Chapter 195 - Training (1)

It was only after the group had read the paragraph that Jien had pointed out that the majority looked away sheepishly. The only expeditions were Robyn, who didn't seem to mind her error in judgement, simply nodding in understandings, Barret, who was as stoic as ever, seemingly not moved by the new information, and Julie, who held her firm stance.Jien didn't say much more on the topic other than advising the rest to read through the guide in the following days prior to the start of classes. They still had six days left to get themselves acquainted with not only each other but the workings of the academy itself. After that grace period they had no idea what they would be thrown into. This left Jien with the desire to ensure that Julie would be as ready as possible and that they would have at least a rudimentary way of working with each other.Luckily for Jien, his friends from other noble houses were all included in his unit, saving him the struggle of figuring out completely new dynamics. None of them were sure what the system used by the academy for grouping units used as criteria, but based on what Jien saw of his own it was likely a blend of teamwork and skill sets. His hypothesis was that if you were really well acquainted with working in a team with a group of others then you would be grouped together in a unit, but only if you covered a variety of the standard positions within a martial formation. He guessed that if this was true then the remainder of the selected members would be to fill in weaknesses in the gathered group.Luckily for Jien and the others who had trained with him for several years, while the mentors and their parents could not explicitly describe or teach they academy curriculum, it appeared that they could get around it by forcing them into training basic military strategy and teamwork. Now the only concerns were working the new members into what they had learned, and then as a step further working to separate the unit into two strategic parties. That was what they would be starting on today after they finished their breakfast.The meal itself was eaten in relative silence, plates full of meat, eggs, breads and fruit being eaten with a bit more ferocity than the day prior. Even the new members of their team who hadn't been able to finish their meals the day before dug into their plates. Perhaps it was the knowledge that they would be working hard and would need the fuel, perhaps concern over what would happen if they continued to waste the food the academy was giving them free of charge. Either way they managed to actually work through their entire meal this time around.After they had turned in their dishes they turned to leave with Jien in the lead and Julie trailing only shortly behind him. As they exited the mess hall back onto the now significantly busier roads, that he chose to speak again. "We will be going to the Central Administration to reserve another training field. This time we will work as a full unit of ten while rotating positions until we find what everyone is best at." His words were clear and confident, not seeming to allow for retort as he stepped forward onto the path leading to the white spire with the bell at its peak, shining like a second sun over the academy.The trip itself was relatively short but Robyn, Alys and Andrew were all thankful for the walk given that they felt a bit bloated from the large meal. Soon they entered the large building, finding that though there was a constant flow of students and faculty in and out, that there seemed to not be enough to create any standing lines. This was a relief to everyone as they soon found themselves in front of yet another simple wooden desk, almost in a far corner of the floor.Behind the desk was middle aged man with slightly tired, drooping brown eyes and partly graying dirty blonde hair. His chin held some light stubble and it was obvious that he had not slept recently. With each visit to the Central Administration it made Jien and the others wary of ever having to work behind these desks. It appeared that nobody that worked here received enough sleep, perhaps working longer shifts than others. Though admittedly from the outside it looked like the work wasn't particularly tedious, leaning more towards mind numbing repetitiveness.Jien spoke for the others this time around, simply requesting one of the training arenas for half a day. The man behind the desk opened a simple leather bound book and just like the original visit to the building, flipped rapidly to a specific page. He didn't even seem to skim the page, instead moving his hand with a speed that left it looking like a blur, marking the schedule for a particular field and then providing the relevant directions.