Selenst did not wait for his wizard attendants. He led the dozen or so youths who had passed the trial ahead.
Thus, the two groups parted ways at the docks under the guidance of the wizards and their attendants.
The boys and girls who had lived together for over twenty days now set off onto different paths in life.
Selenst led the lucky ones swiftly away from the noisy dock area and onto Riley City's main streets.
The streets were paved with neatly cut blue-gray flagstones, broad enough for several carriages to travel side by side. Shops lined both sides, their signs varied and dazzling.
Inside a shop bearing the sign "Giant Pincer Restaurant," several blue-shelled creatures still twitching faintly, their pincers as large as an adult's arm, were skewered on iron spits and roasted behind a huge glass display window.
Fat dripped onto the charcoal fire with a sizzling sound, and the aroma of grilled meat made the youths, who had eaten black bread for more than twenty days, drool.
The door to "Verdant Whisper Herbs" stood half-open. A rich scent of vegetation mixed with sharp and bitter odors rushed out to meet them.
Through the gap in the door, they could see shelves neatly stocked with dried plant leaves, plant roots constantly writhing inside crystal bottles, and several blue mushrooms planted in pots that glimmered with faint fluorescence.
A gaunt old man wearing a single crystal lens was carefully lifting a silver-shimmering leaf with tweezers.
Li Ang silently noted the shop's location, preparing for the future brewing of a potion to treat his lungs.
"Arcane Resonance" was an exceptionally refined-looking shop for wands and witchcraft tools. Several wands of different shapes rested on velvet cushions in the display window.
Some were completely black, with dark blue crystals set into 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 truly dazzling.
Pedestrians in all manner of dress flowed through the streets, including hurried figures cloaked in wizards' robes of various colors.
There were well-dressed wealthy merchants accompanied by servants.
From time to time, strange vehicles such as floating magic carpets and wheelless carriages flying through the air passed by.
There was even an elderly woman seated atop the back of a giant beetle.
The reserve apprentices had never seen such sights before. One by one, they craned their necks and looked around curiously.
Under Selenst's lead, the youths did not pause even briefly before any of those tempting shops.
They crossed several blocks before finally stopping at a relatively quiet street corner, where several unusually designed carriages were parked.
The creatures pulling them were not ordinary horses, but robust beasts with six hooves, dense scales covering their bodies, and dark red gleams in their eyes. They stood quietly, white mist carrying the scent of sulfur billowing from their nostrils.
The carriages were made from dark hardwood and inlaid with golden metal strips for reinforcement, making them appear both sturdy and luxurious.
Selenst casually nodded at a driver wearing standard leather armor with a short baton at his waist. Seeing this, the driver immediately and respectfully opened the door of the largest beast-drawn carriage, whose cabin bore intricate silver patterns.
"Get in."
Selenst's voice remained curt and cold. After speaking, he boarded another carriage bearing a family crest without waiting for the reserve apprentices to react.
The three Formal Apprentices were instructed by the administrator to board first. The interior was lined with dark cushions and was far roomier than they had expected.
Matthew seized a window seat first, then swept a gloomy gaze over Li Ang. Li Ang and Helena ignored Matthew and quietly sat opposite him.
After the three were seated, it was Ludik and the other reserve apprentices' turn to board.
Two reserve apprentices who moved a little more slowly seemed not to notice the invisible boundary in the air. Instinctively, they tried to sit in the empty seats beside Matthew. No one sat next to him; he had claimed an entire bench for himself.
"Get lost." Matthew's voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling coldness. "Who allowed you to sit here?"
He lifted his chin slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
"Know your place, trash. Do you think passing the easiest trial makes you the same as me?"
He deliberately paused, letting those superiority-laden words crash heavily into everyone's hearts.
"I am a fifth-tier talent, a Formal Apprentice, a future wizard personally recruited by Lord Selenst. And you? You are nothing but garbage that got lucky and has not been eliminated yet. Stay away from me. Don't foul my nose with your lowly stench."
The two boys were stunned by Matthew's barrage of insults.
These minor nobles had already recognized reality during the voyage. They knew their former status as minor nobles was worthless here, but being humiliated so directly by a commoner like Matthew still drained all color from their faces, leaving them frozen in place.
The carriage instantly fell deathly silent, leaving only the heavy breaths of the Six-Hoofed Armored Beasts outside, occasionally snorting sulfur-scented vapor.
The reserve apprentices all fell silent as cicadas 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 shifted closer to Li Ang, making some room, then waved to the two boys standing dumbly in the center of the carriage.
Helena then gave Li Ang a bright smile. "What you taught me was that we need to help each other even more at times like this, right?"
Li Ang felt somewhat awkward. Helena was pressed very close to him now; through the thin fabric, he could feel the girl's warmth and catch waves of delicate fragrance at the tip of his nose.
Though his heart wavered slightly, Li Ang replied without changing expression, "Y-You're right."
As he spoke, he squeezed toward another boy beside him, trying to put a little distance between himself and Helena. Unexpectedly, Helena immediately moved closer, making even more room for the two boys.
Helena had clearly misunderstood Li Ang's actions, thinking that he agreed with her and was helping make space for the two boys.
But honestly, Li Ang did not care much about these people who had once followed Matthew in ostracizing him.
Once the two boys had sat down, the carriage finally began moving slowly.
"You trash can just huddle together for warmth. Lord Selenst has already taken me on as his apprentice." Matthew stared at the scene before him and viciously emphasized once again how different he was.
Li Ang wanted to laugh as he watched Matthew bark impotently before him. He only found him ridiculous.
The six hooves of the unknown magical beasts struck the stone road with light, rhythmic clopping sounds, and they moved far faster than ordinary carriages.
Through the windows reinforced with iron strips, the sights of Riley City flashed past.
The streets outside grew broader and cleaner, while the buildings on either side became taller and more magnificent, adorned with exquisite sculptures and flowers.
The air was no longer filled with a jumble of odors. Instead, waves of floral fragrance drifted through it.
After traveling for more than half an hour, the Six-Hoofed Magic Beasts visibly slowed.
Everyone inside the carriage felt an invisible pressure descend upon them.
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