33 New Goals, New Problems (1/2)
Jin
He could barely hear his own thoughts amidst the chattering of the other students, walking to and from the academy. Even though he looked like them, he felt isolated. Alone. He was already sweating.
From the front, the academy was divided into four different structures. One three-story building in the center, tall and proud with a coat of brown that almost looked like natural rust, but was elegantly painted between each window and door. To the right, a large, coliseum-like area. What's that for? He wondered. Right behind that was a smaller building, about half the size of the one in the center. It reminded him of the dorm he had walked out of this morning. To the left, there was a sort of diamond-like place, but unlike the other buildings, this one was painted black, adorned with gold and red frames like what he had seen at the palace, a month ago.
A hand on his shoulder startled him.
”Jumpy, aren't we?” A sultry voice said, one he recognized immediately. He turned around to find a blonde, Elven woman, with sharp eyes and an ever-present smirk looking at him.
”I'm... A little nervous.” Jin admitted.
”Understandable.” Theresa replied. ”But, don't worry. You've faced far tougher things than school, I assure you. Come, I will show you to the Correspondence Board. It'll tell you where you're taking your first class, after you listen to the dean's first day speech.”
Following behind her, they walked inside the center building. Passing through large wooden doors, Jin couldn't quite discern the smell that hit him, but it was pleasant. It was still hot inside, but not as nearly-unbearable as the heat of the sun outside. More students, would they never end?
”Right here.” Theresa said. The pair was standing in front of a board covered in papers, that reminded Jin of the jobs board back at the adventurer's guild. ”The first number is the floor, the second is the room. So, for example, 1-3 would be the third classroom on the first floor. Look for your name. Tell me when you're done.”
”Theresa!” A voice exclaimed from the side, as Jin looked at the papers.
”F-Felicia?” Jin felt Theresa dropping her mask of confidence for a moment.
”Do my eyes deceive me? No, by Charlotte, it's actually you.” Jin took a quick look at the new voice and saw a raven-haired woman with eyes equally as sharp as Theresa's, hugging the Elven woman. Deciding not to eavesdrop though, he decided to try focusing.
He scanned the board until he came across a sheet that read First Years. Beneath it, were some classrooms and names attached to them. It took some time, but eventually he saw one that said:
3-16:
Thomas Thompson
Jessica Neverrine
Iris Spearheart
Tyl Aega
And a few names further:
Jin, of the Order of Black Flowers.
He raised an eyebrow.
”So, did you find your name?” Theresa asked, having finished her conversation some time ago.
”Why does it say, 'of the Order of Black Flowers'?”
”When you are not of noble birth, any titles you own are put in the place of your house name.” Theresa said. ”For example, my name is Theresa Varys, but if I weren't of the Varys family, I would be called 'Theresa, the Dragoncaller' or something like that.”
”Dragoncaller?”
”It's a long story.” Theresa sighed. ”Well, you found your place, we must go to the auditorium.”
Heading back outside, Jin noticed that they were walking towards that coliseum like area he'd spotted earlier, along with a long line of students that ranged from equally as anxious to almost too calm. As they entered, Jin saw that the area divided into a few different sections. One had students who looked as young as Jin did sitting in a group, while another had people who looked more Theresa's age.
”This is where we part ways, for now.” Theresa stated. ”I'll be with the other teachers, to the right. You just take whatever seat is available to the left. I'll find you after the speech.” On that note, she left.
Well, let's get this over with. Jin thought as he moved to where Theresa had directed him.
Most seats were taken. Was I late? He scratched his head. Finally, he spotted one that was in between a pale girl with thin glasses and black hair and a tall Elven boy who was sprawled out, almost invading the space of the other people sitting near him.
He went over there, trying to take a seat, but the boy put his hand over the chair before he could sit down.
”Taken.” He simply said.
”What?” Jin raised an eyebrow.
”I said, this seat is taken.”
”But, there's no one there.” Jin said.
”Are you fucking stupid?” The boy asked. ”Get out of here, unless you want a [Fireball] to the face.”
The girl adjusted her glasses and added to it:
”I suggest you do as we say. Move it.”
Jin felt a heat surging inside of him. He remembered how he'd been insulted when he first arrived to the village, after leaving the forest he was raised in. No, I've gone through too much to take shit like this. He thought.
”No.” The boy raised an eyebrow, like that was the last thing he'd expected to hear.
”What did you say?”
”I said, 'no'.One way or another, I'm taking that chair.” Jin said. To his surprise, some of the other students had been listening to the altercation and as he spoke, a collective gasp came out of them.
”... You really are a dumbass.” A spark of orange appeared in the elven boy's right hand. Jin's eyes widened and just as he was about to create his own [Fireball], a voice cut in.
”Assaulting a friend of the royal family on your first day. Not terribly smart.” An eloquent voice said. Jin turned to find Eliara standing there, along with two men in black mail, weapons at the ready. She wore a white patch over her missing left eye, a permanent reminder of the life she saved in the battle against the Yargoth.
”P-PRINCESS!?” The boy nearly fell of the chair. The girl next to him got off her chair by choice and kneeled quickly.
”Do you not know who this is?” Eliara asked, something about her volume told Jin that she was aware the other students were listening as well. ”Jin, of the Order of Black Flowers. One of the men and women who helped my mother return safely to Nova. His name alone holds more weight than most of your lower noble families. So, unless you want this semester to be a short one, I suggest you cease your actions. Now.”
”I-I'm sorry.” The boy lowered his head. ”Come on, Vel. We'll find another place to sit in.” As they moved away, Jin didn't miss the look of utter hatred the boy sent his way. With them out of the vicinity, Jin asked:
”Who were they?”
”Just your average noble-born students here. Always thinking they're above the rest just because of who they came out of.” The irony was not lost on Jin but he made no mention of it. ”You should be careful. Student politics can get out of hand quick, and you're off to a great start.”
”Why are you here? I assumed you'd be studying up at the palace.” Jin said.
”No, it is customary for the royal children to take classes at the Grand Academy as well, though I take them separately. Still, I do have to attend the first day speech along with the others, so I'm here.” Her cheeks turned a shade of red for a moment. ”I, well, I saw you here and I wanted to say hi. You, uh, look good today. Come, sit with me.”
They maneuvered around different people, all looking at Jin with either a look of disdain or admiration.
”I think you've severely underestimated how popular you are.” Eliara said, having regained a bit of her confidence, as they moved towards a small clearing near the front left corner of the room.
”That guy earlier had no idea who I was.”
”You'll find that he was an exception, not the rule.” Eliara pointed out. ”The newspapers had a field day, or rather, a field month with our story. I barely every go out of the palace nowadays because the applauses and cheers I get when I leave are gonna make me deaf.”
”It's that bad?”
”Well, no, not really. When I came back to the palace, a lot of my mentors treated me with way more respect than they had earlier.”
”Has the queen's view of you changed?”
”We still argue all the time, but I think she understands that I'm not helpless anymore. In the previous years, she'd usually be here with me, just in case someone needed stabbing, she'd do it herself.” Eliara laughed briefly. ”Now, she trusts my guards and my own skills to keep me safe today.”
”It's progress.” Jin replied.
”Yes, it is.” Eliara turned to him. ”What about you? Is anything different?”
”I... I wouldn't know. I didn't spend much time in the village before we went on that mission. The villagers stared at me a lot over there too, I'm almost starting to think it's just a generally, normal thing.” Jin shrugged, and Eliara chuckled a little.
”No, trust me, it's not. But, give them time. Nova will get used to you.”
A voice emerged, one that could be heard throughout the auditorium. Jin searched for the source and found that the only person speaking was all the way in the back of the auditorium. How can I hear him? He asked himself, before seeing someone else, conjuring a sort of green field around his body. Is that a spell!?