Class 1-C. That was the class that Aena was assigned to.
Astral Academy assigned each admitted student to a random classroom. Since the academy especially took pride in its educational department, the student-to-staff ratio was quite close, with just twenty students in each class.
There was a total of 8 classes in the Sigma class, which Aena was a part of. Other than the Sigma class was the Delta class, which consisted of the more technologically savvy students who had their strengths exemplified through their inventions.
Then there was a General class, the largest class serving as a normal university education with the added benefit of providing more networking opportunities.
Aena arrived in front of a door, seeing the Class 1-C plaque above the entrance. She could already hear a few students chattering quietly inside.
Opening the door, she stepped inside. Ignoring everyone else, she strode towards the back of the classroom. She didn't want to be noticed by anyone. They gave her a quick glance before resuming their previous conversations.
Only once settling down on one of the back-row seats, did she take the chance to examine the students.
She spotted Cassidy sitting in one of the middle rows. She looked quite forlorn with no one within five meters of her. The words she said yesterday added to her gelid expression probably daunted anyone from getting close. No one wanted to cause trouble on the first day.
Aena also saw that other guy. Lance. She was momentarily surprised that both first-year representatives were together in a single class. That didn't seem very logically arranged. Balancing issues could affect overall class performances.
'Hehe, I can just get carried.'
Aena was actually happy if their class had well-known students since they would be the center of attention. And she could be more discreet. On second thought, Aena realized the academy couldn't have distributed the students randomly, as many had specialized skills and strengths.
Aena thought of two possibilities. Either the other eighteen students, including her, were at the bottom of the barrel, or there were more talented people than she had thought.
'I guess we'll wait and see.'
She was looking forward to what her classmates would show.
There were already a few cliques in place, probably people with connections who knew each other beforehand, or extroverts who wanted to make friends on the first day.
Aena was neither, so she just watched the interactions from the back. She wasn't someone who really paid attention to others, but she thought it would be beneficial to get a superficial understanding of the implicit hierarchy inside the classroom in case of any "accidents."
Aena looked at the clock. 8:59. The teacher should be arriving any time now.
She stared at the door, wondering who the teacher would be. She hoped it wasn't someone too happy-go-lucky, she didn't want someone nosing into her business.
Five more minutes passed. No one came. Another five minutes went. At this point, Aena was a bit concerned. 'What kind of teacher shows up late on the first day?'
The classmates around her had also begun to realize that something was amiss. Some stared at the door as if hoping to manifest their teacher's appearance, while others were fidgeting nervously. It seemed like they knew something she didn't.
Some others, who were clearly exempt from this information, kept prattling on, blithely unaware.
It was at 9:22 that the door finally opened. A tall man strode in. He walked to the podium and stood ramrod straight behind it. He watched the class with cold eyes. He was dressed in a sharp black suit that matched his jet-black hair and eyes. His expression was gelid as he gazed outwards.
No one asked why he was late, but the question hung on the tips of everyone's tongues. The unasked question seemed to be almost tangible. Noticing the student's questioning eyes, he gave a concise explanation.
"My sincerest apologies, it seems like I overslept a little."
Aena looked at the man's spiffed hair and crisp suit that was perfectly free from any wrinkles. 'This man is a horrible liar,' she thought, 'at least he could have come up with a more believable lie.'
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat. Some students had pallid faces, looking horrified.
"I'm Professor Rutherfield, I'll be your homeroom teacher." He tapped his baton on the stand.
"I'm sure you've all understood the way the academy is run by now, so we'll be starting today with a brief overview of International Relations."
"I'm sure many of you know the history of this land and academy, but I'll give a brief overview for those of you who may be oblivious," Mr. Rutherfield said as he shifted his gaze toward Aena.
Aena scowled internally. Just because she came from a lowly background didn't mean she wasn't educated.
"The Rockspire family brought about the advent of the Golden Age. During this time, the family rose to power using its innovation which truly flipped the world upside down. For the first time, humans were able to strengthen their individual bodies through means outside natural means. Other individuals who partook in this revolution or who were pioneers of this technology were able to gain a head start in this new era."
"An especially prominent invention is the usage of nanotechnology. This combined with the use of genetic modification in a way will strengthen your bodies as you continue to train. I won't go into the specifics as this isn't Delta class, but know even with the best technology, hard work will not go to waste," he spoke while observing them.
"Of course, with newfound power, comes conflict. Large underground organizations have arisen revolving around the illegal trade of such technologies, and there are other countries blatantly competing against the growth of our nation," he paused.
"Can someone tell me why this academy was built?" he asked. A pretty boy with sky-blue hair stood up proudly and answered.
"To gather together the talents of each generation and train them with the new generation in order to nurture powerful individuals; they will be able to become the force of the nation."
"Correct," Mr. Rutherfield said, "weapons of mass destruction and other armaments are useless in this precarious situation."
"In short, you cadets are our future weapons," he said with a stone face.
Mr. Rutherfield continued to speak for some time before glancing at the watch and announcing:
"That concludes the lesson, there will be no homework for today. You have an hour of free time."
He then tapped his baton against the podium once more before walking out the same way he arrived. No one stopped him even though he had left a few minutes early.
Many students unconsciously let out a breath they were holding in. Aena was still confused about their reactions; just who in the world was Mr. Rutherfield?'
She was trying to formulate a theory to the boggling question when a cheerful girl with short brown hair bounded over to her.
"Hey!" The girl smiled.
"Man, Mr. Rutherfield sure is scary, isn't he?" the girl asked while flopping guilelessly on the spot next to Aena.