The Aura Ascendant: A Knight's Unbroken Path

Hayden then heard from the professors that it was not just any vessel—this Aetherwind Express was one of the famed Skyward Caravans, a fleet operated by the Arcane Transport Guild, a company founded by entrepreneurial magicians who had turned their talents into a lucrative business.

'Tsk… Why is it not mentioned in the books or other classes?' Hayden mused as he felt that their class lacked any studies related to magicians.

'It's probably in later years' subjects.' Hayden could only think of this as he didn't believe that the Academy would not teach them more about the magicians and their contributions to society or the world itself.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Mensa said while looking at the airship. There was also a rare note of amusement in his voice, which was something Hayden had only seen a couple of times.

"Is this something common in the capital?" Hayden asked.

"This Arcane Transport Guild is still small. They have just appeared about five years ago. There are really a lot of changes now… It's a far cry from the horse-drawn wagons of my youth."

Hayden could only nod as his Ocularis Lens started zooming in on the intricate design of the ship.

'Interesting… I wonder how it is flying.' Hayden mused as he wasn't really sure how Magic Engineering works. Furthermore, the airship was only introduced about five years ago when the Guild appeared. It was probably one of the reasons why it wasn't mentioned in the textbooks.

"How does it stay airborne? Mana alone can't sustain something this size for long."

Mensa shook his head as he also had no answer about it. Any magical things made by the Magicians were something he wouldn't understand.

"Ask the pilot yourself. Just don't pester him too much—we don't need him 'accidentally' dropping us mid-flight."

***

After some time, the ship's ramp lowered for them to board the vessel.

Soon, the students filed in, and they were all murmuring excitedly, while the professors arranged them neatly…

There weren't any rooms for them to stay, and they all just found their seats in the enclosed area of the ship, where there were also dining halls and lounges at the same time.

At the helm of the ship, Hayden confirmed that the captain or maybe pilot of the ship was actually a One-Circle Magician of the Guild.

He introduced himself as Dex. He was wearing a navy blue coat embroidered with silver wind currents—the Arcane Transport Guild's insignia.

"We're departing…" The Magician announced as he confirmed that everyone had boarded.

Then, with a deep hum of the Aetherwind's engines, the ground fell away… In just a matter of seconds, the academy shrank below as the ship rose smoothly into the sky.

As soon as they departed and were steadily moving in the sky, everyone was able to leave their seats and move around to look at the land below them. It was such an exciting experience for many of them.

However, for Hayden, who had numerous flights in various types of planes and would even skydive in most cases in his past life, he was no longer amused by being high up in the air.

'It should be fine…' Hayden muttered as he realized that the Headmaster and other Professors seemed to have some matters they had to deal with as they all entered a cabin.

It was during this time that Hayden decided to visit the captain of the ship.

Then, he realized that the door at the bridge was actually open.

'So it's like that…' He mused as his Ocularis Lens noticed the Captain's actions to control the airship.

He saw how his hands were actually holding a core, a crystal orb that contained energy, fixated at the center of the bridge. It seemed to be powering the whole Airship, or perhaps, it was just meant to control the Airship itself.

Hayden, unable to resist, asked, "How does the core work?"

Dex looked behind and saw an innocent student looking at the orb with curiosity. He didn't really mind having visitors here as he knew that all students would be curious.

'But... Is he participating in the competition? Isn't he a bit too small?' This was his first thought as soon as he saw Hayden.

However, he immediately recalled something…

"You're the Gray boy, aren't you? Mensa's little prodigy who had beaten Laxus…"

As a magician operating an Airship, it was definitely not the work that he had dreamed of. However, he was sponsored by the Guild and he would never create his first Mana Circle without them.

Because of that, he had to work for at least three years for the guild before he would get another three years of free time he could use to advance his circle. However, whether he was able to advance or not, he would still work for another three years and the cycle would just repeat.

Nonetheless, with this arrangement, he doesn't have much entertainment and he would always talk to people, read newspapers, and other works to pass the time.

After all, training in the Airship was basically impossible since he didn't want to destroy this vessel.

Hayden blinked as he was caught off-guard... He didn't expect to be recognized at all.

"You know me?"

"I know of you," Dex said while adjusting a dial.

"As for the core—it's called Voll Matrix in honor of the Magician who created this. It's a technology that only our Guild can make. It can control everything within the airship and distribute the energy to keep us stable. Ahh… It's simplified, of course. The guild doesn't share trade secrets."

Hayden smiled at this as he realized that the Captain was a lot more approachable and talkative than he thought.

Nonetheless, one of the main reasons he came here was to use his Ocularis Lens, capturing the core's energy patterns and other details he might miss...

'Fascinating. If only I had a bit of talent in Magic…' Hayden mused as he felt that the work of Magicians was a lot more interesting than the world of Aura Knights.

However, after recalling how poor he was, he might also end up becoming a contracted slave or mage of a large guild or even some noble houses.