Chapter 472: Arriving At Ember City - 2

Leo once again looked around the room and saw the students enthusiastically chatting with one another and boasting about their powers to attract followers. But there was one group that didn’t look good.

The servants and slaves.

Especially the ones that didn’t receive the life-saving talisman, which meant almost everybody.

Most of them squirmed with unease as they felt their end drawing near, and there was nothing Leo could do to save them. Concerning himself with them would only slow down his progress, and this was something Leo couldn’t make peace with.

Even Naelith and Lyswenna noticed the disparity between Leo’s treatment of them and the treatment other slaves received from their masters.

While they themselves had top-tier equipment, high-quality tools, and proper clothes, others looked like they hadn’t eaten a single proper meal in days. Their skinny bodies spoke of hardship and barely enough food to keep them walking. Their clothes were old and torn in various places, making them look worse than even beggars.

And they were all human male slaves; both could only imagine what female slaves must have gone through.

A shiver ran down their spines as they imagined a reality where it wasn’t Leo and Lily who had captured them, but someone else among the crowd present here. Even miserable wasn’t enough to describe it. And if fellow humans could treat their own kind like that, then what would happen to them when they were elves?

But Leo wasn’t worrying about those things anymore; his mind was focused on the information the assistant professor had shared during the briefing.

"Fire-breathing lizardmen... and one is enough to take on 5 people with 2-star strength. Then maybe pseudo 3-star or low 3-star," he muttered, imagining the possibility of capturing them and incorporating them into his territorial forces. They would become an incredibly valuable force if that happened.

While he was pondering over that, the time finally arrived.

23:45

All of them lined up, with Leo, Aaron, and Ronan leading the crowd. It was then that people started to realise that Leo seemed a bit familiar.

"W-wait, is he Sir Leo?"

"Now that I look closely... there really is some similarity."

"Crazy... How can someone change so much within such a short amount of time?"

"He can display 5-star strength while being a freshman; anything is possible."

"Wait! We should establish a connection with him! Until now, he has only contacted Sir Ronan and Sir Aaron!"

Suddenly, restlessness spread among the groups as they tried to approach Leo. But since the formations had already been made, nobody could move under the assistant professor’s watchful eye.

The next moment, a mass teleportation spell activated, and all of them disappeared from the place.

---

When the new place registered in Leo’s eyes, he was momentarily stunned.

Because what appeared before him was simply marvellous.

He was standing on a wide circular platform atop elevated ground, offering a full view of the massive city ahead. And massive was still an understatement. At a glance, Leo could tell the city was at least 1000 times larger than Kendru City; even the smaller districts within it were bigger than 10 Kendru Cities combined.

The city carried a modern medieval vibe, with towering wall boundary at least 50 meters high made from sturdy stone covering the whole of perimeter.

He also noticed that there were at least 5 more wide circular platforms arranged in a round formation, and just like them, people were continuously being teleported there.

"Alright! You can admire the city to your heart’s content tomorrow. Now empty the place so other people can arrive!" the professor shouted, snapping the students out of their awe.

As they walked towards their accommodations, a city official provided a brief introduction to the city.

"We are very happy to welcome the honoured students of Aurelius Academy to our tier-5 inner city, Ember City, whose lord is a strong and generous commander bearing the glorious name of Ashton Ember. He apologises for not being able to greet you personally right now, but you will surely hear from him tomorrow. Until then, please enjoy the top-tier accommodations provided by the city," he said before turning to speak with the assistant professor in a lower voice so only he could hear.

"Sir Oliver, may I know if there are any students from the top 10? If not, what about the top 50? The city lord would personally like to invite them to a banquet."

The assistant professor smirked.

"You’ll be surprised. There are actually 3 from the top 10 who came this year. And guess the rank of the strongest student among them."

The official’s eyes widened upon hearing that 3 top 10 students had arrived.

"Really?! Please don’t joke about such matters. This year’s students are so monstrous that even the 50th-ranked student is worth establishing a positive connection with... and as for my guess... 6th?"

The assistant professor gave a mysterious smile.

"Go a bit higher."

"5th?" the man asked, his eyes widening further.

"Tsk tsk, still too low. Here’s a hint: it was someone who displayed 5th-ranked strength during the fresher competitions."

Even though the livestream of Leo and Kaelion’s fight wasn’t visible to people outside the academy, news regarding the estimated strength levels always managed to spread.

The man’s eyes widened in shock.

"Don’t tell me, the second-ranked--"

"First."

"Sir Oliver! Where is he? You don’t understand, just informing the city lord about this would guarantee me a lifetime food supply. The 1st-ranked student of Aurelius Academy... from what we know, he comes from a secretive and powerful family, and his growth rivals that of Imperial princes. Just getting the chance to speak with him could potentially make him an ally of Ember City, and once he grows stronger, nobody would even dare think about meddling with us!"

Since fights and wars over territories constantly occurred, many people naturally had their eyes on Ember City as well, and the city lord’s strength alone couldn’t always deter every threat. That was why they needed to establish connections with powerful individuals. This was also one of the main reasons Ember City hosted such a massive event every 5 years. It was all for the chance to pull future powerhouses to their side.

Otherwise, why would they willingly part with the high-ranking fire-based natural treasures that matured every 5 years?

They could always send their own people aged 30 or below and hoard everything for themselves. But that would only make things more dangerous, because they would end up with a vault full of treasures and not enough power to defend it. They would be robbed in one swift swoop.

And it was precisely why forming connections with people like Leo had become so important.