Capítulo 35: Arc 2: Case of Suroff - Part 1
One month had passed since the opening ceremony and the arrival of the first-year students. It had been a busy month for many people, particularly the first-years who exerted considerable effort to excel. However, the most notable event was the battle between Classes Two and Seven. It was the first battle among the first-years, and they established the reputation of their own classes.
The battle concluded with a victory for the Class Seven. Their overwhelming power secured triumph in the first two rounds. Although everyone anticipated Class Seven’s dominance in the third round and the victory would fall into their hands, it was unexpectedly seized by Joshua Fray from Class Two. He emerged as the sole victor of the Class Two, the underdog, and the leader of the Free Faction.
With this victory, Joshua took his first step into the realm of the formidable. His responsibilities had increased, and he would be pushed aside if he were to slack a little bit or let his guard down even for a moment.
While Joshua was occupied, naturally, the same couldn't be said for the others. Kyle, his friend, and also his roommate, preferred a more leisurely lifestyle.
"Ah, what a day to enjoy sunlight," Kyle sighed in contentment while reclining on the beach lounge chair. Currently, he was at the rooftop of the male dorm. Wore a casual outfit with black glasses shielding his eyes and a glass of cold orange juice clasped in his right hand.
"You know, this is not summer yet," Joshua remarked with a deadpan look as he observed Kyle. He stood behind a wall to hide and shield himself from the sun and added, "And yet, here you are, behaving as if it's summer on a beach.”
"Who cares? I can do whatever I want," Kyle laughed haughtily. He slurped the orange juice through a straw. "Man … this is so good."
"Seriously, what am I doing here?" Joshua sighed.
"To relax, of course. You need a break after all the busy days you have gone through," Kyle spoke sagely.
"I can’t." Joshua brushed his hair with his hands in frustration. "There is so much to do, you know."
Joshua had spent most of his time training to catch up with Leonhart and Ferlando. Not only that, he had to extend relationships with others, especially the seniors.
"Psh," Kyle scoffed with a wave of his hand. "Look at me!" He pointed at himself. "A vice president of my own class, yet here I am."
Joshua gave Kyle a deadpan expression again at his shameless behavior. He couldn’t comprehend how Kyle’s classmates tolerated his rebellious antics.
"Whatever, I’m going back," Joshua stated, walking toward the door.
"Man, you’re not fun. But, oh well, off you go." Kyle waved his hand dismissively to him.
"Yeah, yeah." Joshua left with a sigh, seemingly conceding to Kyle's carefree attitude.
"Ah, what a nice day," Kyle sighed happily again.
*****
"Ugh, damn it! Why the hell does she give us a mission out of nowhere?!" Mina stomped while walking toward her class’s dorm. Irritation was written on her face.
"Calm down, Mina." Carla tried to soothe her, but it was of no avail.
"Ah, let her be," Julian told Carla while scratching his head. "Isn’t she supposed to go to work today? She loved money, and she missed it thanks to the mission."
Everyone in Class Seven knew Mina went to work during the weekend and had a fondness for money. She was so enthusiastic about it that she arrived at work very early and stayed late just to earn a bonus. However, this didn’t mean she was willing to do anything for money.
.
.
In the dorm.
.
.
Mina was still fuming, but she didn’t speak anymore and held back her anger.
"Alright, everyone has gathered," said their class president, Hara Ross. She looked at everyone and then continued, "Miss Liza has given us a mission, and she will brief us on it tomorrow morning. However, she already asked us to gather information about Suroff City."
"Huh? I don’t understand this," scratched one of them in confusion. They wondered why they were told to collect information about Suroff.
"We can guess later. But Carla, you are from here, right?”
"Yes," Carla nodded.
"Then you must be familiar with Suroff City. I would like you to tell us about it. As you can see, strangely enough, only you are from Suroff. Also, do you have a map of Suroff?"
"Hehe! If it's a map, I have it!" someone said. A young man with polished black hair and glasses smirked. He held a rolled piece of paper, placed it on the table, and then unrolled it.
"How did you get this map?" Hara questioned in disbelief. As far as she knew, this guy, Kendrick, wasn’t from Suroff.
"Who do you think you are asking? I’m Kendrick Lawson! The master of information!" Kendrick declared with a self-assured smirk that shone, a thumb aimed at himself.
"Right," Hara sighed. "I forgot about that. How detailed is it?"
"I think it covers everything on the surface. But I don’t know much about Suroff's mysteries or secrets," Kendrick replied, then turned to Carla, who was eyeing the map attentively. When she noticed the stare, Carla regained herself.
"Ah! Oh! Um …. Yes, the map is good. Even better than the one at Central Park," Carla looked at the map and tried to synchronize it with her exploration experience in the city. "Um, Kendrick, do you know each place here well?"
"Ah, I haven’t explored them yet, so I don’t know much."
"Then, I shall give a brief explanation of each place," Carla began to explain each place in Suroff and its history. Suroff was a small town initially, but it was the homeland of Costina, the First Empress of Gollia. The town faced hardships and suffered a lot before being rebuilt again after the formation of the Gollia Empire. Costina, the Empress, then decided to establish a school in her hometown to foster capable individuals and extend beyond nobles. Thus, the Costina Academy came into existence. With the academy becoming the center of learning, people flocked to Suroff, boosted the town's income, and transformed it into a bustling city.
Due to rapid growth, some details might have been hidden, obscured, or forgotten by people. Suroff was currently divided into nine districts. The first to third districts had a long history, and Carla admitted she wasn't well-acquainted with them. The remaining districts were constructed later, and Carla lived in the sixth district.
"I see. There is a chance we will explore the city itself. Nine districts, excluding the first three. It is probably best that we explore the other districts and divide our number," Hara concluded after hearing Carla’s explanation. The first three districts were excluded because the first two were government districts, and the third one was an industrial district. None of them were familiar with these three districts, and their limited numbers prevented simultaneous exploration of every district at once.
"Also, since Miss Liza doesn’t forbid us to leave the academy today, we can start gathering information before the briefing. But not all of us will go." Hara turned to Carla, Kendrick, and Mina.
"Carla, Kendrick, and Mina, I want you three to go to Suroff. Carla, due to her familiarity with her own district, Kendrick, due to his skill, and Mina, as their protector," Hara explained her choice. While Mina could be replaced by the others as the guard, Hara preferred Mina to channel or vent her anger and frustration elsewhere rather than here.
Hara looked around and found no objection. She declared, "Then, the meeting is over."
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Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder