A burst of fire coloured the sky, and students were already trampling over each other to get closer to the teacher. Not even thirty seconds in, and it was clear the strategies people would employ.
Vicius, Evie and Delilah all waited at the back, not moving a single inch. Their gazes locked on anyone who managed to get close.
Nobles opted for kicking down the peasants to make sure they all received detention.
Those who hailed from clans rushed forward mindlessly, jumping for the carrot without ever seeing the stick. Each attempt at a snatch led to the distance being expanded by another hundred meters.
Flash steps resulted in rusty chains slowing their movements. Surprise attacks led to being blinded. Brute force resulted in incapacitation.
There was no attempt that hadn't been countered. And if the three had leapt in like mindless puppets, they would've faced the same fate.
Vicius was the first to come to a conclusion, melting into the shadows before throwing one of the nobles high into the air toward the teacher. His flimsy arms wailed, tears of fear streaking across his cheeks. Most children would learn the hover spell early on, it was the most common spell that all children in public education learned. However....
"Nobles are too egotistical to learn a spell designed for peasants!" His mask shattered into millions of fragments as a maniacal smile carved itself into his cheeks.
'This is payback for saying that stuff about Evie!'
The foxy teacher stared in disbelief.
'Damn it.' She muttered under her breath. Her vulpine form breezes through the track, dodging students. A hand forcing two hands to collide in a small bloody pop.
"You shouldn't have let your eyes leave me, miss."
"Ghh-"
A dark aura scattered across the field, the air hummed in anticipation to vast release of mana.
"Bind, oh shepherd of the night, return thine sheep to their slumbering cradles."
Black tendrils wrapped themselves tightly around the teacher, binding her down as she thrashed like a caged bird.
"This is what you get for behaving like prey. You get hunted."
His hand came down onto her shoulder. Ending the special class after only thirteen minutes, setting a new academy record for the first year.
She sighed, smashing the restraints and catching the falling nobel. His eyes were glowing with what seemed to be pink hearts. Two lips parted, ready to profess a newfound love, but her cold, indifferent glare snapped him out of the daze.
"Tch. I didn't expect someone to catch me in under fifteen minutes. Let alone on the first damn day." She lit a cigarette, her foxy demeanour quickly changing from that of a young playful canine into a greedy old vulpine temptress.
She stuck her hands into her pockets, clearly searching for something, but every time her hands popped out, only lint filled them.
"Ah whatever, no need for forms. The winners of this P.E. class are Vicius, Evie and Delilah."
Vicius nodded his head.
'Of course I would be the only one to pass-'
He looked up at her, eyes wide, not with fear, simply shocked at hearing their name. Vicius spared no second to look at what the other two were doing.
'Ah I see...'
Both of the girls had opted to help the students who were injured from their relentless chase and the insistent bullying by the nobles. Having no prior knowledge of the academy teachers was a disadvantage, as those who were not born of nobility didn't know about the hidden quests set by the teachers to gain extra marks.
Miss Lorin was one such person. Her vulpine game of tag had its own quest that no one had figured out before. But the two girls got it on the first try, which led to their passing mark.
Of course, Vicius was a little salty, already preparing to vent to Dimmy later.
A slap on the back forced the air out of him, his own palm flying to knock Rowan over on his ass.
"Next time you do that, I swear to god!" Vicius glared at his best friend, but the annoyance didn't last for longer than three seconds as they both laughed at each other.
"Haha, I know, I know. You damn sadist, don't go around spamming that spell around the ladies! You don't wanna unleash some kind of hidden fetish-"
Flame shot from Evie's hand and wrapped itself like a collar around his neck. A final fearful smile, and his body was being dragged around the course by an enraged white-haired woman.
"Goodbye, dear friend. At least you achieved one of your dreams, being walked by a dominant woman...could this be considered being walked?"
=====
The last class before lunch break would be no other than the Apothecary's speciality. Potioncrafting!
Though the first session didn't involve any actual potion crafting, it was rather informational. Explaining how to enhance potions and level them up. Adding duration and explosive power if they are throwable.
Evie had a wonderful time soaking up everything.
But Vicius couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at Delilah. She was laser-focused on the teacher, not even noticing when a fellow student called out to her for help.
'Good at potions...green eyes...energetic... why do all of these things sound so familiar?'
Of course, rather than getting his grades up and taking the first spot, Vicius would much rather speculate on things he can't even piece together.
Rowan, however, was trying his hardest. Unlike Evie and Vicius, who had gotten a top-five position, he was barely hanging on to the top ten. And after witnessing some of the knights in the academy, that position would sit with him for much longer.
He gnashed his teeth, taking down every single word the teacher spewed out. Her words were not monotone; she clearly enjoyed her job, taking time to throw in some jokes along with the same old commentary she had preached for years.
[Rowan's Manic Meter: 2%]
A drop of dark red miasma swirled through his core.
It was beginning.