Observing this, Lord Davis, with a hint of suspicion, tried to probe further, “My lord, events like today’s magical beast auction are held monthly. If you are interested, may I send invitations to the Duke’s mansion every month?”

The Duke nodded, adding, “And if there are any rare and high-level magical beasts, whether adults or young ones, please inform me.”

Satisfied with the Duke’s responses, Lord Davis attempted to understand why Duke Rogest had attended the auction today. Although he wasn’t certain, he sensed that there might be more to the Duke’s visit. He speculated that perhaps the Duke’s wife had complained about not having a magical beast pet, a piece of information he had gleaned from previous discussions.

As the Duke left, Davis kept guessing the reason for Duke Rogest’s visit. While he wasn’t clear about the connection, he assumed the Duke had some interest in magical beasts.

What’s even stranger is that Duke Rogest, whose character seemed to be against such indulgence, allowed his heir to have a pet like a Gryphon. This seemed contrary to the common belief that nobles tend to be wasteful and frivolous.

Lord Davis couldn’t help but wonder about the Duke’s sudden interest. He began contemplating whether it would be a good idea to accumulate a variety of magical beasts. Perhaps acquiring magical beasts that nobles were about to abandon could be a profitable venture, especially if those beasts were rare and powerful.

Duke Rogest and his children returned to the Duke’s mansion with three magical beast eggs and five horse-shaped magical beasts. Aresia retired to her room, and Amos went elsewhere in the mansion. Despite the fatigue and the jolting carriage ride was uncomfortable, prompting Aresia to prepare for a bath and some rest.

Early in the morning. After looking around, she discovered that both the Duke and Amos were already occupied. Amos was cradling one of the precious Gryphon eggs, nurturing it with a concoction while engaging in discussions with the Duke. The Duke nodded occasionally, appearing to be discussing some important matters.

“Are you returning to the Gryphon Legion today?” Aresia asked.

Aresia greeted them, wished them a good morning, and handed some documents to the Duke. One set of documents was a replicated copy of the beast companion contract, directly transcribed from a magical notebook. The chaotic handwriting made it difficult to comprehend, and the paper used was an old piece of animal skin, creating an illusion of a mad mage’s research notes.

The other set was a handwritten version of the beast companion contract’s incantation, translated into common words with pronunciation marks. This ensured that anyone reading it could understand and recite the spell, even if they were not familiar with magic.

The incantation was transcribed twice, and the other copy was intended for the steward, who would teach it to the servants bound by the confidentiality contract.

The Duke briefly reviewed the documents to confirm their accuracy before answering his daughter’s question, “After breakfast, we will return. Apologies for not escorting you to the academy.”

The Duke had been abruptly summoned back due to some urgent matters that required his attention. He had only returned briefly as Amos had taken a short leave.

Aresia wasn’t bothered by this and went on with her preparations for breakfast. She also reminded the Duke about the task of finding a potion maker for the textile factory. After finishing the morning affairs, she planned to return to school in the afternoon.

The Duke assured her that he was already in contact regarding the potion maker and instructed Aresia to send a letter if there were any updates while she was at school. Aresia felt a bit uneasy, realizing that she had forgotten to send letters to the Duke for a month. She made a mental note to write at least one letter per week and have the steward deliver them.

Curious about the conversation between her father and brother, Aresia asked, “What were you discussing just now?”

Amos was in the midst of caring for the Gryphon egg. The hatchling had Amos carried it with him to ensure the bond with him and to ensure that he will be the first person it saw after it emerge from the shell. Aresia knew that creating a strong emotional connection was essential for the success of the contract, akin to a “chick imprinting effect.”

Amos explained that they were discussing the hatching of the Gryphon egg, and he planned to bring the Gryphon back to the Gryphon Legion. It wasn’t against the legion’s rules to bring magical beast eggs, as there was a specific rule against bringing already hatched magical beasts. The legion preferred to capture magical beasts and sell them to magic beast traders as a collective group, a practice the Duke regretted not being able to participate in due to his frequent absences from Holy Lotean City.

Amos secured the Gryphon eggs and, with determination, he planned to bring it to the legion. He had already arranged the ownership of the other two Gryphon eggs.

Aresia inquired curiously, “What about the horse-shaped beast that were purchased yesterday? Have they been arranged?”

“We selected individuals last night, and both humans and the beast were sent to the stable. The stable personnel will assist in training for a period before bringing them back.”

The Duke’s estate had several pastures and stables. The horses provided by the Duke’s estate for the guards were scattered around the outskirts of the city of Holy Lotean, in the Duke’s domain. This location was far from the hustle and bustle, equipped with considerable armed forces to guard against magical creatures. The people there were reliable and trustworthy.

The Duke chose five honest and reliable coachmen who had served the Duke’s estate for generations. They signed confidentiality agreements before signing contracts for the magical creatures and then enlisted the help of the stable personnel for training. Once they reported to the emperor, these magical creatures would have a clear path, and they would officially start serving the Duke’s estate.

After breakfast, the Duke left. Aresia, having a busy morning, prepared and packed up before returning to the academy at noon.

Many students gradually returned in the afternoon. Aresia returned early and encountered many people on the way, most of whom she didn’t recognize from other departments.

On the way back to the dormitory, Aresia ran into Jorgus.

Jorgus, coming from the warrior department’s dormitory, was walking on the road absentmindedly, and they collided.

What puzzled Aresia was that when they met, Jorgus seemed noticeably tense, even a bit nervous.

With courtesy, Aresia nodded towards him and was about to leave.

However, as Aresia was about to leave, Jorgus stopped her. “Miss Aresia.”

Aresia halted her steps, turning to him. “Is there something you need?”

“After two months of trials, has Miss Aresia, gained insights?”

Aresia immediately understood what Jorgus was asking about.

The so-called trials were essentially practical exams, with the test points specified by the academy. General departments were not required to participate, but both the magic and warrior departments were mandatory. It was essentially an advanced version of what was commonly known as the final exams.

However, participating in the trials didn’t mean they could skip written exams. At this time, the students preparing for the trials were particularly stressed, studying hard to handle both the written exams and the trials. Some didn’t even have time to rest and were directly taken for the trials.

The trials were divided by levels, and participants were matched one-to-one. In the magic department, they need to form a group with 4-6 members, and then team up with the warrior department students. The warrior department had no such requirement because, no matter how they were group, there were always more warrior department students than magic department students, making it challenging for warriors to find a team in the magic department.

The magic department didn’t lack teammates from the warrior, even among newcomers, since the warrior departments are bigger in numbers.

Although the mage students had very few mastered spells and lacked practical knowledge, relying mainly on theoretical understanding, they still of help in the trials, as they provide protection and wide range attack throughout the entire trial.

On the other hand, the warrior department students were trained and had a certain level of strength.

Even with differences in strength, magic department students were in demand because there were too few of them. It became a chance for each of them to find a potential partner among the future mages.

Aresia wasn’t surprised to receive an invitation from the warrior department to team up. What surprised her was that Jorgus was the one extending the invitation, and it seemed a bit early for this kind of proposal.

               `

Recalling the past, this warrior from the previous generation rarely teamed up with magic department students. There were rumors that it was due to his lack of communication abilities, but whether that was true remained unknown.

“With nearly three months left until the end-of-term trials, is it not a bit early for Jorgus to invite me?” Aresia questioned.

Jorgus replied earnestly, “It’s not too early. I’m waiting for the right time to invite you. There are others who express that they want you in their team, and I want to seize the opportunity.”

Listening to his explanation, Aresia speculated, “Did the exam results come out? Do you know?”

It was something that could affect people’s judgments, and Jorgus nodded, “Yesterday, I happened to hear from the teacher. Congratulations, according to the information I got, your results are among the top in the entire class.”

Yesterday? Aresia blinked, realizing that Jorgus had returned earlier than her.

This wasn’t just a personal matter for Jorgus; it was also a consideration for Aresia to accept his invitation. Based on her memories from the previous generation, Jorgus had always been a powerful individual, reliable and worthy of trust. Teaming up with him was indeed a good choice.

Aresia had already promised Karina that she would bring her along for the trials. So, she explained to Jorgus, “Karina’s magic isn’t stable enough. During the trials, she might not be able to assist much and could potentially slow us down. If it’s okay to you, I want Karina in our team. If you reserve two spots for us, I will accept your invitation.”

Without hesitation, Jorgus added, stating, “Okay, consider my invitation for both of you. I’ll decide on the rest of the team members.”

Aresia had no objections to this decision, as it was a mutual agreement on forming the team.