Sentinel War Academy

Zephyr didn't know what to expect when his father had promised to enroll him at an academy. He imagined a small plot of land on the city's outskirts, where the buildings were run-down and the training facilities worn from constant use. Something humble, perhaps even a bit shabby.

His father had left him an address with a note as well as a uniform he was currently wearing. 

Zephyr stared at himself in the mirror awkwardly.

'Who is this guy?'

The figure staring back at him wore a neatly ironed gray blazer over a crisp white button-down shirt that accentuated his muscular yet lean physique. The blue tie was perfectly tucked in, and the black trousers were tailored precisely to his height. Zephyr looked every bit the proper, polished city boy.

He ran his fingers through his silvery white hair that now grew long enough to partially cover his stormy blue eyes.

'I'm definitely not used to this,' he thought while wearing an expression of resignation.

Zephyr was so uncomfortable he was tempted to strip completely naked on the spot.

He sighed then pulled up the address his father had sent him.

"Damn him, only sending an address," he grumbled under his breath.

Zooming in on the map, he saw that the location was in the middle of the city. To get there, Zephyr needed to take a train and then walk at least fifteen minutes.

Taking one final, reluctant look at himself in the mirror, he packed his laptop into a handheld bag before leaving the comfort of his workshop to the nearest station.

***

Zephyr held onto a hanging strap tightly as he pulled up the note his father sent him to read. The train had just departed the station, and as it was early in the morning, it was quite crowded with other students from various schools and salarymen working in the city.

[Hey Kiddo! Although I'm not sure when you'll be reading this, you finally get to attend a real academy! How's the uniform? Does it fit?]

Zephyr smiled as he imagined the smug face his father wore when writing to him. 

'Yeah. It fits.'

It fit so well it was jarring. 

The sound of a camera shutter clicked nearby. Zephyr turned his head to see two girls blushing and quickly looking away.

"?"

"Kyaa! He looked this way!"

"His uniform is from the Sentinel War Academy, right? I've never seen him before, but I'm sure he's from some rich family!"

The girls squealed excitedly, continuing to sneak glances at him.

Zephyr frowned uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being the center of attention; the only people who frequented the workshop were middle-aged men. Was his uniform drawing too much attention? Or maybe it was his hair. While everyone else had black, brown, or blonde hair, occasionally red, he had never seen anyone else with white hair besides his father.

'Whatever, I'm sure it's nothing.'

He continued to read his father's message.

[You may not believe me, but the academy you're about to enter is the best the Republic has to offer. The Sentinel War Academy, you've heard of it right?]

Zephyr gulped.

There were countless academies on Rusticara. From low ranking ones to mediocre ones, there was one whose name always stood at the very top. He already had suspicions from the high quality uniform he was sent.

[From now on, you're a student there. My friend asked me for a favor for you to be enrolled so don't go wasting this chance. I won't be home for a while, but I'll be sending you living expenses every month. If you need more money, go complete a few customer requests back at the workshop.] 

"We've arrived at Station C. I repeat, we've arrived at Station C." The carriage intercom sounded.

Around half of the passengers got off as Zephyr took an empty seat before new passengers entered.

[Oh, by the way you'll be living in the academy's dorms.]

Zephyr felt his eyebrows twitch as he resisted the urge to smash his comm in annoyance.

'Say that first!'

The only thing he brought with him was his laptop and the clothes he wore. Now he had to go back to the workshop to pick up his luggage. He let out a soft sigh as he turned off his comm. The train doors began to close as it departed again.

Zephyr stared outside the windows behind the seat across as the sprawl of the city came into view. Rusticara was once a prospering industrial planet, however after many of the major companies moved their headquarters elsewhere, the population dwindled. Now the city was home to the majority of the Republic's mech academies. 

The Republic got its name from the unique composition of the air that caused iron to rust faster. While not harmful to humans, it left a thin layer of surface rust on buildings, giving them an orange hue. It was easy to gauge the age of buildings this way, as older structures appeared more deeply colored.

"We've arrived at Station D, I repeat, we're arrived at Station D."

Standing up, he exited the train and began to make his way to the address marked on his comm.

***

Zephyr gazed up at the building casting a towering shadow over him. Situated in the heart of the city, the Sentinel War Academy exuded an imposing grandeur unlike anything he had ever seen. The compound was encased in steel bars, with guard towers strategically positioned every few dozen meters to ensure no unauthorized personnel could enter. The entire structure radiated an aura of power and exclusivity.

This was a place many dreamed of stepping into. Simply attending made you one of the chosen ones. And now, Zephyr was part of this exclusive club.

He stood alone in front of the gates, as expected. It was early in the day, and classes had not yet begun. Additionally, most students were already on campus, residing in the dorms. Zephyr, therefore, stood out quite a bit.

"A new student? You realize classes have already started, right?"

One of the guards approached him, sizing him up with a discerning eye.

"Ah yes, due to some circumstances, I've only just been enrolled. Today will be my first day."

The guard scrutinized Zephyr's expression, as if trying to uncover any potential chance he was lying.

"Go introduce yourself to the dean. She'll answer any questions you have," he finally said after a long pause.

As the gates began to open with a metallic groan, Zephyr thanked the guard and stepped forward, his heart pounding with growing conviction.

'Finally!'

The interior of the academy was no less impressive. Majestic buildings with sleek, modern architecture loomed on either side of a wide, cobblestone pathway lined with meticulously trimmed hedges. Statues of some of the most adorned mech pilots of the Republic stood tall in the center of the campus gazing over nearby students walking by. 

Zephyr walked briskly, his footsteps echoing off the polished stone. His earlier discomfort was slowly giving way to a sense of anticipation and excitement. He could see students walking together in small groups, their uniforms matching his own with expressions exuding arrogance and confidence.

He whistled.

'Now those are real city kids.'

They all reminded him of the student he met years ago. 

He pulled up an academy map as he began to make his way to the administrative building. Soon later, he paused to admire the intricate details carved into the buildings that eclipsed the campus.

If Zephyr didn't know any better, he might've mistaken it for a government institution.

Was this seriously just a mech academy? 

He stepped inside the building cautiously and looked around.

"Welcome, how may we help you today?" The woman at the reception desk called out to him.

"I was told to meet the dean earlier. Due to certain circumstances, I enrolled here a bit late. I was hoping to get up to speed with everything."

The receptionist raised her brow with an odd expression. Enrolling late might've been a common occurrence in lesser known academies, but this was the Sentinel War Academy! Spots are filled to the brim and the chances of a new student enrolling even a week late was practically unheard of.

"Please sign your name here sir. I will call the dean to request a meeting shortly."

Zephyr took a seat on a nearby sofa placed against the windows peering outside onto the campus.

"What now?" He muttered to himself.

Judging from that receptionist's expression, he was quite an outlier at the moment. Enrolling late was one thing, but if they dig into his background just a little bit, they would learn that he was just a lower class citizen who lived on the outskirts. In fact, his education consisting purely of virtual classes will most certainly be looked down upon. 

Zephyr bit his lip nervously.

'They're not going to kick me out if they found out I got in through a back door right?'

Seconds ticked by slowly as he drummed his fingers restlessly on the armrest softly. After what felt like an eternity, the receptionist called out.

"Mr. Vael, please head up those stairs and enter the first room on the right. The dean has agreed to see you."

***

A middle-aged looking woman sat behind the desk, her gaze locked on to the new student who entered her office. She wore a pair of glasses with her brown hair neatly tied into a bun. Her hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined tightly as Zephyr took a seat across from her.

"Zephyr Vael, son of Keith Vael. A good friend recommended you for enrollment, but frankly, I don't see why. Care to explain yourself?"

Her words were laced with obvious sarcasm, something Zephyr detested. 

What could he say though? It's not like she was lying. It was true that he got through the backdoor. 

She slid him a tablet.

"Zephyr Vael, age 14, lived in the city outskirts all his life. No notable background, no notable education to date, and most importantly…" The dean paused.

"...no notable talent." 

Zephyr balled his hand into a fist inside his pocket.

'Don't get irritated. She's only trying to agitate me.'

"I've had my own sources do a background check on you. You are the son of a mechanic, correct? Unsurprisingly also the son of an immigrant."

Her voice wasn't loud nor sharp, but something about it was intimidating.

"Are you planning on kicking me out?" He asked in a soft voice.

The dean raised her brows in surprise before chuckling, "Oh no no, there is no need to do that. After all, if you don't manage to keep your grades in, naturally you will be expelled anyway. With your upbringing, it would actually be strange if you manage to stay."

Silence passed in the office, its presence oddly loud.

"You don't need to remind me of that," Zephyr finally said. "As long as I'm not kicked out from the start, I will find a way to stay. You mentioned I'm from the outskirts, correct? Then you will learn to know that I'm more tenacious than a cockroach. A mere academy won't be able to squash me."

The edges of the dean's lips curled slightly as if she was mocking his sudden declaration.

"Show me what you got then, Zephyr. Don't disappoint me."

She then quickly pulled up a few documents on her computer before turning her monitor for him to see. 

"Let's get to what you came here for. Even after your less than ideal background, you are still a student here. I still have an obligation to tell you what it takes to graduate here."

Zephyr sat up straighter.

"Our academy's highschool division is divided into four years like normal. You will need a total of 28 credits to graduate. These credits are divided into six math classes, four language, four social studies, four science, eight mech piloting courses, and finally two mechanical engineering."

She smiled at him before adding, "This is the main method to graduate. However due to your prior education, I have doubts you will be capable of keeping up with this regimen until graduation."

As much as it pains Zephyr to admit it, but the dean was right. They already had more classes than other academies, but the difficulty here was also going to be higher. If he couldn't pass his classes the first year, he will quickly fall under the expulsion category.

"Since you brought it up, I'm assuming there is another way to pass?"

The dean snapped her fingers.

"Correct. We are mainly a military academy. Do you understand what that signifies?"

"You train soldiers."

"We train the very best our republic has to offer," she corrected him. "This means we also value piloting ability over anything else. At our academy, we have mech piloting courses daily. At the end of every two weeks, we hold mech duels amongst each other while keeping record. Those with the top ten ratios of win to loss are able to move up a grade regardless of their grades."

In other words, he had to be one of the strongest in an academy of elites. No pressure at all.

As Zephyr stared into her dark eyes, he felt shivers run up his body.

"Are we allowed to refuse a duel? Also what mech am I supposed to pilot during these duels?"

The dean rested her cheek on her hand while glancing at him.

"Yes to the first question. If you don't have a mech of your own, our academy has mechs you are allowed to use during classes and duels."

So that's how it was. 

"Any more questions?"

He shook his head.

"Very well. You may leave."

***

After Zephyr left, the dean stared out the window of her office, already on a call.

"How was he?" A male voice crackled through the comm.

"Interesting. He carries himself quite well for a brat his age."

"Gwen, a close friend, specifically requested his enrollment. Please ensure he has the opportunity to succeed."

She scoffed lightly.

"Ingres, you know my principles. Accepting another new student was already bending the rules. Now you want me to help him stay if he doesn't meet the standards?"

Ingres replied after a short pause.

"The way you are judging him is already unfair enough. He wasn't raised in the same environment as all those other students. They've always had the best education since birth, being the sons and daughters of businessmen and wealthy bureaucrats."

"All the more reason why I cannot help him! If he can't even overcome this little challenge, it simply means he doesn't belong here."

Deactivating the comm, she sank back into her seat, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. 

"We have some very interesting new students this year."