The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 87: Welcome to the Academy

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Welcome to the Academy

The Apprentices finished regrouping the candidates while William returned to his group, and they quickly began to mobilize them.

"Bloody Rose Academy, follow me to your ship!" one shouted.

"Black Crow, over here!" another called.

One by one, the apprentices guided their respective groups to the waiting ships. In a matter of minutes, the port was completely empty. Only the Black Rock Academy assistants remained. Even Captain Thenerev and his crew boarded a black ship that set sail at full speed.

It was then that a slender girl with brown hair and light brown eyes approached William’s group.

"Follow me," she said in a firm voice. "I am Neri, and I will be in charge of guiding you to the academy’s enrollment area. Welcome to Black Rock."

After exchanging a few greetings, William’s group walked behind her. The path was cobbled and shaped like a snake resting on a mountain.

Neri wasn’t dazzling, but she had an attractive air about her, a small, pretty face with two dimples that made her look jovial and cheerful, almost like a doll.

"So you’re our guide," Dixon said, approaching with a brazen smile. "Are you part of the staff or just a lucky one with good taste?"

"I’m a second-year student," Neri replied without even looking at him.

"And what do you do when you’re not guiding desperate newbies like us?" he insisted.

"I study. Like everyone else." Her dry tone was a slamming door in his face.

The group suppressed their laughter, but Dixon didn’t give up.

"So... what’s your favorite subject? Any cool professors? Favorite food? What do you do in your free time?"

"I train. I specialize in runic combat. I eat anything edible. And my free time is for sleeping." Her response was so direct that silence reigned for a moment.

"I see, I’d love to know more..." Dixon mumbled, defeated but still smiling.

William watched the scene with disapproval. In his mind, a phrase from his past life resonated: "The rich don’t understand the needs of the poor." He had had Lía by his side these past few months, and though their relationship was complex, he didn’t feel that hormonal urge to throw himself at every woman he encountered. But Dixon and the others... they had survived battles, storms, horrors. They hadn’t touched a woman in years; they were frustrated and hungry for comfort.

Due to Dixon’s continuous insistence, Neri grew fed up and began to speak with a firm, authoritative voice.

"Listen closely," she said, stopping and turning towards them. "Here, your noble titles from the Desolate Continent aren’t worth a damn. To most of the Academy, if your parents aren’t mages, you’re a commoner. And if you’re a commoner, you’re trash. You’ll be treated as commoners were treated on the continent, and your daddies won’t be here to save you, so learn fast or you’ll die before you understand what killed you." She immediately turned and continued walking at a brisk pace.

There was poison in her voice, a contained fury. William noticed it. Everyone noticed it. She held a very strong prejudice against the nobles of the desolate continent.

Theo let out a chuckle.

"I see you hate those imbeciles... but we’re not nobles from the Lost Continent. We’re commoners."

Neri stopped dead in her tracks. Her face transformed as if she had seen a ghost.

"That... that’s not possible. No commoner has arrived here without being a slave from the Desolate Continent... it’s impossible..."

Dixon stepped forward, puffing out his chest and raising his arms, showing off his large, toned arms like a bodybuilder in mid-show.

"We defeated the nobles and degraded them to slaves. That’s how we got our spots. These muscles here aren’t free, baby, they’re pure power...!"

The words hit Neri like an explosion. She covered her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey... what’s wrong? Why are you crying? The ’not free’ part was a joke, I’m sorry," Dixon asked, flustered, raising his hands as if to stop something that had already happened.

After a few moments of trembling silence, Neri managed to reply:

"My best friend... Nyxe... she also came from the Lost Continent. She arrived five years ago. She told me the horrible things they did to her, how all her illusions were snatched away by something they couldn’t even decide. They couldn’t escape; their families would be killed if they tried. The women were forced to learn to please men, and the men were treated like beasts of burden or punching bags. They were... broken. They couldn’t even cry without being beaten."

Neri began to speak more rapidly, her voice trembling.

"I bought her. I bought her because I saw her lying there, covered in wounds, soulless. I needed an assistant, yes... but I swear I never hurt her. Never! I give her food, space, I try to make her laugh... really!"

The explanation was so abrupt and dramatic that it ended up provoking laughter. Even William smiled, seeing her so desperate to justify her compassion and prevent them from thinking she was a sadistic and demented witch.

Neri blushed to the tips of her ears.

"Don’t laugh! I’m serious!"

"Sorry, sorry," Dixon said, still laughing. "It’s just... we didn’t expect that."

"Nyxe?" Dixon asked suddenly, as if lightning had struck him, turning serious in an instant. "Has she... mentioned anyone else? You see, I’m looking for my brother. That’s why I came here. He disappeared years ago and... I think he ended up as a slave too; he must have arrived on the last ship five years ago."

Neri frowned.

"What’s his name?"

"Dylan," Dixon replied. "He’s a little older than me. Very similar. He has a birthmark on his neck, like an inverted trident."

Neri nodded slowly.

"I’ll ask Nyxe. If he came on the ship five years ago... there’s a possibility. That ship arrived without problems. But don’t get your hopes up too much, Dixon. The fate of slaves doesn’t usually have happy endings."

Dixon clenched his fists.

"I don’t care. I just want to know if he’s alive. And if he’s dead... I’ll make sure to avenge him." Dixon’s voice exuded firmness; there wasn’t a hint of doubt in it.

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