However, after another page turned with no new voice, he placed a brownish-red stick in the inner margin of the book.
"The count is twenty-five."
His eyes moved with precision around the room. "Five new admissions. The Academy rarely errs in talent assessment. You will quickly learn I despise extraneous speech."
"Reto Hay, New Student, Rank Thirty." The boy sat down as quickly as he got up.
"Alice Noctiliene," she said from above in a melodious voice, tucking her long, straight hair delicately behind her softly curved ears. "Incoming Student, Rank Eleven. A pleasure to make your acquaintances."
She turned to the direction where the most students took residence and bowed twenty degrees from upright.
Then, another stood. He looked around and spoke no word until all eyes looked to him.
Analyze his objective. The established strategy was to diminish the Honor Class's ego, yet alienating the entire cohort on day one is a statistically massive risk.
"Derrick Dunwell. Incoming Student, Rank Four."
He lifted his lips into a warm smile. "It is my sincere intention that we might all become trusted allies."
Arthur did nothing but feel the chill creep slowly down his back; Derrick was looking fixedly, directly at him. A swallow of spit morphed into a smile and a wave.
Has he successfully deduced my identity? This rapidly?
What dictates this antagonistic display? He possesses the data that I am immune to such rudimentary psychological bait.
Negative. The premise is flawed.
"Are we going to talk about how you're Rank Sixteen?"
Pardon?
Arthur's head turned left, eyes glancing upwards at a student sitting in a row behind him.
"I did a lot better in the midterm than I thought; my rank rose a whole ten places!" another said.
Arthur turned to his right to see it. Then once more as another voice chatted, before the rest of the room began contributing to the murmuring. He thought it best to leave it at that.
Observe the Honor Class culture. It perfectly aligns with our prior hypotheses, Derrick. Incompetent adolescents engaging in frivolous social networking, entirely devoid of efficiency or structural respect.
An egregious misallocation of potential. It is evident why the top ranks are newly acquired transfers. Regardless, they remain usable assets.
The identities of Rank Two and Three warrant investigation. My current data models did not account for peers surpassing Derrick outside the Honor Class.
Clive knocked the ground with his cane—Tap-tap—and the seated turned their bodies straight at once.
"It seems Rank Three has withdrawn from the Academy," Clive said.
A loss of a potential variable. This implies a high-aristocratic status, permitting unregulated departure. However, our aerial transit exceeded twenty-four hours. Why does his reaction indicate immediate, novel receipt of this data?
Hypothesis: An airborne exit?
Arthur imagined looking at himself through a mirror, shaking his head at the ridiculous thought. Invalid. The probability of survival negates the theory.
"You will proceed now, the student dozing in the rear," Clive called out.
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Clive!" A voice sparked from the back of the room at a decibel rivaling Clive's.
Her hands slapped her desk, drawing all wandering eyes. Her appearance struck a memory of familiarity towards all who saw it: blue hair, yellow eyes. The class was made up of nobles, and they were now looking upon the highest noble of all.
She pushed herself up; her teeth gleamed pearl-white. Though her face was befitting of her status, her hair seemed even messier than Arthur's, like a tiger.
"I'm Celeste Devreux, the new student!" she said melodically, as if singing a lullaby.
She angled herself in Arthur's direction, but even though their pupils were perfectly aligned, it seemed as if she could not see him.
Target identified: The sole heir to the Viera Kingdom's paramount Aristocrat, the Grand Duke of Devreux.
"I'm Rank Two at the moment, but I'll absolutely be Rank One before you know it!"
She wobbled back and forth once or twice before falling into her seat, waving her head side to side whilst looking at nothing at all.
Her behavior registers as anomalous. Vigilance protocols must be heightened for both her and Derrick.