Eisenburg Central Station was smaller than the one in Victorian, but it was just as magnificent.
The do was made of deep blue glass and a black iron frawork, and the sunlight filtered through the stained glass, casting colorful shadows.
The platform was bustling with people; students in various uniforms hurried past, dragging their suitcases, and the air was filled with the distinct sll of coal smoke from steam locomotives and so kind of... restless youthful energy?
Pavela stepped off the platform, looking at the lively scene before her.
The number of students was greater than she had expected.
Her gaze swept over those young faces—so excited, so nervous, so feigning maturity, and others looking around without any attempt to hide their curiosity.
"Pavela—!"
A soft weight hung on her once again.
Pavela was prepared this ti, and she didn't even tense her body.
"Victoria."
Her voice carried a hint of helplessness, "We only just got out of the sa carriage five minutes ago."
"But we are about to separate!"
The blonde girl's voice was filled with exaggerated sadness, her arms wrapped tightly around Pavela's neck, as if she were afraid she might suddenly disappear.
"St. Sophia Academy is in the east of the city, and the Royal Knights Academy is in the west, a whole half of the city apart! It will be a long, long ti before we can et again!"
"...Eisenburg isn't as big as Victorian."
"But it's still far!"
Pavela looked at Cecilia, hoping to get so assistance.
Cecilia stood to the side, her black hair neatly draped behind her shoulders, her light purple casual dress appearing exceptionally elegant in the morning light.
The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing an expression of encouragent.
"Miss Victoria."
A respectful voice ca from nearby.
Pavela looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man in a dark blue uniform standing not far away, followed by two servants in matching uniforms.
"The Hohenheim family's carriage is already waiting outside."
Victoria pouted, but she let go of Pavela anyway.
"Alright, alright..."
She stepped back, her eyes shining with reluctance.
"Pavela, you must rember to write to !"
"...Mm."
"Not 'Mm'! It should be 'Okay, Victoria, I will definitely write to you every day'!"
"I'll try."
"Pavela!"
"One letter a week."
"At least three!"
"...Two."
Victoria glared at her, puffing out her cheeks, her little fangs faintly visible.
But in the end, she compromised.
"Alright, two. But each one must be three pages long!"
Pavela sighed and nodded slightly.
Victoria's expression instantly brightened, as if she had received so incredible promise.
"It's a deal!"
She turned and ran toward the waiting servants, her goose-yellow skirt tracing a bright arc in the air.
After running a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and waved.
"Oh, right, Pavela!"
"What?"
"If anyone bullies you at the academy, you must tell ! I'll have my father go and settle the score with them!"
Pavela was stunned for a mont.
Then, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
"...Okay."
Victoria nodded in satisfaction, then truly turned and left.
...
Cecilia walked over to Pavela, watching Victoria's retreating figure disappear into the crowd.
"She likes you very much."
"I know."
"You like her too."
Pavela did not answer.
Cecilia smiled gently, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) a hint of understanding in her calm eyes.
"Although the Royal Knights Academy and St. Sophia Academy are half a city apart, there are joint activities every month," she said. "We can et again then."
"Joint activities?"
"Balls, tea parties, academic exchanges, and the like," Cecilia said in a calm tone. "A tradition of aristocratic schools."
Pavela frowned.
Balls. Tea parties. Academic exchanges....Why did she have a foreboding feeling?
"Miss Lindbergh."
Another respectful voice rang out; it was a servant from the Lindbergh family.
Cecilia nodded to him and then stepped forward.
She handed a neatly folded note to Pavela.
"This is the address of St. Sophia Academy and my dormitory number."
"If you encounter any trouble, you can also write to . Although I might not be able to help much, I can at least listen to you."
Pavela took the note and carefully tucked it into the pocket of her dress.
"Thank you."
"Take care."
She said, brief but sincere.
"You too."
Cecilia nodded slightly, then turned and walked toward the waiting servants.
Her gait was steady and elegant, and her light purple skirt swayed gently in the wind, like a quietly blooming violet.
"We should go too! The Schwartz Family's carriage is waiting at the west gate!"
Pavela withdrew her gaze and turned to the girl who was as excited as a puppy.
Irene's amber eyes shone with anticipation, and her long dark hair fluttered gently in the morning breeze.
Pavela nodded and followed the two toward the west gate of the station.
...
The steam-powered carriage drove steadily along the streets of Eisenburg.
The streets were straight, lined with neat trees and uniform terraced buildings; even the spacing between the trees looked as if it had been asured with a ruler.
Occasionally, mounted gendars would patrol past, the sound of hooves echoing on the street.
It was the first ti Pavela had seen such an orderly city.
"Eisenburg is the empire's military stronghold."
Eleanor noticed her curiosity.
"One-third of the empire's standing army is stationed here, along with the Royal Knights Academy, the Imperial Officer Academy, the logistics supply headquarters... The entire city is planned around military needs."
"Is that why it's so... rigid?"
"You could say that."
The corners of Eleanor's mouth turned up slightly.
"Victorian is the heart of the empire, and Eisenburg is the empire's fist. The heart can be romantic, but the fist must be precise."
Pavela nodded thoughtfully.
Irene sat opposite her, looking out the window excitedly.
"We're almost there, we're almost there! Look over there, that spire is the academy's clock tower!"
Pavela looked in the direction she was pointing.
In the distance, there was indeed a towering clock tower, its spire piercing the sky, shimring with a tallic luster in the sunlight.
"Eleanor."
Pavela withdrew her gaze and turned to the woman sitting beside her.
"What is the academy really like?"
Eleanor raised an eyebrow.
"What do you an?"
"The things Irene ntioned—three training grounds, two cha hangars, a three-story library, touching a statue will guarantee passing an exam—"
"That sounds like content from a recruitnt brochure."
Irene's face instantly turned bright red.
"I, I didn't embellish anything! Those are all true!"
"True?"
"True!"
Eleanor chuckled, leaning back in her seat, a hint of nostalgia in her ice-blue eyes.
"The Royal Knights Academy, huh..."
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