Chapter 9: First Day of Class (2)

Seeing it was still quite early, he assumed he was the first one here.

Rohan opened the door with a creaking sound.

Someone’s already here?

A male Cadet was already inside the classroom, meticulously maintaining a Modern Crossbow.

Their eyes met. An awkward silence filled the air.

Just as Rohan opened his mouth to greet him, the cadet abruptly averted his gaze and resumed his work.

“···.”

The greeting Rohan was about to offer retreated back down his throat.

Standing by the door, Rohan looked around the classroom.

Can I sit wherever I want?

Some desks had bags on them, seemingly reserving the spots, but since it was still early, there were plenty of empty seats.

Wanting to focus on the class properly, Rohan walked to the front and sat down at an empty desk.

As he reread the Academy’s informational pamphlet, cadets began to trickle in.

Everyone’s diligent.

He had only glanced away for a moment, but already more than half the seats were filled.

Perhaps they, too, had arrived at the Academy early, filled with the same excitement he felt.

Either way, it was good. The classroom started to buzz with life as the cadets settled in.

The silence which had dominated the room melted away, replaced by the chatter of groups who seemed to be friends already.

Rohan was pleased by the comfortable atmosphere created by the sound of conversations.

─ Isn’t Class 1 the best class?

─ You think the Academy would be that blatant about making others feel bad? Look at you, you were completely destroyed by Ben, and he’s in Class 5.

─ ···.

─ I’m more curious about who our Instructor will be.

Observing the cadets as they filled the room, Rohan had a sudden realization.

He recognized very few faces. Most were strangers.

Hmm… Even in the game, there were only around 30 cadets you could talk to. And thinking about it, that was taking the entire Academy into account.

Then were these the students who were represented as shadows in the game, simply filling the space?

When he thought about it like that, he felt strange in a way he couldn’t quite describe. He then shifted his gaze to another group.

What was his name again?

As he mentally checked off the cadets whose faces he recognized but had never interacted with, a deep voice struck his ears.

“Boy.”

“?”

Turning towards the source of the voice, Rohan saw a large Cadet, easily over 2 meters tall, with his arms crossed.

If not for the uniform, Rohan would have mistaken him for an Instructor.

“Is that seat next to you open?”

“Uh… yeah, it is.”

“That’s excellent news! Mind if I sit there?”

Rohan pulled out the chair, inviting him to sit.

The large Cadet plopped down next to him with a hearty “Nice to meet you,” causing the chair to groan under his weight.

Why does he look like he’s from a different anime?

Aside from his already distinct personality, his facial features were so sharp, they looked like they were drawn with ink.

Like he had just stepped out of some bizarre adventure.

“Boy, what’s your name?”

“Rohan.”

“Rohan, eh? Has a good ring to it.”

What kind of speech pattern was this? Calling a classmate “boy” was unusual.

Intrigued by this unique character, Rohan asked,

“What should I call you? Should I call you ‘boy’ too?”

“Gilbert Kaniart. You can call me Gilbert.”

Rohan mulled over the name, quickly searching through the information in his head.

Gilbert…

Nothing. He’d never heard of him before. A name he’d never encountered in Abyss City.

Probably the same for most of the unfamiliar cadets here.

“Now that I know your name is Rohan, there’s no need to call you ‘boy’ anymore.”

Saying this, Gilbert began unpacking his bag with precise movements.

He let out a satisfied snort and nodded, then abruptly stood up and disappeared through the front door.

At the same time, the back door clunked open.

And as if taking over from Gilbert, Ichinose and Noa stepped into the classroom.

“Haaam! Sleepy…”

“Noa. Cover your mouth when you yawn.”

All eyes turned towards the two.

The impact of their fame was undeniable.

However, few cadets seemed eager to get close or stared at them with admiration.

Since most Orion Academy cadets were confident in their own abilities, they seemed more inclined to feel competitive towards the pair.

The most notable exception being…

The Beastkin cadets from Tigrova, who avoided the gaze of the royal, Noa Frozenheart.

“Nose~ I’m sleepy… Carry me.”

Noa swayed with sleepiness, trying to hug Ichinose’s petite frame.

But Ichinose gracefully dodged Noa’s attempt with her eyes still closed.

“Don’t be ridiculous and go wash your face.”

“Mean!”

Ignoring Noa’s grumbling, Ichinose searched for a seat, then stopped.

She turned her head slightly and opened one eye to greet Rohan.

“Good morning.”

“Yeah, good morning.”

Rohan returned the greeting casually while doing cartwheels internally.

The feeling of having a normal conversation with Ichinose Yui still felt like a dream.

The sight of the two of them was always heartwarming.

“Huh?”

Noa Frozenheart, who had been sleepily following Ichinose, blinked her eyes.

As if being roused from a deep slumber, her blue eyes regained their light. She twitched her pert nose and round ears.

Then, staring intently at Rohan, she strode towards him.

“Noa! Where are you going?!”

Ignoring Ichinose’s call, Noa Frozenheart stood before Rohan.

Rohan met Noa’s clear gaze without flinching, her tail swaying gently.

“Hmm?”

Noa made a puzzled face, looking at Rohan sitting in his seat.

She tilted her head this way and that, sniffing in his direction.

Not understanding her actions, Rohan just watched.

After sniffing for quite some time, Noa straightened up.

She moistened her lips with her tongue and spoke.

“You smell delicious. Interesting.”

“Me?”

“Yes!”

A completely honest reply without a trace of falsehood. Rohan simply smiled, meeting her gaze.

He had a hunch.

Does the jerky smell that strong?

Perhaps because it was coming from a Beastkin with gleaming molars, it felt strangely serious, not like a joke.

“Noa!”

A flustered Ichinose, who had placed her bag down, hurried over and pulled on Noa’s arm.

Looking disgruntled, Noa resisted and urged Ichinose,

“It’s true! Nose, smell him too.”

“H-How can you even suggest such an indecent thing?!”

Watching the two bicker right in front of him, Rohan felt the urge to record the scene with his phone.

Suppressing the strong impulse, Rohan reached into his bag.

And just as he opened it to offer Noa some jerky, the imposing figure of Gilbert returned, casting a shadow over them.

“Girls, the Instructor will be here soon. Please move.”

“Whoa! Why are you so big? What’s the highest number of burgers you’ve eaten?”

“Noa…! How can you be so rude?!”

It wasn’t often one saw Ichinose Yui flustered in Abyss City. Truly, a series of truly precious moments were unfolding.

It was chaotic and noisy, but Rohan was enjoying it.

“The most burgers I’ve eaten are three.”

“You eat so little. How many can you eat?”

Rohan simply waved goodbye in response to the question directed at him as Noa was already being dragged away by Ichinose.

“I expected the daughter of the Grand Emperor of Snow to have an icy, cold image. But she’s more like a whirlwind.”

Gilbert sat down with a solemn look on his face, crossed his arms, and continued his observation.

Knowing the public image of the Tigrova royalty, Rohan simply listened.

“Rohan. Do you know those girls?”

“I’m just acquainted with Ichinose.”

Adding that Noa Frozenheart seemed like the friendly type at first glance, Gilbert stroked his shadowed face with a serious expression.

“Have I been nailed to the coffin of ignorance by the preconceived notions forced upon me by the world…?”

Rohan chuckled at Gilbert.

This guy truly had an outstanding personality.

A spoonful of small talk with Gilbert, a spoonful of information exchange about the Academy, and a spoonful of rumors about the freshman curriculum.

As they were mingling with the bustling classroom,

“Instructor?”

“Seems like it.”

A hush fell over the lively room.

All the cadets felt it clearly. The presence of someone with a powerful aura approaching.

Click!

The door opened, and a woman in a suit stepped in.

More striking than her red hair were her sharp eyes. And the aura she exuded made them hold their breath.

“Greetings.”

With the click-clack of her heels, the woman stood at the podium, and the cadets stared at her intently.

After realizing who she was, the cadets froze in astonishment.

Especially the cadets from the Three Kingdoms Union, for whom it was nigh impossible to not recognize her face.

Even Ichinose’s eyes widened, her surprise evident.

“I’m Juyeon, the instructor in charge of Class 1.”

At the same time, a notification window popped up in front of Rohan.