"The great and heroic King of Milante succumbed to his injuries in Meland Canyon.

A powerful voice that stirred the era vanished with him."

Six hundred years later, these words remain in the history books of Milante.

Griffith quietly closed the Milante Kingdom history book, his heart surging, wishing he could return to that era, to block the arrow aimed at Milante I on the battlefield.

In this way, that great king would not have met an untimely death.

Though Keith II did well as his successor, it's truly tragic that Milante I, after being unlucky for so many years, finally achieved victory but couldn't endure until the end.

He let out a gentle sigh.

This sigh broke the hearts of the girls nearby.

They appeared to be reading in the library, but were secretly observing Griffith.

His silver-white long hair cascaded down his shoulders, his face, as beautiful as a girl's, matched with the uniform of Milante Noble Academy, blending beauty and charisma, releasing an irresistible charm for the girls.

At this moment, Griffith simply sitting there made the literary atmosphere in the library feel full of romance.

"Griffith."

A magnetic voice sounded, with a towering figure passing through the aisle between two bookshelves.

With golden hair, he wore the green-themed Noble Academy uniform, a golden tulip pattern on his chest.

"Dio, what is it that you want with me?"

Griffith turned his head.

He and Dio both hailed from a village on the Milante Border.

Neither were nobles but earned a spot in the Noble Academy through their own abilities.

There are three ways to enter the Milante Noble Academy: one is being born into a noble family in the Royal Capital, Wyndham, guaranteeing entry to the Noble Academy, though tuition is required.

Another is through academic prowess by passing the academy's written test, granting entry.

The last way is through physical strength, passing the physical test also grants entry into the Milante Noble Academy.

The latter two methods are available to commoners, offering a tuition-free education, with meals and lodging included.

The Milante Kingdom has gone through eleven kings, and while not every one was wise, at least none were foolish or tyrannical. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Overall, Milante is quite a promising place.

"Tomorrow is a holiday; I know a fun place, so instead of staying in the library, let's go out and explore."

Dio patted Griffith on the shoulder, a ambiguous smile on his face.

Griffith furrowed his brow.

His intuition told him it wasn't anything good, but considering their friendship, he nodded and said, "Alright."

...

The next day, in the morning.

Griffith was hurriedly pulled up by Dio, leaving the Noble Academy. During the holiday, students could choose to stay on campus, return home, or go out to play.

In six hundred years, Wyndham had not seen a large-scale war, and the heroic deeds of Milante I were widely spread in the Eastern Continent.

Many foreign nobles came here to view the hotel where Milante I once lived.

This made Wyndham one of the most prosperous cities in the Eastern Continent.

But beneath the prosperity lay significant interests, inevitably breeding darkness.

Dio led Griffith, twisting and turning through the streets of Wyndham, away from the bustling areas, to a shady corner.

He stepped forward, presenting an invitation from a friend.

The person leaning against the broken door then coughed a few times, "Please, come in."

The old wooden door opened, and Griffith's eyes flickered with doubt. What's so secretive about this?

He followed Dio inside, discovering the space was rather small, with a man in short clothes and long pants moving the floor aside to reveal a passage downwards.

Voices could be heard faintly from below.

"Dio, what is happening here?"

"Shh, don't say anything, just quietly follow me down."

Dio played mysteriously, leading Griffith downward.

The initially narrow passage suddenly widened, revealing a large underground space.

An extremely rare luminous stone was embedded at the top, emitting a gentle white light that illuminated the area.

The seats were fully occupied, with possibly a thousand people gathered in this underground space.

Their attention was focused on a square arena below.

Strong young men were inside, battling with lions.

People around either cheered for the lions or shouted the young man's name, "Sparta! Sparta!!"

Griffith's expression subtly changed.

He recognized this as the gladiatorial arena explicitly banned by the Milante Kingdom.

This sport, which originated in the Roman Kingdom, was gruesome and violent, able to stimulate people's hormone rush, quickly spreading across the Eastern Continent.

Of course, the most important aspect was that arenas often linked with gambling.

A sultry woman in a light outfit sashayed forward, holding a tray, and said, "Are you two new guests here?

This is the list for the next match, feel free to have a look.

If you're interested, you can find me anytime to place your bets, hide your money wherever~"

"No need, we'll just observe for now."

Dio declined her invitation, leading Griffith away.

Once distanced from the woman, Griffith suppressed his anger and asked, "Dio, what is this all about?"

"Don't be so angry; I recently received information that the owner behind this gladiatorial arena might be a Kushan."

Dio's tone was somewhat relaxed, and Griffith's expression changed.