She is dressed for modern travel and she's not wearing a skirt. Because she usually wears a skirt or dress, it feels a bit refreshing and unusual to wear pants again. The ship hasn't departed yet as not everyone got in, so she is spending time talking to Selim. No one else is there to see her off. She can't blame them. It's five in the morning. Way too early to wake up.
"I sometimes envy you. Even though I am the son of a noble, I am an illegitimate child, and I don't get much support from my father." Selim is open about his feelings today.
"Illegitimate? Doesn't Damat legitimize all children even if they are born from concubines?" Amy says quizzically.
"Not all of them. I am neither born from a legitimate wife or concubine. I am born from a prostitute mother. She was my father's favorite woman yet has neither the money to redeem her nor the authority and power. I even have a younger full brother in Damat, and he is four years old. He's in the same brothel."
That explains why Selim is a good dancer.
"He is a low-ranking official after all. The reason I was sent here is because I was perfect. I have the skills and magic to get into the school. I hope to graduate and get a mage position in the government so I can get my brother out and raise him like a noble, away from the influence of others."
Amy nodded but her lack of a response is shocking to him.
"Aren't you disgusted?"
Amy shook her head. "I won't look down on you just because of your birth. You are a kind, talented person with skills matching mine. I acknowledge you because of who you are not because of where you came from. You have a dream. I won't shame you on that. You'd be surprised on how people who experience being rock bottom would end up at top."
"Before you leave," he said, "I wish we could have at least one last dance."
Amy sighs, "One last dance? This won't be the last time we see each other. We'll see each other again. We got next year."
"Oh, of course."
Then they notice people running their way. It was the rest of the team.
"Sorry, we're late! We overslept!" It is a slightly bulky looking man dressed in travel clothes and his assistant is a young girl with chestnut brown hair.
"No need. We should all get going then."
Amy got on the boat. She got to the deck and waved as the boat took off. After a certain distance, she heard a voice.
"Hey!"
Amy had to squint her eyes. She could see Leon, Viola and a few other people running their way.
They are far too distant to make out their voices coherently. Before she could look away, there was a sudden appearance in the middle of the deck.
"What the?!" Everyone jumped.
"Son of a-" Amy flinched then stopped herself, "Will you stop teleporting?" she scowls at Leon.
"Did you think we're not gonna come and say goodbye?"
"We already took off." Amy refuted.
"Well, we came here anyway." Melissa said and opened her arms to hug her. "Stay safe, alright?"
Amy hugged her back and now everyone suddenly went for a group hug. The only one who doesn't like being held is Nathaniel so the fact that he even unwillingly joins in means he also wishes her luck and says goodbye.
"Promise you'll come back. If you don't, I'll never forgive you." Viola pouts and Amy smiled.
"Me too!" Leon shouts, "As your prince, I declare you to come back alive."
"Wait! Prince?!" One of the members says in confusion.
Realizing he goofed, Leon is more than ready to leave. There is a girl among the Expedition team that sets her sights on him. She has the eyes of a gold digger.
"Be safe. You get hurt a lot so we prepared as much of the rejuvenation and healing potions we could make in such a short time." Sabina said.
Amy looked at the crates filled with potions and hold herself back from vomiting. She doesn't need or want it but those on the ship could benefit.
"Thanks," she says hiding her nervousness, "I will make good use of it."
Everyone else seems happy and delighted at this like it is a supposed gift from heaven. Amy is still a bit traumatized of what she went through because of these potions.
Leon then teleported everyone away after a lot of waving.
Already, people are examining the potions. The famed potion invented by Prince Leon himself. It is popular and Leon is famed for the impact it made globally.
"I can't believe that Prince Leon himself would give us something this precious." The girl said then set her sights on Amy, "What is your relationship with him anyway?"
"A nuisance." Amy answered, "And a friend if you want to see it."
"My name is Lisa. I am the assistant of Norman over there," she pointed out, referring to the bulky man. "Despite his size, he is not a warrior. I am a mercenary hired to protect him. I'm not a mage."
Amy nodded. The girl looks like she's sixteen or seventeen. "I'm Amaryllis Anthos. I'm a student at the Solin Magic Academy."
"Really, so what is a noble doing on this expedition anyway? No one here is actually a noble so whatever happens, we're not gonna tend to you."
Amy nodded, "If I can't handle even a little hardship, I wouldn't have come at all."
Lisa began examining her, "You seem different from other students."
"I guess if you say so." she said.
*
Amy was introduced to everyone. In her academy, there is Professor Wyatt, and the other two interns are Kate and Manny. Lisa and Norman, a scholar, Blake the explorer and naturalist and her intern Issac and Lance the linguist and translator. It is a small group, but it is manageable.