The next morning, Ronan and his companions left the inn early and headed to a modest-looking tavern. Despite the early hour, the tavern was bustling, mostly with people who looked as if they hadn't slept all night.
The tavern buzzed with conversation as Ronan and his group found a table and ordered breakfast.
After a night's rest, Ronan noted that everyone seemed in good spirits.
Old Wills looked much better, though he occasionally coughed lightly.
"I'll go look for Andre, the twins, and Jolin later," Old Wills listed some names. Ronan frowned slightly at the mention of Linus but said nothing, only asking, "Do you know where they are?"
"I don't know about the others," Old Wills replied. "But knowing the half-elf twins Andre, they probably wouldn't enter the town even if they arrived here. So I'll take Vinicia and Sherrill to look around the outskirts."
"It's too dangerous for you three," Ronan shook his head. "Let them stay with me."
With so many wizards flooding into town yesterday, it was chaotic and full of mixed characters. Ronan was worried about Old Wills running into trouble while leading a group that included the young and elderly.
"I'll take them to run some errands and also look at housing," Ronan suggested.
Now that they had moved into the town, they urgently needed a permanent place to stay. They couldn't afford to sleep in inns every night.
Old Wills did not object to Ronan's proposal, and soon their breakfast arrived.
Ronan wasn't sure what he had ordered—looking at the plate of mush, he lost his appetite, especially considering it cost a quarter of a magic stone.
As they ate, nearby tables buzzed with talk about the black-robed invaders.
Some said that several wizard villages hidden in the forest near Hoddam were massacred, their bodies turned into undead puppets.
Others said a group of advanced apprentices had left the central academy at dawn, possibly to counterattack the black wizards.
There were also rumors of battles between formal wizards in the eastern woods, with their magical clashes leveling a small hill.
These were snippets of gossip, their truth uncertain, but Ronan listened with mild interest.
Suddenly, a voice rose above the chatter.
"Did you see the ship that left the academy last night?"
The tavern fell silent.
Ronan noticed Old Wills pause, a forkful of food halfway to Sherrill's plate.
Then someone sighed, "Well, even if there was a ship, it wouldn't be for us. Who knows when we'll get another chance to leave Hoddam?"
Silence fell over the room once more.
After leaving the tavern, Ronan led Vinicia and Sherrill, arranging a place to meet Old Wills later before splitting up.
With his vast experience and connections, Old Wills was better suited for finding people.
Ronan took Vinicia and Sherrill to a housing agency, instructing Vinicia, "You and Sherrill wait here. If the door opens, go in and ask for prices. I'll take you to see the place when I return."
Vinicia nodded obediently, standing by the roadside with Sherrill.
Ronan bought each of them a donut-like treat before hurrying off alone in another direction.
He followed the main road through the town, lined with lush ivy, vibrant even in late autumn.
Memories surfaced—continuing down this path would lead Ronan to a giant black iron gate, flanked by wizard statues covered in owls of various hues.
But before reaching the gate, he encountered a dense, milky white fog.
He attempted to enter the fog but was stopped by the glow of a rune array.
Ronan was taken aback.
Now what?
Was Hoddam Wizard Academy restricting access during this crisis? What about his application to enroll?
Ronan paced outside the rune array, waiting until he finally saw someone emerge from the fog and array.
The young man wore the academy's emblem on his robe, clearly a student.
"Hey, how come there's no way into the academy now? I want to apply," Ronan asked, not caring about the student's attitude or strength.
Annoyed at being stopped, the student replied coldly, "Apply? For what? The academy stopped accepting new students months ago."
"What?!"
Ronan was stunned, incredulous. "Stopped enrollment? Why? Not even auditing students?"
The student couldn't be bothered to explain further, snorting before walking away.
Ronan stood there, speechless.
"I told you, that's the rent now. Take it or leave it. If you can't afford it, get lost and stop blocking the queue!"
A thin man with dark circles and an impatient demeanor waved dismissively.
"Whoosh—"
A large hand tore through the air, grabbing the man's robe collar and slamming him against the wooden wall, leaving a shallow dent.
"I didn't say I wouldn't rent. Can't I at least see the place first? Do you want me to tear your mouth apart?"
Ronan's eyes were cold, an intimidating aura radiating from him like a beast ready to strike.
The man's face turned pale with fear, stammering, "O-okay... I'll show you now..."
Ronan remained silent, looking down at the man without expression.
Yet his focus seemed elsewhere.
As the man's breathing grew erratic and the tension in the small room mounted, Ronan released him.
"Forget it."
Ronan said calmly, "I don't want to anymore."
He turned and walked out the door.
On the street outside, he heard the man's angry shout.
"The academy enforcers will be here soon. Don't leave if you dare!"
Ronan squinted, then kicked the agency's door with a loud crash, silencing the man's voice.
"Let's go."
After this, he signaled Vinicia and Sherrill to leave. The gray-robed wizards looking for rentals watched him as if he were a spectacle, parting to let him pass.
They walked two streets in silence before Ronan felt a tug on his robe.
Looking down, he saw Sherrill gazing up at him timidly.
Ronan blinked, crouching to ask, "What's wrong?"
Sherrill hesitated, stepping back slightly, then stammered, "Vinicia asked me to see if you're angry because she's useless and couldn't handle a small task."
"Uh..."
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