TBATE: PRIMORDIAL ASCENSION

Chapter 23: Xyrus Academy

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:

"Wake up!" a shout pierced through my ears.

Air was forced out of my lungs as Ellie oh-so-tenderly pounded my sternum with force capable of resuscitating a corpse.

Gasping, I sat up and yelled, "Ellie!!". My sister just gave me an innocent smile and left the room, shouting, "Mom told you to hurry up and get dressed so we can eat."

Still catching my breath, I couldn't help but smile at her antics. Despite everything, Ellie always managed to bring a sense of normalcy and joy to my life. As I got ready, my thoughts wandered back to the recent events.

The announcement of traces of another continent, Six White core mages, as lances.

One of the lances, Barion Wykes, Lucas's brother. Thinking about his betrayal in the Dire tomb and how Lucas had come to taunt us at the guild hall, I felt my blood boil. I would deal with that bug in time. His family had already been an obstacle to stopping me from killing him, and now with his brother being a white core mage, I could not take rash actions. I wasn't sure of how strong a white mage would be. I shook my head and thought of Dicathen.

Today was an eventful day in the Dicathen calendar, marking the day the first steam engine ship called the Dicatheous would set sail on a voyage to the other continent. It was also the day I would start attending Xyrus Academy.

"Let's go wash up, Sylv!" I said, kind of excited about what the days at the academy would bring. I grabbed my companion and headed over to the shower.

'No! Papa, I don't want to shower! I'm cleaaan!' "Kyuuuu!" Sylvie's desperate wails barely registered as I hauled her inside. Sylvie now had fur, or very thin, long, and soft scales that were very similar to fur. This meant she attracted dirt like a magnet, so washing her more often had become a necessity.

After what felt like an eternity of wrestling with Sylvie, we finally emerged from the bathroom. I got dressed in the uniform from the Academy. It consisted of a black, military-style outfit with gold details and a knife strapped near the pocket.

I was very accustomed to this type of uniform, having worn similar attire for most of my previous life. Still, I had an odd feeling this uniform might cause some trouble in my school life. However, I didn't have much choice, so I put it on and headed downstairs where everyone was gathered.

Sylvie hopped on top of my head, her small claws digging into my scalp to keep grip, worrying me ever-so-slightly that I might bald prematurely.

As I descended the stairs, the familiar buzz of morning conversations filled the air. Mom and Aunt Tabitha were busy setting the table, while Ellie was already seated. Ellie gave me a bright smile, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Took you long enough to get ready! Who are you trying to impress?" My mother wagged her finger at me while Tabitha, who was in an apron matching my mother's, started giggling.

"Good morning, Arthur! You look quite dashing in that uniform." She gave me an appraising look, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "It's very different from what Lilia wore. The black military style with gold details suits you, but it stands out."

"Maybe, because Lilia is from the Student Council, so her uniform is different." My mom suggested. Still, I had doubts that I was being played into some nasty trap by the director.

"Oh right, you probably don't know, but she is going to be up on stage for the orientation since she's part of the student council. She's probably nervous by now, so make sure you cheer her on." Saying that Tabitha also sat down across from me next to Mom and Ellie. I nodded my head.