As Rovel and the girls finished changing, they found that Hiko, too, had sohow swapped her casual attire for the crisp, authoritative uniform of a St. Freya instructor. The deep red fabric and sharp lines seed to amplify her presence, instantly shifting the atmosphere from relaxed to formal.
"Ahem. Alright, listen up," she called out, her voice connecting with newfound seriousness. "Now that you're all in uniform, playti is officially over."
Her gaze swept over the four of them, sharp and discerning. "For the next few years, you will live and train at St. Freya Academy. You will push yourselves until you beco warriors capable of standing on your own two feet!"
Her eyes softened for a mont as they landed on Kiana. "Whether your goal is to find your family..."
Then, her gaze shifted to Raiden i, a flicker of understanding in their depths. "...or to protect your loved one..."
Finally, her voice rose, encompassing them all in its fiery conviction. "Or for any other reason you hold in your hearts... I want you to rember the motto of our St. Freya Academy." She took a deep breath, her chest swelling with pride, and her voice bood through the room.
"Fight for all that is beautiful in the world!"
The words hung in the air, electric and deep. It was the very soul of this world's struggle, the central the that defined the endless war against the Honkai. For a mont, Kiana and the others felt a powerful surge, a rush of adrenaline and purpose that made their blood sing. They felt as if they could take on anything.
"Bring it on, Hiko!" Kiana's voice was alight with determination, her fists clenched at her sides. "I'll beco an A-Rank Valkyrie faster than anyone in history!"
"During training, you will address by my title," Hiko stated, stepping forward without another word. She gave Kiana a sharp flick on the forehead. "Call Major Hiko, or Teacher Hiko!"
"Ow!" Kiana clutched her slightly reddened forehead, her cheeks puffing out in a frustrated pout.
"And it's not just combat training you need to worry about," Hiko continued, her finger now pointing directly at Kiana. "Your theoretical knowledge absolutely cannot fall behind—and that goes double for you, Kiana."
"Hey! Why single out...?" Kiana muttered under her breath, a rebellious fire kindling in her eyes. She silently vowed to prove them all wrong, to study so hard it would make their heads spin.
"Because Kiana is an idiot," Bronya answered for Hiko, her tone completely flat.
Hiko nodded in solemn agreent. Though they had only known each other for a few days, Kiana's classic 'Paracium' traits were already on full display. Beyond her incredible athletic genes, a gift from the Kaslana bloodline, her academic aptitude was, to put it mildly, a disaster.
"You're the idiot!" Kiana retorted, pointing a finger at Bronya. "Just you wait! I'm going to beco the best student St. Freya Academy has ever seen!"
"Haaaah..."
"You were making such bold claims just a little while ago," Rovel murmured, shaking his head with a faint smile. He glanced at the girl slumped over the desk beside him, a thin trail of drool pooling near her textbook. "But after only one theory class, you're already knocked out?"
'What else can you expect from a Paracium?' he thought with amusent.
The subject was History, and the teacher was... Welt Yang. He was the only male instructor in the entire academy, a man with a perpetually tired expression, stylish glasses, and the air of a world-weary intellectual.
He didn't even spare a glance at Kiana's sleeping form, his voice continuing its steady, monotone lecture on the history of the Honkai.
"Since there's a male teacher, why was Mr. Rovel still assigned to live with Fu Hua?" i couldn't help but whisper, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Because he doesn't live at St. Freya Academy," Rovel replied quietly, propping his chin on his hand as he observed the man at the front of the class.
Rovel's eyes narrowed slightly. The teacher's face seed to have undergone so subtle form of disguise; the lines didn't quite sit right, as if projected over his true features. For the Herrscher of Reason, altering one's appearance was a trivial matter.
At first, Rovel hadn't been certain. But the voice, combined with the na he'd used to register at the academy, was a dead giveaway. This was him. This was the old fox, Welt.
Joachim Yang. When he took the teaching position, he had used his original given na. His birth na was Joachim Nokianvirtanen, but after inheriting the title and Core of 'Welt', he had adopted Welt Yang as his public identity—'Yang'being his mother's surna. The combination was unique enough that Rovel identified him in an instant.'To think the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy would co all the way to the Far East Branch to be a history teacher,'Rovel mused.'Right under Otto's nose, too. Such a casual, brazen bit of undercover work.'As for his purpose, Rovel wasn't entirely sure. The early plot points of the'ga' had been retconned and rewritten so many tis that the original motivations were murky. Perhaps it was to watch over Hiko. After all, Welt had been the one to personally kill Hiko's father, Ryusuke Murata, during the Second Honkai War. When she unexpectedly joined Schicksal to seek the truth, guilt might have driven him to follow her.
Or maybe it was to advance the "Project: Moonlight Throne," but the tiline felt off. By this point, Welt had already been a history teacher here for three years.
Of course, there was always the simplest possibility: he just wanted to find a quiet place to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a teacher.
Whatever the reason, Rovel decided it had little to do with him. Here, Welt was a teacher, and Rovel was a student. It was as simple as that.
Just then, the bell rang, its sharp chi cutting through the lecture. Welt, who had been writing on the blackboard, stopped mid-stroke. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he sent the chalk stub flying in a perfect arc, landing it squarely in the chalk box.
He adjusted his glasses, a weary yet relieved sigh escaping his lips. Then, he announced in a flat tone, "Class dismissed."
Without a hint of hesitation, he turned and walked out, his entire being radiating an unmistakable eagerness to be done with the workday.
[Completed a History Class]
[Classroom Focus: B]
[Classroom Performance: C]
[Gained Experience Points: 800]
Rovel blinked at the notification. He vaguely recalled that back at Chiba Academy, a single class only awarded about 50 experience points. The difference was staggering.
"Mmm~ That was a good sleep!" Kiana announced, stretching her arms high above her head with a satisfying yawn.
"Kiana, didn't you say you were going to be the best student at St. Freya?" i asked, her expression a mixture of helplessness and affection. "How can you sleep through class?"
"Ugh, history is so boring! As soon as that teacher starts talking, my eyelids get heavy," Kiana said, trying to justify herself.
"But during the previous biology class, your head was nodding off too," Rovel exposed her rcilessly.
"You're so annoying!" Kiana shot him a glare. 'Look who's talking!' she thought. Then, her expression brightened, shifting to pure excitent. "The next class is combat practice, right? Finally! It's ti for this lady to show off her skills!"
"Only at tis like this does Kiana get so full of energy," i sighed softly.
"Correction: and when it is ti to eat," Bronya added, her voice devoid of emotion.
"I'll add one more," Rovel chid in with a grin. "And when she's playing gas."
A volley of verbal arrows struck Kiana square in the chest. She clutched her heart, feigning a mortal wound. "Hey! I'm not as bad as you guys say!"
She puffed out her chest. "Just you wait! I'm going to be the center of attention in the next class!"
Kiana started walking toward the door, then stopped abruptly, as if rembering sothing crucial. She marched back and pointed a finger directly at Rovel.
"And you," she commanded, "are not allowed to show off."
"..."
i and Bronya were rendered speechless. How could this Paracium be so transparently petty? Was she already issuing preemptive orders because she was afraid she couldn't outshine him?
"Whatever makes you happy," Rovel replied with an easy shrug. What else could he do? He was happy to oblige. Besides, he wasn't one for grandstanding anyway.
"Let's go, let's go!" Kiana bead, her mission accomplished. She grabbed i's arm and eagerly pulled her toward the training grounds.
Bronya and Rovel followed at a more leisurely pace.
Down in the spacious training hall, students were already gathering. In the center, a familiar figure was calmly directing everyone into neat lines.
"Class is about to start. Everyone, please line up," Fu Hua instructed, her voice calm but firm.
"Why is she the one organizing everyone?" Kiana asked, hands on her hips, her head tilted in confusion.
"Idiot Kiana," Bronya stated plainly. "It is because Fu Hua is our class monitor."
"Class monitor?" Kiana's eyes lit up, a competitive spark igniting within them. "Then she must be the strongest one in this class. Good! I'll challenge her the second class starts!"
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