Joint Training (2)
“We’re really going into the gate with Class C?”
“What? Where did you hear that from?”
The moment I returned from the staff room, Reglia immediately approached me with the question, as if she’d been waiting. She tried to act casual, but every student in the class had their ears perked in our direction. The fact that the entire class was focused on this conversation meant they already knew about the joint training with Class C. But Garein hadn’t shared that information yet, had he?
“Mir told me.”
“Ah, I see.”
Right. Mir had been in the infirmary with us and heard it too. With Reglia’s answer clearing things up, I nodded. Still, how had the entire class found out? At this point, it felt less like she’d whispered it to a few friends and more like she’d stepped up to the front and announced it to everyone.
“So, are we really fighting alongside Class C?”
“That’s how it turned out.”
Since everyone already knew, there was no point trying to keep it a secret. Besides, Garein would explain everything soon anyway. No need to hide it.
My affirmative answer was met with a brief silence that fell over Class A.
“Huh… Wait, not even Class B, but Class C?”
One student’s muttered words triggered a wave of subtle displeasure across most of the faces in the room. Complaints about the joint training began pouring out.
“Isn’t that a huge drop in level?”
“I don’t want to carry dead weight.”
“Can’t we just do it by ourselves?”
“Agreed.”
This was a problem with Class A that hadn’t surfaced much before, since we’d always operated without outsiders. It was an unnecessary sense of superiority—the belief that their class was the best. It was true that Class A had gathered students with exceptional talent and skill. But that was only based on the standards at the time of admission. No one knew how long those standards would hold.
This is definitely something that needs fixing…
It wasn’t something that could be solved with words. And even if I stepped in, it probably wouldn’t work. Issues like this usually only got fixed after a proper beating. Still, I figured I should at least give them a small warning.
“Still, don’t look down on them. There are some strong ones in Class C too.”
“…Strong enough for you to say that?”
Reglia reacted with wide eyes. The others still didn’t seem convinced, but at least one person had come to their senses. That was something.
Well, it’s not exactly wrong.
There really were strong students in Class C. At the time of admission, their talents hadn’t been recognized, but they were raw gems that had bloomed under Libra’s guidance. Class C had been formed entirely from students like that. And the fact that Karne had been chosen as their representative meant her growth had stood out even among those gems.
Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen Karne fight.
I should check it out during this joint training. Since she was from the Arbaana family, would she use spatial powers? Or would she hide her family’s abilities and use something else?
“The professor will explain the details.”
So stop asking me. Garein would be here soon—ask him directly.
“Then just tell me this one thing.”
But Reglia stubbornly clung on, her expression more serious than before.
“Who should we watch out for the most in Class C?”
“Wait, you do know this is a joint training, right?”
It wasn’t a competition between classes. This was joint training. We were supposed to work together, shoulder to shoulder. That kind of competitive energy should be saved for the Hwangyeon later, not this exercise.
“I know. But I still want to know, so I can’t help it.”
Her face said she understood nothing.
“I don’t know the details either.”
That’s why I shook my head and dodged the question. If I said something and it caused trouble later, what then? I kept my mouth shut and returned to my seat, but inside I was thinking about Reglia’s question.
Karne would probably be the one to watch, right?
I’d originally been thinking of Iville, but the representative this time was Karne, not her.
Huh. She really might be the one we need to watch the most.
Karne was from the Arbaana family. On top of that, she had enough talent that the first head of the family had personally taken an interest in her. If you added Libra’s specialized training on top of that…
She might be on the same level as Reglia or Kena.
Our Karne really has grown so much! The fragile girl I first met was gone. Now she’d grown enough to represent her entire class. It wasn’t quite at my level, and it was a bit ambiguous compared to Mir, but she’d improved enough to be next in line.
“And inside the Academy, we’re all just students.”
“Very few people actually think that way, though.”
Everyone nodded slightly at that. Yeah, people talked about equality all the time, but almost no one actually acted like it.
Creak.
“Hm? Class has already started. What are you all doing?”
Oh no, had it already begun? As soon as Garein entered, the students who had been focused on my conversation with Reglia quickly returned to their seats. Noticing that the class atmosphere was different from usual, Garein raised an eyebrow, lightly tapped the lectern, and spoke.
“Before we begin class, I have something to tell you. Due to the unfortunate incident yesterday that disrupted lessons, this time we will…”
What Garein was saying was exactly the topic we’d all been talking about. The joint training where we would clear a gate together with another class. And the class participating in that joint training was Class C.
“The representative for our class, based on overall evaluation, will be Zeon.”
“Professor!”
“What is it?”
“Then are we forming teams mixed with Class C?”
At that question, various emotions flashed across everyone’s eyes. Some looked like they didn’t care, while others sparkled with expectation at my words. But the majority showed wariness and discomfort.
“After discussing it with Professor Libra, we gave that part a lot of thought.”
Gulp.
“Each class will form their own teams.”
“Nice!”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.”
“Phew~ Much better than working with strangers.”
“And each class’s representative will be responsible for the other class.”
“What?”
So I had to take responsibility for Class C, not Class A?
That wasn’t in the explanation earlier?!
The paper we’d been given earlier hadn’t mentioned anything like that. Had they decided this on the spot after we left?
-Looks like only the representatives are going to suffer.
-But there must be some kind of benefit, right?
“You will follow your representative’s instructions and clear the gate. Don’t forget that every single one of your actions will affect your score. Understood?”
Most of the students looked sullen. They probably didn’t like the sudden fact that they had to follow the representative of Class C.
Maybe I should say something in advance.
Karne might have a hard time if the rebellious kids from Class A caused trouble.
Do I even have the right to worry about someone else?
The discomfort Class C felt toward Class A was far greater than Class A’s wariness toward Class C.
-We’ll need to establish dominance first.
-Just glance at them and say ‘Eyes down’ and it’ll be solved, right?
-Wouldn’t it be better to just overwhelm them with presence from the start?
-Oh, that’s not a bad idea at all.
The two of them were excitedly planning a “Class C Dominance Project” without even asking for my opinion, completely unaware of how conflicted I felt.
***
“And that’s how we’re going to fight against Class A!”
“Uwooooooh!”
“Down with Class A! Down with Class A!”
“Let’s completely crush them!”
On the other hand, in Class C, the topic of the joint training had also come up. However, the reaction was the complete opposite. While most of Class A had stayed quiet after Garein spoke, Class C exploded with burning passion the moment Libra finished talking.
Ugh, this is bad.
This exercise was supposed to be primarily about joint training. Because they’d decided not to mix the classes into teams, it had naturally turned into something resembling a competition against Class A. But no matter what, the main theme of this training was cooperation, not rivalry…
Professor Libra. You definitely said we would mix team members between classes…!
She had clearly said it was a joint training where classes would mix members to get to know each other and gain various experiences. Yet what had come out of her mouth now was basically encouraging us to form our own teams and compete against Class A.
-Haha, there’s no experience more important than the competitive spirit gained through rivalry.
“Alright, let’s give a round of applause for our Class C representative, Karne!”
And on top of that, each class’s representative was supposed to command the other class?
“Karne!”
“Y-yes?”
“Are you going to stutter like that in front of those Class A bastards?!”
“That’s right. You’re the representative of Class C. How can you look so timid?!”
“This is about establishing dominance! If you want to devour them, you need special training!”
Under the fierce gazes of her Class C classmates, Karne shrank back. In her mind, she thought of Zeon, the representative of the other class who shared her position.
Zeon. If you come to our class, it’s going to be a disaster.
-Well, I don’t think you need to worry about that child.
At least Zeon wasn’t the type to be intimidated by the rebellious attitude of Class C’s students.
Renia thought as she watched the fired-up students of Class C. She wondered whether that heat would last in front of that monster.
-It would be fortunate if they don’t get devoured instead.