Elion just pretended he hadn't heard or noticed anything; he had no desire to respond.
*Tap* The girl poked his cheek, prompting him to turn and face her. She asked,
"Hey, what's your name?"
Elion could no longer restrain himself; his finger twitched, threatening to bang hard on the table and break the deafening silence in the classroom.
*Tap*
"..."
*Tap*
"..."
Two fingers on the boy's hand twitched noticeably, but he held back.
*Tap*
"Hey, come on, tell me..."
But Elion was saved by the old man's voice,
"And although you know the chances are slim, neither you nor anyone else has a choice. This year, the percentage of territory controlled by humanity decreased by one and a half percent. Over the past decade, losses of one percent alternated with zero percent. Thirty years ago, the balance was maintained, and the percentage was zero. Almost no one remembers the century when humanity was able to turn these numbers in its favor. The capital is overpopulated, with more people arriving every year and less territory to accommodate them. Nevertheless, hardly anyone is willing to join the Research or Defender faculties. Everyone wants to live. There are 54 students in this class, and they are the only potential new "Seekers" this year. The situation should be better in the Defender faculty, but even so, there will be no more than twice as many new "Knights" as people in this room.
The old man continued his candid speech. Meanwhile, finally freed from his neighbor's attacks, Elion thought:
Why does this old man love numbers so much, especially percentages? Who invented simple language instead of the language of numbers? The guy lamented his lack of education in the exact sciences.
"And finally... This faculty is called the Faculty of Expeditions, but it produces Seekers. When you understand why, you will become a good Seeker of Mysteries. That is, if you live to see that moment... The knights will have the same task, by the way."
The old man ended his speech with a mysterious riddle, but Elion didn't dare try to solve it. He had too little information and no experience, so attempting to solve it would have been presumptuous.
"As for your training plan... For now, we'll focus on combat training. Although the Seekers are not the main combat units in the squad, you must be able to defend yourselves to some degree. It could save your life. In regular classes, we will study various research topics and develop solutions to potential problems based on that research. Also, in two months, there will be a competition for Seekers and Knights in the royal district. The higher authorities want to see how the training is progressing. The competition will be divided by year of study, and the Knights and Seekers will compete separately. Winners and runners-up will have the opportunity to choose their first mystical artifact. That's all." The old man concluded matter-of-factly.
At the mention of obtaining a mystical artifact, the class buzzed with excitement. Even Elion pricked up his ears when he heard about his goal.
I didn't think I'd be able to get to them so early. I have to seize the opportunity. I wonder how well prepared I am? The young man began to make plans.
*Knock*
"Tell me already!" the girl said, poking him in the cheek and ignoring the old man.
"..."
*Tap*
"Hey..."
Elion was about to tap his finger on the table when the old man interrupted the girl again. His voice was slightly louder this time.
"Now, everyone will change into their training suits and meet on the training ground to spar with each other."
Seizing his chance, Elion nimbly jumped out of his row, grabbed his coat on the way, and was gone.
The girl stared in shock at the empty space and cried out in displeasure.
"Tsk... What a clever bug!"