Her green eyes briefly darted towards Lorian. While she observed him, Lorian returned her gaze nonchalantly before shifting his attention away, towards the back of the classroom. Exchanging a nod with Theo, they proceeded to the rear of the room.

Elara, seemingly indifferent yet somewhat perplexed, murmured to herself, ‘Where have I seen that elven boy before?’

Once Theo and Lorian settled into their seats at the back, they noticed the classroom was not yet fully occupied. A few human students were seated in front of them, while several elven girls clustered around Elara.

Lorian sighed deeply, whispering, "For a moment, I thought she recognized me. But, thankfully, the illusionist ring worked its magic. The only downside is having to maintain this disguise, not that it matters much without Neria here to tease me about my appearance."

Lorian had been equipped with an illusionist ring to alter his appearance, a necessary precaution given Elara's familiarity with him.

Since Theo was also attending the academy with him, there was a risk that Elara might connect Lorian to the Theo who had disappeared with her sister. Thus, it was crucial for Lorian to disguise himself to avoid jeopardizing their plan. Although altering one's appearance was generally prohibited at the academy, the headmistress's support ensured that this rule did not impede them.

The classroom gradually filled up as more students claimed the vacant benches, and soon the space was bustling with twenty attendees.

The male students found their gaze invariably drawn to the front of the classroom, where Elara sat surrounded by a group of elven girls. This corner seemed to magnetize all male eyes, with the exception of the unconventional duo seated at the back.

Meanwhile, Elara and her elven companions occasionally cast curious glances towards the young man with whitish-cyan hair at the back, who was engrossed in reading a book on his desk.

As time ticked by, the sound of approaching footsteps redirected everyone's focus to the front. Lifting his gaze, Theo was met with the entrance of a familiar blonde-haired woman. Their eyes locked briefly before she quickly redirected her attention to the rest of the class.

The female instructor introduced herself, "Many of you may not know me, but my name is Zoe Frostweaver. I graduated from the inner court and have since been teaching here. While I typically teach higher-level students, the elders have specifically assigned me to be the class teacher for 1-A this year," she stated in a firm tone, her eyes sweeping across the students who listened in silence.

"You're all grown up, and I'm not here to babysit anyone." Her words elicited a wave of reactions from the students—some displayed obvious annoyance, while others seemed unaffected by her stern demeanor.

Just as Zoe was about to proceed with the announcement, the sound of hurried footsteps at the entrance drew everyone's gaze.

A girl stood at the doorway, panting heavily, sweat dotting her pale forehead. A purple bag hung from her back, and her orchid purple hair cascaded in front of her face, partially obscuring it.

Zoe, with a firmness in her voice, instructed, "You're late, Violet. Hurry, take your seat."

The mention of her name evoked gasps from the students, but the girl named Violet seemed unfazed by their reaction. Weary, she made her way to the only vacant spot in the classroom, taking a seat beside Lorian and close to the duo.

Seeing her taking the seat, Zoe then continued, “For your first class, I’m assigning you a mission.”

The students were caught off guard; they had anticipated a conventional lecture or theoretical class in Arcanum Hall. The introduction of a mission for their very first class prompted puzzled expressions to spread across their faces.

Zoe elaborated, “Your mission is to retrieve a core of a Sunflare Serpent, which can be found in the Crimson Dunes. You have one week to complete this task. While you may form teams to undertake this mission, points will be awarded on an individual basis. The more cores you gather, the more points you earn.”

The classroom momentarily fell silent, the students' eyes widening as they digested the gravity of their first assignment. The notion of venturing into the Crimson Dunes on such a daring quest stirred concern across the room.

A student raised a concern, “But teacher, the Crimson Dunes are far from here. How are we supposed to travel there and return within a week?”

Zoe explained, “You will utilize the Aether Gate Hall for teleportation to and from the Crimson Dunes. This ensures that your mission is completed without external assistance from outside the academy or from your seniors.”

Murmurs spread through the classroom as this new information sank in their heads. The idea of using the Aether Gate, piqued their curiosity and somewhat alleviated their concerns about the logistics of their mission.

As the students whispered to each other, discussing the surprising mission, Zoe watched them with a keen eye, her satisfaction growing. The initial shock gave way to a lively buzz of conversation as students began to theorize strategies and ponder the formation of teams. It was clear that Zoe's announcement had ignited a spirit of adventure and camaraderie among the students.

Wrapping up the session, Zoe announce, “That's all for today. I look forward to seeing the cores you bring back on Monday. Enjoy your adventure in the Crimson Dunes.”

As Zoe left the classroom, setting the stage for an adventurous weekend, the room buzzed with chatter about the forthcoming mission. Into this buzz stepped a young man with another in tow. They approached Violet, who was seated next to Lorian and Theo.

"Felix here, son of the Count Cinderash, and my friend Garrick," The young man introduced themselves with a hint of pride. "We're assembling a strong team for the mission. Would you be interested in joining us? We're among the top contenders in our first year."

Violet's response was not friendly. "I have no interest in teaming up, especially with weaklings like you.” she retorted sharply before standing up and striding out of the classroom, leaving a trail of silence in her wake.

The whole class started whispering and laughing after Violet's blunt shutdown. The atmosphere shifted as everyone processed her words.

Elara and her group of elven girls couldn't help but giggle at the bold exchange, finding amusement in Violet's forthrightness. With a shared look of amusement, they too prepared to leave, gathering their things before leaving the classroom.

In the wake of the departure of Violet and Elara's group, Felix and Garrick looked pretty embarrassed but tried to play it cool. Feeling the weight of the moment, Felix tried to shake it off, telling Garrick, "It's tough to get those beauties on our team, but we need to keep trying."

As the room began to empty, with students leaving in small groups or individually, Lorian and Theo quietly observed them, overhearing the hushed conversations. Deciding it was their time to depart, they stood to leave, just as Garrick pondered aloud, "Shouldn't we have asked them to join us? That elven boy seemed strong..."

Felix shook his head, brushing off the suggestion. "The other guy doesn't have any mana. I'm baffled how he even got admitted. Plus, we shouldn't drag ourselves down by adding them to our team. Let's just concentrate on getting Violet or the elven princess on our side for now."

Lorian and Theo left the room, not really bothered by what Felix and Garrick thought.

Leaving the classroom, Theo and Lorian passed through the bustling pavilion nestled between Arcanum Hall and their dormitories. This area, known as the heart of the outer court, also hosted the academy's canteen and the Guardian Bridge, the gateway to the inner court.

Navigating silently through the clusters of chatting students, they headed north towards the Guardian Bridge. There, a transparent white barrier stood, its purpose to deter outer court students and unauthorized individuals from crossing into the inner sanctum.

Yet, Theo gave a casual glance at the barrier, and crossed without any hindrance. It was obvious that their access to the inner court was unrestricted; both Lorian and Neria had been residing in the inner court from day one, and Theo, upon his arrival at the academy, was also granted accommodation there.

Crossing the bridge over the Whispering River, whose tranquil waters offered a moment of peace, they took a five-minute walk into a garden bursting with lush grasses and fragrant flowers.

A few senior students cast curious, even disapproving glances their way, murmuring among themselves. It was unusual for first-year students, particularly those as young as them, to venture into the inner court.

As they skirted around the Zenith Hall, home to the dormitories for inner court students, Lorian murmured, "It's a privilege that the headmistress allowed Neria and Princess Aerin to reside at the Eternal Garden alongside Teacher."

Theo heard Lorian's whispered remark about Rowan whom he called Teacher similar to Aerin but offered no reply.

Upon reaching the entrance to Eternal Garden, which was notably quieter, they were greeted by an alley lined with trees and surrounded by quaint one-story houses. Lorian headed towards one of these homes, while Theo continued on until he reached the sole two-story house within Eternal Garden.

The door to the house swung open seemingly of its own accord just as Theo approached, welcoming him inside without a word spoken.

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