The following days had Jacob maintain a slow but fruitful routine. The magic classes were still in the introduction phase and Professor Howard had told them that practical magic were not gonna be taught for at least a month from now.
A few summative exams were held regarding previous lessons but it wasn't anything Jacob couldn't take care of.
Literature was going well and he started to understand and write a few characters though he couldn't get the grammar right. It was only then that he had realized only a small few of the sponsored students could even read let alone write.
Sword Training was a bit repetitive, while most of the noble children were lazing around with a little bit of training, except for Dominic, Medea, and Alaric. The sponsored students were forced to swing the swords everyday until they were able to hold it properly, as what the instructor said.
History was a little more about the start and current state of the empire. Since from what Jacob could tell, the first month was all about introduction. Another assumption Jacob made was that this was the first formal school any of the sponsored students have attended.
It had stayed like this for nearly three weeks now. Not a lot of things happened as of late, besides his glances still being caught by Medea whenever he tried looking at the other students, and Dominic was a lot more focused training his sword every time it was the Sword Training class. Jacob couldn't quite tell but he was certain a few noble children were giving a disdainful look every once in a while. Which leads to a cycle of him looking at them and then getting caught by Medea. Strangely, nothing yet has happened.
Today was the day Jacob was going out to meet with senior Magnus, who he met every morning on his daily run. Magnus had promised him a tour around the city of Arlum, a little bit of familiarization with his current home base.
But right now at this instance, Jacob was procrastinating a bit. Laying down on his bed, looking at the status window. By now he was sure that this thing couldn't be closed, he tried a lot of things but just couldn't effectively hide it. Not like anyone could see it anyway, and it doesn't even have any collisions with anything so he mostly kept it behind his head since it orbits around his face.
[ Status Window/ Skills/ - Task
Weekly:
(Resets in 1 days, 18 hours, 15 minutes, 58 seconds)
[ No Pain, No Gain!: Exercise daily every morning for four days(4/4). (Reward: Claimed! )]
[ Time to put the Glasses on: Study for an hour everyday for four days(4/4). (Reward: Claimed! ) ]
[ Sharpest Tool in the Shed: Practice your swordsmanship and magic for an hour everyday for four days(4/4). (Reward: Claimed! ) ]
Progressive:
[Noob Experience: Unlock 5 achievements(4/5). (Reward: 5 stat points) ]
Sudden Task:
( None ) ]
Jacob was looking at his task bar, in contentment from doing the dailies of today. Right now he was thinking of what to do for the up coming 'Festival' that he knew Murphy's law will have fun messing with.
Should I dump all of this down evenly?
[ - Status Window /Skills /Tasks
Condition: Normal
Health: 120/120
Mana: 400/400
Class: False Caster
STR: 7
INT:10(+10)
DEX:4
AGI:7
END:6
Available Stat Points: 12 ]
His stat points did went up naturally as he did his exercise. Perhaps it was a reflection of his physical capabilities. But if he, for example, placed a hundred stat point into strength, would he look like a world time body builder or a strong man? Does that just automatically change his appearance?
'What to do... what to do...'
He had agreed to meet senior Magnus at the academy gate at around noon, possibly at twelve or one. Jacob had originally planned to set off at eleven but seeing the clock was already at eleven twelve then he might as well go there at twelve thirty.
With that ease of mind, he was contemplating what he should put his stat points on. Is it wise to do it one at a time? Everything at one? Dump it to one stat? Make sure to evenly spread them? Or simply use them when the time rises? Jacob was left to wonder with his mind in the clouds regarding the situation.
'You know what, fifty-fifty.'
Jacob took the book on his desk, he didn't have anything else so he decided that a book might as well do the same thing a coin does.
'Front cover will make it so that I spread it evenly across all the other stats, Back cover I hold off until I need it.'
With that Jacob threw the book up. Let fate decided what to do, he was after all a man of chance, or that's what he likes to call himself.
The results were astounding. The book fell flat on the ground with its pages open. It was neither the front nor the back but the center of the book.
'So much for fifty-fifty...'
Deciding on a middle ground, Jacob spend half of the points into spreading them out evenly, the other was held off.
[ - Status Window /Skills /Tasks
Condition: Normal
Health: 122/140
Mana: 402/420
Class: False Caster
STR: 8
INT:11(+11)
DEX: 6
AGI:8
END:7
Available Stat Points: 6 ]
'That should be fine, right?'
Jacob looked at the clocktower through his window. It was eleven eighteen.
'Alright, probably should just go now. I might just accidentally doze off and extend it to twelve if this gets going.'
Jacob was wearing his regular uniform. He didn't really have anything else to wear beside this. Maybe he'll find something cool or useful out in the city. Though he doubts it with a pretty large event about to happen.
— At the Academy Gate
"You looked like you just woke up."
Jacob had jogged towards the gate, it was only a ten minute jog from the dormitory.
"We'll I was planning of sleeping in when its Sunday."
"Sunday?"
"The seventh day of the week."
Magnus stood up from where he was waiting.
"Most of us city folks usually call that Senth."
"Good to know. Anyway, you look like you were waiting, did I keep you for long?"
"Not necessarily, I was just catching my breath from all the running around I've been doing a lot lately."
With Magnus taking the lead, the went through the Academy Gate without much trouble. Jacob noted that either students can just walk in and out during Senth or Magnus was just a regular escapee they didn't bother with anymore.
"What have you been up to lately? You're usually not on your regular spot every morning. Found another area to spy on?"
"You make me sound like a creep!"
Jacob raised an eyebrow.
"You aren't?"
"I am a critique! I have class and standards."
Magnus made an exaggerated action of being offended.
"Yeah, right. No matter how you cover it up, its still the same thing."
Being cornered, Magnus made a coughing motion.
"Ahem We shouldn't dally about the useless mundane idle chatter. Today, I'll be dragging you across Arlum!"
While Jacob did want the expedition around the city, he couldn't help but be curious what Magnus does. He was a second year student after all.
"What do you usually do anyway, besides you know..."
Magnus rubbed his chin for a while, thinking about what to answer to Jacob.
"Can't tell you."
It was a short answer that made Jacob all the more curious.
"Come on, man. I'm dying of curiosity here."
They had now made it to the crossing district. The area where the Academy, the market district, the upper district, and the lower district converge.
"I guess to put it simply, I'm more an errand boy for someone."
Curiosity gnawing at Jacob again, he asks.
"Does it pay?"
"Oh, you would not believe!"
And now Jacob was interested. A part-time wouldn't be bad right? It could land him a nice pretty allowance that the sponsorship doesn't cover and it might look good on his resume.
"First of, let's head to the market district. There's mostly everything you'll ever need there."
With Magnus taking lead, Jacob followed a step behind.
"How's the academy life been?"
"More or less good."
It was the same as his previous college years minus and plus a few luxuries.
"Have the nobles been acting up lately?"
"Not really... Most of the time they just give a weird stare. Unsettling but nothing I can't ignore."
Magnus chuckled slightly.
"That's good to hear. The Golden Prince and Sword Prodigy are in your classes, right?"
"Prince Alaric and Dominic?"
"Yeah, those two. They're pretty brutal when it comes to injustice."
Jacob knew they were 'noble at heart' via the trailers and ads marketing. He just didn't really understand what that meant. Do they stand for righteousness like fantasy heroes? Or are they lawful good aligned people?
"First I've heard of it."
"Wouldn't surprise me. You probably never heard of the rumors in high society but those two can be pretty uptight when dealing with the unfairness and discrimination the other nobles do. With them around, I'm sure none of them will make too much trouble for the sponsored students."
"Ah, really..."
Jacob took a mental note. He's never really face hostile discrimination before but it'll be a first.
"What you should look out for are the likes of Rosalia Fae Garrant and Morott Hugh Garrant. Those two are the aren't exactly problematic but their entourage are one of the most uptight bunch."
"There's been words going along the halls talking about some sort of disciplinary action or whatnot. I heard a Garrant was behind it?"
"Ah, that's the most recent incident, no?"
"From what I've heard, yeah."
Magnus simply shrugged.
"Haven't really gotten around lately to hearing it about. The one I know was from some dumbass that accidentally ran onto on of Morott Hugh a week ago, there's been a lot of buzz about that lately."
Jacob gotten closer, a walked lot more invested in the conversation.
"Was it a sponsored student?"
"Surprisingly, no. Most of them have been behaving quite well. And you better make sure that you don't cause any trouble."
Jacob made a dry laugh with how often he met gazes with Medea. It would've been nice if they were lovey-dovey eyes but they were the ones that would most like bore through your head.
"Anyway, this here's the market district. Well go through them one by one, just walking through unless something catches your eyes. We'll start with-"
BOOM
An explosion cut Magnus off. There wasn't any smoke rising from anywhere but the shockwave of that was enough to cause a few people to panic.
Jacob was pushed down Magnus, with his hands covering Jacob's head.
"That didn't seem like an everyday occurrence."
Jacob joked, Magnus face was a lot more serious that a few moments ago. His eyes squinting and thoughts completely unreadable.
"Let's postpone our tour for now. You remember your way back, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Good. Then I suggest you go back to the academy, we'll do this another time."
With almost like a flash, Magnus was racing off through the panicking crown. Faster than Jacob could even react.
"Fucking..."
He didn't know what to do here, this was for all intended purpose, something Arcanium Game probably had in the plot, Jacob assumed. To either return back the academy or go after Magnus was a choice he didn't know what to do.
On one hand, surely he didn't need to intervene since there was prince Alaric which was the hero of the story. And a story was destined to already have a good ending... but on the other hand, if alternate timeline events from Pleiades Assault has taught him anything, its that small changes in the world could cause major twists on how the story would progress.
In times like this, Jacob felt overwhelmed. Not at the situation but the scale of everything. Will this small change affect the bigger play or will it be naught?
Ding ding
In front of him was a coin, dropped by probably a running and panicking citizen. Faced with chance, Jacob picked the coin up and tossed it into the air. When it landed, the side with a crown was at the top.
'Heads'
With that Jacob moved opposite to the crowds flow. He didn't know a lot of things but he knew a few things about explosions. That powerful shockwave could've meant one thing.