Copperfront

The car ride was quite peaceful, I felt a bit uneasy as I wasn't used to being idle for so long, but the passing scenery kept me occupied. As we began moving away from the remains of Ironguard and moved towards its outskirts, many farmhouses came into view that were surrounded by acre long fields of grain and rice. The car barely made any noise except a quite low humming sound that persisted throughout the journey which meant that the car probably didn't run on a combustion engine.

I had a lot to learn about this world, the novel obviously didn't cover the specifics of menial things, but it was interesting to see how throwaway lines had such lasting consequences. It was actually a blessing I didn't get into the academy as I doubt, I would be able to pass the theoretical exams and would probably just humiliate myself, but I should still learn the basics of this world when I have the resources for it.

As I was lost in thought I barely noticed the drastic change in scenery as it transitioned from farmland to industrial really quickly, it seemed we were approaching another checkpoint as reinforced metallic walls towered over everything in the surrounding area, but I could also see the distant lights of the city. Security cameras were placed all throughout the checkpoint and they tracked the car as it moved by, and the driver came to stop when he reached a large metallic barrier.

He rolled down the windows and I heard footsteps approaching.

"ID?" said a young man in uniform.

The driver handed him a card that seemed to be plated in gold.

The officer inspected the card for a minute before his eyes went wide and he held it up to verify it was real. After some time, he signaled for the barriers to be opened before bowing towards our car and saying.

"We welcome the honored guests of the Kane family."

It seems Adam had done something over the top again. I felt like I was more in his debt now than ever. Our car sailed through the checkpoints before we reached an encampment much like the last one. The driver turned back to me and spoke.

"Now then Mr. Ajax, let's get you home."

We exited the car, and he led me through the base, and we entered into an office area where I heard the typing noises of a keyboard, and the smell of paper entered my nose. What followed after was a series of biometrical, facial and retinal scans that I had to undergo to create legal documentation.

Moving to the medical department of the base, I had to undergo a blood test and also a mana core scan to prove my identity as an awakened. By the time this was done it was already 4 PM but after that and a surprisingly short wait, I was called to the desk of a senior officer.

"The documents will be sent to your lodging shortly, for now use this provisional ID to pass basic security checks." He said handing me a card with my basic information and sending me back to the parking area.

After yet another long drive in which the sun began to set, the distant lights of the city began to grow closer and closer. Soon we passed a sign that said, "Welcome to Copperfront : The Academic City."

The city looked exactly like the one I would see from the slums, brilliant bright billboards plastered on the sides of towering skyscrapers with crowded sidewalks and busy roads. One thing that stood out was the that at the center of the city I could see the main academy building as it towered over even the tallest skyscrapers and had the academy emblem on it. The emblem was red and gold and depicted a Roc which was a mythical avian creature, underneath was the name of the academy 'Steel Wing'.

I knew the academy was massive, spanning acres of land and occupying most of the central city but as I was looking at the city, the car came to a stop at the outskirts of the city. Looking to my side I saw large concrete buildings being constructed by using a mix of technology and earth magic. There were several that had been constructed already and mana stones were being embedded into the walls along with modern day plumbing and electricity methods. Walking outside, I was guided to a block of finished buildings that had lights shining out their windows and the driver turned towards me with a look of pity.

"Young man, are you sure you don't want to take Master Adam's offer?"

"Yes, I have bothered the Kane family enough."

Besides the building was not that bad at all, sure it looked dull by comparison to the lights of the city, but it seemed sturdy, and we hadn't even gotten inside yet. If the inside was anything like the tent, I would be more than satisfied.

He sighed and said, "Suit yourself, I will give you the address to the Kane mansion in case you change your mind." and handed me a piece of paper with an address on it.

"We will surely help you, in fact you can personally seek me out. My name is Alfred I've been working for the Kane family since Master Adam was a baby." Alfred said puffing his chest out in pride.

"I will, thank you." I replied.

"Well, I suppose you should head inside, your residence is in building 3, just show them your ID and they should give you a key." He said as he handed me my luggage.

Nodding and saying goodbye to Alfred I walked into building 3. The ground floor barely had any furniture and was mostly empty except for a man sitting behind a desk smoking a cigar.

Upon seeing me he said, "What do you want?" in an annoyed tone.

I gave him the temporary ID and explained I was going to live here.

He shot a glance at me before opening a drawer and tossing keys on the desk.

"Flat 5A." he said as he went back to smoking.

Taking the key, I went upstairs and found my apartment and unlocked the door, the living conditions were essentially the same as the tent but a bit more spacious with a small living room and also a kitchen which had an induction stove but no utensils. Heading to the bedroom, I took out what little belongings I had, putting my clothes in the cupboard and my notebook on the desk.

It was not too late into the night, so I decided to leave my room for the time being but when I opened the door the man from the front desk was standing there still smoking a cigarette.