Chapter 359: Classroom Chronicle

A few minutes passed and an avalanche of students erupted into the assembly hall. Following them, several adults walked in and advanced towards the stage. Their feet did not halt until they fall in a line on the stage.

Many students who had occupied the nearest seat at the upper rows realised the hierarchy of seats and scrambled to grab a spot at the lower row. Only after settling down did one of them on the stage stepped forward to the lectern.

"Good morning children."

The voice befitting the stature of a man in his early forties rose from the lectern and dispersed the murmurings. The assembly hall became silent and the students gazed at the stage with eagerness.

"My name is Floyd Graham and I am the vice-principal of this institution."

Without a microphone, the man's voice was clearly audible to everyone in the hall. Some students murmured and whispered as he continued-

"This gathering is for introducing you all to your tutors and for some formal announcements.

The institution has a total of four teaching departments.

The first one is the Practical department. It deals with your fitness and fighting capabilities and nurturing them even if you don't have any.

The second one is the Theoretical department. It is to teach you about the basic theories and concepts which will give you an advantage in a battle.

The third one is the Affinity department. This department concentrates on the power of elements and will help you to ascend in your journey to greatness.

The fourth and final department is the Summoning department. You'll learn it when you see it.

Except for the Affinity department, all others have five staffs and one among them from each department would assist your classes. The Affinity department has two tutors for a specific element and they'll be ready to clarify your doubts at once.

Questions?"

The atmosphere remained silent and the man smiled delightedly.

"Beautiful.

I am here to tell you a few more things, so listen close.

Next week, all the senior students would arrive at the campus. They'll occupy their rooms and their classes. Before they arrive, you should know the custom of the campus.

From that day onwards, any senior student can challenge a first-year for a duel and they cannot back down!"

A shiver went down the spine of many as the students gasped at the piece of information. Many went pale after this revelation. Whisper and muffled agony rose from the audience and the vice-principal raised his hands to calm down the students.

"Let me finish.

The duels are not deathmatches and it is illegal to fight recklessly. They can only be fought on raised platforms that are dispersed throughout the campus. There is also a law that a first-year cannot engage in more than one duel in a week, so you all are relatively safe.

And the most important thing is that there will be a point system for duels. You are initially given 15 points. Every match you lose or forfeit, you lose a point. If you end up losing all the points, then you'll be kicked out of the academy.

By now, you might have deduced the reason why I introduced the departments. If no one has doubts, then you may disperse to your floor."

There was silence and then Jonathan raised his hand. The entire hall's attention was shifted onto him.

The vice-principal asked him to stand up and speak out his doubt.

"What is the purpose of the duels and the point system?"

Many nodded in agreement as they too had the same doubt in their heads. Several whispers and murmurs rose and the vice-principal replied-

"This world is not fair. So to survive in this society, you need to fight and win and be victorious.

The purpose of the duel is to make your resolve strong when facing an enemy. Always be brave when facing an opponent. There is always something to learn from someone who stands against you.

The point system is to make you feel threatened. When endangered, any being will fight back. This would trigger the survival instincts of a being and will enable it to live without fear."

Jonathan sat down and the assembly hall was silent. No one murmured, no whisper rose. There was a veil of stillness looming over the students as they comprehended the reason behind these regulations.

"Now you may all disperse to your classroom. The teachers assigned to you will come and meet you in the class."

The students rose and walked out of the hall in an orderly fashion. Jonathan followed the bunch and ascended the flight of steps and reached the first floor.

The classroom was plain and simple. There was nothing luxurious about it. The ceiling was higher than other buildings and the windows were tall. A refreshing breeze blew inside the classroom and filled with an aroma.

There was a brief period of chaos where all the students were running and jumping over the tables to get their favourite seat. Including Jonathan, only seven among a total of 38 students were able to occupy a seat near the window.

"Hey, get out of there!"

As Jonathan settled down after his victory, he was greeted with an angry shout from a classmate. The boy looked irritated and glared at Jonathan.

"Me?"

He was doubtful as the boy shouted at Jonathan for no reason. Wondering what his deal was, he remained seated.

"That seat is for humans. You elf have no business here."

The boy made his point clear as he slammed his palm on the table. The sound produced a short period of silence which was disrupted by another boy who shouted-

"someone is coming."

Hearing this, the infuriated student walked away from him while gesturing that his eyes will be on Jonathan.

Some fiend.

The deadpan expression was brimming with disappointment as Jonathan realised that his first day in the classroom turned into an outburst of a fellow student's racial perspective. The blank expression was kept on as a woman walked into the classroom.