Chapter 17: The academy

Once inside, Lukeas followed the crowd and arrived at a massive arena where he saw a familiar scene: a large group of commoners had come to enlist. They were gathered in a corner, with some looking hopeless or ashamed, while a few held their heads high with pride.

After hesitating for a bit Lukeas finally decided and slowly approach that same corner. Attracting quite a lot of attention from the nobles and the commoner. "Heh.. See? He only got a good clothes!" the man from earlier chuckled with his friends as they eyed all other commoners in the corner.

Most nobles here was looking at the commoner group with contempt, disgust, hatred. And only a few with indifference and much fewer, with respect. And a man that looks like the same age as Lukeas was looking at everyone both nobles and commoner with excitement and respect. He wore a clothes similar to a military uniform with a black and red color. "Another commoner who wants to challenge and change their life!! How wonderful! Having that gut to join a place filled with people who hates you is surely admirable!" he said brimming with enthusiasm.

"Those silver spooned bastards will ostracize us if you continue like this," said the other man to his twin, both dressed alike and sharing the same face, but with one filled with indifference and depression. The enthusiastic twin laughed even harder. "Don't worry, it's not just me who'll be outcast, it's us! We're twins, hahaha." The gloomy twin covered his ears and muttered, "Let me out of this hell."

Nearby, a girl and a boy were standing together, both of them dressed in crisp white outfits. The man's outfit was quite similar to the one worn by the enthusiastic fellow from earlier, except that it was colored in a magnificent combination of white and gold instead of black and red. As for the girl, her face was veiled, but that didn't stop her from intently observing a nearby group of commoners.

Despite the veil, her curiosity and interest were plainly visible in her focused gaze. Sensing her fascination, the brother leaned closer and whispered, "You seem interested in those commoners, sister."

The girl didn't respond immediately, but her eyes remained fixed on the commoners as she mulled over his words. Finally, she turned to face her brother and replied, "Yes, I am curious about them. I want to know more about their lives and their struggles. They are our people, after all."

The brother nodded understandingly, then followed the girl's gaze back to the commoners. For a moment, they both stood in silence, lost in thought as they pondered the lives of those who lived beyond the walls of their own privileged existence.

Suddenly the girl spoke "I've only heard about them in the kingdom's status reports, so this is my first time seeing them," she said. "Their appearance can be deceiving, sister. Some are worse than beasts because they'll do anything to survive in their society at least that's what I've heard. But let's focus on the principal now. He's here," he said, shifting his attention back to the stadium.

With that said a man with a dull black robe slowly walked up the stadium, and the murmurs and the noises in the surrounding slowly died down as their focus shifted to the man in front. The man have a dangerous air on him even Lukeas sharpened senses with years in the dark forest was having trouble just to keep him self standing. He could feel his knees going weak under the man's gaze alone.. 'Fuck... That sounds so wrong' he chuckled weakly. While Lukeas was barely managing it. Other nobles and commoners started falling on ther bottoms while the other flat out faint..

But surprisingly more nobles fainted more than the commoner.

And the man with black and red uniform was doing much better, he was still standing tall and doesn't seems to show much reaction. "Hoh.. Is it because of the rough environment they experienced daily that more of them hold out?.. Interesting!".

The principal's eyes glinted with a fierce determination as he gazed out at the sea of noble faces before him. He had been given a solemn task - to reform the academy and restore it to its former glory. And he knew that he could not afford to fail.

With a deep breath, he began to speak, his voice ringing out through the hall like a clarion call.

"The king has noticed a decline in our kingdom's power," he said, his voice low and measured. "For too long, the academy has failed to produce students of the highest caliber - and this has led to a weakening of our nation's strength."

The man's words were like a spark, igniting a fire in the hearts of those who heard them. The nobles sat up straighter, their eyes gleaming with a newfound resolve.

"From this day forward," the man continued, his voice growing stronger with each passing moment, "the academy will be reformed. No longer will mediocre students be accepted. No longer will bribery and corruption be tolerated. The weak will be weeded out, and only the strong will survive."

The room fell silent as the man spoke, his words carrying a weight and authority that could not be ignored. For a long moment, no one dared to speak - until finally, one of the nobles rose to his feet.

"What will the new rules be?" the noble asked, his voice echoing through the chamber.

The man's expression hardened as he answered. "The rules will be simple," he said. "You will be pushed harder than ever before. The training will be harsh, and the risks will be greater. But the rewards will be commensurate. The strongest among you will rise to the top, and they will be rewarded with power and prestige beyond measure."

The man's words were like a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down before those who heard them. And with each passing moment, the atmosphere in the room grew more intense, more charged with a sense of purpose and destiny.

"The only rule," the man said, his voice dropping to a low growl, "is that you must behave when you are in class. You must show respect to your instructors, and you must not disrupt the learning process. Beyond that, anything goes."

For a long moment, the room was silent, the nobles absorbing the full weight of the man's words. And then, one by one, they began to rise to their feet, their faces set with determination.

"Listen carefully, for those who do not possess the necessary fortitude to withstand the rigor of our academy, I strongly urge you to depart this place immediately. This will be the final chance to leave, for once the doors close, there shall be no escape." As the ominous words echoed through the hall, the nobles who once basked in the safety of their parents' embrace trembled in fear and fled like rats scurrying away from danger. Despite their haste, there were still over a thousand souls left to face an uncertain and ominous fate.

Looking around at the remaining people, the principal's lips curled into a small smile. However, the expression did not ease the tense atmosphere, and to some, it only made his already serious face even more intimidating. He paused for a moment, allowing the silence to build anticipation, before he spoke up, his voice echoing across the stadium.

"Let me tell you all something. The king seems to be adamant about increasing the kingdom's power. As such, most of us here have assumed and come to believe that something big is about to happen. And if you survive the academy, I am certain that you will be able to face whatever challenges come your way. Because I am the one who has planned this training course, and I know that it will prepare you for what is to come."

His words hung in the air for a moment, and the students exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to expect. Then, the principal's gaze swept over them all, and with a final nod, he announced, "So, with all that said, let the test begin!"

As he turned and walked away, the students remained frozen for a moment, the weight of his words heavy on their minds. Some were breathing heavily, their bodies tense and ready for whatever lay ahead. Others couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, grateful that they had made it this far. And still, others fell back from exhaustion, having already endured the principal's menacing aura for far too long.

Lukeas, one of the students, couldn't help but feel a mix of apprehension and excitement. This was the academy, and from what he had heard, it was going to be a grueling journey. But he refused to let fear hold him back. "So this is the academy, huh? Sounds like a huge pain in the ass," he thought, but then he shook his head, determination shining in his eyes. "No pain, no gain," he reminded himself, ready to face whatever lay ahead