In the blue-sky continent, the north was always cold, and not many people inhabited the cities located there. The south was filled with many swamps and was also not inhabited much.

The west was mainly extensive forests filled with magical beasts yet to be fully explored. There were a few towns. However, there wasn't a single city as magic beast attacks were common. Even the few towns built there had been constructed by adventurers who wished to sell their spoils to other visiting adventurers.

Lastly, the east was where the capital city known as Heaven City was located. This was a grand city, with a grand palace housing the royalty of the Blue-sky continent. Blue City was a small city located near the east coast of the Blue-sky continent.

The King of the Blue-Sky continent was much loved by the people and was known as a wise king for two main reasons. The first was that, since the beginning of his rule, he had made it so that his kingdom had surpassed other neighboring continents, which had initially been more prosperous than the blue-sky continent.

The second reason was that he was versatile in his rule and could implement new laws to help the country prosper socially, economically, culturally, and in many other sectors.

One of his most innovative ideas, which had greatly benefited the continent, was his building of the Blue-Sky Academy, also referred to as the Academy for short. It was built in the very center of the continent so that it was easy for students all around to travel to it.

The Academy was a magic school that allowed teenagers between the ages of eighteen to twenty-one to attend, improving their skills and eventually making a name for themselves. Also, since the Academy was founded by the King himself, it was easy for alumni to get direct jobs working for the royal family if they wished.

However, the most impressive fact about the Academy was that it took in all students so long as they passed the entrance exams. This meant that there was no discrimination due to race or class.

Several hours after his dip in the river, Silver finally arrived in Blue City. He was excited as he had been away from civilization for almost two years. The city was bustling with life, and as soon as he entered the gated entrance, he started to hear the haggling of merchants and the cheers of drunken crowds. It was already late in the evening, and if Silver hoped to find a place to stay for the night, he needed to get his hands on some money.

After walking around for a while and asking a few strangers for directions, he managed to find a shop selling magic cores.

"Are you buying or selling?" asked an old man wearing spectacles behind the counter as Silver entered the shop.

"Selling," replied Silver as he set one black magic core on the table.

"But I wonder if we could talk somewhere more private?" he added while hinting at the other customers.

The clerk received the hint and understood immediately as many customers wished for their sales to be kept private.

"Of course, young master. Please follow me," replied the old man while smiling and leading Silver to a side door. Although Silver wore very plain clothes and did not look like a noble, this old clerk felt as though the boy wasn't as simple as he seemed, so he did his best to treat him well. This was an instinct the old man had developed in his line of work, and at times it would save his life.

"I would like to sell all of these," Silver stated as he placed all his remaining magic cores, including the D class magic core, which was brown in color.

The old man was slightly shocked at this youth's ability to casually take out several dozen E-class magic cores and a D-class magic core. This was because, in a whole year, the old clerk would handle around five or so transactions containing a D class magic core. The old man seemed to be struggling with a decision for a while as he wrinkled his brows.

"I will give you two gold coins for each E class magic core and 15 gold coins for the D class magic core. How does that sound young master?" asked the clerk somewhat nervously. He had been very generous with his offer as he had only left a small margin of profit for himself in fear that he may offend this young man, who the merchant now believed was from an aristocratic family. How else would someone his age be able to get his hands on this many magic cores?

"Deal," replied Silver with a satisfied smile. He could see the nervousness in the old man's face and was sure he could haggle a slightly higher price, especially with his abilities. However, Silver was not one to bully someone who had already shown him kindness, and this old man had been respectful towards him from the beginning while also giving him a fair price.

For these reasons, Silver showed kindness in turn and walked out of the shop with his newly acquired 47 gold coins. This was a large sum of money for him, and he would easily be able to sustain himself for a while if he spent well.

The first thing Silver wanted to do with his newfound capital was book a room in a somewhat lavish inn. This was mainly because he would not be staying in Blue City for long, and while he was here, he wished to benefit from the privacy that only an expensive establishment could provide.

Walking through the large commercial district, which was situated near the city's entrance, he witnessed youngsters around his age procuring weapons and armor. After walking around for close to an hour, looking for a place to stay, he reached the city's center and came across a grand establishment that imposed its superiority over the nearby taverns. Due to the gold trimmings around the building, it had an aura similar to that of an imperial palace, and Silver was in awe of its luxuriousness.

The Inn was called The Bear and Geese and once Silver walked in, what greeted his eyes was a lavish bar with gold tables spread around in a dining area. There was a mahogany staircase on the left of the bar with gold railings which Silver believed led to the bedrooms. The only word that came to mind when met with this scenery was 'Class.'

He slowly walked to the bar and politely asked the innkeeper to book him a room for the night. The innkeeper couldn't seem to hide the feeling of disdain that came about in his heart once he noticed the youth in front of him. It was not that the youngster had dirtied clothes. In fact, they were surprisingly clean and neat. It was not that he lacked grace. In fact, he was handsome and had an aura of nobility about him. But how could he explain it? Perhaps he was just too plain?

"I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. The innkeeper didn't give Silver a second glance and seemed to busy himself with drying some glass cups. There was no way he could let any commoner walk into his establishment and mix among his guests. How would he explain himself to the aristocrats that stayed here?

"Hmm, how unfortunate," replied Silver as he looked around and noticed the dining area, which was half empty. He was sure there were available rooms, but he knew that arguing with the innkeeper would not change his situation, so he made his way to the exit.

"Hey, old man, that's no way to treat your guests, is it?" shouted a black-haired youth as he jumped over a dining table and made his way to the bar with a smile. The other guests paused their conversations and looked in interest at the events about to unfold.

Examining the youngster that came to his aid, Silver noticed that he had an expensive-looking sword in his belt, yet his clothing was such that even a well-off commoner could afford them. When he came closer, Silver noticed the youth's honest-looking blue eyes that seemed to have a fire in them, giving him an overall look of someone who shouldn't be messed with.

"Master Zac, you don't under..." began the innkeeper.

"Hmm, are you saying I'm deaf, old man?" questioned the youth, wrinkling his eyebrows and feigning anger

"N-no master, how c-could I?" sweat began to run down the innkeeper's forehead.

"Hahaha, I'm joking, old man, no need to sweat it," laughed the youth while leaning over the counter and patting the innkeeper.

"But you better give this guest a room," he whispered in a menacing tone.

"Of course, of course, master" the innkeeper started scrambling through the table for a magic tablet used to book guests in.

Silver was then told that his bill for the week, with food included, would be three gold coins, which he paid instantly, knowing he was getting a considerable discount. He then examined his benefactor and thanked him with a smile.

"I'm Zac. Nice to meet you." said the youth as he offered Silver his hand. The youth was slightly shorter than Silver at the height of about 180 centimeters.

"I'm Silver, likewise," replied Silver while returning the greeting.

"Don't mind him. He's just an old-fashioned fogey who doesn't know that one's birth does not determine his rights" Zac hinted at the innkeeper with his eyes and purposefully raised his voice so that he could hear it.

"Haha, I'll try not to" Silver's evaluation of the youth in front of him had risen as he wholeheartedly agreed with the words that were just spoken.

"So, tell me, are you here for the Academy's trials?" asked Zac

"How did you know?" replied Silver, with a slightly raised eyebrow

"Well, all the eighteen-year-olds from the nearby cities and towns usually gather around this time of year at Blue City in hopes of being accepted. Call it an educated guess, if you will."

"I see," replied Silver, slightly embarrassed at his obvious question.

"Hmm, to be honest, I'm surprised," stated Zac.

"Why is that?"

"Because you don't seem to have any magic about you. What is your element?"

"Uhm, I don't know, actually. I haven't learned magic yet," replied Silver

"WHAT?" shouted Zac inviting the curious gazes of the nearby guests

"Eighteen, and you haven't learned magic yet? And you want to go to the Academy?" asked Zac with curiosity all over his face. Silver rubbed his head feeling embarrassed again at the attention they were drawing.

"Bahahaha, I knew you would be an interesting fellow. From now on, let's be friends since we will be attending the Academy together anyways. I'll even recommend a good shop with all the necessary items for you to start your magic learning" Zac sent Silver an invitation to join him at his table, which he didn't refuse.

"Good luck, and if you need anything, you can find me in the second room on the third floor" after about 15 minutes had passed, they had finished their conversation. Silver thanked Zac, said his farewells, and started making his way back to the commercial district.

As Zac watched the interesting youth leave the Inn, he smiled and was secretly glad that his hunch had paid off. For some reason, he felt that the plain-looking youth being rejected at the bar was not as simple as he appeared.

When shaking hands with him, just know, he knew that if they were to have a fight in which the use of magic was not permitted, he would easily be defeated. That wasn't very comforting, considering he was one of the most promising youth in the surrounding cities.