"Huff...huff..."
Standing at the side of the empty training ground, there was a boy with black hair and eyes holding weakly into a sword. His chest puffed up and down heavily with each breath, and sweat drenched him.
"Ha!"
Tup.
He swung his sword repeatedly at the dummy, aiming straight at its straw-filled head. Each time, the dummy only let out a muffled, hollow sound from his weak strikes.
He was Julian. It was still early in the morning, hours before class even started. Because of the wonder medicine, his body was burning throughout the night. Finding it incredibly hard to sleep, he decided to use that time doing something useful.
Well, not that he had seen any improvement yet. He only found out how impossible it was to move his body as he liked.
[Julian Swordshards]
State: Unawakened.
Importance: None.
Fate: 10
After using the Affinity Altar, he found a new line under his name. Also, by focusing on that line, a new row of text formed.
Affinity:
[Riamis(18)]
[Cilafje(42)]
[Maria(34)]
[Gerangti(22)]
[Banamia(12)]...
Fortunately, he managed to increase Cilafje's affinity. Even if it was just by one point, it was better than none. After all, he only had around 30 percent chance of succeeding per vial.
"Whoa, I've never seen you here before... Don't you think it may be a little too late?"
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind. Turning around, he saw someone coming up to him. He had silver hair and eyes that greatly reminded him of the moonlight hidden behind the clouds. If he recalled correctly, that was one of his classmates. He remembered seeing that guy fight, and his sword was truly remarkable for his age.
[Varius Moonvines]
State: Arcanist(1st Gate)
Importance: Low
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Just thinking a spear would suit you better."
"What do you mean?"
"Your stance would look more natural with a spear."
"Is that so?"
He kept swinging down on the dummy. The hollow thud of the sword kept ringing inside the training ground.
"It is so."
"That's good to know, but I have decided to train with a sword," Julian said through a jagged breath.
"Train? You are just swinging it around, my friend. When it comes to the sword, technique topples everything. Well, spear too."
"You are wrong."
"... How so?" Varius asked after a long pause.
"Once you reach a certain point as an Arcanist, techniques... became nothing more than just a futile concept."
"..."
"You will strike with a moon, and your opponent will deflect it using a star. How do you put your foot and at what angle? Haha..."
Throughout his previous life, he had heard people repeatedly say that before absolute strength, nothing matters. He had only realized how true that sentence was at a later portion of his life.
"I guess you are right. Perhaps that's why the Academy removed swordplay class for the upper grade."
[+10 Fate]
Julian stopped swinging his sword. He gazed at the kid beside him.
"Julian, have you joined any clubs?"
"No"
"Every student needs to join one, don't you know that?"
"This is my first time hearing that."
"Well, you are welcome. Join our club, Xedion is with us too."
"...I am in."
He desperately needed those Fate. He had already confirmed that actively interacting with people with categorized importance, even if it was at low, could trigger the system to reward him.
A place where he could have an additional interaction with Xedion and Varius, he did not want to let that opportunity slip by.
Tunggg. Tunggg.
The bell of the Academy rang loudly, and the scheduled life of the students started. Like the rest, Julian found himself in the class before the first period began. But different from the previous day, someone was already seated beside his seat.
"Good morning, Xideon."
"Ah, good morning, Julian," Xideon greeted back.
"Are you going to sit there?" Julian asked, looking at Xideon, who was sitting beside him.
"... I have a favour to ask, " Xideon said as he looked around cautiously.
"What is it?"
"Yesterday... can you keep that a secret?"
"Sure, I will."
[+20 Fate]
'Ouh, that's another medicine.'
"Really? I-I really appreciate it..."
"But, I have a condition," Julian said, wiping off the smile from Xideon's face.
Xideon did not say anything. He only looked and waited for Julian to state his condition.
"Sit next to me from now on."
"Excuse me...?"
The morning class felt to have proceeded extremely quickly. He was never the smartest, but not the dumbest either. Faced with the basic math, he became so bored that he fell asleep. Fortunately, by then the wonder medicine's effect had worn off, making his sleep greatly comfortable.
Before he realized, it had reached the recess period, marking the end of the academic classes.
"Haaa..." Julian yawed with a gaping mouth.
"Haha, you really slept well, even with the teacher sitting in front of us. "
"Is it not a good thing?" Julian answered to the new owner of the rightmost seat.
"It is a good thing," Varius said with a laugh.
"Varius, we will be using the same training ground, right?" Xedion asked as he was tidying up his books.
"Yes, the third one."
Just like Xideon, the boy who had taken the last seat at that table also destroyed the spider golem the previous day. The only difference was that he did it without any partner or Arcane. He did it purely with a wooden sword.
"Um, you three," a gentle voice called out from beside.
They turned around, only to find Millian was fidgeting as he smiled awkwardly.
"Teacher Hatta called for you three. He is waiting in the next class."
Go meet the teacher. The three greeted the teacher.
Teacher Hatta handed them each a white document.
"The results are out. You may take a look."
'Year Advancement Application' was written on the front page of the document. Other than that title, Julian was already familiar with that white file. It was something that struck fear into the hearts of many students.
Glancing at his two classmates, Julian opened the file.
Math : 100
History: 100
Language: 100
Basic Arcane Theory: 100
Combat Theory: 100
On the left side of the report were the marks for his academic classes. Impressively, all the subjects were marked with 100s. It was a beautiful sight to see. However, the right page was not too pleasing to the eye.
Basic Combat Drill(Individual): 23
Basic Combat Drill(Group): 68
"The good news is you three passed, and are eligible to advance to the second year," teacher Hatta said with a bitter smile.
The three kept silent, waiting for their teacher's next words. They all knew the teacher before them would not have that gloomy expression if all he wanted to inform them was that.
"However, it will be impossible for that to happen as of now."
"And why is that?" Varius interjected almost immediately
"Because of the recent attacks, the Academy has been experiencing a severe lack of personnel. There is just no one available to take charge of your new class."
"So you are telling me everything we had done just went to waste?" Varius said with a mocking smile.
"I apologize, Varius. I know you may be displeased, but the same applies to everyone else."
Julian heard a clear sound of tongue clicking from the kid beside him. He also heard clearly the curses muttered under Varius' breath. It was clear that he was not accepting the news well.
Julian looked at the white file once again. He had thought the original Julian had nothing going for him. It appeared that he was wrong.
In the Academy, there is an option for brilliant students to skip into the upper grade. Before the second term of the year, if students took a test for the year advancement and passed, they will be eligible for the option.
The tests were never easy, as it will encompass everything in the syllabus. It was their proof of having no need to stay and learn with their peers.
Julian, in his previous life as Hauyne, had only skipped a year throughout his academy life. For the original Julian to achieve that kind of achievement in the first year was truly amazing.
'He was really smart, huh?'
While the combat classes test was not too good, his academic prowess seemed to be nothing to scoff at.
"Do we have to attend classes like usual, Teacher Hatta?" Xedion asked, breaking the awkward silence in that classroom.
"Unfortunately, you have to."
"That's unreasonable."
"I can arrange a meeting with the Principal, if you wish."
"...Can't you do anything, teacher? I am fine just by joining the existing second-year classes."
Teacher Hatta let out a long sigh. Just like his students, he also did not like the decision from the Academy. He also believed his three students deserve to advance to the next year, as they would be benefiting more in the second year classes. But, he truly had no more say in that matter.
"Please forgive me, " teacher Hatta bowed slightly.
"...I will excuse myself first," Xedion said while turning away.
Clicking his tongue, Varius also left the room.
"..."
"Do you also have dissatisfaction? You may say anything."
"No, but can you please tell me how I got these marks for my combat tests?"
"Haha, that's what you are concerned with? How good if those two are like you...," teacher Hatta laughed. Wiping his tired eyes, he continued, "For the individual combat class, you only managed to graze your opponent's clothes before getting eliminated."
"Your group combat was excellent. You successfully led your troops and occupied your opponent's base. But, your lack of participation was not too kindly looked upon."
'So, it was a duel and commander drill...'
"I see. Thank you, teacher Hatta," Julian said as he excused himself.
"You are welcome," teacher Hatta uttered with a soft chuckle.
Julian bowed to the young man before him before excusing himself. Perhaps it was because he had just taken over that body, but he could not shake off the strange feeling of treating someone so young with such respect.
"Wait."
Just as he wanted to step out of the classroom, the stern voice called for him.
"..."
"The test at the end of this month... please prepare accordingly. Remember, failing another combat test will get you expelled."
"...There is a test in two weeks?"
"Sigh, I told you not to be too wishful with the advancement... You should know, even if you ran away to the second year, there are bound to be combat tests there."
He was still not too clear about what Hatta was saying, but from the way the teacher worded his sentence, it appeared that the original Julian's main goal of advancing was to avoid the upcoming test.
"Teacher, do you think I will pass?" Julian asked after short contemplation.
"No"
"Can you please tell me what we need to do in that test?"
"You know I cannot."
"Teacher, can't you help me just this once?"
"Tch, I heard that more than five times already....," Looking at the frail child, Hatta said with troubled expression. He continued after a long contemplation, "The spider, you have to take that thing alone."