Enrollment and Friendship

"Those are personal questions. You don't have to tell us right now."

Just as Mo Bai was struggling for an answer, Rover spoke up to help him out.

"Heh, I was just curious. That animal friend you summoned earlier was really cool."

Seeing Mo Bai's discomfort, Lynae scratched her cheek apologetically.

Seeing them act like this, Mo Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Their personalities might have been different, but thankfully, they were both mature.

"Thank you very much."

Faced with such genuine respect and kindness, Mo Bai made sure to thank them.

"All right, let's get your enrollment paperwork done first! After that, I can give you a proper tour of the academy as your senior!"

Sensing that the mood had grown a little heavy, Lynae waved to Mo Bai and Rover behind her, then ran ahead.

Mo Bai and Rover both felt lucky to have such a cheerful guide.

For the rest of the walk, the three went side by side while Rover and Lynae told Mo Bai more about the planet called Solaris.

Tap, tap, tap.

Before long, the three reached the faculty office and saw two teachers inside, apparently discussing something.

"Wait a moment."

Seemingly afraid of disturbing the teachers, Lynae asked Rover and Mo Bai to stop.

The two teachers were talking about the Voidworm Mo Bai and the others had driven off earlier.

They were discussing how to better defend against the monster. Mo Bai also heard a term he had never encountered before.

[Voidmatter Magnetic Storm.]

It seemed to be a disaster connected to that Voidworm.

"Ah, let's leave it there for now. I have another meeting, so I'll be going."

Only after the older teacher left with a sigh did Mo Bai and the others enter the office.

"What brings you here... Lynae?"

The remaining teacher, a young woman, immediately fixed Lynae with a sharp look.

Mo Bai knew that look well. It was the one teachers wore when they were about to "have a word" with a student.

And considering that Lynae had gone so far as to completely alter her school uniform...

Could she really be a troublemaker?

"Lynae, you skipped another general education class. At this rate, only perfect scores in every subject will save you."

That sounded exactly like something a university teacher would say. Mo Bai found it strangely familiar.

But what she said was not that serious. As long as Lynae kept her attendance up from now on, she could rest easy—

"Perfect scores in every subject, huh? Looks like I'll have to work hard from now on."

Lynae's answer made the corner of Mo Bai's eye twitch.

The teacher had clearly meant for her to pay attention to her attendance. But with an answer like that, did Lynae really think she could get perfect scores in every subject?

Hadn't the teacher just said Lynae skipped class all the time? What was she, a genius?

"You... Never mind. What brings the other two of you here?"

The teacher rubbed her forehead lightly, then looked at the two unfamiliar faces, Mo Bai and Rover.

"Oh, I brought Mo Bai and Rover here to enroll," Lynae answered.

"Enroll? At this time?"

Puzzled, the teacher began checking the records on her tablet.

"Rover, Mo Bai... Yes, you're both new students. I see the Black Shores referred you. No wonder you managed to reach the academy while the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm was active. And Rover is even a [Candidate]."

After confirming their information, the teacher told Lynae to take Rover and Mo Bai aside to complete their enrollment.

Lynae then introduced Mo Bai and Rover to the various departments at Star Torch Academy.

"The academy assigns students to departments automatically. Ordinary students like Mo Bai enter the preparatory class first, then move on to another department. As a Candidate, Rover will be assigned directly to the [Label Department]."

Lynae explained all this while processing Mo Bai's and Rover's enrollment paperwork.

As they listened, both of them were thinking hard.

Mo Bai was a little surprised by the influence of the organization behind Rover.

In the short time it had taken them to get from the infirmary to the faculty office, it had already added him to the list of new students.

The Black Shores, was it? I should learn more about them when I have some free time at the academy.

Mo Bai had resolved to settle into this world and live well. He intended to learn as much about it as he could.

But the organization behind Rover was not the only thing that had caught his interest.

There were also unfamiliar terms like "Candidate," which the teacher had just mentioned, and "Tunneler."

On the way here, Rover had explained to Mo Bai that this world was dangerous.

Calamities called Threnodians were scattered across the planet Solaris.

As long as civilization existed, so would they. They were humanity's mortal enemies.

Could humanity take its current technology, leave the planet, and escape the Threnodians by moving to other worlds?

Apparently not. Long ago, this planet had been cut off from the rest of the universe, trapping humanity here.

So the question of how to fight the Threnodians had become an enduring challenge for the people of this planet.

Candidates were the people who piloted Tunnelers to fight them.

That sounds a bit like Gundam.

Still, Mo Bai doubted any of that would have much to do with him.

It all seemed far removed from a student who had only just enrolled.

"All done! Rover! Mo Bai! Come out and take your student photos!"

With the preparations complete, Lynae waved excitedly at Mo Bai and Rover.

Mo Bai and Rover set their thoughts aside and headed out of the faculty office together.

Neither wanted to keep their new friend waiting.

Click! Click!

"Mm-hmm, you both look great!"

Rover struck a sword-drawing pose for the Photograph, while Mo Bai simply stood with one hand on his hip.

Unlike Rover, Mo Bai had no idea how to present himself in front of a camera.

Judging by Rover's confidence in front of the lens, Mo Bai figured that Rover must have been through this sort of thing many times before.

Not facing cameras, but facing all kinds of attention from other people.

That was why Rover could look so at ease in the photo.

"Hmm... Something's missing."

Lynae frowned at their Photograph, then her face lit up.

"That's it! A group photo!"

Seeing her making a racket in the corridor, Mo Bai and Rover could only smile helplessly.

"Divine Dogs."

Pop!

Mo Bai formed a hand sign and summoned a white Divine Dog to serve as a camera stand.

"Once the camera's set, put it on his head."

At Mo Bai's words, the Divine Dog shikigami walked over to Lynae.

"Wow! Thanks, Mo Bai! And thanks for the help, good boy."

"Awooo."

Click!

In the final Photograph, Lynae stood in the middle, grinning broadly with one arm draped over Mo Bai's shoulder and the other over Rover's.

As the three looked at the group photo, they all smiled without a word.