Homecoming

If the Nebula Royal Academy is the sword that slays enemies, Saint Nova is the crown that guides the Kingdom. This is how the two establishments which were the pride of the nobility were described.

The Nebula Royal Academy had a breathtakingly beautiful setting, looking more like a castle than an academy, compared to that, Saint Nova was heaven on earth.

Walkways paved with flagstones of different colors, flowering bushes lined up like servants greeting their masters, and the walls and corridors were decorated with precious stones or statues, it was not a school, it was a jewel.

Dora had started classes at Nebula for almost a month now and was enjoying all the benefits of his new life, but this sight was putting a damper on my smile.

"How much? How much is all this worth?"

He came from a place where children followed their parents in their daily work to help them get enough to live another day and prepare for their future, his sister and he could not go to school because the only one there had closed the doors for a long time due to lack of funding.

He often thought that the kingdom was very poor, but just looking around him felt like he had been hit with a hammer. But he didn't have much time to think about it, his hair stood up and my arm stretched like a snake, deflecting an object that was about to collide with him.

The thing crashed nearby, leaving a mark on the ground, ground probably more expensive than some countries. his eyes narrowed for a second, then he realized the nature of the threat.

"Ouch... You got me, huh? As expected of you."

Smiling, Hope stood up, rubbed his shoulder, and looked at Dora. At first, the Avatar wasn't phased, but then Dora realized that the land he had just destroyed might really be worth more than a country.

He turned his back on him without a word, which was not to his liking.

"Hey, what is this? You can't leave me hanging like this, I've heard a lot of interesting things and now I'm very curious."

He walked towards Dora but before he could say another word, a bolt of lightning struck him. He fell painfully on the ground and looked behind him, then they saw each other again.

"You idiot!!! What did I say about watching your manners in this holy place?!"

"B-b-but master... I was just... It's for the council..."

"Fool!!! We have already decided on an order of action, don't make your own decision!"

He hit him in the head and lifted him up by the collar. Behind them, were Iris, Barron, and the young girl with pink hair, accompanied by around twenty individuals.

For this event, they were wearing the same outfit, a black military uniform so he could say for sure that some of them were from the council, but what really bothered him was Thomas' lightning attack.

"I couldn't sense it in time...Is the gap still this big?"

No matter how talented or hardworking someone was, they would never stand a chance against a biologically superior opponent. The realization was very boring.

Iris patted Hope and whispered something to him, he then sighed and walked towards me.

"I... Huh... I apologize for attacking you, it was very inappropriate and it won't happen again... today. So, no hard feelings?"

He held out his hand to Dora, who was stunned by his audacity. Apologizing for attacking him was one thing but he attempted to shake hands with the person whom he ended his friendship with. Dora slapped his hand without hesitation.

"It would be fair if I tried to kick you and you dodged, but I don't waste my time anymore, so get lost."

"... Huh?... Oh, so you want to play this game? You think I can't dodge your kick?"

It was enough for Thomas to call his ward to order with a powerful blow to the head, sending him to bite the dust.

"That's it, you won't keep me away for the day again! Miss Lisa, you are the D-rank student representative so keep that in sight too."

"Um, hello, it's your disciple."

"I know, but you also have your responsibility so deal with it."

The girl named Lisa groaned, crossing her arms, and eventually, met Dora's eyes.

"What are you looking at? Get in line like everyone!"

Dora wasn't up for a fight today, but two people reminded him that violence was always the best shortcut.

Iris called everyone to order and they were now grouped into ranks. In Dora's group, there was Agiel, Sunnah, Walter, and 2 unknown boys in Dora's memory. Strangely, everyone seemed to keep a certain distance from him.

Iris, as leader, gave a speech on the image of the academy and the moral weight of Saint Nova. Following this we separated and headed towards the academy.

Behind, the entire group of Iris was discussing, Thomas observed Dora's movement and then turned to Hope.

"Hey... Are you two still in cold?"

Hope looked at his former comrade and then sighed.

"Some... Thing like that? He must have held a grudge because of what I said that day."

"I don't want to barge into your business, but since you were friends for a long time, shouldn't you try to fix it?"

"I tried... But it's not easy, not like I was completely wrong, I just wanted him to take this seriously. I regret destroying our relationship..."

Barron made a noise with his mouth and walked towards the main building, glaring at Hope.

"So at the end, you're just a wimp all bark, no bites and you're going to apologize to someone weaker than you. I really wonder where you found the balls to call me your rival."

He walked away, under the gazes of the other members of the council. Thomas shook his head.

"I wonder how you deal with him, Miss Iris."

"He's not so bad when you learn to know him, Cid only respects power so you just have to beat him up a little."

"I see, masochism."

"... Maybe you're hanging too much with Hope too." She laughed and turned towards Sunnah.

"Do you think you can get through this?"

"I'll...Try my best."

"I know you can do it, have faith in you."

Sunnah took a little breath and walked forward. Meanwhile, Dora arrived at the entrance of the main building, Midgard giving him advice from time to time.

"You need to stand out just enough to be chosen by a noble as a knight, but not so much that you attract the higher-ups, those would be problems. Keep that in mind, we want a toad, not a princess."

"Roger that, so what's your recommendation for the synergy with Beta? Me or Gamma?"

"Honestly, I would like it to be Gamma, you are morally opposed to Beta so I wonder if this won't give a neutral result, but I don't feel like dealing with him afterward so..."

"Alright, Me and Gamma then. Let's do it."

Dora put a first step into the marvelous building and opened his eyes, offering to the world a new combination glowing in green and orange.

"Synergy: Beta-Sigma"