On the next day, after getting prepared, as aran got out of his room, Barton was there.
" Hello brother, I was going to the academy diner for breakfast, will you join me? "
Since aran was also going there, he decided to go with him.
" Yes, why not? " Aran said and both of them went to the diner and ordered the food.
As both of them were sitting at a table and having their breakfast, Aran started to look around with his vision to see the cultivation level of the others.
" So, after breakfast, you will be attending the welcome ceremony right?" Barton suddenly asked.
" Yes, I was thinking about that!" Aran replied. Although he wasn't interested in wasting his time by attending a ceremony, when Barton asked all of a sudden, he didn't know what to say exactly.
" Well that's perfect, we can go together," Barton said. Since aran had said yes, he thought he might have to go with that.
***
After finishing breakfast, both of them left from there to the academy hall.
When they arrived at the academy's grand hall, most of the students were already there. Soon Barton found seats for both of them and they both sat down and aran was expecting the principal of the academy since he had heard that he was considered to be the strongest cultivator in Carwel.
As everyone was waiting, professor Fedric walked towards the stage instead of the principal. He went to the stage and started to welcome students. As professor Fedric started his speech, it was different from what everyone was expecting.
" Hello, students. First of all, Congratulations to everyone who managed to enter the Academy.
Due to some emergency, the principal and some other professors had to visit the capital city and we got a message that it will take a little while for him to return. So I will be the one welcoming you.
For hundreds of years, The Phoenix academy has been the greatest magical academy in Carwell and we wish to continue like that. That is the reason why the rules are strictly followed in the academy, whoever it is. So, if you would like to continue in this academy then you will have to follow all the rules here.
Although sixty of you have passed the entrance exam and managed to enter the academy, after the annual exam of the first year, only thirty of you will remain as students and the rest of you will get expelled.
That's the rule this Academy had followed for years. So if you want to remain a student of this academy then you will have to try harder than ever.
I know this is not the welcoming speech you were expecting but this is how the academy has always
been. When it comes to the rankings, the academy has been following the same ranking system for years. It's called the point system. The students will get points for everything they do.
For everything you learn and every duel you win and for every breakthrough you achieve, you will be rewarded with points. And these points will decide your future as a student.
There is a guidebook placed in everyone's dorm room, please read it clearly.
And finally, I welcome all of you to the Phoenix academy! "
As professor Fedric finished his peach, he left the stage. The students who listened to him remained silent for a while. As Fedric was leaving the stage, professor Stirel was standing in front of him.
" You could have talked nicely! " Stirel said.
" Why? This is not the dancing academy. They have to realize it's not easy to be the students of the Phoenix academy, no matter who they are and which family they have come from!" Fedric replied and left.
Immediately professor Stirel got up to the stage.
" Students, don't worry about what professor Fedric said. Just try a little hard and you can achieve your goals.
You can collect your student crystal badges and the spirit stones you have earned, from the main office after this. The classes will start after two days. Until then, get used to the academy.
Thank you! " He said and left the stage.
Although most of the students were disappointed by the speech, Aran liked it. He didn't want to waste a lot of his time hearing anything unwanted.
" So, is that what you get, in the name of the welcoming ceremony?" Barton started his complaint. He seemed a little infuriated but Aran remained silent as if he had nothing to say.
Since professor Stirel had told them to go to the academy's office to collect the student crystal badges both of them soon left as everyone else.
**
As they were walking towards the office room, Barton saw something and suddenly he held aran's hand and started to pull him
" Brother this way. " He said and continued to pull aran.
But aran knew that the office is in a different direction, So he couldn't get what Barton was doing.
" Where are you taking me? The office is this way! " Aran said.
" I know, but look there. It's Renold. He is picking a fight with that girl, shouldn't we help her? "
Hearing that, as aran turned toward where Barton was pointing, he saw that, three new students were picking a fight with a girl.
As aran saw the girl with her long brown hair, he saw her cultivation and she had a cultivation of the first tier of the profound stage. He realised that she is a lot stronger than him and since challenging duels were legal in the academy, aran didn't wanted waste his time helping an unknown person, so he just decided to ignore that.
" Why should we help her? We are in the magical academy. She has also passed the exam by fighting the beasts, just like everyone else, Why can't she fight for herself? I don't have time for this. " Aran said as he turned around to leave.
" Don't be like that brother, there are three of them and every one of them is stronger than her. How can she fight alone? Shouldn't we support her? Come on, I can't help her alone. She is from the Lynette family. Isn't her family close to your family?"
When aran heard that, the word 'Lynette' changed his opinion and suddenly he got interested in that. Lynette family was one of the four great families of the Carwel. Since Wilford was one of them, both had a good relationship. So he thought, helping her might benefit him in the future. He turned around at Barton and said
" Whatever brother, I will only help this once, " saying that, he started to move towards them.
As both of them went close to them, Barton started to shout.
" Hey bastard, let her go. " As everyone heard him, they turned around.
Renold, the main one who was picking a fight with the girl recognised aran and said,
" Oh, look who is here, the trash of the Wilford family! What if I didn't let her go? Are you going to fight me with that weak cultivation of yours?" He asked and his subordinates begin to laugh.
Although aran didn't exactly know who he was, it seemed like he knows aran.
" Do you know who he is? " Aran asked Barton.
" What? Don't you know him? He is from the Filbert family. One of the four great families in the nation. His grandfather is also one of the four grand ministers, just like yours.
How can you not know him? Everyone knows that his family is the sworn enemy of your family. He might be picking a fight with that girl since her family chose to support yours instead of his. "
Hearing that, aran started to get enraged to hear this nonsense of family rivalries. He wondered why would people do these nonsense things, for nonsense reasons.
' All I wanted was to learn some new things and get the support of some strong students, but why am I wasting my time with all this? ' He asked himself.
He didn't want to involve in the rivalries of a family who never cared about him, but since he thought about getting close to the girl from the Lynette family, he decides to help her this once.
Although aran wanted to help her, he knew that in a fair fight, he will never be able to beat Renold Filbert since he was extremely stronger than him. Renold had a cultivation of the fourth tier of the profound stage. And he was a wind-fire cultivator. So Aran had to make sure that Renold doesn't go all out against him.
" Let her go! " Aran said with a confident expression looking straight at Renold.
Since Renold was more interested in the Wilford family, he opened the space he was blocking for the girl to leave and headed toward aran.
Aran realized this might go bad, so he got prepared to activate the rapid blood-flowing technique. Not to fight but to defend himself if needed.
As Renold walked towards Aran and said.
" Aran Wilford, I Renold Filbert challenge you for an official duel " and took out his sword. Renold knew that aran is weak compared to the other Wilford twins, and he wanted to humiliate him and his family by beating him.
Aran realized that he can't avoid the fight now, since he had to follow the Academy rules. Although he had no interest in fighting him, and he knew that he is nowhere near Renold's level, he had no other choice.