Book 1: Chapter 108: To A New Life


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    Turned out that hed already called for Belle as well, so when I reach the gate, theyre both there. Then we quickly make our way back to the base where we spend over an hour going over documentation and paperwork.


    Eventually we finish it all before he sends us away to go sign up for our sses.


    I decide to go to the cafeteria to eat onest time here before I fully move into my new suite, and it looks like the others had the same idea.


    Scarlet, Belle, Michael says with a smile as I walk over to their table with Belle after ordering food. Nice of you two toe join us!


    Kind of surprising that everyone from our team is here.


    I sit down next to Emily with Belle sitting on the other side of me before asking, Did we all just decide to eat here instead of on campus today?


    Well, actually, I sent out an email to them to invite them, he says, sounding slightly sheepish, but I didnt have either of your contacts, so I couldnt get in touch with you. Not without contacting Sage to ask, and I wasnt going to do that.


    Oh. Right.


    I open my terminal before sharing with the three my contact ID, and Belle quickly does the same. We all then simply chat as we wait for our food to arrive. And once it does, I immediately start digging into it.


    So how do you think campus life will go? Michael asks, and Belle is the one to answer him as she says, It should be fine. How different can it be from a regr university?


    Even without lifting my head from my food, I can tell the others are giving her a strange look just from the silence that ensues before Denise says, Theres a lot different between the two. Specifically the sses you take.


    I raise my head at this before Michael takes up the exining from her, There are quite a few sses you can take, and all of the required courses  not all of the electives, mind you  involve your status as a Guardian. Whether theyre magic sses, sses over the System, sses over Guardianws, how society treats Guardianspared to normal people,bat sses, demonology, and so on.


    Huh. Thats interesting.


    <strong>Itll certainly help you be less reckless if you know more about what youre doing, </strong>Tar says with a huff in my head.


    I ignore him to continue eating.


    Huh, Belle mutters, repeating what I had thought in my head in response to it, thats very different from the curriculum at a regr university.


    Yep, Michael says before grabbing a fork and skewering some spaghetti. Its because Guardians arent expected to go into the workforce. Were expected to go fight demons and be celebrities. So why would they teach us things like math, science, sports, or other stuff like that unless we specifically want to learn that stuff through elective courses?


    Good point, I mutter after finishing chewing the spaghetti Im eating. Then grabbing more and chewing again.


    Belle seems to feel conflicted about that for a bit, only to suddenly make a one-eighty and start grinning like an insane person.


    What is it? Denise asks, clearly having noticed the shift as well. And I see Emily scooting forward in her chair slightly at the question, seemingly interested herself.


    Weeelll, Belle says, drawing it out, I think it just settled in that Ill never have to go into electrical engineering like I was nning to do. Never have to go into the corporate world in general since I can just work as a Guardian now. And that made me very happy. She nces at me and adds, Also, I wont have to worry about this one asking to look at my textbooks anymore now that were going to the same university.


    I blush a little at that, and the others beginughing, only making it worse.


    After I finish chewing and swallow my food, I mutter amidst theughing, Yeah, yeah,ugh it up Which only makes themugh harder.


    But for some reason, despite my embarrassment, I feel myself smiling ever so slightly.


    Not sure why.


    And a warmth enters my chest.


    <strong>Youre having fun with your friends, dummy, </strong>I hear Tar say, making my smile grow wider.


    Yeah. I am.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I find Belle wiping a tear from her own eye as she smiles a ratherrge smile at me, likely having seen my smile.


    Ohe on, its not that rare to see me smile, Iin, and she just raises a brow. Okay, maybe it is a little rare.


    The others just break out into even louderughter at this. Then for some reason, the waiteres by with what looks like wine.


    I raise a brow at Michael who quickly motions towards each of us before the waiter proceeds to ce sses in front of us. The man then pours the red wine into the sses, bows once, and walks away again.


    So why exactly did you order wine? Denise asks, sounding vaguely amused.


    Michael just stands up and grabs his ss with a chuckle before saying, To have a group toast with my team!


    I share a nce with Emily and Denise, then Belle, only to shrug and stand up as well, along with the others.


    Honestly, Ive always avoided medication and anything that can mentally inhibit me. Not to mention that the legal drinking age is twenty, and Im not that old yet, so I wasnt legally allowed to drink.


    But as a Guardian, there is no legal drinking age. Meaning all Guardians are allowed to drink.


    Mostly since the poison in the alcohol doesnt affect us as much. And at the higher levels, at all.


    This is a special moment though, and since it wont really affect me much, I might as well.


    Besides. Its just a single shot.


    I grab the drink along with the others before raising it up.


    To our team, and our time at Lions Heart, Michael says. And to an amazing semester!


    To an amazing semester! we all repeat before clinking our sses and taking a drink.


    This year is bound to be the most interesting year of my life, thats for sure.


    Right Tar?


    <strong>Right, Scar, </strong>Tar says, calling me by a nickname or something.


    Scar, huh? Alright.


    Lets see just how tough these Guardian University sses really are then.