After that quick conversation, Alexandra told me a few more details about my class, from its name to its location.
To start off, it wasn’t in the main building of the Royal Academy. Weird, right? Well, I’m not the one deciding. So, it’s whatever. She also told me that the name of my class was the Apex Class. Once again, what a shitty name. I’m not sure who was choosing these names, but he should consider changing jobs.
Either way, it was now 8 AM, and classes were starting in one hour. The first thing on the agenda was the test to determine the strongest from the weakest. It would also serve as an opportunity for me to look at their strengths and weaknesses.
Oh, and about the folder that the director had given me on my students, I decided not to read it. I didn’t want to get influenced by what was written in it. And also because isn’t it a lot more fun to discover what your students are like at the same time as they discover you?
I was currently walking toward the dorms and classroom of the Apex building, where all my students were staying except for the richest ones who lived off-campus. I had a big bag on my shoulder in which the Cyclops was still inside. However, the Cyclops had given up on moving—my fists probably hurt him a little too much. I entered the class and dropped the bag right beside my desk, and left it there.
“Don’t you dare move.” I threatened while staring at the bag. “If you do, I’ll find you and keep you in there forever.”
It was time to get prepared for my grand entrance. Having a good first impression with your students is also extremely important. This time, I wasn’t going to wear my tuxedo, but a tight black shirt with a pair of black pants with two red straps on them that I put around my shoulders. I also decided to put on some black gloves. I gave myself a good look in the mirror and smiled.
-Swoosh!-
The door to the bathroom opened, and I didn’t want to be seen by students, so I hid in the first toilet I saw and closed the door.
“Did you hear that a new professor was taking over our class?” one of the students said.
The other scoffed. “I heard he was only 22 years old. I don’t know what the Academy was thinking when they employed him.”
“Didn’t you hear the rumors about him?”
“Rumors?”
“Yeah, about him losing to professor Derek in less than one second. I even asked some of the professors about it, and they said it was true.”
“Hmpf, not surprised. He probably thought he was some sort of big shot now that he was back from the war. I saw that his name was Caedrel Stuart, and when I searched for him, it only said that he was a normal soldier, nothing more, nothing less. Oh, well, he received some sort of medal of honor, like some kind of participation medal, but that’s it. They should have asked him to teach another class. The Apex Class is only for the Elites after all.”
I gritted my teeth at one thing they said. I couldn’t care about them not finding much about me since it was true there wasn’t much. But it was the previous thing they said about me losing to Derek, that fucking douche. So, those were the rumors that he had been spreading around. I guess the other professors also agreed to spread it.
Lying, huh? I expected better from him.
-Swoosh!-
The door was once again opened, and their voices were getting further away.
I had to admit, they pumped me up a little. If they thought I didn’t deserve to teach their class, then I’d prove them wrong. I took one last look in front of the bathroom mirror and headed out. It seemed I was about to be a little late for my class.
A smile appeared on my lips. What a great way to make a great first impression!
I headed for the class, and I could already hear murmurs about me being late. The usual. I opened the door, and all twenty-one pairs of eyes were locked on me, observing my every movement.
I didn’t glance at them, keeping a straight face as I walked forward toward the desk. I grabbed a short stick and turned to face them. Surprisingly, one of the students already had their hand raised, and she seemed extremely eager for me to answer her question.
“Yes,” I said, looking at the young girl with purple hair and purple eyes.
“What’s in that bag?”
“Ah…that.” I glanced at it before turning to her again. “It’s for your entrance test.”
“I-I see.” She nodded a few times before getting back in her seat. Maybe my voice had been a bit too cold when I uttered those words, but the two imbeciles in the bathroom had angered me just a little.
A few other murmurs were heard throughout the class as I stood there not saying anything. I coughed two times and gathered their attention once more.
“I guess I’ll present myself, even if I’m sure that most of you did your research on your fabulous professor.” I flashed them a smile.
One red-haired boy commented right as I said that. “If you’re fabulous, then what am I? God?”
Unfortunately for him, I recognized that voice. He was one of the two boys from earlier. He had bright red hair, red eyes, and a smug look on his face as he looked at me. There was not an ounce of respect in them. Still, I didn’t comment on it.
“Good one…uh, your name?”
“Jackson. Jackson Evergreen.”
I just nodded and continued presenting myself.
“My name is Caedrel Stuart, and I will be your professor for this semester. Uh, some facts about me: I fought in the war against the demons for seven years—yeah, just around that—and I was offered this position right after the war was over.”
“Who’d you beg to get here?”
My smile crooked when I heard that voice again. It seemed I had my first troublemaker, Jackson.
