Apparently, he had been ihe Amphitheater lohan he had thought, as when Krion emerged back outside, it was to a cool evening air brushing against his face. Then again, given how many young ss had o gh the ceremony, it made sehat it would be quite a bit ter. As he stepped fully out of the archway that led bato the Amphitheater, he nearly staggered at the returni of the greatsword on his back. Catg himself, he breathed out a sigh of relief that nobody had seen him almost fall over. Straightening his on, he made his way further outside.
Students had moved into clusters outside the amphitheater, many striking up versations as they waited to be approached by Seo be led on tours of campus. Looking around, Krion saw no one he reized, not eveor whom he had just been speaking to. Likely he had already found anroup to go oour with. For a moment, Krio a pang of isotion. Based on the behavior of most of the other first-years, many were already on their way t groups, perhaps even alliances based on shared houses, histories, or ambitions.
He, oher hand, was alone.
Krioated on the edge of the milling students, sing the various groups that stood him. He hadn’t noticed inside, what with the stress of everything, but now that he aying closer attention, it wasn’t hard to see the divisions. Lineage seemed to be the most important factor in terms of who grouped with whom, as most of the ss nearby gravitated towards those possessing simir ranks, though there were a few groupings that seemed based on race, though those overps blurred the lines somewhat. From what he could tell, humans formed a slight majority of the ss, with elves and dwarves being the most on, and then members of other races like beastkin being a bit rarer.
While the majority had found groups, there were outliers, like Krion himself. Lone figures or pairs who had yet to find their pce, h he edges like scattered pieces of a puzzle. Some seemed tent in their solitude, while others darted nervous gnces, looking froup to join. Time was running out, however, as already those groups farthest from where he stood had begun being escorted off by Sehat had been waiting outside. Apparently, tours of the Imperial Academy did not t as teag.
For Krion’s part, he remai the edge of the milling students. His red-gold eyes caught furtive ghrown his way, whispers dartiween lips like invisible arrows. Everything that he was able to make out just seemed to further firm what Hector had told him ba the amphitheater. Krion exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening. Joining one of these troups now would be opening himself up to questions he didn’t want to answer right now. At least until he had a ce to get his story straight.
He turned slightly, intending to wait in the shadow of the amphitheater until the groups had dispersed somewhat before he figured out what he wao do, when the sound of approag footsteps made him stop. At first, he half expected it to be Hector approag, but as he turned he saw the bck-armored figure of the Sentinel who had escorted him earlier: J-65.
Though her featureless white mask still betrayed nothing, her movements in his dire were fluid, almost unnaturally so, as though she glided rather than walked. Krion instinctively straightened as she approached.
“Lord Bcksword,” her voice was even and precise. “You appear lost.”
Krion chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not lost. Just… sidering my options.”
He goward the group, a number of Sentinels f up to lead them on a tour. A few of the students still shot him gnces. Yeah, there was no way he would be joining a group.
“Actually…” he began, then faltered. How could he phrase this without sounding foolish? He squared his shoulders and looked back at J-65. “Would you mind esc me instead? By myself? Just a brief walk around campus. It would be… easier.”
For a moment, J-65 said nothing. Her sileretched, heavy and unreadable, until she finally responded. “Very well. Follow me.”
Relief swept over Krion, though he only nodded in thanks to J-65. She turned without another word, moviween the groups of first-years that still remained outside the amphitheater. Krion fell into step behihey tinued down the main pathway, but where the majority of groups were goi, J-65 led him right. The murmurs and bustle of the other students quickly began fading behind them.
As they walked, J-65’s voice was calm but carried a tone of authority as she began to expin the yout of the Imperial Academy to him. He did his best to listen as closely as he could since he knew he would soon have to begin finding his way around for csses ohey started.
“The campus of the Imperial Academy is structured like a vast city unto itself, Lord Bcksword,” she began. “At the heart is the tral square, where major events, annous, and gatherings occur. From there, the grounds radiate outward in a rough spiral, with facilities anized by fun and importahe remainder of the campus is giveo various specialized facilities and the residences of all those, which I won’t have time to show you tonight.”
Wheurned her mask to him, probably to make sure he aying attention, Krion nodded for her to tinue.
“The tral ring houses the administrative buildings, the Grand Forum, and the tral Archives — a repository of the Empire’s accumuted knowledge. The ring out tains the various academic buildings, where students of all years spend much of their time.” She gestured to their left, down a side street that Krion saw led to the ring out. “We’ll start with the Lecture Hall, Martial Hall, and Are Hall set aside for the first years, which are clustered together in the quadrant ahead. These buildings will be where you go for your csses, starting tomorrow.”
The Lecture Hall came into view first. It was a massive building of pale stos fa?ade adorned with intricate carvings depig what Krion assumed to be instructors i of teag. T pilrs fhe grarance, eascribed with words and phrases that he could not quite make sense of. Large, arched windows reflected the evening light, their stained gss depig crests of noble houses alongside symbols of learning. House Bcksword featured promily in several pces.
After giving him a few mio look, J-65 tio walk, motioning for Krion to follow. “The Lecture Hall is where more traditional instru occurs. You’ll have your Foundations of History and your Etiquette and Courtly Manners courses here.” She gnced over her shoulder at him, and he could practically feel how hard she was staring through her mask. “You will o pay close attention.”
“I thought the Imperial Academy would be a less traditional. I expected something more… unventional for csses.”
J-65 spoke over her shoulder, “Unventional is earned. For now, you will learn as all first-years do: iures, debates, and practical activities.”
Without waiting for a response, she led him over to the building. Though J-65 did not say a word, Krion could immediately tell that it was the Martial Hall. If the Lecture Hall was a temple to the mind, the Martial Hall was a fortress of discipline and power. The building was regur and solid, its walls hewn from dark grey stone. Hanging from the front of the building were bahat Krion saw beloo specific legions. Along the far side of the building was a massive metal fence, beyond which were what Krion assumed to be sparring pits and training grounds. Though it was getting te, he thought he could hear someo in one of the sparring pits.
“The Martial Hall is where you will begin to hone your profi bat. All noble ss are required to lears of war, regardless of the future roles they pursue within the Empire. As such, you will attend your bat Studies css here. Whether you bee a leader of legions, a frontline fighter, or simply a defender of your house, the training you will receive there is noiable. Expect it to be both grueling and eye-opening.”
Krion absorbed the information in silence, but his mind turned over the bat experience he had gained so far. Not a lot, given what Alesin and Rolfun had tried to expin to him about the threats always bearing down on the Empire. And he would need a lot moing forward if he was to have any ce when the System came for Earth.
“Live bat training?”
“Among other things,” J-65 firmed. “Even the most learned sust know how to defend themselves against the kinds of threats that pgue the borders of the Empire.”
Krion frowned slightly. “And if they don’t?”
“They either learn,” J-65 respoly, “or they will wish they had.”
Finally, the Sentinel led him to what could only be the Are Hall. Krion couldn’t help but slow his pace as his eyes widehe building stood apart from the others, its design a sharp trast. Tall and angur, the structure was capped by a rge spire that covered what he could only assume to be magical lights of some sort. They flickered into different colors and shapes as he watched. The air outside the building eve different — charged with some undercurrent of energy that made the hair on his arms stand on end.
“The Are Hall is dedicated to the study and practiagic. For those with talent — or determination — it offers a pce to unlod refiheir abilities. This will be where your Esseudies css is held.”
While he was more than a little excited at the prospect of learning magic, real magic, there was ohing that had been bugging him as J-65 had been showing him the buildings he would be taking his csses in. Just where were all the other students? Shouldn’t there be hundreds of other first-year students on their own tours?
Krion turo J-65 as they paused he t Are Hall. The shimmering lights faded from his focus as he addressed her.
“Thank you for the tour,” he said sincerely. “It’s been helpful. But I ’t help but notice that there are not other students going about their own tours here. Given that there were hundreds at least in the Amphitheater of Indu, I thought there would be at least several dozen being shown the same buildings you have been showing me. Is there a reason for that?”
The Sentinel’s posture stiffened slightly, the fai hint of hesitation in her usually fluid movements. She shifted her weight and tilted her masked face toward him, her voice carefully measured when she finally replied.
“I assumed you might prefer it that way,” she began, the fai nervous edge creeping into her tone. “When you returned outside after the ceremony in the Amphitheater of Indu, your body nguage seemed… tense. Like you didn’t want to deal with anyone else. I thought it would be better to avoid the crowds of other students for now, so I adjusted the route. I’ll be taking you back to the tral Archives after this, where most of the tours started.”
Krion blinked, pletely caught off guard by her admission. And why was she nervous?
“You adjusted the tour? For me?”
“Yes,” J-65 said, almost too quickly. “If I was mistaken, I — I’m sorry if I made an error in judgment.”
The ued vulnerability in her voice struck Krion. For someone who had been so posed and capable with him up to this point, her unease felt out of pce, almost alien.
“You haven’t done anything wrong,” he was quick to assure her, the words flowing instinctively. “In fact, I really appreciate it.”
She straightehe tension iance easing slightly. “Truly?”
“Yes,” Krion said, her a small but genuine smile. “I wasn’t looking forward to navigating awkward introdus or dealing with still more whispers behind my back. This,” he gestured to their quiet surroundings, “was better than I had hoped it would be. Peaceful even.”
For a moment, J-65 seemed to rex. “I’m gd you found it suitable, and that I was able to assist you, Lord Bcksword.”
Krion fli the formal address but said nothing. The title still felt alien to him, but he could hardly fault J-65 for using it. After all, it was likely the case that she was traio address any of the ss formally. Rather than bring attention to it, he shifted his focus.
“So, after the tral Archives, what happens?” he asked, gng at her mask.
“The formal tour cludes. You’ll be expected to attend the evening social events, but those are not mandatory. The rest of the night is yours.”
“Social events,” Krion muttered, his lip twisting in faint displeasure. “Sounds fun.”
Her tone lightened with a trace of humor. “If you find yourself avoiding them as well, I provide further assistance.”
Krion chuckled despite himself. “I might hold you to that.”
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