Contrary to Alex’s expectations his new owners didn’t return to their home. They even seemed to hurry somewhere and it turned out to be some kind of a festival. It was held in more lavish part of the city that had many plazas of different sizes and at the sides of those plazas stood tall buildings built in dark red stone.

Hundreds of people, most of them youths and children, were gathered and Alex felt his head spinning from all the buzz they made.

The two humans met up with another two – female and a boy a bit older than the one currently carrying Alex. He already guessed that the man was boy’s father and apparently they now met the mother and the eldest son. The latter looked especially happy to see them and exploded in cheers after father passed over the bundle he was carrying.

Alex already knew what was in there. A cat! Why the hell someone would be so happy about getting a cat? On the other hand, he had seen some freakishly mutated cats back in the circus, so maybe this one was also like that.

‘Damn! I really need to learn the local language as soon as possible!’ Alex thought to himself while observing the crowd.

But Reino had completely different thoughts, ‘How come it is so calm? Dad continuously warned me to watch over it, because any spiritbeast pup will instinctively feel distress with this many people present and the lower the rank, the worse it would be! But how come the rank four horned leopard has peed himself from fear, but my rank two wolf continues to curiously look around as if searching for food?’

After chatting for a while, Danilo said, “There is still some time till the grand ceremony will begin. Do you guys want me to show you around? Today is an exception and you can visit the inner academy. Reino, you are probably interested in this the most?”

“Sure! It has been quite some time since I stepped my foot in there.” Gregoro immediately agreed and Reino’s eyes lit up with joy – this was the true highlight of the day.

‘Why the hell are you so tense suddenly? Something happened?’ Alex thought feeling his little owner behaving unnaturally.

Soon he got his answer. Turned out this was some kind of a school – that was the reason for the many youths to be around. And today was either graduation or the end of the academic year.

Many students, just like his owner and his brother, were escorting their parents around the school grounds, explaining, bragging and showing off. Unfortunately in Alex’s new family the one who bragged was the eldest son and not his owner. Apparently the difference in grades they got were too large.

That was particularly obvious when they arrived at a large stone tablet engraved with many names. The elder son proudly pointed somewhere in the middle-upper half, probably his spot in the rankings, and then sympathetically patted his younger bother’s shoulder, consoling him.

‘Damn I’m stuck with an underachiever!’ Alex cursed to himself, ‘No wonder you got a simple dog when others were getting beautiful pink pussies and red-striped ponies!’

But soon he forget his distress, at least for a moment. They arrived at the building that was obviously a library!

‘Alright! Now we’re cookin’!’ It was a place Alex didn’t hope to find in the current world, ‘So, underachiever! During the next few months I’ll make you live here and read every single book to me!’

After visiting few more academic buildings, the Sildren family arrived at the training grounds. Besides few arenas and larger open fields, there were many wooden and iron installations that apparently served as a medieval fitness equipment. While visitors kept frequently passing through, a lone young man kept doing exercises, drenched in sweat.

“This brings back memories.” Gregoro nostalgically said, “But who’s the crazed boy over there? Why is he practicing instead of celebrating with others? Taking one day off won’t slow down his progress.”

“That’s Clinto Milas, the most popular second-year. He’s the one at the top of the scoreboard, but if I had to be honest, he worked extremely hard for it. Of course, he’s also very talented. Rumors say he’ll even get a rank five runic serpent as his first spiritbeast.” Danilo explained with a tad of envy in his voice.

“Milas? Is he the son of the great general Milas?” Gregoro asked in surprise and seeing Danilo nod, sighed and patted his head, “Don’t feel down. Milas is the bloodline of amazing warriors, you don’t have to compare yourself to them. Your main task is to do your best.”

Reino with clenched fists watched the lone boy doing push-ups, then quickly getting up and jumping over some obstacles and doing push-ups again. Contrary to his older brother he even felt fired up at the sight.

‘Oh? So you also have been punished to do overtime exercises and now feel ashamed after coming here with your parents?’ Alex thought feeling the boy becoming tense at the sight, ‘Hmpf! Judging from your weak physique, you probably passed out within half an hour. Don’t worry, I’ll make a man out of you, just you wait! I need someone strong to protect me for at least a decade, maybe fifteen years. Dogs don’t live much longer than that after all.’

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Suddenly a loud bell rang through the academy grounds.

“Mom, dad, that’s the signal for everyone to gather. I’ll go first since you know the way.” Danilo excitedly said, “Just watch me! I’ll awaken the soul of my leopard with the first try!”

“Ok, ok. Go! We’ll meet after the ceremony.” Gregoro laughed and Danilo ran off.

“So, what do you think?” Satra asked Reino with a smile.

“It’s great! I can’t wait to study here!” Reino exclamed with his eyes shining as bright as stars.

“You’ll do great, just like your brother.” Gregoro said, “You even have someone to practice with for the next couple of years.”

“Right, I do!” Reino nodded and looked at the little blackrock wolf in his arms.

‘Damn it, kiddo! You shouldn’t make promises to your parents you can’t keep! If you did badly at the school last year, your grades won’t magically improve! Damn it! I guess I’ll have to train you properly.’ Alex thought looking back at his new owner.

Obviously this underachiever just excitedly promised something unreasonable to his parents. But grownups are not idiots and can see through the little lies of their children. Even though they probably loved both of their kids, one should never test the patience of their parent. The last part felt especially hilarious to Alex who immediately remembered his previous two mommies.

“Dad, I can’t see anything!” Reino complained.

Currently Gregore, Satra and Reino, who was still holding Alex, were standing in a large crowd that was gathered in the academy’s central plaza. This was the place where all the official ceremonies were held for the past centuries.

“Alright, hold tight!” Gregoro said, lifted Reino up and put on his shoulders.

Now Reino could finally see thousands of spectators encircling few hundred students in the middle. Most of them were sitting right on the ground while holding their newly acquired spiritbeasts in their laps, while few, who had spiritbeasts of larger sizes like foals, bear cubs or rhino calves, stood next to them.

Around the students in the middle were erected two dozens of thick stone slates, three meters in height, carved with strange symbols and next to each of those slates sat an elderly man in a dark leather clothing.

Alex also could enjoy the spectacular view, but contrary to Reino he was more disappointed than impressed, ‘You see, kiddo? This is what underachievers get! Normal students get to be in the center, under the attention of everyone, but you and the other slackers need to sit on the shoulders of your daddies to even see anything! Don’t get me wrong – if we were in the modern world, I would only applaud you for being a low-key. But in the medieval society where the strong rule … sigh … I have so much to teach you …’

“Gregoro? Why are you in the middle of the crowd?” Suddenly a joyful elderly voice interrupted Alex’s thoughts. He saw a man, probably in his sixties punching his owner’s dad in chest in a friendly manner, “Why would a former top graduate not be in the forefront of the crowd?”

“Elder Jintoro! What are you doing here? Why are you not with the other elders?” Gregoro was caught by surprise, but quickly regained his manners, “Satra, Reino, this is elder Jintoro, my former teacher. I have told you much about him.”

“Nice to meet you.” Both politely said in one voice.

“Oh, really now? What have you told about me?” Elder Jintoro teased.

“Don’t worry, elder! Only the good stuff!” Gregoro theatrically winked back, but then grew serious, “But really, elder. Why are you here with the crowd and not with the other officials?”

“I just got back from the expedition to the south. You won’t believe it! This time I really saw it! I almost followed to its nest, but it managed to disappear between few cliffs. Damn!” Elder passionately explained.

“Really?!” Gregoro exclaimed in surprise, “Reino, elder Jintoro is one of the most regarded beastologists in the world. His greatest passion …”

“Ye, I know – the eternal dragon. He has been researching it for twenty years and has a book written about it.” Since the subject was not about the ‘regular’ animals, Reino was back in his ‘expert mode’.

“Really now? You have read my book, young man?” Elder asked in surprise looking up at the boy still sitting on his father’s shoulders.

“N … no … we only have one encyclopedia at home.” Reino said while blushing, “But I will, as soon as I enter the academy in two years.”

“Oh, right. I didn’t think of that.” Elder nodded. Then looked at the center of the plaza and said, “Alright. It’s about to start. Pay close attention – you’ll personally experience the ceremony in the future, but for now – just watch.”

Up until now Alex mostly was lazily glancing over the crowd and there was nothing that caught his interest. If he was a historian or maybe an archaeologist, or in the worse case scenario – a pickpocket, the gathering of a large social group would be interesting, but not to the current him. In addition he was getting thirsty.

But then, after the academy bell rang three times, the elders sitting next to the stone slates shouted something in unison and the performed a strange gestures with their hands. A moment later the carved symbols on the twenty four stone slates lit up and the crowd exclaimed in admiration.

‘Impressive indeed. But they should’ve done this at night – it would look more spectacular in the dark.’ Alex thought to himself, but then a large, partially transparent barrier appeared above the students in the center of the plaza and like a dome separated them from the rest of the world while the rays of sun made the barrier look golden and majestic.

The crowd immediately fell silent. Even Alex with his enhanced hearing could only discern few people breathing. Apparently this moment was of a great importance. Most of the students in the middle of the plaza were sitting with their back to him, but from what he could guess, all of them were meditating with their eyes closed and focusing on their pets.

‘What the hell is this? Some kind of zoophilia?’ Alex could understand a group meditation or physical exercises for groups of people, but this looked weird for sure.

It lasted for around half an hour until one after another students opened their eyes, but continued to quietly sit.

What Alex found even more strange than the event itself was that none of the beasts on the laps or at the sides of the students made any sound during all the procedure! Even those in the crowd were patiently waiting for the event to end as if afraid to disturb the tranquility.

When the barrier disappeared, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. It soon fell silent again when a short and thin elderly, dressed in leather armor similar to what the elders who sat at the stone slates wore, came to the front of the students and held a speech. Alex, of course, had no clue what he said, but Reino along with everyone else was listening while holding their breaths.