The First Lesson and Class A
Thud, thud, thud.
Every step Helahem took made the floor tremble, sending vibrations through the body that were enough to rattle the bones.
The overwhelming presence and imposing figure. Most students had never seen a person as large as Professor Helahem by this time of day.
Even robust young men would need to stack another head on top of theirs to match Helahem’s build. The difference in raw power only amplified his majestic aura.
...Whoa.
When I caught sight of Helahem passing by, I gave a subtle, dry chuckle and shook my head faintly.
Thinking about it, it was ridiculous that I had let that person’s strike go through without a scratch—on a body that hadn’t even been trained.
Of course, it wasn’t full power, just a rough estimate of his skill.
Now that I was actually comparing my own frame to his, I felt a chill run down my spine.
Helahem stood at the very front of the classroom, staring quietly at the students for several seconds before speaking.
“Some of you already know me, but my name is Helahem! Starting this semester, I’ll be teaching the History of Knights!”
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Helahem’s booming voice hit us like a hammer, twisting every student’s expression.
Half of them instinctively clapped their hands over their ears, their faces screwed up in pain.
I was no exception. When I’d met him privately, his voice had been loud but not quite this unbearable...!
While everyone winced from the unnatural volume, Helahem grinned and slapped the podium with his massive palm.
THUD!
With the reverberation still echoing, the students’ faces twisted even tighter.
The sound of ringing ears filled the room. Helahem stood motionless until the ringing finally died down, watching us with a calm gaze.
Once everyone’s faces relaxed again, he spoke once more.
“I was born with a natural talent for being a knight who marches onto the battlefield. Do you know what that means?”
This time the voice was still loud, but not so unbearable that anyone had to wrinkle their faces.
The students in front of me didn’t know, but I—standing in the middle—had managed to hear him without too much strain.
A heavy silence fell over the room. Then one student raised their hand.
“Right, tell us. What’s your name?”
“Rex Brigelra! With my enormous frame and powerful build, I’ll be...”
At the mention of his name, Helahem adjusted his glasses that had slipped down and gave a slow nod.
“That’s correct. The gap in body size can never be ignored. But depending on your training and physical enhancement, the outcome will differ.”
Body size does play a major role, but it’s never absolute.
Mana capacity and training level can create vast differences in power even among people of the same frame.
Of course, most cases still follow body size... but absolute doesn’t exist in this world.
“In other words, even the small-bodied students here can potentially surpass my strength depending on their circumstances. But that wasn’t the answer I was looking for. Good work, Rex Brigelra.”
“Thank you, sir!”
“Any other opinions? I don’t care what you say. Class is empty today, after all!”
While everyone else was sizing up the others, a student a little distance from me raised their hand.
A green-haired student with a rather large build, large enough to be noticed even while sitting down. Not as massive as Helahem, but still imposing.
“Altro Rodriguez! Is that your voice, Professor?”
It wasn’t volume—it was resonance itself.
For a moment, a few students chuckled quietly from around us.
Yet his rough appearance made him look far too serious. He stared straight at Helahem without blinking.
“WAHAHAHA!! Correct! Resonance, precisely said! Altro Rodriguez, excellent work.”
Helahem’s hearty laughter roared out again, and the students once more clapped hands over their ears, faces contorted.
Altro bowed respectfully to Helahem.
Helahem swept his white beard and stepped down from the podium, beginning a slow walk across the front of the classroom.
“Why do I say resonance is the greatest talent a knight can have? Because the battlefield is where knights belong.”
I nodded in agreement. The other students also showed no particular reaction, as if they didn’t fully understand the reason.
“The battlefield isn’t a duel between two people. It’s war—so hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands fight entangled together.”
The clash of armor, the roar of storms, the death cries of living creatures on the verge of extinction.
The battlefield is literally a slaughterhouse, where blood and flesh mix together.
“Can one person flip the battlefield alone? Even a Hero blessed by Elohim wouldn’t find it easy. Any mage would need perfect preparation and protection just to have a sliver of chance.”
Moreover, what humanity wages is war.
Countless battlefield situations weave into one another, so even if a Hero overturns a single battlefield, the tide of war rarely shifts easily.
The same goes for Heroes and mages, but what about a simple knight?
Of course, the power a knight can exert on the battlefield is minimal, and an individual’s influence is even smaller.
Even if someone is called a hero, there are still limits to what a single person can do.
“Not to mention knights, of course. Though there was that case of Rigel Belheim who once overturned the battlefield, I doubt most of you students here could come close to him in cold, hard calculation.”
Helahem slowly swept his gaze over the students and locked eyes with me when he mentioned the name Rigel.
...Of course, I had been there. But without the support I received, I would have been isolated in enemy territory and met a pointless death.
In my own view, that battle was nothing but glorified propaganda. A strategy that would have failed if everyone hadn’t been there.
“The story got a little off-track. The battlefield changes by the second. More troops are thrown into areas where the attack is fiercest, and in unfavorable situations, you may have to retreat.”
In even a simple frontline battle of a few hundred to several thousand, troops shift like fluid at every moment.
“Of course, simple orders can be sent by signal, but complex ones cannot be conveyed by voice alone. But in the heart of that slaughter, could a mere loud voice reach soldiers?”
“...No.”
One of the students spoke quietly.
“That’s why my voice is the greatest innate talent. The greatest method for a knight to exert influence is my voice.”
Helahem’s voice, which had grown quiet again, rose once more. But judging by the expressions, few students were still grimacing.
“You said Altro Rodriguez, right? Perfect answer.”
“Thank you!!”
“We go to war on the battlefield, but we also become commanders. The method to influence the battlefield the most is to be a commander, and the method to wield full command is to study through history—the Knights and the Battlefield.”
Helahem cleared his throat, glanced at the clock at the back, then removed his glasses and placed them in his pocket.
“Today’s class was only an introduction, so that’s it for now.”
“Thank you for the class.”
First lesson.
Though it hadn’t been a proper class, merely an introduction, the students had glimpsed the very beginning of what academy lessons would be like.
“Ah, and Class A, please stay behind.”
With those final words, the first lesson ended.
Instead of leaving, nearly all the students remained, their gazes drawn to a few specific individuals.
Helahem took out a paper from his pocket, made a few quick checks, then cleared his throat again.
He had originally planned to guide the others out, but since they didn’t leave, he had no choice but to change locations.
“Dalek, Serpin, Lir, Altro, Flavio.”
“Yes, sir.”
Five in total.
The students with the highest expectations from the Knight Department right now.
“Follow me.”
Helahem’s usually boisterous voice was now low and solemn.
Leaving the classroom, the group followed him into the depths of the academy.
Even within the vast academy, this place felt remote. It seemed sparsely populated by other students.
As no one else was visible and no voices reached us, Helahem stopped the Class A students and turned to face us.
Behind him, the view was quite wide.
The horizon was split in half—on the left, an endless sports field; on the right, a building that looked like a gymnasium.
“Among the hundreds of students here, you five are the most outstanding.”
Two stood to my right, two to my left.
Except for Flavio on the left, everyone else had already heard his voice.
“As you may know, I’ll explain the benefits of Class A now.”
Benefits? I hadn’t even known A, B, and C existed.
All five of us—including me—glanced alternately between Helahem and his background.
“Class A receives twice the funding of Class B. You also get first choice of weapons during lessons. But that’s not the main point I wanted to discuss.”
It offered little benefit to me.
Money was plentiful, and I could use any weapon I wanted anyway.
Helahem turned toward the wide landscape and spread his arms.
“The two spaces behind me are prepared exclusively for Class A. Only Class A students may enter.”
Spacious.
Other students trained alongside hundreds of classmates, restricted by time and space.
With only five of us using such vast grounds, even intense training would face no obstacles.
“Finally, Class A students can receive special lessons from the professor if they request.”
His eyes landed on me as he spoke.
For someone who needed proper training and posture correction, this was an essential condition.
“However, these benefits are not eternal. Grades are calculated every semester, and new ranks are assigned. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes.”
All five answered at the same time.
Besides allowing me to regain my former body, this was also why I thought he could ease the dissatisfaction I held toward myself.
It was indeed an extraordinary treatment.
Of course, the treatment for Class B and C wasn’t terrible either.
Compared to Class A, they were shabby and poor. Class A’s treatment far exceeded my expectations.
Was he trying to stir up the students’ competitive spirit?
“Today being our first day, I don’t expect a tight schedule. You may explore the facilities, make friends with other students, or rest if you feel tired. Have a good day.”
Helahem’s usually firm words gradually softened at the end.
As he turned and walked away into the distance, Dalek bowed his head in thanks.
Once Helahem had left, the five of us began exchanging glances.
We had started forming a bond.
...I’m so exhausted I could die...
Of course, I was simply too lazy to care.