The deep red wax seal finally broke with a light crack, scattering fine fragments onto his lap. From within the thick, stiff, ivory-cream envelope, Lucien drew out two stacks of letter sheets. Unlike the envelope, the paper was made of a lighter ivory linen—dense and solid, with a texture of fine fabric fibers that felt real beneath his fingertips. The edges of the paper were deliberately left rough and frayed.
Each sheet was neatly folded into three parts. Lucien's thumb brushed the outer surface of the paper, indented by a colorless embossed stamp forming a seven-pointed star, with roots reaching out to its surroundings, and a line of text in the Mireth language beneath it:
"To Know The Stars is To Be Known By the Stars." Lucien whispered inwardly, absorbing every syllable as his fingertips traced the impression on the paper.
With a slow movement, Lucien unfolded the top sheet, flattening the stiff creases that had been pressed inside the envelope.
As the sheet spread fully beneath the fireplace light, two official emblems appeared. At the top of the letter stood the same main emblem as the wax seal, embossed in metallic gold—a creature with spread wings and two heads clutching a seven-pointed star, surrounded by vines spreading from its tail and encircling the entire ornament, reflecting the warm glow of the fireplace.
Meanwhile, on the bottom fold, the embossed stamp from the outside was still clearly visible—the carved shadow of the starred root and the Mireth script wrapped in the paper's fibers, affirming the document's authenticity.
Beneath the authoritative golden emblem, lines of text in metallic gold ink were engraved in a firm, calligraphic Westerian style:
{Crest}[1]
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS, AND SCHOLARS OF THE ASTRAVENTIS UNIVERSITY
Office of Admissions & Records
The 3rd Point, Ventis
1st of September, 744 After Discovery
To Mr. L. Noctval
Sir,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Astraventis University, Faculty of Thaumaturgy & Sciences for the upcoming First Cycle Term. Following the evaluation of your regional examinations and inherent potential, the Board of Admissions has formally granted you a place as a Matriculated Scholar of this Institution.
Please find enclosed a complete list of all necessary textbooks, mandatory robes, and required personal equipment for your first year.
You are hereby required to present yourself in person at the Great Hall of the 3rd Point no later than Oden, the 8th of October, to take the customary Oath of Secrecy and Binding, sign the Great University Roll, and receive your official Wing and Discipline assignment.
Term begins promptly with the Welcoming Feast on the evening of the 13th of October. Should you require transport or further guidance, the enclosed Badge of Safe Passage shall grant you access to the Reserved Express at the Astra Railway.
I remain, Sir,
Your Obedient servant,
{ Signature of Madame Fontaine }
A. V. Fontaine, M.A., D.C.L.
Head of Admissions & Records
"To Know The Stars is To Be Known By the Stars."[2]
Lucien's eyes swept each line of golden ink and the Mireth motto beneath the letter before resting on the attendance requirement.
"Oden, 8th of October..." Lucien murmured softly, slowly relaxing his fingers.
Without haste, Lucien slipped his thumb beneath the edge of the paper, revealing the second sheet stacked just behind it. The lighter ivory paper had the same format as the first letter but contained different administrative instructions:
{Crest}[3]
SCHEDULE OF REQUIRED EFFECTS & ACADEMIC REQUISITES
REGULATION ATTIRE & UNIFORM
Three Sets of Standard Astraventis Scholar Heavy Robe (Dark Wool with Twin-Crest Emblem)
Two Sets of Formal Subfusc (White Shirt, Dark Vest, Trousers, and Cravat)
Full attire regulations and tailors' directory are detailed in The Ventis Courier.
MANDATORY TEXTBOOKS
Principles of Thaumaturgic Science & Natural Philosophy by Prof. E. Abernathy.
Elements of Alchemical Science & Material Transmutation by Prof. W. A. Fischer.
Applied Thaumaturgic Laws & Natural Physics by Prof. J. Archie.
A History of the Old World.
ENCLOSED IN THE PACKAGE
Badge of Safe Passage
Voucher of Lodging Bursary
Remittance Note
The Ventis Courier
Countersigned & Verified for Distribution,[4]
{ Signature of Mrs. Pendelton }
O. A. Pendelton
Chief Purveyor & Bursar of Student Provisions
"To Know The Stars is To Be Known By the Stars."[5]
Lucien's fingers brushed the last line of the second sheet for a moment before slowly placing both ivory letter sheets neatly on the small wooden table beside the sofa.
His gaze now shifted to the thick package tied with hemp rope on the small wooden table beside the sofa. The deep red wax seal in the shape of a two-headed winged creature reflected the warm glow of the fireplace, appearing to invite him to touch the beginning of his journey in reality.
On the floor near the kitchen corner, the clinking of a small pottery plate finally stopped. Lumi, having finished her meal, smoothed her fur with soft claws before walking casually toward the sofa. She circled Lucien's feet before resting on the thick, warm carpet beside the fireplace.
Lucien smiled faintly. He reached out, grabbed the thick package from the table, and moved it slowly onto his lap. He took a short breath, then leaned forward, pressing his thumb right into the gap of the deep red wax seal that burdened the hemp rope tying the package now in his lap.
Crack.
The fine crack of the wax seal echoed softly as it split, with tiny fragments sticking to his thumbnail. The wax peeled away from the paper's surface and the crossing hemp rope. Lucien flicked the red wax fragments aside—where a red stain remained on the paper surface—then, with one tug, unraveled the hemp rope, which came free with the characteristic friction of the fibers.
Once the brown, rough-fibered paper was opened on his lap, a distinct aroma immediately filled the air, a combination of paper, protective oil, and the sharp, fresh scent of printing ink from the new sheets.
At the very top of the stack was a small, dark blue box the size of a jewelry case. He picked it up; the surface felt smooth with a small brass hook on the side. When his thumb pushed the hook, a soft click sounded as the lid lifted, revealing a deep black velvet interior.
On the deep black velvet lay a pure silver badge that looked newly forged and still polished. Lucien picked it up with his thumb and forefinger, observing the luster of the pure silver that elegantly reflected the dim light of the fireplace.
The object was shaped like an inverted triangle, like an arrowhead, with a base that tapered slightly to form a tail-like curve—a badge known as the Silvertail.
Near the flat top edge and beneath the inner triangular frame, its name was engraved in Westerian script: L. NOCTVAL, while just beneath it was a precise seven-pointed star symbol. The pure silver surface felt cold and smooth beneath his thumb. He flipped the silver piece over and read the embossed sentence on the back that read 'Badge of Safe Passage' for access to the Astra Railway, which he had only just learned about.
Tucked right where the Silvertail box had been were two sheets of paper. The first was a pale ivory cotton paper, rectangular and elongated, stamped with a dull black ink mark.
Lucien picked it up. As he held the thick paper toward the fireplace, a faint seven-pointed star watermark shimmered within the paper fibers. The document was titled 'Voucher of Lodging'—a guarantee letter for temporary accommodation from the Bursar's Office.
His eyes swept the typewriter lines. It stated his official name, L. NOCTVAL, along with instructions for a room reservation at one of the Pendelton Grand Hotel branches located in the Financial Triangle District in Ventis. The voucher guaranteed double accommodation for two people, intended for a new student and an official guardian or companion, for three days and three nights before the Wing assignment began, complete with the university treasurer's stamp stating all costs were fully covered by Astraventis.
Beneath the reservation slip was a medium-sized, stiff, pale mint-green paper titled 'Bursary Remittance Note'—elongated with a thick, stiff fiber texture and perforated tear lines on the side. The sheet contained detailed instructions for settling administrative fees, which had to be completed through the Pendelton Bank central branch in the Financial Triangle District to receive an official validation stamp before collecting uniforms and mandatory book directories.
However, the item that most captured his attention was the thick book at the bottom of the packaging: The Ventis Courier.
Around the edges of its front cover, a frame of fine silver lines was engraved. Right at the very top, the name of the university was boldly engraved in Westerian script: ASTRAVENTIS. The name flanked the emblem of a creature with spread wings and two heads clutching a seven-pointed star, embossed in the center. Just beneath the emblem, its main title was printed in graceful silver lettering: THE VENTIS COURIER.
He picked up the book from the folds of paper in his lap. The hard leather cover felt smooth and cold in his grasp.
As he flipped through the opening pages, his fingers traced the thick paper fold on the front page. With one slow tug, a large folding map unfolded, depicting the complete geography of the Astraventis nation. However, his gaze fixed on the following page, which displayed separate map sheets depicting the detailed structure of Ventis City, home to Astraventis University.
The city map was drawn with great precision. In the very center stood Astraventis University as the heart of its urban layout. The complex sprawled in a perfect seven-pointed star formation, from whose seven corners the university gates served as entry points.
Just outside the outer boundary of the campus fortress lay a neatly maintained city forest. The forest framed the curves of the star, refracting a green pattern resembling roots spreading outward, exactly like the philosophy on its official emblem. Between the forests flowed the large Cadans River, extending from outside the city borders to the northwest. The river flowed naturally around the campus fortress before continuing to flow through the southern districts, far out toward the southeastern region.
From the seven corners that served as the university gates, grand stone bridges spanned the river, connecting the campus center directly to the seven districts surrounding it via main highways. Wherever Lucien's eyes traced the district alleys on the map, every path seemed to naturally flow toward the same central point: the university complex in the city center. At the bottom corner of the map, a fine printed inscription in Mireth language was engraved, linking the ideology behind the city's design.
"Road to Wisdom," he murmured softly, reading the small line of text while tracing the city's flow, where every road in Ventis was indeed built as a stretch of paths pivoting on Astraventis University.
In the subsequent map sheets, each district was depicted in greater detail, showing the location of important buildings, the Financial Triangle area, and even a micro-map of the main campus layout. This master guidebook also includes an Astra Railway transit schedule for prospective students from all corners of Westeria. Delegations from the Mach Nation, West Mach, and the Gaulenne Kingdom are scheduled to depart early to ensure they arrive on time at the final transit point, Christopher Station in Columbus City, before beginning the three-day land journey to Ventis City, which departs at exactly eight o'clock in the morning of Consul, October 2nd.
Besides maps and travel routes, the book also contained the address of the official bookstore for collecting mandatory book directories, the address of the official uniform tailor, and all academic laws, disciplinary regulations, and student life guidelines that would apply throughout his years of study until he graduated.
Lucien sighed deeply. He closed the thick book and placed it on the table with his letters, then took the leather box containing the Silvertail back into his grasp.
He turned for a moment, glancing at Lumi, who had already closed her eyes on the warm carpet near the fireplace. He opened the box again; the warm glow of the fire refracted softly onto the silver surface of the Silvertail inside its velvet box, carving the boundary between his past and the future that awaited him.
[1] This Crest belongs in the middle.
[2] This motto belongs in the middle.
[3] This crest also belongs in the middle.
[4] This section, including the job title, belongs on the right side.
[5] This motto also belongs in the middle.