Chapter 8: Arrival in Lunarion
Near the reception desk stood two men. One was a large, burly man talking to the receptionist. The other stood nearby in silence.
The latter had blond hair, and his sharp facial features gave him an elegant kind of handsomeness. But his hollow eyes made him look as though he hadn’t eaten in days.
When he followed the burly man, Shani noticed he walked with a limp.
Shani decided not to think about the blond man anymore, convinced they would never cross paths again.
To her surprise... He ended up sitting right beside her on the aerobus.
The seating arrangement placed Aster on Shani’s right, the blond man on her left, and the burly man beside the blond man.
A faint but unmistakable scent of blood lingered around the blond man.
Shani found herself stealing glances at him several times.
The burly man cleared his throat before switching seats with the blond man.
Aster frowned, clearly uncomfortable seeing Shani sitting beside him.
"Do you want to switch seats with me?" he asked.
It wasn’t entirely impolite, considering the two men had switched seats first.
Shani had wanted to observe the blond man a little longer, but she noticed the burly man watching her warily.
In the end, she agreed to switch places with Aster.
...
The flight from Anemone Terminal to Lunarion Central Terminal took only two hours.
Unlike hovertrains, aerobuses traveled along dedicated aerial routes high above the skyscrapers.
With no sharp turns and much higher speeds, the journey was considerably shorter.
At exactly noon, the aerobus arrived in Lunarion. Public transportation was always punctual.
Shani was just about to contact Instructor Cole when a message arrived from him first.
"Here’s the contact information for the person picking you up."
A few seconds later, the forwarded contact called her.
"I’ve been waiting outside. I’m wearing a blue jacket, Miss Rowan," the woman on the other end said politely.
Shani still used Cedric’s surname, Rowan.
Perhaps that was why the woman sounded so respectful. Or perhaps Instructor Cole had instructed her to.
Either way, it didn’t matter.
"Has your uncle arrived yet?" Shani asked, turning toward Aster, who was busy looking at his smartwatch.
"He’s on his way."
Outside the terminal, a young woman with long hair wearing a blue jacket waved enthusiastically at Shani.
"Hi! I’m Nevie Flint." She introduced herself with a bright smile.
Shani blinked in surprise. She sounded much friendlier in person than she had over the phone.
After making sure Aster’s uncle would arrive shortly, Nevie drove Shani away in a hovercar.
"This isn’t actually my car. Instructor Cole borrowed it for me. I get to use it for two weeks until you officially start at the academy," Nevie explained cheerfully.
"You must be really nervous. I was exactly the same when I found out I’d been accepted into Grand Academy." She began reminiscing about her own student days.
Nevie had only recently graduated. This year, she planned to take the examination to become an Instructor Assistant at Grand Academy.
"I wasn’t exactly an outstanding student," she admitted with a laugh. "But Instructor Cole cared about every single one of us."
"Even after graduation, he kept helping whenever we ran into difficulties. That’s why he knew I was staying in Lunarion and asked me to look after you."
The drive passed surprisingly quickly.
Between Nevie’s nonstop chatter and the incredible scenery outside, Shani never had a chance to get bored.
Towering skyscrapers stretched across the skyline. Skybridges connected building after building.
Massive holographic billboards displayed celebrities and brand advertisements.
Even the aerial traffic above the city was far busier than in any city Shani had ever seen.
Nevie’s apartment was on the twentieth floor. She drove the hovercar into a vehicle lift, which carried them directly up to the residential level.
After reaching the twentieth floor, Nevie parked in a drop-off bay.
The platform beneath the hovercar slowly descended, transporting it to the building’s dedicated parking level.
Everything felt astonishingly advanced.
In her previous life, Shani had been taken straight to the Ashbourne mansion. She had never gotten the chance to experience this technology for herself.
"This apartment is rented by Instructor Cole too," Nevie said as she unlocked the front door. "I’m staying here until I finish my Instructor Assistant exam."
Shani became even more aware of how much money Instructor Cole had already spent on her.
The scholarship. The transportation. Now even this apartment.
The moment she stepped inside, her attention was drawn to a small wooden birdhouse.
The head of a sleeping owl poked lazily through the circular opening.
"That’s my baby beast, Ollie," Nevie smiled indulgently. "I have three other baby beasts. Two of them are staying with their dad."
"The last one is at the clinic. It got so depressed after being separated from its dad that it stopped eating."
Every time Nevie mentioned "dad," there was obvious annoyance in her voice.
Shani guessed she didn’t have the best relationship with her Resonance Partner.
From what she’d read in books... Nearly ninety percent of Resonance Partners didn’t get along.
Arguments were common because each side believed the other wasn’t taking proper care of their baby beasts.
The remaining ten percent were completely different.
They didn’t just become partners to raise a baby beast. They eventually fell in love, got married, and became lifelong partners.
The contrast couldn’t have been greater.
Shani had no intention of prying into someone else’s personal life.
Besides... Judging by how talkative Nevie was, if she wanted to tell the story, she’d eventually bring it up herself.
Nevie showed Shani to her room before letting her rest.
...
The next morning, Nevie drove Shani to Grand Novabeast Academy. Her entrance examination would take place that day.
Apparently, Instructor Cole hadn’t told Nevie that Shani was an F-Rank applicant who still needed to pass a special test despite receiving direct admission.
Otherwise, with how chatty Nevie was, she definitely would have brought it up by now.
Even from a distance, Grand Novabeast Academy towered above the surrounding skyscrapers.
"Out of all the towers, Avian Tower building is the tallest," Nevie said proudly as she drove.
Shani looked on in admiration.
Still, it wasn’t entirely surprising. This campus was located in the Kingdom of Zephyria, a nation built by avian beastmen.
"Oh, right! I’m an Aurora Owl beastman, just like my Ollie. What’s your Beast Gene, Shani?"
...