The nobleman had departed and left
There was silence between Emil and Luin as they stood there, both were stunned by what had occurred just now. Emil took a sharp breath before nodding and started heading toward the carriage
"Let's go on, come in Luin"
Luin lingered for a moment before getting on board. The aged man started driving the carriage, Garrick, barely glanced at them. He had already received the payment from the man, so he had nothing to lose by turning them away
Outside, five knights stood near the carriage, they were chatting and laughing among themselves. They looked anything but reliable, it seemed clear that they were not trustworthy
Emil frowned as he studied them "They don't seem very disciplined at all, either they are just lazy, or they don't take this job seriously at all"
The journey began with a jolt as the carriage rolled forward, the wooden wheels creaking against the uneven dirt road
Inside the Carriage
The interior was plain, there were wooden benches, also some sacks of materials were placed there, and a whiff of old leather. The sound of clattering wheels provided the only sound in the silence between Emil and Luin who was sitting across from him
Emil chose to shatter the tension and he spoke up
"So, Luin, why are you going to the Academy?"
Luin, who had been gazing at the ground because he was too shy and introverted, slowly raised his head a little. His golden-colored eyes flashed with a moment of doubt but he spoke up
His voice is soothering and calm "I was selected. But I don't know why was I" he confessed this thing to Emil "I never really let anyone see how much I could do. It just occurred automatically and I got the letter of invitation"
Emil hummed in his mind, he was already aware of the truth. Luin was not some random pick. He was meant to be one of the greatest mages in the empire and of of the strongest and main key characters who would play an important role in the upcoming future of this world
But now?
He was just merely a nervous child
"What is your full name Luin?" Emil asked.
"Luin Alderan" Luin stated with a brief moment of pause "I have no family. I was brought up and raised in an orphanage"
Alderan's name turned over in Emil's head. He knew already, anyway. The truth about Luin was that he came from a noble house, one whose people were long killed by rival forces many years back. But since Luin himself was unaware of it, then there was no use revealing the truth for now
So instead, Emil settled back and smirked
"Well, I suppose we are in the same boat. Since we both are headed to the Academy, we might as well travel together and get to know each other better and be friends"
Luin blinked in astonishment. "You want me to travel with you?"
"Of course. If you were selected, then that means you are valuable. And valuable individuals tend to attract danger. It will be safer for you if we travel together., I can have your back in tough situations"
Luin hesitated before he started nodding slightly "Alright. I will trust you, Emil"
Emil smiled and said in His mind "That's one step in the right direction toward keeping this future beast who will turn this empire magic tower upside down in the upcoming future, So I should better keep him on my side"
But before they could continue to discuss, the carriage suddenly halted
A Sudden Ambush
Outside, Garrick called out
"What's going on? Why are we stopping?"
Emil looked through the little window and his stomach started to tense because of the thing he just saw
Some Figures appeared out of the thick woods, their swords were shining in the dim light of day. They were Bandits. At least a dozen of them. But that wasn't the half of it
Three of the five knights traveling with them had turned their blades to the carriage and it seemed that they had betrayed
"Surrender the money and provisions, old fellow, and perhaps we shan't slay you," one of the knights said loudly
Emil got a cold shiver down his spine.
He muttered slowly "Betrayal. I knew it"
He said to himself "Damn it I knew these bastards weren't reliable."
Garrick spat at their feet. "Traitors! I should've known you weren't true knights, but just a bunch of idiots who got sold on a couple of mere coins"
One of the traitors sneered "Survival is always first, old man. Now, hand over the money, and no one will get harmed"
The two honest knights drew their swords. "You scum, how dare you to betray your vows?"
"Tch. Vows don't put bread on the table, you got to earn. No matter if it comes from orthodox or unorthodox" one of the traitors jeered
Tension started to hang in the air
Then, chaos broke out
The Battle Ensues
The bandits charged forward, their swords were shining in the dimming light. The two devoted knights met them head-on, and steel started ringing against the steel
Emil's heart was racing as he turned to Luin "Remain indoors! Don't leave unless I instruct you to, wait for my command"
Luin was pale but nodded and tried to maintain his composure
Emil picked up a dagger from the provisions in the carriage and jumped out. His movements were automatic, but he was aware of the reality he was still frail. If he were to survive, he must be clever
A bandit attacked him with a sword. Emil dodged that attack of his, he nearly just evaded the sword, and then he stabbed the man's leg with the small knife that he had picked from the fruit basket. The bandit let out a pained cry, falling backward
Another traitor knight charged at him. Email parried, but the knight's gauntleted fist crashed into his gut and then
"Gah, you fucking traitor piece of shit" Emil stumbled back and started wheezing
The knight sneered. "Not so tough now, huh, kid? Dont forget your place you trash"
Emil gritted his teeth and said to himself "I have to think. I can't defeat them in straight-out combat I need an opening, more like I have to make an opening"
Then
A sharp ding resonated within his mind
[System Notification: Unsealing in progress]
Emil was shocked and said"What?"
Agony burst through his body. An odd, fiery feeling ran through his veins like something within him was stirring
His eyes clouded over briefly. His gut screamed that something was altering
The knight attacked again
But this time Emil saw it plainly and the attacks were a little slower than usual or did Emil get stronger?
It was as though time had slowed down
With fresh clarity, he sidestepped and countered with a precise slash to the exposed shoulder of the knight. Blood sprayed as the knight took a stumble
"What the hell is going on?!"
Emil hardly had time to think about it. More system notifications bombarded his mind and then he said "System window"
The thing which he saw, it made him stunned
[Unsealing progress: 5%… 7%…]
His body shook, senses started heightening. It was power. It was only just starting right now and he knew that this was just the beginning