Ari is in the process of checking out from the place where he has been staying. The checkout process feels surprisingly easy as if someone or something is making it quicker and simpler than Ari had imagined. that or Ari just doesn't understand the simplicity of checking out.
After leaving the hotel, dressed in cadet uniform and carrying his few belongings, Ari walks towards the northeast corner of Mountframe City. His face seemed to brighten a lot that morning, with a wide smile on his lips and a very cheerful mood. Holding an envelope containing a letter and a ring from the Knight Academy, Ari strides lightly toward the bright future he envisions.
Ari recalls the ring in the envelope and starts to imagine its purpose. Initially, the ring seemed unremarkable. it was crafted from a material that resembled iron and adorned in a muted brown hue. it was also adorned with a very small gem placed in the middle of a very small and intricate rune engraving.
The rune engraving is crafted to resemble the symbol of the Knight Headquarters of Mountframe, with a sword and a mountain in the background, although it is still quite clear that it is not the actual symbol. Ari thinks that the ring might be some kind of identification or physical proof that he is a cadet from the Knight Academy of Mountframe, but it would be very strange for an identification mark to involve runes or other magical inscriptions. Ari decides not to wear the ring and waits for a logical explanation from the Knight Academy of Mountframe.
On the way to the Knight Academy of Mountframe, Ari meets Leon. She is also wearing her cadet uniform, carrying a bag of clothes on her back, and holding an envelope in her hand. When they meet, both of them can't help but exchange big smiles.
"Both of you are smiling like idiots. Hahahaha!"
Alma suddenly appeared from the side of the road. Just like Ari and Leon, he was also wearing a cadet uniform, carrying a bag of clothes on his back and an envelope in her hand. Ari and Leon just turned their heads towards Alma and flashed their widest smiles, causing Alma to couldn't help but eventually join in with a big smile along with his two friends.
"We're like the trio of idiots now. Hahahaha."
Leon chuckled at herself and her two friends before giving a signal to continue the journey. It was almost six in the morning and the Knight Academy disliked cadets being late even for a second. With a little panic, the three of them immediately started running as fast as they could while avoiding the city folks who were starting to come out and get busy.
Ari had the most difficulty running through the busy city streets. More than once, his large body almost collided with a horse-drawn carriage or a stall owned by the townspeople. In one incident, Ari even truly crashed into a cabbage vendor, sending the vendor flying several meters into the air. Fortunately, Leon, who was more agile than the three of them, managed to jump and catch the vendor, saving him from danger. The price Ari had to pay was five minutes of his time to apologize profusely while feeling the cold sweat dripping down as his time to arrive at the Knight Academy was approaching.
Luckily for the three of them, they managed to arrive at the Knight Academy five minutes before the designated time. With their breaths panting heavily, the three of them walked towards the south field where the new cadets were lined up neatly, waiting for further instructions from their instructors or seniors.
The Mountframe Knight Academy is a castle-like building but on a smaller scale. The main building of the Knight Mountframe Academy is made of mountain stone arranged with a special adhesive material, making every wall and floor of the castle very strong and tough, capable of withstanding powerful magical attacks.
The main building of the Mountframe Knight Academy is divided into ten floors, followed by four towers as tall as three stories, each at the four corners of the building. then there is another small palace-like building in the middle between the four towers. In addition to the main building, the Knight Mountframe Academy has two large fields located on the north and south sides of the building, serving as the main location for the cadets' physical training.
The Knight Mountframe Academy is also surrounded by high walls made of the same stone used in the main building. These walls encircle the entire Knight Mountframe Academy grounds and two dormitory buildings on the east and west sides of the main building. Simply put, the Knight Mountframe Academy grounds appear like a long rectangular shape with two large protrusions in the middle on the right and left sides.
Ari and his two friends joined the ranks, taking the rearmost position of the three closest rows to them. The trio tried to calm their breaths while waiting patiently in their respective rows, attempting to look serious and disciplined on their first day.
A senior cadet approached Ari, Alma, and Leon. The senior cadet gazed at the three of them alternately with a very stern and menacing look, as if to convey that his words could make the three new cadets experience difficulties during their time at the academy. Unfortunately, the senior cadet had a stature that was not very tall or muscular, making him look adorable when near Ari and resembling a child throwing a tantrum when near Alma, who had a very athletic body.
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Only when near Leon did the senior cadet appear more authoritative, albeit because Leon kindly refrained from showing her angry face which could make local troublemakers think twice before causing any trouble.
Fortunately, the senior cadet only gave them a stern look and then left the three of them. Ari, Alma, and Leon breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the senior cadet walk away, eliciting silent chuckles from their peers.
Shortly after, a man in white armor with sky-blue accents was seen walking up to the podium. The man had a very friendly face with a welcoming smile, possessing a beautiful angelic-like face that spread lovely smiles to the new cadets. The male new cadets appeared astonished and impressed by his charisma, while almost all the female new cadets seemed to fall in love at first sight.
"Welcome new cadets to the Mountframe Knight Academy.
Greetings from me, the Head of the Mountframe Knight Academy and one of your instructors.
My name is Sir Oliver Poisonlake, delighted to meet all of you."
Sir Oliver showed respect by slightly bowing, indicating that he truly values the cadets as important individuals. He then proceeded with his speech, emphasizing the importance of training and expressing his joy at the arrival of the new cadets.
"I want you all to know that even though senior cadets currently guide you, this academy does not adhere to seniority. The academy values strength and intelligence over the order of your joining year, so if you feel pressured by seniors and have the power to stand up, feel free to challenge and defeat your seniors.
Of course, if any conflicts arise among cadets, there will be consequences, and bullying will not be tolerated. However, we all know that you are a group of enthusiastic young individuals, so go ahead and give it a try, let's see who lasts longer.
Hahahhaah."
Sir Oliver concluded his speech with a reassuring statement half-heartedly as if he was not interested in saying it and only doing it because it was necessary. After that, Sir Oliver stepped down from the podium and some senior cadets began to organize the new cadets, directing them to their assigned classrooms.
Ari waved goodbye to Alma and Leon, a sign of farewell and a code to meet again if the opportunity arises. He then walked along with his classmates towards a classroom, taking a seat slightly behind and sitting neatly, eager to learn about becoming a knight.
However, it seemed that there was something else interesting happening for Ari.
A teacher calmly entered and took his place at the front of the class. The teacher took out a piece of paper and began reading it aloud so that the whole class could hear.
"To the cadet with the letter explaining about the Special Class, please stand up and move to the class on the second floor."
The teacher did not mention the name of the cadet who needed to move, but Ari understood that he was the one referred to by the teacher's words. Without hesitation, Ari stood up and gathered his belongings to then leave the class for the second floor. Along with Ari was another cadet he did not know. Ari did not bother to introduce himself to this cadet because they would end up in the same class anyway.
Walking to the second floor, Ari found a teacher standing in front of a classroom waiting. Ari approached the teacher to inquire about the Special Class he had to attend.
"Excuse me, sir, is this the Special Class?"
"Yes, please come in. The class will start soon."
Ari entered the class and found Alma and Leon waving at him, inviting him to join them at a table they had prepared next to the left side of Leon, while Alma sat on the right side of Leon.
Ari quickly approached his two friends and sat in the chairs they had set up. He chatted and greeted his friends and asked about the class they had previously entered.
Ari entered the Special Class, which was in the shape of a semicircle, with tables and chairs arranged to face the front where the teacher would take their place to teach the class. The cadets could use the tables that were directly embedded into the floor to write, then sit on their wheeled chairs so that they could easily slide without making any disturbing noise.
Ari placed his belongings under the table and looked towards the front of the class, as a teacher entered wearing a neat suit resembling that of a nobleman.
"My name is Carl. I will be teaching a general topic that covers anything beyond physical training and knight theory. Feel free to ask me anything anytime, and I will do my best to answer your questions."
Teacher Carl had a very ordinary physical appearance. There were no special features in his body shape or facial appearance. He was neither ugly nor handsome, his voice was neither high nor low. Teacher Carl was the kind of person who wouldn't attract a second look even if he passed right in front of you.
"Alright, now I will distribute leaflets with your names on them. Since I don't know your names yet, and it's probably unnecessary for me to know each of you individually, please find the leaflet with your name on it. You are aware that you will be called cadets during your time at this academy, right?"
Teacher Carl produced a stack of papers out of thin air, impressing the cadets including Ari. Ari knew it was one of the uses of a magical tool, but he couldn't guess which magical tool it was or how it worked.
"The leaflet you are currently distributing contains the location of your rooms, your roommates, and your schedule.
As cadets of the Mountframe Knight Academy, you will spend most of your days training physically and enhancing your combat knowledge. However, you will have some free time that you can use for rest or self-study."
Ari has found his leaflet. Ari's room is located in the east dormitory building, on the first floor at the far end of the first corridor. Ari will share the room with Alma and Leon, along with another person named Flowy.
"Now, for the final and most important topic for today before you can go search for your respective rooms.
Starting today, you will receive a Power Seed and a Technique Book."