The cafeteria was filled with noise.
First-years filled every bench and corner, their energy a chaotic mix of excitement and dread. Some students huddled together, whispering alliances. Others sat in stiff silence, sizing each other up like chess pieces. The air carried tension—like everyone was waiting for a blade to fall.
Lysa poked at her food like it had personally offended her. Darrow had already devoured half of his tray. Cade, meanwhile, was just watching.
The upperclassmen stood out easily—taller, more confident, moving in small clusters. A few nodded to familiar teachers who passed through. The first years, though, were coiled springs. Every table was a battlefield of subtle glances and hushed whispers.
a chime rang across the room—clear and sharp. A teacher standing by the main doors raised her hand. "All first years. Line up outside by your number. You should have your dorm and line assignment by now. If not, find an instructor immediately."
Students rose in unison, their chairs scraping back. Cade and the Ironhearts moved swiftly, cutting through the growing crowd. He saw William somewhere behind them, scrambling to catch up with a nervous shuffle and a notebook hugged to his chest.
Outside, the air was crisp and still. Five long rows of students began to form across the courtyard, instructors already standing at their respective stations. Cade found Line Three and slotted in, his body naturally falling into parade stance.
He wasn't the only one scanning faces. Many were doing the same. The unspoken question hung heavy in the air:
Who's competition? Who's dead weight?
Scanning the room I seen Selene sitting down with another cigar in her mouth, the instructor who told us all to come outside and then a man cam out stumbling to the front of the line.
He was a burly man, with a patchy beared, with beads around his neck in sandals and, a tooth pick in his mouth with a gourd on the side of his waist, he hand brown strands of hair and brown eyes with pale skin and a dao blade hanging on his shoulder.
Frustrated Selene walked up to the impaired instructor and said
"Do you really think it's okay to show the students a bad habit and professional to come here drunk?".
I'm pretty sure we all thought the same thing when that was said that Selene always had a cigar in her mouth every time we met her so that's kind of contradictory.
Replying to her he grabbed her shoulder and said,
"Oh c'mon now their all big strong adults now I'm pretty sure they are used to this, by the way Selene you should join me for a round of sake at my office, you look quite tense!!".
After that the air hung low for a second but Selene grabbed his arm and flipped the intructor like he was a baby but in a blink of an eye where he should've been on the ground he was stand upright as if nothing happend , myself including others where all confused.
"Fine, fine I get it touchy subject we can talk about this when the baby chicks aren't here".
Walking away before she can get the next word out he finally addressed us.
"Okay class I'm instructor David and I'm gonna be you physical coach I'm going to make sure that whatever spells or martial arts or bombs you can cook up work in the actual field. Now who can tell me out of the three catagories mage, knight, and alchemist are the most all around for convenience?".
A clamor of answer hit the air some saying mages some saying alchemist and others knights .
"You there lady with you hand up".
She flipped her hair back and showed a staff with a red crystal on top of it.
"It would be mages we can pack the most punch and depending on who taught you, you could learn a variety of spells and-".
"Wroongggg next".
William raised his hands which I was surprised he didn't seem like the type to really voice his opinion.
"Alchemi-".
"Wrongg"l.
Then I raised my hand also because there's only one answer left and I believed it was this all along.
"You give me the answer before I sober up".
"Knights"
"Correct why?"
"Well Mages even tho they are great in power and utility they have a long casting spell, and often have to be shielded by someone while they are casting that's why if it's a cohort of sorts they are placed at the rear of the formation sometimes seen as a liability, wouldn't really say alchemy because they are kind of the supplier of the group and don't really use their creations themselves unless they use trans configuration but not all are able to do that because of the resources it consumes. So that only leaves knighthood while we might not have the full variety of the mages or the items of alchemy we are the forefront of every battle for a reason without much of a cooldown we are instantaneously put to use, and we have a Dantains which allow us to do superhuman things and some even spells."
Everyone around him just looked at him some just made because they didn't get to answer the question.
"Correct, sure you could say I'm bias I'm not a mage or alchemy user but unless there is a huge gap in skill between the 3 it usually comes out to knights they can also just take hits better, we been in this game for a long tim and sure there are a ,of of things that can change the playing field terrain, range, etc but I mostly see knights come out in the end granted a few professors that are mages and alchemist could give me a run for my money, and I'm a 6 star knight"
There were multiple gasp all around the crowd for knights most can't get past the 4th in their prime life time and the fact that there was a 6th star sitting right in front of us was just incredible the system goes like this
Apprentice-trainee-paladin-1st-4thstar those are your typical military or instructors once you hit 5th star you awaken a technique unless your from a noble house that already has one and you just learn the foundation while some techniques are similar to most there are the rare gems that you stumble apon.
6th star you unlock ascension which is basically you could start your foundation. On making your own domain, a domain is basically your own world where you have your own rules and conditions your power is almost fully max there, A 7th star is called a master although there are only a handful of these around the world you develop the ability to levitate and basically fly, finally step is 8th star and there are only 4 of them in the world as of know right know they are called the 4 heavenly pillars they scatter the continent handling the most dangerous of events.
Same for mages they just get a different effect then us and there are a smaller amount of 8th star mages then the knights.
"So whose ready for the first day of class?".