A few more days passed...

Today was the start of the Royal Academy of Saltstar City application period!

Every year, the Royal Academy Application Office was opened in the largest cities of the kingdom, where young people and their families could pay the application fees and receive the information they needed for the selection process.

The number of places available each year was limited, and the number of applicants far exceeded the number of places available. As a result, there was great competition to get into one of the Royal Academies.

Saltstar City's post was one of the most difficult to get into as the most prestigious Royal Academy in the entire province.

According to the academy itself, only 1 out of 30 applicants was accepted!

There were 200 places in the academy each year, 20 of which were reserved for people chosen by the academy itself to enter their institution without passing the exams.

These 20 places were not for promising young people recommended by teachers but for the wealthiest and most important people in the state, the children of influential individuals.

The Royal Academy of Saltstar City was among the five best in the kingdom, so even nobles from the kingdom's capital occasionally sent their children to study there.

Therefore, not all of the 20 young people entering the academy this year would necessarily be the children of the nobles of the province.

However, the remaining 180 places were up for grabs by those who applied and paid the fee of 100 gold coins to participate in the two stages of the selection process.

The two stages consisted of theoretical tests. In the first phase, a candidate must take a test with 40 discursive questions. In the second phase, they would undergo an interview and a randomized experiment related to the theoretical knowledge demonstrated in the first phase.

The 180 young people with the highest scores would be invited to enroll in the academy, which would take place in about 3 months.

The exams were scheduled for 10 and 12 weeks from today's date, so registration was already open!

...

Leaving home early with Nina and Eve, Vicente made his way to the majestic building of the Royal Academy of Saltstar City, where he intended to register his sister for the selection process of such an institution.

Nina could enter the academy without having to go through such a process since Newton had a high moral standing with the heads of the academy and the king himself. But the professor and Nina thought it would be better if she passed the entrance exam.

Vicente agreed because he liked the idea of his sister achieving something independently. It would give her a new kind of feeling, something that might lead her down the path of study that he wanted her to follow.

Arriving at the academy's entrance, they stood for a few moments gazing at the magnificent place, looking at the golden fences separating the academy's front yard from the sidewalks of this central city area.

Nina excitedly smiled as she felt her hands tremble.

Vicente followed Nina hand in hand as they walked along the same route as many other people, children, and their families.

Royal soldiers stood guard on the outskirts while a few academy members, teachers, and assistants worked to guide people.

As dozens of people passed by, Vicente suddenly met the clear eyes of a blond person and couldn't help but stop at the sight of him.

When this black-haired young man stopped walking, with Nina and Eve looking at him strangely, the blond man who had made him stop looked back at him in surprise, not expecting to see Vice there.

"Vicente?" The man in the academy uniform shouted as he made his way through the crowd.

"Ian!" Vicente immediately remembered his good friend from his academy days in Martell Village, who had split up with him and Rory almost six years ago when this young blond had come to study at the academy.

Ian wasn't rich, but he was astute. He had managed to get into the academy and had studied there until he graduated.

He hadn't gotten a full seat at the Seidel Magic College. Still, he had gotten an internship there, spent a year and a half studying in the capital, and then was sent back to this city.

He was currently serving as an assistant, a position that could guarantee him a full-time place at the college if he was successful in his time here.

When Vicente saw the guy who was at level 5 of the 2nd stage, he smiled in satisfaction, not expecting to see his old friend there.

He had heard that Ian had left for the capital after finishing his studies at the Royal Academy of Saltstar City, so in all the months he had lived in this city, Vicente had never looked for Ian.

Seeing Ian in front of him was a positive surprise. So Vicente smiled and hugged his old academy friend.

"Man, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I say the same." The blond man said before looking at Eve and Nina, not recognizing either of them.

Eve had not yet joined Vicente's group at the time Ian was with him and Rory. At the same time, Nina was very small, enough for someone who hadn't seen her for six years not to recognize her immediately.

Vicente caught Ian's eye and pointed to his sister and Eve. "This is my little sister, Nina. While this blonde beauty is my friend, Eve."

"Oh?" Hearing that, Ian was surprised to see Nina so tall but also so healthy.

He had heard about the tragedy of the Fuller family, and all these years he had wondered what might have happened to Vicente and if that young girl was okay. He blamed himself for never returning to Millfall during his studies at this academy, feeling that he could have given his friend some emotional support.

But seeing how well Nina was doing made him feel less bad about his actions.

'She looks terrific. She's different from Lauren at the same age but much better than I thought.' He thought as he bent down and introduced himself to Nina. 'She reminds me of Mrs. Kate Hogan...'

After talking to Nina and Eve, Ian said to Vicente. "Man, I'm sorry about what happened. It must have been a long way for you to get here."

"Indeed it was." Vicente laughed bitterly.

"Anyway, I can see that you're okay, and that's what counts. Shall we meet later to talk?"

Vicente realized that Ian was busy and that he also had things to attend to. "All right. Let's meet outside the academy at the end of your shift and then go get something to eat."

They quickly agreed on what they would do before they returned to what they were doing there.