Chapter 3

Today is the day I've been waiting for—today, I'm finally going to Ferisz Academy. I grabbed my belongings and went downstairs, where my parents and Ada were waiting for me. Ada greeted me coldly, saying, "Why do you always take so long? I don't want to hear complaints about you on the very first day at the academy." I didn't take her words personally and stayed silent because her comments didn't matter to me.

 Then my stepmother, Victoria, joined in, saying, "Lily, Ada is right. She shouldn't be late because of you. This may not seem important to you, but it's crucial for Ada. After all, Ada is the only mage in our family. I hope you at least have a fraction of the power of the Ryular clan. Ferisz Academy only accepts talented students, and your dragon hasn't even awakened yet. I hope you won't end up being as useless as your mother."

 Hearing this, my father gave Victoria a cold look and said, "Know your place, Victoria." His tone was so sharp that Victoria instinctively clutched her neck, as if she couldn't breathe. Her fear was evident in her eyes.

 Ada approached my father and said, "Dad, we're leaving now." He replied, "Alright, then. Take care. Ada, I'm trusting you with Lily. Don't do anything reckless, and don't tarnish the family name." We both knew how strict our father could be, so we simply nodded and left.

 After about three hours of travel, we finally arrived at the academy. Ada didn't say a word to me during the journey, and I didn't speak to her either. As we approached the academy, I felt a surge of excitement, almost as if I was being freed from a cage.

 Ada suddenly turned to me and said, "Don't embarrass me by talking to me. It's better if I don't even see you around." I was surprised but replied calmly, "Don't worry; I don't associate with ugly and useless people." Ada's face turned red with anger. "Who are you calling ugly?" she snapped, but I ignored her and entered the academy.

 Inside, the academy was enormous. All the students had gathered in a large hall. I was particularly interested in those wearing the academy uniforms because among them were my brother and Ezra. While looking for Ezra, someone suddenly bumped into me from behind. I turned around angrily, only to see that it was Ezra.

 "Ezra, when did you arrive?" I asked. He looked so different now—taller, standing at 182 cm, and more handsome than ever. He smiled warmly and said, "Lily, is that really you? I saw you among the crowd and came over." Then he added, "You've changed a lot—you've become even more beautiful." His words made me happy, and I replied with a laugh, "You've changed too."

 Just then, his friends called for him, so we said goodbye. I continued waiting for the director to arrive, while hearing whispers from the crowd: "Look at that girl, she's so beautiful," and "Which family is she from?" Such comments were normal for me, as I truly was a beautiful girl. I had inherited my beauty from my mother and my cold demeanor from my father. For me, this was just another ordinary day.

 While everyone was waiting for the director's speech, suddenly a student heroically shouted, "The Dier students are entering through the academy gates!" Immediately, all the students ran toward the gates. I, surprised, followed them because I saw Ezra and Ada running toward the same direction. It was crowded, but as I pushed through to see who they were, I noticed six students walking behind. "So, these must be the Dier students," I said to myself. The boy behind me asked in surprise, "What, you don't know the Dier students?" I was surprised and answered, "No." "How can that be? After all, they are the best magician and swordsman students from Ferisz Academy! There are currently six members. The group leader, Kayzer. He's walking ahead of the other Dier students. Did you see his blue hair?"

 "Yeah, the one with blue hair, handsome, right?" I responded. "Yes, that's him! He is the strongest swordsman in the group and the leader, the coldest member. The blue-haired girl in front of him is his twin sister, Sana. She's also a swordsman. She is as beautiful as her brother Kayzer, but the difference is that she's very lively and playful. However, in battle, it's the opposite. They belong to one of the wealthiest and most prestigious families in the country. Overall, all the students in the group come from noble and rich families."

 "So, his sister?!"

 "Yes, exactly. The blonde-haired boy standing among them is Arlen. He's also a swordsman. Not only is he famous in the group, but he's also known as the 'Speed Demon' among the other Dier students in the academy. Also, he's a member of the Ikiryu Clan. Like the Ryular Clan, they have their own dragons. But the difference is that only light dragons are born in this family. The boy with light purple hair and blue eyes is Izana. He's a magician and the brains of the group. He plans every mission and devises strategies even in the toughest situations. He is very popular among the girls because of his kindness. The boy standing in front of him is Ellian, who is also a magician. If I were to describe him, he's very similar to Izana, but Ellian's magical abilities are stronger, although his intelligence isn't as sharp. Finally, the last member, Reggie. He is a tall boy with black hair and blue eyes . He's a swordsman. Although he came to the academy last year, within just one year, he proved his skills and became a member of the Dier students. He's from the Ryu Clan. His swordsmanship technique is excellent, and he has his own style. Maybe it's because he's from the Duke Ashford family [a family known for producing the best swordsmen in history]."

 "Reggie?!"

 "What, do you know Reggie? Wait a minute, why do you both have the same black hair and blue eyes? What, are you his sister or cousin? Sorry, I was disrespectful."

 "Pff, why are you saying that? Without you, I wouldn't have known anything about the Dier students. You helped me. My name is Lily, what's yours?"

 "Ah, my name is Aiden Joseph, Miss!"

 "You don't need to say 'Miss,' just Lily, after all, we're friends, right?"

 "Yes, friends. Miss, ah no Lily, everyone calls me Den. I'd be happy if you called me that!"

 "Okay, Den," I smiled.

Den: "Aha (why is my heart beating so fast? Why is she so kind?)"

 While I was talking to Den, Reggie was glaring at Den and me coldly. I didn't know why he was acting like this; maybe he wasn't happy to see me at the academy.

 Arlen: "Den, why are you just standing there? Let's go inside quickly, the director is about to start the speech for the new academic year!"

 Reggie: "Yeah, right now (Who was the boy standing with Lily? Why was Lily smiling at him like that? So, she knows how to smile. I've never seen her like this before)."

 The director arrived and gave his speech. He said that we would be divided into groups and classes in about half an hour. Based on our classes, we would be assigned rooms. Magicians and swordsmen each have their own special places, and their rooms are in buildings close to each other. The academy is very large, and each subject has its own separate room. Magicians and swordsmen study together. Though they are different, there are subjects that both types of students take together. That is, magicians and swordsmen need the same things. It was said that the Dier students and outstanding students

would also participate in the class divisions.