CHAPTER 40: ORIENTATION

A few moments after everyone entered the theater, a thin man walks in.

He has shabby brown hair, with an unattractive, wrinkled face that looks miserable, above all else.

With a slightly hunched posture, he walks into the hall and towards the lectern that stands on an elevated platform right in front of all of us in the vast expanse. As he ascends the stairs, I observe his labored breathing, which now echoes in the silent hall.

Indeed, everyone who was engaging in all manner of chatter or civil discourse is now silent.

I also look around and believe everyone is present.

The source of my confidence lies in the Randalorion Code of Nobility, which frowns upon tardiness as well as side talks in lecture halls.

As such, all students are expected to arrive a few minutes before every lecture.

And once the lecturer steps in, silence is an expected virtue.

So far, it seems all the students embody these rules. Just the look on their faces tells me that none of them dares to break them.

’Students from High Nobility must have already received some kind of education before coming here, so adhering to the Randalorion Code of Nobility must be second nature to them. As for those from Low Nobility, Clergy, or Knight Households, even without proper education on the subject, they are well aware of what they stand to lose if they break these codes...’ I look around and make this quick observation.

The loss of Prestige Points is most severe on them, after all.

Returning my gaze to the front of the hall, I once again observe the much older man walking before us. He dons a long brown trenchcoat akin to a professor’s robe, with a slightly crumpled white shirt underneath. A belt straps itself around his waist, right above the long white shirt, and buckles the ordinary black trousers in place.

I see his polished brown boots slowly making a stop once he reaches the lectern.

A slight crease greets my brows.

’Why is he dressed so shabbily? Is he really a professor in this Academy?’ I wonder to myself, certain that I am not the only one with these thoughts.

As if sensing our skepticism, the man raises a badge high above his head and lazily speaks.

"My name is Alaric Duskryn... Senior Professor of this Royal Academy of Randalorion." His introduction is brief, but it carries a lot of weight. His gruff voice booms with power, circulating through the theater despite the lethargy he displays.

I watch in silence, but my pupils shrink at the sight of the badge.

’It’s legit!’ My mind echoes loudly. ’He really is a Senior Professor of this Academy, but why does he look like this?!’

Senior Professors exclusively belong to the High Nobility.

They are Erudite Scholars who have a University Degree, possessing knowledge and prestige far exceeding even First Rate Scholars. This man standing before us has such a high rank, yet he looks so unkempt.

His hair is a mess, he has thick eyebags under his slightly open eyes, with dark circles accompanying them. He has rough strands of beard all over his face, and his outfit—despite clearly being high-end and expensive—looks far too simplistic to garner any awe. It is devoid of the flashiness usually associated with Nobles.

In conclusion, this man is simply too plain!

’Yet he’s a Senior Professor? Or, could it be... that because he is a Senior Professor that he can dress this way?’ I wonder to myself, trying to properly understand the situation.

I am not one to judge a person’s competence merely based on superficial appearances.

But I also understand how the world works.

People see you before they hear you—this is the truth about life.

It is why Nobles put a lot of effort into their dressing, and even those in high positions of authority do not stint on their wears. Someone who is a Professor at one of the most prestigious institutions in the Kingdom should be well aware of this as well.

And yet—!

’How strange. It’s like he didn’t put in any effort at all...’ I let out a sigh and decide to let the matter perish in my mind.

To say I am stunned would be an understatement.

But... dwelling on it is useless.

’Professor Alaric Duskryn...’ My eyes burn with silent determination as I pick up my pen and open my notebook. ’As long as you can properly impart your words of knowledge to me, I don’t care about anything else!’

"You are all welcome to the Royal Academy of Randalorion (RAR for short). As you are all aware, this academic program lasts for five years, and since you have all just gotten admission... all of you are merely in your first year. You have seniors above you, and a system strictly put in place to be adhered to. As long as you follow the rules in this citadel of learning and diligently pursue your studies, I can guarantee that you will have no problems."

As the Professor speaks, I bob my head and listen with rapt attention.

So far, I have encountered no problems.

"There are a total of seven Departments in this Academy, and students are expected to register for at least three of them. Within each Department, there are several courses: some are compulsory, and some are electives." Professor Alaric proceeds with his explanation, his monotone voice echoing within the hall like a recital. "Each Department has a day of the week for its classes, occupying all seven days of the week. As students of this Academy, this simply means you must attend classes at least three times a week."

All of these sound reasonable to me, and I have no complaints whatsoever.

The Professor then proceeds to list out the Departments.

The first is the Department of Administration & Statecraft, and its purpose is primarily to train future bureaucrats, advisers, and governors. It offers a framework of the Kingdom’s politics, and is well-favored and dominated by the Nobles.

Knights and Clerics hardly show interest, and the criteria for joining are also high.

Naturally, Prestige Points are involved.

Due to these factors alone, this is pretty much a haven for Nobles.

The second is the Department of Etiquette and Noble Arts, whose purpose is cultural refinement and the maintenance of noble decorum. It is mandatory for all students, but I suspect this is merely meant to reinforce the superiority of the Nobles. I imagine that non-nobles will be ridiculed for their unpolished behaviors and coarse manners in this Department.

After all, unlike the Nobles who must have received some level of education on these matters, Knight Households and Clergy Institutions do not have such things.

The third is the Department of History and Academia, and its purpose is the foundational study of intellectual traditions. It seems like the Department that holds the most robust and concrete courses, and it also feeds directly into the University of Randalorion’s Academia Faculty.

Just from the details explained by our Professor, I already find myself interested in it.

"The next is the Department of Sciences and Natural Philosophy... which is my Department. I lecture in the Celestial Observation and Astronomy Course, and I am also in charge of the Mystical Phenomena and Scientific Discourse Course. That is an Elective..." Professor Alaric mumbles, his tone slightly showing a hint of passion.

Perhaps it is just my imagination, but I believe a small smile crept up his face when he mentioned that last part. Based on his explanation, it seems like Knights and Clergy often avoid this Department, and Nobles prefer Humanities.

In essence, this is likely the least populated Department within the Academy.

"Good thing he told us early..."

"A department like that... no wonder the Senior Lecturer looks like this."

"Now I know which Department to avoid."

I hear a few murmurs from my classmates and feel a tinge of frustration within me. Clearly, they aren’t very loud, and it would be difficult to distinguish who among the crowd of hundreds of people is uttering such words, but it’s still annoying.

Their words are frankly too derogatory, in bad faith, and generally ill-conceived.

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Professor Alaric must not have noticed the murmurs, as he calmly proceeds to address the other Departments without a change in expression.

The fifth one is the Department of Martial and Chivalric Studies, highly favored by students from Knight Households, and even those of Low Nobility who are interested in becoming Royal Knights. Naturally, it features a lot of combat and martial training.

It’s certainly the most familiar Department to me in this Academy, and even if it is solely for my grades, I feel compelled to join.

The sixth one is the Department of Theology and Sacred Studies. Due to the position of religion in this Kingdom, it is relegated and considered secondary by Nobles, but is a definite must for the Clergy students.

This, I understand very well.

After all, even if these students do not go to Theological Schools... they still require foundational knowledge on several religious topics.

It is the same way Knights would prefer the Department of Martial and Chivalric Studies.

"Finally, we have the Department of Rhetoric and Political Philosophy. This deals with politics and society in a more philosophical context. It is very abstract and theoretical, containing essential core courses on Logic, Rhetoric, Philosophy, and the like."

After introducing all seven departments, Professor Alaric concludes with more information about the compulsory courses in each Department, as well as the electives. He goes on to tell us that some electives are reserved for only certain students who meet the ’criteria.’

I immediately understand what he means.

’It seems that while the Departments, and by extension, their compulsory courses, are open to everyone, due to the facade of fairness that this Academy needs to embody, they hide the prejudice among the electives, making them only suitable for Nobles.’

This ensures that certain knowledge can only be acquired by these privileged people.

Still, I have no major complaints.

’This place still has a robust academic scheme that gives me so much to learn about.’

In fact, I find myself fascinated with all of the Departments— of course, some more than others.

This will be a difficult choice for me.

"Since you have all just resumed, you must be aware that this is the Spring Term, one of the three terms every year. Based on your Academic Calendar, you have three months to spend in this term, most of which will consist of lectures, practical sessions, assignments, and projects. Of course, other extracurriculars will exist amidst all of these, and public holidays will also be observed. Examinations will be held at the end of the term, so be prepared for those as well..."

I nod affirmatively.

After the Spring Term, we have about a month’s break, which precedes the Summer Term. After the Summer Term is a rather brief break, which eventually leads to the final Winter Term.

All of these have already been etched into my mind.

They don’t come as a surprise to me.

"You have a week to attend all of the classes in these Departments and decide the ones you want to join. You also have an additional week to register your courses. Don’t worry, the attendance will only start counting after this two-week period." Professor Alaric proceeds to explain, using this to remind us of the importance of attending classes.

Failure to meet a certain standard will, of course, mean the loss of Prestige Points.

’Every Department occupies a day of the week, and based on his explanation, each class takes up an hour. There is also an average of four to five core courses in each Department, and a few electives, which means students only need to spend six or so hours per day attending classes.’

Since the minimum number of Departments a student must join is three, that means the majority of students will fall within the range of three or four Departments.

That is simply four days in a week!

Just considering the current system put in place, it is certainly very possible to survive and even excel in this Academy without any issue.

Even if there is prejudice, as long as a student works hard, excellence can be earned.

’That’s all I need, really!’ A bright twinkle explodes in my eyes.

A few more explanations regarding clubs and all manner of Academy-relevant infrastructure—for example, the Library—are given. The Professor also doesn’t fail to inform us of the prestige our school holds among other Mid-sized Kingdoms.

Apparently, it is considered one of the best among the surrounding Kingdoms.

Graduates from this Royal Academy are also highly qualified and are especially invited to study in foreign Universities beyond the Kingdom’s walls.

The weight of such a status goes beyond saying.

Though I already knew of the relevance of the Royal Academy in the Kingdom, I didn’t know of such details.

It seems this school really is amazing in many ways.

Once again, I glance around me and notice the hundreds of students in this theater.

’Looks like I won’t be sharing a classroom with all of them due to our different Departments. Even for those who are in the same department as me, we will be bound to have different electives...’ I smile softly and nod.

This is fine.

About an hour after the Orientation began, Professor Alaric concluded the session.

With the class being over, the students slowly begin to file out of the hall, and I wait in my seat for a short while before joining them to leave.

However, before I am able to exit the building, I hear a voice.

"Javier Aditi... please stay behind." Professor Alaric specifically calls for me, his gruff tone loudly penetrating my head.

I stop walking the moment I hear his instructions and turn to look at him.

His gaze rests on me, and I feel my heart jump a little.

Many students notice me, due to the words of the Professor, but they still walk out regardless of their curiosity. Everyone is leading busy student lives, so naturally, they have to start getting their academics sorted.

A nobody like me isn’t capable of holding their attention for very long.

Indeed... I am a nobody.

So why does this Professor want to meet with me?

"Professor Duskryn... is anything the matter?" I slowly approach the man where he stands and ask him after offering a very formal, respectful greeting.

He smiles softly and responds.

"Javier Aditi... I would simply like to have a discussion with you."