The approach of the unexpected Spirit Boat towards the academy created a feeling of joy in some, anger in some, and panic in others.
“An unknown Spirit Boat is approaching. Take a defensive formation!”
A shout rose from the site where members of the Fighter Department were standing. Apparently, they had perceived the boat carrying ten young children as a threat.
Waiting calmly until then, Grumpy Hanry rushed forward. His target was the defense mechanisms that the fighters were going to activate.
“Wait! Those are the students of the Plants Department!”
People, who took action with the first command, had a brief pause with the second voice. Although the instruction did not come from the department they were affiliated with, Master Hanry’s voice was obviously known by everyone.
“Hanry, why aren’t these kids with you?”
A middle-aged woman, whose order was overrun by Grumpy Hanry, began to stand in front of him. As the tension between the two was striking, their eyes were already fighting.
“This doesn’t concern you at all! The rule says that new students must have arrived at the academy until the admission ceremony!”
As it was expected, Grumpy Hanry did not back down. If a person was nicknamed Grumpy, it was normal that his general pattern of behavior would match with it.
There was no winner even though the two got into a war of words a few more times. The only important thing was that the boat carrying the children of the commoners came and anchored in the harbor.
“You bastard, where have you been?”
As soon as Mel stepped on the ground, Grumpy Hanry turned his back to the woman he argued with and began walking towards Mel. He was speaking meanwhile.
“From where did you get this boat?”
Unexpectedly, Young Master Louise also appeared alongside Mel. His question was more of a verbal form of the thoughts in nobles’ minds.
“After the last test, I had to go somewhere. Sorry for being late!”
Mel bowed to Grumpy Hanry by leaning from his waist. He didn’t care about the other guy next to him.
“You stupid boy! As the person who got full points in all three tests after hundreds of years, you should have led the boats of the Plant Department!”
Although Grumpy Hanry seemed to be scolding Mel, he was actually making all the academy staff hear what was coming out of his wide-opened mouth.
“So, it wasn’t a lie!”
“So, this is the burly boy they call Mel, right?”
Hanry had achieved his goal and the academic staff at the port began to talk in whispers.
“The record that Glooves are so proud of is broken!”
“Don’t even go there. Look at Louise’s face. Doesn’t he look like he’s chewing crap?”
As the whispers were begun to be followed by laughter, the Young Master asked the same question once again.
“From where did you find the boat?”
Not only did he ask, but he grabbed Mel by the shoulder and turned him to himself. The two men were now facing each other.
“I wonder why the Spirit Boat has taught Master’s attention so much.”
Mel was born with a scrawny body and a weak psychological consciousness. But thanks to his grandfather’s legacy, he had been quickly closing the gap in the past three years. The fact that he was tall enough to look down on the Young Master and determined to answer his question comfortably was proof of this situation.
“You need at least a thousand golds to rent a Spirit Boat. We all know that this is impossible for a peasant like you, whose origin is unknown. I fear that you might have used the honorable name of Green Shadow Academy to get the boat, and tarnished our reputation.”
When his words were finished, Louise turned his head and watched around, seeing that he had managed to gather the whispering crowd in one spot.
“What are you blubbering about, Louise?”
Grumpy Hanry got so mad. But unlike him, the Young Master was very calm.
“Senior Master Hanry, we all know that children from noble families rented Spirit Boats with the help of their fathers, but we don’t know how these eleven peasants chartered the boat that brought them here. Doesn’t this subject bother you at all?”
Master Hanry went beet red. His anger went beyond his limits and almost became visible. He inhaled and prepared to roar. But a hand touched him calmly and passed in front of him.
“I understand very well the reason for your discomfort, Master Louise. I will answer your question as you wish!”
The person speaking was none other than Mel. The burly young boy took the initiative with a big smile.
“First of all, as the winner of this year, and as someone who broke the hard-to-break record that has belonged to your family for centuries, I see how worried you are because of the possibility of not arriving at the academy on time!”
As Mel spoke, dark green energy belonging to the deep forests began to surround him. Many people were unaware of this, but keen-eyed veterans slowly drew towards him.
“Don’t chatter, just answer what I asked!”
Upon his reply, Master Louise’s calm expression changed. Thin veins began to appear on his forehead, which looked like smooth alabaster.
“Regarding the issue of renting this Spirit Boat, I would like to express my endless thanks to Master Hanry. Thanks to the badge he gave me, the shopkeeper quickly accepted my request. Let’s say that name of Master Hanry, Senior Master of the Green Shadow Academy Plant Department, was prestigious enough to get this boat!”
Mel, pretending like taking it from his bosom, held up the communications badge that Hanry had given him. It was proof that he was a personal student.
Louise first looked at Hanry and then to the badge. Then his head turned from one side to another once again. He opened his mouth to say something but then shut it quickly.
There was no fallacy in Mel’s words. Senior Master Hanry’s personal student badge would be enough to hire not one, but a dozen of Spirit Boats. With no more trump card left to play, Louise took a step back but felt someone else’s chest on his back.
When he turned around in a panic, he saw the Head of Plant Department there. He wanted to bow and salute him, but the old man’s eyes were not looking at him.
