Chapter 132: Onwards to Valenzia City!
"Hey! Run faster or we'll miss the representatives' departure!"
Students of various year levels were scrambling towards Colzen Academy's entrance arc, slight desperation visible on their faces as they fiercely fought for a front-row view of the representatives' convoy.
Amidst the competition, two random first-year students managed to somehow sneak their way in front, allowing them to enjoy a nice view of the grandest convoy in the entire history of the academy.
"Look! Isn't that Maia Crowley? Senior Shye's little sister? Uwaahh…She looks cute as heck…"
"Heh, wake up, not like she would pay any attention to the likes of you! Instead, look over there! If you're gonna dream, then dream big! Senior Shirley looks as hot as ever…"
"You idiot! I still want to live! You dare covet Senior Shye's woman? I'll never dare look her way! Oh! Look!
The third-year companion students are over there…"
Similar conversations happened all over the entrance arc as the most famous students of Colzen Academy slowly gathered together for the grand send-off ceremony.
Multiple majestic armored white horses representing the peak of elegance were lined up in a loose wedge formation in front of multiple grand carriages adorned with intricate carvings, gilded accents, and luxurious fabrics.
Connecting the two essential components were the classy but sturdy Embrion alloy shafts and luxurious Giddletwine ropes, masterfully held by seasoned coachmen as the companion students proudly boarded their designated carriages so huge that they could fit fifteen people inside.
Still, regardless of how grand the other carriages were, they were nothing compared to the carriage in front.
Bearing the proud insignia of Colzen Academy, the front carriage wasn't only way larger than the others, but it also looked way grander than the other carriages, looking like a true masterpiece of craftsmanship and design.
Finally, once all of the companion students boarded their designated carriages, it was the Colzen Representatives' turn.
Under the awestruck stares and respectful gazes of every Colzen Academy student, the seven most talented representatives in the history of the academy slowly boarded the front carriage one by one.
Endless excitement accompanied by high expectations flooded the hearts of the Colzen Academy students as they dared to imagine the wildest and most glorious scenarios in their minds.
Somehow, although the students knew that their academy was simply somewhere in the middle of the pack, their hearts were strangely filled with confidence, confidence that this batch of representatives would rise above the rest, possibly even winning against the most fearsome of adversaries.
They saw how strong their current seniors were and the students were sure that it was alright to entrust all of their hopes and dreams on their broad and warm shoulders.
Thus, once all the relevant people were ready, the grandest Colzen Academy convoy set off.
Hooves of the majestic white horses thundered as the convoy left the academy, slowly garnering more and more attention as they proudly paraded, their banners raised high as they were escorted out of the city by Colzen Academy students.
The origin of the mysterious tradition involving the presence of two deans as a symbol of confidence in reaching the top 8 remains uncertain. Nevertheless, each year, a minimum of 10-12 academies adhere to this practice, boldly declaring their ambition to be recognized as a top 8 academy for that year.
Needless to say, those academies that brought two deans and didn't make it to the top 8 became nothing but a laughingstock.
Still, academies were willing to participate in this illogical and unwritten rule to proudly declare that they were top 8 academy material.
As for Colzen Academy, they never had the courage or the capability to participate in this tradition in the past but this year…This year, they dared to proclaim that they will at least be a top 8 academy, sending Dean Evelyn Privett and Dean Sven Snowcrest to lead the current batch of representatives and guide them to victory.
The deans and probably even the representative and companion students knew that they would be treated like clowns in Valenzia City after such a horrible first-round exit last year.
However, they didn't care because once the competition began, everyone who mocked them and laughed at them would naturally be silenced so there wasn't any point in paying any attention to them.
***
Around six hours later, the initial excitement died down and everyone in the convoy, regardless of their designated carriages, had nothing to do. Not only did they run out of casual topics to chat about, but they were also a bit tired so most of them took a nap.
Even the two deans were no exception.
The journey was long and it was way too early for them to talk about important matters, thus, the deans allowed everyone to do what they wanted, which was to take a nap.
As for Shye, he sincerely enjoyed the scenery so he couldn't bring himself to take a nap.
After a year and a half inside the gloomy tomb, even the simplest of sceneries bring serenity and happiness to his heart, thus, he took his time enjoying the surroundings, finding joy in breathing the fresh air.
It was inevitable that he would grow tired of it after a while though so once his enthusiasm started to dwindle, he opened the system to see what else it could offer him.
The one thing he would never grow tired of was exploring the system.
There were still lots of things he never fully understood so not only was exploring the system fun, but it was also the most productive thing he could do while chilling in the carriage.
Thus, he looked around to check if anyone was awake, and seeing that they were all asleep, Shye decided to open the system.
Recently, he found out that mental attack skills were very effective in one-on-one duels especially in his case since most of his opponents never dare to face him head-on.
If he could find something that could either force the opponent to fight him head-on or immobilize him/her, then he would benefit greatly.
A few thousand point investment would not only make him grow stronger, but it would also allow him to earn even more points in the adventurer academy competition.
After all, the more matches they win, the more battles they would have, meaning more chances for him to show off and earn points.