It had been more than four years since the last time Emery was here in the Zodiac City. He couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia as he saw the city and its people, especially the places that existed in his memory.
Aside from the city seemingly having more people going around their business and more buildings around the area, one could see there were also more formidable-looking half-blood guards patrolling around the places in groups.
As he was taking a stroll through the familiar city and looking around the places that had gone through changes, Emery decided to stop by one of the taverns that were packed with people for information.
However, just as he was walking away from the busy street, Morgana suddenly stopped him.
With food still in her mouth and a few grilled skewers in her hands, she looked at him with pleading eyes as her thoughts were sent to him through their [One Thought] connection.
"I am still hungry…"
An incredulous look appeared on Emery's face as he said, "Seriously? Where the hell did all that food go?"
The response the red-haired girl gave was a sharp gaze, causing Emery to roll his eyes as he said, "Okay okay, I understand. I promise I'll buy you some more stuff to eat later, okay? For now, just follow me."
When Emery finally entered the tavern, he couldn't help but feel familiar with the place. Tracing back his memory, it seemed he had been here with a group of friends the last time. However, he couldn't recall or put a name on the blurry faces in his memory.
Not wanting to waste time, Emery swiftly went to the bar and ordered drinks for himself and Morgana. Sensing her gaze, he quickly added, "If you have snacks, we would like to have those as well."
After that, Emery started chatting with the person behind the bar who was the owner of the tavern. Thankfully, because of how much Emery spent on food and drink, the man became much friendlier, easily telling him about what happened in the past few years and the Zodiac City's current situation.
Apparently, the Bloody Incursion that happened four and a half years ago really took a toll on the galaxy. It was the reason the Magus Academy closed down and people migrated away in droves fearing another attack by the elves.
The place was simply not as safe as it used to be.
But on the other hand, since the incident, the Zodiac King has become very active in his relations with various half-blood communities throughout the galaxy, making new friends and forming an even greater force.
Thanks to the Zodiac City's major contribution to the battle, this action was fully supported by the major factions of the Magus Alliance. Hence the reason for the rapid development of the Zodiac City.
Alas, that also meant that the Zodiac King was rarely seen in the city anymore.
Hearing that, Emery became curious as to who was in charge of Zodiac City while the man was away.
"It's Grand Magus Sinure. He has become the protector of our beloved city."
Hearing the somewhat familiar name, Emery tried to put it onto a face in his memory. This time, he managed to do so as he recalled the grand magus as the half-blood Bird bloodline who became the right hand of Alduin replacing the traitor Esbern.
Unfortunately, Emery barely knew the man.
"What about the academy? What has become of it these days?"
To his surprise, most of the Path of Destiny Institutions, such as blacksmith, apothecary, and formation in the Golden City had turned into training centers that were open to the public.
Meanwhile, the Academy and the 10 Elemental Institutes were closed down, and the planet had been declared a restricted area.
As for the academy's instructors, some of them followed the late headmaster to take office at the Magus Alliance headquarters while the rest scattered throughout the universe on their own journeys.
Emery was naturally saddened to hear such news. After all, this meant that the Magus Academy wasn't going to be opening up any time soon.
Nevertheless, he quickly cleared his mind and returned his focus on the important matter, the Darkness Institute. Now that the place was closed and declared a restricted area, Emery really needed to find a way to enter.
But of course, such a sensitive matter would be unwise to be asked of an ordinary tavern owner.
Later that day, the group reconvened at where they had split up. Before they shared what they'd discovered during the day, Tatyana suggested a good place to stay and talk. So, the group made their way to the place the brown haired girl had found.
To Emery's surprise, that place was the building where the Wolf Guild used to be, which was previously used by the wolf half-blood students from the Magus Academy who came to Zodiac City.
The place was full of dust, telling clearly that no one had visited in a long time.
Entering the place, they quickly tidied up the room at the corner and brought out their findings. Most turned out to have the same information Emery heard from the tavern owner, which disappointed him slightly.
"Unfortunately, there's no way we can't use the teleportation gate to come to any of the Magus Academy institutes, especially Atrium." said the bat girl.
"I also confirmed that the space around them is guarded. Unless you have the proper permits, you cannot enter the area."
Since there seemed to be no way for them to do this secretly, Annara then suggested that Emery ask the Zodiac City authorities for help. "With the way the Dragon Monarch has treated you, I'm sure Grand Magus Sinure will be willing to help." She reasoned.
It's a solid idea indeed. However, that involved Emery revealing his identity to even more people he didn't know if he could trust. So unless there was absolutely no other way, he would rather not take such action.
"Do you have any acquaintances with the authorities in this galaxy? Maybe someone in the Golden City?"
Thinking of this, Emery suddenly remembered about a certain planet. A kingdom he could really rely upon.
Slapping his head, Emery muttered to himself. "Why didn't I think of this before…"
With excitement in his voice, he looked at his pack and said, "We are going to Terra Kingdom!"
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