34 Accepting the situation

It took Xue Mo and company two weeks to reach their destination. Over this period, the duo assassins and the duo partner's bonded. Xue Mo and Lu Yao, of course, didn't do or say anything that could reveal anything about them, but they were still able to get a grasp of what the organization they were joining was about.

The Assassination Academy, as Hiari and Myzer explained, just like what its name suggested, was an academy for nurturing assassins. This academy was the real underground force of the Ash Expanse. However, this time, Hiari learned from his mistake and only revealed that some people who weren't part of the Academy knew he didn't do anything that would trigger his oath.

The only reason that nothing happened to the duo assassins were alright when they revealed info before was because they regarded Xue Mo and Lu Yao as part of the academy, so the oath didn't activate. Also, them not telling any critical stuff helped in preserving their lives. This showed one of the disadvantages that some oaths possess'.

Other than that, two days after the group of seven started moving, the three kidnapped children awoke. They looked around in confusion first, but after remembering what happened, they panicked, and being on Myzer and Hiari's shoulders didn't help calm them down. But, looking at the cold eyes that Xue Mo gave them, they were forced to compose themselves with Axel being the fastest, which proved the duo assassin's judgment in him being a potentially right candidate for their academy's education.

After quieting down and analyzing the situation, they knew they were in a particular position. On the one hand, there was the path of trying to escape and probably dying in the process, while the other option was for them to adapt to their situation and accept it.

Xue Mo's and the duo assassin's previous display in power over Dio, who told them that he was the third strongest person in the Battle Mage Academy, swayed their decision.

They were taking everything into account, if even Dio, one of the strongest individuals in the organization they wanted to join, was done successfully. And one of the individuals who beat him, Xue Mo, seemed unable to fight back, made them accept that even Xue Mo was helpless against those two. Since they knew nothing, they let their imagination roam and come up with crazy ideas to justify their situation, but this helped quiet them down. The watching four didn't utter a word and let them come to their conclusions.

Luckily, due to Axel's calm state and friendship to the other two, he made them regain their wits. They also decided to blame Kyle's death on Dio since he was the one who killed him. This further helped them form a dislike for the Battle Mage Academy that he belonged to.

Meanwhile, the four who watched the changes happening to the trio didn't talk. Instead, they continued their journey with Myzer and Hiari, still carrying the trio on their shoulders. That way, they wouldn't waste time.

After two weeks of constant running, they were able to arrive at the Assassination Academy. As Xue Mo hypothesized, the academy was underground. Literally. The seven had to go through a series of complicated tunnels that some of them were clearly made to mislead or lose pursuers while others led to dead ends.

After going through different tunnels' routes as a precaution, Myzer and Hiari, who made sure that no one followed them, went to a path that led to a dead-end where subtly hidden veins of mana were connected to a part of the ground. After changing some stuff in the tunnel, the ground started shaking as if a small earthquake happened just in that place, before a part of the wall opened, and a small door materialized.

The seven were finally able to see what's beyond it. And what appeared stunned the three teenagers in the group. When they saw their paths and the complicated defensive measures that the duo assassin used, they didn't know what to expect.

On the other hand, Xue Mo looked at the scene in front of him calmly while Lu Yao seemed to be stretching her body, clearly showing that she just woke up.

In front of the seven was a massive clearing of a basin. It was enormous, and the trio wasn't able to see the end of it. However, in this basin appeared to be different kinds of buildings. Some were made of stones and seemed like houses and sometimes caves. Others were created from the surrounding earth, and what appeared to be magical formations were connected to them with a series of veins similar, but also different from the one they used to enter. There were around three of these structures, and the strange part was that they appeared to fit the spot more than the arrangement of caverns that individuals were leaving from.

Myzer and Hiari noticed the trio's expressions and were similar to what they had in mind, which also made them remember the first time they saw the beautiful scene in front of them. But, when they looked at Xue Mo's neutral expression as if he wasn't fazed with what he was seeing while Lu Yao was lazily stretching while looking around calmly, they thought, 'as expected. Seniors Mo and Yao must have traveled and seen a lot so that this scene won't amaze them.'

They didn't know that their thoughts were on point. Xue Mo's previous world was a world of cultivation, and he had reached the highest realm in it, while Lu Yao came from a higher world than the Ash Expanse, so her experience was also more expansive. So, the beautiful scene in front of them wasn't anything significant.

"Welcome to the Assassination Academy!" Myzer said while waving his arms. It seemed like he was trying to make it more dramatic, but he failed miserably, as he got no reaction from anyone.

"Shall we go see the Principal and the Vice-Principal?" Hiari asked Xue Mo, completely ignoring the sulking Myzer, who was looking at the ground seemingly depressed.

"Let's go!" Xue Mo answered in his usual cold voice that they got used to. In this time that they spent with Xue Mo and Lu Yao, they understood that the two partners were people who didn't like to talk. Although they didn't mind, there was still the issue about them offending someone important that way. However, the thought of them being able to take care of themselves and them having the chance to become teachers dissuaded them.

Walking into what seemed to be a semi-underground city without any real walls or dividing lines, seven casually walked. On closer look, Xue Mo was able to catch a better look at his surroundings. The stone houses seemed like caves that people in his world used for seclusion as the Arch energy was more concentrated in such closed places.

However, contrasting to that view were the magical formations that the three buildings in the center had. It seemed like a hub with three facilities in the center and caves surrounding it.

The place that the group of seven were heading toward was one of the three magic formation houses. This place seemed far grander and more significant than the two others next to him, and the plaque on it read 'ASSASSINATION ACADEMY' with big strokes. It appeared that the person who wrote was filled with vigor and vitality that he wanted to show.

While walking in the city, the group didn't see people wearing black and depressing assassins' clothes as Myzer and Hiari wore. Although some of them seemed that way, the rest were wearing cyan robes. They all glance at Xue Mo and the rest briefly, but seeing Myzer and Hiari with them affirmed that they were recruits, which seemed normal here from the way people reacted.

The seven entered unobstructed what appeared to be the organization's main building, and after a few turns in hallways, they appeared in front of a door that read 'Principal's Office.'

As Myzer was about to knock, a voice already came out that made Hiari roll his eyes while muttering, "why am I not surprised?'

Myzer stopped after hearing the gruff voice of what seemed to be a young man who yelled, "come in!"

The group of seven was about to enter the Principal's office.