Chapter 84: Strange

“Can’t they just let us enjoy more?”

John grumbled as we were headed towards the auditorium where the entrance ceremony had taken place.

It had been two weeks since the academy began, and it was already time for the practical sessions.

After all, Namda wasn’t an academy to train some bookworms. It was an institute to mould the future of the world.

Here, one’s combat ability took precedence above everything else.

“Why are you even nervous?”

I knew that we would have to fight soon, but it wouldn’t be life-threatening for him to be this nervous.

Hearing my question, John just stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at me.

“Not everyone has the ability to get admitted with a thousand points to their name.”

That again!

I swear this guy was the most jealous person I had ever seen. I mean, if he had been near my level… it would have been normal to be a little jealous.

But why the hell did he have to compare himself with me!

For reference, John had scored roughly two hundred points in the entrance test.

“Two hundred and one point, to be more specific.”

John spoke with a serious expression.

Did I say it aloud?

“Your expression screamed of my rough score. But mind you, for people like us, even one point makes a difference.”

John’s shoulders dropped as he began to walk towards the auditorium.

Had I become that easy to read?

“Don’t fret too much… After all, you have your ancestral weapon with you. Surely the Spear—”

“Kael!”

John pushed himself away from me, as I had tried to place my hand on his shoulder in an act of sympathy and… motivation.

At the end of the day, he was a master of… spears.

“My weapon has nothing to do with my name, for God’s sake. I have become a topic of humiliation in the academy… Shouldn’t you, as a friend, be more supportive of me?”

John’s voice cracked at the end.

“But I was being supportive.”

“…”

I had begun to feel a little guilty, but…

That was it.

The guilt was little, and I wasn’t one to worry over minor details.

A crowd had formed near the entrance of the auditorium, with more students coming from across the academy.

There had been an off lecture prior to the notice, so most students were out there on the campus indulging in their free-time hobbies.

Seeing the line before me… I guess I had to wait a bit before being able to enter.

The students were pushing each other to enter first.

Why the rush?

Well, as it was the first practical session since the start of the academy, most of the students wanted to take the front seats in order to be in the good graces of the instructors.

The logic was flawed, but for average students, every bit of merit and goodwill with the instructors counted to stay ahead in their own classes.

If the situation permitted, they would have even taken the seats in the first two rows, but the presence of the royals and the high-end nobility had managed to curb… their desires.

I was now near the entrance, just beside the crowd of students, which was increasing with each passing moment.

I closed my eyes in defeat.

Sigh.

I hate waiting.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Hm?

My surroundings fell silent.

It felt like every sound made moments prior had just vanished from existence.

I opened my eyes to look around.

The crowd had now gone silent.

There was no movement as each student stood in their place… though I could feel that most—

No, all of them were currently looking in my direction.

Wanting to ask the reason, I turned to question John, but…

He too had a look of apprehension in his eyes.

Long gone was the usually carefree John; the only thing I could see was…

Fear?

Hm?

What was he afraid of?

I turned to look behind me to spot any anomaly in my surroundings, but…

There was none.

Seeing that the crowd wasn’t rushing at the entrance, I took it as an opportunity to enter.

As I took my first step, the crowd parted ways.

Hm?

Why were they being so cooperative…

Not thinking much about the weird situation, I walked through the entrance, entering the auditorium.

As I scanned the place… even the students who had entered were like frozen statues, not daring to move an inch.

Was it some prank?

A new trend before the practical?

I didn’t know.

I had to stay updated with the happenings in the world.

It felt weird not to know what people of my generation were involved in. I was starting to feel like an old man.

“Let’s sit there.”

I pointed towards a seat at the far end of the auditorium.

I didn’t like sitting in the front, and the middle seats felt like a zoo, where everyone just keeps staring at you.

“…”

John moved along with me, but made no effort to comment.

“John?”

I turned to look at him again.

His face appeared pale, and it felt like he was using every ounce of his power just to walk along with me.

Did he not eat today?

John didn’t even lift his head to look at me.

Was it his stomach?

Why was he being so dramatic?!

Before I could further question him, we had arrived at the end of the auditorium.

I took a seat at the corner where the walls connected, while John sat beside me.

The students were now beginning to show some movement, as I could see Noah entering the hall with great effort.

I really felt left out, seeing that even Noah was part of the supposed new trend.

I turned my gaze towards the stage, only to find Elsa standing there, along with a few junior instructors.

For the entirety of the time, I had felt her gaze on me.

Did I mess up something by not following the other students?

Should I have stood frozen too?

It didn’t matter.

Seeing that there was still some time left before the practical session guidance lecture—

I closed my eyes…

Only to sense the students moving again.

Strange.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep