After Vicente said goodbye to Ian, he made his way alongside Nina and Eve, quickly arriving at the registration area for the selection process for the Royal Academy of Saltstar City.
The registration hall was crowded at the moment, with many local Barons, Viscounts, and Counts there with their sons and daughters. At the same time, other wealthy people from the province also made their presence felt.
Given the presence of powerful local influences, groups of adults quickly formed, with several individuals beginning to talk about business and other matters unrelated to the day's events.
Vicente soon joined one of the lines that led to the leaders in the area, as he observed many locally known figures among complete strangers to him.
"I didn't expect so many important people to be here today." He commented to Nina and Eve as he watched the older people laughing and chatting while the young people crowded around.
Some of them seemed to be talking just like their parents, talking about their opportunities and future alliances. Others just talked about kids their age, the academy, where they came from, and how eager they were to join the Royal Academy.
Nina looked at many of these young people and felt that she might soon become a colleague to some of them.
As she did so, other young people looked at her, some curious about where this pretty girl came from, others not recognizing her figure and associating her with another who would fail the selection.
The selection process at any Royal Academy was very strict. Few had a chance to succeed. Not just anyone from the countryside had a chance to pass the Royal Academy selection!
"Tsk! Does she think she can do well here just because she did well in that garbage town called Millfall?" A blonde girl looked at Nina with an angry expression on her face.
Next to the nine-year-old girl were two of her and Nina's classmates from the academy where Vice's sister was finishing her basic studies in this city.
"Anything is possible. There are cases of people who passed the academy selection even though they came from villages..." A young blond man commented. "I don't doubt at all that she will pass. She seems quite intelligent to me."
"Are you crazy? She's just a country bumpkin!" The young blonde said as she looked at her friend.
"She's pretty beautiful to me." The young man commented to his brown-haired friend, not letting the blonde hear him.
The brown-haired young man laughed softly and looked at the black-haired girl. "You shouldn't underestimate her, Lara. I have heard that her brother is quite capable. Not only does he have a great talent, but he also owns many businesses."
"He's just a merchant," Lara said. "He can't be compared to our noble families with centuries of tradition!"
The two young people looked at each other and said nothing, feeling that Lara was jealous because since Nina had arrived, she had become the center of attention in their class.
Because she was a deaf girl, some of the class felt sorry for Nina. But Vicente's sister was also a beautiful girl for boys who were already thinking about certain things at that age...
Because she was Newton's student and was considered intelligent by many teachers, even those who didn't feel sorry for Nina looked at her differently, with a certain amount of respect and curiosity.
But there were those like Lara who didn't like Nina and thought she should never have joined their academy.
"Tsk! You two are useless." Lara said as she walked over to Nina's side while her mother watched from a distance as she chatted with the other women there to register their children.
Vicente and Eve saw a blonde girl approach Nina but didn't say anything. They just watched to see what it was all about.
Nina's expression changed at the sight of the blonde girl, who she knew wasn't easy and certainly didn't like her.
"Lara."
"Nina."
The two said each other's names, while their expressions were serious as if they were great enemies with a lot to fight for.
"Good luck with your selection test. You'll need it." Lara said after a moment of silence.
"Luck is a crucial fact in the life of a magician. If I benefit from it, all the better." Nina said, aware that Lara was trying to say she was unprepared and only luck could help her.
"Huh! If you fail, don't say I didn't warn you." Lara said as she clenched her fists and prepared to go back to where she came from after explaining her provocation to Nina.
"Lara, good luck." Nina smiled at the blonde, imagining that this blonde was the one who needed it.
Lara looked at Nina angrily, but at that moment, her mother's hand rested on one of her shoulders.
"That girl has a lot of attitude... She's as hot-headed as her father." The blonde woman said with a smile on her face as she looked at Vicente.
Vicente understood his mother's attitude and saw no problem. "This is children's business. Don't worry. I'm not interested in their little disagreements. As long as she doesn't cross the line, Nina will deal with her challenges on her own."
"I appreciate your understanding, Mr. Fuller." The woman said as she gestured a greeting to Vicente.
Vicente thanked her before seeing the blonde girl give him an ugly look and then complain to her mother.
"Mom, why did you embarrass me like that?" Lara asked as her mother pulled her away.
"Tsk! Girl, don't be stupid!" The blonde woman changed her attitude 180 degrees as she moved away from Vicente.
Vicente didn't know her, but this woman had heard of him, and she was strong enough to understand the difference between the levels of people in this area.
Vicente was one of the eight people she couldn't fathom out of everyone there!
"That girl's older brother is much stronger than me and your father! Don't make trouble with someone you don't know." Her mother advised, giving Lara a reality check.
"This..."
Meanwhile, Vicente massaged one of his sisters' shoulders and said, "You handled the situation well. Other people will try to confront you in the future, even attack you. You always need to be calm and know how to behave.
Sometimes, you can put people like that in their place by using your power or influence. But sometimes you must put your head down and accept whatever it is. That's life."
"All right, big brother. I'll remember that." Nina commented before it was finally her turn to sign up for the exam.
