《Cloud Shrouding the Sky》Chapter 3 - Free Education? Sure, Why Not!
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“Alright miss, let’s end the lesson for today”
“Huff…huff… why do I never win against you!?”
“But if you win then what use am I to you?”
“Ah…”
Elizabeth face blushed red because of the exercise she got from me. We have trained for a month now and her abilities soaring day by day. The improvement due to tutoring skill, with this I could teach her with the simplest way so that she can understand the subject faster. But since i couldnt activate it for to long, the progress is not monstrous like me.
“Good job Cloud, young miss has been progressing so fast in her training”
“Ah Steve, it’s my duty as young miss personal servant to fulfill her wish”
“Cloud, I would like to ask something to you is that okay?”
“Sure, as long as it is within my ability I will try to fulfill it”
“Good, can you enter the Royal Academy with young miss?”
“What?! But I don’t have money to pay the tuition fee”
“It’s alright, Master will pay for your tuition but you must study well and protect young miss well”
“Well if it’s free I will take it, as for protection it is already my duty so no problem”
God Bless Flaming family, let this family be prosperous all age. At first I thought I would work here for several years until I got enough money for the tuition fee of the Academy. But then like a meat pie dropped from sky, my boss decided to pay for it, I couldn’t thank Flaming family enough.
From now on, whatever happen I will stay with young miss since she is like my lady of luck. I mean, after I met her good things seems to follow me. I was freed from the dangerous job of pickpocketing, I got a job that paid well, and now free education. If she isn’t my lady of luck I don’t know what else to call her.
Three weeks later, I and Elizabeth riding on Flaming families carriage arrived at the Academy City. This city is a neutral zone between kingdoms. This city created and guarded by powerful group of people that seeks to find a place where all knowledge can be gathered together.
There was a story that a king for certain kingdom want this area because of their research and knowledge that basically exceed all kingdoms in the continent at that time. He deployed his troops to siege the city but the next morning the other kingdoms heard the news of the kingdom army defeat.
The king was dead and his family uprooted from the smallest child that just born until the elders. Since then no one dare to go against the Academy City. The vicinity of academy city then became a trade union because so many merchant wish to settle their business in the area.
After the accident, the other kingdoms and empire create their own Academy. The reason for this was because they realized how important an academy is. Although they started late but at least the other kindoms hadnt started yet at that time. Every year, they also sent nobles children to attend the academy in hope that they will be able to get knowledge as many as possible and share it within their kingdom.
The Academy doesnt care about this but because the Academy wants to make sure everybody can get the same opportunity of education, they limit the number of noble joining the academy and set a tuition fee. By setting tuition fee and restricting the amount of noble, commoner with enough money can also join the Academy.
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Since then the kingdoms and empire also started picking talented commoners to be sent to the academy for free. In return they have to share their knowledge by working for the kingdom. But from time to time, there were always some commoner who came to study without the help of a kingdom or empire. These people either came from merchant family or their family had started saving money from previous generation in hope for better future generation.
“Miss we have arrived at the academy”
“Yes, let’s go Cloud”
As we exited the carriage, the academy could be seen within our vision. My first impression of the academy was too huge. I mean if we compare it to the size of the city, almost half of them was the Academy area. We then walked into the Academy and was greeted by the guard of the academy.
“Good morning, may I help you?”
“We are new student and hope to report our arrival”
“Ah new student? Walk straight from here and you will see a big building, report your arrival there”
“Thank you”
After that we did as the guard told us and we found a big building almost the size of city hall in my previous life. This is the administration building and all the activity within the academy must be first registered here else it will be illegal activity.
“Good morning, how may I help you?”
“Ah, we are new students, my name is Cloud, and this is my young miss Elizabeth Flaming”
“Okay, let me see your admission paper first”
“Ah here it is”
“Okay, welcome to the Academy City, here is your room key, map, and student book”
“Thank you”
After we left the administration building, we went to the dormitory area to find our lodging. Because miss is noble, she can bring with her 2 servant to tend her in the Academy but she only brought me here. When we arrived, I once again astonished by how huge the academy, even the dormitory is occupying the other half of the city.
Academy city was divided into two district, Academy itself and Normal district. Academy district is located in the inner part of the city and protected by walls around it. The other district is located outside the walls, there people who seeks for fortune by working as academy staff or by opening shop at the city lives. Since Academy City is a neutral zone, it becomes a great place to find stuffs from all over the empire.
We entered the building and found our room. It’s the same as young miss bedroom and all the furniture were top class. Because young miss only brought one servant, I will be sleeping here as well to tend her needs and protect her in case something happen.
“Well, the room is decent but there is only one bed here”
“Ah don’t worry young miss, I will be sleeping at the sofa. It’s okay”
“But… well if you okay with it I guess then we got no problem”
“Miss can I have a moment please”
“What is it Cloud ?”
“Later our stats will be shown to the academy so I want to make a confession to you”
“Speak!”
“I was a thief before I met you, I was an orphan and its hard to find a job after I got kicked out from the orphanage. With nothing else to do, I could only steal the others money to survive”
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“You…”
“But I never steal money from the poor, I choose either noble or merchant because they got so much money that its not a problem even when I rob them a hundred times”
“Well I already know that from father, he already looked about your background when you start work as my servant. For noble family like mine, its easy to get information like that. It’s okay it is already in the past so I will not talk about that but if I found out you do that again I kick you out”
“Yes, young miss thank you for your concern. I promise that I will never do that again”
I decided to speak to young miss to prevent complication since the academy will check each students status before joining in the academy. The academy use this opportunity to record the student improvement as they study in the academy as well as prevent dangerous criminal and spy from entering the academy.
Noon, at the dormitory.
“Miss, its time for lunch and after that the Academy want us to report to the administration building to check our stats”
“First lets go to the Academies cafeteria I heard that their food is decent after lunch we will head to the administration building”
“Okay”
We walk towards the cafeteria, it seems that some students also had arrived even earlier than us. Although the Academy open all years but the curriculum still hasn’t started yet.
But seeing so many students here, I can guess that the academy was made this huge for a reason. I mean if its back on earth, the cafeteria size would be like a small department store.
Our food expense was included in the Academy tuition fee but if you like something special to eat, you can also order the chef to prepare it for you. The free food couldn’t be called luxurious but not so simple either. At least its enough to fill our belly so its good.
After we ate the all our food, we went to the administration building. There were also some students waiting for their turn of examination. I am a little bit nervous since I have thief job on me but I am only a servant so I think it will not be a problem hopefully.
“Next, hand over your student id”
“Here”
“Okay, stand in position [Reveal]”
PERSONAL INFORMATION Name Cloud Level 1 Age 10 Job Servant HP 520 MP 100 SKILLS Skill Name Level Physical 35 Thief 10 [NEW]Martial Arts 25 ACTIVE SKILLS Skill Name Origin Toggle Cost Hiding 10 Thief OFF 10 MP/sec Stealth 20 Thief OFF 20 MP/sec [NEW]Swift Attack 10 Martial Arts NONE 10 MP [NEW]Finger Thrust 20 Martial Arts NONE 25 MP PASSIVE SKILLS Sensitive Ear 10 Thief Dagger Mastery 20 Thief [NEW]Breath 10 Martial Arts [NEW]Bare-handed Fighting Mastery 20 Martial Arts BLESSING God of Knowledge Learning speed multiplier Remaining Skill point(s) 0 PERSONAL INFORMATION Name Elizabeth Flaming Level 1 Age 12 Job Noble HP 220 MP 100 SKILLS Skill Name Level Ellegance 12 Physical 10 Martial Arts 10 Warrior 2 ACTIVE SKILLS Skill Name Origin Toggle Cost Swift Attack 10 Martial Arts NONE 10 MP PASSIVE SKILLS Manners 10 Ellegance Breath 10 Martial Arts BLESSING God of Berserker Damage +50% Remaining Skill point(s) 0
As the level of the skill became higher, i felt the decrease my leveling up speed. Although due my comprehension i could train much faster, i can feel the frustation of leveling a skill. No wonder they say that people normaly only have several skills on their arsenal. If with monstrous ability, comprehension, i could only progress at this speed, then i wonder how many years they need to level up.
Of all blessing in the world, Elizabeth got the blessing of God of War so no wonder she like to get into a fight and hate to lose against me. Although her blessing adds 50 percent damage to her attack but it still lacking compared to my defense.
But something is not right about my stats, how can they didn’t see the comprehension and all its skills. Well I guess its my little secret with God but im glad that they cant see it because its too overpowered. I wouldn’t want to get the top brass attention because of my skill because im still weak now.
“Thief Skill?!”
Hearing that the people around stopped and looks toward me. The hell you don’t have to yell it so loud until the entire building hear it don’t you?
“Ah…. Its because…. So….”
“It’s because he follow me in secret, I like to go around on my own but he always follow me in secret so he got that skill. If he was not my servant I would have thought he was trying to rob me”
“Ah… yes….yes that’s how it is, but im surprised miss notice me following her”
“Of course who do you think this lady is humph!”
Elizabeth proudly praise herself, but I gladly accept it if its not for her maybe I’ll be kicked out from the academy.
“Ah.. so that’s what happen, then I guess there is no problem but try not to use it too often”
“Yes… yes… I understand”
“But boy your abilities also topnotch for your age. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are 20 or something but to think you are only 10 years old. Your miss is also great although its isn’t as impressive as you”
“Ah… yes its because of my duty to protect young miss”
“Good, I have recorded both of your stats, you can leave now”
After the commotion, we left the administration building. I’m really glad that I passed the test, now im officially a student at this academy. But my lady of luck sure helped me a lot this time so my debt to her keep increasing time to time.
“Miss…”
“What is it Cloud?”
“Thanks for today, if its not for young mistress saying I stalked you then I would not be able to study here”
“What are you saying, you are my servant so of course you must be study here with me. Beside it wasn’t lie right, you do stalked me back then. If not why the hell would you know where am I and save me”
“But…. Sigh… yes I was charmed by young miss beauty back then so I cannot resist to stalk you”
Damn it my man dignity about to be buried underground. I wish I could dig a hole and hide in it for a month. But really, I have to get used to her narcissist attitude. Thus our life in the Academy City will finally began.
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