Xi Zhang's room at the Academy was very different from the one he had at home. A single bed faced the wooden door, to the left of the bed stood a bookshelf and a wardrobe for his belongings. To the right of the bed was a study table with a metal chair lined with light brown fabric. Above the study table was a rectangular window that opened toward a solitary tower. The room was, generously speaking, half the size of his room at home.
At that moment, Xi Zhang was leaning against the closed door, observing his new quarters. His two bags with his belongings lay on the rug at the foot of the bed, brought in by a servant moments earlier. Slowly, he began to arrange his things, placing some books on the shelf, his clothes in the wardrobe, and an Imperial Chessboard on the study table.
"Master Xi Zhang?" called a childlike voice from outside the room.
"Yes?"
"Lady Ye Cham asked me to inform you that the male bathhouse is ready. The other members of your class are heading there now."
"Just a moment, I'll be out shortly."
He quickly glanced around the room to ensure he had packed all his personal belongings, then first opened the wardrobe to take one of the towels left for him earlier, along with a new uniform.
Exiting the room, Xi Zhang walked down the long corridor where the students of Class 1A were lodged, heading toward the spiral staircase leading to the lower floor, as Instructor Ye Cham had shown him on arrival. There, he encountered two commoner students following a youth in loose gray clothing—one of the orphans adopted by the Academy to serve as attendants, handling cleaning duties as well as meals for instructors and students.
Silently, the Bronze-class youth trailed the trio, listening in on their conversation without being noticed. The boy on the right was a little small for a sixteen-year-old, with short, messy hair and a forward-leaning posture. Xi Zhang heard that his name was Swam, and the slightly chubby boy beside him was Buco.
The two talked about their journey from their village to the Academy and about all the things they had seen along the way. Xi Zhang sympathized with them, realizing it was their first time so far from home without their families.
The conversation abruptly stopped, and Xi Zhang realized they had noticed him. For a moment, he averted his gaze, embarrassed at having overheard them. But rather than reacting negatively, the two commoners simply bowed and stepped aside, giving the Bronze-class youth passage.
With a resigned sigh, Xi Zhang moved past them. Even if they claimed that no caste existed here, it was difficult to erase ingrained habits. As he was about to walk past, he whispered,
"If you keep bowing to every member of a noble lineage, you'll soon be discarded by the instructors."
The two boys lifted their heads, eyes wide in surprise at Xi Zhang.
"Instructors want leaders. I recommend you avoid lowering your heads to students of the same year."
Seeing their fear diminish slightly, the sixth son of the Zhang family smiled and continued walking. He had heard from his brothers and sisters that many good officers were commoners, and to survive a military career, it was essential to have capable and trustworthy subordinates. As these thoughts crossed Xi's mind, an idea began to form. Slowly, he turned and faced the two surprised commoners.
"Forgive my earlier rudeness," said the Bronze-class youth, nodding respectfully. "I am Xi, of the Zhang family from the Rain-Cut Province. It will be a pleasure to have you as classmates."
The two boys first looked at Xi Zhang with wide, disbelieving eyes, amazed that a noble would speak to them so humbly. Then they glanced at each other, seeking confirmation from one another. The first to recover was the chubby boy, who made a formal bow before speaking.
"I am Buco Q'wem," he said hurriedly. "I come from a merchant family in Sota village."
"And I am Swam Q'wem," said the short boy. "I am also the son of merchants from Sota village."
"Brothers?" Xi Zhang asked, noticing their shared surname.
"Cousins!" Buco corrected. "Swam is my aunt's son."
"I see. If I'm not mistaken, Sota village is west of the City of Rain, correct?"
"Yes, Lord Xi Zhang."
"No 'Lord'," Xi cut in. "Here we are all students on the same level."
The two boys exchanged glances as if communicating silently, then faced the Bronze-class youth again.
"Forgive our manners, Lor… Xi Zhang," Buco said, carefully choosing his words. "But why are you wasting your time with commoners like us?"
Xi Zhang raised his eyebrows at the chubby boy's question. Normally, commoners would scramble for the favor of a noble, but these cousins were clever, with the classic suspicious nature of merchants. Xi Zhang decided to be honest with them.
"Do you know what awaits us in these two years? No. Not just these two years, but all the way through graduation?"
The cousins looked at each other, then shook their heads.
"I suspected as much. Well, I have five siblings who graduated from Academies. Three graduated from this very Academy. One became a War God Pilot, and my eldest sister graduated from the Celestial Army and now captains her own ship in the fleet."
The commoners' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as the Bronze-class youth described his siblings' achievements. The Zhang family was clearly on the rise.
"One thing my siblings made very clear to me is that a good commander has capable officers to follow him."
"And you want us to bow to you?" Swam asked suspiciously.
"No!" Xi Zhang exclaimed, surprising everyone. "I want skilled companions to rise with me to the top. Help me conquer graduation, and I will support you in yours."
Buco and Swam Q'wem turned their backs to Xi Zhang and began whispering. Patiently, the sixth son of the Zhang family waited for their response.
"Just to be clear," said Buco Q'wem, furrowing his brow. "You're proposing an alliance?"
"Yes," the noble replied simply.
"Then we accept."
The three boys shook hands, sealing a pact that would change their lives forever. Xi Zhang and the Q'wem cousins smiled at each other, pleased with how things had turned out, until they noticed the servant still standing a few meters away, waiting. Laughing, the trio followed the servant to the bathhouse.
The Academy's male bathhouse was a large rectangle over thirty meters long and ten meters wide, with dozens of showers coming from the walls. Some young nobles were surprised at taking a communal bath, while commoners and Bronze-class students from smaller families were accustomed to this.
After undressing and entering the bath wrapped in his towel, Xi Zhang faced a massive mirror covering the upper portion of the walls. He approached one of the showers and rested a hand on the metal handle. His reflection appeared in the misted glass. He was average height among the Izanites, his black hair cut just below shoulder length. A small scar split his left eyebrow, and another faintly marked his lower lip. Anyone paying attention would notice his nose was slightly crooked from a previous training injury.
Many nobles used modern technology to heal injuries, but the Zhang family believed each scar was a reminder of past actions and should remain on the body so the experience would not be forgotten.
After bathing, the youths were guided by a group of servants to a large hall filled with long tables covered in food. Xi Zhang sat beside the Q'wem cousins, talking about what they had seen during their journey, while other classes joined them at other tables. As his siblings had told him, the second-year students were absent.
During the banquet, the instructors appeared, gathering around a large round table beneath a towering statue of an Izanite warrior, Almashas drawn and pointed toward the ceiling. Xi watched the sculpture, which depicted a warrior at his peak, every detail of armor, clothing, and face rendered perfectly.
Noticing Xi's interest, the small Swam Q'wem leaned toward him and whispered,
"That's the Director. Or at least, he was in his youth."
"You're joking…" Xi Zhang said, incredulous, comparing the imposing figure to the old Director.
"My father sold some miniatures of him," Swam said proudly. "So I can assure you it's true."
Xi Zhang knew Director Zou Jinx had been a great warrior and one of the Empire's top generals, refusing to serve the Jinx family directly and leaving command to other family members. Looking at the sculpture, he imagined the old Director years ago, leading armies for the Emperor of Izar and achieving many victories.
"Seems like you're enjoying the banquet!" suddenly boomed the Director's voice, as if he had known they were talking about him.
Xi Zhang and the Q'wem cousins looked around, spotting the old Director atop the statue on a small support platform. Zou surveyed the hundreds of young diners, almost feeling pity at having to deliver his message. Almost.
"I hope the meal meets your expectations, my children!" he smiled, paternalistically. "It's a shame this will be the last feast you'll have this year."
A confused silence fell over the students, unsure if they had heard correctly. Then questions began to be shouted, seeking confirmation.
"Silence!" ordered the rotund Gon Wu, standing from his chair, making everyone stop talking.
"Thank you, Instructor!" Zou Jinx gave a casual nod to the stout man and continued. "Now pay attention, young ones. Few of you likely care about anything beyond your little world to realize the Empire is in crisis. We live in a mountainous, sparsely fertile region with a growing population, so this banquet is a welcome ceremony for you, which will only be repeated in two years when you graduate. Until then, you will live on meager rations, where the best among you will have occasional better meals. Know now that those who do not strive will not survive to see a worthy future, or will return to their families with shame, having achieved nothing."
Seeing the students' perplexed expressions, especially the nobles', the Director stepped down from the small platform, satisfied with his message delivered. Afterward, the one-eyed Lee Bay limped up the stairs behind the statue, taking his place on the platform behind the young Zou Jinx's sculpture.
"Your classes start tomorrow, so rest well tonight! Your schedules have been delivered to your rooms with all necessary information," Lee Bay paused, observing the stoic students, noting the shock from the Director's words. Nobles had never gone without food, but on campaigns they would need to survive on little. Commoners had likely expected more food at the Academy, so the shock was immense. "Let me complete Director Zou Jinx's speech. If you don't want to go hungry, train harder than the person beside you, study more than those with the highest grades, and learn faster than those with more privileges. For the next two years and the days that follow, your future will depend on the choices you make from now on."
Hearing Instructor Lee Bay's words, Xi Zhang and the Q'wem cousins exchanged a determined look, understanding the instructor's message better than he imagined anyone could.