Chương 267: Chapter 265 – Seating.

"That's a strange-looking carriage…" Rusty commented as he looked at the enormous vehicle parked near the academy gate. Up close, it was even larger than he had first thought. The wheels alone were nearly twice the height of an average student, and faint lines of glowing mana ran along the reinforced metal frame. It was clearly enchanted with layers of defensive magic, which made him wonder if they would be traveling through dangerous terrain.

"It's not a carriage. It's a magical transport wagon." Astrella corrected him proudly, placing her hands on her hips.

"The teachers said they're used for long expeditions and military operations. They can travel for days without stopping." Rusty pointed his helmet toward the reptilian beasts harnessed to the front. The creatures looked strange, with features resembling both horses and reptiles.

"And those things?"

"They're called drakehorses." One of the creatures suddenly released a loud snort, sending steam bursting from its nostrils. Rusty instinctively raised his halberd when it turned its menacing gaze toward him.

"Is it hostile?"

"It's just breathing. They're actually quite docile creatures, but we shouldn't be standing around talking. Let's get inside!" The girls climbed aboard along with the rest of the students. Inside, the wagon was surprisingly spacious, with rows of seats large enough to fit two people comfortably and enough room for even larger individuals like Syber, who was already seated near the back.

A wide path stretched through the center, covered in a soft carpet-like material that looked as though it had been made from the hide of some magical beast. There was enough space for two people to walk side by side between the rows of seats. Even if they were not traveling aboard the A-Class flying ship, this transport was still clearly built to a high standard.

"Oh, I'm so glad I made it into B-Class. The other classes have it so much worse than us." Astrella commented as she and Gwen moved farther inside. About half of the seats were already occupied, though there was still plenty of room left. For some reason, most of the seats near the back remained empty, perhaps because Syber was sitting there.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… look over there. That's what C-Class gets. I'm not even sure D-Class has their own separate carriage." Astrella pointed through the window. In the distance, Rusty saw a much larger group of students crowded around a smaller wagon similar to theirs. In every way, it looked far inferior to the one they were using. Rusty observed the smaller wagon for a moment before turning his visor back toward Astrella.

"Ah, I almost forgot how you humanoids do things here. The lower classes receive worse equipment and treatment."

"That's usually how it works…" Gwen replied in a hushed tone as they continued walking.

"The academy invests more resources into students with better grades and stronger summons. A-Class gets the flying ship because they're considered the academy's elite. We get the best transport wagons because B-Class still performs well and our group isn't that large, but below that…" It was a harsh way to treat people, but Rusty understood the reasoning behind it. Resources were limited, so why waste them on people who were not exceptional?

Only the strong survived, and many believed that empathy was a form of weakness. Others thought compassion was something only the truly strong could afford to show, because they were the ones who held power. Rusty considered that logic while the girls continued down the aisle. In some ways, the academy reminded him of the life cycle of a monster. If they survived, they would continue to evolve and grow stronger.

With greater strength came access to more resources, influence over larger territories, and perhaps even control of hunting grounds for themselves.

"This looks like a good spot. Why don't we…" Gwen pointed to the two seats in front of the one Syber was sitting in. Her friend raised an eyebrow, clearly unhappy about the suggestion. Rusty was not sure why the two humanoids disliked each other, but before either girl could continue, someone called out from behind them.

"Hey, why are you trying to sit there? That is supposed to be Lady Aranea's seat!" Both girls turned around to see Eldric and Aldric standing there, with Aranea Venomridge behind them. As far as Rusty knew, the three were not on good terms with Gwen and Astrella, though they had at least managed to cooperate during the last class test.

'Are they still enemies?' He was not sure. Some humanoids held grudges for years, sometimes until death. Even though they belonged to the same class, they were still competing for a chance to advance to a higher one. Aranea held the number one spot, and the two young men followed her around like loyal hounds, as though they believed she was their ticket out of B class.

"What are you talking about? We got here first, so we can sit wherever we want!" Astrella stomped her foot as the two boys approached.

"And who decided that?" She shot back, pointing an accusing finger at them. Eldric folded his arms across his chest while Aldric nodded beside him like an obedient hound.

"Everyone knows Lady Aranea always sits near the rear during long trips. Those seats are already taken." Rusty glanced at the nearly empty row behind them, then at the seats farther ahead. The class composition had changed since the last trip, but there were still only a little over twenty students present compared to the nearly thirty seats available. That meant some students could claim extra space for themselves, and it seemed that was exactly what these humanoids wanted.

Astrella placed both hands on her hips and glared at the two boys.

"And who exactly made that rule? You?" Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Eldric frowned immediately.

"It does not matter who made it. Everyone in class knows it."

"You just made that up, didn't you?" She refused to move, standing firmly in the aisle while the two boys tried to push past her. Syber glanced over from his seat, looking mostly disinterested, but Rusty could tell he was slowly shifting to the side, ready to stand if things escalated.

"Do not play dumb. Lady Aranea prefers the rear seats because it is quieter there." Aldric stepped forward with an irritated look on his face, but before he could say anything, he yelped as the girl behind him pinched his sides hard.

"Ahh… L-Lady Aranea?"

"Just step aside, fools. Thou art making a scene…" The two boys reacted instantly and moved aside as Aranea Venomridge walked forward. Rusty looked at the girl, who was still rather pale, even paler than Gwen now. He was not entirely sure what the conflict was about, but from his perspective, Aranea had never really gone out of her way to attack Gwen or Astrella. The two idiots were always the ones talking, perhaps misunderstanding what their leader actually wanted.

"But Lady…" Eldric tried to protest, but before he could continue, Aranea's summon, a small spider, hissed at him. The young man immediately straightened his back while staring nervously at the tiny angry creature. Its true form was quite powerful and large, so his reaction was not surprising.

"My apologies, Lady Aranea…"

"Yeah, we were only attempting to prepare your preferred seating arrangement…" Aranea closed her eyes and pressed two fingers against her forehead as though she were already exhausted by the conversation.

"Thou pair of buffoons speak as if I were some tyrant leader demanding tribute." She snorted softly and lifted her chin in a menacing fashion. Her spider skittered onto her head as if trying to intensify her glare, though her eyes looked more tired than threatening. Everyone began moving aside, but she stopped and looked at Gwen.

"Thou choose first."

"I… s-sure…" Gwen seemed slightly uncomfortable beneath the other girl's intense gaze. Rusty noticed that, just like before, Aranea kept staring at him as well. It felt as though she wanted something from him and was simply waiting for the right moment to pounce, which made him clutch his tiny halberd again. Eventually, the two girls chose seats directly in front of Saber's.

To make things more awkward, the class's number one student sat directly opposite them on the other side, while her two henchmen seated themselves behind her, opposite Syber in the back. Even with that arrangement, there were still a few empty spots that could fit only one person, though most students chose to sit beside a friend. When Rusty had first seen this class, it had felt divided, with the students unable to work well together. Now, however, most of them seemed to have integrated into the group.

It was probably the result of the many tests involving both B classes, forcing them together whether they liked it or not. Shared danger had a strange way of making humanoids trust one another. The inside of the wagon gradually filled with chatter as more students boarded. Their bags were not brought inside but instead shoved into a large compartment beneath the wagon, one that appeared to use some kind of storage magic. Some summons, in their smaller forms, climbed onto laps or shoulders.

Nearly everyone had their creature out, and from what Rusty understood, this was meant to strengthen the bond between summoner and summon. It was exactly the same for him and Gwen. He was getting summoner coins for staying close to her, but others could still gain different benefits from their summons. The creatures bonded with their masters through contact and time spent together. This increased the flow of mana between them and also made the creatures more obedient. Of course, not everyone followed this approach.

Katherine Grandwell, for example, seemed more interested in dominating her creatures instead. Eldric and Aldric, who sat without their monsters in their miniaturized forms, appeared to think the same way. Some of these mages believed that bonds were unnecessary and that a person could simply control their monster through force. To them, the creatures were nothing more than tools to be used. Rusty observed the students around him while Gwen nervously adjusted herself in her seat.

Across from them, Aranea sat with perfect posture, her dark dress neatly arranged while her tiny spider rested on her shoulder like a vigilant guard. Eldric and Aldric remained behind her like loyal sentries, though both still looked mildly offended after being scolded. Astrella took the seat next to the window, which placed Gwen closer to Aranea, who kept sneaking glances at Rusty. Syber remained in the back. From time to time, he glanced at the others, but the two students closest to him avoided meeting his gaze.

As far as Rusty knew, Syber had become the second strongest student in the class while he was away, so the respect he received was not surprising. The atmosphere inside the wagon shifted once a teacher stepped aboard. The man was tall and still had the same shaved head Rusty remembered. His beard was trimmed to the exact same length as before, but the monocle over his left eye looked far more expensive.

"Take your seats and remain seated. Once the wagon starts moving, I want you to stay still and silent. If you wish to chat, use magic so you do not disturb those who wish to rest. Do I make myself clear?" The man glanced at the excited teenage students before sitting down in the first seat.

"Did you hear that? We are allowed to talk! It's a good thing we prepared the silencing enchantment beforehand!" Astrella puffed out her cheeks proudly while patting the small bracelet around her wrist, making the two girls laugh. When Rusty saw the strict-looking teacher, he had expected them to be ordered to remain silent, but magic could solve problems like noise with ease. He already noticed several students pulling out food and pillows to make their seats more comfortable.

Since he still had no idea how long the trip would take, he finally decided to ask.

"Gwen, how long will we be in this wagon?"

"How long... it should not take too long. Around a week until we reach the Rose Knight Academy."

"A whole week?" Rusty was quite surprised. The mission clearly stated that it would take place at the Rose Knight Academy. If the journey alone would take this long, then how long would the entire mission last?

'How many coins will I get for this? This could be really good!' He was not sure, but he was clearly pleased by this turn of events. Still, he doubted the Soul Forge had given him this mission so he could spend a week doing nothing while earning free coins. Because of that, he decided to ask another question.

"A week… are we going to make any stops along the way?"

"Stops? Of course we will. We'll stay at a few hotels each night, and travel during the day."

"I see…" It was not surprising. There were nobles among them, and forcing them to sleep in a wagon during the trip would probably be considered beneath them. That meant they would make at least six stops before reaching the Knight Academy. It also meant that something could happen at any one of those stops, and he could not rule out the possibility of bandit attacks.

'Hm… this wagon still restricts my power, but if I go outside, everything should be fine.' As he thought through his battle plan, the cart jolted forward slightly. The sudden movement caught everyone off guard and nearly made him fall from Gwen's lap.

"We're finally moving, look, Gwen!" Astrella pointed through the window as the scenery of Mystwood Academy began to drift past. The massive wheels groaned while the transport wagon rolled across the academy grounds. Layers of enchantments flickered faintly beneath the metal frame as the drakehorses pulled the enormous vehicle forward with surprising ease. Rusty was lifted up and placed near the window so he could take in the view. Students gathered along the paths to watch the convoy depart.

Some waved while others stared with open envy.

"Look at them." Astrella grinned smugly.

"They're jealous."

"You enjoy this far too much…" Gwen muttered as she pulled an apple from the small bag at her side.

"Of course I do. We worked hard to get here." The wagon passed through the gates of Mystwood Academy and continued along the cobbled road. Once outside, they entered a mist-filled forest that looked strangely disorienting. They were finally on their way. Rusty did not know what awaited them ahead, but he would not allow any harm to come to his summoner or her friends. He would protect them, just as they believed he would.

For now, however, he chose to simply enjoy the passing scenery of this new and unexplored world.