After Raze had made his grand reveal about how the group had no money, it only raised more questions in everyoneâs minds.
Several of the students, including the now quite animated Moze, were standing up, shouting all sorts of words at the others.
They were claiming they had been tricked. Everyone knew that a mageâs power was often linked to their family background. If you came from a family of strong mages, chances were youâd be strong yourself. And strong mages usually had money.
Sure, none of the transfer students were Central Academy level or had talents to match those elites, but they should have had enough money to at least cover a food bill.
Which was exactly why the others felt like theyâd just been scammed by a bunch of freeloaders.
"I think itâs fair," Beatrix chimed in. "After all, you guys were the ones who invited us. Isnât it the hostâs responsibility to pay?"
"What?! Maybe thatâs the case if this was a date or something," Chiba shot back, her face flushed. "But weâre all students! Just because our parents have money doesnât mean that money magically comes to us!"
Beatrix had tried her best to shift the mood, but it clearly wasnât working.
"Maybe I should say that phrase," Liam muttered under his breath. "It got us out of trouble last time... it might work again, right?"
"Donât say it!" Raze interjected immediately. Now was not the time. They had lucked out last time using that phrase, but here, so close to the Academy and surrounded by mostly common students, the odds of anyone understanding its meaning were slim, and worse, it might actually irritate some of them.
Maybe the police officer had understood what situation they were really in back then... but this crowd definitely wouldnât.
"Calm down," Piba said with a warm smile. "Iâll pay for it. So letâs stop arguing and just go with the flow for tonight, alright?"
And with that, the night wound down. Thankfully, since everyone was more than a little intoxicated, the incident felt like just a small blip that would soon be forgotten.
The group first dropped off the others at their rooms. Before they entered, Safa used a Light Magic spell on them to cleanse the alcohol from their bodies.
"It wonât work immediately," Safa explained with a gentle smile. "Itâll take about thirty minutes, but thatâs on purpose, so youâll all be sound asleep by then."
Raze was impressed. Safa was already learning so much from her time with Daina, even mastering how to make her magic linger rather than act instantly.
After taking everyone back one by one, the group finally returned to their own quarters, each letting out a collective sigh of relief.
"Man... itâs hard keeping up this act," Liam groaned. "I honestly donât know how you did it for so long back in Pagna."
"It was difficult," Raze admitted. "But I guess with more of us now, it just makes everything feel... amplified."
He glanced around at the group. "Still, despite the slip-ups, I want to say you all did great tonight. And Iâm glad weâll be moving on to the next part of the assessment together."
They were getting so close now, dangerously close to the Central Academy. And when they reached that stage... the real game would begin. These sweet, blissful days were just the beginning. Very soon, things would become far more intense for them all.
"So whatâs going to happen tomorrow?" Safa asked. "Itâs the dimensional part of the assessment, right? If we get through that, weâll officially become part of the Academy. Any tips on how we should pass?"
"Not really any tips," Raze replied. "Honestly, all of you will have an advantage. Most of the students here will have never been inside a dimension before."
"Theyâll have no idea what to do. Many will have never faced a beast before either. Theyâll freeze the moment one shows up, and the teachers will be watching to see who can handle it."
"Itâs part of the Cultural Exchange. Sometimes, these beasts are brought in to be shown to the public, which is why they make it a part of the assessment. But since all of you have faced beasts before, this shouldnât be any trouble for you. Just show some skill, stay calm, and youâll be selected, as long as you donât freeze in fear."
With Razeâs confident words ringing in their ears, everyone felt ready to show what they had tomorrow, in front of the teachers, and the rest of the Academy.
The good thing was that theyâd be going in together, not against each other.
Still, it felt a little strange heading into another dimension, especially after just coming from Pagna, but it was what it was.
As everyone started to settle in and prepare for bed, Raze suddenly turned his head toward the door.
"I have to go out for a bit, everyone," he said. "Iâll be back soon."
It came as a surprise to the others, but if there was one person they didnât have to worry about, it was Raze. So they let him go without protest.
Raze walked through the hallway quietly, making his way down. He stopped after a moment, turning his head to the side.
"Was I not who you were expecting?" Raze asked calmly.
"Iâm a little surprised... but at the same time, not so surprised," a voice replied.
A student stepped out from the shadows, shrouded in dark magic, almost impossible to see until they fully emerged. It was Londo.
"I was the one who told him to say those words," Raze said simply. "Iâm just like you, Londo, a member of the Dark Guild."
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