"Is it really okay for us to stay in such a place without paying...?" asked Tim, looking around anxiously at the three-person, dorm-like room Will had secured for him and his sister.
"You also have the option of staying in separate rooms, but I figured you would feel more comfortable with this arrangement," replied Will, standing at the room's entrance while Tim, Dori, and Ohta looked around. It wasn't anything too impressive, consisting of a main living area with three beds, three large wardrobes, three desks, and an attached bathroom, but it may as well have been a palace compared to the trio's past lodgings.
"Can these beds be stacked together...?" asked Ohta, noticing there were nibs on the bed posts that allowed the legs of another to slide on, turning two individual beds into a bunk.
"There are also privacy dividers behind the wardrobes," said Will, taking the initiative to pull one out and pass it to Dori. It looked a bit like a filter at a glance, and that wasn't far off as it was designed to absorb sounds, albeit only directionally. Since the room was comprised almost entirely of a type of concrete, sans the carpeted floor, sounds tended to reverberate within.
"Oh, wow!" exclaimed Dori, her dark brown eyes practically sparkling as she asked, "Is this for changing?"
"You could also position them around your desk if you don't want people peering over your shoulder while you're reading or working on something," said Will. "As for changing, I'd probably do it in the bathroom."
"I still can't believe every room in this barracks has a stand-alone bath, sink, and toilet..." muttered Ohta, his eyes scanning the floor, walls, and ceiling as he imagined how complicated the piping must be. Water was a managed resource in the outer districts and most provincial towns, so if a person wanted to take a bath, they typically had to go to a bathhouse or settle for cleaning themselves with a bucket and sponge.
"Well, this place is made to weather a siege," explained Will. "As such, it has not one, but three lake-grade Water Crystals."
"That's insane..." muttered Tim, unable to keep a frown from his face as the town he and his sister had originated from only had a few well-grade Water Crystals to support thousands of people.
"I think you're misunderstanding something," said Will, causing Tim to tense as he smiled and remarked, "While it's true that many things in life are unfair, this isn't necessarily one of them. You probably believe those three crystals would be better served providing clean water to tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people, right?"
Though he hesitated for several seconds, Tim eventually nodded instead of responding with words.
"Well, what about that sword on your back or your clothes?" asked Will. "Surely they would also benefit other people."
"It's not the same thing..." muttered Tim, frowning as he argued, "This place doesn't 'need' three lake-grade Water Crystals."
"And, despite what you might think, you don't 'need' a sword," contended Will, his expression and tone level as he explained, "You choose to carry one in the pursuit of your dreams, but that's beside the point. The crux of the issue is that your sword and the clothes you're wearing belong to you. They're your possessions. As such, you have the right to choose how they are used. Am I wrong?"
Understanding what Will was getting at, Tim's frown deepened. He felt that Will was conflating two separate issues, but he couldn't think of a way to refute his argument.
"Don't get me wrong," said Will. "It is unquestionably excessive that this place has three lake-grade Water Crystals. But you tread a slippery slope when you start thinking that the possessions of others should be used a certain way. Think of it like this. If you were to enter a Dungeon and come across a vault filled with treasure, would you take it and regard it as your property?"
"Who wouldn't...?" asked Dori, inserting herself into the conversation to relieve some of the pressure on her brother.
"Well, wealth, by nature, is excess," explained Will. "No one except those who covet it would argue against the treasure belonging to you. But, if we use your brother's reasoning, would it not be better to disseminate it to as many people as possible?"
"Is that really the same thing, though?" asked Dori, feeling frustrated as she wanted to agree with Will but found it difficult to reconcile what he was saying.
"You're probably thinking that because my family is already wealthy, it's not the same thing," said Will. "But how do you think we acquired those crystals? If we found them, then, according to the same laws that permit people to claim treasures from Dungeons, they belong to us. On the other hand, if we purchased them for millions of Astra, who has any right to tell us how they should be used?"
Shaking his head, Will added, "Let me reiterate that I agree with you. The crystals could be doing more than they are, but my family does more than most to ensure as many people as possible are able to live free and happy lives. If we were to simply give up or redistribute our wealth, what do you think would happen to the millions who rely on us to preserve their way of life?"
"I don't know..." muttered Tim.
"The wealth we disseminated would invariably find its way into the coffers of the other Constellations, particularly our enemies," explained Will. "And since we wouldn't have the means to pay our men or develop our territory, the so-called Great Oirthear Constellation would disappear. And all those who subscribed to our way of life would be trampled underfoot by people who have resented us for centuries."
"..."
"..."
Cowed by Will's words, Tim and Dori lowered their heads and remained completely silent. Ohta didn't appear even remotely convinced, however, sporting a half-lidded expression and standing with his arms crossed as he droned, "That's an awfully convenient argument. I'm not saying you're wrong, but if you're trying to argue that it somehow benefits your people to have you sleeping atop 10,000 thread-count sheets and eating meals that cost more than the average commoner earns in a week, you're out of touch."
"Then what do you suggest?" asked Will. "I'm not going to insist I'm right, but if you can't provide a solution or a valid argument against it, how am I supposed to know I'm wrong?"
"Well, this enormous estate and everything in it will be yours once you graduate, right?" asked Ohta. "All you have to do is put your money where your mouth is. Those three crystals will belong to you, so if you genuinely believe they could be used better, prove it."
"That's simple enough," replied Will, surprising the two siblings. Then, adopting a cheeky smile, he asked, "Any other advice, oh wise, Master Ohta?"
Shrugging, Ohta suggested, "I don't know the specifics, but doesn't the Royal Academy have a scholarship program? You could set up a program to prepare people like Tim and Dori for admission. Anything that prevents predatory sponsorships and forced apprenticeships would probably be a net positive."
"That's a bit harder to implement, but I'm sure we could come up with something," replied Will, nodding in approval. He was also disturbed to discover that many students, including some nobles, were forced into a situation similar to indentured servitude to cover their expenses. There were also instances of Professors using Apprenticeships to groom and take advantage of students without sufficient backing, so Will was all for introducing some much-needed educational reform.
"Anything else?" asked Will.
Frowning in annoyance, Ohta rolled and averted his eyes before turning to leave. He wanted to retort that it was Will's problem, but as that would be somewhat antithetic to his earlier words and actions, he decided to simply remove himself from the conversation.
Seeing Ohta leave, Will raised his brows and wondered if he was mistaken about his/her identity. Sarah would have exploded if he backed her into a corner or 'pestered' her to explain herself, so Ohta's departure was a little unexpected. However, as decades, if not centuries, had passed since he had any meaningful interactions with Sarah, there was a 'slight' possibility she had matured.
Returning his gaze to Tim and Dori, who appeared lost in thought, Will's expression softened as he advised, "Try not to take what we just talked about to heart. That's not what brought you to Axial, nor why you're here in the barracks. Your primary focus for these next six months should be sharpening your skills and studying. You can worry about broader issues when you're in a position to change or influence them."
Finished with what he had to say, Will followed Ohta's example by turning to vacate the room. He expected Dori to call out to him and try to smooth things over, but he wasn't too surprised that she just watched him depart in silence, ostensibly lost for words after being faced with a 'truth' neither she nor her brother were equipped or knowledgeable enough to process...
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..
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Waiting for Will outside the barrack's front entrance, Ohta moved away from the wall he was leaning against, approaching with a familiar badge in his right hand, saying, "You can have this back. I won't say I trust you, but I don't need such a dangerous thing as collateral."
"Did you at least wash it first...?" asked Will, feigning discomfort as he pretended to be reluctant to accept it.
Understanding what Will was referring to, Ohta's brow twitched before he suddenly threw the heavy metallic badge at the former's face, exclaiming, "Just take the damn thing...!"
Though he reacted as quickly as he could, Will's vision briefly cut out as he was too slow to catch the badge. As a result, it ended up hitting him in the forehead, breaking the skin, and causing a sizeable, throbbing welt to appear within seconds.
Not expecting his attack to be so effective, Ohta stared at Will with wide eyes while internally repeating, 'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.' in a slight panic. At the same time, Will repeated to himself that the welt didn't hurt, a forced smile adorning his face as he said, "That wasn't very nice..." in a dull monotone.
Believing that Will's anger had reached a critical level, Ohta adopted a forced smile of his own, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead as he replied, "Yeah, that's my bad...but I honestly thought you would be able to catch or, at the very least, dodge it..."
"Mmm...well, it is what it is..." muttered Will, causing Ohta to wince as he reached up and pressed down on the large, nearly purple welt. It hurt like hell, but with the benefit of his Aura, he was able to alleviate the swelling within a few seconds. Then, using a handkerchief, he wiped away the thin trail of blood that had flowed down both sides of his nose. By the time he was finished, Ohta had returned with his badge, looking more than a little embarrassed as he handed it over like a normal person...
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.
With three days passing since the entrance exam's conclusion, the Royal Academy finally posted the results. Will had, unsurprisingly, secured the top spot in the practical, but as he had half-assed the written part of the exam, his placement was sixteenth overall. He had hoped to place even lower, but as it might cause problems if he weren't put into the so-called Elite Class, the Academy had likely pulled a few strings to ensure he was in the top twenty.
Unfortunately for Ohta, who had completely bombed the written exam, he was also accepted into the Royal Academy. Far stranger was the fact that he had placed twentieth, indicating that he, too, had been forced into the Elite Class. However, after doing something as conspicuous as shattering a summoning circle with raw physical strength, he really only had himself to blame for the attention he was receiving behind the scenes...
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