The sun was setting, painting the sky with a rosy golden hue. Vast clouds resembled flames shooting up into the sky.
The streets of the capital were clean and wide, lined with tall plane trees. Brass street lamps were spaced at intervals, and the orange lights inside their transparent glass lampshades flickered.
Steam carriages filled the streets, making it rare to spot a regular horse-drawn carriage.
The pedestrians on the sidewalks moved gracefully and elegantly.
Gentlemen were dressed in neat suits, complete with top hats and walking sticks.
Ladies were even more exquisitely dressed, their waists cinched, accentuating their slender figures. Their wide skirts were adorned with lace, ribbons, bows, and other embellishments.
On their heads, they wore fashionable hats crafted from colorful flowers and vibrant feathers.
Gothic spires adorned the buildings on both sides of the street. The flying buttress designs were elegant, and stained glass windows added both grandeur and mystery.
The steam carriage crossed a wide arch bridge spanning the river, offering a view of the scenery on both banks. The shimmering river reflected the intense and warm colors of the sunset. Several steam-powered boats glided peacefully on the water.
Cyril, the true country boy, couldn't take his eyes off the scenery outside the window.
This is indeed the capital! Elegant, grand, and romantic.
As he was immersed in the beauty of the city lights coming to life, he suddenly heard Johnson ask, "I wonder which wizarding school you all are going to?"
There's more than one wizarding school?
Cyril shifted his gaze to Mr. Scott.
Brian's monocle glinted briefly as he gently hooked the corner of his lips and said, "Snoberg Wizarding Academy."
Snoberg Wizarding Academy.
Cyril repeated it silently in his mind.
"S-Snoberg Wizarding Academy?!" Johnson's voice rose in astonishment.
Cyril and the other five wizard apprentice reserves all turned to look at Johnson.
Johnson gave these clueless children a complex look. Suddenly, he met Brian's smile, realizing that Snoberg Wizarding Academy's wizard was sitting right beside him.
Johnson stammered, "Snoberg Wizarding Academy! A very... prestigious wizarding academy! Well-known far and wide!"
Cyril suddenly had a bad feeling.
The complicated expression on the wizard apprentice's face just now didn't seem like genuine praise.
"Look! A Paladin." Johnson, perhaps to divert their attention, pointed outside.
Cyril saw a figure riding a white horse flash by.
The Paladin on the white horse wore a slim, silver suit of armor that outlined his smooth and robust physique. He did not wear a helmet, only a splendid sword hung at his waist.
"We're quite close to the location of the Paladin Academy," Johnson casually mentioned, and then he remained silent for the rest of the journey.
The steam carriage was fast. It didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination, Rose Manor.
This was undeniably a very beautiful manor.
A massive golden archway was entwined with dozens of white roses. The columns on both sides of the arch were adorned with relief carvings of rose bushes.
Despite the deepening autumn in October, the roses here were still blooming brightly and beautifully.
In the center of the manor were large fountain clusters. The water created incredible shapes in the air.
Cyril keenly sensed a powerful surge of magic and carefully examined the fountains. As expected, there were no brass devices like the Abraham Count's mansion - these were magic-powered fountains!
The main building in the manor was also extravagant. The floor was reflective, and the walls and ceilings were adorned with exquisite relief paintings.
In the center of the hall, there hung a luxurious chandelier with countless slender branches, emanating eternal flames of magic.
Cyril was admiring the traces of magic everywhere in the manor when he noticed a scroll with a gold-red velvet ribbon floating to Mr. Scott.
It wriggled a bit, shedding the soft ribbon, and slowly unfolded.
An empty parchment?
Cyril stood quietly on the side, observing this strange object.
Then he saw Mr. Scott gently tap on it, and ink suddenly appeared in rows—
"Dear guests of Snoberg Wizarding Academy, Rose Manor warmly welcomes your arrival..."
"Your resting rooms are in the Snoberg Tower, while the six new students' rooms are in the main building, numbered 601-606..."
Brian quickly glanced over it, lazily signing his name.
Beautifully sloppy cursive letters intertwined.
Cyril hadn't finished reading the note when, with Mr. Scott's signature, the parchment suddenly exploded with a crack, like fireworks, turning into six small fragments that floated into the hands of Cyril and the others.
Cyril gently touched the small scrap of parchment in his hand, which had the words "Room 601" written on it.
Then, he watched as the small piece of parchment suddenly transformed into a lightweight gift box.
Cyril turned to look at the parchment fragments held by the others and found the same situation.
He gently untied the ribbon on the gift box, and the outer packaging slowly fell away, revealing a folded piece of paper inside.
Cyril unfolded the pale yellow paper and found it to be a map of Rose Manor, with delicate silver threads outlining detailed locations.
At the moment, there was a conspicuous small red dot on the map, marking his current location in the center of the hall.
Cyril curiously tapped the small red dot that represented himself with his finger.
The small red dot trembled slightly, and then the map around it suddenly zoomed in twice.
Cyril blinked.
He reached out and tapped the small red dot once more.
As expected, the scene on the map enlarged again, and everything around became clear on the map. Even the people around him were represented by symbols for males and females (♂, ♀).
Well, in that case...
Cyril touched the empty space next to the small red dot, and the map instantly returned to its original size.
This map is indeed quite clever!
Cyril's eyes sparkled as if he had discovered a fascinating new toy.
"All right, you've got the map now," Brian glanced at them, his voice carrying a hint of temptation. "Cherish your time; Rose Manor is a magical place. Of course, I hope when we meet again, you'll still be intact."
He said the word "intact" lightly, as if he was subtly enjoying their potential misfortune.
Cyril pondered Mr. Scott's words. It seemed he was suggesting that they explore Rose Manor?
Everyone watched as Mr. Scott casually departed, leaving them bewildered.
Maybe it's better to go check out our rooms first.
The group ascended the shining marble staircase to the second floor. Upon reaching it, they found a small hall, and not far away was a spacious corridor covered with a golden-red velvet carpet.
Cyril noticed that the scene on the map had changed accordingly. Now, it displayed the layout of the second floor, with room numbers like "201" and "202" marked on the sides of the corridor.
"We still need to go up to the sixth floor," Jenny whispered.
So, the group continued up the stairs. Third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor...
They didn't encounter anyone else along the way until they reached the staircase on the fifth floor, where they came face to face with several heavily armed young individuals.