Rohan, unlike before, pushed through the game without hesitation.
Since Clara and the bridge were more solidly built than expected, there was no need to waste energy.
Now that he stopped playing like an idiot and actually started enjoying it, Rohan felt much more at ease.
[Clara: With the minimum specs, you’ll need a bit of retry! Just try to cycle through 2 skills in the first wave and survive until the evasion tank makes it! ( ◜𖥦◝ )]
“Cute, huh.”
Asking Clara about curious settings or stuck parts, he started speeding through the area.
Rohan realized why Clara even tried to sell him on the story.
“…It’s definitely fun.”
Once a chapter started, it was hard to stop midway because he wanted to know what happened next.
It took quite a bit of patience to cut it off in the middle.
While studying, taking a break to cool his head, or on the way back to the dorm after exercising, or even while eating at the academy dining hall.
Rohan used his time wisely, pushing through stages like a pro, which surprised Clara.
Thanks to that, he also learned how to play the game properly.
And since he clearly got hooked, Clara smiled brightly, happy for him.
Every little thing was a huge improvement.
If they got this close, maybe someday Clara would talk about her current life, which he couldn’t know about in Abyss City.
“At some point, I’ll have to ask for her help.”
With his mind still tangled in complex thoughts, Rohan stepped through the gates of Orion Academy, heading to Class 1 while slipping his phone into his pocket.
*Click!*
He opened the door and stepped into Class 1.
Rohan exchanged light greetings with friends he’d gotten to know over the past few days and sat down next to Gilbert.
“Rohan! A strong and powerful morning to you!”
“Yeah. Still the same as always…?”
Rohan swallowed the greeting he was about to say.
Unlike usual, Gilbert’s voice didn’t have that booming confidence.
He stopped organizing his bag and turned his head to the side.
Gilbert’s face looked like it had been through the wringer—not the usual face that seemed ready to unleash a majestic sound effect.
“Yo! Your face is wrecked. What happened?”
“Just an honorable medal for resisting the gorilla’s unjust orders… Nothing happened.”
“?”
The “gorilla” Gilbert was referring to was probably his older sister.
He’d heard that his sister graduated from Orion Academy, got a job in the academy city, and was now under surveillance.
“Just a member of Carnate trying to reclaim freedom with a flap of wings.”
“Looks like it didn’t go well.”
“The attempt itself has meaning.”
Considering this guy had narrowly escaped death out of sheer curiosity in the past and his occasional antics, Rohan thought there might be a valid reason for his current state.
“The fact is, this was a common sight even during his time at flight school. It’s also on the incident list, number 9.”
Dick Wikitree announced his arrival as he set his bag down.
“You’re here.”
“Yeah. I’m here.”
Rohan exchanged light greetings with him.
Bert, with his arms crossed, had a brief flashback to something Dick had said.
“Ah, of course, I haven’t forgotten the past. I won’t forget this shameful time either and will train hard to defeat the gorilla.”
“That’s also something we kept repeating at flight school. A goal I still haven’t achieved.”
“Gah──!!! The golden spirit of never giving up and moving forward is what’s important! How can you only look at the results?!”
Gilbert, after a short conversation with Dick, seemed to regain his energy and started raising his voice as usual.
Rohan felt a sense of stability from their conversation and prepared for class.
A moment later, Juyun opened the door and entered for the morning assembly.
“I will now take attendance.”
One by one, names were called out by Juyun’s voice.
No cadets were missing today.
“Sick cadets or cadets with special circumstances.”
Class 1 already had an unspoken rule.
If no one raised their hand after a few seconds, the answer came simultaneously.
“None!”
“If there are any patients or special circumstances that are difficult to mention here, come see me during break or leave a message.”
Juyun moved her pen over the log.
“Break.”
With no particular announcements, Juyun packed up the log and briskly left the classroom.
The cadets naturally began preparing for class.
··
··
“There was a part I told you to memorize yesterday. Let’s review that part and move on.”
As Juyun waved her hand, two problems were written on the board.
“The dimensional rift that spawns monsters and the black monolith. Each has a different area of impact depending on their size, right? Use the formula to find the minimum range of negative impact. I explained in detail yesterday about the terrain and materials that cause errors in the range.”
As she finished her explanation, her red eyes locked onto her target.
“Rohan and Noah Frozenheart, come up and solve one each. Rohan, solve the dimensional rift problem, and Noah Frozenheart, solve the monolith problem.”
“…”
“Gasp!”
Noah audibly gasped and stiffened her tail, while Rohan gulped.
The aftermath of the placement test’s single line seemed to linger.
I got up from my seat and glanced towards Ichinose, who was teaching me.
Coincidentally, our eyes met.
─ F. I. G. H. T.
Ichinose mouthed the words clearly and clenched her fist.
With such precious encouragement, I couldn’t let down Ichinose, my theoretical mentor.
I strode forward confidently.
“Noah Frozenheart, come up and solve it quickly.”
“Yes, yes!”
At Juyun’s voice, Noah stood next to Rohan.
Swish swish.
Rohan moved his pen across the board.
His head felt like it was going to explode, but he somehow came up with an answer.
Whether it was correct or not, there was a different kind of thrill in reaching a conclusion compared to physical exertion.
“Rohan. Did you solve it all?”
“Yes.”
As Rohan took a step back, Juyun quickly scanned the formula.
“You got it right up to the middle. The finishing touch on applying the formula is a bit lacking… You stepped into the trap too easily. The fastest way to improve would be to solve similar problems and get familiar with the patterns.”
“Understood.”
After receiving the critique, something became clear. It was disappointing to see why I missed that.
“Still, I can see the effort you put in. Good job.”
Juyun placed a hand on Rohan’s shoulder to praise him, then shifted her gaze to Noah Frozenheart.
“Umm…”
Noah hadn’t even started yet.
Her flustered state, unable to grasp the situation, was quite noticeable.
How long did the girl with the blood of the White Tiger wag her tail and ears, battling the problem with her eyes?
Looking at Juyun, she honestly admitted, “I don’t know!”
Juyun, as if she had anticipated Noah’s answer, showed no change in expression. She wasn’t angry or flustered. She was just pondering how to teach her.
“Noah Frozenheart.”
“Yes!”
Juyun, removing her hand from Rohan, approached Noah and gently brushed aside the bangs of her mixed black and white hair, patting her head.
Noah blinked in confusion, and Juyun raised her voice so everyone could hear.
“When you graduate from Orion Academy and step into the field, you’ll face countless situations that can’t be fully explained with words.”
“…”
“One of the situations that drastically lowers survival rates is internal conflict.”
Unexpectedly, it wasn’t a direct sermon on the necessity of theory.
What followed was persuasion, not preaching.
“Even when lives are at stake, there are situations where cooperation fails due to bad blood or past grudges. There are also cases where plans fall apart because people can’t stop arguing, unable to acknowledge each other’s abilities.”
Noah’s round ears perked up, showing she was listening intently.
Juyun, meeting the girl’s eyes, asked, “Noah Frozenheart. In a moment where a single decision determines life or death, can you follow the command of someone weaker in strength?”
The girl shook her head vigorously, indicating she absolutely couldn’t.
Juyun had expected that.
Perhaps because she’s the daughter of Lord Seolho, there was a stubbornness in her that wouldn’t yield on this matter.
“Learning theory is similar to that.”
“Huh?”
To the girl who voiced her confusion, Juyun calmly continued.
“In the world, there are those who believe physical strength is the ultimate power, and those who think knowledge is the measure of strength. There are also groups that consider wealth or social influence.”
“…”
“Contrary to Cadet Noah Frozenheart, there are people whose commands you’d rather die than follow because they can’t read the situation.”
At least a minimum of theory is a basic requirement to sit at the negotiation table on the battlefield.
Only then can you consider other things.
“Since I mentioned group conflict, I should add one more thing. Last time, you asked why we don’t have cadets spar with each other, right?”
“That’s right!”
“The cadets here are overflowing with confidence and full of vigor…”
There might be times when you can’t gracefully accept the outcome of a spar, and emotions can get hurt when forces clash. This isn’t just something that happens among cadets; it’s common even among professionals.
You need to be mentally more mature than you are now.
Juyun announced that by then, sparring would become a regular part of the lessons.
But Noah, looking somewhat disappointed, stuck out her lips.
She showed the values and mindset she had developed while living in Tigroba.
“Winning or losing… I think it’s pure. If you lose, it ends there, and if you win, it ends there…”
Juyun seemed to see someone’s reflection in Noah’s words.
She smiled faintly and grabbed Noah’s cheek.
“Accepting the outcome and finding purity in the struggle is admirable. It would be great if everyone thought like Noah, but that’s not the reality.”
“…”
“In the end, this means that it causes situations where cooperation doesn’t happen due to bad relationships or unresolved grudges from the past.”
It means that repeated mental preparation is needed for cadets to spar with each other.
“That’s why we’re not having you spar yet and why theory is necessary. Understand?”
“Yes…”
Noah seemed to reluctantly nod in understanding.
Juyun found that both impressive and understandable.
She knew from her own past experiences that there are times when you’re overflowing with energy and itching to let it out, and that active beastkins have an even stronger temperament.
She’s having a lot of thoughts.
‘Am I being too old-fashioned… Instructor Carrot is already having them spar, isn’t she?’
Juyun felt a bit disappointed that her lesson plan was getting derailed.
But she once again realized that cadets who grew up in different countries with strong personalities and values can’t be taught in just one way.
“Alright. Since Noah Frozenheart has properly understood and accepted this instructor’s boring lecture, we’ll have a simple spar in the afternoon. I’ll take on Class 1 and point out the issues.”
“!!!”
Noah’s tail, which had been drooping, perked up and wagged vigorously.
Her deep blue eyes shone brightly, expressing the ferocity of a beast.
The cadets who were sitting and watching also became very interested.
It felt like a huge opportunity rather than just a regular class.
In that atmosphere, Juyun gathered everyone’s attention and spoke.
“Before we spar, I’ll set one condition.”
