Everyone gathered near the tent as the instructors spoke. Eren stood with his friends, assuming they would receive instructions before departing for Blazewatch City—one of the largest cities in the Embercrest Kingdom and home to the Eternal Flame Academy.
It was the only academy in Blazewatch City, where thousands of awakened students studied. The city had six towns, each with around 30 to 40 villages, and all awakened students would gather in their respective towns before traveling together with their instructors to the academy.
In Ashford Town, where Eren and his group were, there were 34 villages, each sending an average of 20 to 30 awakened students. In total, approximately 1,500 students had gathered here, and across all towns, nearly 3,000 students stood in front of the tent, awaiting instructions.
Eren wondered how they would be traveling. Would it be the same as before? Fire horse carriages again?
Academy seniors stepped forward, instructing the students to form separate lines for males and females. Once everyone was in order, Edward stood at the front and announced:
"Listen up! Once you reach the academy, check your dormitory room number, settle your luggage, and freshen up. At exactly 8 PM, you must gather in the main auditorium for the welcome ceremony. If you are late, you will be denied entry and will miss the ceremony."
Confused murmurs rippled through the crowd. It's already 6 PM. How are we supposed to reach the academy and gather by 8 PM? Did the instructor forget to mention that it's tomorrow at 8 PM?
Edward continued, "If you get lost or can't find your dorm, ask your academy seniors—they will guide you to your assigned room."
Then, his voice grew sharper. "Now, enter the tent one by one."
The students hesitated, glancing at each other in confusion. Why were they being told to enter the tent?
Anne, Anto, and Klara stood together in line, while Bean, Mark, Leo, and Eren waited in another, all equally puzzled. Jorlen stood behind Eren, silent.
Bean grumbled, "Will they let us stay in the same room, or will they separate us?"
Bean wasn't the type to get along easily, even with his own friends. If he ended up rooming with strangers from other villages, he wasn't sure how he would survive.
Leo shrugged, unconcerned. "I think they'll arrange rooms based on villages, so there's a chance we'll end up together."
Mark added confidently, "Even if we're in different rooms, we won't be staying inside much. Most of our time will be spent training."
Eren, however, fell into deep thought. What if I end up rooming with strong or noble kids who cause trouble with every little action? That would be a disaster…
Half of the students had already entered the tent—but none had come out. Are they assigning rooms inside the tent? But Edward said we'd check our rooms at the auditorium…
A sudden thought struck Eren. Could there be a magic gate inside the tent? Are they teleporting us directly to the academy?
His curiosity peaked at the idea.
Just as Eren's turn approached, a voice called his name. He turned his head in surprise, spotting Edward beckoning him out of the line.
Eren hesitated, but Edward's eyes shifted to Jorlen, motioning with his finger once more. Eren's friends exchanged worried glances. Why is the instructor calling him again?
Eren and Jorlen stepped out of line and stood before Edward, who pointed to a nearby spot for them to wait.
Soon, all the students had entered the tent, and the once-bustling area fell into complete silence. The only sound left was the flapping of the tent's fabric in the wind.
A moment later, Charlotte emerged from the tent.
Eren's face darkened. The last time he met her, she had warned him that she would be watching him in a week—but he never expected to see her again so soon.
He dared not meet her elegant gaze. Now that I think about it… why were we stopped? No one else was prevented from entering the tent. Could it be…?
Realization struck him.
We weren't allowed outside the tent, yet we left, entered the jungle, hunted a boar, and even sold its meat to students.
His stomach dropped. Why didn't I consider the consequences of the skewer stall?
Charlotte's voice was calm but firm. "Do you realize why you are not allowed to enter the tent?"
Eren and Jorlen stood frozen, silent.
She continued, "The first qualification to become an awakened soldier is obedience to your senior instructors."
Her gaze sharpened. "Who gave you permission to leave the tent? Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have two Verses?"
Edward's aura flared. A crushing pressure filled the air, and Jorlen instantly collapsed to his knees.
Fear paralyzed him, and he didn't dare to utter a single word. He remained in that position for a long time, until Charlotte finally gestured for Edward to stop. Edward nodded, withdrawing his aura.
Jorlen staggered back to his feet, horror still lingering in his expression.
Eren dared not say a word. He hadn't expected leaving the tent to anger them this much. I always try to avoid trouble, yet trouble finds me on the very first day…
Charlotte turned to one of the senior students and ordered, "Take these two and have them dismantle the tent."
The senior nodded and motioned for Eren and Jorlen to follow. Neither of them dared to protest.
Both Eren and Jorlen followed the senior toward the student tents. The senior let out a chuckle.
"You two are pretty brave to leave the tent—and to go hunting a boar on top of that," he said, amused.
Then, with a grin, he added, "I loved the meat, by the way. It was tender. In the city, it would've cost triple the price. You guys were very generous with the portions... and the potions as well."
Jorlen's expression darkened. If I had known that, I would've raised the price. Still, he didn't dwell on it too much.
The senior glanced back at them with a smirk. "You should count your blessings. Your punishment is nothing compared to what was given to others before."
Eren and Jorlen exchanged uneasy glances.
"What was the usual punishment?" Eren asked.
The senior's lips curled upward. "Expulsion from the academy," he said casually. "It's a written rule—students must obey the orders of their instructors and assigned seniors. Those who don't... don't stay."
A heavy silence fell between them. Eren and Jorlen walked with darkened expressions. Eren gave Jorlen a weird look, and Jorlen returned it with an apologetic smile, unsure of what to say.
Upon arriving at the tents, the senior assigned them their task. "Dismantle this side," he said, pointing. Then he moved to the opposite side, leaving them to work.
For a long time, neither spoke as they took down the tent piece by piece. Finally, after a stretch of silence, Jorlen muttered, "Why are we doing this? Shouldn't there be academy workers handling this kind of job?"
Eren didn't reply, but the same question lingered in his mind.
As they continued stacking the dismantled tents, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"There are no workers in the academy for such tasks," Charlotte's voice rang out as she emerged from the darkness.
Their bodies stiffened with nervousness.
Charlotte continued, her tone firm. "Ninety-nine percent of the people who travel the world's harsh landscapes are Awakened. Normal people can't survive in dangerous regions without awakening their powers—they'd be killed in minutes. That's why Awakened individuals must learn everything needed for survival. And one of the most basic survival skills... is setting up a tent."
Both of them listened in silence, taking in her words. Without hesitation, they resumed dismantling the tents, working even faster now.
Charlotte stood at a distance, watching them.
As Eren worked, a realization dawned on him. This is why villagers rarely travel to towns or cities without protection. It's too dangerous. That's why most stay in the villages, relying on Awakened traders to bring supplies in large carriages.
He clenched his fists, making a silent promise to himself. I won't stay in a village forever. I'll become strong enough to change my fate.
By the time they finished their assigned task, the tents were neatly dismantled and packed away. Eren turned toward where Charlotte had been standing, but she was already gone.
Time had passed quickly, and then it hit him—the welcome ceremony!
His heart pounded as he realized the time. It's almost 8 o'clock! Worse yet, the tent that he had assumed contained a magic portal had also been dismantled.
Another ten minutes passed as everything was gathered into a single location. All the senior students assembled, with Eren and Jorlen standing near the stacked luggage. Edward and Charlotte stood nearby, overseeing the last of the work. Once it was done, a senior approached them and reported completion.
Charlotte nodded. "Let's go, then."
She took out a red stone, crushed it in her palm, and recited a Verse.
"By ember's will and fate untold,
A path through time and ash unfold."
A crimson flame burst from her hand, expanding into a massive portal.
Edward glanced at the students. "Pick up the luggage and move. If we're late to the welcome ceremony, the Headmaster will make us pay for it."
Everyone hurried to grab a piece of luggage and stepped into the portal.
As Jorlen picked up his share, he whispered to Eren, "That's a Tier-3 Innate Flame... Voidveil Flame. It's extremely rare."
Eren tightened his grip on the luggage, his expression unreadable. While walking, he glanced at Charlotte, who channeled the flame into the portal with practiced ease.
"Let's go," Jorlen muttered before stepping into the flames. He disappeared instantly.
Eren's heartbeat quickened as he took a step forward. Then another. The moment he entered the portal, he felt... nothing. No pain, no discomfort. Instead, an overwhelming sense of calm and peace washed over him.
On the other side, Eren emerged into a massive hall filled with dozens of students wearing the same uniform and cloak.
Eren and Jorlen blinked, momentarily disoriented. Before they could figure out where to go, a student approached them.
"Are you two Awakened students?" he asked. "Why didn't you arrive with the others?"
Both of them nodded.
Moments later, two figures stepped through the portal—Edward and Charlotte.
Instantly, the group of students straightened and bowed in respect.
Edward spoke first. "Tobias, help them find their dormitories."
The student, Tobias, nodded and gestured for Eren and Jorlen to follow. He led them to a large notice board where room assignments were posted by village.
"Find your room numbers," Tobias instructed.
Eren and Jorlen scanned the list.
Eren's dormitory: Room 18, Dormitory Building 7, Second Floor.
Jorlen's dormitory: Room 25, Dormitory Building 7, Third Floor.
They both turned toward Tobias, who pointed them in the right direction.
While walking, Jorlen muttered, "Would've been nice if we got the same room."
Eren didn't respond. He was already wondering how he'd manage living with strangers. He noticed that none of the other kids from his village were in his dorm—Leo and Mark were in Dormitory 6, and Bean was in Dormitory 5. As for the girls, their dorm assignments were posted separately.
After five minutes of walking, they reached their dormitory building. They agreed to meet on the ground floor in ten minutes, as there were only 30 minutes left before the welcome ceremony.
Eren climbed the stairs to the second floor and followed the hall to Room 18, which was located at the far end. He knocked on the door, knowing that his roommates had likely arrived before him.
A few seconds later, the door swung open.
A burly student—twice Jorlen's size—stood in the doorway, looking down at Eren with a questioning expression.