand, was thinking about the place he should go first. He thought for quite a while, as he knew that this was going to be a very major decision for him.
Only Maria and a few others knew about Rudra's growth. She knew that if people came to find out about his absurd level of growth, people would be beyond shocked. A lot of attention would be shifted towards Rudra as well; some attention might have been good for him; however, there was a high possibility of him attracting very bad attention as well. That was why she decided not to tell anyone was best for him. She also instructed all of the people who knew about his growth to keep it to themselves.
"I have decided to go to the Veilspire Magus Academy. The Academy is close to the capital, and I can earn quite a lot of money if I find some small gigs around there. So, I wouldn't have to worry about the Academy fees." Rudra said after quite a bit of thinking.
He knew that Academy fees were quite a headache for many students who aimed to join the Academy, which is why he wanted to stay close to the capital. The capital of the Radiant Empire was filled with tons of opportunities, which is why Veilspire was the best place for him to be. On top of everything, the main reason was, he didn't want to put the pressure of his finances upon the orphanage. 'I might even be able to send some money to the orphanage if I can earn well in the capital.'
"A good choice indeed, Veilspire is one of the three pillars that support the Radiant Empire. Most of the graduates from the academy are very powerful mages who protect the Empire from threats. From what I know, the academy is starting to enroll novice mages. A new semester will start in less than a month." Augustus chimed in with his opinion, and Maria nodded in response.
'Three pillars, huh? That is one of the reasons why I must join that academy.' Rudra mused; he knew about the three pillars very well. One of them was the Radiant Academy, the academy that was run by the Lumina Church. You could study in the Radiant Academy for free. This academy was run by the church to train students in Holy martial arts, Holy magic. After the students graduated, they had to serve in the church's army for a few years. That is the main reason why Rudra didn't consider the Radiant Academy as an option, as he didn't want his freedom to be restricted.
The second one was the Colosseo Academy, this academy's main focus was on teaching their students the way of martial arts. Rudra was a mage, which was why he never considered this option as well. Lastly, the third was the Veilspire Academy.
All these three institutions together were called the three pillars of the Radiant Empire. There were many other Academies; however, these three were the ones that most of the children dreamed of entering one day. The reason why these institutions were most well-known was because of the quality of their graduates; most of the people who were successful in graduating from these academies were very strong.
The graduates from these institutions played a very important role in safeguarding the Radiant Empire. The Royal Family, along with many of the most influential ancient families, offered their support to these Academies. Whether it be with resources, funds, etc. They got everything they needed. Without these institutions producing excellent graduates, the Radiant Empire wouldn't have been able to survive.
"Many young bloods will be joining this year. From the information I know, many of the young heirs and prodigies of the ancient family will be joining the academy this year. I even heard a rumour that one of the princesses will be joining the academy as well." The Rotund Baron whispered the last sentence.
"Use your tongue wisely, Baron, that tongue might someday get you killed if you aren't careful enough," Maria warned the baron sternly, as topics like these were very sensitive. 'How can you be called a noble when you don't even know a few simple unspoken rules. If it were anyone other than the frontier Duke, your head would have been rolling by now.' Maria mused; she knew very well how the nobles operated. That was the reason why she had to stop the baron before it was too late.
"Ahh.. Please forgive me...." The baron prostrated before Augustus, asking for forgiveness. Rudra, who saw this scene, didn't understand what happened; however, he didn't bother asking, as it had nothing to do with him.
"I will provide your Academic fees until you graduate. There is no need for you to worry about that. However, anything other than the fees, you will have to work for them yourself." Augustus added, it felt as if the duke was unaware of the baron's existence as he didn't even bother to say anything to the man who was kneeling in front of him.
'Whaaa.... ' Rudra was awestruck after hearing what the duke said. He knew that the academy fees were a lot, and if it was taken care of by the duke, he would have a lot less to worry about. 'I cannot reject such a windfall, as for the resources, even if you offered, I would have declined anyway.' Rudra mused.
In the academy, there were many ways of getting resources; if you had very good potential, you would be given most of the resources you needed for free. If you proved your worth through your skills and hard work, you would also be taken care of. While one of the options was to pay for them, if you threw enough money, you would be able to access all of the resources you needed.
Rudra knew that he didn't have that great of a potential, as for money, he didn't have that either. The only option and the best option, according to him, was the option of proving yourself. That was why Rudra wanted to reject getting any money for the resources. 'If I got all the resources I need for free, I will become more complacent, and that might affect my growth in the long run.'
"Ah..." Rudra wanted to ask something, but he was unable to speak. 'Are there any strings attached?' Rudra wondered as he didn't want to immediately accept the offer. Seeing Rudra hesitate, Maria understood what was going on, so she opened her mouth to say something. But, before she could speak, Augustus spoke instead.
"You have nothing to worry about, think of this as a reward for your bravery and nothing." Augustus must have understood what Rudra was thinking. So, he explained his intentions.
"Thank you. If I ever have a chance, I will repay your generosity someday." Rudra said as he bowed out of respect towards the Duke. He was the kind of person who would repay any kindness a hundredfold.
"HAHAHAHA, Such a fascinating child you are." Augustus burst out laughing as he heard Rudra.
Baron, who was still prostrating, suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with contempt. "Such impudence in front of the great duke? You think you can ever repay, his gene....ro..." Mid-sentence, Baron started choking as he turned his head towards Augustus with fearful eyes.
"Did I ask you to speak on my behalf?" He asked with a poker face. However, Baron, who was choking, was unable to even speak.