Chapter 4: Orientation?
Zephyr packed up as quickly as he could, taking only the essentials he would need- a few sets of clothes, basic necessities, and his specialized runic inscription tools. There was no time to waste. He secured his bag and rushed out, making his way to the town square.
As he got closer, the streets became more crowded. Merchants lined the roads, their stalls overflowing with wares, eager to take advantage of the surge of people who had gathered to watch the fresh recruits. Everyone was high with excitement and anticipation. It was the same every year.
Zephyr navigated through the dense crowd, carefully squeezing past bodies before finally reaching the perimeter where soldiers were stationed to maintain order. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his token, holding it up for them to see. The moment they spotted it, they stepped aside, allowing him through without a word.
’Phew. That was hectic. Just made it in time.’
At the center of the square, right at the front of the town hall, a makeshift platform had been erected. Freshly awakened kids of various ages filled the space, their chatter filled with excitement and nerves. Some were bouncing on the balls of their feet, others stood in groups, whispering amongst themselves.
Zephyr’s eyes roamed the crowd, observing how people had already started dividing into cliques. Like-minded individuals naturally gravitated towards each other. The rich merchant kids stood right near the front, forming their own exclusive circle. Most of them had probably grown up knowing each other, even if in passing, and their familiarity made their group basically impenetrable to others.
His gaze flickered to a red-haired girl who seemed to also be drawing attention. She looked plain at first glance, nothing particularly striking about her. Zephyr tilted his head. ’Probably awakened with a high-grade mana core or something.’ His eyes lingered on her for a moment before moving on.
Outliers stood at the edges, those who didn’t quite fit into any group. A giant of a boy stood at the far end of the square, his sheer size alone dissuaded anyone from approaching. Even from a distance, his presence was imposing.
Not far from him, a blonde-haired boy leaned casually against a post, wearing a lazy, self-assured smile. He watched the crowd like he was looking at insects. Every so often, someone would approach him to strike up a conversation, but they usually left just as quickly, looking either annoyed or dismissed.