Chen Erya watched Fu Chunli get into the horse-drawn carriage. She tightened her grip on her satchel's strap, mulling over the day's lesson as she started walking in the other direction.
She traveled to and from school alone every day. Peony had offered to escort her more than once, but Erya had always refused.
Traveling alone gave her peace and quiet, and she used the time to review her lessons, which proved highly effective. Besides, public order in the Weishui Inner City was superb, so there was little danger of anything going amiss.
Chen Erya had only taken a few steps when a roar erupted from the crowd, far louder than the previous hubbub.
"Hm?" The young girl looked toward the sound and saw an imposing, jet-black carriage, escorted by a large retinue of constables from the Garrison Commandant's Office, slowly pulling to a stop at the entrance of Weishui Academy.
