ERIC and I left the salon and headed to the classroom before lessons started.
“Good morning, Your Highness (and Master Arius)!” came a chorus of voices when we entered the classroom as our classmates came over to us. The ones greeting me mainly were girls. Many of the boys clearly kept their distance from me. Ragnus, the son of Duke Crawford, was a member of the faction supporting Eric and kept a sharp eye on me. He didn’t like that I talked so casually to Eric. I guess the other nobles didn’t like it either, but who cares what other people think?
“You always look so confident, Arius,” whispered one boy as I took my seat.
“Yeah, I could never be like you,” remarked another.
They were Ash and Rhein. They were some of the few commoners in the Academy, who made up only twenty percent of the student body. I started talking to them just ’cause they sat near me in class.
I guess the noble students basically ignored them since they were commoners. They were surprised when I first started talking to them. Eric interacted with all students without discrimination, and the nobles fell in line with that, but only when he was around.
“You two shouldn’t worry about the idiots who think they’re high and mighty just because of their status,” I explained. “You can just tell them you’re fed up with their crap.”
“No way, I don’t have the courage to start a fight with the nobles,” replied Ash.
“Yeah, who knows what’ll happen if we do that…” muttered Rhein.
“Rank doesn’t matter here in the Academy. If anyone gives you a hard time, I’ll deal with them,” I said.
Ragnus came over to us, glaring at me. Maybe he didn’t like what we were talking about. “Hey, Arius, don’t get full of yourself just because you helped out during the attack in the dungeon! It’s our duty as nobles to protect Prince Eric. You didn’t do anything special!”
Rumors that I defeated the cleaners had spread far. Because Eric had spread them.
“I haven’t gotten full of myself. I’m the same as always,” I countered.
“Which is because you always have a bad attitude! Arius, you need to stop this nonsense and learn your place!”
I was used to Ragnus complaining about me. It was a pain to deal with him every single time.
“Ragnus, could you leave things there?” said Eric, cutting into the conversation with his usual refreshing smile. “You immediately lose your cool when it comes to Arius, but hearing you speak ill of him also makes me unhappy.”
“Y-Your Highness, I didn’t mean to…”
Ragnus shuts up when Eric tells him to. I appreciated that it ended an annoying problem, but…
“Hey, does this mean…?” whispered a girl.
“No way, are Prince Eric and Master Arius…?” whispered another.
Hey. I can hear everything you’re saying.
Some of the girls were blushing and staring at Eric and me with intense curiosity. I was sure they were imagining some inappropriate things.
“Everyone, class is about to begin. Perhaps we should wrap this conversation up here?” Eric announced to everyone, including the whispering girls. Ragnus’s shoulders slumped, and he returned to his desk just as the bell marking the start of class chimed and the teacher came in.
✦ ✦ ✦
THE Academy had four hours of classes in the morning and two in the afternoon, and school was held five days a week, from Monday to Friday. I attended at least four days a week, but only in the morning. Well, I mean, I attended class. I didn’t say I did anything more.
“It is estimated that the Holy Kingdom of Brisdan has provided more than 20,000 troops as a member of the Hero’s Alliance.”
“The forces provided by the Francesca Empire will be led by Second Imperial Prince Luke Fuentes.”
During class, I was reading a book I’d borrowed from the library while sorting through the information I received from my informants around the world as they sent me Messages. Information gathering was a fundamental skill for adventurers, after all.
I was paying these people a decent sum of money, so their information was reliable. Still, I always got information from at least two sources to back up what I was told.
Just like Eric had said, things were starting to move with the Hero’s Alliance. I was positive they were going to begin their attack on demon territory in the near future.
“Arius Gilberto, what are your thoughts on this?” came a voice.
I was in my third-period class when the teacher called on me, his tone cold. He was a thin, balding man in his forties named Joseph Franklin. He was considered an authority on history in the Academy.
The classroom fell silent as students all turned to look at me, tension in the air.
I’d been reading a book hidden behind my textbook, but it seemed Joseph had noticed. Well, I was clearly the one breaking the rules by working on my own things in class, so I wasn’t about to argue with him.
“The answer is clear if you consider it from a historical perspective,” I articulated. “Ever since the Crisis of Ronaudia eighteen years ago, there has been an increase in the number of people who view the demons as our enemy, seeing as Ronaudia had taken a neutral stance toward the demons ever since the kingdom’s founding.”
I answered the question without a problem. The topic of today’s class was the hero’s fight against the demon king 300 years ago. The question Joseph asked me was why Ronaudia hadn’t joined the war effort. I could take on more than a thousand monsters at once in an extreme-difficulty dungeon. My mental processing was honed and used to multitasking, allowing me to still listen in class while doing other things.
“Even after that,” I continued, “there is evidence that Ronaudia has retained its neutral position toward demons. Despite the fact that we border demon territory, we hadn’t had a single conflict with them until the Crisis of Ronaudia. This is in contrast with all other countries bordering the demon country, which have seen intermittent conflicts with them. After the Crisis, the king decided it was caused by a single faction of demons working alone and that the kingdom would not retaliate. All of this shows that Ronaudia has a neutral relationship with the demons. Or rather, we’ve maintained a friendly relationship.”
My classmates were astounded. Not a single one of them thought I’d be able to answer since I wasn’t paying attention. Only Eric seemed to think this was to be expected.
I’d learned about the history of this world. You can’t see things for what they are now if you don’t understand the historical background.
“…Good,” said Franklin. “Your interpretation is not wrong, Arius Gilberto. However, I’m sure you’re aware that how you apply yourself in class is less than admirable.” He was maintaining his cool, but his shoulders shook as he glared at me.
“I understand what you’re trying to say, Mr. Franklin, but I don’t see the problem if I was able to answer the question.”
I wasn’t trying to pick a fight, but I also didn’t intend to back down. Honestly, fully engaging with the classes here in the Academy was a waste of my time.
“If that’s how you want things, Arius, then fine, but remember what you just said!” he snapped like he was trying to have the last word.
It looked like he was going to be calling on me a lot more in his class, but all I had to do was answer the question.
Eric seemed to be chuckling to himself because of Franklin’s attitude. About half of the female students were looking at me in admiration, while the other half, along with Ash and Rhein, were looking at me with concern. Most of the boys looked fed up with me or annoyed. But whatever, they’re allowed to think however they want.
However, I might thank the people who cared enough to be worried about me later.
✦ ✦ ✦
ONCE fourth period finished, it was time for lunch. That was also the end of my classes for the day. In the afternoon, I’d be diving back into the Citadel of Ancient Gods.
“Arius, I’ve invited everyone to my salon for lunch. Would you like to come as well?” asked Eric, but Ragnus and the others would be there. Eric needed to support Ragnus since he was part of his faction.
“Sorry, Eric. I’m eating in the cafeteria,” I said, and went to leave the classroom just as the door slammed open with a dramatic bang! An attractive, untamed-looking student with burning red hair and tan skin came in.
“Ah, my best friend! Let’s go have lunch!” he greeted.
This overbearing guy who calls me his best friend was Vern Lenning, the Third Imperial Prince of the Great Granbride Empire. As a prince, he also had his own salon and had been eating lunch there until recently, when he started coming with me to the cafeteria if he had time.
“Do you always have to be so loud, Vern?” I asked.
“Don’t be so nitpicky, Arius. I’m starving. Let’s get to the cafeteria!” he cheered as he tried to put an arm around my shoulder. I stepped out of the way like this was standard.
“Vern, stop that. You’re going overboard.”
“What? Don’t be so cold, Arius!”
Not getting the hint, he tried to put his arm around my shoulder again. I ignored him and walked out of the classroom and down the hall.
“How cruel! Wait for me, Arius!”