It had been sixteen years since he transmigrated into this world.
Before he transmigrated, he was already in his mid-thirties, and now, combined with his age in this new world, his mental age was that of someone already in their forties. So it was quite weird starting school life again.
Of course, by "school," he didn't mean the kind from his past life, where students buried themselves in books to prepare for tests and exams.
In this world, school held a very different meaning. Especially in the prestigious Saint Roland's Academy. It was a cradle for some of humanity's strongest warriors and minds, a place where students were refined and polished like gems.
Turning them into figures that would be passed down by many generations.
And right now, one of those figures he had often heard about back in the dukedom was delivering the welcoming ceremony for the academy's new students.
Roland, the headmaster of the academy, had been its one and only leader since the beginning.
A legendary figure who existed before the founding of the Brightstone Kingdom.
The Brightstone Kingdom stood as the strongest in human history. Founded by the royal family two thousand years ago, it had expanded humanity's territory to its greatest extent under the guidance of the God of Light.
Technically, the academy was under the royal family's domain, but even their vast influence couldn't sway Roland's control over it.
It was this very figure spoken of in legends who was now giving a warm and lighthearted speech to the new students.
His voice was warm and welcoming like that of an elder who hadn't seen their kids in a long time. Although from his mannerisms and his patterns of speech, it was very clear that he was a figure that didn't belong in this era.
In contrast to his old-fashioned way of speaking, his appearance was that of someone in his twenties. With neatly styled hair and a clean-cut look, his gray hair and eyes gave him a charm and handsomeness that captivated many of the new students.
Especially the females who stared at him in awe-struck gaze.
They stared at his pure and unblemished marble skin like a juicy piece of meat.
August, having been standing for almost two hours, was starting to get bored and nearly let out a yawn in front of the crowd. His disheveled but charming jet-black hair swayed in the movement of his stretch, finding ways to relieve his boredom through stretching.
Any words that Roland said went from one ear to the other. This was a speech that he had repeated countless times without changing anything, and his family had even given him a transcript of it already.
It could basically be summarized up like this, "I am very excited to meet the faces of humanity's new generation. I hope you all strive and compete fairly in the academy. The academy is a place to grow both emotionally and physically, and to meet peers who can push you to achieve even more. Most importantly, in my academy, your background will not matter, whether you are a commoner or of noble descent, all of you will have equal chances in my academy. I hope you make the most of the next four years of your life here."
The speech was very cliché and very monotonous, but what stood out to August was how Roland talked about how family background didn't matter in the academy, but that was far from the truth.
Let's say you were of a commoner status and you angered a noble.
Sure, the academy's rules would protect you while you were living here. But what about after you graduate? Or when you're leaving the academy for any special reasons?
Nobles could easily find ways to get revenge, as they were experts at bending rules to benefit themselves the most.
So the claim that your background didn't matter was just a white lie painted by Roland to motivate the commoners.
Well, not that it mattered to August. He was born at the peak of the hierarchy, as the next heir of the Crownthorn Dukedom, he held a status many would dream of. The Crownthorn family has existed since the founding of the kingdom, and they were known for their immense military might.
The only ones equal to August were the other heirs of the dukes and the current princes and princesses of the royal family.
By all means, he was above 99% of the population, a walking definition of being born with a golden spoon.
So unlike the other students, who saw the academy as an opportunity to change their lives, to August it was just four years of school that would have to pass.
It was this mindset that caused his immense boredom and disinterest in Roland's speech. The only reason he hadn't fully fallen asleep was that his adopted sister, Luna Crownthorn, kept poking him in the side whenever she saw him dozing off.
'It's fine, just another ten minutes of the speech, and we can move on to the class placements exam.'
The class placement exam was held by the academy to determine where students would be placed. The better you performed, the higher your class placement would be.
Your class not only determines your status in the academy, but also how outsiders see you as well.
The academy was constantly monitored by many powerful figures outside its walls. Noble families, guilds, merchant companies, and other mysterious organizations all kept an eye on the students.
They took mental notes on outstanding students, scouting them so that, upon graduation, they could attempt to recruit them.
Some didn't even wait for graduation, often investing in promising students while they were still at the academy. This was usually reserved for talented individuals from lower backgrounds, as those from prominent families typically didn't need outside investments.
So it was safe to say many of the students were extremely nervous but also excited about the upcoming placement exam. It was quite literally a test that would determine how many would view them for the upcoming school years.
Only a few were calm about it, confident in their own strength.
August was one of them, along with his adopted sister Luna, who stood to his right. Her unique white-silver hair and beautiful figure drew the gazes of many hormonal teenagers.
Comparing the two, it was like placing a duck next to a swan.
August was the duck with his very average figure, and Luna was the swan with her perfect looks.
Closing his eyes, August waited for Roland to finally conclude his speech.
Only to be poked by Luna, forcing him to pay attention.
...
In another corner, a girl who had been standing dazed as if she had lost her soul was finally regaining the light back into her golden eyes.
Her chestnut hair was styled simply but beautifully, as was her figure. Even in her academy uniform, her beauty shone through. This was Lucielle, a commoner who had managed to get into the academy through a mix of luck and hard work.
But she was no longer the naive country bumpkin who had just arrived at the academy.
Her soul had just traveled hundreds of years from the future into the past. The confusion and loss in her eyes were simply because her mind and body were adjusting to the immense amount of memories and knowledge her future self had brought back.
And the most important knowledge of all was that of...
"August...!!"
Lucielle ground her teeth as her bloodshot eyes stared at the back of August. He had been hailed as the strongest savior and hero of humanity. He had slain countless Demon Gods and even a Void Duke.
Many had praised him, campaigning for him as the next hero of humanity, so it was a total shock when news came that August had betrayed humanity, joining the ranks of the Void Dukes under the Void Empress.
Not only that, he had taken the entire Crownthorn Dukedom with him, essentially tearing a large chunk of the Brightstone Kingdom away along with his departure.
It was his betrayal that sparked the downfall of the Brightstone Kingdom.
In her past life, she and August had barely interacted, as he always seemed to avoid her at every turn. But she had been too busy to care, always caught up in larger events.
In this life, however, she swore that she would either kill him before he became humanity's greatest traitor or make sure he never even had the thought of betraying humanity.
"I swear in this life you will never have the chance of betraying humanity!"
She spat the words through her gritted teeth, her eyes digging into August's back, imprinting every detail of him into her memory.