Chapter 125 - principle
I stared at the sight before me in awe.
"This is like a whole other world..."
The Empress chuckled softly.
"It isn’t just like another world."
"This academy is located inside a separate space."
My eyes widened.
"A separate space?"
She nodded.
"The entire academy exists within a space created by its principal."
My eyes immediately began shining.
"So..."
"She created this entire place?"
"Not only the buildings."
"The space itself."
I looked outside again.
The endless star-filled sky stretched in every direction.
There was no visible horizon.
No ordinary landscape.
No sign that this place was connected to the world we had just left.
It truly felt like we had stepped into another world.
My perception instinctively spread outward.
The sensation was completely different from ordinary space.
There was a vast boundary surrounding the entire academy, yet I couldn’t even determine where it began or ended.
The deeper I tried to perceive it...
The more complicated it became.
I couldn’t help but smile.
Amazing.
She didn’t simply teleport the academy here.
She created an entire space for it to exist in.
The Empress smiled at my reaction.
"Now you understand why I told you that the principal is one of the strongest Space Mages in the world."
I nodded repeatedly.
"That’s so cool!"
Then an idea immediately came to me.
"Someday, I’ll create a place like this too."
The Empress raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Do you like the idea of creating an academy?"
I immediately shook my head.
"No!"
"I want to create a space like this..."
"So I can come here whenever I want."
"And relax."
"And sleep."
The Empress stared at me for a moment before laughing.
"So that’s what you want to use such an incredible ability for?"
"Of course."
Amy immediately joined the conversation.
"That’s the Gray I know."
"Always thinking about being lazy."
I looked at her and immediately protested.
"You’re the lazy one!"
Amy’s eyes twitched.
"Excuse me?"
We continued bickering as the carriage moved deeper into the strange space.
I couldn’t help glancing outside again.
An entire separate space...
Created by one person.
I had already been fascinated by Space Affinity.
But after seeing this...
My interest had reached an entirely different level.
If this was what a true master of Space could accomplish...
Then I wanted to learn even more.
Eventually, the carriage began slowing down.
And then...
I finally saw it.
The academy.
Even though we were still some distance away, its enormous structures already dominated the space before us.
The academy wasn’t simply built on land.
It existed within this artificial world.
Towering buildings rose beneath the endless starry sky, surrounded by magical structures and enormous floating platforms.
The entire place felt less like a school...
And more like an independent world.
I stared at it without saying a word.
So this is the Astral Academy...
An entire world created by a Space Mage.
The full view of the academy stretched before us.
It was massive.
Even after seeing it from a distance, I hadn’t been prepared for how enormous it actually was.
Towering buildings rose into the sky, surrounded by countless magical structures and elegant architecture.
The entire academy seemed to exist within the vast star-filled space itself.
So this is the academy...
I couldn’t help but stare.
Soon, we were led toward an area specifically built to welcome important guests.
Temporary residences had already been prepared for us.
After settling in, I returned to my room.
I looked around briefly before remembering what Mother had told me.
We were going to meet the principal.
Finally.
I was curious about the person capable of creating an entire space like this.
I quickly took a shower and changed into a good set of clothes.
Then I left my room and found Luna waiting outside.
We waited together for the others.
Not long afterward, everyone had gathered.
A staff member approached us and respectfully guided us through the academy.
After walking for a while...
We finally arrived at our destination.
The door opened.
We entered an elegant room decorated primarily in purple, with intricate golden embroidery adorning the walls and furnishings.
And sitting inside...
Was a woman.
She had long royal-purple hair and striking amethyst eyes.
The moment my gaze landed on her...
I immediately noticed something unusual.
Space itself seemed different around her.
It wasn’t being forced into submission.
It was almost as if...
Space willingly made way for her.
Mother and the Empress could force their way through space through sheer power.
But this woman...
It felt as though space itself welcomed her.
So this is what Mom meant.
She’s a true master of Space.
The woman shifted her gaze toward us.
She stood gracefully and greeted the Empress and Mother.
They returned her greeting warmly.
Then she gestured toward the seats.
"Please, have a seat."
We all sat down.
Her gaze slowly moved across us.
Isabella.
Elena.
Amy.
Luna.
And finally...
Me.
She smiled faintly.
"I presume these are your children?"
Mother and the Empress nodded.
Isabella introduced herself first.
Then Elena and Amy followed.
Luna introduced herself as well.
Finally, it was my turn.
"My name is Gray Starlight."
I introduced myself politely.
But even after doing so...
I couldn’t stop staring at her.
There was simply too much to observe.
The way space moved around her.
The subtle distortions in the air.
The almost invisible fluctuations surrounding her body.
She noticed immediately.
Rather than being offended, she seemed amused.
She leaned down slightly, bringing herself closer to my eye level.
"What are you looking at so intensely?"
I answered honestly.
"The space surrounding you."
Her amethyst eyes narrowed slightly with interest.
"The space?"
I nodded.
"It feels different from the space around Mom and Aunt Aurelia."
"It’s like..."
"Space welcomes you."
"But when Mom or Aunt Aurelia moves through it, they force their way through."
The woman’s expression changed slightly.
Then a small smile appeared.
"You’re quite observant."
She straightened slightly.
"Yes."
"I’ve mastered the Law of Space."
"That is why space recognizes me."
"Or, more accurately..."
"It recognizes me as one of its masters."
My eyes immediately shone.
"The Law of Space?"
"What is that?"
She smiled.
"You’ll discover it in the future."
"You’re still too young to understand it."
My excitement immediately disappeared.
"I’m too young?"
I puffed out my cheeks.
That answer only made my curiosity worse.
The principal stared at my expression for a moment.
Her eyes softened.
"Ah..."
"What an adorable child."
Mother smiled.
"He’s always been fascinated by Space Affinity."
"After awakening it, that interest only grew stronger."
The principal looked at me with slight surprise.
"Oh?"
"You possess Space Affinity as well?"
I nodded enthusiastically.
Then I immediately asked again.
"Can you tell me more about the Law of Space?"
She pretended to think for a moment.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"No."
My hopes were completely crushed.
I deflated like a balloon.
"...Oh."
I slowly walked back toward Luna and sat beside her with a defeated expression.
I’ll ask Astrid later.
Or Mom.
Or maybe Aunt Aurelia.
Someone has to tell me eventually.
Luna covered her mouth and laughed softly at my expression.
The principal then looked toward everyone.
"Well."
"You’ve all introduced yourselves."
"So I suppose it’s my turn."
She smiled.
"My name is Astrea Valtheris."
"I am the principal of this academy."
Her expression became slightly more serious.
"And don’t misunderstand."
"Just because I am human doesn’t mean I favor humans."
"I favor those who possess strength or exceptional potential."
"It doesn’t matter whether you’re human, dragon, elf, or any other race."
"We are all treated equally here."
Everyone listened carefully.
My eyes brightened.
She’s amazing.
Astrea continued.
"However, I know your mothers as close friends."
"That is the reason we’re gathered here today."
"We aren’t here to discuss academy matters."
I immediately understood what she meant.
She wasn’t speaking to us as the principal.
She was speaking to Mother and the Empress as their friend.
And I liked that.
If Isabella wanted to participate in the entrance examination, Astrea would judge her fairly.
If Isabella didn’t meet the requirements...
Even being a Crown Princess wouldn’t earn her special treatment.
That alone made me respect Astrea.
And she was a Space Mage on top of that.
This woman is incredible.
The conversation between Mother, the Empress, and Astrea continued.
They discussed various matters as friends before occasionally shifting into more serious political topics.
I listened for a while.
Then...
I got bored.
I quietly pulled a juice pack from my Space Storage and began drinking.
After taking a few sips, I offered one to Luna.
She happily accepted her orange juice.
She immediately started drinking it through the straw.
Like a hamster.
I stared at her for a moment.
Cute.
Then I offered drinks to Amy, Elena, and Isabella as well.
Surprisingly, none of them refused.
Soon, all of us were sitting together and enjoying our drinks while the adults continued their conversation.
Astrea noticed what we were doing.
But she simply smiled faintly before continuing her discussion with Mother and the Empress.
Eventually, their conversation came to an end.
Astrea turned toward us.