Applause surrounded me; the village chief, like earlier, shamelessly came over to congratulate me.
"Young Lou, I always knew there was something special about you."
I smiled politely till an enforcer told me to get in the wagon.
The interior of the wagon was made of wood with a carpet near the door and seats that followed the walls. Under it was enough space for luggage if you brought any.
Nobody would really bring anything either way due to the village's financial situation.
Windows lined both sides of the wagon.
I saw Rui sitting in the corner of the window with his head down.
I chose to sit at the opposite window and corner.
The awakening ceremony kept going on.
Now it was Pings' turn. When they called his name, he tripped but caught himself before letting them palm his belly button.
Ten seconds later, the enforcer yelled out.
"C grade, 6 cracks."
I let out a breath of air. I didn't really know him for long, but I would rather have somebody I've known rather than Rui to accompany me in the Academy plus I like that he likes me.
The atmosphere from earlier repeated itself.
Ping ran to the wagon and ecstatically said.
"We made it! I knew I could do it, I know we could do it!"
"It's not over yet. We have to wait for Sid. We have to know if he made it." I replied, trying to calm him down.
Even with all this ruckus, Rui's head was still down.
Finally, it was Sid's turn.
Sid strolled in front of the enforcer, and the enforcer palmed his stomach.
10 whole seconds later, the enforcers eyes widened with a trace of shock as he shouted out
"A GRADE, 1 CRACK!"
The atmosphere went completely silent..
Even Rui lifted his head as his mouth nearly fell out.
"There hasn't been an A grade for a decade." blurted out Ping with a shocked voice.
Even the bald man who had a bad first impression of Sid looked at him with an entirely different expression.
Soon the village chief ran up to Sid with suprising speed and hugged him howling out.
"YES, YOUNG MAN, YOU ARE THE VILLAGES' FUTURE, YOU ARE WELCOME TO MY HOME AS A SON, I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU!"
He continued blabbering till the bald enforcer coughed, bringing the village chief back to his senses.
The village chief coughed and said, "Well done."
Then, he shakily walked away.
Sid's expression was shaken.
The bald enforcer walked up to him and said to Sid.
"Boy, I underestimated you. You have good talent, get in any wagon you desire."
I guess this was his way of showing his respect?
Sid chose to come in ours. Me and Ping obviously welcomed him while Rui glared at us with unfounded anger.
Now that I think about it, what were the chances that 4 of us ended up getting selected? These chances are kind of weird.
Before I could ponder more, I saw the bald enforcer give the village chief a small bag of something from the window and he whispered something in his ear.
The village chief grinned from ear to ear. Then he walked back to the village with an extra step in his step.
The capital's enforcers went into the forest and brought back numerous large reptiles around the size of a horse.
They were blue in colour with white streaks; they had a similar appearance to a lizard. Their tail was 3 or 4 feet long. They wore leather straps, and they were fitted to the front of the wagon, similar to how a horse would be.
"What are those things called?" I asked Ping
"I don't really know, first time im seeing them," he continued with a beaming face, "It's exciting, isn't it, going to the academy it's gonna be so different."
After the Capitals' enforcers finished tying the large lizards to each wagon, the wagon with the bald enforcer in it went first.
A capital enforcer climbed onto the front and whipped the Lizards, directing them to follow the bald enforcer's lead, and the rest of the wagons followed afterwards.
"We are gonna be at the academy in 30 minutes, don't make too much noise."
And our journey began, I recalled Sid's lack of reaction and decided to ask about it.
"Sid, you don't really seem surprised you had an A grade."
"Ohh, uhh, I guess I felt I would've been one."
Ping and I chuckled, and then Ping prodded.
"You felt you were gonna be an A grade?"
"I guess me and Ping felt we were gonna be C grade." I teased
"I meant I knew that I would be able to-." Sidd tried to elaborate
"Too many words, that's not like you, give it up." Ping poked fun at him
"Im just gonna be quiet." Sid muttered
Me and Ping kept making fun of him for the entire ride while he kept on his usual deadpan face.
We occasionally looked out the window and saw the countryside, farmers. Stuff like that.
Now that I think about it, this world isn't really that bad. Thankfully, me or this body was talented, but how I was reincarnated here that's the only thing bumming me out, but I don't mind I'll accept it as God's gift for me saving a life.
After 30 minutes, we trodded into a cave.
The cave was emitting a faint blue hue with no light source in sight, it was filled full of glowing rocks and it seemed to be just the right fit for the wagons and the lizards.
"Whatever you do, do not speak from now on," the guard ordered.
The tone he spoke with gave off the air that if we did not listen something bad would happen.
The wagons continued going deeper and deeper into the cave till the one in front of just disappeared in a white flash of light.
I squinted my eyes before I could react, we were at the same place where the wagon was.
I felt my body dissipate, then assemble itself then we were somewhere else entirely.
I felt wanting to throw up right at that moment, but I stopped myself in time.
However Ping threw up on the wagon carpet.
It looked like pieces of bread and a white liquid im assuming thats watered milk, wait thats the meal we had in the cage.
"Are you serious? You disgust me." Rui spatted out.
Me and sid did not have any words to say.
Before Ping could reply, the capital's enforcer yelled out.
"We are here."