The Classroom

Arthur jotted down copious notes about the subject. To his surprise, the time between non-lore-important subjects was skipped in the game.

So with a reawakened thirst for knowledge, Arthur enjoyed every second of the history class.

"–and that is how Queen Elena Rosegold I, met King Joffrey Alstein in the battle of Bunker Hill. A love story between two opposing monarchs that birthed the glorious empire you see today." Mr. Smith passionately taught. "On page 3–"

Taking a peek to his back, Arthur glanced at the Royal guard.

To Albert's right was Shawne, to his left was Oliver, to his back was Theodore, and to his front was Gabriel.

Arthur faced forward again, his brain multitasking between taking copious notes and thinking about the Royal guards.

"Let's go over it again, Albert Rosegold, Prince of the Rosegold empire. He was trained as a swordsman and his crest is a golden rose."

"Shawne Gregory, proud and short-tempered heir of the Duke Gregory Family. Spearman of the guards and his crest is a bundle of spears."

"Oliver Wright, meek and proud heir to the Duke Wright family. His crest would be a quiver filled with arrows beside a pulled bow. His role in the party would be the archer."

"Theodore Miller, narcissistic and proud heir of the Duke Miller Family. His crest would be a magic circle and his role would be the party's magician."

"Last and the least of the five, Gabriel Sullivan. Proud and honest heir of the Duke Sullivan family. His crest is a cross-shaped shield and his role in the party is the shield paladin."

The bells ring loudly signaling the end of the first period. "With that class, we'll continue the lesson tomorrow."

Arthur yawned, stretching his tired right arm. "Ugh, it's physical education for the rest of the morning. We don't even have breakfast as Scholarship students."

They are all packing their things when an armored knight walked in. "Is this Class 1-A?"

All heads turn to the armored man, who stood at least two heads taller than the students, his shoulders broad and his arms thick like trees.

"Yes." the nearest student replied.

The man in armor nodded. "Alright then, you're all with me. Follow me in an orderly manner, leave your things."

The students were mumbling their confusion, primarily among friends. “Cliques have started to form already, this isn't different from normal high school.”

The man, whom the students have identified as a combat instructor, leads the student through the school and to a spacious area. Arthur looked around in awe.

“This must be the courtyard of a castle, they repurposed it and turned it into a training ground arena,” he mumbled.

The training ground was about twice the size of an American football field, 720 feet long and 320 feet wide. It was set in the center of the academy, with many hallways fashioned into balconies, it was in full view of the school.

“Although magical and technologically advanced, swords still hold prominent influence on warfare.” Arthur hummed, looking around noticing the sea of students waiting on the grounds and the students spectating from the balconies.

The instructor walked to the front and stood on a crate. With a small cough and a deep breath, his voice boomed, acquiring the attention of all present.

“Welcome to Combat Theory!” He said, his voice gruff and strict. “I am Leonard Fredrick! Your instructor for the next seven years!”

The atmosphere was quiet and attentive to the man.

“Now, you are the future of this empire, and it is my honor, to hone you and your skills into their absolute best! I will not tolerate weakness! I will not tolerate cowardice! Is that understood?”

“Yes Sir!” Everyone replied.

Leonard then jumped from the crate and approached the group. “Now can tell why techniques and magic had been passed on, perfected, and even mastered for generations? Even after hundreds of years of peace?”

“Honor?”

“Protecting the Empire!?”

Leonard shook his head. “Honorable answers, but incorrect.”

Ellis raised her hand. “To kill, Sir.”

Everyone gasped at the answer, everyone except the professor. “That’s right, to kill. “ he replied, soberly. “You have to kill, to protect your honor, your life. You have to kill in war to protect your empire.”

Arthur sighed. “He’s right. In my life as Kim, I knocked out that intruder but failed to kill him and instead was killed. When it comes to life and death situations, it's kill or be killed.”

“Enough of the philosophical lesson. My job will be to teach you how to hone your skills so that you’d never have to kill.” Leonard said, his eyes brightening up slightly. “Now, before we begin the lesson, may I will hold a duel.”

The somber atmosphere immediately dissipated, and the idea of a duel sparked the minds of many.

“The rules are simple!” Leonard shushed the buzz. “Two individuals are to fight until the other is incapacitated and everything is allowed. You are prohibited from crippling or killing your opponent or equivalent punishment will be administered to you.”

The spectators got somber again, causing Arthur to laugh inside. “He certainly knows how to build up and bring down morale. In the game, it was quiet and no one stepped up. Hopefully, nothing will be different.”

“I volunteer!” Shawne raised his hand. Arthur paled slightly. “What?! The timeline changed?!”

Arthur stroked his chin, deep in thought. “Why would it change? Is this world different from the game?! This makes no sense– wait…’’

Arthur’s mind boggled and turned, trying to think of a solution. Shawne was scanning the crowd, for a certain black-haired boy with blue eyes. “You!”

Arthur snapped from his deep thoughts when he heard Shawne’s loud voice. He looked up to see the crowd staring at him. “What?”

A vein on the angry boy’s head bulge. “Yes, you! I choose you to be my opponent!”

The surrounding students gasp.

“Oh no! He got chosen.”

“How unlucky, Shawne is in a bad mood!”

“He might die…”

Arthur makes a disgruntled face before sighing. “Goddamn it. It makes sense now.” he sighed, finally understanding why the timeline changed.

The surrounding students gasp again.

“T-that attitude– Shawne isn't going to let him go!”

“I hope the instructor steps in.”

Getting walking to the front of the crowd, Arthur had an annoyed expression. Shawne misunderstood his annoyance for annoyance in himself. “You look down on me?! I'll wipe that smug look off your face!”

Leonard looked puzzled at Shawne’s choice of opponent, aside from being handsome and well-proportioned and muscular. He was just ordinary. The instructor felt disappointed in Shawne. “This seemed to be something out of pettiness, how shameful.”

Leonard signaled his assistants, and they carried shelves and boxes of training equipment, primarily consisting of dull metal tools or blunted weapons.

“Choose a weapon,” he said, looking at the two boys.

Shawne Gregory immediately picked out a spear from the pile and twirled it around in a cool fashion. “I choose this!”

The instructor looks at Arthur, who stood there idle, not procuring himself a weapon. He instead took a tin from his pocket and procured a cigarette. “I do not need a weapon,” he said, nonchalantly.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Are you perhaps planning to fight with your fists? Are you sure?”

Arthur looked at the instructor and shrugged. “You could call it that.”

Shawn saw this and grew even more annoyed. “You think you can win against me without a weapon?! How arrogant! I will put you in your place, commoner!”

Leonard just sighed, holding his sword just in case he needed to suppress anyone today. “Fighters! Take your positions!”

Walking to each other, the two boys turned their backs and walked ten steps. Arthur held the cigarette in between his teeth as he turned around. Shawne was in the distance, twenty steps.

Leonard raised his hand, “Fighters ready!” and he brought it down. “Begin!”

Arthur snapped his fingers, and his cigarette lit. his left hand in his pocket, he exhaled a puff of smoke after holding the cigarette with his right hand. Shawne assumed a defensive stance.

“It's starting!”

“But no one is doing anything…”

His right foot was placed forward and his left placed behind, his body was positioned sideways, and he stood there waiting for an attack, “Are you going to attack or what?” he yelled out.

“Is he not going to attack?”

“Is he perhaps scared?”

“He should be, that’s Shawne Gregory the prodigy.”

Hearing words of praise, his ego swelled and he smirked at his opponent, not even knowing his name. “Are you perhaps a coward!?”

Arthur just watched him, not saying a word, his cigarette in his hand. With a smirk on his face, he just motioned with the lit cigarette. The lit vice was held in between his index and middle finger, and his fingers curled back repeatedly in a taunt.

“Y-You fucker!” Shawne yelled, charging forward with the blunt spear.

“The only logical explanation for why the story changed, would be the butterfly effect. In Chaos Theory, a group of chaotic systems by which small changes in the initial conditions can result in large and drastic alterations within the system.”

Shawne crossed half the distance when Arthur made a finger gun, holding the cigarette in between his index and middle finger, the lit end facing the incoming enemy.

“The sensitive system is the story and I am the small change— it makes sense considering no one in the story is named Arthur Haile.”

With a devilish smirk, Arthur chuckled. “Retard brought a spear to a gunfight.”

Bang!

Leonard flinches at the uncommon sound. “A gun!?” he exclaimed, drawing his sword, wary of potential assassins. His class had the Prince after all. But the source of the sound was not an assassin, it came from the unarmed student.

In his hand was a cigarette, but now, it was a weapon of lethal proportions. “Guns are heavily regulated in the Empire, how could an adolescent commoner gets his hands on it?” Leonard thought.

Shawne stood frozen in the middle of his step, his spear had been smashed by a projectile flying at incredible speed. It collided with the tip of the spear, causing it to splinter and fracture down the middle.

“W-What the–” he exclaimed, holding nothing but splinters of wood and in pieces.

Arthur took a drag out of the vice before humming ominously. “Where’d your attitude go?”

“If my existence was enough to upset the timeline of the game-based world– Then I will forge my destiny! With no regard for the original storyline, I will rise to the pinnacle of this place!”

Arthur held the cigarette in his mouth, it smoldering with smoke. “Don't tell me the heir of the Gregory household is cowering!”

“I will rise… and be the best within St. Clover’s Golden Academy!”