CHAPTER 104: LIFE SIMULATOR AKA THE ACADEMY

The Rookies had their entrance ceremony, but it was different for other students so Xavier had left for his classes, leaving Aegon standing alone among the hundreds of new faces.

The ceremony itself was nothing more than a lecture from the Dean. Aegon remembered the memes about the Dean’s lectures being boring in his previous life and wondered if it would be the same this time.

Students gathered in the open plaza, forming groups as they chatted about their nervousness and excitement.

Not so surprisingly, Aegon drew attention but no one dared to approach him, making him appear like a lone wolf.

’Better word would be a Proud Dragon.’

Now that so many people surrounded him, Aegon’s nervousness faded away, replaced by a calmness that would surprise even older people.

It had always been like this for him as he had grown up in silence and loneliness. His fears only arose when he was truly alone. Here, even surrounded by enemies, he would still prefer it over being all alone.

’Now, when will that old man come?’ His eyes suddenly flashed to the side. ’Speak of the devil.’

A robust, middle-aged man with a monocle over his right eye and a warm smile on his lips floated into view. He stopped mid-air before everyone, not even bothering to lower himself, as if wanting to remind everyone of their place.

No instructors, no guards, just one man who ruled over the Academy. A rumored Archmage whose very presence kept the Academy safe from enemies.

"Welcome, everyone. My name is Amon, though you probably already know that," he said with a light chuckle. "Now, what do you expect from this ceremony? A long lecture?"

Many instinctively wanted to nod but managed to keep their expressions straight.

"Heh, you’re all adults, stubborn mules," Amon said, pulling out a cane and resting his hand on it. "You don’t need lectures, so I won’t bother. The Academy guide has already given you a rough idea anyway."

That left everyone confused, including Aegon. If there wasn’t going to be a lecture, then why hold a ceremony at all?

"I’ll ask you a simple question," Amon said, his smile never fading. "You’ve studied in schools founded by churches or the Empire, learned from private tutors, or maybe your parents hired entire teams to teach you. So tell me, what teaches you the most, and the best?"

Dozens of guesses flew from the crowd as the rookies spoke up one after another. But whether they were right or wrong, no one could tell because Amon’s smile didn’t change in the slightest.

It was hard to read such a man.

Aegon stayed silent, thinking deeply for a while. He wondered what had taught him the most in his life. It didn’t take him long to find the answer as it was simple, way too simple actually.

He raised his hand. When the Dean acknowledged him, Aegon spoke a single word.

"Life."

Amon’s smile widened slightly as he nodded. "Indeed. There’s no better teacher than life itself. So, what we’re going to do here is simulate your life. You can learn the same lessons taught elsewhere or ones you might already know but the only thing we can offer beyond that is resources. Then why, I ask, do so many of you come here?"

He paused, scanning the crowd before continuing.

"We simulate life here. Your life. What this Academy gives you is not just education, it shapes you into rulers. Leaders. You’ll either fail here... or become one of humanity’s leaders. But understand this clearly, Failure here often means death."

Chills rippled through the plaza as every gaze turned upward to the man floating above. His smile remained warm yet unnervingly eerie.

"Why, you may ask?" Amon adjusted his monocle, his grin widening. "The answer is simple. Demons. They are our mortal threat. As long as they exist, peaceful life will never exist for you."

Aegon felt his hands go cold. He rarely talked about it to anyone, never focused on it much but deep down, he had always hated demons to the core. He could blame many others, but in the end, everything traced back to them.

His grandmother’s death.

His Opa’s fading flicker of life.

Xiu’s separation from her beloved brother.

His chance at having a complete family.

Everything was ruined because of demons. Yet he never chose vengeance just like his grandfather, he knew that path could strip away everything he still had left.

’But that doesn’t mean I won’t defend what I hold dear.’

He clenched his fists, feeling warmth stir from within his shadow, reminding him he wasn’t alone in this.

Amon’s words were a brutal reminder of their world, a supposedly peaceful era bought with rivers of blood.

"Demons desire one thing, just one really," Amon said, lifting his index finger. "The utter destruction of humanity. Complete oblivion. That is their goal."

Aegon could feel the shift in the air. The students around him were tense, shaken by the truth in Amon’s words. Many of them had likely lost loved ones to demons, after all. There were hardly any families in the Empire who weren’t harmed by the demons.

The hatred ran too deep.

"The Empire is the body," Amon continued, his voice steady and commanding. "The army is its skin, flesh, and bones, its main defense. The nobles and aristocrats are the internal organs, keeping the body alive and strong from within. Finally, the Emperor is the brain the soul, the strongest part of the body."

He looked at them all through his monocle-covered eye.

"The common soldiers are trained in their barracks. But rulers, commanders, and those responsible for thousands of lives, they’re trained here. You’re trained here. Do you understand the weight of that responsibility?"

He tapped his cane lightly, the sharp sound echoing across the silent plaza.

"Real life is far too cruel for you younglings, which is why this Academy exists. Here, you’ll experience that cruelty in a simulation, one with protection and second chances. You’ll be allowed to fail and learn, but understand... this world outside will never grant you such mercy."

His tone shifted then, barely perceptible, but Aegon caught it. There was a faint mockery in his voice. A quiet disdain he didn’t even try to hide.

"Thing is, even if you’re nobles, scions of rich, powerful families, your fathers might be high lords or army generals, but no one is handing you responsibilities you can’t bear... not yet."