Chapter 124
Tour
The students were finally split into their groups, the duel formally concluding with the loud cheers and gasps. Now, IAM stood in front of one of the three instructors assigned to guide him through his first year at the academy.
The man looked like he had been stretched vertically by mistake. He was tall, lean to the point of being almost skeletal—though not quite as bone-thin as Milo had been.His shoulders sloped gently downward, and his uniform hung slightly loose on his frame — the white shirt tucked into regulation black trousers, with the Hope Academy crest stitched neatly on the breast pocket. He had short black hair receding at the temples, and a pair of tired-looking brown eyes that didn't seem nearly old enough to match the faint lines on his face. He looked young — too young to be losing his hairline, IAM thought — poor guy.
He was a descendant of the Beastman.
He spoke suddenly, with a voice surprisingly deep and mellow. "My name is Kevin. Instructor Kevin will do."
As the group began moving, IAM glanced around, just in time to catch Henry's familiar form slipping in at the back of the group. So they were in the same class.
IAM's gaze shifted toward Yohan, who had been unusually quiet throughout the duel. He leaned slightly toward him and muttered, "You've been really quiet… Don't worry about us being late to the academy. I'm sure it won't be that big of a deal."
Yohan blinked, the blue of one eye flashing briefly in the sunlight, while the brown in the other softened. He let out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I guess I was too stuck in my own thoughts," he replied with a lopsided smile.
IAM let the moment linger before slowly touching the front of his neck—an unconscious motion—as he observed Yohan just a second longer. Then he turned and moved to follow the rest of the group.
He began leading them around the nearby areas of the academy. He pointed out a series of towering buildings with strict architecture—each serving a specific function in their education.
"That tower," he said, gesturing to one of the narrower spires, "is where you'll study Path Theory."
He moved on. "This one's focused on battlefield strategy… and this, over here, is for personal evaluations."
The group followed, most of them silent, some murmuring among themselves. Kevin continued the tour, his explanations practical and swift, as if he had done this a hundred times already.
By the time the tour came to an end, students were beginning to scatter in twos and threes, peeling off toward dorms, training halls, or wherever they were supposed to be next. IAM and Yohan returned to their room together. Reuel, predictably, had remained glued to Henry's side like a loyal fanboy, not bothering to acknowledge them as they passed.
IAM collapsed onto his bed. Tomorrow, classes would officially begin.
He let out a slow breath, letting his eyes drift up toward the ceiling as he thought back on the day.
He lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thoughts of the day playing back through his mind before sleep finally took him.
By the next morning, IAM found himself waking up in silence. The gentle hum of the building and the faint golden light spilling through the window, filtered through the thin blinds and dancing across the ceiling.
He blinked slowly. Something felt… off. Peaceful, but off.
Then he turned his head and saw both of his roommates still fast asleep—mouths slightly open, limbs sprawled, completely knocked out. He glanced over at the small digital panel on the wall.
6:23 AM.
A quiet grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He had woken up earlier than the alarm.
IAM sat up slowly, careful not to let the springs creak too loudly under his weight. The last thing he needed was to wake Reuel and have him beat him to the bathroom. That would've defeated the entire point.
Moving like a thief, he slipped off the bed and tiptoed across the room. The cold tile met his feet with a sharp contrast to the warmth of the blankets he'd left behind. He stole one last glance at the two snoring bodies behind him, then eased open the bathroom door like he was breaking into a vault.
The moment the door clicked shut behind him, he let out a breath of relief.
Today was the official start of classes.
And there was no way he was letting Reuel's sloth-speed bathroom routine make him late again. He remembered yesterday all too clearly.
This time, IAM would be ready.
As he washed up, his thoughts drifted to how much had already changed. Around a month and a bit ago, he was still just a soldier in the Hold. Now, he was about to attend his first real class in Hope Academy. The idea still felt surreal—like someone else's story he'd accidentally wandered into.
But there was no denying it. This was his life now.
He finished brushing his teeth, had a shower and dried himself and changed before exiting with the quiet satisfaction of someone who had just pulled off a perfect heist.
IAM could only pray for Yohan... That was before he realised he could sneakily wake up Yohan first so they could both use the bathroom before Reuel even stirred. That way, no matter how long Reuel took, he wouldn't drag them down with him.
IAM sighed, already mentally drafting the first official dorm rule: Reuel must always be the last person to use the bathroom—no exceptions.
He walked over to Yohan's bed and crouched beside it, gently shaking his shoulder.
"Up," he whispered.
Yohan stirred, blinking blearily. It took him a moment, but when he saw IAM already dressed and clean, he gave him a bleary, thankful look and muttered something that vaguely sounded like, "You're a lifesaver," before dragging himself to the bathroom without protest.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
IAM allowed himself a quiet moment of pride. Even if the rest of the day fell apart, at least the morning had gone his way.
He sat down at the small table by the window and started on the simple breakfast—plain toast, slightly dry but warm enough. By the time Yohan returned, fully dressed and only half-awake, IAM had already set out his plate.
"Thanks," Yohan mumbled again, this time clearer, as he took a seat and picked up a slice of toast.
Then it happened.
The digital panel on the wall came to life, glowing with an obnoxiously bright light as the soft chime escalated into a sharp, persistent alarm.
7:00 AM.
Reuel shot up like someone had set his bed on fire, eyes wide and hair a complete mess.
His frantic gaze scanned the room—only to land on IAM and Yohan, both fully dressed, calmly eating breakfast like two civilized people with their lives in order.
For a full five seconds, Reuel didn't say anything.
He stared at them with nothing short of disgust.
IAM didn't even look up from his toast. Yohan glanced at him once, amused.
Reuel didn't say a word. He simply huffed and marched toward the bathroom.
IAM took another bite of toast and tried not to smile too smugly.
By the time Reuel was finally ready—having taken exactly as long as IAM expected—he emerged from the bathroom freshly washed but visibly irritated. He narrowed his eyes at IAM and Yohan, who were already putting on their shoes.
"Some people are too eager for class," he muttered, mostly to himself.
"We just don't want to sprint through half the city again," IAM replied, tying his laces.
Reuel didn't answer. He just picked up his own toast and chewed it like it had personally wronged him.
By the time all three were finally out the door, IAM checked the time again.
7:57 AM.
More than enough time to get to their first class without rushing.
He looked up at the clear morning sky as they stepped out the dorm, a gentle breeze brushing past.
For once, everything seemed to be going smoothly.
...Right?