Chapter 293: Equal Joys and Sorrows
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 293: Equal Joys and Sorrows
"I want to buy ten!"
Fanny’s extravagant, boastful voice reached Ariel’s ears, making her look over out of instinctive curiosity.
Has Senior Sister Fanny made a fortune too?
And from the sound of it, she also relied on this round of betting?
That’s wonderful.
This shared sense of happiness brought a knowing smile to Ariel’s face. She felt an involuntary urge to go over and chat with the senior; after all, they would be traveling together for a long time. It wouldn't hurt to get acquainted early.
But before she could step forward, a stern and familiar voice rang out from behind her.
"Is everyone here?"
An old man dressed in a formal gentleman’s suit stood among the group. It was unclear when he had arrived. His eyes, weathered by time but still sharp, swept over everyone.
"Professor Prang?"
Ariel felt a sudden pang of anxiety as she looked at the elderly man. "Are you actually the one escorting us personally?"
"Not me," Professor Prang replied, shaking his head. "I’ve just finished up some business and came to see you off—and to escort a certain troublesome fellow while I’m at it."
"Huh?"
Before Ariel could process what he meant by "escorting a certain troublesome fellow," Liya, standing beside her, plucked up the courage to raise her hand and ask, "Um... Professor Prang, aren't we still missing one person?"
She had counted again and again, but there were only six of them.
Specifically, that villain was missing.
"One person is indeed missing, but he’ll be here shortly."
"Professor Prang, I don't see any of the Academy’s transport," Marshall added, opening his eyes from his meditative rest. "Are we supposed to walk to the Holy City?"
"Regarding that, I expect it should be arriving soon as well."
"Pardon?"
Professor Prang’s answer was somewhat baffling. From his tone, it sounded as if even he wasn't entirely sure of the details.
But before anyone could press him further, they heard gasps of shock from the surrounding crowd.
"Look... look over there!"
"What is that?"
The street in front of the Academy gates was exceptionally wide, enough for eight carriages to drive abreast. Following the sound of ringing bells, the street suddenly erupted into a chaotic clamor. The nobles, who had been politely chatting with one another, looked as if they had seen something shocking. Their expressions shifted as they urgently signaled their coachmen to clear the way.
Soon, the street that had been congested with carriages was forcibly cleared, and a magnificent convoy slowly approached from the far end of the road.
There were six carriages in total. Each one was adorned with incredibly lavish decorations; the pale gold filigree shimmered even under the dim winter sun.
From those golden patterns, everyone could clearly sense the fluctuations of mana. It seemed the exterior of the carriages had been enchanted with some form of defensive magic.
But it wasn't just the carriages that shocked them—it was the steeds pulling them.
Each of these horses was significantly taller and more powerful than a common horse. There were no coachmen handling the reins, yet the horses held their heads high, their strides powerful and their eyes full of intelligence. Beneath their flowing, long manes, one could see the glint of ferocious scale armor!
They didn't look like horses; they looked like terrifying magical beasts.
As these steeds passed by, the ordinary horses nearby began to tremble. They buckled at the knees and knelt, and some even collapsed outright, frothing at the mouth. The scene quickly devolved into further chaos.
"Are those... dragon-blood subspecies?"
Dragons existed in this world.
Naturally, there were subspecies that carried dragon blood.
Though true dragons had mostly vanished from the world, the number of subspecies was not small due to a certain... characteristic of dragons.
However, since they inherited dragon blood, these subspecies also inherited the violence and pride that came with it. Consequently, they were usually extremely ferocious magical beasts and incredibly difficult to tame.
The ability to tame such a subspecies usually boiled down to one word:
Expensive.
Extremely expensive.
Ariel remembered that her father, the Count, owned a few of these dragon-blooded steeds. He treated them as priceless treasures, rarely even letting others catch a glimpse of them.
And yet here they were, being used to pull carriages?
Two horses per carriage?
What utter extravagance!
Ariel snapped out of her shock and gasped, "Are these the carriages we’re taking this time?"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, everyone’s gaze shifted simultaneously to Professor Prang.
"I suppose so," Professor Prang replied, glancing at the last carriage with a hint of surprise and a raised eyebrow.
"Yes!"
Ariel was instantly filled with excitement.
She wasn't the only one; the others also shed their restless irritation and looked at the carriages with curiosity, especially at those dragon-blooded steeds radiating such a unique aura.
Who would have thought the Academy would be so generous this time? Even the carriages were this magnificent. Was this the treatment reserved for top students? She was absolutely here for it!
The convoy came to a slow halt before them. Despite the lack of coachmen, the horses stopped with a terrifying, military-like precision.
Ariel rubbed her hands together nervously and cautiously approached the priceless dragon-blooded steeds, her eyes practically sparkling.
Nice.
This is so nice.
She had expected a dreadfully boring journey, but not only was that annoying guy not coming along, she also got to ride in such a luxurious carriage!
Plus, she had made a killing before setting out. Was it true that a person’s luck eventually balanced out?
She had been down on her luck and broke before, forced to eat black bread every day, but was her good fortune finally beginning?
Finally, no more worrying about money every day, and finally, no more black bread!
This was just too—
"I wouldn't touch them if I were you, Ariel."
Just then, a voice Ariel knew all too well—and never wanted to hear again—rang out in her ear.
"These dragon-blooded horses have undergone special training, but they can still be quite violent toward strangers. You should be careful."
Hearing that voice, Ariel’s body froze instantly.
Her neck felt stiff as she slowly turned her head to the side.
The curtain of the carriage was pulled back, revealing a handsome face. That head of golden hair, like the glow of a setting sun, was far more dazzling than the luxurious carriage beside it.
"Wh-what?"
Staring at that familiar face, Ariel was dazed. She muttered, "Muen... Muen Campbell? Why... why are you here?"
"Hmm? Of course I’m here," Muen said, sounding confused. "You knew, didn't you? I’m on the list for this trip. Naturally, I’m going to the Holy City too."
"I know, but you..."
Shouldn't you have been defeated by someone and lost your qualification?
Could it be that in seven whole days, not one of the hundreds of eligible students in the Academy could beat you?
And if you’re here, then those gambling dogs on the rooftop, and the Senior Sister who made all that money...
Ariel whipped her head around.
The gambling dogs were still on the rooftop, weeping and wailing in despair. Meanwhile, Senior Sister Fanny... was approaching with an excited expression, saying shyly:
"Junior Muen, can I... can I be your fan from now on?"
"Huh?"
Muen looked utterly bewildered, having no idea what was going on.
But in that moment, Ariel understood everything.
The happiness she and Senior Sister Fanny felt was not the same.
The ones she shared a common fate with were those gambling dogs on the roof.