Alan sat in the class and was looking around to observe everyone present there. He sat in the room's corner as he didn't want to catch people's attention too much. Gunther was sitting beside him and noticed that he was looking here and there.
"I know it feels strange on the first day," He mentioned. "Don't worry, you will get used to it."
Alan was more impressed as he found Gunther smarter than the children his age. He nodded with a smile.
A man entered the room who seemed to be the lecturer. His frowned face was giving a dangerous vibe as if it said that don't go near him. Alan wondered if he had ever smiled in his life.
All the students stood up in respect, he nodded before they all took their seats again.
"Children, I know it's the first day for many of you. Don't worry, you will slowly get used to the principles and traditions of this academy," The master addressed to the students. "I will discuss a few of the basics with you then we will continue where we left yesterday."
The academy was following a weird administration. They admitted students in the middle of the year as well. Alan was one of them who got admitted in the middle of the year.
The master first moved his eyes and tried to look at each of the student's faces. His gaze fell on Alan and he said, "You."
Alan didn't know whom he was talking to.
"You. In the corner. Are you new?" Master asked before Alan stood up.
"Yes, master."
"What is your name?"
"Alan, master."
The master frowned after hearing it. It was common sense that someone should tell their full name when asked. "Alan what? Tell me your full name."
"Alan Booney." The students suddenly chuckled after hearing it. The master glared at a few of them to make them silent.
"Hm… So you are a commoner," He mentioned. "Come here." He called Alan to him. Alan walked to him thinking what he would ask.
When Alan stood in front of him, the master asked, "What is your motive to come here?"
"Huh? What kind of question is this? Of course, we are here to learn," Alan thought when the master asked him a weird question.
"Umm… To learn?" He said, hesitatingly. The students chuckled again at his answer.
"No, you idiot. You are here to serve your nation!" The master said in a loud voice. "You are here so that you can become an honorary Nigrosian! You are here so that you can know our heroes who gave their lives for this nation, who fought against those devils called Alabusians! You are here so that you can become like them!"
So, that's what they were teaching those children. They were poisoning them against the Alabusians.
"Did you understand?" The master asked with a frown expecting him to nod his head and say yes, but something unexpected happened.
"Master, if we are living in the same society with each other. Why hating other people?" Alan asked, making all the children get silent in astonishment. No one had dared to talk back to the master. Yes, it was a simple question, but they all feared him to ask even this.
"What did you say?" The master glared at him. "Why do we hate them? They were cruel! They painted their entire history with blood! Why shouldn't we hate them? Tell me."
Alan shook his head sideways as he knew it was pointless to argue with him. He had a hunch that this person's turn would come, eventually.
"You are right, master. We should hate them and become like them." He mentioned in a mocking tone.
The master told him to go back to his seat. He sat on his seat before the master started explaining the basics.
"Wow, you did an exceptional job by countering him," Gunther mentioned when Alan took his seat.
"It was not a big deal. Our job is to ask questions, isn't it?"
"Nobody questions back Master Wrath," Gunther told. "He targets students whom he doesn't like. Everybody wants to stay in his excellent books." Alan did not answer and shifted his attention to the lecture.
"Students! This academy is prestigious! When one arrives here, one has to follow its rules! One has to follow its traditions! And…" The master glanced at Alan with the side of his eyes. "… one should know how to behave with their masters."
"Heh, idiot…" Alan muttered letting no one hear it and looked away. Only Gunther who was sitting beside him heard it but didn't react.
"Now, students… what is your motive to come here?" The master asked in a loud voice.
"To serve our empire!" All the students answered in one voice.
"What is the purpose of this academy?"
"To create honorary Nigrosians who could die for their country!"
"Who are our enemies?"
"Alabusians!"
The master asked it again. "Who are our enemies?"
"Alabusians!"
"What is our goal?"
"To eliminate them!"
Alan was finding all of this uncomfortable for him. This academy was creating murderous puppets that could kill anybody in the name of their empire if these goons from the empire told them to. No matter what, he had to stop this malpractice somehow.
"How would we do it?"
"By sacrificing our souls!"
As Alan thought, they were presenting the Nigrosian arts as a holy ritual. In these twelve years, he had learned about the rituals and practices of the empire. He had witnessed the terrible impact of this poisoning of innocent minds.
He still couldn't forget when a mob of Nigrosian teenagers forcefully entered the house of an Alabusian widow who lived alone with her daughter and lynched both of them. What did they gain? Nothing. They did it because they taught them to hate each other in these kinds of academies.
He had tried desperately to end this when he captured five castles of Nigrosia and weakened them. He had ended the reign of Nigrosia if he had captured two remaining castles but he got backstabbed. He couldn't do it and his people went back to where he had started. All his efforts went in vain.
"We don't sacrifice our souls, we lend it to the true God in return for his grace!"
All the students listened to him with the utmost attention.