"I want to buy ten of them!"

Fannie's bold voice resonated in Ariel's ears, prompting her to glance over out of curiosity.

"Has Senior Fannie also made money?"

"And judging by their conversation, it seems she gained it from this betting as well?"

"How nice."

This shared sense of happiness brought a smile to Ariel's face. She couldn't help but feel the urge to interact with her senior. Considering they'd be traveling together for a while, getting acquainted in advance seemed like a good idea.

However, before she could approach, a stern and familiar voice echoed from behind her.

"Is everyone here?"

An elderly man in a gentleman's suit had somehow appeared in their midst without notice. His weathered yet sharp eyes swept across the group.

"Professor Pulan?"

Ariel instantly recognized the old man, and a stab of nervousness hit her.

"So you're personally accompanying us this time?"

"No, not exactly," Professor Pulan refuted.

"I simply came to send you all off after finishing some tasks. That, and to escort a certain troublesome individual."

"Hm?"

Confused by what "a certain troublesome individual" could mean, Ariel didn't have time to process Professor Pulan's words before Lea, mustering her courage, raised a hand and asked:

"Um... Professor Pulan, aren't we still missing one person?"

She counted repeatedly. No matter how she added it up, there were only six people present. And as it turned out, one particular troublemaker was missing.

"Yes, that one is indeed not here yet, but he'll arrive shortly."

"But, Professor Pulan, I don't see any transportation provided by the academy," interjected Marshal, who had been quietly resting with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and inquired, "Are we going to walk all the way to Holy City?"

"About that, I believe it will be arriving very soon."

"Huh?"

Professor Pulan's answer left everyone confused. His tone suggested that even he wasn't fully certain.

But before anyone could pose another question, a wave of exclamations rose from the surrounding crowd.

"Quick... look over there!"

"What is that?"

The wide street in front of the academy gates—broad enough for eight carriages side by side—suddenly erupted into chaos following the sound of bells. What had been a polite and courteous gathering of nobles became a scene of stunned alarm as they urged their coachmen to make way for something approaching.

In moments, what was once a street congested with carriages was remarkably cleared, as if a path had been forcibly carved out. A magnificent procession slowly came into view from the far end of the street.

It was a convoy of six carriages, each adorned with luxurious decorations. Their delicate designs featured golden patterns that gleamed subtly under the winter sun.

From these gold patterns, everyone present could sense faint magi rippling outward. Apparently, some defensive magic had been imbued into the carriages' structures.

But it wasn't just the carriages themselves that left the crowd awestruck—the horses pulling them added another layer of disbelief.

Each horse was noticeably larger than an ordinary steed. Despite there were no grooms controlling the reins, their heads were high, their strides powerful, and their eyes gleamed with intelligence. Beneath their long, flowing manes were scales—dark and menacing—lining their necks.

They seemed less like horses and more like fearsome magical beasts.

Merely by passing through, these steeds caused the surrounding draft horses to tremble uncontrollably. Many fell to their knees, while some collapsed entirely, foaming at the mouth. The chaotic scene grew even more frenzied.

"These... are dragon-blooded hybrids?"

Where there are dragons, there are naturally dragon-related hybrids.

Although true dragons had largely vanished from existence, due to certain peculiarities in their bloodline, their hybrids were not particularly rare.

However, inheriting dragon blood also meant inheriting the ferocity and pride of dragons.

As a result, these hybrids were often extremely savage magical beasts, nearly impossible to tame.

And yet, to successfully train such creatures, especially for something as utilitarian as pulling carriages, conveyed one undeniable fact:

Wealth.

Extravagant amounts of wealth.

Ariel recalled the dragon-blooded horses her father, a count, kept in his estate. Even with only trace amounts of dragon blood, those horses were considered treasures. No ordinary person was even allowed to appreciate them, much less touch them.

But now, such horses were not only being used for carriage, but each carriage was drawn by two of them?

What sheer indulgence!

Returning to her senses, Ariel exclaimed in shock:

"Are these carriages the ones we're supposed to ride in?"

After a brief pause, everyone's gazes turned toward Professor Pulan.

"That should be the case," Professor Pulan replied, raising an eyebrow as he cast an intrigued glance toward the last carriage in the convoy.

"Nice!"

Ariel's mood soared upon hearing his confirmation.

She wasn't the only one. Everyone's earlier impatience vanished, replaced by curiosity as they examined the carriages and, most of all, the dragon-blooded horses with their impressive presence.

The academy's generosity this time was unprecedentedly lavish. Such opulence for their transport—this must be the exclusive treatment for honor students. Absolutely marvelous!

The convoy gradually came to a stop before them. Despite there being no grooms, the horses operated with military-like precision; the coordination in their movements was almost unnerving.

Ariel nervously rubbed her hands together as she cautiously inched closer to one of the dragon-blooded horses, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

How wonderful.

Utterly wonderful.

She had expected this journey to be monotonous and tiresome. But now, to her surprise, they would not only be rid of that detestable person but also enjoy such extravagant travel arrangements!

Adding to that, she'd earned a significant windfall just before departure. It seemed her streak of bad luck was finally ending.

No more stressing over money, and no more surviving on stale black bread every day!

This had to be...

"I'd advise you not touching them casually, Ariel."

A voice she knew all too well yet desperately did not want to hear suddenly spoke at her side.

"These dragon-blooded horses have undergone special training, but they're still highly aggressive toward unfamiliar people. You'd better be careful."

Hearing this, Ariel froze instantly.

Stiffly turning her neck, she looked to her side.

The curtain of one of the carriages had been pulled open. A handsome face came into view, accompanied by hair as dazzling as the sun at sunset—far more eye-catching than even the opulent carriages.

"Wha... What?"

She was utterly stunned as she stammered:

"Moen... Moen Campbell? What are you doing here?"

"Hm? Of course, I'm here," Moen replied, visibly puzzled.

"You already knew, didn't you? I'm on the list for this trip too, so naturally, I'm heading to Holy City."

"I knew, but you..."

Wasn't he supposed to have been defeated and disqualified?

Could it be that over the past seven days, not a single one of the hundreds of eligible academy students had managed to beat him?

And if he was here, then what about those gamblers on the rooftop... or the senior who had struck it rich?

Spinning around abruptly, Ariel turned her gaze back.

The gamblers on the rooftop were still crying tears of despair, while Senior Fannie was approaching with a enthusiastic shy grin.

"Moen, junior, can I... can I be your fan forever from now on?"

"Huh?" Moen looked utterly bewildered, clueless about what had transpired.

In that moment, however, Ariel understood everything.

There was no shared happiness between her and Senior Fannie.

Instead, her true peers were the gamblers sobbing on the rooftop.