?The Adventurers gazed at Jack strangely.
They seemed wary… and even terrified?! Had they misunderstood him as an intruder? Still, they hadn't taken their weapons out just yet, simply cooking on a magical portable grill.
"Hey, guys. Nice to meet you all! I'm part of the Young Lady's escort. How's the cooking going?" He started with small talk to get the conversation going.
"T-that, we did our best, but…." As they replied, they could be seen shivering. Were they simply anxious because they doubted their culinary skills?
Either way, it wasn't Jack's business. Tempted by the delicious aroma that came out of the BBQ, he snatched a piece of meat, devouring it whole in one big gulp.
"Ah, this hits the spot!" It was a perfect mix of chewy, flavorful, and filling.
This was the ideal outdoor life: a soft breeze ruffling his hair, great food, and foxes happily running around in the background as he was still receiving XP.
Sadly, his blissful moment was kinda hindered by the Adventurers shaking like leaves. He turned toward them.
"Is there an issue? You guys are so skittish. Bandits? Monsters?" Should they get ready to fight? He could recall his foxes, establish a defense perimeter, and even—
"N-No, no issue at all! We'll arrive at the Magic Academy by tomorrow. You can count on us!" They were so quick to reassure him that it was definitely suspicious.
"Is that so? Alright, you guys, take care!" It was useless to keep pushing, so Jack returned to the carriage's coziness, grabbing lots of meat to snack on.
Then he waited, opening his ears wide, using Mana to increase his range of perception. Whatever secret they were hiding, he'd soon know!
It didn't take long for the heavy silence to become unbearable. That's when they started chatting like magpies.
"Holy shit, that was so stressful!"
"Did you see his gaze?! This guy's no joke!"
"I told you, didn't I? He's the Henderson's secret weapon, for sure! Ah, but if anyone asks, NOTHING happened on this trip. Are we clear?!" They all shouted in agreement!
Henderson's Secret Weapon? How the hell had they come to this conclusion?! If anything, he should have been the Flame Mansion's Secret Weapon! He felt utterly confused.
"Pfft— Don't worry about it, kid. Just enjoy the moment. You have shelter, food, a fox army, and even two cute girls to do your bidding. Don't sweat the small stuff!"
"You're right…." Accompanied by the Old Ghost's chuckles, Jack trained his Arcane Magic some more to keep boredom away, their surprisingly uneventful journey passing in a flash!
.
.
.
The carriage halting awoke them.
"M-Miste— Young Lady, we've arrived!"
"Uh? A-already?!" A sleepy-eyed Aisha jerked in shock.
Instantly her energy changed! She went from lazy potato that'd do nothing but steal Jack's tasty snacks to Office Lady oozing professionalism. She was even the first out the door!
The Adventurers were respectfully paving the way while a curious crowd had gathered around them. A passenger carriage? At this time of the year? Who was it?
"Psst— That's the Henderson Emblem!"
"Henderson? So it's just someone visiting? Boring!"
They hadn't heard anything about anyone from the Henderson's joining the Academy, so they wrongly assumed the newcomers had come here to check up on relatives.
But then their illusions were shattered by the squad leader's shout:
"Carry the luggage! Find a guide to the Headmaster's office. Make sure the Young Lady's admission proceeds smoothly!" Admission?! Now, this was getting interesting!
Aisha came down, looking at her surroundings, Jack and Lizzy right behind her, the trio making one hell of a weird pairing.
Aisha —> All proper and rested
Lizzy —> Eyes sunken, lacking sleep as she had kept working
Jack MF Bright (Adult Form) —> For once, he wasn't naked, wearing the Henderson's servant uniform. Yet, his aura was too casual, as if he were on a sightseeing trip!
At this moment, his eyes were greedily devouring his surroundings. This place was a Magic Academy, really?!
It looked more like a City than a school! The place was HUGE, with youngsters crawling all over the place like knowledge-seeking bugs.
Then there were the buildings themselves. They would have indubitably given an architect many heart attacks as they seemingly defied gravity, some even freaking floating! Each glowed and appeared more like Treasures than actual constructions.
Lastly, there were the sounds. This place had no regular civilians, only mages… and it showed! There was no silence, only a constant buzzing, the sound of tons and tons of spells being cast every second.
"This is definitely different than Dawn…" Jack offhandedly remarked, but perhaps he shouldn't have. A blond man stepped up as if he had been just waiting for this moment.
"Scoff! Dawn City? When I heard someone was asking for admission, I had my hopes up, but I guess it was all for naught. A shame, another failure is trying to join this Academy…."
Wait… what?! Jack was genuinely confused. Dawn was literally the biggest and only City in weeks! Why would this guy even attend this Academy if he wasn't from around here?!
Still, could it be that Dawn's standing wasn't that good? He had never heard such a thing… but then again, he had never really left Dawn either.
"So, what's wrong with Dawn City?" Jack curiously asked. But the youngster didn't even acknowledge his existence. He simply turned toward Aisha as he sneered:
"Tch— From Dawn, and you can't even teach your own servants properly? Should I help you discipline your dog and teach it not to flap its mouth?"
— Countless Gasps! —
The crowd was already boiling with fury.
Yet, that's all they did. The youngster's entire body felt like he was strutting around like a conqueror, knowing no one would dare step up to him!
In the back, a couple of Adventurers were frozen in fear. W-what had this kid just done?! Had he just insulted a man that LITERALLY ate bandits for breakfast?!
That's when Aisha's clear voice echoed…
"Teach him? No thanks, lest he becomes retarded."
She simply waved him away, as one would a stinky fart. There was no consideration for whoever that guy was or even his standing. At this moment, she felt very free.
So what if he had some backing? She had Jack! Sure, she didn't have a clear grasp of his abilities... but that was precisely why she trusted in him so much!
"Let's go, shall we? The sooner we get to the Headmaster's office, the sooner we can settle our things down!" She happily proposed, utterly ignoring the livid youngster.
He was used to getting things his way, thanks to his status. When he couldn't, he was used to debating his way through until he had the upper hand anyway.
But what she did was truly hateful! She hadn't even tried to defend herself. She hadn't tried to argue either; she had simply ignored him! While they were leaving, he actually chuckled.
"I see, so you're one of those, eh?" That's when he stepped toward their carriage, waving his hand. — CRACKLE! CRACKLE! —
A lightning bolt came forth from his open palm, flying toward the carriage! As soon as it made contact, the wooden frame of the carriage exploded entirely, parts of it catching fire!
As for the target of the blast? It had been the Henderson's crest and the new Flame Mansion's Business Seal of approval! This was a clear and undisguised provocation!
The youngster grinned, satisfied with his handy work.
"A fool without nobility doesn't deserve such a crest." He even sent a provocative look toward the crowd, daring them to react!
Disregarding his arrogance, that guy sure packed one hell of a punch! He was what… 16? Perhaps even the Thunder Lord himself wasn't as strong at the same age!
Faced with such a display of power (foolishness), the Adventurers got ready to fight for Jack's honor. This was the perfect chance to display their loyalty and make a connection!
But just as they were prepared to step in, their Leader suddenly signaled his men to step back in a hurry. "RETREAT!" Which the aggravating youngster tactfully mocked.
Except that this time, he had chosen the wrong fight…
"Hahaha, this kid done FUCKED UP! They're already here." The Old Ghost didn't even conceal his laughter, the youngster looking around for the offender.
In the distance, a legion of foxes had appeared. They could perfectly see the prancing youngster and their burnt crest with their peerless eyesight.
Youngster and foxes' gazes met.
"WOOOOO!!!"
This "woo" needed no translation. It was a goddamn WARCRY!
In their fury, their Mana overflowed from their tiny bodies, creating a bright red and orange cloud of fluffy DOOM! Foxes covered the land, crushing the youngster's confidence.
Individually, they weren't that strong, but together…?! This was a CATASTROPHE! The nearby students were already freaking out:
"B-Beast Tide?! Sound the alarm and— Wait… those are foxes?! T-the same ones as the burnt crest? It can't be… can it?!" Yes, yes it was. Instant retribution!
Just as the youngster felt the foxes' gazes on him, he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. "Tough luck, buddy. I'd tell them to spare you, but I better not talk." Jack exaggeratedly sighed…
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