Chapter 38: Order Class
The first lesson after the rest day commenced early in the morning.
Taking advantage of the weather not being too hot to bear, the first-year students of the Royal Academy gradually made their way to the training ground, quickly assembling in formation. The area was bustling with a pent-up energy that had everyone buzzing with excitement.
Teacher Melville also arrived quite early. By the time Sarah and I got there, the old man was standing in a clear spot in front of the formation, directing the students from the four towers to adjust their positions, creating a large semi-circle with an empty space in the front, then ordering the students at the front to sit down, those in the middle to squat, and the taller ones at the back to stand.
This was the first formal Order class since the new first-years had entered the academy.
Originally, the curriculum was supposed to be something different. Based on previous years’ experience, the first half of the first year would be filled with lessons on the theoretical foundations of Order, and after students had a solid grasp of the basics of Order Power, the more formal Order classes would begin in the second half of the year. I had received a notification like this back when I first enrolled.
But for some reason, the academy suddenly decided to accelerate the schedule. This meant that some students might struggle to keep up, especially those who hadn’t been tutored by teachers before admission, or those who encountered Order Power later or missed a solid foundation, like Daisy from class 1504. In fact, there were quite a few such students. With the curriculum being pushed forward, those who didn’t want to be left behind would have to put in a lot more effort than others.
Of course, for me, having the schedule sped up was a splendid development.
However, today I found myself seated in the first row by the edge of Ceyran Lake, and it was kind of bringing me down.
We arrived slightly late and should have taken a spot at the back, but when we got there, Teacher Melville noticed us. He merely glanced our way and said, “Hurry up, Peilo can sit in the front row, everyone else find a spot.”
That statement sent me into a three-minute funk.
What made it even more annoying was that even in the front row, the girls next to me were all taller.
It wasn’t until Teacher Melville told us to sit down, when the height difference wasn’t as noticeable, that my mood started to lift.
The bluestone ground of the training area was not very clean, and fearing to dirty my uniform, I removed the scarf tied around my wrist and used it as a cushion under my bottom. I adjusted my dress, sat cross-legged, and adjusted my wide-brimmed hat.
Before long, the crowd suddenly stirred. I turned my head to see four figures slowly walking toward us from the iron gate entrance of the training area.
“Master Aiden! Look, that’s Master Aiden!”
“Miss Lucia, wow—she’s so beautiful…”
“Knight Hossler’s here too…”
“Who’s that…”
“That’s… Mr. Rect! Oh my! The sword that guards the Royal City, the captain of the Sword of Kanli! The academy even invited him over!”
“He’s so handsome! I really like him—”
Hmm?
Rect?
I squinted, realizing the tall, skinny guy at the back looking a bit distracted was the man I had pushed out the window just a couple of days ago.
Why is he here too…
And that spiky, bright “Forgiveness Head” hairstyle? Isn’t that a bit too vibrant under the sunlight?
I rolled my eyes, resting my chin on my hand and listening to the buzzing sounds of those flower kids around me. I yawned, following the four figures as they walked to the clear area, where Teacher Melville stepped forward to greet them. They exchanged pleasantries with bright smiles before standing at the front facing the students in the training area.
The students were still pumped and noisy. Beside me, a freckled girl was staring at Rect with wide eyes, her fists clenched as if she was about to pounce at any moment.
Teacher Melville stepped forward, raised his hand to calm the crowd.
“I told you in the last class, you would see the pinnacle representatives of the Order Power from the Royal City. Now, they have arrived.”
The old man was thin, but his voice boomed across the training field, reigniting the atmosphere. Many cheered enthusiastically, and the freckled girl yelled Rect’s name so loud it broke her voice, prompting Teacher Melville to raise his hand again to restore order.
“You may have heard the names of these four before, but let me introduce them again… Miss Lucia, former Vice Captain of the German Knight Order, now one of the highest-ranking teachers at the Royal Academy, hailed as the strongest female knight in Ethanbel… Master Aiden, the most famous bard of Ethanbel, and a battle master of the Order of Wood…”
“Knight Hossler, captain of the Duke’s Shield Guards, who valiantly held back waves of attacks during the Clive family’s betrayal using powerful Earth power, reputed as the bravest defender of the palace… and, of course, our Mr. Rect. The kingdom’s sword, the highest authority of the Sword of Kanli, and Her Majesty the Queen’s guardian…”
Bravo, bravo, bravo—
Cheers and applause erupted, echoing through the vast training ground like rolling waves. Teacher Melville’s voice was drowned in the noise, and even from my front-row seat, I could hardly hear.
But nobody was paying attention to that.
Even Teacher Melville seemed unfazed.
After introducing the four, he stood tall, gazing at the excited students with a smile that barely showed, waiting for the uproar to settle down.
To his right, Rect was scratching his face, looking around somewhat distracted, seemingly searching for someone. Soon, his wandering gaze landed on me, he blinked and grinned.
What are you looking at, you creep…
I rolled my eyes and shot him a glare.
“Ah, ah, ah! Mr. Rect smiled at me! Did you see that?!”
The girl next to me was really loud…
Everyone was so loud…
The wild cheers continued for nearly twenty seconds.
When the students cried out and got tired, my ears gradually returned to normal.
Teacher Melville spoke again, “I hear you! I hear your respect and desire for power. You are students of the Royal Academy. In the not-too-distant future, some of you will become respected figures, just as strong as they are, but that’s in the future, not now. Right now, you are all weaklings.”
With that statement, the training ground fell instantly silent.
“I invited these four here not to have them give lectures or to showcase their skills. To become strong, the first step is to understand… what it means to be strong. That is the purpose of inviting them here, and today’s lesson.”
The old man paused for effect.
“In other words, they’re here to beat you up.”
“I know some of you are exceptionally gifted, and some have undergone rigorous training since a young age, putting in more sweat and effort than others… You are proud of that. You might think that compared to these four before you, you’re not that inferior, that your gift is just as prominent, and one day you’ll be stronger than them, even feeling that you’re already strong enough to face off against the mighty… Are there any such people among you?”
As he asked this, students began whispering, glancing around nervously, causing a commotion, yet ultimately, no one dared to step forward and admit it.
Seeing this, the old man seemed a bit angry.
“Are there?! Is this generation of students made of jelly? Not even daring to admit your own level? Or is there not one of you, even just one, who thinks that your talent and effort far surpass others?! If you do, stand up! Otherwise, you’re all cowards!”
Wow…
I had never seen this side of Teacher Melville before. I never imagined the seemingly elderly man could scold like this…
“Teacher, I!”
Ah! Someone stood up!
I turned to see a sharp-featured young man… probably in his early twenties, with a face full of righteous indignation.
“Good, courage! What’s your name?!”
“Aivars!”
“Aivars, step forward! Is there anyone else?”
“Teacher, it’s me! My Flame power is strong!”
“Me too! I defeated a dozen mountain bandits!”
“Teacher—”
Several more students stood up.
Teacher Melville smiled.
“Very good, very good! This is how it should be! You are students of the Royal Academy, the stars of humanity’s future, you should not fear challenges! Come, you brave fellows, step forward! Among us, including me, choose an opponent and show them what you’ve got!”
“Pfft—”
Immediately, someone flinched and turned to run away.
“Hey, you! Why are you running?! Come back!”
“Teacher, I… I have a stomachache—”
“Hahahaha—”
The students erupted in laughter.
“Coward!”
“Teacher, I’m not!”
“Then come back!”
“I… fine, okay…”
Eventually, six people stood at the front of the group in front of Teacher Melville, including a familiar face… I thought for a long time before realizing he was the one who bullies Daisy until she cried, and I punched him one time, earning my title as the “Nasal Bridge Terminator.” He was that Ghost Fire Boy from the Rect family… what was his name again?
Oh right, he was later on by Alex and had his leg broken.
Looks like his leg is all healed up now… didn’t he get caught and held hostage by the Iron Guard…? Hmm?
He seems to be sneaking glances at me…
“Good, you’re all good… now, please choose your opponents.”
After Teacher Melville said that, those six began picking their opponents.
“Knight Hossler, I’d like to test your shield…”
“Miss Lucia, I admire you, so I choose you…”
“Mr. Rect…”
The Ghost Fire Boy chose Rect as his opponent and looked back at me after making his choice, appearing quite pleased…?
Is he trying to show off to me?
“They all want to impress Peilo over by Ceyran Lake today…”
Hmm?
That voice came from behind me… are they talking about me?
“I heard that someone had already prepared for today’s arrangements for a long time… that guy Peter, I know he likes Peilo and wants to show her how strong he is…”
“Which guy who went up isn’t trying to impress?…”
“Shh, keep it down… Peilo’s right there… you might get heard…”
“Why are you worried about her…”
“You can’t afford to offend her… there was a girl from the Ahama Mountain tower, she’s a noble lady from the Royal City… a boy she liked confessed to Peilo and she couldn’t take it, so she called a few people to block Peilo… but as soon as she stepped out, she was beaten up. I was there at the scene… she was covered in bl**d… to this day, I still don’t know who did it…”
“We didn’t insult her or anything…”
The whispers between the girls were clear as day.
Tsk…
I pouted.
What to say?
My feelings were quite mixed and embarrassing.
Suddenly, Rect and the others being invited over seemed to turn into little kids throwing punches… or beating up little kids…
Whatever, let’s just treat it as a fun show to watch.
I definitely wouldn’t jump into this mess…
Fighting makes dust fly everywhere, and it’s going to dirty my clothes…
I supported my chin and continued to think while casting a bored gaze forward.
At this moment, the few people who had stepped forward had chosen their opponents, and it looked like Rect and that Ghost Fire Boy were going to be the first to go at it. They stood facing each other at a distance of more than ten meters, while the others stepped aside to clear a space for them.
Teacher Melville stood a short distance away, intently watching the two of them, his right hand hanging at his side, water droplets swirling around as if ready to intercept any rogue attacks.
“Mr. Rect, I am Peter from the Rect family. I’ve had the honor of meeting you a few times; you likely won’t remember me… but after today, you definitely won’t forget me.”
The Ghost Fire Boy’s words sounded humble, but a closer look revealed the confident smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.
Oh~ this boy is quite confident, I have my hopes set on you…
Give it to Rect; knock him out for me!
“Ready? Go!”
As soon as Teacher Melville finished speaking, two bright flames erupted from the Ghost Fire Boy’s palms with a ‘boom.’
“Go Peter!”
“Go for it—!”
The students cheered again, and some yelled loudly, creating an uproar as the Ghost Fire Boy cautiously stepped out with his right foot, bending his knees in stance, his eyes serious and focused, seemingly unfazed by the noise, looking rather impressive.
In contrast, Rect appeared a bit more laid-back, even scratching his ear and beckoning with his fingers tauntingly at his opponent. I saw the Ghost Fire Boy’s eyes twitch obviously, clearly agitated by this, but then he unconsciously glanced my way…
What are you looking at me for?
Hit him!
“Peter, go for it.”
I hope I didn’t get his name wrong…
I raised my right fist above my head and shook it for what I hoped was maximum encouragement.
And then I saw the Ghost Fire Boy’s expression suddenly morph into one of determination.
“Ah—”
He shouted, charging straight at Rect!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The boy moved quickly, the flames swirled around his hands, and in just two seconds, he was right in front of Rect, crouching down, feinting with his left hand, while his right fist pulled back, aimed at Rect’s abdomen amidst the cheers.
However, the very next moment, Rect sidestepped.
Facing the attack, he didn’t even budge his feet; he merely leaned slightly to the left, easily dodging the boy’s full-power fiery punch and taking advantage of the moment when the boy was off-balance to lift his right arm and swing effortlessly.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind rushed in, stirring up dust.
A gale swept across the ground, instantly shrouding both figures in a cloud of dust.
I widened my eyes, sitting cross-legged on the ground, still holding my fist in the air, and watched incredulously as the dust flew toward me with a ‘whoosh,’ not even having time to curse in my mind. I quickly closed my eyes and mouth, holding my breath, listening to the panic-stricken screams of girls around me, feeling as if countless dirty little particles swept onto my face, clothes, and into my neck and hair, all at once feeling like numerous ants were crawling all over me.
cr*p…
That j*rk did that on purpose.
