The First Year’s S Class is located at the east wing of Imperial Knights Academy, on the 7th floor of First-Year Faculty.

    The First Year Teaching Faculty is seven-storeys high, and the classroom was placed from the first to the seventh floor, except the ground floor. The number of students in each ascending class decreases by five, and the classroom’s size increases with each ascending rank.

    Starting from the first floor, is Class C-6, C-5 and C-1.

    Second floor, Class C-4, C-3 and C-2.

    Third floor, Class B-5, B-4 and B-3.

    Fourth floor, Class B-2 and B-1.

    Fifth floor, Class A-4 and A-1.

    Sixth floor, Class A-3 and A-2.

    Seventh floor, Class S.

    Class C-6 had one hundred students, while Class A-1 had thirty students.

    Excluding those who were already expelled, then there are a total of 987 first-year students.

    If I am a typical first-year student, the only accessible places for me are the First Year Faculty, Male Dorm, Cafeteria, and the entire Central section. Some areas like gymnasium, club room, swimming pool, et cetera require the supervising teacher’s permit.

    As for the teacher’s office, it requires approval from the respective teacher that allowed you to access their office, on their specific floor, specific room.

    However, those rules do not apply to a special student like me. I could access almost anywhere except the female dorm— vice versa, the male dorm for Kuroyuki.

    …Or so I thought.

    It’s already 10.23am.

    Still no sign of Persia and the gang.

    With the buggy, it only takes 10 minutes for it to reach here.

    Guess I don’t have authority over others and their punctuality.

    I have been waiting for about 28 minutes now, under this ridiculous hot sun. Even with the cooler function installed on my uniform, I can still feel the heat.

    Man, how I wish Kuroyuki would cool me down with her ice.

    …Such a waste of time.

    Just when I was about to make a call to Persia, I finally saw them from afar.

    The moment the buggy stops right in front of me, Persia and the others gets off on it.

    “What took you so long?” I uttered with my hands folded and my right foot tapping the ground to show my fatigue and irritation.

    “Ask her,” August told me, while pointing at Persia.

    “I-I-I-I… got caught up in some work…” Persia told me while fidgeting my fingers.

    “Looks like I relied on the wrong person… Who’s the class president?” I asked.

    …Everybody pointed their finger at Persia.

    “Ehehe~”

    Seeming embarrassed, Persia scratched her head while sticking out her tongue.

    Without a single word, I approached Persia.

    “Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!?”

    I ground her head with my knuckles.

    “I… I’m terribly sorry……” Persia apologized after the punishment.

    “So, who’s the vice class president?” I asked while facing them.

    “Oh, that’s me,” August replied.

    “If there’s anything like this next time, I will contact you instead of her,” I said.

    “Okay…? How?” August asked me. “I believe you don’t have my contact.”

    “He had the authority to access the entire Imperial Knights Academy’s administrative system,” Kronos told August.

    “Oh. So that’s why.” August murmured.

    “What about upgrades?” I asked.

    “That’s also me, as well.”

    “I see.”

    “Can’t we enter already? It’s hot.” Rumelia complained.

    Despite complaining, Rumelia is still as emotionless as ever.

    “Alright, I just sent you the temporary pass— eh? Where’s Persia?”

    When I realized, Persia was nowhere to be found.

    “She went in about ten seconds ago,” August replied.

    “Oh, right— she had that permanent pass.” I inadvertently murmured. “Anyways, I gave you guys a temporary pass. Please enter.”

    “Wow, talk about hospitality.” August patted my shoulder with a laugh as he went past me.

    “I wonder if you would return the same hospitality to me as well next time?” I jokingly asked.

    “Sure, sure,” August said to me while waving his left hand as he continued to walk. “Sorry about yesterday, by the way.”

    “I’m not the type to hold a grudge,” I told August as I turned and walked next to him.

    Realizing that I’m next to him, August turns his head to face me.

    “That’s good, then.” He nodded, seeming to approve of what I said. “You are the exact opposite of that princess.”

    “Oh… I know she’s been dying to go for another round.” I told him.

    “Ah no no no no no, please— I insist. Please stop her,” August told me with a freaked out look as cold sweat drizzled across his cheeks.

    “You don’t understand, August— she can’t be stopped.” I placed my hand on his shoulder while shaking my head.

    “No no please, Luc…! Save me— I beg of you…! Save my arse……! Can you imagine how it feels like to have a girl constantly running to you with a sword in her hand?! It’s like a scene from a horror movie!”

    “Eh… No wonder you seemed so happy when she took interest in me…” I murmured.

    “Wh-What are you talking about? I-I don’t know what you are talking about.” He avoided my gaze while making a suspicious look.

    “Nevermind. Why not you lose on purpose?” I murmured, while continuing to walk. “That way, I’m sure she would lose interest.”

    “First, she could tell. And second, I don’t ever want to lose in a swordsmanship duel against anyone my age or younger than me.”

    “Huh,” I muttered. “What drives you? You want to become the strongest swordsman?”

    “Yes. It’s the pride of wielding this sword on my waist.” He told me, while tapping his palm twice on the hilt of his sword— Crepusculum Ignotum.

    “Even though it’s a legend… You do know that the strongest swordsman is one of the legendary twelve apostles, right?”

    “Hmm… I don’t know about that.” He murmured. “But I swear not to lose to anyone my age or younger than me ever since that one defeat I had with a friend of mine.”

    While seeming to reminisce of that moment, his forehead popped a vein.

    He seems really pissed.

    “You didn’t get to fight him for a second time?” I asked.

    “He came to my house for a vacation that time,” August told me. “And because of some circumstances after that fight, my dominant arm just happened to be injured. That’s why I never get the second chance.”

    “So that broken pinkie…”

    “Yes, it was that incident.” He then raised his right hand, moving his fingers and a not-so-movable right pinkie. “See?”

    “Won’t you feel it to be a pity? Your grip won’t be as good as before…”

    “…The only pity… is I will never get that second chance.”

    While muttering those words, August made a sentimental look.

    “Is he…?” I asked.

    “Yes. He’s dead.” August told me.. “Let’s not talk about it, okay? It’s all in the past now.”