“It’s about time we made it here. I can’t stand the wagon,” Zenith said as she viewed the border gates from afar. ‘Alduit Academy really was taking their borders seriously,’ Zenith thought to herself as she looked at the sprawling stone wall separating it from Alcudia. 

The last few weeks were far more stressful than she’d like, especially when it shouldn’t have been. And all of that was because of Paige.

Well, maybe it wasn’t all Paige’s fault, Zenith amended as she looked over at the other cart. The dark-haired Assassin was also at fault. She and Paige butted heads over Markus’s training far more than even she and Stella had with Isabella’s training.

Or maybe it was simply because, Lily, her own pupil had elected to learn what Paige was teaching. That hurt her pride as a mentor far more than she'd like to admit.

“Lily, you don’t have to learn that right now. If you have time to learn footwork, you have time to learn meditation and focus instead. We're called Mages for a reason.”

“But you always said to broaden my horizons. I just...have to… practice! Haah!”

Lily panted heavily from the side of the cart as she practiced with Markus and Tyler. It physically pained Zenith to see her pupil practice Paige’s nonsensical movements, and even more as she saw Isabella watching from the corners of her eyes. Still, she had to admit that Paige’s former display was visually impressive.

Of course, she didn’t believe that [Power Till] was a real Skill. The farmhands’ reaction of surprise was apparent enough to see for all. She had heard Shavie’s complaint time and time again about how Paige had cheated and used [Earthquake], but Zenith wasn’t sure that was exactly it either. After all, seeing Tyler and Markus practice the same movements, it was apparent that Paige had done...something to do that move. Perhaps she actually did create a new Skill. It was possible, though Zenith wouldn’t put it past Paige to use her divine mana and cheat to win a simple duel. 

“Lily, you know that’s something a Wind Magi would never be able to do.”

“But Miss Paige said I could do something similar if I try hard enough! Besides, even Isabella’s Protectors said I need to train more.”

“It’s true, Miss Zenith. They said we need to be able to run away faster. We’re really bad at that apparently!” Isabella spoke up, her head rising from her tome. 

“And that is because…”

“...Lily doesn’t run away from a challenge, so Tyler has to stay back and I need to stay near Lily. So we stand there until we win or it becomes too dangerous to continue.”

Not typically a problem she heard from a Party, but that was indeed a problem for Apprentices. Those that didn’t learn when to run ended up dead sooner than later. But Zenith grasped on the important part of Isabella’s guards' complaint.

“Isabella,” Zenith said slowly, “what does Lily do when the monsters are above your level to challenge?”

“Umm…”

Isabella really needed to work on her bluffing skills, Zenith noted ruefully. 

“Isabella…” Stella called out slowly. 

While Stella interrogated Isabella, Zenith herself looked back and narrowed her eyes.

“Lily! Come here for a second.”

Lily looked up and winced as she saw the look in her teacher's face. But she had the sense of mind to look mollified.

“Yes, Mentor?”

“What is the one rule that all Adventurers know by heart? My list, not Paige’s nonsensical one.”

“...not to fight alone and trust your Party?”

A solid answer, but it was not the one she was looking for.

“If you ca-“

“If you can’t defeat the enemy with the first attack, retreat and try again,” Lily hurriedly finished. “But we do defeat the enemies with the first attack. Every time, really. Okay, well, there was this thing with the wolfpack, but it wasn’t our fault! No matter what Isabella’s guards said.”

Zenith sighed. 

“Lily-“

“They did great against that wolfpack. Heard the whole story from Miranda. Nice thinking with the [[Wind Wall]],” Paige said as she stepped next to Lily. “It’s not every day that a Party of Apprentices is able to take down that many wolves alone, even though they were two different packs fighting amongst themselves. Good thing I taught you that trick.”

Zenith processed that statement for a few seconds. It was times like this where she regretted letting Paige teach seemingly simple life lessons. Like not risking your life.

With the walls coming into range, Zenith sighed. An in-depth interrogation would have to be postponed. They had more important things to worry about, like if the Healer Hall was going to uphold their end of the bargain. This whole trip would be wasted if they weren’t able to cross the border.

“...do I even want to know the details, Paige?”

Paige paused. “Probably not. Besides, you won’t have time to worry once you become a teacher again.”

“What possessed me to let you teach practical lessons? You know, sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you, Paige.”

Paige winced, thought it made Zenith’s mood turn for the better. At least she knew how much trouble she had gotten them all involved in. Which was practically everything thus far.

“Because I make things interesting?”

Zenith rolled her eyes. Only Paige would make that a positive reason to stay in a Party. 

“Did Glenn say how we would get past the checkpoints?”

“Nope. But we’ll be fine. Haven’t you noticed that we haven't passed any other carts, even though we are this close to their checkpoint? I figure the Healer Hall has already cleared the path for Isabella.”

“You’re basing everything on not seeing carts for a few days?” Stella scoffed from the side.

Looking back, Zenith shrugged as she locked eyes with Stella and Shavie. It wasn’t a great reason, but it did have merit. She wasn’t about to let it slip that Nick had scouted the area and came to the same conclusion. And they had both noticed Shavie slipping away at night as well; probably for the same reason.

“Hey, I didn’t say it was a good reason. If they stop us, we’ll stop. If not, we’ll just take it at face value and continue on,” Paige said lightly. 

Even though she said it nonchalantly, Zenith noticed that Paige was scanning the horizon slowly, her hand slipping to rest on her spades hanging loosely from her belt. 

“...are we going to fight someone, Paige?” Zenith asked lightly as she manipulated the wind to encircle the adults.

Shavie grinned as she scanned the horizon for an invisible foe. An Assassin like her could probably find someone hiding, though she doubted that there would be anyone this close to the borders.

The same thought must have crossed Stella's mind too as she frowned. Staring at the looming walls with concern, she quietly said what was on her mind.

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“From what my sister and I have gathered, no one is willing to cross the Academy. We’re more likely to encounter a test at the gate than an ambush.

“Zenith, are you ready to showcase your talents? If I was evaluating new talent, that is what I would do.”

Zenith nodded slowly as she felt a brush of wind on her back. Pushing her mana forward, she watched as her mana mingled with the gust of wind and moved steadily forward.

Lily’s head snapped up from where she was practicing, though she frowned as she looked around. Zenith took a look back and frowned. She had only leaked her mana out for a second, though she wasn’t foolish enough to make a simple mistake. Being this close to Lily, it could have been possible for her to notice something, but it was possible that her natural affinity and her Skill, [Mana Sensitivity], would allow her to sense something had happened to the wind.

Regardless, Zenith made a resolution to test Lily later as she focused, sensing her mana spreading out, blending silently as it pushed through the gated opening. 

It was a simple enough concept; spread her mana thin and see how many things reacted to her mana intrusion. Of course, unless they had a Skill or were very, very perceptive; it would be hard for someone to notice a change in the slight change in their mana as it resisted hers.

Of course, that would have been impossible for her to do it out in the open when she had a low affinity to wind mana. Seeing Lily react, Zenith noted that there were still some things she had to worry about even though her mana affinity had changed for the better.

Focusing her thoughts back to the task at hand, Zenith frowned as she noticed that there were not many people present, which was strange. There were only ten or so people there; and of them, half of the mana she felt were unfocused, as though there were children present. Probably closer to Lily and Markus’s age, which would make them somewhat talented to have condensed their mana cores at their age.

Opening her eyes, she realized that everyone was already looking at her.

‘Did they sense my attempt as well? Well, at least we have confirmation that everyone has a greater affinity,’ Zenith paused. ‘And Paige probably cheated.’

“Less than twenty. Guards, as well as some children; possibly students. Somewhat talented. No one that could stop us though if we forced our way in.”

Stella and Shavie grimaced though as the looked at one another.

“Peh, I’d bet gold that there is at least one child Assassin in that group.”

“We should avoid trouble at all costs. Nothing good will come from interacting with people here. Do we all agree that the kids should get in the wagon?”

Nodding in agreement, Zenith was happy that they all agreed it was probably for the best. Paige was even being helpful and herding the children into the wagons.

Zenith turned toward Nick, waiting for his opinion. Barring Paige, she was sure that he had more experience with subterfuge than an Assassin and a Shaman. Rangers did have a reputation for investigating and avoiding traps, after all.

“We’ll just continue on. The chances that this is a trap is low. I’d wager a test closer to the actual Academy. No one has anything to gain from waylaying new students, especially this far from the actual school.”

Zenith nodded in agreement, though she had barely started to nod when a voice spoke up from behind. 

And of course, it was Paige who was rather dismayed by everyone’s reaction. “The kids are suspicious, but it would be a nice change though. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and one of them is a bastard child of the Principle? Or perhaps the granddaughter of a Head Teacher?”

“Paige, we aren’t here to investigate.”

“I’m just saying, we should all keep an open mind.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Paige slowed her steps until she was walking in time with the back of the cart; most likely to watch the kids from leaving the cart. Eyeing her for a moment longer, Zenith turned to the border gate and waited for the inevitable border stop.

To her surprise though, none of the guards stepped forward. Blinking in surprise, they fully passed the border wall and realized that she was nervous for nothing. There wasn’t even a border stop here, nor, as she realized with a start, that none of the guards even stepped forward to check their Classes or Status. Whether it was complacency that they would have no problems at the borders, or they were already notified of their arrival, she had no idea. 

Hesitating for a second, she slowed her wagon and looked over to the very unprofessional guards. She could feel Shavie, or maybe Stella, gaze on the back of her head, but she had to know why they weren’t being stopped. Of the six guards, she could see three of them playing cards out in the open, while the other two were barely keeping an active watch. The last, and probably the most professional of the six, were dealing with the other children. 

Getting a good look at the children, Zenith realized with a start that they were all dressed in regular clothes instead of a school uniform. They were certainly good enough to be highly sought after in an actual school, but here, it looked like they were no big deal. The boys and the lone girl were caked in mud, some far more than others.

Looking them up and down, it was certain they were commoners. Cotton clothes; and no accessories, weapons, or armor that she could see. A common sight in a city, perhaps, but not out by the borders. Not unless the Academy was far closer than she assumed it was.

And from what she gathered quickly, the guard was settling a dispute with the kids. Noticing her gaze, the guard quickly shooed the kids away, though interestingly enough they headed away from the border gates. 

Locals then, Zenith thought as they walked away. The guard shook his head, muttering something about spoiled brats before coming closer to their wagons.

“You’ll have safe passage so long as you don’t stay for long. Don’t travel off the road. Don’t damage the fields. Don’t mine, forage, hunt, or fish here without permission. Finally, you’ll be in a world of trouble if you mess with the wrong people. Any questions?”

“That’s it?” Zenith blinked. This was quickly becoming the worst checkpoint she had ever been to.

“What do you think we’d do? Kick you out?” He waved his hand. “Nah, the Academy will handle all that. We’re just here to warn you not to cause any trouble. You might be big shots wherever you came from, but here, you ain’t nothing.”

Zenith was conflicted. There had to be some agenda that she was missing.

“And the children?”

The guard quirked his eyebrow and pointed behind him. “Oh them? Locals; they all like to bother newcomers here. But we have laws about soliciting, so don’t worry about it.”

“Soliciting? What are they selling?” Stella asked.

“Themselves, of course.” Noticing their stares, he coughed. “Their talent, I mean. They all hope to catch the eye of someone coming to school, but it’s a long shot. I have to shoo them away every day.”

“Poor kids. They have no families?” Lily asked as she popped her head out.

“They do, but their families are Support Classes, so they don’t have a chance to enter. But the City Guards will tell you all the rules here, just follow the road until you reach the city.” With a wave of his hand, he motioned them to continue on their way.

Paige smiled at his actions and tossed a golden coin his way. “How about you tell us now. We’re traveling merchants, after all.”

The guard visibly hesitated. “Now, it’s not really my pla-”

Zenith rolled her eyes. Of course. Some things never changed, no matter the place. Looking toward Nick, she nodded. Pulling a small bag from his sleeves, he handed it over and she held it aloft, the metallic clinking easily recognizable.

The guard smiled as he grabbed the bag. Money talked, after all.

“You could say that Alduit Academy is an academic city. Everything is catered around the students and staff there. As such, it’s hard to even step into the city if you aren’t affiliated with the school. There are strict limits on everything there. Even the City Guards are Teachers there.

“But it is still a city. And the lifeblood of a city will always rely on Support Classes to help keep it running; Farmers, Merchants, etc. So while you can’t stay in the city, there is nothing stopping you from staying in the various suburbs surrounding the school. That’s where a lot of people settle, and there the ambitious ones try to get into the school. Even if they have to sell themselves to do it.”

Zenith whipped her head around and stared at Paige, hard. From the way she told it, they wouldn’t be able to even stay in the borders if they didn’t get into the school.

Paige coughed. “So we can stay in the suburbs without a problem?”

The guard chuckled. “Oh, I didn’t say that. The school owns everything past these walls. They sell contracts to the land and enforce them with an iron fist, so in order to get a place to settle down, you will still need a contact in the school who can grease some wheels for you. Or have a large enough backer to force someone to give you their spot.”

Zenith settled down. That was more familiar to her. Factions. And if the Imperial Family was here, then it made sense to treat everything with caution. No telling who you might offend here, even accidentally.

After a few more questions, Zenith thanked the guard and edged her cart forward. 

‘Have to find the local Healer Hall. They’ll be able to direct us from there. That’ll save us some trouble at least. Though, if the Healer Hall is being watched...”

So absorbed in her thoughts of the future, she missed the local kids fighting off to the side of the road. It wasn’t until Lily poked her that she broke out of her thoughts.

“Lily, stop that. It’s rude.”

“Umm, mentor? Shouldn’t you stop Paige?” she asked timidly.

“Wha-” 

Before she could ask, she heard Paige talking from her side.

“Hmph. That’ll teach you to treat a girl that way. You can travel with us to the city,” Paige said kindly.

Zenith turned and groaned aloud. Paige stood over the battered forms of the boys, the lone girl staring wide-eyed at Paige as she headed back to the wagon.

“Paige. What part of 'don’t look for trouble' didn’t you understand?”

“I can’t help it. I see it and I have to help,” Paige shrugged helplessly. “I wasn’t about to let the poor girl get roughed up.”

Zenith was about to berate her when Nick held her hand. A quick look back revealed Nick’s cautious face. Reigning her temper in, she realized what she had missed earlier, and why Nick was cautious. Though her tone was playful, her gaze was serious. She hadn’t done it on a whim.

Paige had noticed something.