The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: The Academy Feels Different Today

Ares was standing on the academy rooftop with Rhal, enjoying the quiet morning while looking over the academy grounds below.

"Hmm? Isn’t that the princess of the Kingdom of Valerian?" Rhal suddenly asked.

"Hmm?"

Ares followed his gaze and saw a group of third-year students walking across the courtyard, with a young woman at the center of them. She had long white hair tied into an elegant ponytail, and even from a distance, her appearance made her stand out among the other students.

"She’s a third-year, right?"

"Yeah, she’s the fifth princess of Valerian," Rhal replied. "She’s also one of the academy’s honor students. She’s not only good at swordsmanship, but she’s talented in magic as well. People call her a genius."

"Yeah, I’m jealous."

Rhal turned toward him with a strange look.

"Is that supposed to be the face of someone who’s jealous? You’re not even looking at her."

"Is that so."

"Seriously, you’re strange sometimes."

Rhal sighed before looking back toward the courtyard.

"Anyway, did you hear about what happened last night?"

"What happened?"

"Apparently, the knights captured someone who was trying to blow up a restaurant in the eastern district. Luckily, they noticed him before he could do anything and managed to stop him."

"People really are troublesome."

"Right? You’d think they’d have better things to do."

"Let them be. As long as they don’t cause trouble for us, there’s no reason to get involved."

Rhal nodded, then suddenly remembered something else.

"Oh, by the way, I heard from our classmates that the tournament has been cancelled."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Apparently, the dean was almost killed by an assassin a few days ago, and he’s currently being treated by the royal healers. I heard he was poisoned, so it’ll probably take some time before he recovers."

Ares glanced at him.

"Wait, are you a spy or something? How do you know all of this?"

"What?"

"I mean, you know almost everything that happens around here."

Rhal looked at him as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Seriously, if you actually listened to our classmates, you’d know all of this too. You’re the one who barely talks to anyone except me."

He folded his arms with a proud smile.

"I’m good at getting along with people, unlike someone."

Ares gave him a blank look.

"Are you bragging?"

"Of course I am."

Ares sighed and looked back toward the academy grounds.

"Whatever."

Back in the classroom, the students had already returned to their seats when the instructor entered, carrying several books and a stack of documents.

He placed them on the desk before turning toward the class.

"Now that everyone is here, let’s continue today’s lesson."

The students quieted down.

"Since you’re first-year students, we’re going to begin with something every person living in a kingdom should understand—the relationship between the kingdom, its laws, and the people who enforce them."

He turned toward the board and began writing.

"The Kingdom is governed by the royal family, but the royal family does not directly manage every town, city, and territory. Much of the land is administered by nobles who are given authority over their respective territories."

He continued explaining the basic structure of the kingdom, starting with the royal family before moving down to dukes, marquises, counts, and other nobles.

"Of course, having authority also comes with responsibility. A noble who governs a territory is expected to maintain order, collect taxes, protect the people, and manage the resources under their control."

A few students began taking notes.

"However, nobles are not the only ones responsible for maintaining order. That’s where the kingdom’s knights and other law enforcement organizations come in."

The instructor moved to another section of the board.

"Knights are responsible for protecting the kingdom, dealing with dangerous criminals, responding to threats, and maintaining order within their assigned territories. Depending on the region, they may also work alongside local guards or other organizations."

He paused before continuing.

"Now, what happens when someone breaks the law?"

One of the students raised a hand.

"They’re arrested?"

"Correct, but that depends on the crime."

The instructor nodded.

"Minor crimes such as theft, causing disturbances, or damaging property are generally handled by local authorities. More serious crimes, however, may require the involvement of the knights."

He began listing several examples.

"Smuggling, large-scale bandit activity, illegal possession of dangerous magical items, kidnapping, and attacks against nobles or government officials are considered much more serious."

The classroom became slightly quieter.

"And then there are crimes that threaten far more than a single individual."

He wrote several words on the board.

Assassination. Terrorism. Organized Crime. Illegal Magical Experiments.

"These crimes are treated extremely seriously because they can affect entire communities, cities, or even the stability of a kingdom."

Ares quietly listened from his seat.

The instructor continued.

"For example, an assassination attempt against an ordinary citizen is already a serious crime. But an attempt against a noble, knight commander, government official, or member of the royal family can have consequences far beyond the death of one person."

One student raised his hand.

"Wouldn’t that also create political problems?"

The instructor smiled slightly.

"Exactly."

He turned back toward the class.

"That is where law and politics sometimes overlap. If a noble is attacked, the kingdom must determine who is responsible, why the attack happened, and whether the incident is connected to a larger conflict."

He picked up one of the documents from his desk.

"However, you should not assume that every crime has a political motive. Most criminals simply want money, power, revenge, or some other personal benefit."

A few students nodded.

"Still, those of you who intend to become knights, officials, adventurers, or members of noble families should understand these matters. You may encounter situations where knowing the law is just as important as knowing how to use a sword."

Ares rested his chin against his hand.

The instructor continued explaining the basic responsibilities of nobles, knights, guards, and government officials, occasionally giving examples of past incidents.

For a first-year class, it was only an introduction.

But it was enough to teach them one important lesson.

Living in a kingdom meant understanding more than simply knowing how to fight.

After a while, the lesson was finally coming to an end.

The instructor closed the book in his hands and looked across the classroom.

"That will be all for today’s lesson."

Several students immediately relaxed, while others began putting their books away.

"Before you leave, however, there’s one more thing I want all of you to remember."

The classroom became quiet again.

"As you may have already heard, the number of criminal incidents in the city has been increasing recently. Because of that, the academy has increased security around the campus and especially around the student dormitories."

He looked at the students seriously.

"So don’t wander around alone, particularly after sunset. If you need to leave the academy grounds, make sure you have a proper reason and avoid going somewhere unnecessarily dangerous."

A student raised his hand.

"Sir, is the academy really in danger?"

"We have no reason to believe that the academy itself is being targeted," the instructor replied. "But with the recent incidents, it’s better to be cautious than careless."

He gathered the remaining documents from his desk.

"The dormitories are being guarded more heavily than usual, and the academy knights will be patrolling the grounds throughout the night. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately instead of trying to deal with it yourselves."

He paused for a moment before adding,

"You’re students, not knights. Don’t try to become heroes because you saw something suspicious."

A few students laughed quietly.

"Good. Now, you may go."

The classroom immediately became lively as the students began gathering their belongings and talking among themselves.

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