Chapter 4 – Part 49 (Book 1 – Fantasy World)

Students walking down the stairs bowed their heads to Valessandria as she made her way toward the second floor. Smiling at the students and curious about what the students that passed her by would be doing for the day, she also appreciated the time walking up the stairs as a form of meditation. Being back inside the Academy couldn't help but make her feel joy, her steps feeling lighter than when she journeyed outside the city.

Time quietly flowed by as she took each step closer to the first floor's ceiling.

Like how the first floor had been noisy with all the students turning in their assignments or hanging out with one another, voices soon cascaded down the stairs. Valessandria stepped onto the second floor and took a moment to look around. Her eyes widened slightly, seeing the number of students waiting in lines; some hanging out with their classmates and talking about the day.

"I see some of the upperclassmen preparing for their combat exams," Samantha said.

Looking at some of the students and noticing their grades, Valessandria nodded, realizing it was about that time in the year for students to reserve some of the practice rooms inside the tower. "I do not expect you will have difficulty gaining access to a training room?" She smiled at Samantha.

Samantha shrugged and raised both hands, "I am fortunate to be connected with the Academy Guards, so I will be able to use the official training rooms. I suspect it is the same with the Disciplinary Committee? Even the opportunity to train with the older students?" Her eyes looked curiously at Valessandria as though unsure whether the Lady Knight would answer.

Seeing Samantha's attempt to gain information in such a juvenile manner was amusing; it reminded her of her younger days when she had to gather information for her missions. Valessandria nodded, "That is correct. Just like with the Academy Guards, we try to reward our members with small perks to help them with their school work. With how much our members spend time keeping the city safe, I think it is reasonable to support them in their journey to becoming better students."

Though each organization inside Illumin kept some things secret from the others, especially the Disciplinary Committee, she didn't think there was any reason to keep something as minor as student training a secret since everyone else was doing something similar. There may be elements that are unique to each organization. However, the training was relatively identical for those who still needed to pass their general studies and enter their specialization years.

Valessandria couldn't help but feel inspired, seeing the students waiting in line to reserve one of the training rooms and check out rental weapons. Watching everyone working hard to improve themselves made her optimistic about the future, whether it was related to the Overflow or some other event that dared to threaten the peace around Illumin and inside the Kingdom. She was also reassured that the Academy was moving in the right direction with its curriculum to provide enough training in simulated combats and applied theory. Even if there were issues inside Illumin, there was a sense that things would work out in the end with the growth of the next generation. It made her wonder if she was in the presence of the next Student Council members after the current members stepped down due to age.

Compared to the first floor, the second was not nearly as open. Most of the space was used for the training rooms. The area around the stairs to the first floor was the only part where students could chat with one another while they waited for their rooms to become available.

Not wanting to take up any more time, she made her way toward the elevator next to the stairs. Though it was nice to take a moment to observe how the older students were performing in their classes, there was no need to keep the President waiting. He was already in a poor mood, and she didn't see a reason to make things worse.

"I assume you will be taking the elevator?" Samantha smiled.

Valessandria raised a hand to her mouth as she chuckled. "If we were to take the stairs, I suspect the Council would be waiting for several days. Though, if you are interested in training with me, I invite you to join me sometime."

Samantha smirked.

Though the stairs reached all the way to the top, the number of steps involved was measured in the thousands. But this was why some students enjoyed taking the stairs as a form of intense training to increase their stamina. The journey up the stairs would take a day or two, depending on the individual's stamina, so students would often bring along supplies. Knowing the stairs were often used for training, the Council had set up numerous stations where people could rest. There were even tiny inns where people could rest before continuing their journey.

She thought back to the times she challenged the Tower, climbing up the stairs while carrying full gear on her, sweating and breathing deeply -- stubborn to reach as high as possible. If she wasn't so busy, trying to see if she could walk to the top as quickly as possible while wearing all her gear was an interesting thought and something she would be okay with attempting. Even if she didn't consider herself an old woman, her body was definitely not like it was back when she was younger.

Making their way on the perimeter of the open area, they made their way toward the elevator.

In front of them were several lines of students waiting for one of the many elevators to open. Even with how many there were, due to the height of the Tower, it would still take time for people to enter one of them. She was glad that they would be able to take one of the elevators reserved for employees of the Academy -- specifically the one for Council members.

Reaching the elevators, she couldn't help but look in the direction of the stairs. Compared to the first floor, these were isolated, so the only thing seen was the white steps that seemed to endlessly spiral toward the heavens. Being unable to see the outside made walking up the stair a test of mental stamina.

"The perk of being able to use the reserved elevators is one of the reasons why I enjoy working as an Academy Guard."

Valessandria grinned at the young guard, nodding her head slightly. Though it wasn't good to flaunt or brag about having special access, it was something that they tried to casually mention as a way to attract more students to sign up to join one of the many organizations in the Academy. Since all the organizations are made up of students, it was necessary to offer incentives since students would already be busy with their classes.

Samantha turned to the other Academy Guards, "I will escort the Lady Knight. Head back to the main office for your next assignment."

Saluting to Samantha, her comrades made their way to one of the other reserved elevators that would lead to the floors that the Academy Guards used for administrative work.

Having already pressed the button to summon an elevator, Valessandria raised an eyebrow, "You are still planning on escorting me?"

"I understand that it may appear as though I am disrespecting your authority, but I still have my order that I need to fulfill. Once the elevator reaches the top, I will make my way to the office and move on to my other duties. I hope you can understand." Samantha slightly bowed her head.

Valessandria stared at the young woman before taking a breath, wanting to roll her eyes. Since she was a Council member, it was still within her authority to order Samantha to not continue escorting her. The problem was that it didn't sit well with her to do such actions considering the girl was only doing her job. It was annoying, but she dismissed it as punishment for ignoring the President's wishes. If it were any other time, there was no chance she would put up with such insolence. Even if she didn't enjoy throwing her weight around, it was also essential to make sure that others didn't view the Disciplinary Committee as a weak and toothless group with no authority; as the leader of her organization, it was up to her to show others that she and her people weren't easy to push around.

There was a ring that indicated that their elevator had reached them.

As the door opened, the two entered the small room.

Valessandria made her way to the controls and pressed the button for the highest level. There was a slight tingle on her finger as something scanned to confirm her identity before the button lit up. The elevator then began to move upwards with a slight tremble.

Leaning against the wall, she rested her head on it. She closed her eyes, enjoying the silence, which would last for a little bit with how tall the structure was. Aside from Samantha being inside the elevator with her, Valessandria appreciated the moment of rest that she got; the young woman even seemed to give her some space. She hadn't gotten any sleep, and her body was complaining. Relaxing, her mind slowly drifted off. But as soon as her eyelids closed, the images of what she had seen beyond the pyramid returned.