I held back a sigh as I traced the words written across the blackboard.
They were nas of battles Setus had fought in the past, battles to unify the kingdom and battles to defend it. They were rather grand battles that shaped history, also known as battles that everyone should already know about.
The instructor spoke gently, his pace unhurried, as if he feared that speaking any faster might cause the room to collapse under the strain. Compared to the tutors back at the estate, this was practically a lullaby.
On that note, the instructor here was a lot less strict than I thought.
He greeted us with a perfect smile, introduced himself with impeccable politeness, and proceeded to completely ignore the student sleeping soundly in the front row. Not even a warning cough?
I thought being in the Honors class would be full of pressure, intellectually demanding, or at the very least, strict. But the scene before shattered that image completely.
“Lady Carine?” a voice called out to my right.
I glanced at Eveliana. “What is it?”
“Are you feeling alright?”
I blinked, curious why she asked that. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“You don’t seem to be paying attention,” she said with an awkward smile. “Your notebook is still empty, too…”
I followed her gaze down to my desk.
The page stared back at , completely blank.
“Huh.”
“Don’t you worry, Lady Carine,” another voice chid in from my left.
It was Lionne, the girl who had seated herself beside earlier. She leaned forward eagerly. “If you’ve fallen behind, you can look at my notes anyti!”
“It’s not that I’ve fallen behind,” I said. “I simply already know the material.”
I had already learned of the battles written on the blackboard in my history and politics classes back at the estate. In greater detail at that. Not to ntion the amount of info I had about them from the countless books I read.
Even so, I would say the history taught here was rather… basic. They were foundational battles that I was taught about even before I touched a sword for the first ti.
“Ah! P-please forgive !” Lionne exclaid, straightening in her seat instantly. “I didn’t an to imply you were slow, my lady!”
“So this is the power of the first-ranked student,” Eveliana mumbled to my right.
I flinched slightly. Even though I already know about the material… I should at least put up an image of an Honors student and try a little, right?
…Then again, there was a student sleeping brazenly in the front row. I wasn’t quite sure what image the Honors class was supposed to have anymore.
Things were different on the other end, though.
…
The entire class jolted awake at the sharp crack of wood against the table. It wasn’t from a whip, but a re wooden pointer stick.
“Let’s begin with so ground rules. I will not repeat myself, understood?!” the instructor barked. Her sharp gaze swept across the room. “Next, I will not tolerate any reckless behavior in my class. Be it sleeping on the desk, chatting with others, or looking away from the board. If I find even a hint of it, you will be punished accordingly. Do you understand?!”
Every neck in the room nodded fervently.
Another sharp crack bood.
“Don’t just nod! Answer properly! ‘Yes, Ma’am!’ Now!”
There was barely a mont’s hesitation.
“Y-Yes, Ma’am!!!” the class shouted in unison.
The instructor seed satisfied. She let the silence linger for a mont longer before turning toward the board.
“Good. Then we can proceed.”
From then on, the class moved at a brisk pace.
One by one, she began listing the various knightly codes we have to follow as knights. Her voice was booming yet clear; she provided definitions for each code and what they ant clearly as well, and every ti she tapped her pointer on the board, it felt like a gun rang off.
No one dared slack off, not after her introduction.
Even if you had the guts to sleep in front of her, I doubt that you would be able to, with how booming every action she took was.
Attila and I were taking notes in silence, and after barely arriving at the class in ti, we didn’t want to garner any more attention than necessary. Around us, the rest of the class mirrored the sa tension. Everyone was on edge, back straight, and I couldn’t even hear a single attempt at talking to another from them.
This tense, strict atmosphere… it felt more like Honors than the actual Honors class.
And yet…
Once again, the lesson felt like it’s more of a foundation building than anything. Sure, the instructor was giving definitions for each law, but it was still basics and simplified.
But for once, it made sense for foundations to be in this class. For commoners like us, it made sense. Many here had likely never received proper training or lessons before this academy. Plus, I was only learning things vicariously through Carine for most of these things.
That part didn’t bother .
What did was the fact that even Honors was receiving this level of education.
The best of the bests, and we started at the basics of the basics… Nothing wrong with that, but for so reason, I had a feeling that this was sothing more than just revisiting the fundantals.
Could the Third Prince’s theory be true? That many families believed education should only begin once their children entered an academy?
If that was the case…
Then Carine was even more of an anomaly than I thought?
—
The bell finally rang, signaling the end of our first classes ever.
Feyt’s class was dismissed as quickly as it began. The instructor left without saying much, but her presence was still felt even after her footsteps faded from the now-busy hall.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief after it finally ended.
Attila and I headed out of the class.
“Man, she’s scary…” Attila mumbled. “I knew the academy was going to be harsh, but this isn’t even the start of it, huh?”
“Probably,” I added. I slowed my steps and glanced down one end of the hall. “I haven’t had breakfast yet, so I’m heading to eat. What about you?” I asked, glancing back at her.
“Hmm. I wanted to et the others from the exam—see how they’re doing and all!” She smiled and took a step back. “Feel free to go on without !”
“Alright then.”
She waved as we went our separate ways.
Now, all I needed to do was head out of class as Carine too.
I was walking down the steps, passing by several rows of desks.
“So, where are we heading, Lady Carine?” Lionne asked.
“Are we perhaps heading for the cafeteria?” Eveliana added.
I nodded. “Indeed. I didn’t have the chance to eat properly this morning.” I paused, considering it. “Though I would like to et up with Villius and the others first.”
Lionne stepped ahead of at once, turning with an excited glint in her eyes. “Then I’ll have my attendant reserve seats and food before everything runs out! Leave it to !”
She was already moving before either of us could respond, her steps quick as she hurried down the staircase.
“She’s eager, isn’t she?” I mumbled.
“She is,” Eveliana agreed. “But she seems well-aning. And at least we won’t have to search for a table. Shall we find our friends in the anti?”
I nodded. “Let’s.”
As we stepped forward, a raised voice cut through the room near the front rows.
“How disrespectful could you be?”
A well-built young man stood rigid near the front row, arms crossed. His voice carried clearly through the hall.
“Sleeping in front of our instructor on the very first day…” He shook his head. “Do you have no honor as a knight?”
His conversation partner was none other than the student who had been asleep earlier. Now standing, he looked barely any more awake than before.
“Tch,” he clicked his tongue. “Mind your own business.”
“How could I possibly do that?” the other student snapped. “We’re in the Honors class. If you keep this up, you’ll drag the rest of us down with you.”
The sleepy student let out a slow breath, rubbing at his temple.
“Stop annoying … Get out of my way already.”
“Annoying? You think sleeping through lectures is acceptable?! You’ll fail the classes if you keep acting like this!”
The sleepy student straightened just enough to et his eyes. The glare he gave was sharp enough to make the other flinch.
This atmosphere felt like a fight was about to break out at any mont. I was ready to either step back or intervene if necessary.
But then, the sleepy student dropped his head with a heavy sigh, dropping the atmosphere along with it.
Without warning, he turned toward the desks and vaulted over them in a single smooth motion, his form briefly correcting itself despite his usual slouch.
“Wha—Hey! Get back here!”
He didn’t acknowledge the call. He headed straight for the doors.
Just before leaving, his gaze flicked back once more, not towards the well-built student, but rather… .
His sharp gaze lingered for a mont too long.
Then he was gone.
I was fairly certain, then, that whatever I had done to earn his hostility, it wasn’t due to a lack of sleep.
…Probably.
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