Chapter 59: Competitions
The classroom fell into complete silence as Principal Monica continued, her gaze sweeping over the attentive freshmen.
"You should be starting your foundational studies about Beasts today, but..." She paused, her eyes lingering on the eager faces before her. "I trust you have all heard of the inter-academy tamer competition, correct?"
A chorus of nods rippled through the room.
Monica offered a reassuring smile. "For those who might be less familiar, let me elaborate. The Academy Tamer Competition is an annual contest between the three prominent Tamer academies within Cordelia: the esteemed Guardian Academy, currently holding the top position, which will send four of their most promising students; the First Star Academy, also sending four representatives; and our own... Vitality Academy. While our academy boasts the largest student body among the three, regrettably, we haven’t consistently held the strongest competitive record. We, too, will be sending a team of four students."
"Principal Monica," Mariana called out, her voice cutting through the quiet anticipation.
"Yes, Mariana?" Monica turned her attention to the assertive student.
"With all due respect, why are you addressing this to us? Shouldn’t this explanation be directed towards the core students? We are, after all, just first-year initiates," Mariana stated, and several other students murmured their agreement.
"At least she asked a pertinent question," Christopher drawled from his relaxed position in the back row, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"That is indeed a valid question," Monica acknowledged with a nod, turning her attention back to the entire class. "The Guardian Academy has reigned supreme in these inter-academy competitions for the past five decades. Consequently, they have been granted the authority to dictate the competition rules. And believe me, they consistently formulate regulations that heavily favor their own students, leaving little room for dissent. If we are dissatisfied, the only true recourse is to defeat them and seize that power ourselves." Her fist clenched briefly, underscoring her point.
"Their dominance often manifests as a tendency to... well, let’s say they enjoy asserting their superiority over the other academies. Now, for this year’s competition, the Guardian Academy has introduced a new stipulation: only first-year students are eligible to participate."
"What?" A collective gasp of surprise and confusion echoed through the classroom.