Chapter 87: The Road to Hildgard
Three weeks passed.
Valhalla Academy changed.
The usual rhythm of classes and casual training disappeared beneath a relentless preparation schedule.
Every morning began with combat.
Every afternoon was devoted to specialized training.
Every evening was spent studying the rules of the Inter-Academy Tournament.
For the selected contestants...
There was barely time to breathe.
Noah stood alone in Training Field Three.
His shirt clung to his back with sweat.
Several training targets surrounded him.
His right hand burned.
Orange flames wrapped around his fingers.
He inhaled.
Exhaled.
The fire became smaller.
Denser.
Controlled.
Then Noah thrust his palm forward.
BOOM!
The nearest target exploded backward.
Another flame followed.
Then another.
Three targets.
Three precise strikes.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary destruction.
Professor Ingrid watched from the edge of the field.
"Again."
Noah nodded.
He repeated the sequence.
This time...
The flames became brighter.
A faint pink-orange aura surrounded his arm.
For half a second...
A deeper maroon color appeared at the center.
Noah immediately released the power.
The flames vanished.
Professor Ingrid noticed.
She said nothing.
Noah wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"It’s getting closer."
"To what?"
He looked at her.
She waited.
Noah shook his head.
"Nothing."
Professor Ingrid’s eyes narrowed.
She knew he was hiding something.
But whatever it was...
Noah wasn’t ready to explain.
Across the academy...
Laura stood in the medical courtyard.
She was practicing with a silver-bladed training weapon.
Her movements were graceful.
Precise.
Fast.
She struck a target.
Once.
Twice.
The target split cleanly.
A third strike reduced it to fragments.
She stopped.
Her breathing remained steady.
But her expression was distant.
A memory had surfaced.
A younger girl.
Silver hair.
A dark room.
Someone shouting.
A hand reaching toward her.
Then...
Laura blinked.
The memory vanished.
She tightened her grip.
"...Not now."
She closed her eyes.
For a few seconds, she simply breathed.
Then she heard footsteps.
She turned.
Noah stood at the entrance.
"You okay?"
Laura looked at him.
"Yes."
Noah glanced at the destroyed targets.
"You’ve been training hard."
"So have you."
"Fair."
Laura smiled.
Then her expression softened.
"Your hand."
Noah looked down.
A tiny burn marked his palm.
"It’s nothing."
Laura walked over.
She gently took his hand.
Noah froze.
Again.
"You really need to stop saying that."
"It’s a habit."
"It’s a bad one."
She pulled a small healing cloth from her pouch and wrapped his palm.
Noah watched her quietly.
"Thanks."
Laura nodded.
"You’re welcome."
Neither moved for several seconds.
Then Eric’s voice echoed from across the courtyard.
"ARE YOU TWO COMING OR WHAT?"
Laura immediately released Noah’s hand.
Noah looked toward Eric.
"Why does he always appear at the worst time?"
Sophia’s voice followed.
"Because he has no sense of timing."
Eric shouted:
"I HEARD THAT!"
Laura laughed.
Noah smiled.
For a moment...
The strange memories inside Laura disappeared.
That evening, the selected contestants gathered inside the Grand Assembly Hall.
A massive map of Hildgard occupied the center of the floor.
Headmaster Alaric stood beside it.
"This is your final briefing before departure."
The students listened.
"Hildgard is located beyond the eastern mountain territories."
"Travel will take approximately three days."
The map expanded.
A vast forest appeared.
"Hildgard itself is surrounded by the Divine Woodlands."
"These forests are ancient."
"Do not wander into them."
Eric raised his hand.
"Why?"
Alaric looked at him.
"Because some things inside them are older than this academy."
Eric slowly lowered his hand.
"...Understood."
Alaric continued.
"The central tournament arena is surrounded by a series of districts."
"Each academy will have its own temporary residence."
"Training grounds will be provided."
"Medical facilities will be available."
"Food, equipment, and transportation will be managed by the Hildgard governing council."
He paused.
"But remember."
His expression became serious.
"Once the tournament begins..."
"The academy cannot protect you from every consequence."
Silence.
"These are competitive events."
"People will get injured."
"Some may be seriously injured."
"Know your limits."
Noah listened carefully.
Laura sat several seats away.
She glanced toward him.
He seemed unusually focused.
Alaric placed a final document on the table.
"The opening ceremony will occur two days after arrival."
"The first event will be announced then."
Murmurs spread.
"Which means..."
Alaric smiled.
"You have three days of travel."
"And two days in Hildgard."
"Use them wisely."
The following morning...
Valhalla Academy gathered at the eastern gates.
Dozens of students stood beside several large carriages.
Families had come to say goodbye.
Friends shouted encouragement.
Teachers gave final instructions.
The selected contestants stood together.
Noah.
Laura.
Eric.
Sophia.
Luna.
Damien.
And the other representatives.
Professor Ingrid approached.
She looked at them one final time.
"Remember who you are representing."
Eric saluted.
"Valhalla!"
Luna rolled her eyes.
Professor Ingrid almost smiled.
"Get inside."
The journey began.
The academy gates disappeared behind them.
For the first several hours...
Everyone relaxed.
Eric slept.
Sophia read.
Damien studied the tournament documents.
Luna stared through the window.
Laura sat across from Noah.
Noah looked outside.
The landscape gradually changed.
The familiar academy territory disappeared.
Mountains grew larger.
The roads became older.
The sky became darker.
Then...
On the second evening...
Noah saw something strange.
Three faint lights appeared beyond the mountains.
One crimson.
One blue.
One scarlet-violet.
He stared.
"Those aren’t stars."
Laura looked outside.
"No."
Her expression softened.
"Hildgard."
The next morning...
They reached the final mountain pass.
The entire carriage became silent.
Because beyond the mountains...
Hildgard appeared.
A massive city surrounded by ancient forests.
Divine trees rose higher than towers.
Their trunks were enormous.
Their leaves shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight.
Stone roads crossed the landscape.
Bridges connected districts suspended over deep ravines.
And above everything...
Three moons remained visible even during daylight.
Faint.
Beautiful.
Unnatural.
Eric pressed his face against the window.
"...We’re actually here."
Sophia smiled.
Damien stared at the city.
"Remarkable."
Luna whispered:
"So this is where everyone gathers."
Noah said nothing.
He simply watched.
Something about Hildgard felt familiar.
Not the city.
Not the trees.
Something beneath them.
Something buried.
His right hand suddenly warmed.
A tiny flame flickered between his fingers.
Noah closed his hand.
The flame disappeared.
Laura noticed.
She looked at him.
"You felt it too?"
Noah turned.
"What?"
Laura hesitated.
Her eyes moved toward the city.
"...Nothing."
The caravans passed through Hildgard’s enormous gates.
The city erupted with sound.
Banners from fifteen academies hung across the streets.
Crowds filled the sidewalks.
Merchants shouted.
Children waved academy flags.
Musicians played.
Students from other academies walked through the streets in their uniforms.
For the first time...
Noah saw the scale of the event.
This wasn’t simply an academy competition.
The entire city had transformed around it.
A group wearing black and gold passed their carriage.
Asgard.
Students immediately recognized them.
The crowd erupted.
"ASGARD!"
"THE CHAMPIONS ARE HERE!"
"ASGARD WILL WIN AGAIN!"
Eric stared.
"They’re already getting this much attention?"
Damien nodded.
"They’re ranked first for a reason."
Noah watched the Asgard students disappear into the crowd.
Then another group passed.
Blue and silver uniforms.
Elementro.
The cheering became even louder.
"ELEMENTRO!"
"REINHAM!"
"FLORA!"
"THE FOUR PRODIGIES!"
Noah’s eyes narrowed.
He could feel powerful presences everywhere.
Then...
A Volstra carriage passed them.
Noah saw him.
Alcris.
Their eyes met through the carriage windows.
Alcris smiled.
Noah gave a small nod.
The carriage moved on.
But for the briefest moment...
Alcris felt that strange heat again.
That sensation.
That impossible pressure.
His smile disappeared.
He whispered:
"...There it is."
He placed one hand against the window.
His eyes followed Noah’s carriage.
"What exactly are you?"
At the same moment...
Daniela Vannheim stepped out of the Elementro carriage.
She looked across the street.
Her eyes found Noah.
She activated her perception for only an instant.
The world seemed to slow.
Noah’s energy appeared before her.
Fire.
Bright.
Powerful.
But strangely...
Incomplete.
Daniela’s lips curved upward.
"Interesting."
A voice beside her asked:
"What is?"
Daniela turned.
Flora Menestra.
Daniela shook her head.
"Nothing."
She looked toward Valhalla’s carriage again.
"Just a curious prospect."
Far above Hildgard...
The three moons slowly became visible through the daylight.
And beneath the city...
Deep beneath ancient stone...
Something pulsed.
Once.
Thump.
Again.
Thump.
Then silence.
The tournament had not even begun.
Yet Hildgard already seemed to know...
They had arrived.