Author: M_W Cancer

The night quickly came and all the 1st year students gather once again at Silver Mage Academy gate.

All students were already done with their preparations. Some were carrying a bag with all of their stuff inside, while some were even given or had bought a storage ring to store all of their stuff inside.

Each of the teachers for the 18 classes gathered their respective students in one group, before finally riding on 5 carriages prepared for each class, specifically a total of 90 carriages that can be occupied by around 8-10 students each.

The reason for having more carriages than the students could fully occupy is really simple; no student that belongs in the same class would just casually share a carriage with their fellow classmates.

To be honest, there is a clear hierarchy within each class, and this hierarchy is what allows the strong students to occupy a single carriage for themselves while leaving the rest of their weak or slightly capable classmates to clump inside the other remaining carriages prepared for them.

This was really common. It's either because the strong students doesn't want to be disturbed, they were an arrogant bunch and wanted to watch their fellow classmates suffer, or they are currently planning about something really important for this trial competition.

Because of those reasons, the Silver Mage Academy thought of preparing more carriages than what the students could fully occupy in order to fix this problem.

Along with these 90 carriages were 10 guards wagon with soldiers and mercenaries inside.

Also, the teachers purposely didn't come along with the students on this trip in order for them to see whether the students could handle some kind of a dangerous situation that they will surely face along the way.

Although this was just a trip before the trial competition, the teachers of Silver Mage Academy still wanted to test their student's capability. After all, they were only able to observe their students in a few times, and not in a close range too. So, this trip to the Eastern Coast was a big opportunity for the teachers to gather more information about their students, and hence they can create a much better way to teach their students.

....

Despite what the teachers had said that 5 carriages were allocated for each class, Leo and Carlos's group didn't care about that as they gathered with each other in one carriage.

Inside a certain carriage, Leo's group, which is made up of Angel, Alfred, the voluptuous woman Isabella, and the nerd looking student with the name Vista, which was basically the other two that leads the remaining students of Class 1S- that didn't become part of Leo's Mischievous Lion faction. And in Carlos's group which is made up of Cassandra, Elizabeth, Veronica, and Carlos' right-hand man, Lucas.

Due to Leo being the best of the entire Class 1S-, all of his classmates quickly agreed that he will become the leader for this trial competition and had even given him the power to assign who will become his representatives or assistants for their entire class. In fact, even before the nomination began, everyone had already planned to give the entire control of Class 1S- to Leo due to him being the leader of Mischievous Lion faction.

On the other hand, Carlos volunteering to lead Class 1S+ was also agreed upon by all of his classmates. Cassandra and the others didn't care about it, and the disgraceful bunch of students was also happy whether Carlos or a member of Mischievous Lion faction will be the ones to lead them, hence they naturally agreed too.

In the middle of these two groups is a table with a map of the entire Floating Mountain and a sign of where each Class would be assigned at.

"So, I heard that each Class will be randomly assigned a place in the Floating Mountain. However, because they had already given us this map of where each class would be located at, then gathering with each other is still not a problem!" Carlos started the conversation.

"Exactly!" Leo nodded his head as he continued, "What separates our two groups is technically these two Class!" He pointed at Class C and Class D on the map.

"So, in order to easily communicate and help each other, we would need to eliminate these two Class first!" Leo said as he looked at Carlos.

"Definitely!" Carlos also agreed. He continued, "We will eliminate the Class D, since they are near our location, and you will be eliminating the Class C!"

Leo didn't even bother thinking more about it as he agreed, "We both agree, then?"

"Yes!" Carlos said before letting out a laugh.

.....

Meanwhile, outside of the carriages, a group of bandits was already gathered up in front, obviously waiting for this group of carriages to arrive within their range.

Although these Bandits knew clearly that they weren't enough to handle these students, they have no choice but to comply.

The teachers of the Silver Mage Academy had purposely looked for them and asked them, no, it's more appropriate to say that they had ordered them to attack their own students.

Although they don't really want to do it, since doing so was simply suicidal, but since there was profit in doing such a thing, hence they quickly agreed.

Moreover, the teachers also gave them an assurance that no one in their Bandit group would die, which then basically further affirmed their decision.

Well, who on Celestial World would even think of not accepting such a mission, right? Not only could they earn a profit, but also no one in their Bandit group would die!

.....

Just like what was planned, 5 guard's wagon up in front of the group of carriages was suddenly destroyed by a Bandit Mage attack.

The 5 guard's wagon was burned to crisp. Fortunately, though, no soldiers nor mercenaries were hurt, since they already prepared themselves for this set-up and hence they quickly jump off from their guard's wagon the moment a signal was set to them from the hired Bandits.

Because Leo and Carlos' class were the Class 1S's, hence they were, unfortunately, the one to face this Bandits attack, since they were up in front of the group of carriages.

Leo and the others inside their carriage quickly disembarked to see the current situation. They already knew that this was definitely a Bandit attack, since who else would attack them in such a barbarous way. However, they were still not clear of the current situation.

"10 Bandit Mages and over a hundred of Ordinary Bandits!" A mercenary that had obviously read the script quickly run to them and report.

"Tch! Stupid fools!" Carlos can't help but comment. It was already clear just from the number of carriages in this group that the Bandits mere 110 people are not enough to handle it, yet they actually still dared to attack them. If that isn't stupidity and foolishness, then what is it?

"Gather your group!" Leo didn't waste a single second as he quickly sent out an order to Carlos. He also turned around towards Alfred and his group as he said, "Gather our group too!"

Carlos and his group, and Alfred and the others nodded their heads as they quickly followed after Leo's order.

There was no need to think any longer since the longer they think, the more soldiers and mercenaries up in front would die. If they can save them by simply gathering their groups, then they would obviously do so without any hesitation.

After sending out an order, Leo quickly began observing around the place. It was then that he realized that their group of carriages was actually attacked in six different locations, specifically the respective location of Class S to E.

"Something seems wrong here..." Leo can't help but think, "Did someone sell out a complete information about us? Maybe from a royal or a low-rank Mage Academy that has enmity with Silver Mage Academy..."

"However, that is still impossible..." Leo thought. The Silver Kingdom's Royal Mage Academies weren't the type that will fight with themselves. In fact, it was already a known fact a long time ago that the Silver Kingdom is like a cobweb with 10 spiders working together. Hence, it's impossible that the 10 Royal Mage Academies would set-up one another.

Moreover, the Ordinary and Elite Mage Academies weren't fools, either. They wouldn't dare attack one of the 10 Royal Mage Academies, even if someone gave them a tiger's, no, a dragon's guts to make them much more courageous. After all, all of the Ordinary and Elite Mage Academies throughout the entire Silver Kingdom has a direct or indirect connection to the 10 Royal Mage Academies. So, if they don't want to be destroyed, be eliminated, or to be labeled as traitors within Humans, then they wouldn't dare set-up any of the 10 Royal Mage Academies.

Leo then looked at the group of soldiers and mercenaries fighting against the Bandits, "Just from that surprise explosion alone, a group of soldiers and mercenaries should have received several casualties. In fact, a lot of them should have died and the rest would be seriously injured after the explosion!"

Looking closely at the soldiers and mercenaries, "But it seems like no one had even received any injuries at all!"