Aurelius' head snapped up from the book, a spark of excitement igniting in his eyes. Valen glanced up from his own book, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Aurelius.
"Done reading for the day?" Valen asked, a grin forming on his face.
"Yeah, man, my eyes are starting to hurt," Aurelius replied, rubbing his temples. It was still a weird feeling for Aurelius, reading. He had only learned how to read, what, like a month ago? But somehow it already felt natural to him.
"Tell me about it! With time, you'll develop endurance, especially if you come across a book you love. Although, right now my stomach's rumbling like crazy," Valen chimed in, patting his own belly.
"Sounds like it's time for a food break. We could go to the cafeteria and then, perhaps, you could continue to show me around this massive campus," Aurelius suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." Valen stood up, stretching his arms. "Oh, by the way, if you wanna keep that book, you can borrow it from the front desk. Just remember to bring it back within a month.
"I'll pass for now. I'll probably pick something else next time I'm here. I mean, this place is huge." Aurelius said, gesturing around them.
"Absolutely, it's like a freaking maze," Valen agreed, nodding.
With that, Aurelius and Valen made their way back to the library entrance, bidding farewell to the friendly librarian. As they walked through the campus, Valen led the way, pointing out various buildings, sharing interesting tidbits about the academy, and introducing Aurelius to some of their fellow students.
Approaching the cafeteria, the delicious aroma of freshly prepared meals once again wafted through the air. Compared to the morning, the cafeteria was a bustling hub, filled with students enjoying their meals and engaging in lively conversations.
Valen led Aurelius to a table near the windows, looking out at a picturesque view of the courtyard. They grabbed trays and proceeded to fill them with an assortment of dishes.
Over the course of the meal, Valen shared information about the different classes offered at the academy. There were programs for elemental mages, potion-making, enchantments, and a whole host of other options.
Besides the history class he was currently taking, Aurelius thought it made sense to take a rune class, to help develop his Arcane Artificer class. Of course, he didn’t voice this decision out to Valen, but it was something to keep in mind.
Aurelius carefully observed Valen, seated across from him. Despite being a high elf, Valen possessed a rare mop of brown hair and had a slender frame. Aurelius couldn't help but notice how remarkably friendly Valen was towards him, which sparked a hint of suspicion. It was unusual for Aurelius to receive such genuine kindness, particularly from someone of Valen's apparent wealth. This left him pondering whether Valen had some ulterior motive behind his friendliness or if he was genuinely this amiable. It was something to think about.
Lost in his thoughts, Aurelius remained oblivious to Valen waving his hand in front of him.
"Aurelius... hello...," Valen called out, attempting to regain his attention.
Startled, Aurelius blinked and refocused on the present, turning his gaze towards Valen.
"Yeah, what's up?" he responded.
Valen inquired, "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, just let me put this tray away," Aurelius replied, gesturing towards the tray in his hands.
As they walked out of the cafeteria, Valen paused, prompting Aurelius to halt as well.
"By the way," Valen began, "the academy is divided into four quads: north, east, south, and west. The boys' dorms, where we live, are situated in the West Quad, while the girls' dorms are in the East Quad. Your classes will mostly be in either the East, West, or South Quads."
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Valen continued to explain, "The cafeteria, conveniently located in the central area of the campus, serves as a starting point. Just south of it, you'll find the library. Since we're already near the cafeteria and the central area, let's head towards the North Quad, where all the entertainment buildings are."
“There are entertainment buildings? Within the campus?” Aurelius asked, a bit surprised.
“Yeah, you didn’t know?” Valen looked at Aurelius.
“Of course you didn’t,” he said with a shake of a head.
"The entertainment district features various establishments, including theaters, restaurants, and more. There's also a vibrant plaza, where a news crier keeps everyone informed. However, the news lately has revolved solely around the new chosen, but that's expected given the recent weeks. By the way, have you had the chance to see the colosseums?" Valen asked, his excitement mounting.
Aurelius mustered a forced smile, discreetly shaking his head. Internally, his heart skipped a beat upon hearing Valen mention the new chosen.
"No, I haven't," Aurelius replied smoothly, maintaining his composure.
"Ah, we must go see them right away!" Valen exclaimed, practically jogging ahead.
As they approached the North Quad, Aurelius couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. The entertainment buildings looked impressive, adorned with colorful banners and signs, each beckoning visitors to step inside. Even during the break, the plaza was a lively hub of activity, with people bustling about, engaged in conversations and laughter.
Valen led Aurelius through the plaza, stopping occasionally to point out notable spots.
As they made their way further into the North Quad, the towering colosseums came into view. The sheer size of the structures once again left Aurelius in awe. They were vast arenas, designed to accommodate a multitude of spectators, with grand arches and intricate carvings adorning their exteriors.
Aurelius couldn't resist asking, "What are they used for?"
"During the school year," Valen explained, nodding his head, "they are utilized as part of the Tournament of Elites, or some people call it TOE for short."
"Really? What is TOE?" Aurelius inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"Basically," Valen began, "there's a student only school-wide competition that takes place every semester. It's optional to join, but the premise is that anyone can duel in one of the colosseums. Each duel, or battle, you win earns you 25 points, while a loss deducts 25 points from your total. At the end of the semester, the person with the most points receives a reward from the school. This reward can take various forms, such as choosing a weapon from the school armory or receiving a cash prize."
Aurelius interjected, "Wouldn't it be unfair if stronger combatants could simply exploit weaker ones for points?"
"I was just about to explain that," Valen replied, smiling.
"To prevent such exploitation, the Tournament of Elites incorporates tiers. You can only fight opponents within your own tier. The bronze tier consists of combatants with 100 points or lower. The silver tier is for combatants with 101 to 250 points, the gold tier is for combatants with 251 to 500 points, and finally, the platinum tier is reserved for any combatant with more than 500 points. However, reaching the platinum level is quite rare and typically limited to fifth-year students. Even then, only about 20 students out of the entire academy manage to achieve that level each year, making it a highly prestigious distinction. Generally, being able to make it to the silver tier is considered above average."
Aurelius nodded in agreement. The Tournament of Elites seemed like an excellent opportunity for students to assess their progress by competing against their peers. For Aurelius, it could also serve as a means to gauge his own abilities.
“Did you participate last semester?” Aurelius asked Valen.
“Me?” Valen said, pointing to himself. “No way, I am too much of a book worm for that. Besides, it was my first semester in the academy, even average students of the bronze tier would probably be much better than me," he chuckled.
“Fun fact, they used to force everyone to join the Tournament of Elites. You had to battle at least ten times in the colosseum, and if you ended up with a score of -100 or worse, they'd kick your sorry ass outta here. Thank Augustus they dropped that rule, or I probably wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Oh yeah, that reminds me.” Valen continued. "In the Tournament of Elites, you could go up against sword fighters or magic users, or even a combination of both. The academy was all like, ‘in the real world, you don’t get to choose your battles,’ or something like that. Needless to say, it's been like centuries since a mundane sword fighter has emerged victorious."
"I'm not sure what your magical affinity is," Valen glanced at Aurelius, "but just keep that in mind as a helpful piece of information."
Aurelius nodded appreciatively. "Thanks for the heads up. By the way, I don't have any magical affinity. I'm just a plain old sword user."
Valen looked at Aurelius in surprise. "Really?"
Aurelius raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Valen's tone of shock.
“Oops, my bad, man." I just thought you must have some rare magic thing going on since you caught the Headmaster's attention. If you're just a sword guy, you gotta be damn good to make him notice you."
"Sure..," Aurelius replied, giving a slow nod and a smirk. "I'm gonna make my way back to the dorm now."
"Sounds good," Valen chimed in. "I'll join you."
As they made their way back, Aurelius thought over the Tournament of Elites. He would be lying if he said it didn’t pique his interest. He had a feeling there was a new goal in store for him this semester.