"Is that the Mikella Reiloush?!"
"Can't believe that she'd actually arrive!"
"They told me that she's not even fond of speaking in public."
With the silver-haired Head Wielder's arrival, many whispers and gossips resounded across the hall.
Even Veritas was surprised by her being here..
He knew her closely, serving as his master for Elrodian Swordplay! He knew that one of the things that she hates is public speaking, so Veritas wondered what compelled her to do this.
As Veritas pondered upon those thoughts, he noticed the Head Wielder's gaze strike towards him.
Then, she spoke:
"I am Mikella Reiloush, Head of the Wielders, and Knights Academy Principal."
She looked at the crowd
The imposing voice of the silver-haired young woman made every person in the room listen attentively.
"Today, you are all new students of Knights Academy."
All eyes were focused on her, as if a compelling feeling of awe resided deep inside their hearts.
"Be vigilant, studying here could prove to be quite a great hurdle. You will expend your body's physical effort, use the extent of your intellect, and will be sent to many battles alike."
"However.. your efforts will be fruitful in the end. Once you graduate, you will be a different but better person."
Many individuals felt inspired by the Head Wielder's words.
"I hope that you take these words to heart."
With that, she bowed and tapped her hand to her right chest.
'Words of inspiration, huh..'
Mikella Reiloush is of the Path of Resolute, she has innate talents of inspiration and boosting.
One could say that she leans more into the utility-type Path, but if only they could see how she wields her blade..
They would be devastated.
Even Veritas felt chills when he remembered all the gruesome training that she imposed upon him.
'Scary.'
With that, the Head Wielder left the podium and was replaced by a bright and bubbly looking man. His aura seemed to exude radiance, making his presence to be the attention of everyone in the room.
He had light-orange hair, and his eyes were resting as if they were closed all the time. The man wore formal clothing that consisted of a tightly buttoned orange blazer and black slacks, along with brown formal shoes.
This seemed to be the uniform for the Professors and Teachers of the Knights Academy.
As he adjusted his black tie, the bubbly man spoke with a cheerful tone:
"Greetings everyone! I see that everyone is well and proper! Good!"
After looking around the crowd for a couple of seconds, he continued:
"I am Shin Morteza~ A Professor in Knight's Academy, pleased to meet you all!"
"Our Principal is so cold, no? She only said a few words, I wished she said a little bit more so I could laze- ehem."
"Anyways, I am here to orient everyone regarding the various rules and regulations of Knights Academy!"
He cleared his throat and continued, his bubbly radiance overwhelming the crowd with his energy.
However, they all seemed sapped out of energy instead.
'This guy is too cheerful!' Veritas thought.
"There are many rules that Knights Academy have imposed yet I will only talk about the major ones.. For the minor ones, you have to read our guidebook, okay?"
Most of the people inside the room were already acquainted with the rules of Knights Academy.
"First Rule. Any acts of violence are prohibited when it is not allowed. Honorable duels could be used to resolve any conflict between students. However! Causing death is strictly banned! Doing so will put the student to the Court of Supremes for trial!"
"Second Rule. No unknown and unverified weapons in the premises of the campus. All weapons shall be retreated to the Armory Facility, whereupon shall they be scanned for any mischievous purposes. Once a verification process has been finished, the individual may receive the specific weapon with permission to use it."
Veritas listened to this and noticed something peculiar in the bubbly-professor's actions.
'Is he reading from the guidebook!?'
Indeed he was...
"Third Rule. For Pathbearers, the usage of Attunements and Path in improper areas are not prohibited. Pathbearers are only allowed to use their Attunements and Path in specific places.
Such as:
Training Ground.
Research Area (Permission Needed)
Battle Arena
Battle Zone
...yeah I'm not reading all that. You all get the idea though!"
Veritas was shocked in disbelief.
'How incompetent! He just blatantly admitted to reading the guidebook!'
He continued:
"Fourth Rule. Any illegal activities such as theft, conspiring against other students/teachers, gambling, black marketing, illegal distribution of inappropriate products, and etc., are prohibited! Failing to comply would put the individual to the Court of Supremes."
"Wha-"
Everyone was surprised by the sudden noise coming from a student. No one knew where it came from yet the crowd looked straight at Bello.
"I-It's not me!"
He seemed surprised, wrongly accused of something he didn't do.
Veritas knew where the mysterious voice came from, and he knew that Bello was innocent.
That voice came from him after all..
'I'm sorry, Bello.'
After learning that gambling is prohibited, Veritas spoke out in surprise, he didn't know that it would be as loud as it got.
So, he used the Winds to quickly shift the direction that the sound came from, making everyone think that it came from Bello.
"Ehem, focus everyone.. These are really important rules, y'know!"
The crowd stared at him in disbelief.
'Maybe we could focus more if you actually stopped reading so unenthusiastically!'
He continued.
He read Rule 5 to Rule 10, considering it the most important out of all because of their numerical order. However, when the bubbly man excused himself to leave, another Professor came and bonked him in the head.
He said "What'd I do?!", to which many of the students laughed at the show.
The other professor looked more strict than him, she had short black hair and was wearing the same outfit as the bubbly professor. However, instead of slacks, she wore a long tight skirt.
Thus, a proper orientation could be finally held. There were multitudes of rules, but most of them were minor and unapprehensible. Though, committing many minor offences could lead to serious charges.
After a long hour of orientation, which consisted of informing the students of the rules, structures, subjects, and many more, Veritas finally felt his shoulder to loosen.
'Very tiring..'
He sighed secretly, then kept his body up.
Many students were already leaving the venue, causing the numbers inside to dwindle.
Out of the corner of his eye, Veritas saw the crystal-blue eyed boy that was wearing a black turtleneck and black trench coat.
He walked towards him.
There aren't many people around him now, so Veritas could talk to Bello more discreetly. Yet, he still acted like he didn't know him, there could be a Pathbearer specializing in hearing silent things and there was no way to know.
"Sir Bello Agalia, right?"
The crystal-blue eyed boy turned around to the direction of the voice.
"Ah- your majesty!"
Bello kneeled and placed his right hand on his left chest.
"No need to kneel. I've heard the Head Wielder Mikella recommended you to the academy....."
Veritas made small talk regarding Bello's enrollment and whatnot. So, after a few seconds of talking and yapping, Veritas excused himself to leave.
For a mere 20 seconds, Veritas spoke to Bello, showing nothing but a warm respect to each other. Although they didn't talk much, Bello acknowledged his intentions.
Since his disguise as a shadow was already blown, Bello couldn't act like a background character anymore. Instead, hearing Veritas' tone, Bello was sure that from now on.. he would have to act weak and uncapable.
This would turn everyone's expectation of him to be low, making him act secretly again.
"Got it."
He grinned for a second and made his way outside the venue.
As for Veritas, he was heading towards the Daughter of the Duke.
"Lady Alice."
"Prince Veritas."
With a light greeting, the two of them talked:
"I can't believe that the two of us need specially tailored uniforms." Alice complained with an expression that is devoid of any emotions.
"Does his majesty know any high-leveled tailors in Central City?"
Veritas pondered for a second before replying:
"I know a few but I will ask my Father for further Guidance."
"I see. Then.. Can I come with?"
This is a risky move made by Alice but Veritas thought that it was only natural for a Daughter of a Duke and a Prince to acquaint themselves further.
"Sure."
If Alice's expression wasn't devoid of any emotions, Veritas would've seen a delight on her face.
"Lovely.."
"I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Okay."
Veritas lightly bowed and left the venue, leaving the blonde-haired girl alone.
In a couple of seconds, Alice also left the venue and headed towards the exit of the Academy.
Thus, the day of orientation had come to an end.
Veritas looked further into the future and anticipated the first day of class. Although their investigation had already begun, the real start of the plan would have to commence in the first day of class.
So, Veritas rode the carriage and looked outside the window with thoughts of his plan for the future.
The winds brushed his hair, making them sway ever-so lightly, and the striking sun was beginning to make its way to the top.