The next day, Eren made it just in time for the morning assembly. It seemed like this one was a special assembly, just before the speech of the head master of ER Academy — who is also the head counsel of the Eastern kingdom high court and Mrs Catherine's father. All the students stood in rows and teachers were behind the speech stand.
Eren found his grade and stood in line beside Noah. This was the first time Eren was seeing the whole population of the academy in one place.
The counsel wore a rectangular frameless glasses. He had black hair with a few gray strands at the sides gelled to the back of his head. He was dressed in a long black robe with red lining exposure in the button edges and golden buttons. He had an intimidating aura and everyone stood quiet.
He cleared his throat and adjusted the voice amplifier.
"Students of ER Academy, the pride and future of our kingdom. The time has come again after five years for the sponsorship test. As you all know, it is not your regular test but one that would give an opportunity for a greater future within and beyond the Eastern kingdom. A rare opportunity that many students like you all dreamt of but didn't get to have..." He said.
"...I will be resuming seat as the head master of this school now, till the end of the test coming up in the pisces month. All your studies from now on will be practical work and I hope you all will make the kingdom proud."he concluded. The crowd clapped lightly and then the student president boarded the stage. Other members of the student council stood at the front of their lines.
"I, your student president, have been charged with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth running of the training activities. I ask for your cooperation and hard work so we can make this school proud." He said, encouraging the students.
Eren could tell they he was a combat military student. He had broad features, brown hair and brown eyes. His uniform too, was military combat department style.
Class got intense as Mr Williams turned on a whole new attitude. He was to teach the first grade students pill making that was above the first year curriculum, which was no joke.
"Accuracy, perfection, precision, diligence, you all have none of these..." He said outrightly. "...I can only do my best to make some of the first year students qualify for the test but honestly, it's going to need a miracle. You have to know what you are up against. So then it's up to you." He continued.
He took out a blue pill from its pill case and raised it up. "This is a paralysis pill. As I said before, a pill doesn't have to be for cure, it can also be to harm people. There is no telling what they will ask you to create but we can only imagine." he said, then took his chalk and wrote ten ingredients on the board. After a demonstration, he asked the class to recreate it.
The result was a mass failure. There was not even one successful pill. Eren purposely made a black pill. He felt like getting it right would draw attention. To him, keeping his secret was more important than qualifying for the test. So while everyone was giving it their all, Eren was purposely making black pills.
***
Weeks passed and living in Oailia dragged on, and for Eren it felt like time had stopped.
With the training in ER Academy still ongoing, the first Year medicine department students were basically hopeless. Even though they were improving, they still couldn't be compared to the students of other years. The second year had the best in the Academy. Students like Aaron, Ceaser, Dina and some other promising students.
Eren kept on making black pills to the extent that they nicknamed him 'worst student of all time', and soon, he was sort of forgotten since everyone had their own businesses to focus on for the test.
The new head master turned the school into a power struggle house with fierce competition to the extent that some students from high houses were threatened.
Nothing else mattered but talent.
A striking strategy to sniff out the strong from the crowd. His wit covered the school like a dome with no objections from the heads of houses.
Eren understood how important this test was— the more reason he had to lay low...
Or so he thought.
The head master set a board which displayed every student's position according to the the number of points they had in each year's block according to various department.
Noah liked the new structure of the Academy. He saw it as god's pronounced judgement on these arrogant nobles. Talentless nobles were stripped of their pride, at least to an extent.
Noah and Eren became close. Noah would teach Eren how to suppress his mana with spells and basic sorcery combat techniques. Noah didn't ask questions about who Eren was or why he was supressing his aura. Eren wonderd why, but he didn't ask.
Noah also helped Eren get familiar with school and briefed him on the students' backgrounds. The more he knew, the quieter he grew. Like a boat wandering around in a shoreless sea he became lonely.
Deep down, all he wanted was to go back home so he wrote to Maya almost everyday.
His favorite place was the garden lady Eva had given him to plant crude flowers and other rare plants breeds.
Eren sat on the soil arranging seedlings along with Angel. As always, Angel was neutral, expressionless and quiet.
The sun graced the scene as butterflies flew all around. "Do you remember what your parents were like?" Eren suddenly asked Angel.
Usually, he would be afraid to ask how she felt about her parents but now, He didn't care anymore, he wasn't even asking even for a reply. It was a mystery why Maya sent him here, the very thought was 'sadness'.
"They were like these flowers, as beautiful as they are in the sun. Mom smelled like lillies, and Dad like caramel." Angel said smiling with her eyes.
Eren was surprised. This was the longest she had ever spoken or smiled. Strangely, he felt comforted.
"Are you not afraid of being away from them?" Eren continued.
"They found their purpose of which they lived their very lives for... and now, I have found mine. My resolve is greater than my fear. I didn't even remember that I feared anyone." She said informatively without a speck of emotion. She didn't even stop to look at Eren.
She was done so she stood up, and turned to leave. But then, she turned to Eren "So should yours."
***
The principal called for an interschool tournament for each department two weeks before the end of the cancer month. The first category was law. There was the main tournament between the best students of that department from each grade and semi-tounaments for others. The best to emerge from the semi tournament would go against the best afterwards.
Mira from the first year won against Siri from the fourth grade, and Atlas from the second grade won against Duke from the third grade so Atlas would go against Mira.