The dock at Zhelato was filled with cheering people, and Green and his companions stood at the edge of the ship's deck, waving excitedly at the crowd. Only Lafi appeared slightly melancholic, a hint of sorrow flashing beneath her slender brows.
This departure might well mean they would never return...
On the dock, Duke, Arrowoz, and Dira stood together. Dira, who was responsible for escorting apprentices with wizarding potential, had a very different air from his enigmatic companion, Arrowoz, who always seemed to be surrounded by a mysterious fog. Under the large grey robe, Dira's face looked somewhat pale in the sunlight, revealing faint creases that the people on the dock freely observed. His right eye was covered with a black patch, as if he were blind.
"Heh, didn't expect you to be the one to escort these youngsters. How are things on the other islands?" After exchanging the formal wizard's greeting with Dira, Arrowoz asked.
Croak, croak...
The red-eyed frog in Arrowoz's hand puffed out its belly, croaking a few times.
Dira had a habit of levitating slightly off the ground when conversing with others, possibly to conceal his short stature. After smiling at the frog, he took out a magic stone, which the frog promptly whisked away with its tongue, vanishing in an instant. Dira then turned his smile toward Arrowoz.
"Quite well. We've gathered 152 fresh recruits. Including the seven you brought, that makes a total of 159, which is 22 more than this time ten years ago."
"Hm? Definitely more than usual," Arrowoz mused, impressed.
Dira, however, seemed indifferent to the number, his gaze turning toward the Duke beside them.
"You old fool, every time you arrive, you make such a big scene. Be careful those kids get themselves killed out of pride."
The 'big scene' Dira referred to was the crowd of cheering people on the dock, some of whom had been intentionally gathered by the Duke. However, for those living in this remote part of East Mountain Lake Island, the chance to get close to a legendary wizard was something they eagerly welcomed.
The Duke twirled the ruby ring on his left hand and gave a gentle nod, his smooth face briefly tilting to one side.
"Ah... I'd rather they become proud than forget this place. Perhaps, in a few decades, if one of them becomes a wizard, they'll return and visit."
Dira chuckled lightly, glancing at the apprentices on the deck who were bidding their farewells to the cheering crowd.
"By past standards, it would be a success if even one or two apprentices from this ship become full-fledged wizards. These kids don't have much of a chance."
It was clear that Dira, having endured the difficult years of a wizard's apprenticeship, didn't hold much hope for these novices, fully aware of how hard it was to truly become a wizard.
At this point, Dira suddenly brightened and added excitedly,
"Oh, right. There are two young ones on this ship with special talents. Even I was tempted to take them as disciples. If it weren't for their background..."
Upon hearing this, the Duke looked surprised, but Arrowoz merely shook his head.
"For wizards, knowledge is everything."
Dira curled his lips.
"Great talent and acquiring knowledge are not mutually exclusive."
Their conversation continued for half an hour, until Dira glanced behind him and saw the sailors had nearly finished loading supplies. It was time to set sail. While wizards experience the usual human emotions, they have learned to control their desires, and centuries of practice have granted them an exceptional ability to master their feelings, leaving no trace of reluctance or sadness.
"Well then, farewell." Dira performed the wizard's departure ritual.
"Yes, if this trip to the Underworld goes well, I'll visit the academy in ten years to see if those old fools have managed to teach any worthwhile students," Arrowoz joked.
As the massive ship carrying the wizard apprentices slowly departed, the crowd on the dock began to disperse, although their conversations still revolved around wizards. Clearly, ordinary people were both curious and awed by these mysterious figures.
On the deck of the ship, aside from the busy sailors, the seven apprentices quickly realized that there were more than just the seven of them onboard...
"You little brats, first thing you need to remember: competition is the eternal rule in the wizarding world, but here at Lilith's Cottage Magic Academy, we have a rule against internal wizardly killings. If any of you dare cause a death on board, I'll tie you to the mast for seven days, then throw you overboard to be shark food," Dira said fiercely, his gaze leaving no doubt in their minds about his seriousness.
"Hmph, second, don't disturb me unless there's a death," he added, showing little interest in conversing with mere apprentices who hadn't even fully earned their titles. He walked toward the best cabin on the deck, calling out,
"Baron, give these brats their room numbers, and keep an eye on them. Don't let them break the ship."
"Understood, Master," came the reply from a tall, dark-skinned man on the far side of the deck.
As Dira entered the cabin, Baron approached, and Green and the others noticed that although Baron appeared to be lean and without much muscle mass, his chiseled physique exuded a strong sense of pressure. The reality confirmed that Baron was indeed someone not to be trifled with.
"I'm a Legendary Knight. Though the master has said not to disturb him unless there's a death, if anything out of the ordinary happens on board, you can come to me. For example, if some brat tries to harass a pretty girl..." Baron flashed a toothy grin, casting a glance at Lafi and Yokkrianna.
Green was stunned—what? A Legendary Knight serving as a wizard's servant? It's said that for every thousand ordinary knights, there might be only one or two Legendary Knights, and these are the kind of characters who could take on ten men single-handedly.
Lafi snorted coldly.
"Anyone who dares to bother me will be thrown into the sea." A wave of fierce energy swept through the group, causing one apprentice to freeze, covered in cold sweat.
Yokkrianna blushed and didn't know how to respond, but her brother, Yokkris, mimicked Lafi's cold snort and declared,
"Anyone who dares touch my sister will have to go through me first." With that, he cracked his knuckles loudly.
Of all the apprentices, Yokkris was the most physically imposing, standing at six feet tall with a strong build. It was unlikely that two would be a problem for him. Next in strength were Green and Kilram, while Wade and Binson, being nobles, had never worked a day in their lives and lacked any combat ability.
Baron, clearly accustomed to such situations, said nothing more. With a swift motion, he reached into a nearby crate on the deck and retrieved seven room tags, tossing one to each apprentice.
"Here are your room numbers." With that, he turned and left without further words.
The apprentices were assigned to cabins below deck, divided into five levels. However, they soon realized that the environment was incredibly damp and unpleasant, especially the lower levels, where they even had to share quarters with the sailors. This sudden shift from luxurious conditions made them uncomfortable and visibly unhappy.
Lafi's face was the darkest, as she had drawn the lowest level cabin tag, and her delicate features were almost frozen with cold fury. Green, on the other hand, was indifferent, as his tag was for the third level—moderate, but acceptable. He had grown used to humble living conditions over the years.
Among them, Yokkris and Yokkrianna were the luckiest, having drawn rooms on the fifth floor, a fortunate stroke of luck.
The seven apprentices, each with varying moods, began to head to their respective rooms. As Yokkris and Yokkrianna made their way to the top floor, they found a man occupying Yokkrianna's room.
"This is my sister's room, leave!" Yokkris barked at the intruder, his voice cold. Yokkrianna, frightened, tugged at her brother's sleeve, murmuring,
"Brother, maybe we should let him have it, I'm scared..."
The man, similarly large in size, stood defiantly, grinning maliciously. Upon hearing Yokkrianna speak, his attitude grew even more brazen.
"Leave just because you say so? Who do you think you are? Rooms are first come, first served. Heh, if you're not happy, maybe you can let your sister sleep with me." He leered at Yokkrianna with an unseemly look.
"You're asking to die!" Yokkris roared, his face red with anger as he charged at the man.
The two quickly became entangled in a violent struggle. Green and Binson, unable to stand by, stepped in to intervene, despite their earlier dissatisfaction with Yokkris and Kilram's arrogance.
Wade, however, stood frozen, clearly stunned by the brutish confrontation. Kilram, on the other hand, turned his back with a disdainful snort, muttering,
"Not my problem," before walking away.
"You coward! Don't think you can run