The Greed of Kronos

Weekly Epitropi

Twenty-four: Weekly Epitropi

Artem. The incubus with rather interesting rose quartz long and silky hair together with its alluring face. It was the homme fatale. He was the kind of lad who would always win a beauty pageant that Kronos could safely say that no one could even win against him. 

Skia once mentioned how the succubi and incubi were most likely the most minor clan and endangered genus. They were recognized as part of the demon genus at first. However, as time went by, they grew tails that the demons did not and were also dangerous when it came to seducing the other. That was why even though there was merely thirty percent of the demon genus who was incubi and succubi, they were still acknowledged as another type of genus. 

To have two of them in the same class, Kronos could really not tell if he was a lucky guy or not since it's the lowest class.

"Same for Sarlienne. He's a natural." Sir Samael started as he was reading the short remark from Artem's parents.

With that being said, some wowed, and some clapped. At the very least, on the surface, they pretended not to be curious as they were not bold enough to ask private matters.

Nonetheless, there was one who was bold enough to raise his hand and ask in an innocent tone of voice that made everyone to flinch. "That's the remark of your parents? How did they know Sarlienne?"

At first, Artem looked at him with an expression that he was not expecting for Asisi to ask. But then, shortly after, Artem covered his mouth by the back of his palms while chuckling. "Oh, she's my lovely fiancé."

"What?! Fiancé at such young age?!" Asisi seemed to spread his boldness that Luca caught it and asked with a shocked tone of voice. In addition, he was also shifting his gaze from Artem to Sarlienne.

Sarlienne, on the other hand, chuckled and replied with an untroubled tone of voice. "Oh my, that's normal~."

When Sarlienne commented that it was normal, the ladies swarmed over her to quench their curiosity. And when Sir Samael motioned Artem to get back to his seat, some of the lads also surrounded him to ask the same thing. 

They were merely first years and still innocent about that part of life. That was why they were eager to know.

The chaos, of course, ticked Sir Samael, who just wanted to end the introduction as soon as possible. "Settle down! Well, then the last but not the least, Breaux."

Hearing this, a gust of cold wind ran around the room that made the others to close their mouth and observe when it came from. When they saw the other emotionless student who had as if a blizzard was surrounding him, the people near him would shiver in the cold. 

Even Sir Samael felt the coldness when the lad stood in front. "I'm Ajax Breaux. Can I hug you guys each later?"

But he was rather a peculiar person.

"Uh… Sure?"

When he so-called introduced himself, his face and even his tone of voice were emotionless to the point that you question yourself if he genuinely meant what he said. 

When he heard them replied with a yes, Ajax inhaled deeply before looking at them with the same expression and replied. "Great."

"Ajax is a clingy child, so you'll love him. He's a vampire, and like the other vampire who debuted to the society, he's also a hundred years old. Take care of him." Sir Samael replied.

It seemed like his parents knew that Ajax wouldn't introduce himself. Instead, he would ask the class a weird favor. That was why they prepared things.

When they heard his paren's remark, Sarlienne then smiled at him and replied with a loving tone of voice. "Aww. Let me hug you later~."

The class started to make noise again. But even before they could begin to have a good talk, Sir Samael slammed the table with a pissed off expression. Anytime they could see an opportunity to make noise, they sure make noise.

Sir Samael, "Now! We're done with the introduction. Are you ready for the main event?"

When Sir Samael uttered those words, he was wearing the usual serious expression of his. Regardless of that, it does not pair up with the tone of voice that he used.

A tone where one was not anticipating for something but at the same time having such high expectations to everyone. 

Of course, anyone that heard Sir Samael became curious and at the same time cautious. Whatever would be happening that even the Sir Samael, who, despite keeping a straight face, looked like setting high expectations to his class? What was there to get strict at? They are the lowest class, are they not?  

"Papa, what do you mean?" Asisi could not help but to scrunch his nose and cross his arms. They even called him by a peculiar title, yet he would then show off how strict he was when he was not even rebelling with being hailed as papa? He.. no. They could not read his mind. AT. ALL.

"Well, the student council president passed by a while ago to tell me that they are currently finalizing the entrance epitropi." Sir Samael simply replied as he arranged the scattered parent/guardians remark papers on the desk. 

Hearing such unfamiliar words, Astian then tilted his head and asked with a clueless tone of voice. "Entrance epitropi?"

Even though he was a son of a duke, Astian was eager to not acknowledge about the school with the help of his parents. That was why he didn't know that much about Patrician Academy to the point of being unable to recognize where the Examination Hall was. Albeit worried, his parents respected his wishes and never said a thing about Patrician Academy. 

On the other hand, Sir Samael looked at Astian for a moment before looking at everyone and started explaining in his usual serious expression. "Well. As some of you may know, Patrician Academy is famous for its weekly epitropi that molds each student's potential in order to acquire the best version of yourself at the academy grounds."

He paused for a while and wrote something on the board before he continued explaining. "Hence, a program that was proposed by the grandmasters helped the students since time immemorial. Since Wednesday holds the meaning of being in the middle of the week, every Wednesday at every building, the student council will be posting a board of epitropi containing six papers labeled with each class. We will also evaluate your  One can then check their epitropi of the week and could be accomplished within five days from the day that it was posted."

Was that the reason for him to get strict all of a sudden? Kronos could not precisely tell what his good teacher was hiding. However, it was clearly a nonsense to hear something like a high expectation, especially when they were the lowest class. 

It should usually be, 'Since you are the highest class, my expectations for each of you are high.' should it not? They were the lowest, not the highest.

He heard those kind of arrogant words from the subject teachers who put very much pressure on the outstanding students in his past life. And it has always been done towards the highest class because they would reason out that it would be useless to say to the lower class. 

Does it not count in the world that he is currently living in? No, rather, at the Patrician Academy?

Astian was pondering about it too. Do they pressure students regardless of the class? Sir Samael said it himself too. That it would make them stronger, the epitropi. A strict environment might be the key for him to be stronger and protect those who he cares about the most.

As the two of them pondered about the Patrician Academy and its system, others like Luca pondered the trivial yet on point things. "It's not Wednesday today, though?"

With that being said, with the reason that it was out of character, the class was agape after they saw Sir Samael heave a sigh while rolling his eyes as if Luca asked a question a one year old could answer.

But then Sir Samael was really good at changing expressions. That was why he was able to turn it back to the usual expression. "That's exactly why it's called as the entrance epitropi. In the first week of the class, the epitropi could only be done under twenty-four hours. That's why prepare yourself. Any time soon, the epitropi would be posted. And! Don't disappoint me!"

"Yes, papa!" They all answered in chorus.

When a knock on the door interrupted their orientation, Sir Samael stared at the door and then looked at his class shortly after. "I'll be out for a while."

With that being said, Luca and Asisi waved at Sir Samael and bid him goodbye. "Have a safe trip, Papa!"

As the door was closed and the teacher exited the classroom, it was customary for students to run wild too. They had their own group of circles and talked about the epitropi. The group usually consisted of two to four members, the seatmates and the two students sitting in front of them.

As for Astian and Kronos, of course, they're the only ones conversing. Even though they said that he should talk more, that was just it. It was still the first day anyway. Of course, they could not get closer yet. 

In any case, Astian was the only friend he needed. Having his classmates on good terms with him was a must. But keeping people around him was really not his cup of tea.

One person was enough for Kronos. For instance, Astian, whose eyes were sparkling as he looked at Kronos with an excited look on his face. "Don't you think it's cool, Kronos?"

He sure saw that expression before. When Astian saw both of their names in the same class.

"Yes." He nodded. 

Kronos sincerely wished to talk as Astian also told him, along with his classmates, that it was fine and they wouldn't be offended. However, he was already used to replying short ever since the day Eros and Agape ended their vacation at their village. He just could not possibly shake off his habit.

"Guys! I have a question! Can we all have a talk?" When Kronos got back to reality, Asisi was already in front of the class with a rolled notebook in his hand. 

The whole class, too, was curious as to what he would be discussing that they faced in the front and was ready to listen to what would Asisi be asking. 

When Asisi finally managed to catch everyone's attention, he then tilted his head and replied. "But what's epitropi anyway?"

With that being said, the class fell into silence. They have been talking about epitropi, yet some of them were really ignorant of what it was. They just could not bring it up since it would be an embarrassment. Hence, they acted like they knew. Asisi was not like that, though.

After pondering for a moment, Yohan slowly raised his hand as he replied with a much relaxed tone of voice. "W-well, I know a senior, and they said that it's similar to guilds where adventurers take on commissions."

"That makes sense. Sir Samael told us that it was created to mold us and our potential." Astian added as he recalled the explanation of Sir Samael a little while ago. 

Murmurs then followed as they expressed their different reactions, like how some were excited and how some were feeling like it would be a bothersome.

Some also were curious about the epitropi itself. Like how Kallen stood up and took a seat at her desk so that everyone could see her. "Say, guys."

"Hmm?" They shifted their gaze towards Kallen. 

Seeing this, Kallen then fixed her glasses and asked them. "What do you think our epitropi would be like?"

"Yeah, I was wondering too." Aeria seconded.

Kronos was also thinking about what missions they would be doing. But he bet that it would be nothing grand. Then again, he remembered not making the same mistake twice. If he were to handle difficult epitropi, then it would be just like being the assassin that he used to be. 

On the other hand, Artem leaned on the desk as he slicked his messy hair and joined into the conversation. "My cousin's an adventurer, and when he was an F grade adventurer, he said that the commissions were more likely public help."

See? It would be nothing grand. They are the lowest class, after all. Epitropi like running errands to the people or, if lucky, killing a low rank monster would be the only thing that they could get. At least it's not as if he would get back to his old self just because he'd help a granny cross the road. 

"Like what?" Aeria raised a brow. 

"Like saving a cat that could not get down from a tree or something like that." At that time, it was Naouii who spoke.