Classroom of the Elite: Monster Academy

Vol. 1 Chapter 2.1 - I'll be broke before this month ends

The second day of school, we had our first class. Similar to yesterday, most of the first session was spent on orientation. While yesterday covered the general school guidelines, today we were introduced to the specifics of our course objectives and schedules.

To my surprise, the class was only half-day long— held in the morning, leaving us free to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the day. Whether to relax, train, or study, the choice was entirely up to the students.

After that, the classes proceeded like normal. It is what I imagined a class should operate, however, I couldn't help but observe the behavior of my classmates. Although some were attentively listening and taking notes, most seemed disinterested and unengaged. A few even dozed off during the lecture, with Sudou being the most notable of them all.

While I couldn't help but admire Sudou's boldness and daring attitude, it was something I wouldn't have the courage to do.

Interestingly, the teacher appeared unfazed by their behavior and made no attempt to curtail it.

The curriculum seemed easy and... lax, the added free time on the afternoon and this response seemed to give the students freedom... a little bit too much. The academy probably wanted to promote student autonomy, after all, it was up to each student to decide whether or not to pay attention in class or to train.

As a soul master academy, strength was paramount, and I assumed the academy trusted its students to work hard on their own to avoid falling behind. Well, as long as it doesn't affect me then there's no need to concern myself.

Soon, the bell rang, Chabashira-sensei began collecting her materials. Before she left, she paused and looked around the room before speaking.

"I forgot to mention earlier, but there is a Soul World battle network station located within the academy premises. I assume most of you are familiar with it and have probably participated before, but I'll give you a quick rundown. The battle network is open to all soul masters, and it allows them to battle each other without significant consequences. It's not mandatory to participate, but I recommend checking it out."

After Chabashira-sensei left, only a few students who actually paid attention seemed interested in what she said. As for me, I had heard of the Soul World battle network before, but I had never had a chance to actually enter. It is said to be inside a simulated space, a digital world exclusive to soul masters, and not for ordinary people due to the danger posed by the spiritual power and physical requirements.

When she mentioned "all soul masters," I wondered if we would not only be fighting students from the academy but also soul masters from all over the country, or even the world. I wasn't sure of the system's scale, but I assumed each country would have its own server to prevent overcrowding.

It was interesting to know that the academy allowed this kind of "outside contact," I guess I could understand why as it exposes students to a variety of people and soul masters, which could be beneficial to their growth.

Considering that it was now lunchtime, the students started to leave the classroom, some walking with newfound companions while others walked alone. As much as I couldn't help being slightly envious of their newfound relationships, it didn't really bother me that much being alone for now. And besides isn't being friends something that happens naturally? I shouldn't rush it, and simply let fate run its course, I'm sure I'll be able to make some friends soon... soon.

I wanted to check the cafeteria so I prepared to leave, while doing so, I couldn't help but notice my seat neighbor, Horikita, who seemed to be packing up her things to leave as well. On a whim, I decided to invite her to join me for lunch.