“F-Friends?”
The group looked at Arthur as if he was some kind of alien. Their eyes then shifted to Isla, waiting for her to deny those claims or at least look as confused as they were. Yet, she still had that same blank expression as before with no reaction at all.
‘Friends? I’m pretty sure the only friends she claimed to have were…’
Everyone there knew Isla very well so they knew who she likes to be around and those people have been the only people she ever declared as her friends. Many tried to befriend Isla and join that group, but she never let them in. Befriending Isla was a goal their families had put on their shoulders as such a relationship meant endless benefits to the family from one of the future’s strongest individuals in the world.
They have kept their eyes on her, and especially those she’s linked to. But, out of nowhere, another boy appeared and claimed he was her friend. Someone they had never met before and had never seen around Isla.
“Let’s go.” Arthur didn’t care about their bewildered looks and simply dragged Isla away from them.
“Hey, wa-”
But, before they could even say anything, the two walked into the classroom. Inside, they found themselves in a completely different world. If the hall outside was majestic and grandiose, then the classroom was a compact yet amazingly luxurious place. To begin with, the walls were lined with shimmering panels that were idly changing color in a slow rhythmic manner.
Elegant glass tables and ergonomic chairs were arranged in clusters, looking as if they were floating above ground with their comfortable yet intriguing design. The floor beneath them mimicked a starry night sky with small white dots everywhere, giving the place an ethereal sensation unlike anything before.
Facing all of this was a large interactive board of thin white glass near a large glass table that looked like it belonged to the professor.
“They really went far and beyond in everything…” Arthur muttered. ‘So this is where I’m going to spend the next year, huh? Well, I’m fine with that. This is gorgeous.’
Isla nodded her head faintly in agreement. This classroom was certainly far more eye-catching than any other classroom she ever stepped in and she had been to the most prestigious institutions in the world before.
The two then walked inside, going around the tables. As they expected, their names and numbers were assigned to each table.
Arthur walked to the other side of the classroom where he found his seat, right in the middle to the left. Meanwhile, Isla sat on the opposite right side, not that far away from Arthur.
‘Yeah, I guess this is where our luck ends. If we actually ended up next to each other, that would’ve been stupid.’ Arthur thought to himself.
A few seconds later, the students walked inside and sat down in their seats. The ones who ended up next to Isla couldn’t contain their excitement. Fate had given them a chance to show a good image of themselves to the queen herself in hopes of catching her attention.
However, before they could even speak, the door to the classroom opened slowly and a man walked inside. Everyone immediately turned to look at the newcomer, only to realize that it was a familiar face.
‘Wait, isn’t that the guy we just met earlier? Theodore?’ Arthur squinted his eyes.
Nobody uttered a word until the man finally stopped in front of the board and faced everyone with his usual calm expression. Theodore was an older man with a well-trimmed white beard and white hair, and a strong look on his face that invoked respect without him uttering a word.
“Good morning, everyone.” He said. “I’m your new professor for this year.”
“…”
“Before we begin, do you have any questions?” He asked.
“… Mmm.” One student lifted their hand.
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you say that you’re one of the administration members?”
“Of course. But, that is only a part of my job. I was also tasked with teaching one of the S-Classes. Do not worry, I have been trained to be the best instructor for this class. As long as you follow my words and do not commit any bad behavior, I believe our year together will be very fruitful. Any other questions?”
“…”
“Good. Now, we shall go over some things before we begin our first lesson. The first thing is, in every single lesson, I need your undivided attention. Not only in normal subjects but also in subjects related to the Divine Realm and the game. This is something all the students are required to do, but there is an emphasis on the S-Class because you are the best students we could ever find. You have a lot more responsibility keeping this position as it is your key in the future for greater things.”
All the students listened to Theodor’s words attentively. They understood the giant task on their shoulders to stay in this position. They still didn’t know what being an S-Class meant, but they knew the institution wouldn’t put so much emphasis on them if they didn’t see something truly great in them.
“Hmph, those beneath me are nowhere near my level. They can only dream.” One scoffed coldly.
“And that is precisely why you are going to be the first to fall from grace,” Theodore said as he pointed at the student. “That attitude is precisely what will cause your downfall. Here, hard work and humility are what will bring you to success. Keep your eyes focused on the goal, nothing else.”
“…”
“If you believe that your status outside this island matter, you are far from right. The Middle Island does not care about any other nation, clan, or family. Here, everyone is equal and the only thing that puts one student above the other is their performance. The better you do individually and as a class, the better your position be and the better results you will get.”
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The professor’s voice didn’t falter at all the entire time he was saying that. He truly didn’t care who these people were and what they did outside this island. The moment they stepped into that place, all their achievements were put aside.
“Just like what you might’ve witnessed in Divinity Online. Status isn’t important… Power is. The more power you have, the better position you will find yourself in and the better position you get… The greater your ambitions shall reach.”
“…” The student being addressed clenched his teeth and didn’t say a single word. He didn’t like what he heard, but something told him not to even think about retorting or lashing out at the professor or he would regret it very quickly.
“The second thing I wanted to mention is about tests. Although we are only starting lessons today, our system is different from what most of you are accustomed to. There will be several tests across your normal schedule in a random matter. These tests can either be for individuals against other individuals, for groups against other groups, or for classes against other classes.”
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3