Chapter 31 – The Transfer That No One Wanted
"You failed?" Caroline blinked, looking at Mario with a mix of shock and amusement. "How do you even fail a basic academy exam when you've been studying every night?"
Mario groaned, his face buried in his hands. "I didn't fail. I just… didn't pass."
"That's literally the same thing," Emma deadpanned.
Andrew stood near the window, arms crossed, his expression distant. He wasn't saying much. Not like him at all.
It was only a few minutes ago when the news hit like a thunderbolt:
Mario and Andrew were being transferred.
Not to a detention room.
Not to another course.
But to a completely different academy—on another continent.
Why?
Because neither of them got a passing grade on the Academy's Quarterly Assessment.
Mario flunked the theory part. Andrew?
He wasn't even there. Too busy ending wars.
The Headmaster's office was quieter than usual. The two boys stood at attention.
"Well," the Headmaster sighed, flipping through their evaluation scrolls. "Mario—your tactics were creative, but you forgot the difference between 'pincer' and 'panther.' That cost your squad dearly."
"…I thought I was doing both at the same time," Mario mumbled.
The Headmaster ignored him. "Andrew, you have a… unique situation. You were absent. During the final. Because you were busy 'ending a war singlehandedly'."
Andrew raised a finger. "Technically, I had support."
"From a collapsing wall and a dying wyvern?" the Headmaster asked flatly.
"Still counts."
The Headmaster exhaled deeply. "Regardless. The result is clear. You're both being transferred to Nocturnus Academy—on the southern continent. Effective immediately."
Mario opened his mouth. "Wait, what?! You can't just—"
"You want to go with your friend, right?" the Headmaster interrupted, looking directly at Andrew.
Andrew blinked. "…No."
Mario turned, slowly, his eyes wide.
"…Bro."
Andrew turned away, awkward.
"…No."
Mario punched him lightly in the arm. "He said yes! He's just shy."
"Traitor," Andrew whispered.
"Love you too," Mario smirked.
Back at the dorm, packing was chaos.
Emma sulked on Mario's bed, arms crossed. "I can't believe they're sending you away."
"I tried to cheat off Andrew," Mario confessed.
"That doesn't help."
Sofia peeked in, muttering, "I heard Nocturnus Academy has fire-breathing librarians."
Caroline, still folding Andrew's travel cloak, asked calmly, "So. You failed. And now you're leaving."
Andrew nodded, guilt creeping in.
Caroline's tone sharpened. "When were you planning to tell me?"
"…After I'm halfway across the ocean?"
Her punch landed squarely in his shoulder.
"Yup. Deserved that."
Emma hugged Mario tightly. "Write to us. Or I'll teleport there and stab you."
"Love letters and threats. I'm living the dream," Mario grinned.
Andrew slung his bag over his shoulder. "Nocturnus Academy. Sounds like a vampire castle."
"You're into dark aesthetics anyway," Mario teased.
Andrew rolled his eyes. "Says the guy who tried to pass 'panther blitz' as a real strategy."
The girls stood at the gate as the carriage rolled away, dust rising behind the wheels. They waved until they were out of sight.
Inside the carriage, Mario finally spoke.
"…This is gonna suck, isn't it?"
Andrew leaned back, head against the wooden wall. "Probably. But hey…"
He looked out the window, a rare smile playing on his lips.
"At least we fail together."