Ethan suggests they wait for him; he will find the kiosk with the registration papers for the academy. Soon, he sees the kiosk where they complete the registration papers, and he takes three.
The girl at the kiosk gave him a complimentary pen with the Academy logo on it. Ethan's clothing stood out as it was made of mithril worm silk from the metal realms. Ethan was aware that people were staring at him. He wondered if it was his big sword or his longbow that he carried.
Ethan learned early in life that you should never be left without a weapon. He didn't trust the patrons at the inn and would never leave a sword or a long bow for them to find—the type who stole at such places.
Ethan moved towards the area where he had left the girls. Ethan could see that there was a commotion going on.
"You shall be my bag carriers from now on, wenches."
A young man was busy shouting at Wendy. The man grabbed Wendy's wrist. And he pulled her towards him. His other hand came up as he wanted to slap her.
There was a sudden rush of wind. The sound of breaking bones could be heard. There was a sharp shout of pain.
Suddenly, everything became very quiet.
Ethan stood before the man.
His forearm was broken. The man was screaming like a pig to slaughter. The man looked up at Ethan. His face was red, and veins could be seen on his forehead. There was a burning desire in his eyes, and he was holding his arm.
"Do you know who I am? Swine."
He was a nobleman, but he was far from noble, and he had an arrogant way about him. The man shouted some threats at Ethan and Wendy.
Lucy stood near Wendy, holding her arm. Her ears twitched and moved franticly like she was listening for danger. She hunched down behind Wendy, making herself as small as possible.
"Alas, I do not know you, and I do not care. The next time you lay your hands on one of mine, you will be a dead man."
The man was clearly in pain. Ethan could see that he had used some kind of sorcery to heal his arm. The man was faking the injury now.
Sophia spoke in his mind, and it sounded like she was standing beside him.
"Alas, Ethan, be careful. He had used a magic spell to heal. He is faking his injury. He will indeed attack you and the girls. The man has no honour or dignity. You should kill him for the insult."
Ethan said thank you as he prepared for the surprise attack.
The nobleman had two companions with him. Both men had a darkness that flashed in their eyes. It was sinister, and Ethan felt a chill run down his body as the hair on his neck felt like they were rising.
Suddenly, three swords appeared out of nowhere and launched forward towards Ethan.
The morning was warming on the skin, breaking the chill of the air. The grass under his feet was still wet from dew. Ethan could smell that somewhere; they were baking bread, and the meat was roasting away with garlic. Ethan's mouth watered as he thought about the delicacies he would find in the Academy.
Three slaps rang out in the silence, and three swords fell to the terrain beside their wielders.
Ethan looked down at the man lying on his face. The noble had a big brown wet stain on his pants running up his back.
Two young noblemen walked up to Ethan. One gave him an apologetic look as he knelt.
"Sorry about that. This man has always been an asshole."
"Alas, he got what he deserved and didn't hurt my companion too much. Next time, he will not be that lucky. Make sure he understands to stay out of my way and out of the way of my companions."
They dragged the nobleman away. The crowd dispersed, and the excitement was over.
Ethan took Wendy and Lucy in his arms. The noble's two companions lay face down, and nobody came to help them.
"Alas, Are you okay? I hope you haven't been hurt too much."
"Hail, I am fine, Ethan. He only hurt my wrist a little bit, but somehow, the pain has gone."
Ethan sighed with relief that the skill had helped her. He knew that the regeneration ability he had given her would heal her injuries. He made a mental note to ensure he would provide Lucy with the same upgrade when he had another chance.
Sophia explained that the core released a painkiller, and her damaged wrist would heal when she slept.
Most of the nobles around there were amiable people, but now and again, you got a real jerk.
Ethan wondered who they would be paired with when entering the dungeon. Who knew what dangers they would face? And what sinister individuals lurked around the corners. As he looked at the two women he was with, he knew that his life would never be the same again.
Many men around them were interested in the two girls, but they kept their distance as they looked at Ethan. He held them around the shoulders protectively.
"Alas, let us find out what lay in store for us. I think we will benefit from the training we will receive here."
They nodded, not saying anything, as they held in his hands, walking towards the area where they would be addressed.
Wendy walked on his right, and Lucy walked on his left, their arms around his waist. They looked like a loving family. Ethan never contemplated having lovers and never thought he would marry or love any woman other than Heather.
Ethan had known for a long time that she had a lover, but he didn't want to acknowledge that she had chosen someone else. He had hoped like a fool that she would be his one day, by some miracle, and he could share his essence with her.
Ethan had heard how dual cultivation worked, and the men always bragged about how they pleasured their women. Now that he knew he wasn't a cultivator at all. But something entirely different. Ethan told himself that what he used to believe and what he knew now had changed.