Ulma and Samuel arrived slightly late because of their delay, but they arrived before the professor. Erica quickly waved at them from the back at the top benches when she saw them enter, every other student and mentor had already assembled.
Curiosly looking at the two that had arrived slightly late, but not too bothered. Samuel and Ulma quickly walked up to join their teammates and mentors. They gave their mentors nods and sat down with Sonya and Erica. "Sorry we got a bit delayed." Samuel apologized with an unreadable face. The other two just shrugged not bothered by it.
Soon enough professor Leipeg came walking into the hall. "I am glad to see that each and every one of you passed the first year. As expected of you candidates, I hope for all of your continued success during this second year of academic studies."
"However as most of you probably are aware, academic studies will hold a much smaller part this year. At least four times this year all of you will be sent on missions where you will be shadowing professionals. Who knowns, perhaps you might end up shadowing your own mentors. It all depends on what type of jobs you take."
"At least that was the regular plan. But because of decisions made by the headmasters and other high masters there has been a bit of a change!" The professor sighed and placed down a big book on his desk.
"Most of these missions you will be sent on will be larger tasks where your entire team will be sent together. You will not be holding as large roles during the big team missions. There will be smaller missions available for picking in between for those that feel confident enough to shadow smaller jobs. But those smaller jobs will be menial tasks for your own safety."
"The first three days of each week will be spent doing academic studies and theory classes with me like usual. But the other three days will be spent either on missions or with your mentors, while the last day you will be given the day off."
"However take heed, certain missions will require your presence for longer time, you might end up being gone for days longer than intended." The professor waved his hand "Of course you are excused from all classes and academic duty if such scenarios occur." Leipeg opened his large book and started trailing along a few loose papers inside it.
"We do not have much else to go through today, I have a few more things to run through real quick, but the rest of the day is yours to prepare whatever you need for tomorrow the real challenge begins."
The rest of the introduction passed as a simple windy breeze. Shortly allowed the students to exit the building, Samuel and his teammates along with their mentors gathered as a group and chatted away some time, all of them seemed to congratulate Samuel for passing and him now being a noble as well. They hadn't much of an opportunity to talk in private as much during the small gala.
Soon enough their mentors excused themselves to go back to work, they had not joined the introduction ceremony but they had quickly showed at the classroom introduction and were out of time now as they seemed to be very busy.
Paperwork, missions and whatnot. "So what now?" Erica asked the group, "Food?" Sonya shrugged as a question. Samuel and Ulma exchanged a look, the first years should soon be done with their introduction so they didn't want to waste time. "Sorry! We got plans already." Ulma quickly said. "So please go on without us, we will catch up at the house later... in the evening!" Ulma managed to put on a very innocent smile.
"We have a few errands to run, some for my mother!" Samuel quickly added to make it more believable. Erica nodded enthusiastingly but Sonya looked at them with suspicion for a few seconds that neither of them missed. But she quickly put a hand on Erica's shoulder and started guiding her away. "Just don't fuck all day!" Sonya yelled and held her hand up in a wave and they could almost hear Erica's head spinning the cogs as she started looking back and forth with a shocked expression.
"Damn, Sonya is just to smart!" Samuel sighed and Ulma nodded. But they both felt awkward that now Erica definitely had the wrong idea just because Sonya had played along in her own direction. It was probably her way of punishing them for being so secretive. Nothing got past Sonya easily, even if she seemed so bubbly and carefree on the outside.
She was actually a very smart and calculating person able to discern easily others intentions. She rarely got flustered even if she made it seem like she did and often joked away everything in a non caring manner. She was truly ice cold and calculating, but she also cared a great deal for others. She was truly a best friend that had undying trust.
Samuel and Ulma both smiled at their friendship and would remember it in their hearts as they turned around to start their cover operation. They both quickly casted diguise spells on themselves making them look like other students and made their way over to the introduction hall for first year candidates.
They waited a bit off in the distance close to another building and acted as if they were just chatting away. A regular blonde elven male beauty and a smaller human woman whose hair covered most of her face was what anyone would see standing and chatting while in reality it was Samuel and Ulma disguised, Ul had snickered at his disguise several times.
It really didn't fit with his personality. After a bit of bantering as the minutes passed, the first year candidates were finally finished and came out with their mentors and were assembling in their teams of four one after the other.
Eventually it seemed like all the students had come out and the teacher and assistants had gathered, they could easily spot Emma, who had been placed in a team of scrawny looking women. They resembled a shy squad of weaklings when they stood together, none of them really daring to take the first words it seemed. Samuel inwardly sighed, thinking back to his deadly teammates the only one that had been a bit on the shy side was Erica.
Samuel used his training to get a good look at all the students and realized some to be troublesome, but most of them were meek. Perhaps this years candidate batch was a bit more meek in general. Unknown to Samuel he was spot on, his year of candidates was an unusual year where there existed plenty of powerhouses filled with talent and the new first years were more like the regular ones the college was used to.
It also seemed like the troublemakers knew eachother among the first years, there seemed to be six or seven of them among the 40 or so students. Samuel and Ulma kept a fair distance while the tour of the college ground started. It took at least two hours for the tour to be finished showing the first years where all the facilities were located.
The last facilities shown were some of the training ones close to the houses the students had been showed, the houses designated for the first years were actually only a few seconds walk from Samuel and his teams house. It seemed like most of the empty houses were in their area.
Samuel realized to have made a mistake, Emma's team was comprised of one young man as well, that looked a lot like a young woman. He shook his head, hoping the young man would fare well against his team of women. Perhaps he was as lucky as Samuel and was actually pretty dense, it would save him a lot of trouble.
Samuel had not remained dense for long though, Ulma snapped him out of his reverie with a gentle elbow tap to his side and he realized that the teacher and assistants were all leaving as well as the mentors.
Emma had been quiet the entire time and the same could be said for her teammates. None of them were chatterboxes, they had politely introduced themselves but no more than that. It was a long and boring tour of all the facilites, but Emma's eyes shone whenever it was magic related, and she wasn't alone with that as most students loved magic with passion.
After being shown their houses and given keys and whatever else might be necessary the tour led them to a last large hall, a training hall. Where the teachers had dismissed them for the rest of the day to get acquiantanced with the place on their own.
The teachers had left quickly and the mentors had given their apprentices quick instructions before leaving as well. Atlhough most students left the training hall, Emma's team had lingered a little bit. Deciding to introduce herself a little bit more she had started talking and soon found that the others also talked. All of them actually really excited to be in a place like this.
The entire team dropped their guard and they got to talking with eachother. This went on for several minutes before they realized to be alone in the training hall, until seven others from their class came walking back in with smiles on their faces.
Emma instantly recognized five of them, that had made her life a living hell for so many months of academy life before the college. She had hoped to finally be rid of them before coming here, hoping that they would not be special or good enough. But alas she had saw them during the introduction ceremony and made several continued mean comments to her.
When the ceremony had been completed and they were to assemble with their classes she had noticed them almost waiting for her, blocking her path. So she had stumbled away in the opposite direction, scared not knowing what to do.
But then she had seen her sisters teammates. She had only met them briefly during the gala a few days prior, but they seemed like nice people and her sister had spoken about them in high regard. So she had come up with a believable story and stumbled into them on "accident" and they had helped her. Much to her happiness the bullies had backed off when they saw two second years escorting her.
"So the special freak made it into the special candidates class!" Al the leader of the group spoke. "Maybe someone should tell the archon that he shouldn't cheat and put his children above others with talent, she is nothing more than a cheap fraud relying on her family... am I right boys!" He said and raised his hands and the others laughed.
Fraudren the young man in Emma's group quickly took a step forward standing with backbone others might not have expected from someone like him. "Hey piss off, I won't be having you speaking to my teammates like that." He took a few more steps forward and suddenly he fell over clutching his stomach and realized he couldn't breathe.
One of the bullies had appeared in front of him in a split second and punched him really hard in the gut, knocking all wind out of him. "Be quiet you piece of trash." The bully knelt down next to him. "Or I will make sure no one can recognize that pretty face!" He continued his threat to Fraudren that was almost fainting from not being able to breathe properly.
"Leave my teammates alone!" Emma yelled to them, half in fear and the other half in defiance. "You can do whatever you want to me... just don't hurt my team!" Emma whimpered in fear, but she took to her older sisters teachings. To stand strong and proud no matter what and to stand up for what one felt was the right thing to do.
"Bitch, we rule the first year. There is only one option for you all if you want to live. Kneel!" Al the leader of the bullies exerted his special ability that sent fear into the hearts of those weakminded. Emma's other two teammates behind her instantly knelt to the ground in fear and from the pressure. Emma however stood strong, her knees wanted to buckle, she wanted to fall to the ground. But a part of her remained strong and defiant as she met his gaze.
"Alright! Have it your way! Remember to leave her face intact, wouldn't want anyone to know. Oh and if you think any of you can get away with telling anyone about this, there are many ways for us to make sure you are the ones at fault. My uncle is one of the highmasters after all!" Al chuckled. Knowing that after so many years of bullying Emma she wouldn't go to her father because of the shame.
Emma felt her tears streaming down her face, scared she wouldn't take it any longer. She was going to fight back and not care about the consequences. She raised her hand to cast a spell but two of the bullies were instantly on her and grabbed both her hands, removing her ability to finish the spell.
The eight bully had been the unfortunate one, left to watch the outside hallway. Samuel had put him to sleep with a simple sleeping spell and Ulma had cast a silencing spell so the thud from the sleeping student made no sound as he lay there peacefully.
Up until the point where they brought Emma down to her knees forcefully by grabbing her arms, Samuel had sat in silence, while Ulma had activated a magic recording voice spell, that could repeat an entire conversation. Samuel could not take any more though and kicked the door in.
All the bullies flinched as they saw a handsome golden haired elven young man with a second year stripe enter so quickly together with a smaller woman by his side. "What the hell, you got a problem or something! Where the hell is Jima?" Al spoke angrily as soon as he recovered from the surprise, obviously not backing down from the situation just because two older students arrived. He smirked and thought about all the ways he could threaten them and bring them down.