The Zerato Dock teemed with a jubilant crowd.
Green and his companions stood along the edge of the ship's deck, waving excitedly to the gathering throng. All except Raffie, whose brows subtly furrowed, betraying a fleeting melancholy.
This journey might very well be a farewell from which he would never return…
On the dock, Duke Zerato, Arovos, and Dira stood together.
Dira, the wizard tasked with escorting children of wizardly aptitude, contrasted sharply with the enigmatic Arovos by his side, whose presence seemed perpetually shrouded in a thin veil of mist.
Beneath Dira's broad, gray wizard robes, his face—pale under the sunlight and lined with subtle wrinkles—was boldly visible to the onlookers. His right eye was concealed beneath a black eyepatch, hinting at a possible blindness in that eye.
"Heh heh, I didn't expect you to be the one escorting these youngsters. How are things on the other islands?" Arovos asked after exchanging the formal wizardly salutation with Dira.
The red-eyed frog perched on Arovos's hand croaked, its swollen white belly rising and falling.
Dira had a peculiar habit of hovering slightly above the ground while conversing, masking his short stature. Smiling at the red-eyed frog, he produced a magical stone, which vanished with a flick of the frog's tongue. Only then did Dira turn to Arovos with a grin.
"Not bad. This year, we have significantly more qualified wizard apprentices than in previous years. Looks like I can make a tidy profit on this assignment, hahahaha," he joked.
"Indeed, there are more than usual…" Arovos remarked with quiet reflection.
Dira paid little heed to the numbers, instead casting a glance at Duke Zerato.
"You old scoundrel," Dira teased, "you always make such a spectacle when you're here. Careful, or these little ones might fall to pride itself."
By "spectacle," he naturally meant the cheering crowd on the dock. Though partially orchestrated by the duke, the islanders were eager to witness wizards firsthand, relishing the rare spectacle in their secluded corner of the Eastern Coral Isle.
The duke rotated the ruby on his right-hand thumb, its smooth surface gleaming like a baby's skin.
"Ah… I'd rather they be proud than forget this place. Who knows, if one of these younglings becomes a full-fledged wizard in decades, they might return to visit."
Dira let out a soft, dismissive chuckle, glancing at the apprentices bidding farewell on the deck. "In past years, a single ship producing a few full wizards was already remarkable. These little ones? Slim chances."
Having endured the harsh rigors of apprenticeship himself, Dira knew all too well how formidable the path to wizardry was.
Suddenly, an idea seemed to strike him, and his voice carried an excited edge. "Ah, this voyage holds two prodigies with innate manifestation talents and spirit power above fifteen. Even I was tempted to take them as disciples… if not for their… particular connections."
The duke's expression flickered with surprise at Dira's revelation. Arovos merely shook his head. "For wizards, knowledge is the ultimate foundation."
Dira pursed his lips. "Talent and knowledge need not conflict."
Their conversation stretched over half an hour, until Dira noticed the sailors behind him nearly finished loading supplies. It was time to set sail.
Though wizards experienced emotions like any human, years of discipline had granted them exquisite control, suppressing outward displays of sentiment.
"Then, farewell." Dira performed the ritualistic wizardly parting gesture.
"If this journey through the Underworld goes smoothly, I shall return to the academy in twenty years to see if those old fools have produced competent students for the Santa Qualification Trials," Arovos quipped.
Moments later, as the grand vessel bearing wizard apprentices slowly departed, the dock gradually emptied, though whispers of wizards remained the dominant topic. Ordinary folk harbored both curiosity and awe for these mysterious figures.
Onboard, aside from the bustling sailors, the seven apprentices quickly realized under Dira's instruction that they were not alone on the ship.
"You lot must first remember this rule: competition is eternal in the wizarding world, yet within the Lilith's Cottage Wizard Academy, internecine slaughter is forbidden. Should anyone dare cause a death onboard, I shall leave him exposed on the mast for seven days before casting him to the sharks."
Dira's fierce glare left no room for doubt among the apprentices.
"Hmph. Second, do not disturb me unless someone dies."
The wizard showed little patience for chatter with the untrained youngsters, striding toward the finest cabin on deck while shouting:
"Baron, assign room numbers to these kids. Keep an eye on them, and just make sure they don't wreck the ship."
"Yes, Master." A tall, dark-skinned figure called from afar.
After entering his cabin, Dira was followed by the imposing Baron. Green noted that despite appearing lean, Baron's sharply defined muscles radiated immense presence, confirming he was not to be trifled with.
"I am a legendary knight," Baron proclaimed. "Though the master has instructed not to intervene unless lives are at stake, if anything outrageous occurs onboard, come to me. For instance, if some fool harasses the fair girls…" He flashed a toothy grin at Raffie andYorkliana.
Green's mind reeled. A legendary knight serving a wizard? In Bisser City, no such knight had ever arisen—a warrior once destined to traverse the wizarding world.
Raffie snorted coldly. "Any fool who dares touch her shall be cast into the sea."
A palpable chill swept through the cabin, leaving one apprentice nearly petrified.Yorkliana blushed, unsure how to respond, while her brother, Yorkris, mimicked Raffie's tone: "Any fool laying a hand on my sister must first face me." He clenched his fists, joints creaking.
Among the seven, Yorkris boasted the most formidable physique—standing at one meter eighty with a solid build, easily able to confront two opponents simultaneously. Green and Kiram followed, while Wade and Binhanson, being nobility unaccustomed to labor, lacked combat prowess.
Baron, accustomed to such skirmishes, retrieved seven room plaques from a dark crate and tossed them to the apprentices.
"These are your room numbers." With that, he departed.
The apprentices' cabins, located below deck, spanned five levels. The lower the cabin, the harsher and damper the conditions—at the very bottom, they shared quarters with the sailors, causing dismay among the refined youngsters.
Raffie fared worst, drawing a plaque for the lowest level, his delicate features darkening with displeasure. Green was indifferent, occupying a mid-level cabin he found tolerable. Yorkris andYorkliana, by contrast, were elated, drawing top-tier accommodations.
As the siblings arrived first, a confrontation erupted when another man occupiedYorkliana's assigned room. Yorkris's roar echoed through the deck, drawing curious glances from other apprentices.
"This is my sister's room—leave!"
The man, towering and confident, sneered. "Who says? First come, first served. Maybe your sister can join me."
"You're courting death!" Yorkris erupted, sparking a ferocious clash.
Green and Binhanson intervened despite prior annoyance at Yorkris and Kiram's arrogance. Wade froze, intimidated by the violence, while Kiram walked away with cold detachment.
Green was left astonished at Yorkris's combat prowess—his opponent's eye already swollen in mere moments.
"Alright, call for help if you must," the assailant shouted, but Yorkris, undaunted, declared, "Call all you want, I'll take you three myself!"
Green's eyes widened as he realized the situation had escalated dangerously. Yorkris might be in real peril…