Silver Sigil Academy, the most prestigious institution in the city, bustled with activity. Nestled near the ominous borders of the dark realm, or demon territory, the academy attracted scholars and researchers from across the country who sought to test their skills and conducted groundbreaking research.
While predominantly attended by nobles and the wealthy, Silver Sigil Academy also welcomed scholarship students, including those from neighboring countries, as its tuition fees were prohibitively expensive for most.
Inside one classroom, where the hero and his comrades resided, was an exceptional group of students. Only the smartest and most powerful students were gathered there.
[Aria POV]
I was placed in a different class from the rest of the party. Could it be because of my age? I was just a year younger than the others. Moreover, academics were not my strong suit; my true skill lay in swordsmanship, as I was trained by my brother.
"Ms. Aria! Please pay attention to the class!" Ms. Forea, the magic instructor, scolded me as I was lost in thought.
"Yes, sorry for my rudeness!" I quickly apologized and bowed my head, embarrassed as the whole class looked at me.
Ms. Forea returned to the large board and continued with the lesson. I knew I only knew how to swing a sword, but studying really made me want to sleep.
"Psshh... hey, my name is Lin. Nice to meet you!" a girl whispered softly to me as I settled back into my seat.
A girl about my age sat next to me. We hadn't spoken for almost half the day until she finally broke the silence. Back in my home country, making friends was tough due to my family's name and my brother's reputation. But here, in a new place, people didn't know much about my background except that I was an exchange student from a neighboring country and the hero's companion.
"Hey! My name is Aria," I replied, introducing myself softly.
"Aria, that's a lovely name! Are you really the hero's companion?" Lin asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Ye..Yes" I replied to her awkwardly.
"Wow… that's amazing, you're really strong then !!" she replied with a big smile.
The girl's name was Lin. I didn't know much about her, but from her appearance, she seemed like she came from a noble family—her demeanor and clothes suggested as much. Yet, she was surprisingly kind in how she spoke to me, even though she knew nothing about me. Moreover, she hadn't talked to anyone else besides me. It was somewhat strange, considering I had just transferred yesterday and joined the class mid-semester.
"Alright, everyone, class is over! See you all tomorrow," Ms. Forea announced as the school day came to an end. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as the final bell rang.
"Aria, are you free after school?" Lin asked me as I started packing my things, getting ready to leave.
"Hmm, I'm not really sure yet; I need to check with others first. Since I'm just a companion in the hero's party, I can't really make plans on my own," I explained to her.
"Okay, see you tomorrow then!" Lin seemed a bit down when I told her that, but I had no choice.
I said goodbye to her before leaving the classroom and heading to meet with the other.
As a hero's companion, we don't really have a choice but to follow Henry, the hero. Even Fiora, the princess, must adhere to Henry's lead. Henry was the one who chose us; me, Fiora, and Claire as his companions. Chloe, who is Fiora's personal maid and guard, is the exception. Chloe is tasked with escorting and protecting Fiora, even though she conceals her identity as a princess when visiting other countries.
Henry motives remained unclear, but personally, I didn't care much about them. For me, it was simply an opportunity to continue my search for my lost brother in a different country, that was all that mattered.
"Oh, Aria, you're done with class?" Chloe asked as soon as she noticed me.
"Yes," I replied.
"Lord Henry told us we could do as we please for today," Chloe informed me.
"So, where are they?" I asked, not seeing Henry and Claire around.
"Oh, Lord Henry and Lady Claire have already left the school. They planned to do more sightseeing today," Chloe replied.
"And what about the prince... I mean, Fiora?" I asked her.
"She went to the bathroom. Today, the two of us also planned to do more sightseeing around the city. Do you want to join us? Henry said we could ask Lisa to be our guide, and she gladly accepted; she's with Fiora right now," Chloe replied with a smile.
"Hmm… wait, so that means the two of them are going without a guide?" I quickly asked, noting that Henry had allowed Lisa to join us.
"Oh, I'm not really sure, but there was a man who seemed to be a friend of Lord Henry escorting them around the city," she explained.
So, Henry already knew someone on campus. It sounded fishy, but I was glad we didn't have to stick with him all the time, except for Claire, who was completely devoted to him. As the two of us were talking, Lisa and Firoa returned to us then the four of decided to head out and do the sightseeing.
===========
In this country, most schools conduct classes only from morning until noon, leaving the rest of the day free for students to spend as they please. Many students embark on adventures, while others help with their family businesses.
Since Henry told us we could do as we pleased today, we decided to head into the city to do more sightseeing. We were accompanied by Lisa, the scholarship student who had guided us around the city the previous day and helped us register at the adventurer's guild.
On the other hand, I might use this sightseeing opportunity to continue searching for my brother, though I'm not sure if the others would agree with this.
"What are you thinking, Aria?" Fiora quickly noticed my thoughtful expression as we walked.
"... Ahh ... it's nothing, ah look at that, doesn't it look tasty?" I quickly answered her while changing the topic.
"... Don't tell me," Fiora started, her voice trailing off with a hint of suspicion.
"Are you planning on looking for your brother?" Fiora asked me straightforwardly, her keen perception always on point.
"How did you know !" I asked her with a surprise expression.
She then pointed out that it wasn't surprising since I had been talking about it since yesterday, after we returned from the guild. I had mentioned feeling my brother's presence there.
Fiora, taking initiative, asked Lisa to help with my search for my missing brother. Lisa was a bit puzzled, knowing that finding a missing person in such a vast city might be nearly impossible. However, she suggested we ask the guild to post a missing person quest. The city was teeming with adventurers, which increased the chances of finding him. We knew it was a long shot, but we felt we should at least try.
So, the four of us decided to head to the adventurer's guild and request that they put up the missing person quest.