Arrival in Riley City (Part 2)

Selenst did not wait for his wizard attendants. He led the dozen or so youths who had passed the trial and went on ahead.

Thus, under the guidance of the wizards and their attendants, the two groups parted ways at the docks.

The boys and girls who had lived together for more than twenty days now set foot upon different paths in life.

Selenst led the lucky ones swiftly away from the noisy dock area and onto Riley City's main street.

The street was paved with neatly cut blue-gray boulders, broad enough for several carriages to travel side by side. Shops lined both sides, their signs a dazzling assortment.

Inside a shop bearing the sign "Giant Pincer Restaurant," several blue-shelled creatures, still twitching faintly and with pincers as large as an adult's arm, were skewered on iron spits and roasted behind an enormous glass display window.

Grease dripped onto the charcoal fire with sizzling crackles, and the aroma of roasted meat made the youths, who had eaten black bread for over twenty days, drool.

The door of "Verdant Whisper Herbs" stood half-open, and a rich scent of vegetation mixed with spicy and bitter odors rushed toward them.

Through the gap in the door, they could see shelves neatly lined with all kinds of dried leaves, plant roots writhing endlessly inside crystal bottles, and several blue mushrooms planted in pots, glowing with a faint phosphorescence.

A gaunt old man wearing a monocle of crystal was carefully using tweezers to pick up a silver-glinting leaf.

Li Ang silently noted the shop's location, preparing for when he would later brew a potion to treat his lungs.

"Arcane Resonance" was an exceptionally refined-looking shop for wands and sorcerous tools. Several wands of varying shapes rested on velvet padding in its display window.

Some were entirely black, with deep-blue crystals embedded at their tips.

Others were entwined with vines, their ends capped by flower buds on the verge of blooming.

Farther down the street were signs such as "Potions and Cauldrons" and "Astral Curiosities." The sheer variety was enough to make one's eyes swim.

Pedestrians in all manner of clothing flowed through the streets, including figures wrapped in wizard robes of every color, hurrying along.

There were also richly dressed merchants accompanied by servants.

Every so often, strange conveyances passed by, such as floating magic carpets and wheelless carriages flying through the air.

There was even an old woman seated atop the back of an enormous beetle.

Where had the reserve apprentices ever seen such a sight? One after another, they craned their necks and stared around in curiosity.

Under Selenst's lead, the youths did not pause for even a moment before any of these tempting shops.

They crossed several blocks before finally stopping at a relatively quiet street corner, where several oddly shaped carriages were parked.

The beasts pulling them were not ordinary horses, but sturdy creatures with six hooves, bodies covered in fine scales, and eyes gleaming dark red. They stood quietly, white mist carrying the scent of sulfur billowing from their nostrils.

The carriage cabins were made from dark hardwood and inlaid with golden metal bands for reinforcement, making them appear both sturdy and magnificent.

Selenst casually nodded to a driver dressed in standard leather armor with a short baton hanging from his waist. Seeing this, the driver immediately opened the door of the largest beast-drawn carriage, whose cabin was painted with intricate silver patterns.

"Get in."

Selenst's voice remained concise and cold. After speaking, he boarded another carriage bearing a family crest without waiting for the reserve apprentices to react.

The three official apprentices were instructed by the administrator to board first. The cabin was furnished with dark soft cushions, and it was far roomier than they had expected.

Matthew quickly claimed a window seat, then swept a gloomy gaze over Li Ang. Li Ang and Helena ignored Matthew's presence and quietly sat opposite him.

After the three had settled in, it was finally Ludik and the other reserve apprentices' turn to board.

Two reserve apprentices who moved a little too slowly seemed not to notice the invisible boundary in the air. Instinctively, they tried to sit in the empty seats beside Matthew. There was no one beside him; he had claimed an entire bench for himself.

"Get lost." Matthew's voice was quiet, yet it carried a chilling coldness. "Who gave you permission to sit here?"

He lifted his chin slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"Know your place, trash. You think passing the easiest trial makes you the same as me?"

He deliberately paused, letting those words brimming with superiority crash heavily into everyone's hearts.

"I am an official apprentice with fifth-level talent, a future wizard personally recruited by Lord Selenst. You? You're just rubbish that got lucky and hasn't been eliminated yet. Stay away from me. Don't foul my nose with your filthy stench."

The two of them were stunned senseless by Matthew's barrage of humiliation.

These minor nobles had already recognized reality while at sea, knowing that their former status as minor nobles was worthless here. Yet being so directly insulted to their faces by a commoner like Matthew still drained all color from their faces, leaving them frozen in place.

The carriage instantly fell into dead silence, broken only by the heavy breaths of the Six-Hoofed Armored Beasts outside, occasionally snorting sulfur-scented vapor.

Every reserve apprentice was silent as a cicada in winter, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Matthew, their former class leader.

The oppressive atmosphere was broken by a gentle voice.

"There are still seats over here. Come sit."

Helena squeezed closer to Li Ang, clearing a little space, then beckoned to the two youths standing dumbly in the middle of the carriage.

Then Helena gave Li Ang a bright smile. "What you taught me—when things are like this, we need to help each other even more, right?"

Li Ang felt somewhat awkward at that moment. Helena was pressed extremely close to him, and through the thin cloth, he could feel the girl's body heat, along with waves of delicate fragrance drifting beneath his nose.

Although his heart wavered a little, Li Ang kept his expression calm as he replied, "Y-you're right."

As he spoke, he squeezed toward the other boy beside him, wanting to put a little distance between himself and her. To his surprise, Helena immediately moved closer, making even more room for the two youths.

Helena had clearly misunderstood Li Ang's actions, believing that he agreed with her and was helping make space for the two of them.

But to be honest, Li Ang did not care much about these people who had once joined Matthew in isolating him.

Once the two youths had sat down, the carriage finally began to move slowly.

"You trash can just huddle together for warmth. Lord Selenst has already accepted me as his apprentice." Staring at the scene before him, Matthew once again viciously emphasized how different he was.

Looking at Matthew barking impotently before him, Li Ang almost laughed. He only thought Matthew looked like a clown.

The six hooves of the unknown Magic Beast struck the stone-paved road with a light, rhythmic clatter, and it moved far faster than an ordinary carriage.

Through the carriage windows reinforced with iron bars, the scenery of Riley City flashed past.

The streets beyond the windows became broader and cleaner, while the buildings on either side grew taller and more splendid, adorned with exquisite sculptures and flowers.

The air was no longer filled with a jumble of mixed smells. In their place came waves of floral fragrance.

After traveling for more than half an hour, the Six-Hoofed Magic Beasts noticeably slowed.

Everyone in the carriage felt an invisible pressure descend upon their heads.