Income [2]

Chapter 13

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Episode 4 - Income [2]

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Two days later.

As we walked toward the dock, the surroundings were filled with constant noise.

Since it was the day we were all entering the Sanctuary of Heroes, it was normal to see many cadets wandering around the dock.

There were also street vendors here and there.

"Students, good luck!"

Waving with a smile, people occasionally shouted at us, either congratulating us or simply greeting us.

"Being a student makes you famous or something?"

Ashly sighed beside me.

"We are the new generation of heroes; we are the future of humanity, after all."

Even though the Great Evil, Antares, was not dead, his armies of monsters and followers continued to appear across the four empires.

As students of the Sanctuary of Heroes, we seemed to be praised just like the famous and recognized heroes of the world.

"It's uncomfortable but manageable."

Ashly laughed.

"You should get used to it because if you go out for a walk in these places, a crowd of fans will swarm you."

I chuckled, imagining dozens of people surrounding me like a celebrity.

"Anyway, the Sanctuary of Heroes of the fairies... This time, our Sanctuary won't lose."

Once a year, the Sanctuary of Heroes of the fairies came to the Sanctuary of Heroes of the humans for a competition.

Both Sanctuaries participated in frequent but friendly matches to promote racial harmony.

From quizzes and sports games to full-scale battles, the historic competition had been a tradition for centuries, fostering goodwill between the races.

But since the pride of their Sanctuary was at stake, students risked everything in these exchanges.

In recent years, humans had fallen behind the fairies.

"You'll see! We'll show the Sanctuary of Heroes of the fairies what we're made of!"

"Alright, alright. Let's keep the spirits high."

When we arrived at the dock, crowds of cadets from the Radren Empire and the other three empires were gathered.

Some were flying with their staffs, while others used flight magic.

One student even carried a series of weapons strapped to his body with various buckles and compartments.

They were probably eager to stand out.

At that moment, Ashly sighed.

Then, a man with blue hair stepped in our way.

"Hey! You two look ready to conquer the world. Mind chatting for a bit?"

"Uh, hello?"

"My name is Alexis Anderson, and I represent the Solvia Empire."

Nodding, I asked about the reason for his interruption.

"Well, what's up?"

"Just a friendly gesture."

Smiling, he gently handed his business card to Ashly and me.

"I have everything from weapons to potions! If you need anything for your studies, don't hesitate to stop by!"

With a wink, he ran off to another student, seeming quite cheerful.

"Interesting people around here."

Still puzzled, Ashly held onto the business card.

"I'm going to greet some first-year students from our homeland."

The Radren Empire dominated the western continental states.

As such, many western students came from the Radren Empire.

"Go ahead, I'll explore a bit."

"Of course. See you at the dock."

As Ashly left, I decided to walk around leisurely, observing the crowd.

The dock was packed with family members and others wishing the best, not just for first-year students.

The diverse mix of cultures brought a sense of nostalgia.

"This atmosphere brings back memories."

It reminded me of the times when Seris and I used to wander together while the rest of the group rested.

Even though Seris was the one who interacted the least with Sophia or Claus, being a dragon made her quite distant from humans.

Except for me, of course.

"I should head to the dock now."

As I looked around like an idiot, I didn't notice someone bumping into me.

Pages filled with letters, runes, magical circles, and a small stack of basic information and skill books.

Thud!

They fell awkwardly to the ground.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you coming."

I immediately apologized; I didn't want a misunderstanding, let alone an argument over this.

"Ah, it's fine, I was distracted too."

It was a girl, her hair the color of amethyst, just like her eyes.

After apologizing, she quickly gathered her things and left.

"She seems to study a lot... And she also dropped this."

A badge.

Students of the Sanctuary of Heroes had badges with their names on them.

"Juliana Siegfried."

I looked back, but the girl had already walked away.

"I'll hold onto this."

As I kept walking, I heard a familiar voice and turned in that direction.

"I have everything from weapons to potions! If you need anything for your studies, don't hesitate to stop by! Here, take my card!"

The street vendor I had seen earlier was now handing out business cards to other first-year students.

Upon seeing me, he approached with a smile.

"Great to see you again!"

"How's the marketing going?"

"Same as always. But the high-class girls do nothing but frown."

"The Sanctuary of Heroes attracts more aristocrats than commoners, so I guess most people wouldn't even give it a glance."

"That's true, haha."

Alexis shrugged, his smile unwavering.

"Let me introduce myself again. I'm Alexis Anderson, 18 years old!"

"I'm Lucius Behringer, from the Radren Empire, also 18."

"You're of noble lineage, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Surprising. My status as a commoner doesn't bother you?"

I found the enthusiasm of the mini-entrepreneur intriguing.

"Wasn't the Radren Empire the one with that rigorous entrance exam? Passing it is quite an achievement!"

"It wasn't a walk in the park."

We kept talking as we walked.

"What's your specialty? My family specializes in runes! My goal is the magic department."

"I'm also leaning towards magic."

I answered Alexis calmly, and he was delighted.

"Really? Then we're destined to be good friends, Lucius!"

Of course, I planned to study not only magic but also knightly training and spiritual magic.

As we chatted, a massive ship emerged from the mist over the lake.

It was the ship that traveled between Etheria and the Sanctuary of Heroes.

"Wow! It's huge!"

Shortly after, a man with dull gray hair and a uniform disembarked from the ship docked at the pier.

"All first-year students, gather around!"

The first-year students said their goodbyes to their families and assembled before the man.

"Let's do a headcount."

The people behind him used a magical device to verify the students' identifications.

As I watched, I suddenly noticed a rather distracted girl and recognized her immediately.

"Wait a minute..."

"Huh? Where are you going?"

Alexis asked, confused, but then just waved his hand in a casual gesture.

Juliana, looking puzzled, was surprised to see me.

"Here."

"What's this?"

"You dropped it earlier."

"Oh, thanks!"

Juliana's face lit up as she took her badge.

"You're a lifesaver! I'm Juliana Siegfried!"

Behind me, Alexis was shocked.

"Juliana Siegfried?"

He looked astonished and bewildered.

"Juliana Siegfried, the top scorer in the entrance exam of the Astral Empire?"

"Yes. And you are?"

She looked me in the eyes, and I answered.

"I'm Lucius Behringer, and this is..."

Alexis stepped forward.

"Alexis Anderson! I have everything from weapons to potions! If you need anything for your studies, don't hesitate to stop by! Here, take my card!"

Eagerly, Alexis handed his business card to Juliana and quickly ran off to tend to his affairs.

As she received it, Juliana seemed intrigued.

"You have a supply store? Are you planning to focus on a support role?"

Alexis laughed.

"Haha, you catch on quickly. From the start, I've had secondary roles in mind."

And Juliana seemed to know something.

"I heard about that from my superiors at the Tower."

At the Sanctuary of Heroes, all students were considered hero candidates.

But even within that population, it was inevitable that there would be some differences in aspirations.

Some people, while attending, felt that they lacked talent in such a large group of them.

Therefore, some leaned towards taking on support roles.

While the heroes were in the spotlight, the followers played crucial behind-the-scenes roles, providing assistance and supplies during combat.

Many students aspired only to become heroes, but Alexis had chosen the path of support from the very beginning.

"Because anyway, I barely passed the entrance exam."

Alexis answered, somewhat embarrassed.

"I would love to have your support and help in the future."

Juliana said, and Alexis laughed.

"Wow! Are you already making connections with one of the top students? How lucky am I!"

Then I spoke with a smile, looking at the surroundings.

"This seems like fate. Let's be friends! We all specialize in magic!"

"Specializing in magic?"

Juliana looked confused.

"You're not specializing in magic too?"

"Yes."

"But I see you're a knight, not even a mage?"

Juliana seemed to have noticed the aura emanating from me.

"I plan to double specialize."

Alexis was startled.

"What? You're also a mage? That's impressive!"

Although rare, those with two fields of talent were known as dual classes.

In fact, a significant number of dual classes originated from the Sanctuary of Heroes.

Juliana looked puzzled.

Meanwhile, a man approached and checked the students' identifications.

After verifying the count, the counters moved, and the man with grayish hair stepped forward.

"I am Professor Andrius Maxquency."

Some students repeated the name.

"Professor Andrius Maxquency? The Knight of the Winter Domain?"

"What?"

"Can I have your autograph?"

"Formation."

Andrius calmed the excited students.

"We're heading to the Sanctuary of Heroes. Everyone aboard."

"Yes, sir!"

***

Before the entry ceremony, the first-year students enjoyed the view from the deck.

As expected of Sanctuary of the heroes, the terrace was a luxury in itself.

The deck seemed like a high-class party.

The best chefs presented traditional dishes from various countries, delighting the senses of the newcomers.

Even Professor Andrius relaxed on the deck, drinking wine.

The attendants served the students, while the aristocrats among them laughed and mingled.

"The Sanctuary of Heroes really stands out."

"I'm excited for school life."

The first-year students visualized their upcoming experiences.

While talking to Alexis, Ashly's voice was heard behind me.

"Lucius, is this where you've been all this time?"

I turned to Ashly and greeted her.

"Hello, Ashly."

Alexis didn't know who Ashly was when we met a few hours ago, but his expression suddenly changed when I said Ashly's name.

"Wait, are you Ashly Sephir?"

"That's correct."

Alexis didn't seem to believe it.

"Lucius, the girl you were with is Ashly Sephir? That's incredible."

Alexis smiled and extended a hand to Ashly.

"I've introduced myself before. Alexis Anderson."

Ashly looked confused, glancing between Alexis and me.

"Huh? You two became friends."

Taking Alexis's hand, Ashly turned to Juliana.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Juliana Siegfried."

As if remembering something, Ashly's expression changed.

"Juliana Siegfried… You're the number 1 ranked in the Astral Empire."

"That's right."

Juliana smiled, tilting her head slightly upward.

Then Ashly said to me.

"What do you think?"

"Well... the image of the Sanctuary of Heroes is different from what I imagined."

The Sanctuary of Heroes was known for selecting and training the best talents to become heroes, with a tough reputation and high dropout rates.

Seeing such a luxurious cruise carrying students was the last thing I expected.

"Anyway... we're almost there."

Beyond the ship, the enormous and massive facilities of the Sanctuary of Heroes were visible.