Chapter 44: Discussion

Damian and Brian sat in the cafeteria, both dressed in their suits.

Other students who were present couldn’t help but sneak glances toward them.

It was Sunday, and everyone was dressed casually without their uniforms. So two people in formal suits sitting in the cafeteria were bound to attract attention.

What’s more, one of them was a member of the Student Council.

Yes. Damian had already become a well-known figure inside Stormhold Academy thanks to the many controversies surrounding him.

"You’re quite the popular person inside the Academy, it seems." Brian said as he noticed the attention they were receiving.

"While that may be true, your suit has an SFD logo on it. You’re also drawing plenty of eyes." Damian sipped his coffee casually.

"I’m used to it." Brian shrugged. "By the way, you’re a commoner from what I remember. It must have been quite an unsettling experience for the Nobles here at Stormhold Academy, I assume.

From what I know, no commoner has entered the student council for the past few decades."

Damian frowned slightly. "This again... Don’t tell me even you guys have interests in such childish things. Are you a Noble as well?"

Brian took a sip of his coffee before replying. "I’m a commoner, but I didn’t study at Stormhold Academy. There are many emerging Academies with similar strength these days. Though, I suggest you don’t consider this social construct as childish.

Nepotism and power struggles between Nobles and commoners are very real. These struggles become even more filthy the moment you step out of the Academy."

"...And why is that the case?"

Damian looked genuinely confused. So far, he’d found no logical reason for there to even be a class division between the two groups.

"There are so many reasons that it’s almost impossible to list them all. I’ll just share my experience with you."

Brian leaned back in his chair, his expression growing more serious.

"You and I both belong to the northern part of the Federation, where there isn’t much issue related to these things. But every other region is basically filled to the brim with bias and bad blood between the two sides.

The thirteen Imperial Families hold the most power in the world, as you’ve probably already figured out. Below them are nearly a hundred Noble Families. Even below them are thousands of subordinate families loyal to the Nobles."

He paused to take another sip of his coffee, then loosened his tie slightly before continuing.

"The common population might not come across Nobles that often, but those who study in prestigious Academies and hold important positions later in life are in direct contact with them almost constantly.

In the Academies, the top rankers have the rights to acquire better skills and weapon arts. And Nobles inherit their strong talents with each generation through their bloodlines...

some even have innate skills from birth. They grow up in an environment where they’re taught principles and concepts about Aura and its uses, whereas commoners only learn all this

after

entering the Academies."

Brian’s expression darkened.

"So in essence, while the commoners are still figuring out how everything works, Nobles have already started improving their strength and gaining more skills and arts.

Some families even have weapon arts exclusive to themselves. The starting line is already unfair. Even the geniuses among the commoners rarely manage to rank high enough to gain access to better resources because of this."

Damian listened quietly, finally starting to understand what the so-called suppression by Nobles really meant.

"What Nobles think is that everyone was given the same starting line. But they’ve never lived a commoner’s life, so they don’t understand what’s basic knowledge and what’s precious.

The entire Academy experience makes commoners bitter about their situation. Even if someone is very strong, the Nobles find ways to suppress them somehow – either isolate them socially or make them their subordinates.

They offer benefits like skills that these students can’t acquire through their low rankings, making them feel grateful. But these are just kids entering the world – they don’t know that everything has a price tag attached to it."

Brian’s face grew even more bitter, as if he’d suffered the same fate in his younger years.

"Commoners take the free resources provided and feel gratitude toward their ’friends,’ but only later do they realize that they need

guidance

for these resources as well.

They become dependent on the one who provided them and slowly turn into subordinates. It doesn’t sound all that bad at first, but these guys are thrown into battlefields with the task of protecting their Masters. If the Nobles they serve are cruel, even their wives or sisters become playthings..."

A very sharp look unfolded on Damian’s face after hearing that, but he kept himself quiet and continued listening.

"...I won’t say much more. But I can tell you one thing... the laws and rules of the Federation are not fair to commoners. I joined this department hoping that I could make a change someday... But people like me are just turned into dogs."

Brian chuckled bitterly, his expression filled with helplessness.

"You were right the other day. Maybe your old friend, who had the same name as me, was also a dog like me."

Brian was speaking a lot today, letting out emotions he’d probably kept bottled up for years. Damian wondered if it was because he was exhausted, or... something else.

"There are crimes and things I’ve seen. I can’t say or do anything about them. But never – I mean it when I say this –

never

become a subordinate to a Noble. You don’t want to gamble on whether your master is good or not. I’ve seen my friends lose all their dignity, respect, and self-worth."

His hands tightened around the coffee cup.

"Commoners, except for us in the northern region, are

scared

of Nobles and the power they hold. Not just because they’re jealous, but because every commoner you come across has a sad story related to Nobles.

But although many Nobles are worse than humans, there are many good ones as well. For example, take the Murdock Family. People genuinely love them, and even their subordinate families are very much respected.

Almost all thirteen Imperial Families have maintained their public image very well. But there are bad eggs everywhere. We never know who might have disgusting filth underneath their saintly facade."

"...It can’t be

that

bad, right? Why haven’t people gone after them if that’s the case?" Damian asked, looking a bit skeptical.

"Government departments and the Federation were made to keep these families in check. They try to prevent major atrocities and maintain a delicate balance. But these families have spies

everywhere

. After all, power is the most important foundation for everything."

Brian paused, then his expression lightened slightly.

"But it’s not all that bad. There’s a place where these social constructs and filth have no place at all."

"...The military?" Damian said in a knowing tone.

"Yes, the military. Their main goal is the protection of all human beings from the Monsters beyond the portals. Even high-ranking Nobles and commoners live and die together for this common goal.

They serve as a strong deterrent to everyone who tries to cross the line. Your Professor Seraphina is one such example. She herself is a Noble, but it’s a well-known fact that she doesn’t like them.

The reason she joined the military in the first place was to sever her ties with her family. But Noble ties can’t be cut so easily..."

Both of them discussed for a long time, their coffee cups gradually becoming empty.

"...I see. Thank you for clearing up many of my doubts." Damian stood up, stretching his back. "Today was a very good session, Brian. You’re not as bad as I used to think. Give me your contact details. I might seek you out whenever I need another ’therapy’ session like this."

He chuckled lightly.

"..."

Only then did Brian remember that this was

supposed

to be a therapy session where he needed to figure out if there was something wrong with Damian’s mental state.

Somehow... it had turned into a session where

he

provided the kid with knowledge about the world.

’This kid...’

"Also..." Damian’s voice dropped slightly as he leaned forward. "Don’t stress too much about the incident last night. Maybe some kind person decided to help you out. From now on, you can relax a little."

Damian said this with a meaningful look in his crimson eyes, then turned and left the cafeteria under the curious gazes of the other students.

Brian remained seated in his chair for a long time, staring blankly at his coffee cup.

He’d already suspected that yesterday’s events might be linked to Damian somehow.

But he couldn’t understand how an E-rank awakener could take out so many C-ranked enemies.

He’d thought maybe Damian had taken help from his family. His father seemed even more powerful than him, after all.

But his colleagues had informed him that Damian’s family was still in the northern region.

And from the eyewitness accounts and blurred photos, it was clear that the one responsible was a

young man

.

Beep. Beep.

As he was thinking about all this, his phone buzzed on the table.