Wilt had spent much more time than he intended with the enormous beasts. The terrasix were a lot friendlier than he expected, and he had spent several hours petting them. he was relieved when a teacher came by and relinquished him of his duties. Apparently, the beasts were being raised at the institute and were mostly docile. Terrasix hovered around areas of high Ein density, and Wilt fit that description. It was only natural that the huge hounds took to him so quickly.

The teacher who was managing the creatures was young, and he had called himself Bernard. Wilt actually received an offer to work with the animals, and despite Wilt’s initial fear of the creatures, he had enjoyed his time with them. The teacher didn’t really ask for much, only to spend some time with them and feed them on occasion. Wilt agreed as the offer seemed to be out of good faith rather than need or urgency. A relaxed job like that sounded much more like what Wilt expected to do with his life.

Currently, he was walking to his first class, though he was a bit surprised by the sight of some students crowding the entrance. He saw Alice among the crowd and walked over towards her. She looked much the same as yesterday, except that her hair was tied into a bun. He didn’t really want to push through the other students and figured that she would know what was happening.

“Hey, Alice. What’s going on?”

Recognizing him, she nodded at him before speaking.

“After the announcements this morning, the teachers are changing how the classes work. A bunch of students had their classes moved around. There’s a note on the door that tells students what’s happening and where to go. I’m in class 101, and I think you’re in class 110, I’m not sure though.”

She sounded a little panicked, and he guessed it had more to do with the announcement than the change in classrooms. He hadn’t checked the announcements in the morning, as he had woken up late. He barely had enough time to make it to class and hadn’t bothered with something like the daily announcements. Even when he worked at the library, he rarely checked the daily announcements. Those were usually posted on signs that were erected on the corners of some streets.

“What were the announcements about?”

He said the words quietly, but a few heads had turned towards him at the mention. A boy in front of him was the one to answer, interjecting into their conversation abruptly. Wilt didn’t mind, he liked meeting new people even if he didn’t like big crowds.

“Larkin declared war and attacked a caravan. Apparently, they killed three chanters without suffering any casualties, so everyone is spooked now. I think the classes are going to be more intense.”

His voice was surprisingly deep despite his short build. He had brown hair that could only be described as messy, though the rest of his features would be considered handsome. He had visible muscle and a squarish jaw. If not for his height, Wilt would probably be a little intimidated by the man. However, he couldn’t really be scared of someone who was a head shorter than he was. As Wilt processed his words, he realized that he was still missing something.

“Thanks, but why is everyone gathered here though? Shouldn’t they have left for classes already, and why do some people look dejected? Oh, and I’m Wilt.”

The man looked at Wilt for a second, before responding easily.

“My name’s Charles. The classes are divided by rank. People assume it's based on the results of the entrance exam and some people are disappointed by their placements. If I remember correctly, you would be in class 110, and I think that puts you with the other elites.”

Charles was not a quiet man, and he definitely liked talking. Several people turned their heads at the casual remark, and Wilt could hear whispering and muttering starting. Deciding that was a good cue for him to leave, he started to head to where he knew his room was. When Wilt heard that it was ranked, he assumed that he would be up there.

After heading back last night, he had plenty of time to contemplate the events of the past few days. He came to a few conclusions, one of which was accepting his position. His Ein made him important, and the institute desperately wanted him to remain. It still felt weird compared to his life from a few days ago, but he understood their reasoning now. Understanding his position helped him cope with the sudden shift in his life. His life previously had been mundane, and he planned on living leisurely and inheriting the family library. Now, it seemed like he would study and become an enchanter. While that was considerably more exciting, it was simply something he wasn’t expecting. It was a different direction for his life, but he could adapt to it.

The halls were crowded with students trying to figure out where to go. However, he knew where the room was. He had checked the rooms thoroughly yesterday and had a feel for how the rooms were ordered now. The room he was looking for would be at the end of the hall, usually, any room that ended with a zero would be at an intersection.

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Entering, he was a bit surprised by the structure of the room. He had expected it to be like the others, but the room was very different. Instead of desks meant for two people, the desks here were much larger, and he could see six seats behind each of them. There were only four tables in the room, with two on a slightly raised platform in the back. There was no one else in the room yet, so he just sat down at the nearest table. He moved to the far seat, so that he could lean against the wall if he wanted to. Plus, he wouldn’t need to move awkwardly if the seats all filled up. The room could only fit twenty-four students, so he didn’t think it would feel crowded even if all the seats were filled.

As he sat down, he pulled out his father’s book. He didn’t like leaving things half-finished and would read the whole novel. He hadn’t actually heard of his grandfather’s experience after the war, and Wilt assumed that there would be other interesting stories inside. The class was supposed to start in ten minutes, but he still wanted to arrive early. All he did in his free time was read and getting to the class early would give him some time to do just that. Slowly students started to trickle in, and he glanced at everyone who entered. He didn’t recognize any of the students who arrived early, but eventually someone he knew walked in.

Stella looked as amazing as she had before, and she was even wearing clothing that matched her aunt instead of the dress from before. Her shirt was loose though, and the buttons ran along an angle. It gave off a much more casual feel than the councilor’s clothing. It was a simple design too where half the shirt was blue and the other was green, divided by the buttons. Her hair was tied into a braid, and he noticed that she was talking to someone else.

It was another beautiful girl, though it was ruined by an extremely condescending expression on her face. It seemed like she was looking down on something, but he couldn’t hear what they were talking about. She seemed to be wearing a military uniform. A simple shirt with an overcoat that had a few metal plates embedded into the coat. Even from a distance, he could see wards written along every plate. She had short blonde hair, that didn’t even reach the base of her neck. She reminded him of someone, though he couldn’t place them.

Slowly, his attention turned back to the book, and he stopped his staring. Getting stared at was surprisingly uncomfortable, and he had become acquainted with the feeling over the past two days. He would avoid inflicting that on others, even if he wanted to look. Still, he went back to focusing on the book. He had been reading a story from his father’s teenage years. It was humorous, as his father described his efforts to become a chef and abandon the library. Wilt suppressed a laugh as his father mentioned his failures. Even now, his father was a terrible cook, and meals were usually prepared by his mother or himself. Apparently, his father had hated working at the library for years when he was younger.

“What are you reading?”

Wilt jumped at the words, hitting his elbow against the nearby wall. It felt like his arm was vibrating, and it took a few seconds for the feeling to pass. He hit it awkwardly and clutched his elbow as the odd sensation died down.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He recognized the sonorous voice and turning his head he saw that Stella had taken the seat beside him. However, he didn’t embarrass himself further, the pain managing to keep his mind in check.

“It’s not your fault, I just got too distracted.”

She nodded in understanding and glanced at the now-closed book. He had been holding the cover open and had set it down unconsciously when he hit his elbow.

“Well, it certainly has a creative title. Your father wrote it?”

This did embarrass Wilt a little, and his smile strained as he replied.

“Yeah, my father isn’t great with titles. Though, the book is well written, that much I can guarantee.”

“Hmm, maybe I will have to give it a try.”

She said the words slowly, obviously trying not to say anything mean about his father’s work. That made him smile more genuinely, as he offered a joking retort.

“If you really want to, I do have several copies. My father would be glad to hear that someone is actually reading his book.”

Wilt watched as her expression changed, and he could read the hesitation on her face as she looked at the proffered book. Slowly she moved her hands to take the book but stopped when she met his eyes.

“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

She sounded so indignant, that he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He had managed to properly engage in a conversation, and that was already a victory. Her slightly miffed expression only added to the experience.

“Yup, though it really isn’t as bad as it seems.”

He spoke while pulling the book back. He would read it later and planned on placing it into his bag. Although, he didn’t get the chance and was surprised when the book was snatched from his hands. Lifting his head, he thought Stella had taken it for a second. However, the book was dragged past her and landed in the hands of someone sitting next to her. It was the other girl she had walked in with.

“Are you going to read that?”

Stella sounded truly stunned as she spoke to her friend. The girl opened the book and scanned it briefly, her blue eyes darting back and forth. She spoke while checking the first few pages.

“Why not? It’s something new, and from a unique perspective. My grandfather always wants me to read more books like that.”

Her voice was flat. Not cold or harsh but was disturbingly calm. He just stared at his empty hand for a second, before pulling it back. How had she reached so far? Ein was the obvious answer, but he hadn’t heard any chants. Stella turned back to face him before apologizing.

“Sorry for my friend. She’s Ashley Valda.”

The girl in question nodded at him before sliding the book back towards him. She looked at him for a second.

“You were right it is well written, where can I get a copy?”

She looked at him intently, and he felt like he was supposed to give her the book. Oddly he thought that she was glaring at him. Somehow, she felt dangerous, as her blue eyes seemed to move like little whirlpools. He trusted his instincts and slid the book back.

“Just keep that one, I have more copies in my room. My father wanted me to try and get some people to read it. And my name’s Wilt.”