Riya's long black hair fluttered as she walked toward the gate, joining the other teachers who were already present.
Looking at her now, Arin couldn't help but recall how close her face had been to his the other day.
Instantly, he frowned. 'I can't believe I'm thinking about that now. Tch…'
Her expression was as indifferent as usual, a stark contrast to how she looked when they had talked the other day.
Finally, Principal Orion approached the gate, and the students immediately fell silent.
He scanned the crowd of first-year students, then smiled. "I don't have much to say. The teachers will handle most of the instructions. Just remember, the second-year students are wishing you all good luck, and don't forget to follow your teachers' directions."
He gave one last glance before concluding, "That's all."
With that, he turned and headed back toward the main Academy building.
"He really is a man of few words," Lina muttered.
"Alright!" Dan's voice boomed, instantly drawing the students' attention. "Each class will be called one by one. When your class is called, line up outside and gather near your Magic Theory teacher."
"Yes, Sir!" the students replied in unison.
"Good," Dan muttered.
After that, the Magic Theory teachers for each class stepped outside to wait for their students.
"Class 1A!" Dan called out.
The students of Class 1A began walking out to meet their teacher. They were about 30 students which was also the amount of students each class had.
It continued like that, and then, finally...
Arin and the other students of Class 3A made their way out. As he started to walk, Lina tugged on his shirt, causing him to turn back.
"Be careful, okay?" she whispered.
Arin smiled, gently patting her head. "I will. You too, be careful."
Lina nodded and let go, watching him as he exited the Academy.
As soon as Arin passed through the open gate, he squinted at his surroundings. "Just as I thought..."
Not far from where they stood was the forest where he had fought Seraphine.
In front of him were large carriages, each tagged to indicate which class it belonged to.
Arin glanced to his left, spotting his classmates. He quickly walked over to join them, passing by other carriages already filled with students.
'No wonder the novel mentioned these carriages can fit up to 40 students,' he thought, eyeing their size. The carriages were spacious, with well-furnished benches for seating.
Standing near a carriage marked "Class 3A," Arin joined the rest of his classmates.
"Alright," Riya said, stepping into the carriage. "You can all get in now. Quietly. If not....."
She didn't finish her sentence, but no one needed further explanation—they could already feel that a calamity would befall them if they dared to disobey.
Well, except for one.
Leon yawned loudly, nudging Arin. "She's such a cold beauty… Dangerous. Just the way I like it, hahaha..."
Leon believed he was speaking softly, but in reality, even the students in the carriage ahead could hear him.
Suddenly, Leon froze, feeling a piercing gaze on him.
His eyes widened in fear. He didn't even dare to turn and look. Instead, he stared at Arin and muttered, "Don't tell me... Did she hear…?"
Arin shook his head slowly, his eyes closed as though mourning. "It's too late, Leon."
The rest, as they say, was history.
A few minutes later, all the students of Class 3A were seated quietly in the carriage. Some of the other carriages had already departed for their assigned forests.
Riya sat at the front, arms folded, waiting for the students from the other two classes assigned to Clearsky Forest to finish boarding.
After a few moments, students from Class 3C and Class 4A came out and entered their respective carriages. The three classes were headed to the same forest.
"Alright, we'll be leaving now," Riya said.
Leon, seated next to Arin, wore a dejected expression, staring at the floor.
Arin glanced at him briefly but said nothing. Now wasn't the time to tell him anything, if not, it could give away his identity later on, and he didn't want that now.
The wind picked up, and the carriage began to levitate off the ground. The students were unfazed; they'd seen this before.
These expedition carriages didn't move like regular ones. They were powered by Beast Cores; a certain type of core that only Veteran Rank Beasts and above had.
Beast Cores could be used for a variety of purposes, and powering large carriages like these was one of them. As a result, the carriage floated rather than rolling on the ground.
The Wolves Arin and Tessa fought in the forest were Common Rank Beasts, so they didn't have Beast Cores.
With a sudden whoosh, the carriage began to move, heading toward the forest. They would pass through it to reach the main city.
The carriages of Class 3C and Class 4A led the way.
Arin glanced at Tessa and Alex, who were deep in conversation, and a smirk played on his lips.
The moment they reached Clearsky Forest, the expedition would officially begin. But for Arin, this expedition had a different purpose.
It was time to strike.....