Chapter 40: The Calm Before the Storm


    Lazaria, the blonde-haired girl with emerald-green eyes, spoke calmly as she explained a few things she had read in historical books. Initially, her words were directed at Asahi, the silver-eyed, white-haired boy who had spoken moments ago. However, as she continued, she found herself unintentionally capturing the attention of the entire class—including Makoto-sensei.


    She only realized this when she finished speaking about Spain''s capital. As she glanced around, she noticed that every student was looking at her as if she had just delivered a captivating lecture. Blinking, she asked in a composed voice,


    "What? I was just repeating what I read in some books about the complete map of the ancient world."


    Asahi, the intended recipient of her words, smirked with confidence before responding after a brief silence.


    "As if that''s possible. The Saita Kingdom is the center and capital of the world. No other kingdom matches its power and size. Comparing this vast kingdom to some city called ''Madrid'' is laughable. I bet that Madrid is the size of a small village."


    Lazaria had received her first criticism, but before she could respond, Mizayani, the pink-haired girl with a red headband, finished adjusting her chair and spoke.


    "I remember hearing similar stories. My grandfather used to show me maps of the old world, but whenever I asked if those stories were true, he simply told me that he had spent his life believing in them. He passed away before he could find out the truth. He had faith in that era without solid proof."


    The two nearly bald brothers, who had fought Fulaan the day before, listened intently. The older brother, Shinso, then voiced his thoughts.


    "But if the world really is as vast as Lazaria claims, why don''t we receive visitors from distant kingdoms beyond the ones we already know?"


    This idea intrigued Hikari, the dark-gray-haired boy who could cover his surroundings in mist. Supporting the notion, he added,


    "That''s true. The kingdoms we''re familiar with are Saita, Tania, and Malina. Most of us here are either native to Saita or from the villages surrounding it. I don''t think there''s anyone among us who actually came from Tania or Malina, right?"


    At the back of the classroom, Fulaan sat quietly, resting his cheek against his hand as he listened to their discussion, deep in thought.


    It took me three days of travel to reach the Saita Kingdom, and an ordinary person would need more than ten. That''s only because the White Tiger''s ability was a real asset to me. I have no knowledge of the outside world, but I''ve never seen its boundaries with my own eyes. It just seems like an endless land I could run across forever, so I can''t say for sure whether there are other humans beyond the well-known kingdoms or not.


    His dark eyes shifted slightly as he observed the rest of the class. It was clear that the students fell into two categories.


    The first group consisted of those who rarely participated, preferring to observe quietly—himself, Fairoz, Mizuhara, the brown-haired girl with matching brown eyes who could turn invisible, and Kazuki, the boy whose hair was a mix of dark and light gray.


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    The second group comprised those who actively voiced their opinions and occasionally asked questions—Lazaria, the arrogant Asahi, the wind-wielding Mizayani, the mist user Hikari, and the brothers Shinso and Yuta.


    These were the conclusions Fulaan reached simply by observing his classmates. But as his gaze moved slowly across the room, he suddenly found himself making eye contact with Makoto-sensei.


    Something about it felt odd. A teacher should naturally be watching the students who were speaking, not the silent ones.


    If this meant anything, it was that Makoto-sensei was doing exactly what Fulaan was doing—analyzing the class, determining who actively engaged in discussions and who remained silent.


    Not wanting to draw any unnecessary suspicion, Fulaan quickly shifted his approach. He smiled gently and spoke in a relaxed tone,


    "Not all of us are interested in history, right?"


    It was a strange question on the surface, but Fulaan had just done something strategic—he pulled Makoto-sensei into the conversation with him. By pretending to be bored, he subtly implied that both he and his teacher were on the same page, waiting for this conversation to end.


    Makoto-sensei smiled slightly at Fulaan''s remark before addressing the class in a calm tone.


    "That''s true. Let''s keep these discussions outside the classroom. Lazaria, it''s good that you enjoy reading books as a hobby, but in our time, those stories are nothing more than myths—closer to fantasy than reality. Don''t get too attached to them. Leave questions about what lies beyond the kingdom''s borders to the adventurers and the Exploration Corps. As knights, your duty is clear—protecting the kingdom and its people."


    The students listened attentively.


    "In addition to your training, there are three fundamental things every knight must learn. First, the history and laws of the Saita Kingdom. Second, the Italian language."


    The room remained quiet, but at the mention of the Italian language, Mizayani furrowed her brows and asked,


    "One of the forgotten ancient languages? Everyone already speaks English—why would we need another language?"


    Makoto-sensei regarded her with his usual composed expression before replying,


    "We need a language for communication between knights, adventurers, and the Exploration Corps. There are times when they collaborate on certain missions, and to maintain privacy and security, we need a language that ordinary citizens won''t understand. By the way, Italian was chosen as the official language twenty years ago by the previous headmaster, so we can''t change it now."


    He paused briefly before adding,


    "There''s one more thing. Unlike the Exploration Corps and adventurers, you are the ones the king trusts the most. Because of this, a unique form of communication was developed specifically for the kingdom''s knights—sign language."


    A ripple of curiosity spread across the class.


    "More than thirty hand gestures, each with a distinct meaning. I want to make it clear that you are strictly forbidden from teaching this language to anyone who isn''t a knight. Communication among you is crucial, so you can consider this our final ace in difficult missions. This, in short, is the knights'' curriculum—85% training, 15% studying what I just explained."


    With that, the structure of their education became clear. Some students felt relieved. The system was much simpler than expected. In reality, Makoto-sensei was only asking them to develop their abilities according to the plans he had outlined for each of them. It was structured, yet it still allowed for a degree of free training.


    And with that, time began to move faster.


    A full month passed in the blink of an eye.


    The relationships between students hadn''t deepened much, but at the very least, they had learned each other''s names and abilities.


    Everything was now clear. Each student understood what they needed to do.


    A quiet and peaceful month slipped by—filled with thought, reflection, training, and study. The academy was calm, the classes orderly, and the food system flexible.


    A relaxing month…


    But now, that peace had come to an end.


    The curtain was rising on an event that would change everything.


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