Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Rebel in Class
It had been a week since Kaden arrived at the Rose Faction Academy. The campus buzzed with activity, students constantly bustling between classes, training sessions, and other faction duties. Yet, for Kaden, the days felt slow, like a blur of monotony punctuated only by the occasional interesting moment, like the martial art class.
Now, he sat at the back of the class, his chin resting lazily on his hand as he stared out the window. The sun filtered through the glass, casting a golden hue over the neatly arranged desks and rows of students diligently taking notes. Kaden's thoughts were elsewhere-- the mystery surrounding his abilities and how to increase his stats.
At the front of the class, Mr. Duke, the scrawny, balding teacher, droned on about equations and problem-solving methods with exaggerated fervor. His high-pitched voice grated on Kaden's ears, but the other students seemed riveted, nodding along and scribbling notes.
"Kaden!" Mr. Duke's sharp voice sliced through the air, causing Kaden to blink and turn his gaze from the window.
The class went silent, all eyes now on him.
"Yes?" Kaden replied, his tone flat, as if the interruption had done nothing to stir his indifference.
"Since you seem to find the view outside more stimulating than my lesson, why don't you answer this question?" Mr. Duke said, smirking as he pointed to the board, where a tangled equation sprawled across the surface.
Kaden glanced at it for a brief second before leaning back in his chair. "I don't know," he said bluntly, his voice carrying the weight of disinterest.
A few students stifled chuckles, but Mr. Duke's face turned crimson. "You don't know? You don't know? Of course, you don't. How could someone from the outskirts possibly grasp the value of education?"
Kaden's jaw clenched slightly as Mr. Duke turned to the class, using him as a spectacle.
"This, dear students, is why valour and education are so important," Mr. Duke began, his tone swelling with self-righteousness. "Without education, you're nothing. You have no future. Those from the outskirts—" he cast a condescending look at Kaden, "—they grow up without discipline, without the will to learn. And look where it gets them: scavenging, stealing, and barely scraping by. If you want to rise above such filth, you must apply yourselves!"
The students murmured in agreement, their privileged upbringings aligning with the teacher's sentiment. A few smirked in Kaden's direction, clearly enjoying the show.
Kaden sat silently for a moment, his face calm but his eyes sharp. Then, he spoke, his voice steady but laced with disdain. "We live in a world where a portal can open at any time, in any place, and beasts can come pouring out. Forgive me if I don't see how helping Y find his X is going to save anyone when that happens."
The room fell silent. A few students shifted uncomfortably in their seats, unsure how to respond. Mr. Duke, however, looked furious, his face growing redder by the second.
"Out!" he bellowed, pointing dramatically at the door. "Get out of my class, you insolent brat!"
Kaden didn't need to be told twice. He rose from his seat with an air of nonchalance, his movements slow and deliberate as he grabbed his belongings. Before leaving, he cast a quick glance at the teacher and the class, then walked out without another word.
As he stepped into the quiet corridor, a small smile played on his lips. "That's a new record," he muttered to himself. "Ten minutes in and I'm already kicked out. At this rate, I'll be banned from attending altogether."
It wasn't rebellion for the sake of it that led Kaden to this point. No, it was Mr. Duke himself. A man who preached endlessly about valour and discipline but lacked both in spades. The teacher boasted of his accomplishments—most of which were likely exaggerated or outright fabricated—and treated the poor, especially those from the outskirts, with nothing but contempt.
And worst of all, Kaden thought with a grimace, "the way he keeps ogling the female students." The man was a hypocrite through and through, and Kaden couldn't stomach his presence.
Shaking his head, Kaden decided he wouldn't waste his energy dwelling on Mr. Duke any longer. He had more important things to do.
He made his way to the academy's library, a sprawling space filled with shelves of books and scrolls, some dating back centuries. The quiet hum of the place was a welcome change from the chaos of the classroom.
Kaden entered through the big see true glass door and stepped into the library. It was massive, stretching high into the rafters and wide enough to make him feel like he'd entered a different world. The walls were adorned with grand paintings of past Rose Faction heroes—legendary figures who had fought in wars, closed portals, and defeated beasts that threatened humanity. Each painting seemed to have life within it, the vibrant colors and intricate details catching the light in a way that almost made the figures look like they were watching him.
The main floor of the library buzzed with activity. Students sat at sleek, polished tables, working diligently on assignments or discussing topics in hushed tones. Rows of computers lined one side of the room, their screens glowing with streams of data, diagrams, and holographic projections. Beside each computer sat AI assistants, humanoid figures with smooth, featureless faces that spoke in calm, professional tones, helping students locate books or access information in seconds. The AI had turned research into a matter of typing in a query and letting the machines do the heavy lifting.
But Kaden had no intention of using the computers. With a faint scoff, he walked past them, heading toward the grand staircase that spiraled upward to the higher levels of the library.
He took the steps two at a time, climbing higher and higher until he reached the top floor. Up here, the atmosphere was completely different. The hum of activity below was replaced by a heavy silence. Dust particles floated lazily in the streams of light filtering through the tall, arched windows. The air smelled faintly of aged paper and leather bindings. This was where the library's manual books were kept—old tomes, scrolls, and texts that predated the AI revolution.
There were no students here. Why would there be? Everything they needed was a few clicks away downstairs. The manual books were relics of a bygone era, untouched by most who considered them irrelevant.
Kaden didn't mind. He liked the quiet. But more importantly, he didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't that he didn't want to use the computers or AI—he wasn't trying to be stubborn. The truth was that he found the damned things too tricky to operate.
What did it even mean to "open a window" on a computer when the device clearly didn't have any windows? And "clicking" on something? Why would he need to click on a screen when his finger could just point to it? The entire interface felt like it had been designed to confuse people like him—people who hadn't grown up surrounded by the latest tech.
So, Kaden stuck to what he knew. Up here, with the manual books, he could take his time, flip through pages, and find what he needed without worrying about "minimizing tabs" or "searching databases." It was old-fashioned, but it worked for him.
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