The end of class arrived quickly and Pepper asked me for the number of my dormitory.
"133, how about you?" I replied, wondering if we would be in the same dorm or not.
"133! Oh, I have 145! We might end up in the same dorm!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah, that would be great. I could introduce you to my friends Mike and Zephyr! And if you want, we could work on our assignments together!" I said, pleased that she was interested in me.
During our conversation, a group of four students approached our class. Two guys and two girls. They were older, probably the older students who were coming to guide us as instructed by the teacher a little earlier. One of the guys approached us and said cheerfully:
"Hi everyone, I'm Will Pouliot, this is Jack Crow, Ludivine Light, and Samantha Smith. We're going to be your guides during lunch break so you can familiarize yourself with the academy! Before we start the tour, those with a dorm number between 1 and 99 please follow me, those between 100 and 199, follow Jack. From 200 to 299, go with Ludivine, and finally, those between 300 and 399, go with Samantha!"
As the students split into their respective groups, Pepper and I followed Jack.
"Hehe, we're going to be in the same dorm after all," Pepper whispered with a giggle.
"Did you say something?" I asked, unsure if she had spoken to me.
"No," she nervously replied, caught off guard.
Looking around me, I saw that Nicole was not following anyone and was heading towards me. Ahh, damn it, why does he have to come see me, I thought, already irritated by his presence.
"So Heol," he said in the most sarcastic tone, "too poor to have your own apartment I see! If you want one, ask me on your knees and maybe I'll buy you one."
"Get lost, Nicole," I replied vehemently.
"Wow, don't take it personally, Heol. After all, it's not your fault that you're part of the plebs," he retorted with a sneering smile. "By the way, I'm Nicole Furet," he said, looking Pepper up and down.
"Okay," she replied sharply, just as irritated by his presence as I was.
"You should choose your friends more carefully, Pepper," he scolded her with a frustrated look. "We'll meet again, Heolstor," he continued before walking away quickly.
"What's his problem?" Pepper asked me.
"Well, I don't know. He's been like that since we were kids, I think he has some sort of complex or something. Don't worry, he barks more than he bites!" I reassured her.
"Well, I'm glad I'm not in the same dorm as him at least," she said with relief.
"Yeah, you can say that again."
Arriving at the dormitory reception, Jack hands us our respective keys and gives us some additional details:
"These are the dormitories: 100 to 199. These are your new rooms where you can rest, eat and wash. It's not luxurious, but it's provided by the academy. The key I give you is for opening the door to your room. Don't lose it, because you'll have to make a new request to the administration and it may take some time. Understood?"
Yes! Almost everyone answered at the same time.
"Perfect, then, as a senior, I must help the younger ones, so I'll give you some advice. First of all, try to make friends, life is easier in a group than if you are alone.
Secondly, learn to master your skills. It doesn't matter if you have a fighter profession or not since in the middle of the year and at the end of the year, the academy will hold a tournament. Each student will have to fight in 1v1 duels. The top 10 winners will get rare resources, equipment or money. Seeing our astonished looks, he continues: Don't be surprised, after all, Steelwall Academy is semi-military.
The last advice, during the weekend, I advise you to accept easy requests from the mercenary association. This will allow you to earn money while gaining experience. I leave you to your affairs and have a good start, he concludes, slipping outside the dorms after giving us all our room keys."
"We'll have to fight," Pepper exclaims, looking at me with eyes as big as watermelons.
"That seems to be the case! But thinking about it, it's logical. The academy is dedicated to the extermination of monsters. So what better way to push us to surpass ourselves," I say, reflecting on it.
"Yes, but not everyone is capable of fighting! I'm an Alchemist, not a Warrior," she laments.
"You may need to change your perspective and adapt. We'll see later," I tell her, wondering what she could do to be effective in combat. "I'm going to explore my room, we'll meet later for the second class!"
Pepper nods, smiling at me.