The friends regrouped after a very brief moment of settling into their rooms and, with Sookyung’s navigational skills, trekked to the Missions house. It was a large building wider than it was tall, and had a roof the color of garnet. They went inside and waited until the elf behind the counter signaled that it was their turn. Sookyung acted as the representative and went up, everyone shadowing her.

“Hello, we’d like to form our own group.” The elf raised her eyebrows at Sookyung’s request.

“All right, how many in total?” She asked, not bothering to take a headcount for herself. Sookyung told her.

“Hmm… okay. I’m going to explain how teams work. First of all, this is crucial for your graduation from Zenith, because this is the evidence of your work and effort. Regular classes that you attend are all up to you, and it’s your responsibility to form and maintain your personal schedule. You will have the chance to apply what you’ve learned in missions, and we will log in your mission progress in our files. This is why team formations are vital, do you understand?” The friends all nodded.

“Great. Fill this out and give it back to me. I’ll see if I can find a leader for your team.” The elf handed the form to Sookyung.

“None of us can be the leader?” Sookyung asked confusedly. The elf gave her a peeved look and explained that a leader is someone in their third year or higher, who possesses enough training and experience to mentor and lead others. Sookyung regretted thinking so simply of the leader position and nodded, stepping back to go fill out the form.

 

She put down everyone’s names and even their judgment, because it was required on the form. She saw the word element as a category and was confused until she saw the note that if they didn’t know their element, just leave it blank. So that’s what she did. The thing that puzzled Sookyung was the blank space for their group name. What should their group be called? She asked the others for their input.

“What about Team Arrowslayers? Since I’ll be wielding arrows soon,” Seungwoo pondered aloud. Hyemi cocked her head back, retorting that pretty much only he would be using arrows, so it doesn’t make sense to base the group name on that.

“Umm, the Fearsome Four?” Sookyung suggested. Hyemi seconded this but Jinyoung shook his head, complaining that it was a bit corny. He thought more while the others were squabbling and finally something came to his mind.

“Let’s be called Team Insignus!” The friends turned to Jinyoung and they thought the name actually had a nice ring to it. Seungwoo liked it, and Hyemi even made an “ooh” sound in awe. Sookyung also agreed that it was a stately name so she wrote it down. After the form was completed, she went back to the elf receptionist who looked over the form.

“Okay, things look good here. I searched my database and luckily we found a leader for you. I sent him a notification, and luckily he’ll be down in a moment. I’ll give you this instructional handout so you can look over it while you wait.” Sookyung nodded gratefully and the elf receptionist told them to have a seat. Other people were also in the building, talking to other receptionists, filling out paperwork, and the like. Sookyung took a seat and gathered everyone around to look at the handout.

“It says here, ‘Through this group, you will take on missions for Taza. Some will be convoying missions, gathering missions, even hunting or combat missions.’ Man, I’m ready for the hunting or combat missions,” Jinyoung commented. Sookyung clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Boy, we are not jumping into battle that quickly. We may have had basic combat training in school, but I am not losing my life over your thrill for danger.” Jinyoung made a disappointed noise at Sookyung’s rant.

“It also says we can take on some missions in smaller numbers or even on our own, as long as we have the permission of the group leader. That’ll make things easier too,” Jinyoung added, straightening himself up.

“So, the more missions we do, the faster our rank will grow, right? That means we can become an official group quicker?” Seungwoo read a paragraph and paraphrased it as such.

“No, it says we have a limit to how many missions we can take in a day. Doing a good amount of missions will just give us a larger variety of missions later on if we complete them. But I don’t think it’d be good if we took too many at once,” Hyemi piped in. Sookyung nodded.

Suddenly, they heard someone clear their throat. The friends looked up and their eyes fell upon a tall man with soft, dark russet hair, rather wide eyes, and adorably huge front teeth that showed when he smiled. He had pleasant sun-kissed skin.

“I’ve just received word that I am designated to lead this team. It’s nice to meet you, my name is Inseong. Shall we talk and get acquainted outside?” Their leader Inseong greeted, grinning cheekily. The friends followed the tall man’s lead outside on the school grounds, which was wide and expansive. Inseong whirled around and beamed at them once again. He asked for their names and they all greeted him, introducing themselves. After the pleasantries, Inseong spoke up.

“So I looked over your paperwork, and you guys decided on the name Insignus, right? That’s really fitting, considering my name is Inseong. I’m liking this group already!” Inseong bust out into laughter, making the friends a bit weirded out. He cleared his throat and spoke again. They noticed that he seemed much more casual than when he coolly greeted them inside the Missions house.

“Anyway. I may seem silly but I am your group’s leader. As such, I will lead and manage the missions you decide to undertake. Just let me know in advance and we’ll depart together. Also, I will act as your mentor and help train you all to be better fighters. Magic, swordsmanship, you name it! I can help you with anything,” Inseong winked. Sookyung was surprised at this information.

“Does that mean you’re Multiclass as well?” She asked, her friends glancing at her. Inseong grinned a knowing smile, nodding a bit.

“Yeah, well, I was. I finally decided to focus on magic and swordsmanship, but I picked up some know-how on arrows, staves, cannons, and such,” Their leader responded proudly.

“What year are you?” Hyemi questioned, wondering how much older Inseong was than them.

“Actually, I’m a graduate,” he pauses when the friends all gawk at him, “and I chose to be a mentor and a leader for aspiring teams.”

“What’s your specialty then?” Jinyoung asked. Inseong chortled at this.

“Everyone is asking me so many questions today. It’s okay, you’ll find out in due time. I’m afraid I have to get going soon. But yeah, I have a good feeling about Insignus… We’ll have a lot of fun, that’s for sure. As of now, we can’t go on missions until school actually starts, ironically, but I have some training exercises planned for the day you attend your first classes. Just to make sure you’re ready for missions. I’ll be sure to let you all know when the time comes.” More waiting for the group. The friends all bid Inseong goodbye, who trotted off.

“Well, that was interesting…” Sookyung commented.

“I wonder what he has planned,” Jinyoung’s face paled a bit.

“Where can I buy a quiver and arrows before then?” Seungwoo asked, earning whacks from the girls.

“Just because you got judged as an archer doesn’t mean you go and buy a bow and arrow without proper training!” Sookyung fired.

“Let’s see, so me and Jinyoung have daggers, Sookyung has a sword, and you have a knife, right Seungwoo?” Hyemi asked. Seungwoo shrugged and agreed. In his defense, he was pretty much like a merchant following in his father’s footsteps previous to his judgment, so he had little need for complex weapons. Jinyoung, on the other hand, stayed quiet about his father’s latest gift to him. Hyemi was just freaking out because she was judged as a warrior yet she owned no sword of her own.

“Even though he seems like a jokester, he’s probably really strong, so we’re gonna lose anyway. We should still be prepared,” Sookyung decided. They all had to agree. Now, since they were done with that, they decided to part ways to explore different buildings on campus based on their decided paths. Sookyung pointed out where Jinyoung should head for the Magic complex and the direction of the Physical Combat areas and the Archery school for Hyemi and Seungwoo, respectively. Sookyung thought it’d be wise to visit the Advising building so that she could get a better opinion on what she should take since she was a Multiclass.

“Well, we’ll see each other at the dorms then,” Sookyung decided, and the friends said their goodbyes for now and walked their own paths.

 

 

Hyemi was on her way to the Physical Combat areas when she stumbled upon an enclosed garden. The sight being very curious to her, she ventured into the garden and saw various spices, herbs, roots, and even fungi. Her eyes sparkled; she could name most of these off the top of her head. She heard a voice from behind her all of a sudden.

“May I help you?” An older woman wearing a hood asked rather bluntly. Hyemi bowed her head.

“Sorry, I was just taking a look. This garden is amazing,” The girl replied. The older woman seemed to be eyeing out Hyemi, scrutinizing her even. Hyemi introduced herself, and the woman said her name was Miss Fresia.

“Have you come to consider being a part of my class, healer?” Miss Fresia’s tone made her question seem like an accusation.

“I do want to be a part of this class, but I was not judged as a healer… I was judged as a warrior,” Hyemi admitted, feeling very embarrassed.

“Preposterous. You shall not join this class then. You are obviously seen to be of better use on the battlefield,” The teacher remarked in a very sarcastic tone. Hyemi stepped forward in respectful protest.

“Please, I really want to study medicine. If this class can fit into my schedule...” Hyemi began.

“I will not allow it,” Miss Fresia cut in. Hyemi continued to plead, she could learn so much from this garden alone. The woman seemed to be intrigued by Hyemi’s persistence.

“I shall consider it if you can answer some questions about medicinal herbs and such,” the woman bargained. Hyemi seized the chance.

“All right.”

“Name four plants that aid in fever remedy,” Miss Fresia asked immediately.

“Coriander, mint, angelica, and chamomile,” Hyemi answered, feeling sure of herself. She witnessed the teacher become shocked yet impressed. The girl didn’t reveal a smile just yet.

Miss Fresia drilled her with a few more questions and Hyemi answered them all. The older woman was curious on how she knew so much of medicine, and Hyemi told her she learned from her mother. Miss Fresia then told the girl that her class would be every other morning, and Hyemi took note of the time to plan her schedule.

“It’d be a shame if all that knowledge about medicine went to waste on a simple-minded warrior,” Miss Fresia commented. Hyemi was sure to thank the teacher for her generosity and assure her that she’d do her best.

She was in high spirits even if the class she was approved for wasn’t for her judged path. Hyemi passed many buildings, relying on the directions Sookyung had relayed to her earlier. It wasn’t difficult to find the Physical Combat areas anyway, there was a huge wooden sign that declared that the further fields were indeed the areas for combat practice. And, the most obvious of clues; there were actually students sparring and practicing combat with each other using wooden swords further down the field.

Hyemi made her way through the area of sparring students, hearing the constant whacking and blunt noises of wood cracking and splintering against each other. It was actually quite jarring and loud up close too. She tried to find a teacher or elder in charge and noticed a tall man who wasn’t practicing with anyone. He seemed to be browsing around, surveying the sparring students thoughtfully. If this wasn’t a teacher, it was very likely that this guy did know who was in charge. Hyemi went up to this man, who seemed a bit mysterious. He had jet black hair slicked back, a slim frame and broad shoulders. He eyed Hyemi curiously as she approached.

“Excuse me, do you know where I can find a teacher for physical combat?” Her voice came out more meek than she expected; it was because she found this man actually quite good-looking.

“That would be me.” His answer was succinct, and Hyemi’s eyes widened. Damn, he seems pretty young for a teacher too, she thought. She inquired about class times, but this man seemed doubtful. However, she was delighted when he actually told her information. He only taught one class, so she had to take it. Especially with this man as the teacher.

“Sorry to say, but I’m worried that you might not be able to fare well in my class,” he spoke, eyes scanning her physique up and down. Hyemi took offense, even though she doubted herself too.

“This was my judged path, so I have no choice,” came her reply.

“Just as a precaution then. This class will involve a lot of exercise and physical training to strengthen and condition the body for battle. Students will spar regularly with each other to ensure optimal practice. Those who fail to meet the standards set will be cut from the class.” The last words hit Hyemi in the heart, fear threatening to grip her.

“I-I understand,” she sputtered. This didn’t sound right to her at all. This couldn’t be her calling. She felt cheated by the school. Was this really meant to be her path?

“Well I’ll see you in the late morning then. Always come prepared. What is your name by the way?” The tall man inquired. Hyemi told him and he managed a small but cute smile.

“I’m Youjin. Take care now, and always do your best.” With a swift nod, he turned away because a student with a wooden sword needed advice about something. Hyemi left, feeling a bit dampened by the expectations of the class. At least she got into a medicinal class. Perhaps she should go back to the dormitory now that she knew what classes she would attend.

Sookyung’s POV

Finding the Advising Building was a bit difficult, but I stumbled upon it eventually. I just have to get used to which buildings and which pathways lead where. It’s such a big campus too… I stepped into the complex and went to the counter where an actual normal human receptionist sat, greeting me. Finally, a mortal staff member compared to the elf receptionists I talked to before.

“How may I help you?” She began customarily. I told her my situation about being a Multiclass and not knowing what I wanted to pursue. She asked me about my preference of weapon, combat style, physical strength, stamina, and magical level. I tried to answer to the best of my ability.

“I think it’s important to understand the basics of magical energy first, because whichever path you choose to specialize in, it will require a different way to channel your energy,” she paused and I nodded in understanding, “magical energy courses through all of us. It is just that some of us are more gifted and talented to wield and utilize this energy as power.”

“We’ll start off with the basic classes. Mages are the class type that wield magic in its rawest and purest form, basically unadulterated magical energy. They are inherently able to handle using magical energy directly, which requires tight and focused mental concentration. Their minds are going to be constantly under strain from the use of magic.”

“Yeah, I have standard control over my magical energy. I can do basic things like infuse weapons with magical energy, but even that takes a toll on me sometimes. And I never felt comfortable casting spells, even in academy.” The receptionist told me that was normal, because academies are only allowed to teach a limited amount of spells, as potential mages will be trained extensively in higher schools like Zenith.

“Healers are often linked to mages, but they are very different. First of all, healers concentrate mostly on magic that heals others and themselves. This takes less magical strain on the user for the spell itself, but you know that the more a healer expends their magic to heal others, the strain increasingly becomes worse upon themselves, right?” I nodded at this, also adding the bit that healers basically shouldn’t try to heal themselves because it would be pretty much useless in that regard. The receptionist further added one more word that healers must possess a great deal of healing spells to be successful at their specialization.

“Next are archers. Although you wouldn’t really expect archers to be much different than, say, warriors, to infuse their weapons with magical energy, it actually requires much more magical energy to infuse an archer’s arrows with it.”

“Why is that?” I asked, just in case.

“Archers must possess great precision to hit their targets effectively. But also, magical energy makes the difference between an arrow that hits their target and an arrow that pierces through the target. Also, archers can perform unique and varied attacks by infusing their arrows with magic that sets them apart from sword-wielding warriors. Also, archers must strengthen their resistance to magical attacks to counter opposing enemies who are also archers, mages, or other ranged-attackers.” I let her words sink in, trying to imagine me in the specialization. I have terrible aim and sight, so I don’t think an archer would be the best class.

“Assassins are the bridge between archers and warriors. After all, they combine ranged attacks and close combat. While obviously more physical combat-inclined than magic, a good control of magical energy and training can allow assassins to vanish and remain undetected for certain periods of time.”

“I know that well,” I muttered, thinking of Jinyoung’s training he always complained about to us back in the days.

“Finally, warriors. Warriors are the ones who rely on magic the least. This is because optimal physical strength and durability is more favorable for their fighting style. Warriors also infuse their weapons with magic for stronger blows and attacks, though. And wielding certain weapons require magical energy strain that might be too overwhelming for some. That’s why magical energy is something we must all maintain.”

“I get it… So whatever I choose, as long as I train my magical energy, I’ll be fine,” I said. The lady gave me a judgmental look, probably because of the way I worded it.

“Hmm, since you still seem unsure of what to specialize in, I can put you into a special preparatory class especially for Multiclass. These are temporary groups of students who are put to the test against one another in various ways to see directly which path they prefer.”

“That sounds good,” I replied. The lady gave me instructions and a time to show up to class. So, this is what I’ll be in before I find out what to really focus on. Well, this should be interesting. I thanked her for her help and went on my way.

I made my way back to the dorms and saw Hyemi already lying on her bed. I snickered and asked her why she was lounging already. She seemed a bit put-off, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what caused that. Eventually she spilled it.

“I got into a medicinal class, but I’m scared for the physical combat class… They’re gonna make us work out and fight each other,” She whined. She flopped her arms on her bed to emphasize her point.

“Well, warriors need to be fit and tough. And maybe duking it out with others will help you relieve the anger you build up.” My answer seemed to make her offended.

“I’m not that much of a violent person,” she complained. Yeah right, I thought, but I wasn’t gonna say that just yet.

“Anyway, I got into this preparatory class where I’ll be basically competing with other students too, but in a different way. If I end up preferring physical combat above all else, I’ll be going through the same stuff as you. So just do good on your end and I’ll try my best too. This is meant to be challenging for us,” I advised. Hyemi always seemed to like my advice, and this time was no different. She looked more cheerful.

“Thanks a lot, Sookyung-ahhhh,” she gushed, and I sighed very softly to myself. This really will be challenging for us. We could all get dinner soon together, because they had mealtimes for students. We started to get ready before we talk to the boys and take them with us downstairs for food.