Arriving at the Waiting Grounds

"Students, is there anyone who is yet to bring in their permission slip for the visit to the Fae Forest Realm?"

The teacher, Mrs. Margravette, asked the class of young students around 13 to 15 years old who were sitting behind wooden desks with pens in hand. She was a slightly overweight woman, but that didn't detract from her looks by much. She had her own ascetic beauty, although she had a strict personality that befit a teacher.

"M-Mrs Margravette," One boy, fourteen this year and already growing into the size of a young adult, raised his hand and nervously spoke to the teacher.

"Yes, Mason?"

"My mother said it was too dangerous outside and I'm not allowed to leave the city…"

"Then you will have to remain behind, Mason."

"But… I really want to go."

"Need I remind you that while the world may recognize you as an adult by reaching <Lv. 1>, that does not signify society sees you as an adult. The law is that you must be 18 before we do not require your parents permission for excursions outside of the city."

"Y-yes, Mrs. Margravette…"

"Are there any other questions?"

At the rear corner of the classroom was a young dark elf with a prideful expression on her face. This was Piri, her hair tied up in twin tails and sharp eyebrows bringing attention to her face.

She still had her childish visage, but she had been growing, and her maturity was beginning to show through that.

Around her sat her entourage, Avora, Felix and Thomas. They were the human slaves Styx had purchased to be her friends when she was the only child in the dungeon. A part of that had caused her to develop a very domineering personality in which she bossed them around more than treated them like normal friends.

Her mother, Asta, was helpless regarding this as the daughter had gotten close to Styx and promised herself to him. Her Aunt, Fiore, was also one of the dungeon wives and had been a bit too supportive according to Asta.

Fiore, a Second Step Wind Drifter, had felt guilty ever since she failed to evolve, even though her sister-wife Klair was the same. As such, she had spent more time with Piri and her family since then.

Piri had proven to be a student difficult to order around from the school's perspective. The relationship between the city and the dungeon residents had been unclear ever since the ownership of the city was claimed by Styx, the dungeon lord.

As she was from the dungeon, and apparently had a very high position in it, the teachers never knew how to properly guide or control her. Thankfully, she hadn't been too tyrannical and forced them into the difficult position.

Piri was very aggressive and domineering towards the other students, but it could never be said she was unfair nor bullied anybody. If anything, a large group of the student body began to look up towards her.

Those who used to use their higher position or family wealth in the Maple Dragon Kingdom to bully their lower born classmates had been thoroughly quelled. Piri's fists didn't discriminate and beat them all fairly, all the whilst her position of self proclaimed future dungeon wife placed her position above all the others.

It would have just been false bravado too, were it not for her aunt being a dungeon wife.

~~~~~

⠀

A couple weeks passed by and the stench of blood had finally left Lagoon Porter City. All the corpses had been dealt with and people were beginning to return to their normal lives.

"Students, please line up according to your class and board the carriage!" A balding middle aged man called out to all the kids who were chaotically grouped on the sports field.

"Hmph. You, you, and you, stop lazing around and stay behind us." Piri snorted and directed several students from her class who were nervous and looking lost.

"P-piri," One of the more nervous kids edged closer and asked the beautiful young dark elf under an umbrella.

"What?"

"W-well, I have heard that cities from all over the k-kingdom would send their most promising students to the Fae Forest Realm…"

"So?" Piri's words were short and direct, causing the nervous student to flinch.

He had been hoping she would understand what he was hinting towards, but she just looked at him with her usual chilly gaze. Another student turned his gaze towards them and directly explained it for Piri.

"...We aren't a part of the kingdom anymore? Not to mention the cities usually only had a quota of 10 students at most… from all their schools within the city… We skipped that trial to select our star students and are simply sending almost everyone. It is likely we will be met with hostility."

Piri snorted as a disdainful smirk on her face.

"Let's see them try. Styx said to take everyone, and he is providing all the guards for us. They may run away as soon as we get there."

There were over a thousand cities in the Maple Dragon Kingdom, so every year there were ten thousand star pupils from across the kingdom who made their way to the pocket dimension.

Only First Step people below the age of sixteen were able to enter, and inside was a seemingly boundless forest teeming with spirit beasts and spiritual beasts.

Everyone received a newborn spirit beast upon entry into the secret realm, just hatched from an egg. They then fought against the native beasts of the forest and other students to acquire spiritual fruits. The more spiritual fruits their own spiritual beasts ate, the more their strength and potential would increase. This was capped at the First Step though, but it was rumored that a spirit beasts potential could increase all the way until it allowed it to grow to the Fifth Step outside the realm.

This trip was extremely important to the young boys and girls, as they were only ever allowed to enter once. The entrance would block them should they ever try to enter again, even if they fulfilled the entry requirements.

It wasn't uncommon for students to postpone their entry for a year or two because of this, thus allowing them to become stronger and be able to secure more spiritual fruits for their beasts. This was under the condition they maintained their top spot in the city and could secure the spot in the following year or two though.

All the students of the school gathered on the carriages before heading towards the larger meeting point outside the city.

Great earthbeasts pulled the carriages along at a fast pace, their six legs rumbling along the city roads.

Outside the city was a large gathering of hopeful but nervous students on several dozen large carriages. Tiger beastmen and elves headed the front and back of the group, whilst even more monsters skirted along the sides as guards.

Lagoon Porter City was a large city, even considering the unfortunate losses during the demon attack. The total number of eligible students was around 40 thousand, while around half of those wanted to go to the secret realm, so Styx had to narrow that down at least. He couldn't guarantee the protection of such a large number of students, and it was too risky outside of his territory at this moment.

Therefore he did some narrowing of age groups and contracted that down to five thousand people. This was a blatant challenge towards the Maple Dragon Kingdom, as it took up what would normally be the quota of five hundred cities.

There was a limit to the number of entrants each year into the secret realm, which was the reason why each city had such extremely limited spots. No more than 10,000 First Step individuals could enter each year that the secret realm opened.

Styx didn't care though. This was his plan to provide his people with immediate benefits and not only win over more support in the coming generation of people to allow a smoother control of them, but also to strengthen his people overall.

He did allow some leeway though, only sending 5,000 and not the full 10,000. This was done on purpose to not force the kingdom into the corner immediately.

It wasn't just students in the carriages to enter the Fae Forest Realm either. Just like Piri, who had joined a regular human school under Styx's insistence, many other First Step beastmen and elves took part too.

~~~~~

⠀

The student's journey took approximately a week. This was because the entrance to the secret realm wasn't far away, whilst those from cities further away often joined together to use more expensive airships that usually only travelled around the central regions. To this date, not one airship had ventured out to Lagoon Porter City or Whitecliff City, not that they even had the necessary infrastructure to receive them.

"Look over there!" Some of the more excited students stood up on the carriages and pointed fingers toward their destination.

This was an area where lush giant great oaks with heaven encompassing canopies grew across a landscape that was marred by sharp cliffs both tall and short. Gigantic roots curled through the cliffs and arced above the ground The grass below was especially green while large crimson and violet birds flew in the sky above, creating a truly picturesque scene.

The entrance to the secret realm was a giant glaring red crack standing up from the ground in the middle of a large clearing like a jagged bolt of crimson lightning. It stood almost a hundred feet tall but even that paled in comparison to the trees.

The entrance was currently closed, but that would change over the next week as it opened up into a giant portal doorway.

Piri and the other students Styx sent weren't the only visitors here. Just as the dungeon had predicted, the Maple Dragon Kingdom had already sent a full 10,000 of their star pupils to wait for the secret realm to open.

Just as Piri looked at the kingdom's students, they too saw the giant procession coming closer to them. One that was accompanied by an equally large grouping of monsters

A tension so thick it could almost be felt formed between the two groups. Even the birds seemed to fall silent as the kingdom's side glared at them.

"Halt! What are you doing here?" A Third Step teacher from a distant city stood in front of the group with several others backing them up.

They held their weapons and were prepared to attack at any moment. Their main concern was not to battle though, but to ensure their students remained safe.

The evolved female tiger beastmen leading the group looked at them coldly and without any regard to playing along with them.

"Move," She stated without stopping their movement.

If the teachers refused to move, they would simply trample over them.

"S-stop!"

The teachers' courage was rapidly diminishing the closer they got, but even Styx told the females to ignore them. They weren't here to make friends or form friendly relations. He didn't hold any intention of attacking the kingdom's people, but he held no qualm in killing them should they attack first.

The teachers were forced to dash out of the way, one of which wasn't fast enough and was smashed aside by a large mace.

"Y-y-you!" Their anger flared and they seemed about to attack, but backed down at the last moment under the murderous glares of beastmen, elves, and monsters alike.

"Any who attack will be killed," The leading women declared arrogantly at the teachers, both the ones who tried to stop them, and the ones standing at attention at the kingdom's camp.

The kingdom's forces, both teachers and students, felt their hearts bleed. The dungeon was being incredibly arrogant and provocative by sending this many people. It was taking away the opportunities of those who fought for their position, but none of them had the confidence to attack the giant monster army that were guarding the dungeon's camp.

Styx watched all this with amusement, figuratively looking down his nose at them. Not long ago, they had launched a giant army at him and nearly won, despite his advantage of having Monster Lords protecting him. He had defeated them one way or another, even if it was a borrowed hand, and was no longer threatened by them.

Even the demons had been repelled by him, what were a bunch of teachers and students.