Dragon Necromancer: Starting With First Dragon Bloodline-Chapter 28: Locals

The trip itself took only five days.

The distance between Elderglass City and the Obsidia—the capital city—wasn’t that great.

Still, sitting all day and doing nothing was exhausting.

That’s why Noa honed his mana control and also practised with Thalia at every opportunity, never wasting a single moment.

However, the progress stalled quickly.

Just because Noa could handle shadow particles didn’t mean he could just use them in combat.

He didn’t even have suitable abilities.

But at least he knew the direction he wanted to take.

All he had to do was understand the patterns and apply them in real life.

If he could find the right patterns and shapes to channel mana, he could forge them into proper spells.

As a result, Noa didn’t hurry to reach the academy after arriving in the capital.

He took his time.

Taking the opportunity, he visited libraries and sought to learn more about magic—especially the shadow element, since his family estate had no books on it.

Noa buried himself in books, and in just one week, he devoured four volumes on beast classification and their evolution.

He wanted to better understand how the tamed animals grew.

But his main purpose was to compare his ancient knowledge with the modern understanding.

Also, he spent countless hours diving into the bloodline history.

Almost every recorded beast had been studied by experts, and multiple optimal rituals and practices had been tested.

This was a flood of information that no human could digest in one go.

Noa wasn’t an exception either.

All these studies did was increase his familiarity with this world and make him more confident about attending the academy.

Knowing common sense that others would also know was a must for Noa.

After the first week, he had only two days remaining.

Thalia was with him the whole time.

She was motivated as well and was eager to spend her time studying more about the fascinating beasts.

Luna was one of them, and Noa shared everything he knew about her. It started with how strange her abilities might get if the conditions were met and ended with her non-standard path for evolution.

At first, she was surprised to see how much Noa knew about beasts in general.

But the more time she spent with him, the less she reacted.

Seeing how amazing her master was and how much he knew put her at ease, strengthened the faith she placed in him.

Noa also spoke with locals.

Visiting bars at his age was beyond his capabilities, but local alchemy shops, smiths, and training grounds were doable.

One example was the battered alchemy he stumbled upon.

The owner, Barun, didn’t seem to care about age as long as Noa had coins.

Behind the old wooden shelves, tiny glass bottles were neatly arranged, shining in every color in existence.

Everything smelled of burned coal or herbal medicine.

The alchemist, a hunched woman with stained and wrinkled hands, looked up at him.

She quickly glanced back at her table, ignoring Noa completely.

But he had a job to do.

And it involved the academy—something the locals, more than anyone, should have known about.

"Tell me about the Arcane Academy," he whispered and tossed one of the last silver coins in his possession.

The woman snorted at his words.

She grabbed the coin and shoved it in her pouch, only to continue grinding the weird dry roots in circular motions.

Noa recognized the plant but said nothing.

He mentally noted how easy it was for him to identify plants from his knowledge.

Then—

Before he repeated his question, the hunched woman glanced back at him, her eyes remaining sharp despite her old age. "What’s there to say about it?" she asked, shifting her attention again.

But this time, she had something to add.

"Arcane is a fancy name for a cell you are willingly going to."

Noa lowered his brow, glancing at Thalia, who had the same confused reaction. "Cell?"

"Aye," the alchemist pressed hard onto the table. "Once you step inside, you are losing yourself. You won’t be just a boy anymore. You will just become a walking investment, and it’s on you to prove you’re worth the risk."

Suddenly, she reached the shelf and took a jar.

Then she scooped the crushed powder inside and continued,

"Don’t think that professors will be on your side. All they’re doing is judging students—deciding who to pick and who to discard. It’s not just an academy, it’s a battlefield for people in power to collect more obedient soldiers."

Noa sighed at her words and tapped a finger on the counter.

Then he smirked and said,

"Doesn’t sound too bad. That’s how humans should be shaped. Not in comfort, but in fire, hammered into strength like steel."

Barun let out a dry chuckle.

At first, she just laughed, not even looking at him.

But after a while, she peered into him with her ocean-deep eyes, judging and remembering him.

"That’s quite an attitude you have there. A one of a kind for your age."

"What about the beasts? How are they treated?"

"Prove your beast’s worth by proving your worth first," she answered, smiling to herself. "But with your pitiful worm..."

The alchemist trailed her words.

She tried to find better ways to speak her mind.

Not because she was afraid that her words might hurt him, but because she wanted to be fully honest.

"I would lower my head if I were you," she said finally.

Her voice was hoarse.

She didn’t speak with malice, but didn’t exactly hold back either.

Noa didn’t show surprise. He was used to this treatment, as everyone had the same reaction upon seeing the Graveworm.

"But you aren’t me," he answered, grinned, and left the store, leaving the hunched woman surprised by his casual declaration.

This was the last conversation Noa had with locals.

After that, he climbed into the carriage and finally set off toward the academy.

Less than an hour remained before the entrance exams began, and his racing heart couldn’t take more stalling.