The m had gone by quickly, leaving Krion with little time to think, let alone pn. He had hoped to return to Banor, if only briefly before css, in order to gather his thoughts and properly prepare for the day ahead. While equal parts worried and angry over what Hector and the other ss had attempted to do, he khat right now was not the time to sh out at his enemies. No, he would have to be deliberate and properly prepared, which would require figuring out exactly who had acted against him yesterday. Beyoor, there had been several other ss and their bodyguards, but only a wiry human woman and a burly human man who wielded aood out in his memory. There had been at least two or three more, and he wao kly who they were before he began pnning his moves. He was going to need some help trag down this information, but unfortunately, he could trust very few people. Perhaps Valdre and Redrek would be willing to help?

  Krion gnced over at Hatsune, who kept pace beside him with an air of quiet determination. The night in the Academy Infirmary had been good for her, though he couldn’t help but feel renewed guilt as he studied her. Hatsune had been through a lot in a very short time — dragged into his problems, forced to face dangers no bodyguard should have to endure so early into their time at the Academy. Yet, seeing her now, calmer and more collected, filled him with relief. He had been worried that yesterday would have a rger impa her than it appeared it did.

  “Feelier this m?” Krion asked, breaking the silence as they tinued in the dire of the building where his Etiquette and Courtly Manners css was going to be held.

  Hatsune g him, her expression softening. “I am. The healers at the Infirmary were excellent, and the quiet was… wele.”

  “Yeah, the quiet,” Krion said, a wry smile crossing his face as he looked around. “Not much of that in the Academy.”

  The campus bustled with activity around them, the wide cobblestohways crowded with ss, their bodyguards, and even some attendants were hurrying to their owinations. Krion he fshes of house crests embroidered on school uniforms, but he pushed down the instinctive tension that he felt upon seeing them. He didn’t reize any of the ss around him, and he had to have some faith that his enemies would tio pursue less overt attacks against him. Otherwise, they would have rushed him st night.

  No, today he was going to set aside ho or which alliances might be f in the whispered versations around him. He could sort that out ter, after css. Assuming Valdre and Redrek wao meet.

  Krion stepped to the side, dodging a collision with a group of rushing nobles.

  “Watch your step!” one human s s Krion, as he rushed past. The man’s silver-haired bodyguard shot a gre at Krion but said nothing. Krion repressed a retort, not wanting to ruin the good mood that he had begun to feel since leaving the Infirmary with Hatsune. With her close beside him, he gradually made his way off to the side of the street they were on, making way for those rushing down the middle. He wao avoid drawing as munecessary attention today as he could.

  “No,” Hatsune said, leaning in close, a smile on her face. “Not much quiet at all.”

  Soon he was able to find a side street that had far less people around. No longer so ed with dodging rushing ss, his thoughts wao what little he knew about Etiquette and Courtly Manners. What he uood about it — what he could cim to know with fidence — could fill the size of a thimble at best.

  From what he had gathered, the css was almost a guide to the intricate webs of iions with nobility. Givehing he experienced so far, and how it appeared the likelihood of violeween ss was high, he expected it was going to be a bit more than simply learning how to bow properly or knowing which utensil to use at a ba. Perhaps if he thought about training in behavior as a on? That did help a bit actually. If he approached the css as if he was being taught how to wield words, gnces, aures with as much precision as the greatsword he had been learning how to use it would help to make the process of learning these things more bearable.

  Even if it didn’t, he had no real choice about attending the course. As much as he was not looking forward to it, he reized that his high position within the ranks of the ss here at the Academy meant that he o uand the subtleties of navigating high society, where a slight misstep in speech or posture could be interpreted as an insult or a challeherwise, his ces of surviving the Imperial Academy to save his family and friends ba Earth would be effectively zero.

  Hopefully, it wouldn’t take him to long to get a handle on at least the basics.

  By the time they reached the Lecture Hall that held the first-year csses for Etiquette and Courtly Manners, there were no other ss in sight outside. Even though he knew he was already te to css, Krion paused before the side entrance of the building, turning to Hatsune.

  “While I’m busy in css, see if you find Garren or Kael,” he said. “I don’t know yet if Valdre or Redrek are in this css with me, so on the ce they are not, I want you to approach either of their bodyguards to see if they would be open to a meeting ter.”

  Hatsuilted her head, her long ears shifting about as she kept her guard up. “You sure about this? What if they’re not ied?”

  “You have my permission to drop some hints about st night if necessary. They should uand the importaneeting with that,” Krion replied. He hesitated a moment before adding, “And stay cautious. I’m assuming we are in the clear so long as we are in public pces on campus or in css, but I don’t know yet how far the other ss will go after what happened in the Dungeon.”

  Hatsune nodded. “Got it. I’ll do my best to have good news for you after css.”

  As soon as Krion opehe side door aered, Hatsune right beside him, her eyes darting around, looking for potential threats. When it was clear the hallway on the way to his css was empty, she turned a for the other side of the building, her footsteps quickly fading aerhaps she already had an idea for where to find his friends’ bodyguards.

  Moments ter he was outside room 113, where the css was being held. Krioated by the door, his fingers brushing the brass of the handle. He could already hear the Professor speaking ihough it was muffled. While he hated beihe only other option to risking the ire of the Professor was to skip css entirely. With it being the first session, there was no way he was going to do that. Steeling himself, he pushed the door open.

  The sight that greeted him made him pause just as he ehe . Desigo resemble a luxurious tea parlor more than a pce of learning, ornate furniture filled the room — high-backed chairs upholstered i, intricately carved tables, and softly glowing deliers that cast a warm, golden light from where they hung along the vaulted ceiling. The table he door afforded him a view of delicate por teacups on saucers for ead every pce setting, and the faint aroma of jasmine and bergamot hung in the air. Nearly every table was filled with ss.

  All eyes turoward Krion as he stepped ihe door clig shut behind him. Some wore expressions of mild curiosity, while others shifted to ht annoyance. A few had expressions of ht shock, as if they hadn’t expected Krion to show up to css at all today. Or perhaps ever. Chadwick he expected, but when he reized one among those as the wiry human woman from the previous night, he did his best to memorize the faces and crests on the uniforms of those ss scattered around the room. He suspected they were among those who had ambushed him yesterday.

  “And who might this teer be?”

  Turning, Krion saw a thin man with graying hair bed ly back standing at the head of the room. His impeccably tailored suit gave him the air of a butler who had long served a noble house. His eyes, however, betrayed no warmth. That made sense, given that Krion had just interrupted his opening remarks in a css based on learning proper etiquette.

  Krion straightened, his jaw still tight from having seen some of those who had attempted to assassinate him at the Dungeon. He firmly pushed his anger aside. Now was not the time. “Krion Bcksword, sir. My apologies for being te.”

  The professor raised an eyebrow, uo trol the er of his mouth twitg in displeasure. “Apologies, ihe S of House Bcksword sees fit to arrive te to his very first session iiquette and Courtly Manners. A poor start, to say the least. Do you think punctuality is optional, young man?”

  “No, sir,” Krion replied, keeping his voice steady despite the feeling of heat rising to his face.

  “Then perhaps you should demonstrate that belief by arriving on time iure,” the professor snapped. “Now, take your seat. Quietly.”

  Krion ined his head slightly and moved toward ay table he back. As he walked, he felt the weight of the other ss’ gazes. Halfway to his seat, he reized Hector sitting at a table with Chadwick. The s he thought might have bee his third friend among the nobility on campus wore a shocked expression that quickly turned into one filled with chagrin as they made eye tact. Krion’s eyes shifted to the left, where Chadwick gred at him with urained fury. Chadwick’s hands gripped the edges of his table, his knuckles white. His eyes burned with a hatred so intehat Krion could almost feel it as he made his way to his seat. It was hard, but Krion directed a faint smirk at his enemy, knowing that it would only make him ahe sound of the wood of the table creaking under his grip firmed his guess, and Krio a tiny bit better at the fact he couldn’t act against the other s yet. If Chadwick wanted him dead, he’d have to try harder.

  As Krion slid into his chair, he heard several mog remarks, just loud enough for him to pick up without the professor overhearing.

  “Late to css,” someotered to his left. “I thought those of the Archducal Houses were supposed to be the pinnacle of the nobility?”

  “Perhaps punctuality and de don’t matter to a House in danger of colpse,” whispered another in response.

  “He probably spent all m dragging himself out of whatever hole he crawled into after st night,” a voice muttered from the right side of the room.

  Krion tuned out the rest of the muttering, his face schooled into impassivity, though his hands ched into fists beh the table. He wao defend himself, to tell the entire css that he had been te because several ss in the room had tried to make sure he never got a ce to attend in the first pce. But he had no idea what the rea to those accusations might be. In a perfect world, there would be a quivestigation, and once proof was found, his attackers would be punished or expelled. He wasn’t that hough. Even ba Earth, he had heard of trials where members of the various gangs in Volksturm had gotten off despite being guilty. Add in the fact that his fellow students here were actual nobility, and he had suspis that, if he wanted justice, he would have to figure out a way to hahings himself. He already had a few ideas, but hopefully, Valdre and Redrek would be willing to help.

  The professor’s voice cut through the rising whispers like a bde. Apparently, he had heard everything but had been hoping for the css to quiet down before tinuing. “Enough. I will not allow this css to dissolve into idle specution and gossip.”

  The room fell silent, and Krion exhaled slowly, grateful for the reprieve and hopeful that the ing lesson would end the attention he was receiving.

  “I am Professor Aldren Vale,” the man announced. “This course, as you should already know, will prepare you for the realities of noble society. Proper behavior, social graces, and diplomatic protocol are not optional for you. They are ies, and I expect every s here to treat this instru with the seriousness it demands.”

  Professor Vale’s gaze swept over the room, lingering briefly on each student. “Failure to adhere to my standards will reflect poorly not only on yourselves but on your Houses as well. Keep that in mind.” He turned back to the board behind him, still speaking to the css as he began writing things down. “As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, this course will focus on the fual skills of noble de: proper introdus, versational dynamics, seating arras, and, most importantly, reading the unspoken nuances of courtly iions in and beyond our Empire.”

  He began to pass the room, his hands csped behind his back, looking out over the ss of his css. “Etiquette and courtly manners are not just about politeness or tradition. They are about power. They are about navigating the byrinth of noble society with grad poise, ensuring you do not insult an ally or provoke a rival uionally. You are ss of noble houses, the future leaders and representatives of this region of the Empire. If you ’t master these skills, you will not only jeopardize yourselves but also the standing of your house.”

  A hand shot up from a studehe ter of the room. It beloo a nky young man with sharp features in the uniform of a visty and a faint smirk that suggested he wasn’t taking rofessor Vale was saying too seriously.

  “Yes, S Tarlis?” Professor Vale said, his tone making it clear he had already anticipated someone asking a question at this point.

  “Why?” Tarlis asked, his smirk widening. “Why should we waste time on this… pomp and ceremony? Our Empire, and every other political entity I have been tutored on, are tered around the reality that the strong will rule. So wouldn’t it be easier just to assert dominance? If I’m strohan someone, why should I bother with all this nonsense?”

  A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the css, though Krion noticed the sounds were ing from those eared to be from higher-ranking Houses. Many others, especially those from families of knights had disapproving looks on their faces. Krion leaned ba his chair, curious to hear how the Professor would hand the question.

  For his part, Professor Vale did not seem offended. Instead, he walked back to the board at the front of the room and picked up a piece of chalk. “Though I would have stated it differently, you still ask an important question,” he said smoothly. “Let me expin with a diagram.”

  The professan to draw five tric circles, eae smaller tha, until the ter held a single solid dot. He beled the circles as he went, speaking as he wrote.

  “The circles represent the yers of nobility within the Empire, as well as those with whom you may well i outside of it. There are various more formal names for each, but for the sake of brevity, as this is a course for first-years, I will give the more on term associated with each. From the outermost circle to the ter, they are: Fn Nobility, Affiliated Nobility, Ied Nobility, Imperial Nobility, and the Core Imperial Family.”

  Professor Vale turned back to the css, tapping the chalk against the outermost circle. “Fn Nobility. These are the various types of rulers of the political entities outside of the Empire’s borders. Their titles and ay differ greatly from our own. Diplomacy with them often involves navigating unfamiliar protocols, and a misstep could easily lead to war or the loss of a potential ally.”

  Moving to the circle, he said, “Affiliated Nobility. These are nobles whose territories are in the process of iion into the Empire. Their loyalty is often tenuous, their s a blend of their old ways and the Empire’s own. Their positions are delicate; treating them as equals of the appropriate noble rank ence unity with the Empire, but overreach, and they may resist iion that doesn’t e at the edge of a sword.”

  He tapped the third circle. “Ied Nobility. This is where each of you fall. These are the noble Houses that have been fully incorporated into the Empire’s hierarchy.” Professor Vale shot a stern g Tarlis, who wilted uhe look. “You may think you’re he top of the Empire, but you are merely one part of a much rger Imperial system. Uanding your pce is critical to your servid your survival. So pay close attention to what I am about to say.”

  His finger moved to the fourth and final circle, signifitly smaller than the ones he had already talked about. “Inner Nobility. These are the subordinate Houses and individuals who are desded from one of the seven Imperial Princes in the direct line of succession. Their influence is vast, their power overwhelming, and their expectatioing. An insult to any one of them have sequences far beyond what you might imagine.” He looked back over the room of ss, his expression grim. “Invariably such will involve your death or exile.”

  Professor Vale turned back to the board, his finger moving to the tral dot. “Finally, there is the Imperial House itself. This is the Emperor and his immediate family, most importantly the Seven Imperial Princes. Here, etiquette is not just a skill — it is all that you rely upon to ensure your survival. Even a perceived slight against any member of the Imperial House will lead to the ruin of your House, root, and branch. Their favor, oher hand, elevate you beyond your wildest dreams.” He idly flicked some chalk dust off his finger. “Thankfully for you all, the ces of ing across a member of the Imperial House this far out from the core of the Empire is basically zero.”

  The professor turned back to face the css. “Now, to address your question, s Tarlis: why bother with etiquette? Because power is not just physiagical. It is social. It is political. The stro sword arm will fail you if you ot wield influence. A single careless word undo geions of effort by the aors of your House. Uanding the rules of e in noble society is how to ensure your strength is not wasted, but instead properly applied.”

  The ss of the room were focused on the professor’s words, save for a few that were rushing to take notes. Krion could feel the weight of the lecture settling over the css. Even those who had been smirking or whispering earlier seemed far more attentive now.

  Professor Vale paused for a mio let those taking notes plete what they were writing down. When the scratg of aking died off, he tinued speaking. “In this course, you will learn to navigate each of these circles with precision. You will learo bow, when to speak, and when to remain silent. You will lear of making friends without revealing too mud the skill of undermining your rivals without overt hostility.”

  The professor’s words struck a chord with Krion. He gred at the back of Chadwick’s head. He and his supporters were not just rivals — they were predators, cirg, waiting for the opportunity to strike. He o be smarter, more ing. He o master ead every skill he could, not just to survive, but to turables on those who sought to destroy him. If they wanted a fight, he would give them one — but on his terms, not theirs.

  Sorry for the very te chapter everyone, some things happe work yesterday that led to me missing the post time. Chapters will resume with the regur schedule on Monday.

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