The earth walls surrounding the cube began to slide down, revealing the people inside.
Their faces were pale and drawn as if all the blood had been drained from their bodies.
Their chests rose and fell with each ragged breath.
The sweat that drenched their bodies was clear that they were in a state of extreme tension and terror.
Regardless of their state, Adrian paid no mind and just stared at them indifferently.
But now that he looked at them closely, instead of thuggish, their appearance was more like that of those beggars.
—Tap! —Tap!
Peeking behind his shoulder, Ralph and Rhea were seen landing behind him.
While Adrian extracted some information from these people, he told Péréz to call them to come here.
Ignoring those people, Adrian approached his teammates and showed them the letter introduction.
The letter stated that they needed to hand over the prisoners to them—the fake bandits.
Also, Gizel told them to resume their journey.
The letter was personally written by Gizel; they recognized his handwriting at once glance.
Moreover, the presence of the Academy stamp at the end of the letter confirmed its legitimacy.
"So, it was really a test, huh?"
Ralph conveyed his mind and the group nodded their heads in agreement.
And the fact that this was only the second day of their survival test, somehow, they couldn't help but wonder what kind of game Gizel would pull next time.
"What now?"
Rhea raised a question and their eyes immediately landed on Adrian.
The black-robed boy sighed and answered.
"Maybe we should tell them to change their clothes before introducing them to the prisoners."
"Ah, you're right. The prisoners might think that the mercenaries are bandits—just like us."
Péréz agreed and the rest of the group nodded in unison.
Soon, they rolled their feet toward the mercenaries.
However, Ralph narrowed his eyebrows upon looking at their faces; something was off.
Their complexions were far from okay—it almost looked as if they had just passed a life-and-death situation.
Curious, Ralph asked Adrian who happened to walk next to him.
"What happened to them?"
His anxiety was evident in his voice and Adrian replied with a light tone.
"They're just a little shaken up, don't worry about them."
The crease on Ralph's forehead deepened, he wasn't convinced enough.
Because they looked like they had been through something very traumatic; it was very concerning, but—
If Adrian said it was no problem, then perhaps he shouldn't dwell on it.
With that, Ralph brushed off his uneasiness.
Arriving before them, Adrian let Ralph handle the situation and they agreed to change into more neutral clothing.
Adrian built two makeshift rooms out of Earth for them to use for changing clothes.
Nevertheless, their expression immediately turned to horror upon seeing it.
Only after he reassured them that they finally used it.
Once they were dressed appropriately, the group led them to the prisoners' location.
They introduced and explained that the mercenaries were there to help and ensure their safety.
At first, the prisoners looked up in surprise and protested that they wanted to be with the kids.
They were hesitant to trust the mercenaries, who they saw as outsiders.
But after a deep rumination, they eventually agreed and expressed their gratitude toward them.
Thus, the kids continued their journey.
.
.
.
—Gallop —Gallop —Gallop
Five youngsters on horseback galloped through the wilderness forest, their hooves creating a rhythmic echo.
Surrounded by towering trees, the atmosphere was filled with chirping birds and buzzing cicadas.
The air was crisp yet fresh and the scent of pine pierced their nostrils.
White hair gleamed in the sunlight and danced as it fluttered in the wind.
After an hour of riding, the group emerged from the forest and a vast green open field greeted them.
"Look!"
Rhea shouted excitedly and pointed to the front.
They darted and a massive fortress of thick marble was seen in the distance.
From the sight of it, the fortress was doubtlessly made by magic.
Two weeks had passed since they embarked on the survival test.
Many things happened, but overall Adrian was satisfied and he craved more.
However, since he was still a child, he would have to wait until he had the coming-of-age ceremony before he could set out on an adventure.
Spotting five riders on the plains, a Knight inside the watchtower put down his binoculars and shouted.
"Open the gate!"
Upon hearing the order, the gatekeeper immediately spun the winch and the portcullis slowly slid up.
When the gate began to lift, the kids saw numerous Knights lined up left and right.
"Umm, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a pathetic welcome considering there is an Imperial Prince here?"
Péréz chimed in and Rhea responded.
"What welcome do you expect? We are not some sort of heroes who save the world, moreover, we are here to learn."
The wheat-haired boy hummed before responding.
"Good point."
—Gallop —Gallop —Gallop
They passed the gate and the Knights immediately gave them a sword salute and greeted them in unison; their voice echoed.
"We greet His Highness the Imperial Second Prince, His Highness the Royal Princes, and Her Highness the Royal Princesses."
Glimpsing a purple head and some familiar figure in the distance, the group halted their horse.
—Neigh!
They dismounted and some squires took their horses.
Upon arriving before them, Gizel clapped and congratulated his pupils with his bright face.
"Congratulations on arriving at the Refugee Camp save and sound."
The kids couldn't help looking at their professor with a grim expression.
They couldn't believe that after numerous dangerous situations they had encountered, none of these people poke their heads out to lend them a hand.
They were wondering, were these people really following them or just wanting to watch them suffer?
"Thank you."
Hearing Adrian's voice, they glanced at him and sigh in defeat.
Soon, they followed.
"Thank you."
Gizel nodded proudly and scanned his students' faces one by one before stopping at the boy with white hair.
'This child…'
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