Victor was in his mid-thirties and had a height of about 183 cm (6'0"). He wore a spotless business suit, which made him look professional, though that impression was rather short-lived once his face came into view. His face had unshaved stubble, a round chin, and a slightly slanted nose.
His hair was black, and he had a unibrow. His eyes were light brown, though it was harder to see them since his eyelids were almost closed.
"Um, sir?"
Another student raised her hand.
"Go on, student Mei"
"So, sir, what I have to say is— I mean, I need to ask is— I mean, what I want to know is what—"
She fumbled. Real bad.
"Stop. Deep breath. Now continue."
"Yes, sir. What I want to ask is, what is the catch?"
"Do elaborate."
"My parents told me there is no such thing as a free lunch, sir."
"Your parents taught you well, then. Besides, about the question — you are right, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
But one of our founders believed that education should be free and given to everyone, and the other founder believed that every talent should be nurtured to its fullest potential.
While realistically impossible, we try. Hence the existence of elite academies.
So the academy really expects nothing from you but—"
He raised a finger.
"That does not mean there are no consequences to you staying here, the first and foremost being that not all of you will pass the yearly evaluation, and only less than 200 from each house will go on to attend the 4th year.
Now tell me, do you think anyone will hire the remaining failures who, despite being given all the opportunities without any cost, yet could not perform up to expectations?
The answer is no. No respectable organisation will hire the failures, so it would be in your best interest to give your all.
Any other questions?"
Ding~
"and that is my cue, you can ask any other questions you might have tommorow, also from tommorow, I will be taking your attendence. So do not be late."
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and Mr. Victor promptly left the classroom.
Rowayne's gaze drifted to the window. Out in the distance, the Tower of Maladie could be seen. Well, considering the size of that structure, it was practically a given that it would be visible from anywhere in the realm. The planet's curvature was not an issue because they were inside a domesticated gate, and according to Rowayne's limited knowledge on the subject, gates were weird. Some were huge, containing multiple planets, while others were small, and most importantly, flat. Rowayne had no idea how that worked, but it did.
As Rowayne was lost admiring the view, the students, meanwhile, were discussing things like—
"Hey, that was quite harsh of him, don't you think? He called us trash to our faces."
"Well, what can we do about it? He is our homeroom teacher now."
"I also think it's a bit harsh, but did you notice how mismatched his body language and tone were? That gave me goosebumps."
"It is kind of creepy, how serious and strict he sounded despite looking so sleep-deprived."
"Exactly, I didn't know anyone could look so in need of sleep, yet speak so clearly simultaneously."
"How many days do you think he hasn't slept to look like that?"
"I'll bet 2 credits that it's more than a week."
"We're betting credits? Count me in. How will we prove it, though?"
"I was joking. I like my credits, and it's the first day. I'd rather not be broke from the start."
"So you're confident you'll be broke?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Fuck you."
"Fuck you too."
By the clamorous clatter resounding around the classroom, it was safe to assume almost everyone had found their group, or formed one.
Aside from a few special cases who either preferred to be left alone, forecasted a gloomy aura, or were collectively avoided by others.
"Hey, do you think everything the teacher told us was true?"
Ariel asked, looking at Rowayne.
Rowayne looked around, trying to find who she was talking to.
"Are you asking me?"
"Yes, who else would I be asking?"
"Ah, right. He probably did tell us the truth, along with problems he didn't mention."
"Other problems?"
'Is everyone this sheltered? People are supposed to have basic information unless they are a social shut-in, and she does not look like one. She is too beautiful to be one,' were Rowayne's thoughts.
"Other problems like-"