Chapter 6: Imperial Academy
Personal System Calendar: Year 00012, Day 15-28, Month I: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6857, 15th to 28th day of the 1st Month
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Far Away From Home
At the heart of the imperial capital, Aethelgard, in one of the prestigious academies that trained the empire's future warriors, administrators, and leaders, members of Talon One occupied an entire floor of a student dormitory. They gathered there every day after classes concluded, a small piece of home transplanted into the center of imperial power.
Six members of Talon One had been offered formal education at the empire's expense, an opportunity too valuable to refuse. August had given them permission to seize this chance despite the obvious risks of having key combat personnel away from Maya Village for extended periods. The remaining members of the team had compelling reasons to stay behind.
August himself remained in the village because his master, Grandmaster Miles Daemon, would have come to Maya Village specifically to train him. Angeline stayed because Count Ronaldo Bradmoore, her teacher in the healing arts, was already established at the village after arriving sometime ago. Adam, Hiraya, and Adarna could not make the journey because both women were pregnant, their condition making long-distance travel inadvisable.
That left Erik Rubbard, Bren Anglewood, Betty Snow, Milo Stone, Nina Simone, and Isabel Peerce to represent Talon One at the Grand Solis Academy in the imperial capital. Erik, as August's second-in-command, bore responsibility for the group's welfare and coordination. Nina managed their finances, ensuring they had the resources necessary for any incidental expenses not covered by their scholarships.
They had departed Maya Village in the ninth month of the previous year, arriving at the capital before winter's onset. Now, after months of study, they had adjusted to their new routines and the unfamiliar environment of formal imperial education.
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The Party System Limitations
The six students lived with an unusual awareness that most people in the world did not share. They knew about August's Personal System, the extraordinary power that set him apart from every other person in the known world. Through the Party System that August's Personal System generated, they had access to capabilities that defied conventional understanding: shared experience gains, instantaneous communication across vast distances, the ability to see numerical representations of their own combat capabilities broken down to the most minute of details. These were things that could not be seen or comprehended by anyone, even if they were blessed with the World System.
It was one of many things they had learned to accept even though it escaped logical explanation. They had long since stopped discussing it openly, understanding that revealing August's abilities would endanger not just him but everyone in Maya Village. Knowledge of such power would attract attention from forces that the village was not yet prepared to face.
The Party System had limitations, however. It could now operate within a radius of 2,500 kilometers, previously 1,000 kilometers, from August himself, a range determined by his current System Level of 3. Beyond that distance, party members lost access to their enhanced capabilities. They could not see their Party System Panel or access it for that matter. Nor could they make use of the Party Chat, which was perhaps the most valuable tool of all, allowing instantaneous and untraceable communication regardless of obstacles or distance. All of these could only be accessed once they were within that 2,500-kilometer range.
Here in the imperial capital, thousands of kilometers from Maya Village, they were beyond the Party System's range. They operated solely on their World System levels, the conventional progression that every being, whether warrior, mage, skilled practitioner, normal human, or even beast, followed whether they were aware of it or not.
The difference was noticeable. Most of them had reached levels 43 through 45 of their Party System through conventional means, primarily due to their experiences gained during the Beast Dominion Wars. While those were not their World System levels, the true measure of their individual capabilities when stripped of the Party System Levels, they were still to be considered as Category II (Advanced) Mid to High-Tier humans, with some of them already on the cusp of becoming Category III (Experts) Low-Tier. But when connected to the Party System, both their World System levels and their Party System levels added up, and they received significant bonuses that elevated their effective combat power considerably higher. But one could not take away that they already had the experience gained even if the Party System levels were stripped away. It had already been engraved deeply within their souls.
August, by contrast, had reached level 67 with his Personal System. He did not have the conventional World System Levels that most beings in this world possessed or other systems like they had. He told them that his only showed N/A for the World System. If not given permission to access another's personal information, they would not be able to see it. And since August was the main structure of the Party System, as his Personal System was the one that acted as its origin, they could also see it on the party panel because he allowed his friends to. But the gap between his capabilities and theirs, even with him not having a World System Level, had widened dramatically over the past few years.
Before, when they were connected to the Party System, the shared experience and bonuses partially compensated for this disparity, though August still had a large gap. With it, they were closer to him when they were connected. But when they were disconnected, as they were now, the difference became starkly apparent.
This was not necessarily a bad thing. August had informed them that the World System itself would eventually undergo some form of upgrade to balance such optimization when he progressed to the next Personal System level. He had also explained that there were powers in the world very much hidden from the eyes of the many. Even Master Ben had only learned this truth when he was invited into the Party System and saw the numerical representations of his own considerable abilities.
For now, being disconnected from the Party System served a useful purpose. It prevented them from growing too dependent on August's abilities. It kept them grounded and reminded them that they needed to develop their own strength rather than relying entirely on the advantages his unique power provided.
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Grand Solis Academy
The academy they attended was called Grand Solis Academy, one of the Outerpillar institutions located in Duke Solmane's territory. The designation "Outermost Pillar" indicated that it was one among the eight academies founded in the Outermost Pillar Duchies. There were also eight such institutions in the Middle Pillar Grand Duchies, four in the Inner Pillar Archduchies, and one, yet the most prestigious, in the capital's heart in the Innermost Pillar under the Emperor's gaze.
These major academies were separate from the dukes' and duchesses' private training facilities, which in this instance were the House Solmane's Academy of Architecture for engineers and the Lion's Training Grounds for house soldiers.
Meanwhile Grand Solis Academy was open to the public, meaning both commoners and nobles could attend based on merit rather than birth. Many branch houses affiliated with House Solmane sent their heirs, sons, and daughters here, creating a diverse student body that mixed bloodlines and backgrounds in ways that would have been impossible at a purely noble institution.
The Grand Advisor had been informed of their decision beforehand that they would instead be studying at Grand Solis Academy rather than the one in the Innermost Pillar, the Royal Imperial Academy of Draconis. It had the same structure of learning as the Grand Solis Academy and acted as a public learning institution that people all over Aethelgard could enroll in. Grand Advisor Solomon had originally arranged for them to enroll in that academy. The change had been made at August's request after his "consultation" with Duke Solmane. It was more of them, how should one say it, being poached in that direction.
With the Duke's masterful insistence, a threatening gaze that would not take no for an answer, he had vouched for the quality of the institution and suggested that the more relaxed social environment would be beneficial for students from a frontier settlement who had little experience with noble politics.
The members of Talon One had adjusted reasonably well over the months since their arrival. Their academic interests naturally focused on subjects that complemented their existing skills. Erik studied military tactics and command structures while undertaking magical lessons to improve his Element of Earth. Bren took courses in aerial reconnaissance and beast handling while also improving his Element of Water. Betty focused on how to improve her mastery over her Fire Elemental Magic, not just in theory but also in practical application, of which she had plenty. Fire manipulation was particularly emphasized. Fire was hard to handle, violent in its nature, but it could also be used in peaceful means, just as how one felt soothed when watching a campfire. Fire could also be used in such directions, especially when she considered that she also served as a partial support healer for the team, not as masterful as Angeline or Hiraya and Adarna, whose main focus was support.
Milo studied close combat techniques and the berserker traditions practiced by northern warriors as he had learned from his master, Andy Shoor, who had been a mercenary before. He had mana, yes, but it was null, an enhancement type. Though if he used accessories like the ones they received from the Emperor as a gift, then he could use the elements stored within them.
Nina enrolled in courses on trade, commerce, and financial management. That was her main role for the team, though it had not been said yet, but she wondered if August was preparing them for an eventuality: the day they were to have their established administrative roles in the village, when they would no longer fight on the frontlines, at least for her, that is.
Isabel pursued general combat theory. She was in the same boat as August, so she was an all-rounder. This was the best course for her, and she also studied tactical flexibility training. Because none of them really had any master suited for their individual elements, unlike Betty and August, who had mastered Ben's teachings in the fire category since he was a rare magma user, a unique elemental branch of fire. Meanwhile Isabel possessed the rare type of wood, another branch of the earth element. This was the perfect opportunity for them to learn under masters whose expertise lay in the particular field.
Other than that, they also took on other interests, whether it was through art, music, engineering, or other subjects. They took part in them because they wanted to broaden their views of the world they were living in. And maybe it would come in handy in the village one day. They had clearly been influenced by August's dedication to their community, to always think of its betterment rather than for himself alone. Truly the most noble and unselfish way of thinking.
Through their stay here, they hoped to return to Maya Village during the summer break, when the academy ended its regular classes. In truth, they had been late enrollees, arriving months after the standard academic year had begun. But they had special privileges that allowed them to choose studies outside the normal curriculum.
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The Special Student Program
Their status as special students came with both advantages and its own challenges. They were permitted to join classes ranging from the lowest beginner levels to the most advanced courses being offered at the academy. Their schedules were irregular because they did not follow the standard progression. Their grading system was different from regular students, evaluated on a case-by-case basis rather than against the uniform standards applied to conventional enrollees.
Of course, they were not the only students treated this way. The academy had established the Special Student Program long ago to accommodate unusual circumstances. In one sense, special students were those who had been recommended or who had duties like important noble heirs or soldiers of the empire who wanted to further their education. It was also given to people even if they were not affiliated with or under imperial rule, to those recommended by the Emperor, the Grand Advisor, or the twenty Dukes and Duchesses who were the pillars of the empire. In general terms, they were students with prior military experience, those with rare talents that did not fit conventional educational pathways, foreign exchange students from allied nations, and individuals sponsored by powerful patrons who required flexible arrangements.
August had given them clear instructions before they departed. Master Ben had reinforced the same advice. If they truly wanted their foundations to become solid, they needed to study from the most basic level upward, regardless of their existing skills. They should not assume they knew everything simply because they had practical combat experience or other experiences beyond combat.
Following this guidance, they attended both advanced classes where they could refine their existing abilities and beginner classes where they could fill gaps in their limited theoretical understanding. The approach had proven valuable. They discovered that practical experience, while invaluable, often left blind spots in fundamental understanding. Knowing how to execute a technique perfectly did not necessarily mean understanding why it worked or how it could be adapted to different circumstances.
Along the way, they had made acquaintances and friends among the other students. These connections could prove valuable in the future, establishing relationships within the imperial capital that Maya Village currently lacked, other than their connections with the Emperor and Duke Solmane.
The academy maintained a strict merit-based system within its walls. Noble titles and common birth meant nothing here. Only demonstrated skill mattered. Students who performed well received recognition regardless of their social background. Those who failed to meet standards faced consequences regardless of how powerful their families might be outside the academy's grounds.
This egalitarian approach resonated with the members of Talon One, who came from a village where humans, beastfolk, and intelligent beasts worked together based on capability rather than inherited status.
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Academic Requirements
The requirements for special students were considerably more demanding than those for regular enrollees. They needed to earn twice as many points to graduate to the next educational level.
The academy organized its curriculum into four levels. There were four courses at the basic level, three at the medium level, two at the advanced level, and one graduate level for those who wished to pursue specialized research after completing the standard program.
Special students were permitted to access up to the advanced level but were restricted from the graduate program, which was reserved for students who had completed the full standard curriculum.
To pass any course as a special student, they needed to achieve a general average of B+ or higher. The grading scale ran from A+ at the highest to F at the lowest, with plus and minus modifiers creating gradations between letter grades: A+, A-, B+, B-, C+, C-, D+, D-, E+, E-, and F.
Everything was twice as difficult for special students compared to regular enrollees. They needed twice as many points to pass. Their examinations were more rigorous. Their practical demonstrations were judged against higher standards.
But the privileges were considerable. Their education was entirely free, including tuition, room, board, and access to all facilities. They were not tied to a single subject like conventional students but could pursue multiple areas of study simultaneously. They had access to instructors and resources that would normally require years of standard progression to reach.
Fortunately, they were not starting from nothing. Maya Village had prepared them well. They could read and comprehend complex texts, thanks to the basic and advanced education they had received from Theresa and Master Ben and other literate residents. They had practical knowledge that exceeded most of their peers, including many nobles whose combat training had been largely theoretical and, in a sense, only revolved around sparring matches.
Their combat experience showed immediately during sparring sessions and practical demonstrations. They had fought real battles against intelligent opponents who were genuinely trying to kill them. They had faced beasts that would have sent most academy students fleeing in terror. They understood that combat was not a structured exercise with safety protocols but a chaotic, violent endeavor where mistakes meant death.
This practical foundation gave them advantages in some areas while creating challenges in others. They excelled at anything requiring physical skills or tactical decision-making under pressure. They struggled somewhat with purely theoretical subjects that had no immediate practical application.
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Daily Life
Their daily routine had become comfortable over the months. They rose early, trained together before breakfast to maintain their physical conditioning, then attended their various classes throughout the day. Evenings were spent on assigned studies, practical training, or simply relaxing together in their shared dormitory space.
The dormitory itself was comfortable by academy standards, though modest compared to accommodations available to wealthy noble students. Each of them had a small private room for sleeping, with a shared common area where they could gather, study together, or prepare simple meals when they did not want to eat at the academy's dining halls.
They maintained their connection to Maya Village through letters carried by imperial couriers. News from home arrived irregularly, sometimes weeks or months out of date by the time they received it. They would learn of the status of the road construction projects, the arrival of new settlers, the expansion of the military forces, and eventually August's training with Grandmaster Miles Daemon through these correspondence channels.
Letters from home were treasured, read multiple times, shared among the group. They reminded the six students why they were here, what they were working toward, and what waited for them when they eventually returned.
The imperial capital was impressive, certainly. The academy was exceptional. The opportunities for learning were genuine. But Aethelgard was not home. It would never be home. Home was a village carved into the Great Forest of Lonelywood, where humans and beastfolk and intelligent beasts lived together in unprecedented harmony.
They would learn everything they could here. They would forge connections that would benefit the village. They would return with knowledge and skills that would one day help Maya Village continue to grow and thrive.
But they would return. That was never in question.