*Bang! *Bang! *Bang! *Ding Dong! *Ding Dong! *Ding Dong! *Bang! *Bang! *Bang!
The sound of banging on the door and the deafening sound of the bell roused Arthur from his slumber. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Arthur got off his bed and walked towards the door lazily.
The rooms provided by the Military Academy for Class A students are luxurious and large. It's even bigger than the size of the Morris family's house. There are bedrooms, reading rooms, bathrooms, libraries, experiment rooms, living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, and relaxing rooms in them.
The facilities provided were also top-class facilities that only nobles could enjoy. When Arthur first walked into the room he was so shocked he couldn't help but gape. The first thing Artur thought was that he had entered the wrong room but Robert said something else in between his laughter.
As a result, Artur could only receive facilities he had never enjoyed before. Along with the joy in his heart, Arthur realized how precious a person with Heaven-grade mana flow was.
Opening his bedroom door and walking towards the front door, Artur wanted to shout at whoever was banging on his bedroom door so early. They still don't have a study agenda so there shouldn't be any activities for today. So Artur actually wanted to spend the day lazing around and enjoying the facilities in his room
But it seems whoever pounded on the door and rang the bell had other plans in store for him.
Opening the front door with an annoyed face, Artur saw Robert already standing at the door with his trademark big smile.
"What?" said Artur bitchy.
From that day on, Artur and Robert became good friends. Artur stopped being too polite in front of Robert and treated him like a close friend. But in his heart, there is still a strange feeling to see Robert acting not at all like the son of a hero.
"Why are you still sleeping at this time? Hurry up and get ready, we have to go somewhere today" Robert said ignoring the bitchy in Artur's voice.
"Go where?"
Robert Gaht, there isn't a human who doesn't recognize the name Gaht. Since elementary school, Arthur has been sung with the legend of the strongest man in history by his teachers and parents. So seeing the hero's son acting like a street thug makes Artur feel awkward facing him.
"Today we have to attend a class A meeting for this school year" Robert replied.
"Class A's meeting? What are we going to that meeting for?"
"For introductions to the other A-class kids of course!"
"Huh? Who doesn't recognize you? I'm sure the beggar on Heles's street will recognize you after hearing the name Gaht" laughed Artur.
"Not for me you idiot. It's for you!" Robert's brow furrowed when he heard that he was famous because of his father's last name.
"For me? Why do I have to get acquainted with the other class-A kids? I don't want to receive their condescending stares and ruin my beautiful day," Arthur replied curtly.
From Robert, Artur knows that the number of Class A children who come from commoners can be counted on one hand. If there were no slaves at the meeting then Artur and the other commoner's kids would be the targets of abuse.
Arthur had even imagined how disgusted the nobles would look when they saw him joining them.
Because of that Artur prefers not to mix with the other class-A kids and passes through the time at the Military Academy by being a loner. But Robert's presence had destroyed Artur's plans brilliantly.
How could he not be noticed by the other class A students when the hero kid came to his room and was banging on the door so loudly in the early hours of the morning like this?
"Hey... stop with a self-deprecating tone. You don't have any choice here. You are already my friend, so it is your duty to accompany the path I choose" Robert's smile grew wider.
"Fuck me" Arthur gave up.
Allowing Robert to enter, Artur said, "Wait here for me to get ready". With big strides, Artur headed for the bathroom to get ready.
Robert walked over to Artur's Mana Fridge and drank soda like he was at home. Finding a comfortable position on the sofa in the living room, Robert pushed up the soda bottle in his hand and then whistled.
In contrast to Robert who was relaxed, Artur was stricken with panic. He took a shower and tried to scrub his skin until it became cleaner. But skin that has been exposed to sun and dust for years will not change even with great effort.
Giving up on changing his natural appearance, Arthur then tries to find the nicest clothes he has. But he knew that these clothes could not match the worst clothes that nobles had.
Artur could only take a deep breath and cursed "Fairness is a son of bitch" in his heart.
A few minutes later he came out and found Robert who had just finished his second bottle of soda.
"You've been preening like a girl," Robert grumbled and got up from the couch.
Arthur didn't answer and only compared his appearance to Robert's. Robert's pure white skin seemed to glow under the sun and his casual clothes were like a prince's crown. He wanted to once again curse and beat anyone who said "effort will not betray results".
"I was betrayed more than I hope for"
"Why are you stupefied? Let's go, it's better if we arrive late and like the protagonist but it will be sad if we come and the meeting is over." Robert took Arthur's hand and walked out of the room.
Artur could only complain about his new master's selflessness inside.
While trying to match his walking speed with Robert's long legs, Artur asked "So.. why did this meeting become so important? Don't say it for me because I won't believe it one cent"
"Hehehe... you caught me.. Well... what do you think about the human alliance?" Robert asked seriously while walking quickly.
"Human alliance? You're asking me this wrongly... I'm just a child of the gatekeeper of the remote city of Heles..."
"...." Robert didn't say anything but Artur felt the disappointment from him.
"But... I know adventure... and it can be said that I know how their real life is,"
"Tell me about the Adventure then"
"Even though they look like great people who celebrate their deadly adventures in the tavern, they are actually just poor people who are in debt. When someone wants to become an adventurer, they must first register themselves at the Guild.
"Registering is free but it's the start of the real pitfalls. Every Adventurer needs equipment to enter the Bog forest. Most of them aren't mages so sharp swords and heavy armor are their only way to survive.
"Because of that, like it or not, adventurers have to borrow money from the Guild to buy weapons. The debt will continue to grow until it becomes many times greater than the actual money.
"Maybe if the adventurers can complete the high-paying missions then they can repay some of their debt. But it's not worth the real risk."
Based on what Gilbert had told him, only 1 in 100 adventurers made it out alive from high-paying missions.
"Then if they can save their money to buy Mana Potions and become a mage then they are not truly free. They still have to pay their debts to the Guild which will probably continue to exist until the end of their lives."
Some rumors also said that mage adventurers who were able to repay their debts would not survive until the next day. This rumor was widespread in Heles City even so people still wanted to become adventurers because it was the only way for commoners to become a mage.
"...." silence returned to the both of them.
Until Robert took a deep breath and opened his mouth, "Actually corruption and hypocrisy do not only occur within the Guild institution but also in all institutions that exist within the human alliance. With time those we call heroes disappear and change into greed.
"Long-term peace allows humans to reveal the true nature that lies deep in their hearts. My father and his former friends also began to change. My father, who was brave and unafraid of death, became timid and paranoid. Even though he tried to hide it, I could see what was inside his heart.
"Right now, the corrupt human alliance can't ward off the sudden second-species mana war that. Change is needed and that change can't be brought about from the outside. Just as PSA graduates challenged the Mana Ruling Family's rule in the past, it required passion and the same courage to prevent the extinction of mankind.
"I could become a mage without entering the Military Academy. My family has enough resources to support me all the way to becoming a Level 5 Constellation Mage. But I have my own ambitions and only by entering the Military Academy can I achieve them.
"I want to change the human alliance. But I can't do it alone, I need people I can trust."
"You want to form cliques?" Artur understood Robert's reason for bringing him to the class A meeting.
"Yeah..." Robert replied plainly.
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