A Rendezvous

"I wonder who is bold enough to provoke the Hunter Mercenary Guild!""They're usually that arrogant, backed by the Punk family. Who knows who they might have angered this time?""I'd love to see them get a taste of their own medicine. Just yesterday, some of their people whipped me for no reason. Oh, how innocent I am!""Now they're searching so hard. I wonder if they'll find whoever did it. Hopefully, that brave soul has some good luck."

Such conversations were happening on street corners and alleys. Even though some mercenaries had been sent to teach a few people a lesson, it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the public's discussions.

With the police station in place, these mercenaries dared not act too recklessly, after all, that was an official organization.

In contrast to the excitement outside, Mes Academy remained as calm as usual.The not-so-thick walls kept the hustle and bustle of the town at bay, allowing the students to focus on their studies in peace.

Inside the classroom, the elderly Mr. Smith had just finished his lecture. As he was about to gather his materials and leave, a young girl's voice called out to him.

"Mr. Smith, please wait a moment."

Mr. Smith paused at the door, turned, and saw it was Bonnie. He smiled and said,"Oh, Bonnie, is there something wrong? Did you not understand something from today's lesson?"

Bonnie was a bright student with a lively personality, and Mr. Smith was quite fond of her. He didn't mind taking a little extra time to help.

"It's not that," Bonnie said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Then what is it?"

By now, the other students had already begun to pack up and chat, ignoring the conversation.

"Mr. Smith, you've always seemed like such a knowledgeable person. I'm sure you know a lot of things," Bonnie complimented.

Mr. Smith was flattered but remained humble. "Heh, I've just lived long enough and studied more than most, far from being truly knowledgeable. So, what is it you wanted to ask?"

"Well…" Bonnie hesitated before speaking, "Mr. Smith, do you know of a place called Baiek Town?"

Mr. Smith's expression froze for a moment, then he furrowed his brow in thought.

Bonnie couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by his reaction.

After a short while, Mr. Smith spoke uncertainly, "I think I've heard that name when I first arrived here, but it was only mentioned in passing. Why do you ask about it?"

"It's nothing," Bonnie quickly replied. "I've just heard the name recently and was curious."

Mr. Smith gave her a deep look before waving his hand dismissively. "Alright, if there's nothing else, I need to get going."

"Oh, goodbye, Mr. Smith."

As Mr. Smith left the classroom, Bonnie turned her attention to the window. Less than a minute later, she seemed to have made up her mind and walked over to Layla's desk.

Layla was absorbed in a book. She didn't look up until Bonnie was beside her.

"Bonnie, what's up?"

Just as Bonnie was about to speak her mind, she suddenly became alert and looked around.

Layla's beauty was well-known throughout the academy, and now, the boys in the class were all keenly aware of it. Bonnie wasn't sure if speaking her mind would be overheard, so she tugged on Layla's sleeve and whispered,"Layla, let's go outside. I need to discuss something with you."

Layla didn't understand but followed her good friend out of the classroom.

After confirming there was no one nearby, Layla sighed in exasperation, "Alright, Bonnie, what's going on? I still need to review for the next class."

Bonnie's expression grew serious, her tone mysterious. "Layla, would you be willing to come with me to Baiek Town again?"

Upon hearing this, Layla was momentarily stunned. After a pause, she said in surprise, "Aren't you scared of that place? Why would you want to go back?"

Their last trip to Baiek Town hadn't been a pleasant one, and it had left a lasting shadow, especially for Bonnie. Though Layla didn't know exactly how Bonnie managed to overcome it, hearing her voluntarily request to go again was a surprise.

"Actually…" Bonnie's voice lowered, "Mr. Glen came to see me."

She hesitated, afraid that Layla might not believe her or what Glen had said. While they both knew magic existed, they hadn't had any direct experience with it.

"Mr. Glen?" Layla asked, even more confused. "Is this related to him?"

Layla then seemed to understand. "It must be something Mr. Glen said to you that made you feel better, right?"

She recalled how, in the past, she had mentioned Bonnie's situation to Mr. Glen, and he had been preparing to visit her and offer help. What a kind person he was… Layla thought to herself. She then urged Bonnie,"Come on, tell me, Bonnie. What exactly did you two talk about?"

Surprised by how curious her friend was, Bonnie hadn't expected such a reaction, but since she had planned to share everything, she recounted their conversation in detail.

Neither of them even bothered to attend the next class.

The academy was smaller, with fewer students, and they weren't as strict about attendance. Skipping classes was common, and even Layla occasionally used the time to do other things.

The teachers mostly knew about it, but unless they caught students skipping in person, they didn't bother to enforce rules. This was not like the prestigious academies in the capital.

Most students came from commoner backgrounds, so disciplining them was harder.

After Bonnie finished speaking, Layla's eyes sparkled with excitement, matching Bonnie's own eagerness.

"Let's go tomorrow!" Layla said enthusiastically.

Bonnie was still somewhat hesitant. "O-Okay…" she stammered.

The two girls continued discussing their plans as they made their way back to the classroom.

As they neared the door, a group of boys, dressed in various outfits, walked toward them.

Leading the group was Meyer. He immediately asked, "Layla, why didn't you come to the last class? You're not usually the type to skip."

DeMond, the teacher from the previous class, would have been upset if he had known.

"Thanks for your concern, Meyer," Layla smiled and explained. "Bonnie and I had some personal matters to attend to."

The boys behind Meyer quickly followed suit, offering their own concern, eager to win Layla's favor.

But Layla had long since grown accustomed to this. She knew her looks often caused such attention. These boys, in their adolescent stage, always tried to present themselves as either charming, gentle, or elegant to impress her.

Layla found it childish but, out of politeness, refrained from discouraging them.

Among the boys she was closer to, Meyer and Bock were relatively mature. At least, they didn't act as desperate to show off in front of her like the others.

"Layla, what were you two talking about?"

Just as Layla was about to brush off the boys, a familiar voice called out from behind.

Everyone turned to look, their eyes lighting up.

"Perlanas?" Layla exclaimed upon seeing the newcomer.

Standing before them was the elegantly dressed noblewoman.

The boys, who had been vying for Layla's attention, fell silent.

Compared to Layla, who was a beauty among commoners, Perlanas was the kind of figure they knew they could never even dream of approaching.