Orion raised his hand, about to speak, but Stare pressed on, denying him the opportunity.
"If you believe that being a good hero is solely about the powers one has awakened, and not about dedication to the cause, then where do we draw the line between a hero and just another person with powers, or even a villain?"
"If this is truly the ideology you adhere to, then as unfortunate as it may sound, this kid with the useless fief might possess more heroic qualities than you."
Stare's final words appeared to be the breaking point for Orion's patience.
Suddenly, his entire body erupted into flames, causing the students, including Stare, to cautiously step back, while his assistant hurried towards Orion, presumably to calm him down.
Fortunately, before the situation could escalate further, the flames engulfing Orion's body subsided, leaving behind only billowing smoke as remnants of the incident.
He then directed an off-putting smile towards Stare, who continued to regard him with caution.
"What's your name, boy?" he asked in a calm tone, a stark contrast from his earlier display.
"Stare," Stare cautiously replied, unsure of what this crazy individual had in store for him.
"You think you're sooo smart, Stare," he said, his smile widening. Without waiting for a response, he abruptly turned back to Luna, who had now drawn closer to him.
"Luna, I don't think the kid is suitable for his current class after all... Why don't he stand alongside our esteemed hero?" Orion suggested.
Although Luna appeared hesitant for a few seconds, the words eventually escaped her lips.
"Stare Johnson... Supporting Class," Luna announced.
Instantly, the color displayed on Stare's watch changed from green to yellow.
There were a couple of gasps from the surrounding students, and Stare himself was a little stunned as well.
'Well, it appears my stay might not be as easy as I thought,' he sighed inwardly.
Orion seemed to derive satisfaction from the reactions he elicited, bursting into another round of laughter before walking away from Stare.
Turning to his side, Stare noticed Bobby staring back at him. Bobby still appeared vacant, but it seemed like he wanted to say something and was unsure how to articulate it.
With no further interruptions, the class divided, with students attending the main class following Orion through one of the doors on either side of the hall, while the remaining students gathered with Luna.
Stare and Bobby proceeded to the opposite door on the other side.
Unsurprisingly, there were significantly more students on the supporting class side.
Beyond the door lay a spacious classroom that bore a striking resemblance to the one before.
It had pristine white walls and floating student desks.
Contrary to the students' expectations, there appeared to be no equipment available for training their fiefs; it resembled a standard classroom, devoid of any specialized tools.
The students nonetheless took their seats, their eyes occasionally drifting towards Stare and Bobby, particularly focusing on Stare.
Stare could sense the gazes of the other students, discerning that most were filled with pity, some with curiosity, and only a select few seemed to genuinely admire him, or at least his previous actions.
However, he was unaffected by their stares or opinions. In truth, he preferred they keep their pity to themselves, considering the prejudice they were bound to encounter in the Academy in due time.
He then turned to Bobby, who was seated beside him. The kid still appeared lifeless and hadn't uttered a word since the incident with Orion and the class.
Neither the whispers about him nor Stare's prolonged gaze seemed to have any effect, as Bobby's eyes remained fixed on Luna at the front of the class.
He now appeared extremely lifeless, a stark contrast to his demeanor earlier in the day.
Luna finally addressed the class, capturing the attention of all the students.
In a soft tone, she proceeded to introduce herself, sharing her name, and then surprisingly, she apologized to the entire class while offering words of consolation and encouragement regarding the class they had been assigned.
This unexpected gesture caught the class off guard including Stare, especially considering the behavior of her partner, Orion, earlier. However, it had a positive effect, as the class seemed to become much more lively afterward.
Luna proceeded with her lecture, which primarily covered the available tiers of being a Prime, a topic already familiar to most students, followed by notable Primes within each tier.
Unfortunately, there was no practical lesson in the class until the very end.
According to Paraclete, they only had one more class left before their lectures for the day concluded, giving Stare just one more opportunity to finally meet with Y-204.
So many events had already unfolded on the first day, many of which surprisingly revolved around him despite his intention to keep a low profile. Nevertheless, he had a plan and needed to concentrate on that plan.
Accompanied by Bobby and the other students, they proceeded to the next class, a combat session. Unlike the previous classes, this one was held in a separate building of its own.
By the time they got there, the students with the main class had already occupied the hall.
Amongst the crowd of students Stare's gaze suddenly fell on someone he instantly recognized.
Handsome, pale with a gloomy expression and white hair…Y-204.
"Finally." Stare muttered with a wide smile.