The Royal Academy

The Shmidts walked through Merham's bustling streets, the morning's disappointment hanging over them like a cloud. Street vendors called out their wares, but their usual enthusiasm for the city's vibrant market life felt dampened.

"We still have the Royal Academy appointment." Elly smoothed her dress, trying to recapture her earlier optimism. The silk had lost its fresh press from their hasty exit at Power and Magic.

Leo kicked a loose stone. "If they're anything like the last lot-"

"Different institution, different values." Elen adjusted his sword belt. "The Royal Academy's reputation spans centuries."

A merchant's cart rattled past, laden with fresh produce for the academy kitchens. The driver tipped his hat to the Shmidts - a gesture of respect they hadn't seen inside Power and Magic's walls.

"Their admission standards focus on ability." Elly pulled out the Royal Academy's prospectus, its gold leaf catching the sunlight. "Not just bloodlines."

"That's what Power and Magic claimed too." Leo's fingers traced the hilt of his training sword.

"On paper." Elen's face hardened at the memory. "Reality may prove different."

They paused at a fountain to rest. The water's spray caught the morning light, creating tiny rainbows. Elly dipped her fingers in, watching the ripples spread.

"The Royal Academy can't be worse." She dried her hand on her handkerchief. "Can it?"

"If it is, we leave." Leo's voice carried the weight of certainty. "No hesitation this time."

Elen nodded. "Agreed. We won't waste time where we're not valued."

The family gathered themselves, straightening clothes and squaring shoulders. The disappointment of Power and Magic still stung, but hope flickered like a stubborn flame. The Royal Academy waited ahead, either as a new beginning or another lesson in the empire's prejudices.

"At least we know what to watch for now." Elly fell into step beside her brother.

Dawn painted Merham's skyline in shades of amber as the Shmidts gathered in the inn's dining hall. The aroma of fresh bread and sizzling meats filled the air.

"Two days of waiting felt like two years." Elly spread honey on her third slice of bread. Her usual morning restraint abandoned in favor of nervous eating.

Leo picked at his eggs, arranging them into neat patterns. "At least we used the time to prepare better answers."

"And better questions." Elen signaled the serving girl for more coffee. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed nights spent reviewing family records and credentials.

Sunlight streamed through the leaded glass windows, casting diamond patterns across their table. The dining hall buzzed with other prospective students and their families, all headed to the same destination.

"We should leave now." Leo pushed his plate aside. "Being early shows respect."

The Royal Academy's spires rose above Merham's northern quarter, their white stone gleaming against the morning sky. Gardens stretched around the campus, perfectly manicured hedges forming intricate patterns visible from the approaching road.

Elly smoothed her hair for the hundredth time. "It's grander than Power and Magic."

"And older." Elen's boots crunched on the gravel path. "Those walls have seen emperors crowned and kingdoms fall."

Students in the academy's blue and silver uniforms crossed the grounds, some hurrying to early classes, others lounging on benches with books spread before them.

They approached the main gates, where a pair of guards stood at attention. Unlike Power and Magic's ostentatious display of wealth, the Royal Academy's entrance spoke of quiet authority - centuries of tradition carved into every stone.

"Papers ready?" Elen reached for the documents tucked inside his jacket.

The family paused before the threshold, sharing a moment of silent unity. Whatever waited inside those halls, they would face it together.

Inside the Royal Academy's grand hall, marble columns soared toward gilded ceilings. The Shmidts joined the crowd of prospective students and their families, but something felt off about the atmosphere.

"Did that boy just snap his fingers at a teacher?" Leo's eyes narrowed at a young noble ordering around a professor like a servant.

A cluster of students in silk robes emblazoned with the Imperial Dragon crest pushed past them without acknowledgment. Their rings clinked against crystal glasses of imported juice.

"The Zhang clan thinks they own the place." A nearby mother's whisper carried. "But wait until the Li family arrives."

As if summoned, the main doors burst open. A procession of guards in ceremonial armor flanked a slim teenager wearing enough jewels to buy a small town.

Elly pressed closer to her father. "At Power and Magic, they at least pretended to be humble."

"Move aside, peasants." A boy with the Sun Empire insignia shoved between them, his servants scattering rose petals before his feet.

Elen's hand tightened on his sword hilt. The display of wealth and arrogance surpassed anything they'd witnessed at Power and Magic.

Two noble girls in matching silk dresses pointed at Elly's simpler attire and giggled behind painted fans. Their jewelry sparkled with each mocking gesture.

"Look at their clothes," one stage-whispered. "Did they mistake this for a farmer's market?"

The hall descended into chaos as three more royal clans arrived, each entrance more elaborate than the last. Servants collided, spilling drinks and dropping platters while their masters argued over whose family held more imperial favor.

"This isn't a school." Leo's voice carried disgust. "It's a playground for spoiled brats."

A fight broke out between two noble boys over whose family crest deserved to be displayed higher on the wall. Their guards drew weapons while professors scrambled to restore order.

Leo turned on his heel, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor. The chaos of entitled nobility faded behind him.

"We're leaving." His voice cut through the commotion.

Elly glanced at the gilded halls, then at her brother's retreating back. She hurried after him, dodging a servant carrying a golden peacock statue.

"But we haven't even-"

"Look around, Elly." Leo pushed through the ornate doors. "This place is worse than Power and Magic. At least there they bothered with pretense."

Elen followed his children into the morning air. The gardens that had seemed so impressive now felt artificial, every plant positioned to flaunt wealth rather than serve a purpose.

"The Military Academy remains." Elen's shoulders relaxed as they left the grounds. "They value strength and skill above all else."

Elly matched his stride, her earlier disappointment giving way to determination. "The Military Academy produces the empire's finest officers."

"And they don't care about silk robes or family crests." Elen steered them toward a quieter street. "Only what you can achieve with your own hands."

The sounds of the Royal Academy's chaos faded behind them. Ahead, the city opened up toward the military district, where the academy's training grounds sprawled across the eastern quarter.

"At least we won't have to watch noble brats duel over window seats." Leo's lips quirked into a half-smile.

The family's steps lightened as they walked. The Military Academy might lack golden peacocks and perfumed halls, but it offered something far more valuable - a chance to prove their worth through action rather than ancestry.