If anything, Nathan was pleased with his conversation with Arthur Paradox. Not only did he manage to conceal his identity perfectly—or at least he thought so—but he also extracted numerous pieces of useful information about the Imperial Academy.
Including him, there were a total of seven representative students this year, quite a large number compared to the usual two or three. For some reason, Arthur did not question his lack of knowledge at all. He said that it was expected that he wasn't told anything. Nathan was almost sure that Arthur already knew his identity, but he put up an act just to be perfectly safe.
Arthur had returned to the academy early to sort things out. The power of the President of the Student Council was immense, but the same went for its responsibility.
Standing before the gate of the Imperial Rune Arts Academy of Runalond, Nathan felt a mixture of excitement and determination as he watched the students' arrival in a spectrum of ways. Some walked alone just like him, some were accompanied by others, and some traversed the air on fancy objects powered by Rune Arts. Almost all of them knew that entering this academy meant they would become the eventual future of the kingdom of Runalond. Prepared or not, they felt the honour of setting foot into this soaring monument of Rune Arts mastery.
Higher-year students had arrived a few days before them. Those who were free at the moment gathered behind the windows, carefully scanning the freshmen while whispering quietly to each other.
The overall atmosphere was peaceful, but Nathan couldn't help but feel the pressure of the stares on him from different directions. Changed into the white uniform, he seemed to have become the centre of attention.
None of the students who met his eye looked natural, fear or intentional smiles of respect dominated their faces. Having never felt such feelings of importance before, a prideful smile crept onto Nathan's face.
After a short while of daydreaming, Nathan walked toward the gate with wide steps. People along the way automatically separated to create a personal pathway belonging only to him. The pride in Nathan's heart grew larger, but somehow, there was also another feeling of emptiness and sorrow.
He was finally going to live a life that had only existed in his dreams. What was stopping him from absolute contentment? The thought flickered through Nathan's mind.
But before he could dwell on it longer, he noticed an immaculate man standing silently by the gate. Wearing a neat suit and standing in perfect posture, one could easily tell that this man was of aristocratic origin. However, it was also clear that he was too old to be a student.
The man also noticed him and bowed gently toward his position. "Greetings, Mister Modernson, I have longed to meet you," he said. His voice was soft yet steady, giving an attractive tone that caught the others' attention.
Nathan calmly paused and smiled politely. "You are?"
The man smiled. "My name is Henry Nox, the current principal of the Imperial Rune Arts Academy of Runalond, and also an old companion of your mother."
His introduction almost made everyone draw back in astonishment. A handful of people had already known the man's identity. What truly surprised them was his polite bow toward Nathan. Truth be told, Henry Nox was known for his "Courteous Arrogance." As the principal of the most prestigious academy, Henry's pride had never allowed him to look inferior to anyone. Perhaps apart from the king and the first seat of the Rune Arts Federation, he was the most influential and powerful figure in the kingdom.
After all, almost every authoritative member of any organization was once a student of his academy. Not to mention that Henry Nox was the youngest, as well as one of the greatest principals in the Imperial Academy's history.
Nathan had also received this information from Arthur. He never expected that the principal would lower his pride to bow to him. Just how powerful was his mother?
Under the influence of Principal Nox, Nathan also spoke with gentleness and courtesy. This action, however, seemed to please him a lot.
After a short conversation, Nathan nodded farewell to the principal and walked toward the center of the school grounds. Looking at the academy building, he could distinguish three layers of buildings separated by height, as well as the tower in the center that stretched all the way into the clouds.
He didn't know if it was because the school grounds were too big or if people were intentionally avoiding him. There was a huge empty space before him, but in contrast to the atmosphere, a girl with bright crimson hair walked up to him confidently.
"William!" she said as she approached Nathan. Unlike anyone else around her, she didn't have any fear in her eyes. The elegant white representative student uniform created a stark contrast to her ferocious, flaming eyes. "It's been a while since we met each other. You have really changed a lot," she continued in a powerful yet friendly voice.
Nathan's face twitched slightly. It was clear that the girl in front of him had mistaken him for someone else.
"Sorry to say, but… I'm not the person you are looking for," Nathan started slowly, but his voice was equally strong as hers. "But you know what? Your demeanor really reminds me of my homeland. My name is Nathan Modernson. Nice to meet you." Nathan wasn't necessarily lying. The aura the girl gave off was nothing related to an aristocrat.
Hearing his words, the wild smile on the red-haired girl's face did not disappear. Nathan's words seemed to make her feel prideful. To Nathan's surprise, she held her hand out toward him. "Though you don't look like one, you must be a warrior too! My name is Monica Gladius. My bad for recognizing the wrong person, I just didn't expect any other representative student to have dark hair."
Nathan had learned from the previous incident with Jennifer that handshakes were disrespectful among aristocrats, but knowing rules don't apply to everyone, he reached out his hand without hesitation and firmly shook Monica's hand. Though seemingly smooth, her hand was somehow as rough as some of the gangsters back in Lostburg.
Nathan had guessed that she must be the daughter of the kingdom's Premier Commander, Alexander Gladius.
Her smile widened on contact with Nathan's hand. After the handshake, she gave a hard pat on Nathan's back. "You are on our side, right?"
Lifting his eyebrows, Nathan quickly understood what she meant. According to Arthur Paradox, the Blanc and Schwarz families were symbolically representatives of the two polarized sides of the kingdom: the Rune Arts Federation and the Royal Family. Though people thought it was a conflict between two clans, the image behind it was much larger than they thought.
The ordinary citizens sided with the Rune Arts Federation and therefore supported the Schwarz family to fight for their welfare. However, most of the aristocrats stood with the Blanc family to secure their position and superiority.
The Gladius family, however, was one of the few exceptions. As soldiers of the kingdom, they cared more about the people rather than their position. Siding with the Schwarz family, they had always been a strong pillar of support.
"I don't think I'll need to answer that question, right?" Nathan smiled mischievously, his voice turning quiet, and then the two burst out in loud laughter.
"For the people and their future," Nathan smiled. To him, he felt genuinely surprised that aristocrats could be so different from each other. Jennifer, Arthur, and now Monica—their differences diminished Nathan's stereotypical view of them. Though rich and maybe arrogant, they were people with exclusive personalities and ways of thinking, just like the people he knew in Lostburg.
"For the people and their future," Monica replied. To her, she felt genuinely cheerful that she found someone so similar to her. In her memories, all the aristocratic heirs were always courteous and full of distance from strangers. It was truly a fortune for her that Nathan was also a representative student. She didn't know his identity, but even though she might be wild and carefree, she at least knew better than to ask for someone's origin and privacy.