Finally, a day had passed since the murder Kael committed, and just like the previous day, they all freshened up and went to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Kael sat in the same spot as Jeremy had the last time, while Eric went off to join the higher grades.
This time, instead of focusing on his food, Kael used his eyes to search for Elliot. When he spotted him, he studied his demeanor, noticing the worry and confusion etched on his face. Elliot was busy talking to Mike and a few Grade Two students.
Kael didn't need an explanation to know exactly what—or who—they were talking about.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Jeremy called across the table.
"Uhm, nothing. I'm just tired of eating the food they serve at the cafeteria."
Jeremy nodded. "You haven't tasted anything yet. The best time to try out food is on weekends when there are no classes. We can go to the Academy's activity center, and I'll show you where to get quality food."
Kael nodded, excited but careful not to show it on his face. He knew Jeremy would feel disgusted if he did. After all, this was the first time they were getting along without fighting.
After breakfast, every student went along to their classes. Kael still followed Jeremy around, knowing he was the only one who could explain the school dynamics. Seeing how the Grade Twos shied away from him whenever he was with Jeremy, Kael felt protected.
The two finally arrived at a class that was much more spacious than a normal classroom. It had no tables or chairs, just shelves filled with strange weapons bearing intricate markings—swords and spears that looked medieval in nature.
The students waited in the hall until a teacher stepped in—a man dressed entirely in white trousers and a jacket, topped off with a white hat.
As he reached the center of the room, the chatter ceased, and the entire room fell silent.
"Hello, class. I will be reintroducing myself for certain reasons. I am Sir Leonard Gravel, the teacher for the arts of martial arts with soul weapons," Leonard announced loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Kael was surprised by the term "soul weapons." He knew their abilities were tied to their soul cores, so he figured a soul weapon must be related to that.
"A soul weapon is a weapon crafted from the soul cores of mutated beasts. The stronger the beast, the more powerful the core. We found a way to use them in crafting weapons since guns weren't very effective against most beasts, and not everyone possesses strong attacking power," Jeremy explained, knowing Kael had no idea what the term meant.
That explanation cleared up a lot for Kael. It also explained why the weapons looked so medieval. Since guns couldn't penetrate the beasts' skin, using force from their own bodies—like they had done in the past—was the best approach. Still, since he had little understanding of soul weapons, he refrained from jumping to conclusions.
He simply guessed that learning about soul weapons would be a great addition to his journey of getting stronger—before karma came back to bite him.
"Now, as we discussed in our last class, all of you should pick your weapons and pair up in twos to have a battle. A friendly spar, without weapons—just try to channel a good amount of your soul energy into the soul weapons."
The students gave a silent acknowledgment. At a wave of Leonard's hand, they scattered to retrieve their weapons, which they had already used in previous training sessions.
Kael followed the crowd to pick a weapon, but when he arrived, he found himself in a tight spot. He had no idea what to choose—should it be a sword, a dagger, or a bow? He was a complete novice.
He turned around to ask Jeremy for advice, but Jeremy was already back at the center of the class, weapon in hand. This was on him now.
"If you're having a hard time picking, just think of what you're good at."
Kael turned to see a girl with long white hair, a cold expression, and a beautiful face. She was busy selecting a halberd for herself.
"I like close range... I mean, that's all I can do for now," he muttered low enough for only her to hear.
"In that case, pick something like a gauntlet. Like those," she said, pointing to a set of gauntlets on the bottom shelf, particularly a red one that looked large but intricate from afar.
Kael instantly went to pick it up from the shelf and fitted it on. The feel was unexpected—it wasn't heavy but as light as paper, almost like it was part of his hands.
[Gauntlets equipped... A great weapon for the user has been detected.]
[Skill has been absorbed from the soul core of the gauntlet.]
[Shockwave Lv 1]
Kael was surprised by his gain but quickly shifted his attention back to the girl as she walked away.
"Wait!" he called. "I'm Kael Auron. What's your name?"
The girl glanced at his necklace before responding, "Kory Guts." With that, she turned and walked back to the class.
Kael was more surprised by the grade on her necklace than her kindness. Aside from Eric, she was the second higher grade student he had met, and she had been nice to him.
This started to make Kael rethink his perception of the world since coming to the academy and meeting Dorothy. Maybe there were truly people who hadn't given in to the world's principalities. But as his thoughts wandered too far, he recalled the image of Aldric's corpse and how he had torn him apart. The memory sent a chill of panic through him.
'I should focus on the class. Standing out is not an option here, especially not now.'
He rushed to join the others. After some time, Leonard raised one hand, capturing everyone's attention.
"Now, since we're done with our selections, shall we begin pairing into twos—" Leonard paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, yes, Kael Auron. Since you're new, you'll be my sparring partner."
Kael's throat went dry. He glanced around, hoping there was another Kael Auron in the room. But there wasn't.
He was about to go up against a teacher—all on his own.