Chapter 164: To A Beautiful Place…
Night descended upon the world.
Above, the full moon hung high in the heavens, bathing the world in silvery light.
The moonlight poured over forests, rivers, cities, and mountains alike before finally reaching the sprawling grounds of the Imperial Zenith School.
The School remained lively despite the late hour.
Since today had been a holiday, the usual rhythm of classes had disappeared.
Many students had already finished dinner and returned to their dormitories to rest.
Others took advantage of the free time.
Some wandered through the campus chatting with friends.
Some practiced swordsmanship beneath the moonlight in open grounds.
Others quietly meditated, studied magic, worked on personal projects, or simply lazed around without a care in the world.
It was a peaceful time.
Meanwhile, rather unusual group gathered after dinner.
Along with the boys there was a princess, a secret agent, a panda, a particularly round dog who got fat in one second.
A Count of the Empire, an ancient Hollow Lich, a ghost maid and an energetic E-Boy.
If anyone had written that combination on paper beforehand, most people would have dismissed it as nonsense.
Yet here they were.
Earlier, everyone had properly introduced themselves.
Sénior and the others had finally met Grozni Gefährlich Morozov Höllenbrand, the ancient lich who had somehow become Caelum's master.
Needless to say, the introduction had left everyone stunned.
Fortunately, Grozni behaved like an elderly scholar.
Cliodhna also introduced herself.
She politely described herself as Caelum's maid and no one questioned it.
Well, almost no one.
Several of them were still wondering why their friend possessed a ghost maid whose origins remained a complete mystery.
Skyler was especially suspicious because he felt he had seen her somewhere.
But as far as he remembered, this was their official first meeting.
Then there was Jinx, a new bird Caelum adopted.
The tiny E-Boy enthusiastically flew around introducing himself to everyone, occasionally performing little loops in the air for absolutely no reason.
Ryan had immediately become friends with him.
The two possessed almost identical levels of random chaotic energy.
After obtaining permission for a late-night walk from the Headmaster, Seth accompanied the group around the school.
Their destination was the [Beast & Summoning Grounds].
One of the largest places within Imperial Zenith School.
The forest part of this area resembled an enormous nature reserve, more than a training ground.
Moonlight illuminated vast grassy fields, gentle hills, crystal-clear ponds, and dense groves where countless magical creatures peacefully lived.
Experienced instructors patrolled the grounds while carefully observing some students who were present here and the beasts.
Most of the creatures had already finished their meals.
Now they wandered about leisurely.
A herd of Moonhorn Deer grazed quietly beneath silver trees, their spiraling antlers glowing faintly whenever moonlight touched them.
Nearby, several fluffy Cloud Rams lazily floated a few feet above the ground instead of walking, occasionally letting out sleepy purrs before drifting away with the breeze.
At the edge of a pond, an elegant Mirror Cranes stood perfectly still upon the water's surface.
Its feathers shimmered like polished glass, reflecting the moon.
Further away, a group of curious Ember-Tailed Foxes chased one another through the grass.
Every playful flick of their tails scattered tiny orange sparks that quickly faded before touching the ground.
A family of enormous Mossback Tortoises slowly lumbered across a hillside.
Small flowers, vines, and patches of soft moss covered their shells, making them resemble walking gardens.
Above the treetops, several Starlight Owls silently glided through the night.
Whenever they spread their wings, countless tiny specks of light drifted behind them like fragments of the night sky itself.
The peaceful atmosphere caused even Grozni to pause for a moment.
"This is quite the peaceful place."
The lich quietly admitted admiring nature.
"It appears the school treats its magical beasts with genuine care, in my time, we just used to hit them with sincerity…" He began his ancient monologue.
Not far away, Voomie's ears suddenly twitched.
She immediately turned toward the lich.
"Treat them well? Woof? What kind of joke is that?"
She puffed out her chest indignantly.
"You have no idea how cruel this place is!"
Reality was very different from Voomie's perspective.
She wasn't even allowed unlimited snacks!
To Voomie, that was sacrilege.
More than once, she had seriously considered ditching Caelum altogether and secretly living somewhere inside these enormous grounds.
Unfortunately, doing so wouldn't accomplish her greatest dream of living a truly lazy life.
If she stayed here, Instructor Axel would eventually find her again.
Just imagining that possibility made her shudder.
'For a single lazy year, I can't sacrifice my lazy life.' The fat dog nodded firmly to herself.
The Beast & Summoning Grounds stretched across an enormous portion of the school.
To better accommodate countless magical species, the area had been divided into two major regions.
The first served as a training ground.
Students practiced taming, commanding, and fighting alongside their contracted beasts there under the watchful eyes of instructors.
The second region was a bit different.
Numerous biomes had been created, each carefully designed so different magical creatures could live comfortably in their natural habitats.
Seth slowly surveyed the surroundings.
"This should be perfect."
He nodded with quiet satisfaction.
The clearing they had arrived at was exceptionally spacious.
Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, Caelum looked toward his father.
"Where are we going?"
There was unmistakable excitement in his voice.
Earlier, Seth had instructed him to gather his close friends.
Caelum had additionally invited Anastasia and Loreal.
The boys already knew something was planned, but none of them knew what.
'Maybe Father is going to teleport us somewhere,' Caelum thought excitedly.
Surely, the Immortal Count hadn't gathered everyone simply for a nighttime walk around the school.
There had to be another destination somewhere outside the school.
Perhaps even somewhere outside the Empire.
The thought alone made his anticipation grow.
Seeing everyone's curious expressions, Seth smiled mysteriously.
"I'll be taking all of you to a truly beautiful place."
He offered no further explanation.
Which somehow, only made everyone even more curious.