Chapter 1: The Journey to the Magic Academy Begins with a Missing Horse

An Xia stood by the roadside with a suitcase in hand, the town of Leslie behind him.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky—three golden-rimmed suns etched with mysterious patterns radiated their light without restraint.

He smacked his lips, thinking of chilled drinks and iced fruits from a cold storage.

If he were not waiting for someone, then in this kind of weather, he should be lounging with a cold drink in one hand and fruit in the other, sipping and indulging, enjoying life to the fullest.

But life could never be perfect. To gain something, one always had to give something up.

The rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed from the distance. An Xia stretched his neck and craned his head to look ahead.

A carriage came rushing toward him.

The horse pulling it had a single horn on its head, and the carriage behind it was about five square meters in size—practically a small room on wheels.

A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of An Xia.

The unicorn horse snorted loudly, spraying droplets of saliva that nearly splashed onto him.

Fortunately, he stepped back just in time.

The small door of the carriage opened, and a young girl poked her head out.

“Hurry up and get in, An Xia.”

“Coming, coming.” An Xia quickly climbed aboard in a few brisk steps and entered the carriage.

The moment he stepped inside, a wave of cool air rushed toward him.

Flat seats lined the interior, and a small table stood firmly in the center, holding drinks that emitted a faint chill.

Without hesitation, An Xia picked up a cold drink and took a sip.

The heat inside his body was instantly washed away, and he felt refreshed at once.

The carriage swayed slightly—it had started moving again.

There was no driver, nor was one needed.

This was a carriage sent by Lance Magic Academy to transport both new and returning students.

The horse pulling it was a trained Level 2 magical beast—the Black-Scaled Horned Horse.

There was no need to worry about it losing its way.

Since it was summer, the academy’s leaders had thoughtfully installed cooling magic arrays in every carriage to combat the heat.

That was why the interior felt as cool as if air conditioning were running.

The girl inside the carriage was named Melva. Like An Xia, she was a new student, coming from Relo Town, not far from Leslie Town.

The reason they knew each other was because during the last magic aptitude test, only the two of them from their respective towns had shown magical talent.

After the test, it was only natural they exchanged a few words—though An Xia had been the one to initiate the conversation.

An Xia was a transmigrator. His mother had died of illness when he was four, and his father, grieving her loss, drowned while drunk when he was six.

Fortunately, a mature soul resided within his young body, so he had not starved to death as a child.

With a small inheritance and help from the townsfolk, An Xia managed to raise himself to the age of sixteen.

After learning that this world possessed both magic and battle energy, he resolved to become a mage.

It definitely was not because he had trained for several years and still failed to reach even the level of an apprentice warrior.

The magic aptitude test had been his first encounter with such extraordinary things, so the calm and composed Melva naturally became his source of information.

“How much longer until we arrive…?”

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two hours had gone by.

An Xia sprawled lazily across his seat, utterly bored.

Melva had anticipated this and brought a novel with her to read during the journey.

Lance Magic Academy was the closest magic academy to Leslie Town—so close that everyone in town knew of it. That was why An Xia chose to apply there.

As for Melva, she had relatives who graduated from Lance Magic Academy.

With connections, things were easier to handle. Rather than going somewhere unfamiliar, she preferred to follow the path of her elders.

The carriage stopped once more.

An Xia stuck his head out and saw an unfamiliar small town.

A boy about their age was being seen off by his family with embraces.

Even after he climbed onto the carriage, his family continued waving at him.

“Hello,” the boy greeted shyly as he entered.

His eyes occasionally glanced toward Melva, though he sat at a distance.

An Xia noticed everything.

Ah, a pure and innocent boy from another world.

Melva was indeed very beautiful. Her eyes resembled pale violet gemstones, and her shoulder-length purple hair was tied into a low ponytail.

A few loose strands framed her face, softening her features.

Her skin was as smooth and fair as milk.

For An Xia—who, before transmigrating, had seen countless heavily filtered and made-up beauties in short videos—Melva had indeed surprised him for a moment, but the feeling quickly faded.

For this boy, however, she was probably the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life.

An Xia understood his restraint.

“My name is Anders. I’m from Feli Town, and I’m also a new student at Lance Magic Academy,” the boy introduced himself.

“I’m An Xia, from Leslie Town. And she’s Melva, from Relo Town,” An Xia said warmly.

“Hello.” Melva slightly raised her gaze and nodded faintly in greeting.

Anders instantly looked flattered. He did not even know where to place his hands.

“I know Leslie Town,” Anders said, quickly changing the subject.

After a moment’s thought, he added, “In recent years, a specialty product from Leslie Town has been selling very well where I’m from. But it’s always sold in a dark tent, and only adults are allowed inside.”

“Oh?” Melva’s interest was piqued. Her violet eyes shifted to An Xia. “Since An Xia is from Leslie Town, he should know what this specialty is, right?”

“Uh…” An Xia scratched his head, an awkward expression appearing on his face.

Not only did he know—he was the inventor of that product.

Every month, a share of the profits was deposited into his magic crystal card, making him a modestly wealthy man.

After some thought, An Xia described it in the most dignified way possible: “It is a type of clothing that promotes human reproduction and enhances the enjoyment of life.”

Melva fell into thought. “Clothing? Then bring me a few pieces next time.”

As she spoke, she placed several gold coins in front of An Xia.

Ah… this…

An Xia grimaced.

Receiving gold coins should have been a happy occasion, but under these circumstances, it felt life-threatening.

If he actually brought such items to Melva, that day would likely become the anniversary of his death.

“Bring me some as well,” Anders said, handing over a few gold coins. “I’ve always been curious. Every time I try to see it, I’m stopped. Even when my father buys it, he refuses to show me.”

Why are you joining in too?

Looking at the coins, An Xia made a decision against his conscience and accepted them.

So what if I die?

At worst, I will just bring them ordinary clothes when the time comes.

After another two hours of travel, An Xia began to feel that something was off.

Logically, the journey to Lance Magic Academy should not take this long.

He glanced at Melva.

She had already put away her novel and straightened her clothes.

Their eyes met, and both understood what the other was thinking.

Only Anders remained sitting cluelessly in the corner.

“What do you think?” An Xia asked.

“Let’s observe first.”

Melva took out a magic scroll.

For her safety, her mage relatives had spent an entire month crafting scrolls, filling her ten-cubic-meter storage ring before allowing her to leave home.

Among the three of them, she was the only one capable of temporarily using magic as an ordinary person.

At that moment, the carriage suddenly slowed down.

The inertia caused the three of them to press against the carriage walls.

Once it stopped, the noisy sounds outside drifted in.

An Xia exchanged a glance with Melva, then cautiously stood up and opened the small door.

Outside, people bustled about, and stalls lined the surroundings—it was clearly a marketplace.

An Xia even spotted a familiar black tent.

“Where is this?” Melva stood behind him, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings with vigilance.

“Leos. A city about three days’ journey from Lance Magic Academy,” An Xia replied.

He had come here once before to expand his business.

Melva frowned slightly. She did not understand why they had been brought here.

“There’s an important question.”

An Xia glanced ahead, then turned to look at Melva and Anders, who was still at a loss in the corner.

“Go on,” Melva said, putting away the magic scroll.

“Our horse is gone,” An Xia said solemnly.

Melva looked toward where the Black-Scaled Horned Horse should have been.

There was nothing there.