CHAPTER 50: PEACEFUL PROTEST

"How much longer will we allow them to trample on our dignity?!"

My voice is loud—louder than it has ever been before—as I address the students before me.

Displaying genuine rage on my face, I raise my fist and stare at the audience with a resolute disposition. My lips quiver and my body trembles from overwhelming energy, as I can no longer be silent about the sickening actions of our Academy.

This isn’t me being performative.

I am fond of using theatrics to rile up the students, and this time is no exception. But... things are a little different now.

Truly... I am very pissed off at the moment.

’I am so angry!’ Gritting my teeth, I control myself and simply display the qualities befitting a leader. I refuse to let these people lay eyes on the undignified version of myself.

"We need to rise for what we believe is right! Stand up for the truth! Speak with our voices, else we forever remain silenced!" I continue to shout, my wrathful voice easily pervading the hall we occupy, quickly causing many to jump to their feet in agreement.

Before long, almost everyone rises and raises their hands as they join me.

Together, we set our thoughts ablaze, screaming out loud:

"Protest! We need to protest!"

The moment I witness this sight—watching even the naturally passive Clergy students display some backbone and fierce determination—a proud smile creeps up my face.

I am relieved.

’Good! Looks like I didn’t nurture this Club in vain...’ I sigh silently. ’With this, I’ll be able to make some qualitative change and gain even more attention to the problem.’

The actual truth is that I am using these students.

The Department of Administration & Statecraft has still refused to change my very undeserved low scores, which has made me decide to retaliate. Unfortunately, even with my vast influence and popularity, there is very little I can do.

However—

’I control a vast portion of the students—at least a quarter. If I can draw them into the conflict and use them to air out my frustrations, the Academy won’t be able to ignore me anymore.’ My thoughts echo sternly. ’This is one of the main reasons I wanted us to grow exponentially. The greater our number, the louder our voices!’

If these students before me really knew what was happening, perhaps they wouldn’t look at me with so much respect. After all, I am merely taking advantage of them for my selfish benefits.

But, this isn’t a hundred percent the case.

This is because I am not the only one being affected by the Academy’s prejudice.

"You deserve better treatment in your dormitories. The Royal Academy has sufficient resources, so why do they make you huddle up in such small spaces like a bunch of animals? Do you see how we are treated in class? Like our voices matter less than the others. When it comes to food, we don’t have access to the freshest and most healthy kind, and we are simply fed scraps—breadcrumbs! Compared to those of High Nobility, we are being treated as pigs!"

Naturally, I exaggerate the matter to rile the students up.

I also avoid placing a lot of emphasis on my results, making the situation more about them than anything else. Even though I am doing this for personal reasons, I need them to maintain the ’perfect leader’ image that they have of me.

In fact, I do not intend for the protest to focus on me and my desires at all.

The higher-ups of the Royal Academy aren’t fools. They are well aware that I lead this faction, which means they should be able to understand my intentions.

All they have to do is make the right adjustments, or, at the very least, show their sincerity in some form of meaningful way.

Only then will I stop this horde of students.

"Our peaceful protest begins tomorrow, in front of the Academy Faculty Building!" I scream out passionately, fists clenched as I shoot my arm high above my head.

"Make sure you’re there!!!"

*************

Just as I expected, not everyone showed up.

However, at the very least, we have a little over two hundred students who turn up for the protest. This isn’t a bad number by any means.

In the first year alone, over four hundred students exist. Multiplying that by five, that means there are a total of two thousand students in this Academy.

Of all these students, barely a tenth of them are in attendance.

Still, I smile in relief.

A tenth is enough to shake the Academy in some way. There is no way the school will be able to ignore so many students. As for the ones who couldn’t attend, I already anticipated the situation and also understand the reason why.

Many of these students are affiliated with the High Nobility and are unable to go against them.

Some are also frightened of the consequences of protest.

As I already explained to them, though, peaceful protests are allowed in the Academy. As long as students do not resort to violence and are a part of an organization recognized by the Academy, we are allowed to engage in this activity.

Thus, under the banner of the J-Tutorial Club, I have set the stage for such an event.

So long as nothing unexpected happens, we won’t be getting penalized.

But, no matter how many times I explain this, some weak-willed students wouldn’t dare risk it. They perhaps went through unspeakable things to finally get admission into this Academy and simply cannot afford to risk any form of consequence. Some of them have their entire family relying on them, which they cannot let down.

How can I not understand them? In fact, their responses can be considered the most sensible.

Even though there is prejudice in the Academy, it really isn’t as bad as I’m making it seem. It only affects certain students like me who operate outside the norm.

For example, I am a Scholarship Student, which means I stay in the Silver Wing. I attend courses from six Departments. I have sternly refused to join any Faction, even going as far as creating my own. Most importantly, I have grand ambitions: desiring to receive at least one of the 7 Seals of Excellence upon graduation.

By all of these standards, I am not a normal student.

Because I am trying to break out of the mold that exists to keep the status quo, I am experiencing far more suppression than most students. I have seen the many facets of prejudice that pervade this school, while most of the students are blissfully unaware of their existence.

As a result, it is actually better for most of these students not to take such a risk and simply carry on their mundane academic journey.

I already know a lot regarding their abilities anyway.

Even with sufficient nurturing, most of these students will leave this school as Third Rate or Second Rate Scholars. In fact, if some of them focus on their Academics, becoming a First Rate Scholar is also possible.

But many of these students are unable to do it.

They are merely young adults, bustling with so much energy and interests. They easily get distracted and are carried away by the other affairs of the Academy.

Many of them are unable to sacrifice their time and energy towards studying.

Due to this, they cannot become First Rate Scholars.

Only exceptional students like myself—due to sheer discipline and grit—break the mold and obtain the First Rate Scholar title.

Of course, the High Nobility are an exception in this matter.

As long as they do not slack off and simply do the bare minimum, depending on their family’s rank, they can easily obtain the First Rate Scholar title.

In essence, what I have to work very hard for—sacrificing five years of my life to achieve—is so easily given to someone, simply based on his status in society. I am not particularly angry at this, since this is how life simply is.

In fact, does this same logic not apply to things like talent?

I am talentless—unexceptional in every way—when it comes to physical combat.

Despite training my whole life, dedicating everything to fighting, I was never able to achieve anything substantial. However, for the talented people, such barriers that exist for me are practically nonexistent for them.

Does that mean there is thus no meaning in my hard work and training?

Not at all!

See, I firmly believe that—as long as it is what I want—I do not need to concern myself with the ease of others when it comes to deriving a result.

I simply need to focus on myself.

My journey.

My path in life.

’The problem is that my results are not appropriately reflecting the effort I put in. I know I deserve better, and they can fix this situation to give me a better score... so why aren’t they doing anything about it?!’

This is something I simply cannot allow.

That’s why we are protesting!

Plaques are raised by the students, and we let out loud voices, singing the anthem of the Randalorion Kingdom, while quoting famous philosophers and scholars in history in order to drive home our point.

Naturally, I lead this crowd and yell at the top of my voice to take a bold lead.

My presence naturally offers strength to the other student, and they vicariously feed off my confidence, bolstering their resolve as well.

If this protest ends well, without incident, we should have even more students tomorrow.

I am well aware of how much hinges on the success of this movement, so I make sure to try my hardest. I have spared no expense in ensuring this protest is a success.

This includes purchasing an Echo Voice Potion, whose effects enhance spoken words so they are louder and travel further. I’ll most likely have a sore throat after this, but for such an important cause... it is worth it.

"Wisdom is Nobility. That is the Motto of this prestigious Academy. Its ideal is The Mind Refined, the Spirit Restrained, and the Hand Ready to Serve. The founding fathers of the Royal Academy of Randalorion had a vision for this citadel of learning. It was meant to be a just place, a stable environment where students could learn virtue and discipline... to become better! Where we had the opportunity to grow and serve our Kingdom! But the current systems of the Academy are not making this possible!" I ensure to add a lot of flair to my words and rile the students up even more, causing their loud voices to shake the atmosphere quite a bit.

I know the staff are inside their respective offices, and I know they are listening to our voices.

A few of them even step out of their offices to watch us.

After all, they know we can’t do anything to attack them! In fact, there are many security officers on standby in case our protest turns violent.

Even though I am currently focused on making my speech, I still keep my eyes out for them.

Anything can happen.

I have to be prepared for the worst.

It’s also why I brought my Armament with me, in case I need to protect myself—or any of these innocent students—from the Academy’s counterattack.

Things will likely not get to that point, but I can never be too certain.

"This Academy’s Vision Statement is To Refine the Noble Mind, and Perfect the Soul of Civilization. Its Mission Statement is To cultivate intellect, discipline, and noble virtue through rigorous education, refined culture, and scholarly excellence — shaping future leaders worthy of the Randalorion Kingdom." I scream out with burning passion. "What part of that is reflected in the current system? We peacefully ask for a reform! We ask for change! We desire an overhaul of the old ways and for the Academy to stick to its founding principles and ideals!"

I raise my hand, and the other students show their solidarity by doing the same.

"United, we stand! United, we stand! United, we stand!"

Our chants only grow louder.

We don’t plan to stop until we get some kind of reaction from the Faculty Office.

Either a bunch of Senior Lecturers come to de-escalate the situation, or a Dean shows up to diffuse our protest.

If not, we have every intention to continue.

Once we are exhausted, we will retreat for the day and return tomorrow with an even bigger crowd of people. In essence, if there is an appropriate time for the authorities to step in, it would be now.

’It’s your turn now, Earl Klaus Gerondester...’ A crooked smile forms on my face as my gaze lands on the Department of Administration & Statecraft section of the Faculty Building.

’What’s your move going to be?’

"Halt!" The moment I conclude my speech, a rough and loud voice suddenly pierces the air, and a man in a fancy uniform and short purple hair charges in. "You have disrupted the peace of this Academy with your loud noises and threats of violence against the Academy Staff and the Noble Authorities that run this school."

This person, I recognize him quite well. In fact, who in our Academy doesn’t?

He is the Head of Security in the Academy, a well-known bootlicker of the High Nobility, and one of the major perpetrators of prejudice in the Academy. The very personification of corruption, and an embodiment of all that is wrong with this Academy.

High-Rank Knight... Brutus!

"For your crimes against the High Nobility and Royal Family, you are under arrest and are ordered to cease this unsanctioned uprising immediately." He raises his blade and points it at me with a cruel smile planted on his lips.

"Your revolution ends here, Javier Aditi!"