Zero to Hero (Prequel/prototype)

Chapter 25. Commoner

"Ken! Time to get up." Lovetta called out at 8:15 on the dot and waited for him to get ready with Alice and Genesis. Shortly after, Ken came out of his room, and the group headed for the dorm room of the merman girl.

"Did any of you ask for her name? I don't even know what her name is. I hope she isn't sharing a room, or it might get pretty awkward." Ken asked as the group arrived at the floor of her dorm.

After Lovetta knocked a few times, they saw a tiny opening as the girl peeked out verifying who was outside her dorm room.

Seeing that it was Ken and the girls, she let out a sign of relief and opened the door to greet Ken and the girls.

After collecting the merman girl, the group headed to the dining hall to grab some free breakfast before it was too late and Lovetta ended up paying for an extra portion since they were missing the one from Clare and with Ken's growing appetite, he ended up taking the one Alice got.

When they got their food, the group headed upstairs to the top floor of the 4 storied dining hall, something Ken had never done before. But since they weren't sure how long they would be staying, the group decided to head upstairs to get a secluded spot so they could have the conservation in a more private setting.

"So, before we get started, let us at least have a simple introduction and get to know each other's names. I am Ken, this is Lovetta, Alice, and Genesis." Ken took the lead and introduced himself and the girls to the merman girl.

"My name is Indra Atlan; I am from the kingdom of Atlantica. Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and listen to my concerns." Indra answered in a timid voice.

"Where have I heard that name before? I remember! You are the one who got the worst score after I crushed the midterm!" Ken said excitedly remembering how he didn't feel bad at all for whoever Indra was for being in last place when he moved up the rankings.

Nodded embarrassingly, Indra confirmed that she is indeed currently the lowest ranked student for the first years but she does have a good reason for finishing this low. Saving that story for another time, Indra took a deep breath and began telling the group her struggles and why they were her last chance of staying at the academy.

"I am not sure if you are aware of the situation but students on the bottom of the hierarchy get treated extremely poorly. It didn't take many days before I got targeted by a group of nobles and they started treating me like a servant and made me run errands and do all the grunt work. It was to the point that I couldn't even attend any of the classes because they are always forcing me to do things.

Since I don't have any of your money or know anyone, I was at a loss and decided to turn to the professors for help. The response I got was disheartening as they told me there was nothing they can do unless I have physical proof of the bullying.

After talking with the professors, I was positive that they knew exactly what was going on and with how they treated us and only tortured us mentally but never physically. I was stuck in a position where no one offered me any help and I couldn't escape the cycle." Indra stopped talking to calm down as the more she spoke the more her voice quivered, and tears started to roll down her face.

Of course, Ken was well aware of the situation and like Indra said, he too had walked by many commoners on a daily basis and pretended he didn't see how much they were getting treated cruelly.

"Sorry. I knew how terrible commoners are getting treated and every time I saw it happen, I always thought to myself that I am lucky that it's not happening to me. As much as I feel bad for you and the others, I am in no position to help.

I am sorry to say this, but I don't have the ability to help all of the commoners that's suffering from the way this academy operates. I don't have the money, power or strength.