The Weapon Mastery classroom, or more accurately, the training hall was located inside the closed stadium north of the fourth building.
Just getting there took us a good ten minutes on foot.
By the time we arrived, I was already annoyed.
Each of us had to scan our academy card at the entrance before being allowed inside, and while I waited my turn, only one thought kept circling in my head.
Why the hell did they put Weapon Mastery right after lunch?
Who was the genius who thought that was a good idea?
Shouldn't we have had something softer after eating?
Something harmless.
Something useless.
Like History.
That way I could at least sleep in peace while pretending to be educated.
Instead, here I was, full stomach and heavy eyelids, heading straight into a training hall where people were probably going to start swinging metal around like lunatics.
The afternoon class right after lunch really was the worst class ever created.
Weapon Mastery was normally supposed to be taught by Walter Celesta, the homeroom teacher of the Dragon Class. But since this was the first session, and it wasn't a true combat lesson yet, just the day we chose and tested our weapons, it had apparently been decided that the class would be supervised by our own homeroom teachers instead.
So that meant Almona, the Basilisk Class's teacher.
And the homeroom teacher of the Phoenix Class.
Once we stepped inside, I had to admit the place was impressive.
The gymnasium was huge, far bigger than a normal classroom had any right to be. The ceiling stretched high overhead, supported by thick beams, and the polished training floor reflected the bright light pouring down from above. Long rectangular tables had been arranged around the edges of the hall, leaving the center wide open. Behind each table stood a man or woman dressed in academy suits or formal uniforms.
Academy staff, most likely.
Or specialists.
Maybe both.
One by one, more of my classmates entered behind us, looking around with poorly hidden curiosity. Some tried to act calm, but it was obvious most of them were excited. Their eyes kept darting from table to table, probably imagining themselves wielding some legendary weapon and becoming the next hero of the kingdom by sunset.
Idiots.
And then, eventually, they arrived.
The strongest members of the [Phoenix Class].
Aurora came first.
My ex-fiancée.
The one who could easily be called the leader of the Phoenix Class, whether the title had officially been given to her or not. She had that kind of presence. The kind that made people instinctively look her way and wait for her to speak. After her came my siblings, Elona and Simon. And finally David Seaven, also known, in my very objective opinion, as AuroraSimp.
David had light blue hair and matching eyes, and he moved with that same confidence that always made people want to punch him including myself. He stood beside Simon, who, as usual, was drawing the attention of half the girls in the Phoenix Class and probably a few from other classes too.
Those four were the pillars of the Phoenix Class.
Every one of them was among the strongest students in our year.
Aurora, especially, was a monster.
She didn't look like it at first glance, not with that calm face and that almost gentle air she carried around so naturally. She looked benevolent, refined and dignified.
But strength-wise?
She was on another level.
The only girls in our year who might have had a chance against her were Layla or Milleia after awakening.
There had been whole debates in the fandom over who was stronger between Aurora and Layla. Nobody had ever fully agreed. Personally, I gave the edge to Aurora. But once Layla went off the rails after that whole disaster involving the idiot prince, she became something else entirely.
A monster.
David Seaven, meanwhile, was around the level of Eric Scarlett, Simon, and Loid Stormdila. Strong, very strong even, though obviously still below Alfred and John.
As for Simon and Elona, they were roughly on par with Ronald, Thomas, or Lyra.
[
I'm getting there, useless Goddess!
I was just thinking just how absurdly unfair this all was.
Our class was clearly below the others.
There was no way any of us could match Alfred, Aurora, or John in raw strength. And even the ones below them were freaks by normal standards.
Sure, Jayden and Milleia were going to become strong.
Very strong.
But not now.
Not yet.
Until then, we were the ones who would suffer, and I didn't like that one bit.
There was no way I was going to let myself get beaten down.
And I wasn't thrilled by the idea of my class getting humiliated either.
I still had my pride.
To hell with the smooth continuation of the plot.
If I could force things toward a happy ending, then I would. Plot integrity could go die in a ditch.
"Where are you going, Lyra?"
Milleia asked when she noticed Lyra quietly stepping away from us.
"I have to greet them," Lyra replied with a small smile before walking toward Aurora's group.
Right.
Etiquette.
Since Lyra was a high-ranking noble, and a lady on top of that, she had to greet fellow high-ranking nobles like Aurora, David, Simon, and Elona.
As for me?
Why wasn't I following her, you ask?
Simple.
I respected etiquette only when it was convenient for me.
Greeting my ex-fiancée, the siblings I had cursed, and my ex-fiancée's pet simp?
No, thank you.
I very skillfully acted as though I hadn't even noticed them.
"Um, Edward… your sister is here," Milleia muttered, sounding bewildered by my complete lack of reaction.
I could feel Elona's sad gaze from behind me.
I ignored it.
"Oh," I said with a shrug. "I don't see her, though."
"How did you miss her?" Jayden asked, confused. "She's right behind you. Look."
Take a hint, Jayden!
I ignored his idiotic honesty and walked toward the front instead.
Naturally, Milleia and Jayden followed behind me like loyal little subordinates.
"..."
How many times did I have to tell them to stop doing that?
The second Lyra wasn't around, they shifted immediately and started acting like I was their boss.
And then there was the crowd.
Again.
Students moved aside to make way for me as I walked.
Who am I? The mafia boss?!
At first, I had to admit, it felt pretty good. It fed my ego.
But now, it was just weird if not embarrassing.
The noisy gymnasium suddenly fell silent when two women entered.
One was my teacher, Almona Donner.
The other was the Phoenix Class's homeroom teacher.
She had blue hair and green eyes, a striking appearance that should have felt lively, but didn't. Her expression was cool and restrained, and there was something naturally severe about the way she carried herself. She was strict with her students, demanding, disciplined, and obviously determined to push her class to the top.
Honestly, I was glad Professor Mona was my teacher instead.
She was strict too, but warm in her own way. She stayed close to her students, spent time with them, and often gave more of herself than she really had to.
-Clap! Clap!
"As you have read on the schedule displayed in your class auditorium, today you have Weapon Mastery," Professor Mona began, her voice clear enough to carry across the entire hall. "However, I would like to correct one detail. Professor Katia and I are not going to teach you the subject itself today. This is Professor Marvin's domain, after all. First, allow me to introduce myself properly to Professor Katia's class, for those who do not know me."
She stepped forward with easy confidence.
"I am Almona Donner, homeroom teacher of the first-year Basilisk Class. You may call me Professor Mona. It is simpler that way. You will also be seeing me often, since I will teach you about Enigma Beasts and artifacts. I do, of course, have a slightly biased opinion regarding my own class, which is, by the way, the strongest class in the academy. Nevertheless, I will do my best to answer truthfully when dealing with the class of my colleagues and friends."
Professor Mona…
I admired her optimism.
Really.
But our class was nowhere near the strongest class in the academy.
Not even close.
If anything, we were probably dead last in terms of overall strength.
"Our professor must have very good eyes to have chosen our class."
One of the nameless mobs from my class said that while flicking his hair like he had just delivered a line worthy of history.
She didn't choose it, idiot.
"Right," another one chimed in. "She must be blessed by Eden to have us."
"We'll crush every other class and take first place."
"No doubt."
"Look, they're already scared."
When I heard my classmates getting all worked up over Professor Mona's obvious exaggeration, I physically cringed.
"They're talking way too big for weaklings."
I heard David mutter the words under his breath.
He looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"David," Aurora called calmly. "If you respond to their provocation, you only prove their point."
Her words spread through the Phoenix group like a quiet order.
And just like that, they all calmed down and refocused on the teachers.
Even David shut down.
Aren't you embarrassed a bit David?
Regardless...
For one brief second, I considered walking over to the Phoenix Class and pretending I didn't know the bums in my own class. The Phoenix students were more disciplined, less embarrassing, and far less likely to bark nonsense at people stronger than them.
Then I remembered Aurora.
And Simon.
And Elona.
And David.
I dropped the idea immediately.
So instead, I stayed where I was and tried my best to ignore the pathetic sneers my classmates kept throwing at the other class, a class that, notably, did not care about them in the slightest.
"Silence, please," Professor Mona said. "Professor Katia, I leave the floor to you."
Professor Katia gave a small nod and stepped forward.
"I am Katia Mayer, and I am in charge of the Phoenix Class freshmen," she said. "I will instruct all of your classes in the use of mana and the inheritances most of you have received from your families. While I may have my own preferences regarding my class's performance, you are all, ultimately, the future of this kingdom. Therefore, regardless of your origin, status, or class, I wish success upon each of you."
Her tone was calm, cold, and perfectly controlled.
"The Royal Eden Academy is the most elite institution in the entire kingdom. You should consider it an honor to have been chosen. I expect you to work hard while you are here. In return, the academy will provide you with the means to secure a promising future. But if you choose the wrong path, then I do not need to remind you that the world is not as lovely as it appears from within our kingdom. In this world, power always takes precedence over everything else. Keep that in mind before making foolish decisions."
"....."
Well.
There went the warm atmosphere Professor Mona had tried to build.
[
More importantly, why the hell did she glance at me at the end?
[
No.
I was almost sure it wasn't.
I had felt that look.
Was I already badly regarded by my teachers?
"Ahem. Now then," Professor Mona said quickly, doing her best to patch the mood back together, "I will explain why we called you all here. I think you're going to like it."
She gestured toward the tables surrounding the hall.
"As you can see, there are several tables around you. The people standing behind them are academy colleagues. Each of them is an expert in one specific type of weapon. Swords, spears, bows, and many others are represented here. You may ask them any question about the weapon that interests you, and they will answer you. If you ask nicely, they may even offer you some advice."
That got everyone's attention immediately.
Even I straightened a little.
"Take full advantage of this opportunity," she continued. "You will not see them often. For some of you, this may even be your last chance."
-Clap!
At Professor Mona's signal, the two classes broke apart at once and moved toward the tables.
The tables that had looked empty from afar were now crowded with weapons of every kind.
Dozens and dozens of them.
Blades, bows, polearms, gauntlets, chain weapons, and things I didn't even want to identify yet.
The hall, which had been orderly a moment ago, filled with movement and noise as students spread out in every direction.
And now…
Which weapon?