"The last exam must've been easy for you... especially if it's just on paper."
Seated in his usual spot in the library, Midas repeated what he had done just a few moments ago—the exam he took was testing his language skills verbally and on paper, one he should've taken part in much sooner, as the actual day of the exam had been during his stay in the plant kingdom. Ivyda was right; the youth had no trouble in the exam—even if using his feather grew unfamiliar after the adventure, using Water Kingdom tongue became much easier, as sentences built themselves together in his head without him really having to think about it.
Technically, after passing the exam, any student of this university could now aim for a seat inside one of the many academies built in the capital—something Midas was also considering doing. Besides Skye most likely being trapped inside one of them, these academies must also have an expansive selection of books Midas could choose from. Having all of this material in hand, the youth had unlimited options of what kind of profession he could turn to—perhaps even able to learn about multiple Null Abilities he had never seen before.
The university felt somewhat empty after their arrival—Khud, Gunvar, and Patriq had already left for the capital. None of them knew Patriq's reasons, as he seemingly just vanished one day after passing the exam without telling any of them where he would head to. Gunvar and Khud, however, seemed to be drawn back to the capital after failing to secure the perimeter of the festival held outside of Baumfall—an info he got from Ivyda, as she and Khud would both eventually continue as members of their specific clubs at whatever academy they headed to.
Jakal, Haya, and Inaya opted to wait for their arrival, sharing the unsureness of the youth at which academy they would attend. Leaning back in his seat, able to hear Uteli next to him flip around in some book she picked up when they arrived here, Midas eventually softened his stern brows, sighing as he leaned back in his seat, as fleeting thoughts of where he should head through to arrive at the east coast passed through his head.
Looking through the library, glancing at the girl beside Midas she had never seen before, Ivyda turned to look out of one of the circular windows of the library—the view from the attic was expansive despite the little size of the window, spanning over the strip of trees that surrounded the university grounds. Reluctantly turning to the both of them again, Ivy's attention was eventually drawn to Avalon, who stepped up the stairs, heading directly to the long table the three of them were waiting for him to arrive at.
"Congratulations, Midas. You passed the exam—with barely any mistakes too, even though... you should practice your grammar more."
"Has your contact already found out where Skye could've been held at...?"
The mention of the pink-haired girl made the faint smile on Avalon dim down to a more serious expression, looking down on the seated youth as he briefly scanned the paper—his thoughtful expression unchanged at the positive result of the exam. With the change in atmosphere, Ivyda was able to see Uteli glance up at Midas—her sight eventually focusing on Avalon again, who stood behind one of the unused chairs.
"Yes, she was found accompanying the son of the same water kingdom general you met in the northern desert... The academy they both seem to attend is called Eau'Troi, backed financially by the court of Troi'Facon. Getting anywhere close to the nobles will be tricky for you, however, since this academy separates their attendees."
"Well, the Eau'Troi is the best option in the whole city of Montcanal... Practically everyone I know visits that academy. Higher class or not, people that graduate from there have no trouble finding work inside the city..."
Avalon's words and Ivyda's relaxed remark confirm the thought Midas already had in mind: someone like a commander of the knighthood would most likely spare no cost when it comes to the education of his own son—sending him to the most renowned academy in the capital city only seems to make sense if you have the money to finance it. The court of Troi'Facon was something the youth couldn't really put a finger on.
"And does the Troi'Facon pose any threat to me if I want to attend this academy...?"
"No, not directly. It's a religious group that praises a goddess worshipped throughout the middle and far north of this continent... Their priests are, however, seen with high respect, some even surpassing the class of nobles. To add to that, most of them hold a grudge against people from the northern desert, fearing the preachings of the sun that are more widespread through the desert and the many people that come here for work opportunities following these, believing it could one day replace the water kingdom's belief system."
The mentions of priests and commanders made the youth think back to the ranks of the adventurers guild he visited to get some money for their inn room back in Baumfall—seemingly replicating the hierarchy of the water kingdom society. The east of the kingdom was in many instances different from the west, with other dialects and greater wealth, and with that, more nobility. Unable to tell how the Troi'Facon really worked, Midas decided to brush off their presence for now.
"How will I be able to get a seat there if I'm already so late..."
"You already have one reserved; a figure with enough influence at the academy was intrigued by your intentions and wanted to know more about you. I used the chance to tell them about your affinity for mana, and shortly after they sent me a paper to fill out for you in order to become an attendee there—the only thing you have to do now is attend their entrance exams."
Uteli was now fully turned to Midas, grasping the armrest of her chair to inspect the youth's dimly serious glance from the sideline—making him eventually turn to her. The youth situation was slightly tricky; between the academy and him having to still find Ajan, there was now also his debt to the pirates as well as Uteli, whom he had promised to bring back to her family, clinging to him ever since Javelin managed to finally spend time with his sibling again.
"When do we go to the gate...?"
Her sudden question made Avalon's face light up dimly, and Midas's eyes dimmed at the realization of eventually having to somehow make their way through the entire plant kingdom—to then arrive at a barren coast of ice and snow in order to reunite Uteli with her family again, depending on if they were even able to find them to begin with. The youth had even less time to spare now, forced to be in Montcanal by the third of the change. With that in mind, Midas saw himself forced to take care of meeting Ajan and heading back to the northern desert first.
"You... might have to come with us to Montcanal as well."
"Midas... I'm not sure if there are any chances of her attending the academy left if you two arrive. You at least have a direct invite and therefore an already dedicated seat given to you, but she, as someone who learned how to speak the water kingdom tongue without any formal paper to prove her skill, might not make the application process."
"I know, besides that... there's still the sandstorm I have to worry about... but bringing her is too much of a risk. I don't want to risk losing her on the way there—my timeframe is thin, especially if I have to reach Cle'phoria before I set off for the desert as well..."
"I can take her with me. I have to carry my club gear and your stuff from your dorm with me anyway—since we both attend the same academy, why not bring her with me on the way there?"
"I owe you..."
Nodding softly at her, as Uteli couldn't help but smile broadly at Ivyda's proposal, Midas glanced up at her as she avoided his gaze while scratching the back of her head. Looking over her shy reaction to his thankfulness, the youth wasted not much time standing up from his seat—the dim commotion in the library suggesting that the cafeteria was opened, having to use the chance to inform them about his choice of where to go next.
"...And you're really sure about going after nobility?"
"I'm not just attending this academy for Skye or the son of the commander; I still have to figure out where to go once I'm done taking care of the northern desert... The material this academy holds might just be enough for me to truly figure that out."
"Good luck... My options might be restricted from here, but I will do my best to aid you during your stay at the academy as best as possible."
Owing Avalon just as much as the pirates or someone like Graf, Midas simply bowed before him before turning to leave for the stairs, only able to mutter a bare-bones 'thank you'—Uteli 'eventually following him after chatting to Ivyda about their later departure. Wasting no time to make it down the stairs, Midas and Uteli grasped their wooden boards, waited for their portions, and eventually headed to the same table underneath the wooden expansion on which other students were already busy dining.
Javelin's seriousness dimmed down slightly at the sight of Uteli—surprised she got a portion of food despite not even being an actual student at this university, taking a closer look, his eyes eventually lightened up at the sight of her slightly too long school uniform—the side of Jevaila's hand hitting the back of his head before he could blurt out the obvious fact that the girl in front of them wore Midas's second uniform.
Only able to take a brief bite from the seared fish on his plate, the youth glanced up at Jakal to his left, seeing his worried glance through his ruffled hair. Inaya skipped out on eating, her face hidden by her metal mask as she quietly sat beside Haya, who amused himself at the sight of Javelin and his sister arguing with each other.
"And...? Which academy are you attending...?"
"The Eau'Troi academy. Their collection of books is the most expansive, plus they have dedicated lessons for bending one's mana and the usage of mana stones... However, you guys will have to arrive there much sooner than I will, since I have to take care of something personal before I can head for Montcanal."
Midas's words silenced the squabble between Javelin and Jevaila; nearly all of them now turned to him as they silently mustered his expression for a slim moment. Taking a piece of fish into his mouth to chew, Haya dryly coughed, reaching for his cup as he swallowed a bone. Jevaila softened her expression at the youth on the other end of the table, hoping for him to be successful in getting back Skye.
"Is she there as well...? That pink-haired girl...?"
"Yes, once I'm there with you, I will do my best at closing the distance between me and them until we get her back from that guy."
Midas reassuringly nodded at Jakal. The last time the two of them faced the guy with the sleek brown hair, their attempt to get Skye back utterly failed; not even with the help of Ivyda were they able to retrieve her, even though none of them awaited the presence of the general himself before they ultimately ran into him at the bridge. Despite that, Jakal was heavily beaten up by the other students—something that could happen again once they managed to get close enough.
"If you need help at getting your friend back, you can count on me... I even showed Jakal some tricks to defend himself the next time someone tries to mess with him."
Laughing dimly at the two of them, Haya grinned at Jakal beside Midas—their connection was something he completely had missed out on, dimly surprised at the fact they were able to bond with each other, despite their gravely different characters. Pulling the sleeve of her borrowed school uniform blazer up, Uteli grasped the fish with her hands, ripping the cooked meat from the bone with her mouth, tired of using her fork. She looked almost wild among the others; her long hair and loosely fitting uniform made her truly look like someone that would survive in the freezing temperatures of the northern coast.
"I and Graf still have something to talk about... If you don't mind, I would like to come over that night."
"Oh, of course... Fudula is constantly asking for you; she told us about the quarry you two escaped out of. She grew up a lot... you should hear her speak now..."
Able to hear the soft tone of Inaya through her metal mask, Midas nodded, somehow feeling slightly at ease at the fact the young girl seemed to have remembered him from before they traveled together. His next step was clear now. Graf was the only one who could tell him the best route to reach Cle'phoria as fast as possible. The fact he would meet Ajan soon felt somewhat dreadening, as the youth wasn't able to tell for sure how he would react to his arrival, unsure if Almas's brother would even bother helping him in the first place.