The Indrath Empire boasted two great capitals: Deldi and Akron.
Deldi was the empire's first seat of power, home to the royal palace and the throne from which the emperor ruled over his empire.
Akron, by contrast, was a city dedicated entirely to learning, a sanctum of knowledge built around the prestigious Akron Academy.
Though founded for education, Akron rivaled even Deldi in beauty and sophistication.
Its wide roads were paved with polished stone tiles that gleamed beneath the sun, and the air was filled with the excitement of students who came here to make their future bright.
Along its orderly streets, shops displayed a wealth of necessities for students and the local residents.
Shelves stacked with tomes and scrolls, racks of gleaming wands and blades, and countless instruments of study and practice.
Every corner of the city seemed to whisper of discipline, discovery, and the pursuit of greatness.
And at the very heart of the city stood the pride of the empire, the Akron Academy.
Founded by the third emperor, Akron von Indrath, it was more than just an institution; it was a symbol of the empire's devotion to wisdom, strength, and progress.
Both the city and the academy bore his name, a legacy carved into stone and memory alike.
The academy was enormous, taking over nearly two-thirds of the entire city.
Its buildings rose in grand designs reminiscent of the old architecture of Earth, massive stone halls, towering arches, and wide courtyards that breathed history and permanence.
'It's less an academy and more a university,' Vivian thought as he stepped through the towering main gate beside Charlotte.
The escort knights of the Zenithara family had already returned; only Elfrod, Princess Charlotte's personal guard, was permitted to remain by her side.
The campus was alive with murmurs.
Students gathered in clusters beneath the shade of archways and along stone-paved paths, their voices overlapping in spirited discussions about lectures, spells, and the little matters of student life.
"Excuse me," a voice called.
As Vivian and Charlotte made their way toward the main building, a girl in the academy's uniform hurried up to them.
She clutched a folded paper in her hands, clearly intending to deliver it.
But when her eyes met Charlotte's cold, impassive gaze, she froze and let out a sharp gasp.
"Prin—" she began, then stopped herself mid-word, paling slightly.
"P-president… it's, um… it's a notification for first-years who wish to join the dance club." She thrust the paper forward quickly, as if eager to retreat.
Vivian reached out to take the paper, but Charlotte's sharp voice cut through the air.
"He doesn't need it," she said coldly, her eyes narrowing at the girl.
The student flinched, withdrawing her hand as though she had touched fire. Vivian hesitated, his fingers curling back awkwardly.
A faint disappointment tugged at him, he hadn't wanted to upset the girl, especially since she seemed so earnest and, in her own way, rather cute.
But Charlotte's firm refusal left no room for argument.
With a strained, awkward smile, he fell into step behind her, the paper left undelivered and the girl's flustered expression lingering in his mind.
"Sigh… I really thought I'd finally recruit a handsome male student to the club and draw in more members. But it was all in vain…" the girl muttered, shoulders slumping as she turned and walked back into the crowd.
Meanwhile, Charlotte gave a quiet snort, though only inwardly.
She had seen the girl's intentions clearly, ignoring all the other students and heading straight for Vivian.
That was precisely why Charlotte had cut her off so sharply.
"Hey… why did you do that?" Vivian finally asked once they had walked a fair distance from the main gate.
"What do you mean, I did what?" Charlotte shot back. Her tone wasn't feigned ignorance, it was a challenge, daring him to speak plainly.
"Well… you know, you didn't have to act like that," he muttered, his words stumbling out as he tried to meet her gaze.
But when his eyes locked with hers, his breath caught.
Charlotte's eyes were blazing with a fire he couldn't quite understand, burning so fiercely that it made his heart tighten with unease and only one thought clouded his mind.
'She is angry'.
"Why? Did you want to join that club and get some… boobies?" Charlotte snapped. Her voice wasn't like any other moment, it crashed down like thunder, sharp and merciless.
But what truly stunned Vivian wasn't her tone, it was the word itself.
'Boobies? Of all things, why would she suddenly say that?' He didn't know, but one thing was certain, if he didn't cover it up fast, he might not make it out alive.
"Wh-what are you even talking about? Me? B-boobies? N-no, hahaha!" Vivian stammered, forcing out a laugh that sounded more like a cough, awkward and strained.
'Look at him, trying so hard to deny it,' Charlotte snorted inwardly.
Her mind drifted back to the night before, when they had camped in the middle of a desolate jungle.
She had chosen to share a tent with him, not out of convenience, but out of necessity.
If one of his seizures struck in the middle of the night, she needed to be close enough to act.
But she hadn't been able to fall asleep from the excitement of sharing a tent with him.
Yet what angered her wasn't the lack of sleep, but what happened when he started mumbling in his dreams.
At first, her heart skipped when she heard him whisper, "You are beautiful." She thought, 'finally, he's dreaming of me.' But the very next words shattered that warm thought.
"And your boobies are really big and soft…"
Her eyes widened. For a moment she blinked, dumbfounded, then instinctively glanced down at her chest. Confusion turned to pure, searing rage.
She nearly lunged at him then and there, ready to smash him awake.
Only the memory of his frail condition, the risk of triggering one of his seizures, stopped her hand mid-air.
That memory only hardened her resolve now. She wasn't about to let some random girl in the academy flutter around him with cheap smiles and false intentions.
Desperate to change the subject, Vivian blurted out, "So… where are we going?"
"Why? Don't you want to get boobies?" Charlotte shot back, her voice sharp, refusing to be distracted.
'Wait, why is she mentioning that word? How does she know?' Vivian's heart lurched. 'Can she read my thoughts? Oh, shit… does she know I'm not the real Vivian?'Panic churned in his chest. 'If she realizes, I'm done for.'
But then, testing her, he imagined something outrageous involving her. If she were to know what he was thinking then it might earn him a beating but she didn't react at all.
Relief washed over him, she couldn't read his mind. He was safe.
Trying to push back, he snapped, "What boobies are you even talking about? Why are you mentioning that all of a sudden? I mean, sure, you have smaller boobies, but that doesn't mean you should feel insign—"
He froze. Charlotte's sharp, blazing gaze locked onto him, cutting his words to pieces.
'Shit. I'm screwed.'
Charlotte stepped in close, seizing the collar of his shirt in her fist. Her eyes burned into his as she spoke, every word deliberate and heavy.
"Listen, Vivian D. Zenithara, you are mine and mine alone. It doesn't matter if I've got smaller ones. You'll be satisfied with them, understood? And if you dare chase after your little… imaginations, you'll regret it."
Her grip tightened for a moment, then loosened as a faint smile curved her lips.
As if nothing had happened, she added calmly, "To answer your earlier question, we're going to meet the dean of the academy for your admission."
"Y-yes…" Vivian stammered, his voice cracking as he realized he had just answered both questions at once.
'She is scary.'