I stared at the report card in my hand, scratching my head as to how this came to be. A month had passed since we returned from the second layer, and I spent the vast majority of it learning how to not kill myself and unintended targets with my newfound abilities.
“Ms. Azoth, I presume you don’t have any objections? If that is the case, then I expect you to attend lectures at the House of Aspirants.” Headmaster Iltani’s question turned out to be rhetorical as she shooed us out of her office.
That’s right; with the exception of Magic Theory Fundamentals, which I barely passed, I completely failed everything else. Now I have to take all the courses from the House of Aspirants in addition to the courses I want from the Hall of the Elites, given that they don’t have prerequisites.
“Well, at least we can spend any amount of time taking classes in the Hall of the Elites. No need to rush through the curriculum from the House.” Durreg shrugged, having aced all of the tests.
“Look, I know I didn’t spend any time whatsoever studying, but why is knowledge of events dating earlier than the reign of the gods over the continent relevant to entering the Hall?!”
“You’d be surprised, had you actually studied them. In any case, I am going to go and register for some courses. Remember to go home before sunset so we can attend Aunt Azoth’s lessons.” He said, then walked away.
I sighed, then went to the Hall of Aspirants to see what to do next.
***
Class C, Homeroom: Room 352
…
Kiara Azoth
…
“Looks like I found my class. Let’s go see what all the fuss is about.” I thought to myself, having stared at a large bulletin board in front of the House of Aspirants.
There was a crowd around the bulletin board, with a large variety of people of all sizes, ages, countries, and even races. There were even a few from the Latium Republic, which was outwardly hostile to the rest of the nations and their gods. I stood at a respectable distance away since my draconic vision was not impeded by my human form, spared from the push and pull of the crowd. Not that they had the stats to move me in any case.
As I was about to walk away, a Tameryian teenager stepped in my way, giving me a hostile look.
“What’s the daughter of the ice lizard doing in an academy? I thought you savages were only interested in destroying civilization.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I didn’t miss the sneer in her voice or the insult to mom. A blazing flame of rage threatened to burst out of my chest, but my voice came out colder than ice.
“Listen, girl. I don’t know who you are or what your problem with me is, but if you insult my mother again, I will rip out your tongue and force it down your throat. You will come to find that I will make you eat your words, whether you like it or not.”
She scoffed at my threat.
“You’re welcome to try, monster. I will be happy to put you down myself.”
Was she trying to provoke me into a fight? She’s probably trying to get me expelled. I can’t say I am not tempted, but I am not going to let her pull it off so easily.
“We can go to an arena if you’d like, and I’d be happy to give you the lesson in manners you so desperately need.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
She laughed derisively in response to my offer, and the bulging veins on my temple become ever so slightly more pronounced.
“Unfortunately for you, some of us actually have classes to attend. You’re welcome to fail on your own, but you’re not nearly worth that kind of commitment from me.”
She then walked away, and I finally noticed that people were quietly staring at us and whispering to each other.
“What are you people looking at?” I said with a pointed look at the peanut gallery, who promptly looked away.
Good.
It’s time to go to class. Hopefully my classmates will be more pleasant than that girl, because my patience has already been pushed to its limits.
***
As I opened the door to the homeroom class, I found that I was a little early, judging by how empty most of the rooms were. Most of the desks had name cards on them, where every two students shared a table. I searched for my name and found my seat close to the front of the classroom. It seemed that my neighbor was one of the few who arrived early, although it seemed that she was busy staring a hole into her notebook. She was concentrating so deeply that she failed to notice my arrival as I took my seat.
“Good morning, neighbor.”
No response. Hmm. This should be interesting.
I quickly blew air into her ear, and she yelped loudly as the notebook flew a few heads out of her hand. She struggled to catch it in time, her clumsy attempt pushing it further away, so I caught it for her.
“Hey there! My name is Kiara. Nice to meet you.”
She seemed shocked, then angry as I grinned at her.
“Do you greet everyone you meet like that?! Were you raised in a barn?!” she whispered furiously.
“Actually, I was raised under a rock in the abyss among dungeon monsters.” I said as my grin only grew wider.
She rolled her eyes.
“If you have time to make stupid jokes like that, then I’ll take that as a yes. Now, do you mind giving me my notebook back?”
“Sure, but I’ve introduced myself already. As someone who wasn’t raised in a barn, may I ask you to do the same?”
The girl took her notebook back and sighed, adjusting her glasses.
“My name is Jezibel Hiram. I am Tyrian, and I come from a family of merchants. Where do you come from? I’ve never seen a people like yours before, and I can’t tell where your name comes from. Are you from the Latium Republic’s minority communities or something?”
The classroom was beginning to fill up as the time for class to start was approaching.
“Well, I can’t say where I am from at the moment, but I get the feeling that people are going to find out soon anyway. But! I am happy to be friends with you, if you don’t mind.”
I gave Jezibel the best smile I had. Surely no one can stay upset at my pearly whites.
She stared at me for a bit, then sighed.
“I give up, I can’t figure you out. At least I don’t think you’re trying to pick a fight with me.”
“Sure, sure. Now, can you tell me what we’re going to be doing in this ‘Homeroom’ class?”
“From what I know it’s going to cover general knowledge and miscellaneous information not covered by the other classes that is important for adventurers, soldiers, craftsmen, merchants, and every other classer to know.”
“Classer?”
“People who take their classes to greater heights than the average peasants and serfs. How do you not know this?”
“Well, like I said, I lived under a roc-” as I was speaking, my eye caught the same girl that was picking a fight with me earlier entering the classroom with a gaggle of groupies.
She noticed me as well and we glared at each other until she walked to her seat a few rows behind me.
Great, she’s in my class too.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to Jezibel, who was suddenly nervous.
“What’s wrong? Something on my face?”
“Why were you having a staring contest with Lady Nitocris Sept?! By the gods, of course my neighbor picked a fight with high nobility! She even saw me speaking to you…”
The girl started trembling slightly.
“She’s the one who picked a fight with me and insulted my mother with no provocation whatsoever. So what if she’s nobility? I am not scared of her.”
“You should be!” She seethed at me.
“Nobility can kill commoners like us and no one’s going to bat an eye! If she felt like it, she could ban my family from trading in Tamery, where all our biggest trade partners are! Oh noooooo.” She cradled her head, and hints of tears began to form at the edges of her eyes.
“I’d like to see her try to lay a hand on me. In any case, you can just pretend not to be friends with me if it troubles you this much. Even she isn’t stupid enough to be unaware that we didn’t choose our seats.”
“We aren’t friends, damn it! We literally just met! And when have you known nobility to be reasonable?!”
Before I could continue my conversation with my anxious neighbor, the instructor for the class arrived and immediately spoke loudly, interrupting the classroom’s chatter.
“Good morning, students! My name is Glaukos Adelphius, though you may know me by the name Glaukos of Syressa. You may refer to me as Instructor Adelphius from now on. Now, settle down so that we may begin our first class!”