The surroundings reigned in unseen decorum before the students exploded.
"We're too young to go to war!"
"How can you do this?!"
"Yeah, we're not going to war"
"My father would never agree to this!"
"Yes. Let us call our parents and see what they have to say!"
BOOM!
Elisa exploded, her aura's flared so high it the students suffocating, the decorum naturally returned.
Her aura held a haze of grey as her eyes manifested a ferocious light and, in that moment, the academy head the children knew was gone, who, no, what was in front of them was too chilling to be her.
The Expert lit their aura's up to take off some of the pressure, but they still found their head aching.
Others were on their knees, the weight of her force had them nose bleeding as their eyes turned bloodshot.
Immeasurable fear was imprinted in their hearts as they felt their life force deplete.
'Am I going to die' began the thoughts of many.
Then, Elisa released her aura and the pressure dissipated like smoke.
The Experts fell to their knees, some went down only one knee while the less powerful felt to the ground, seemingly helpless with blood running through their nose.
Others had fallen unconscious, with their eyes turned white.
Elisa gaze pervaded them, her expression calm, too calm, for someone who almost killed every student.
Of course, at her level, she knew just where to stop to make sure no one died.
More importantly, she was filing them.
With them being conscripted, she wouldn't want her students to be used as cannon fodder, so this would narrow down those to be sent home and those to be conscripted.
To her surprise, she found over three thousand people crawling to their feet soon after.
It was a given for the Experts, who cleaned the trickle of blood that flowed down their nose and stood up, but those below them she expected to be knocked out for at least ten minutes.
Yet so many were able to regain cognitive ability, or struggle despite that.
It was an amazing result.
Furthermore, the Experts helped them to their feet, and in no time almost a thousand people were standing in less than ten minutes.
Which she then made an announcement, "You will stand in the next ten minutes or be expelled!" her voice booming.
She looked to the Experts. "You must not touch them" and restricted them.
The eyes of many shut open and with whatever strength they had left, they moved at crawling speed, gritting their teeth as they balanced their footing and stood.
When the tenth minute landed, you had a bit beyond four thousand students standing, regardless whether weakly or firmly, with many others sprawled on the ground still trying to stand while a few hadn't even woken up.
When the four thousand took a glance at one another, they found that very few of them were not among Ezra's drafted force.
Elisa clapped, gaining their attention.
"As a fair school. We do not expect to go to war without sufficient level of benefits"
She clapped and Montera brought a wooden box before her and opened it.
In it were five golden balls.
She picked one to show the students, "This a mana converging pill, something definitely too precious for the likes of you"
"Regardless, all those who passed will be given one. After which, you will be allowed into a vault to pick any item. It should suffice to say no item within the collection is less than gold rank, congratulations"
She looked the students still unconscious. "For those you who failed. Congratulations as well, you will not be conscripted as you will be sent home. The Empire does not need weaklings"
She waved her hand. "Note signifying either failure of passage will be delivered tomorrow. Dismissed" and warped away.
The students riled up a while ago were elated.
Even being children of renowned individuals, high level resources were hard to obtain.
You could say it was harder precisely because of their position.
For one, very few had but a single child in the current era, meaning competition is always hot.
Then, precious valuable had to be shared between guild or clan members, and most times, it had to be fought for.
Most importantly, the mana converging pill was ordinary pill, with it, your mana absorption rate accelerates hence enhancing cultivation speed, and as a golden pill, it was too much a hot cake for these ambitious youngsters to pass up.
Then, the ambiguous vault talked about was also touching their fantasies, anything Dark gold was scarce, even if your father was admiral (Missionary head), you couldn't lay hands on Dark gold times easily.
Ezra had the opportunity because the Emperor was absent, and more importantly, he was a prince.
Bolton hadn't forgotten, but he hadn't had the right time to tell the Emperor with all the things going on.
The past seven months had been very hectic with him running around trying to fix many things the war had damaged, and now, a new attack was on the horizon.
Like so, students went to bed giddy, talks of what the vault would contain and how much stronger they'd grow after eating the pill.
While others had their open wide unable to sleep with the fear of expulsion hanging over their heads.
And then you had those who didn't give a damn.
With Theron reporting the encounter, Ezra was surprised at the sudden conscription and ingenuity of the school.
By his calculations-if he was correct-things were happening far too soon.
'Another change' Ezra confirmed after talks with Fredrick. 'It seems the beast tide incident has been pushed forward'
Niton suffered through many things. Each sapping its strength until it crumbled.
This was one of them.
But what worried Ezra was what would happen after.
'If it's this fast, they might arrive far earlier than before'
Ezra's face turned grave, its seemed events were deviating, and that put him in annoying position.
Since he couldn't change that, he had to find a way to achieve his objectives despite that.
'Wait a minute…' he began gathering his thoughts. 'If were conscripted' he thought, 'I might meet that bastard earlier than I planned'
A big evil lay on his face.
He might be able to take out of those who conspired and then killed him in his past life.
Ezra suddenly felt exhilarated, before calming down.
While taking revenge was the best, he couldn't let that consume him, there was much to do and much to prepare.
The next moment saw the dormitory, particularly that of boys turn into a mad house with some screaming in pain while others shrieked in elation.
Those of pain were naturally those expelled while the celebrants were those accepted.
The parents of the expelled were notified and those expelled were back on their way home soon enough, thereafter leaving only the celebrants.
Then, the hour they awaited arrived and the golden pills were brought. But before it could be handed to them, they had to sign a slip first.
The students were so celebratory anymore as they read through the slip.
For one, to be acknowledged to have passed is to acknowledge the Empire's conscription and therefore, must be go to war.
Signing the slip effectively meant they became temporary soldiers for the army, and their lives were no more theirs.
Many hesitated, as they disagreed, they were promptly expelled.
Ezra signed it without thinking, as did the siblings and Valentine.
Ezra wasn't going to force anyone; loyalty couldn't be forced.
Someone spread news that Ezra had signed his and so, they signed, on the condition that they were to fight alongside Ezra.
It was astonishing to say the least, how Ezra had cultivated so much loyalty from those older than him.
Being strong and being a leader were two distinctions.
Whatever the case, her job was done.
That day, students came in to take their promised item from the vault in ascending order.
Ezra was told to wait, apparently, the Emperor had something else in store for him.
Beyond that, the siblings took element enhancing artifacts because their weapons were Epic gold, so it didn't need changing.
Not long after, a plethora of carriages, flying carriages were issued to take the children to the fortress they would be protecting.
Time was sparse, a war was open them so they had to move quickly
Ezra stopped the carriage, forcing them to land after causing a scene.
So, they had to contact Elisa's through a communication artifact.
"Ezra, what is it?" she asked.
"Which places have the least protection?" he inquired.
"Why are you asking? Your destination was chosen by the Emperor"
"I'm not going to Oxfield" he replied. "There's nothing to do there"
"What are you talking about now?" as her favorite student, she wasn't harsh with him.
"The Tenesille fortress is home to a duke. Why are providing support to a duke-that already has an army-and not Gattiste? Where I've heard is lax in armed forces"
She sighed. "To keep you away from fatal danger of course"
"Thank you but no thank you. I'll decide where I'll protect" Ezra said firmly.
"So, you want to go to Gattiste? You realize you're going against the orders of the Emperor"
"He's my father, so surely, he won't mind"
"Hmm…What about the others?"
"My vassals will follow me, I don't about others"
"Aren't they your soldiers?"
"They follow me willingly. I don't anyone blaming me for the death of their child" he said loudly for the rest to hear. "Moreover" he added. "I'm heading to Gattiste because I do not need any obnoxious noble breathing down my neck and telling what to do. Do you get that?"
"So…you want to be a commander?"
"Yes. I have been leading them in training. I see not why I cannot do the same in battle?"
"Hmm" she nodded. "But as it is a Beast tide. Master ranks will be on standby in the case you encounter an A rank beast"
"Sure" he answered. "Just inform them not to bother me"
"You think you can handle them? Isn't that-even for you-a bit too arrogant?" she asked with a raised brow.
"With my vassals here? I'll kill them" he replies unhesitant.
"If you say so" he could visualize her rolling her eyes. "In any case, do as you wish. You can head to Gattiste"
"I would've done that either way"
Elisa's mouth twitched. "But you cannot force anyone"
"Do I look like someone who does such things?"
Elisa wanted to spew blood. 'This shameless brat!'
He literally beat the children into training and then tortured them by training, and now he was saying such nonsense.
Unbelievable!
The siblings in the carriage with him had to battle their will to maintain their neutral expression.
After that, Elisa quickly cut off the signal, before she had to bear more of his shamelessness.
He explained his actions of the rest of the students, that the place he was headed to was far more dangerous than their original destination, that they should only follow him willingly, a few more things before taking time to stress how important it was to help the weak-which they couldn't be doing at the Tenisille fortress- moreover, how much more they could gain because they could contribute far more and that with the master ranks being deployed they didn't have to worry much about beasts above their ranks.
His speech was so elaborate that the students got caught up in their sense of duty and honour that everyone followed him.
The top brass was not fooled, but they also knew Ezra wasn't one to put himself in jeopardy without a plan, so they followed.
Westin wanted to escape, but with a little threat, my guy quickly adjusted himself and joined the crowd.
Like so, they flew to Gattiste with their heads clouded with sense of duty and the honour while they fantasized about slaying monsters.
But the moment they reached near it, all such thoughts dissipated, a few peed themselves.
On the ground were beasts hurling themselves at the city walls.
It was now clear, why they were brought in flying carriages.
Ezra eye's narrowed. 'So, it's already begun?'
