Nathan

Year 2849 | Month 5 | Day 6

The interior of the tower is… not something I’ve ever seen before, really. It has two large desks lined up directly across from the entrance, each with receptionists wearing military uniforms marking them as Second Lieutenants, along with two tunnels that curve around inwards next to them. Just from the entrance, I can already see several doors lined up on the tunnel walls with only a couple of meters of space between them.

Before I can wonder how they managed to fit a classroom – assuming that’s what they are, considering the numbers above the doors – in those very small spaces left between the doors, I see one of them open to reveal a portal lining the frame. Soon after that, a woman in a military uniform with the rank of captain walks out of the room before closing the door behind them.

So all of the classroom doors are connected via portals? That’s interesting.

The portals aside for now, we walk up to a desk before stopping in front of it as the receptionist begins speaking, “Hello, are you here to register for your classes?”

“Yes,” I answer the woman before placing the list of classes I chose down on the desk in front of her. She looks at it for a second before nodding and asking, “Alright, hand me your dorm key. If you couldn’t tell by now, these keys also act as an id of sorts.”

I reach into my pocket before pulling out my key and handing it to her. She then pulls out some sort of scanner and messes with a computer – which really looks rather out of place in the more medieval setting of this academy – before pulling up the list of classes I wrote down and saying, “This’ll only take a sec.”

Actually, now that I think about it, there weren’t any computers in our dorm. Does that mean that we don’t need them? Or are they going to provide us with laptops?

I’m distracted from my thoughts as the key in the receptionist’s hand begins to glow bright red before she quickly places it on some sort of pad. She then turns to me and says, “Your key is updating to give you access to the classrooms you have signed up for.”

After that she turns to look at Cyria and says, “In the meantime, why don’t we go ahead and begin your registration next.”

I glance between Cyria and the receptionist before stepping to the side and focusing on my key, which is still glowing red with some smoke rising off of it.

Meanwhile, Cyria proceeds to put her own piece of paper – not sure where she was keeping it – onto the desk before handing the receptionist her own key. After that, the same process ensues, except with her key glowing an aqua blue, with droplets of water beginning to drip off of the key.

Hmm, looks like the keys were changed by our mana. I turn to look at the metal pad where she placed my key.

And that pad is for more directly dangerous elements like poison or fire.

Interestingly enough, when Aidan has his key updated, it just has wind this time instead of the electricity from before.

Not sure what’s up with that.

Anyways, I turn my attention back to my key as it finally stops glowing red before picking it up and placing it back into my pocket.

This place has so much more magi-tech than I’m used to seeing… which – now that I think about it – makes me wonder why I didn’t see an enchantments or magi-tech class on the list of classes. Actually, I didn’t even see an alchemy one.

Then again, they’re probably for the later years at the academy.

Once we all have our keys updated and back in our possessions, the receptionist nods her head towards the tunnel and says, “The number of the floor that the classes are on also equates to what the minimum year is that the classes are offered on, so the first floor has classes that can be taken as any year, while the second floor has classes that can only be taken as a second, third, or fourth year.”

“To find the classroom number for your classes, just look at the guidebook.” She then turns to look at us again as she finishes. “Classes begin tomorrow at 12:00. Do not be late.”

I nod my head to her in appreciation before starting towards the tunnel.

It would be best to find the classrooms now so I know where to go tomorrow.

At that thought, I open my guidebook to look for the classroom numbers. As I’m doing this, I hear the others begin talking.

“I’m kind of surprised that there’s only one instructor for most of the classes,” Aidan says to which Cyria responds with, “When you consider that there’s only thirty students in the high course first year class this year, it would probably be weirder if they had more professors.”

They continue talking for a few seconds as I find number after number until I find each one and close the book. I then raise my head and stop at the first classroom, surprising each of them.

“We’re here,” I explain, pointing at the 1-1 above the door.

The classroom for-

My thoughts are interrupted as the door opens to reveal Instructor Leo walking out of the room.

-basic magic circuitry…

I guess he would be here for his classes, wouldn’t he…

“Hmm?” the instructor notices us pretty quickly – considering that we’re almost blocking the doorway – before saying, “Greetings again.”

“Good evening, Instructor Leo,” I answer whilst backing up a bit to give him more room to leave the… well… room.

The others repeat my greetings before the instructor looks between us all and asks, “You looking for your classes?”

When we all nod, a pleased look appears on his face as he nods and says, “Good.”

He then just turns and walks away.

I watch him go for a few seconds before turning around and looking for my next class, with the others following shortly after me.

As we’re walking, Cyria says, “Let’s find each of our classes before we head back to the dorms.”

I simply nod my head in agreement without pausing in my step.

“Wait, so we’re all taking Magical Warfare?” Aidan asks with a surprised look on his face. “That’s great!”

Cyria just nods as she says, “I’ve been told that it’s a difficult class, but completely worth it in the end.”

Her words catch my attention before I turn to her and ask, “I’ve been wondering, but who’s been telling you all of this stuff?”

Both Aidan and Sophia turn to look at her at my question.

Cyria looks between all three of us for a few seconds before sighing and answering, “It’s because my father is one of the four generals of the army.”

My eyebrows raise slightly at that answer.

That’s interesting, but not entirely unexpected.

Her father isn't as strong as Amelia's mother, but he's still pretty strong. Considering that the rank of general requires one to be a Class B magician at the least, while a councilmember's seat requires them to be Class A.

“Which one?” Aidan suddenly asks.

You don’t really need to ask, considering her last name.

She focuses on him anyways and says, “Jacob Argent.”

Yep. So her father is the Healer General.

I guess it could be worse for me. Like if her father was the Warrior General, or the Soul General.

I shiver slightly at the thought of the two generals who have a pretty big reputations of being complete and utter sociopaths.

It’s too bad the Republic works on a strength and recommendation basis, and not on a ‘do you deserve the position’ basis.

The others continue chatting as I think about the military.

In general, the only ones with power over the four generals are the council seats and the chairman, but even then, they don’t tend to veto many of their decisions. They will often order them to do stuff, but they tend to not go against the generals’ private agendas if they don’t have to.

Which makes sense, since most people who’re promoted to general have done some rather noteworthy things, and despite the minimum magician Class requirements being lower to become a general than they are for being on the council, they all have their own… quirks, that make others not want to get on their bad sides.

The Healer General for example is loved by most of the military for his extraordinary healing magic, which can – supposedly – revive the dead if they were killed within an hour or so of him healing them. Meanwhile, the Warrior General is mostly known for being a berserker that will slaughter anything he sees on the battlefield with his Enhancement Affinity magic, both friend and foe, and the Soul General is a bit crazy as well. Considering his supposed knack for raising the dead with his Soul Special magic and setting them loose on armies in battle.

Although, the fourth general doesn’t have much of a public reputation. From what I’ve heard, they tend to stick to themselves without making many public actions.

All I know is their title.

The Hidden General.

Anyways, I turn towards Sophia out of curiosity.

I wasn’t really paying attention to her key earlier when she had it updated, but the class she went to that the rest of us didn’t have was the Fundamentals of Poison class. Which was probably one of the last elements I would have guessed her to have as her affinity.

“We’ve finished finding our classes, so I’m heading back to the dorms,” I say after hearing a pause in whatever conversation the others were having.

Aidan turns to look at me and says, “Sounds good.”

Meanwhile, the two girls share a glance before nodding their heads as well.

Following that, we all head towards the entrance to the tower, only to pause right in front of the doors as it opens to let in the sounds of some sort of commotion. When we continue going outside of the tower to see what’s going on, I find a large group of over a dozen people – all students, and not all in the same year judging by the numbers on the cuffs of their uniforms – crowding in one place near the entrance.

As soon as we all step outside, several of the people within the group turn to look at us, moving out of the way slightly and revealing a familiar face in the middle of the group.

Amelia?