13 Arena Eleven: The Right To Rule I

[Humanity believes in kraterocracy.]

[Change it, mould it however you wish. Diplomacy is just the rule of the strongest faction.]

[Victors write the history. Even genocide can be written off as a means for the greater good.]

[Heroes are only mass murderers. They may be saviours to some, but villains to others. The opposite is also true.]

[In the end, one must fight for the right. The right to rule.]

...

Grey soon led me to a two-storey building... or a mansion on the side of the campus. It was quite a distance from the central building, unlike the other facilities that were there.

The building itself looked fascinating and luxurious, but the steel gate and fence around it and the cameras glaring at the building from nearby trees concerned me.

"This is where you'll be staying."

"Erm... Can I ask why this building is built and established differently?"

"Well... This dormitory here was built to keep an eye on the problem children like you. Children whose existence were concerning to the empire, but couldn't be disposed of easily."

"So... This is a place for freaks and outcasts then?"

I asked, frowning.

"I get why you are thinking about it like that, and I can't exactly deny your words... but the residents here get a lot of freedom, unlike the other dorms. You guys will also get supports for researching and other things... Well, those who live here are geniuses, after all."

"... Hm... I see."

Grey then pushed the steel gate open, and stepped inside the boundary of the building.

I followed him, and almost immediately, stopped.

I felt scared. I felt like I was about to die. My instinct told me to run away, to get away from whatever was in front of me.

Trembling, I slowly looked at the being in front of me.

A boy, maybe a year or two older than me, was standing with a hand on the hilt of the sword hanging from his waist.

His hair was deep red, and his eyes were shimmering gold. His thin, handsome face and narrow eyes made him look extremely cold and calculative, while his lean body reminded me of a fencer.

"So is this the boy?"

"Ah, Raymond. Yes, he's the boy."

"Is he one of our men?"

"No, he's no one of your men."

Grey chuckled and shook his head.

Who's men? I was confused, but didn't dare to open my mouth.

"You're scaring him, Raymond."

"Oh, my apologies."

The boy apologized and put on a mask, hiding his face. The white mask fitted him extremely well.

At the same time, the oppressive aura disappeared completely.

"Even so, I'm surprised. You didn't faint or scream. Good job. I have high expectations for you."

"T-thank you."

I managed to speak up, and bowed my head slightly.

"Oh, by the way, I'm this dormitory's supervisor, Raymond Winchester. Nice to meet you."

Winchester? Wasn't that Phillips's last name?

I was about to ask so, but Grey suddenly gave my shoulder a light tap. I managed to hold my question in.

Grey obviously had a reason for doing what he did, for alerting me.

"Well then, come inside. The others are asleep, so you won't meet them until your opening ceremony in the morning."

Raymond didn't, or pretended not to notice our exchange and welcome me inside.

"T-thank you."

I blurted out and followed him with Grey by my side.

Going through the front door, I saw a spacious living room, with two staircases leading to the upper floor.

The mansion looked every bit as luxurious as it did from the outside, but even so, it exceeded my expectations.

The living room had three elegant couches, with a fireplace in front of them. A beautiful chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, giving it a noble vibe. The setting looked old, but it was oddly calming.

Two corridors were extended on both sides of the living room. The doors and windows were all made of expensive wood, and so was the tiled floor.

It all reeked of money, to be honest.

"Surprised?"

Raymond turned towards me and asked.

"Y-yes. I didn't expect it to be so luxurious."

"Haha, everyone gets surprised at first. You'll get used to it, hopefully."

"Erm... I hope so."

"Well, the upper floor is for the girls, so you are advised to not go there in the night. Well, if you are in a relationship then sure, go break the bed. But uh, it's for your own good."

Raymond's tone suddenly changed, and his posture relaxed. He felt much more approachable now.

"Uh... I'll keep it in mind."

I didn't intend to break any bed, but saying that here wouldn't mean anything.

"Here's your room."

Raymond led us through the corridor on the left, and opened the door at the end of that corridor.

The room was furnished with a comfy bed, a desk and a chair, a bookshelf, a bathroom, and a dresser. As expected of such a mansion, everything inside gave a high-class feeling.

"I'll send your essential gears soon. You'll get your dress in the morning."

Grey said as he watched me look around.

"Ah, thanks."

I turned towards him and Raymond at the door.

"Well then, goodnight."

Raymond closed the door gently, and I heard their footsteps slowly being distant.

I went to the door and pulled it. Surprisingly, it opened without any sound. It seemed that they hadn't locked the door.

Grey did say the truth, then. He wasn't going to take away my freedom, at least not all of it.

Relieved, I closed the door and jumped on the bed.

I was exhausted from the day's events, so I fell asleep almost immediately.

...

Despair.

Lament.

Hatred.

Weakness.

[~×~×'÷|÷÷"-#-@+'¶2|¶%+$]

A man in white.

Heaven.

Hell.

God.

[~¶~÷$%-•-|+$$×#-2¶~∆~∆~]

A lost soul.

A forgotten past.

The deal with the devil.

Denial of the future.

[#•&|-'÷'×~¶~¶~$$%%√¶•¶']

Hope.

Chaos.

Anarchy.

Destruction.

[------------------------------------]

"Will you become the one we desire for, child?"

"Will you accept us, and be stronger?"

"Or will you reject us, and lament your weakness?"

"Who will you see, and what will you hear?"

"Only time will tell."

"This dream will soon be forgotten, but we will watch over you, until you die, or we disappear."

"Do not disappoint us, child."

...

I opened my eyes slowly hearing a soft melody inside my head. Trying to find the alarm clock, I slapped around my hand, but didn't find one.

"Huh?"

I opened my eyes fully, and the melody stopped. I looked at the clock on the wall. It said 7 A.M.

"The heck?"

I rubbed my temples and sat up. My head felt heavy, probably due to the lack of sleep.

I looked around the room in the clear daylight coming through the large window on my left.

There was a bag in the corner of my room, with an envelope on the top of it.

Yawning, I went and picked it up.

"Did you like the alarm function of the stigma gear you have? Also, you don't need to worry about the gear inside, it's just for show."

So it was the gear... Huh?

I put the letter away and opened the bag.

Inside, was one of the latest model of the recent trendy smartphones, a pair of headphones, a tablet, a Stigma gear (which was a fake, apparently), an outfit (of the academy), a credit card and a gun.

Wait.

A gun?

I picked the gun up. It felt a bit heavy, but wasn't as heavy as I thought it would be.

There was supposed to be an explanation. I checked the bag, and sure, there was a message inside.

"Keep the gun for your self-defence. There's an optical illusion module placed on the gun, so no one will notice as long as you don't fire it. Press the button under the energy chamber to activate the module."

Reading that, I turned the gun upside down and found a small red switch under the chamber. I pressed it, and the gun almost immediately disappeared from my view. I could still touch it, feel it, but couldn't see it.

Quite a convenient device.

Finally, I pulled out the outfit and spread it open.

The long-sleeved shirt was white, with a red coat over it. The pants were black. The symbol of the first academy was embroidered on the coat.

The symbol itself was simple. With the letter 'I' signifying the 'first' (one in roman letters), and with five stars behind it. The whole thing was using a black and white shield as a base. The shield was a discoloured version of the original symbol of the empire.

All in all, it was a simple yet fashionable uniform.

I quickly went to the bathroom and used the basin there to wash my face. While there, I decided to take a bath too.

Refreshed, I quickly donned on the outfit and put on the gears, then left the room.

The mansion was quiet. I went to the living room, where I found Raymond sitting on the couch and reading a newspaper.

"Oh, you're awake."

"Did everyone else leave?"

"More or less. Come with me, I'll give you something to eat."

"Thanks."

I felt much freer with him than before. Perhaps it was due to his mask, but he felt like a nice guy.

Raymond took me to the right corridor, which led to the porch on one side, and the dining hall on the other. He quickly entered the dining hall and came out with a can of tea and a packaged bread.

"I thought you'd appreciate something to eat on the go."

"Yeah, thanks."

I was going to be late if I didn't leave right now, so his choice made me feel relieved.

It was already 7:30 A.M., and the opening ceremony was going to start at 8.

"Don't you have to go to the ceremony?"

"Ah. We third years are responsible for the security this time. The second, fourth and fifth years will join you."

Raymond explained as he led me to the front door.

So he was a third-year? And I already knew that the academy courses were five years long, but it still surprised me to know that students kept on studying instead of joining the front lines.

As if sensing my thoughts, Raymond laughed and explained.

"I'm already a 'part-timer' in the Stigma. Most fifth years work there full-time, but the academy keeps them with them to bolster its security if the royalist and disarmament factions do something."

"Ah... That makes sense"

I didn't know what the case was with the royalist and disarmament factions but I was running late so I decided to ask about it later.

"Thanks, Raymond."

I said as I left the mansion.

"No problem. Have a great day."

I heard his words, but didn't look back.