Chapter 57: Meeting the Roomies (Patreon)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yav4Z6K7kqYGF0FfRoBvbjrvl--4fk6hUWzcaEORFq0/edit?usp=sharing

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Taking a deep breath, Cayden stepped through the open doorway into chaos.

Boxes and bags lined the previously open common area. None of it was Cayden’s – his limited belongings were all carefully stowed within his room in anticipation of his roommates’ arrival. But the amount of crap stacked around the common room looked like enough for at least four different roommates.

The belongings weren’t the only things clogging up the room. People quietly scurried around the boxes and bags, unpacking one, folding up another, and stacking a half-dozen more off to the side. Based on their dress and how quickly and competently they handled the supplies, Cayden assumed they were servants rather than his new roommates.

Two people, however, stood apart from the hustle and bustle. They were both elven variations, a bit taller than some of the other elves Cayden had seen but still sporting the stereotypical fine features and pointed ears. Their clothes were much finer than the rest, and they watched over the controlled chaos of the common room with a discerning eye, the servants all giving them a wide berth. Cayden wasn’t sure if there was a specific reason for it, but he’d noticed a lot more elven races among those he assumed were nobility at the academy than he was expecting. It wasn’t anywhere close to becoming a majority, especially among the frontline combat students, but it was a much higher ratio than he was used to seeing in Avernon or even on the streets of the capital.

As he took his first hesitant step into the cluttered common area, hoping to sneak his way into his own room before he was forced to greet anyone in his semi-undressed state, the shorter noble elf’s gaze locked onto his movement, and with an unwavering expression, he elbowed the elf next to him. That elf glanced at his companion and then followed his gesture to see Cayden, his brows furrowing for a moment before he smiled widely.

“Ah! And you must be our fourth roommate! Welcome, welcome, I apologize for the mess. It will be cleaned up soon enough.” He looked Cayden up and down. “You must have come from the frontline combat class – I hope it wasn’t too difficult.”

Cayden’s hopes of slipping into his room unseen were dashed. He could, of course, make an excuse and greet his roommates properly later, but neither of them appeared distressed by his state of undress, and he didn’t want to come across as rude. And he was curious about the elf’s words – they implied a certain understanding of what Cayden’s class had just gone through.

“How do you know about the class? Oh, and I’m Cayden by the way.”

“Ah, where are my manners? I’m Velic, firstborn son of Duke Vass, and this is my attendant, Marvenal. And which part? That you’re in frontline combat? Or the difficulty?”

“Both, I suppose.”

Velic chuckled. “Fair enough. Your frame provides a large hint as to your class designation, but your shirt provides a better indication. As much as the academy plots to keep incoming students in the dark about their planned schedule, it is easy enough for those of us with the resources and the desire to learn what awaits us. Frontline combat was the first class to go through the ‘pain trials,’ as I’ve heard them called, and your current appearance lends itself to that.”

“...among other things. He’s not mentioning that he’s already met our fourth roommate,” Marvenal said with a tone of humorous teasing. Though, strangely, Cayden couldn’t detect any actual amusement in his voice or posture.

“Ah, that’s also true,” Velic said with a bashful chuckle, followed by a mock glare at his companion. “I was hoping to impress our new friend. But I happen to know our fourth roommate already, which rather gave it away.”

Cayden, though, was still confused. “Why would that have anything to do with my class?”

Velic tilted his head as he looked at Cayden before his eyes lit up. “Ah! You aren’t familiar with how the academy structures the dorms.” He nodded as if it was a matter of course. “Each suite has four students, one student from each of the four main adventuring classes. I’m a damage dealer, Marvenal here is a rogue, and our fourth roommate is in the support class. Which of course just leaves you to be the frontline fighter.”

“How is there such an even split? Will the academy reject people if they have too many of one of the classes?” Cayden was of course no expert when it came to adventuring team compositions, but he hadn’t thought that one of each class type was the optimal spread. He obviously hadn’t had the option of a more even spread in Avernon, what with the lack of mage and support adventurers and the overwhelming number of frontline fighters, but wouldn’t it be better to have at least two frontline fighters to protect multiple flanks?

“No, no, of course not,” Velic answered. “Usually the numbers are close enough that they don’t have to make too many adjustments, and they can pull people from the commoner dorms to fill in the gaps – they don’t work as hard to ensure their dorms have such even splits. They’ll group us together later for team training and competitions, but an even split isn’t strictly necessary; there’s a lot of overlap between some of the classes. Many of those in the damage dealer class could be admitted to the frontline fighter class, and vice versa.” Velic waved his hands. “But I’m sure I don’t need to explain all that to you. You’re smart – just missing a bit of context.”

Cayden nodded, not missing the fact that despite Velic’s words, he did in fact explain it to Cayden as if he wouldn’t have been able to figure it out. Part of him wanted to be offended, but he figured that that was just his competitive instincts that were still hyped up after his fight. His roommate was being polite, explaining something to Cayden that quite possibly he wouldn’t have figured out for himself – at least not quickly or without Elise’s help.

“Aside from all that, you’ve gone through an ordeal, I’m sure,” Velic said. “I have of course never experienced the ‘pain trials’ for myself – that’s a treat for tomorrow. I’ve heard they can be strenuous, though. Would you like to head to the dining hall with myself and Marvenal?” Marvenal made a small gesture, and Velic glanced to the side. “Ah, and you can join us too, Delphia?”

Cayden glanced over, noting the new arrival standing in the doorway to the fourth room. Unlike his first two roommates, she was not an elf, but was rather a race that Cayden had unlocked but had hardly seen nor heard of since – a shaeden. It was also hard to tell due to the long hood over her face and the darkness that clung to her like a cloak, but her shorter stature, slightly wider hips and bust, and name made Cayden guess that she was in fact a she. He was surprised that the academy would allow coed suites for the nobility, assuming that the noble parents would be more old-fashioned. But, like the showers, he supposed it was one of those instances in this world where modernity and ancient sensibilities blended in unexpected ways.

“Hi, I’m Cayden,” he said politely to his last suitemate, raising an arm in greeting. Instead of responding, the shaeden turned around and fled back into her room, all but slamming the door behind her.

“I apologize for our last roommate,” Velic said after they had a moment to register what just happened. “She’s lived a sheltered life and is a bit…shy. I’ll sure she meant nothing by it, and will come around eventually.”

Cayden frowned, unsure of the explanation, but nodded. While having noble connections could be nice, he wasn’t at the academy to make friends, and a strange noble’s offended sensibilities were the least of his worries.

“It’s fine,” he said. “And getting some food sounds great. I’m planning to meet a guy from frontline combat at the dining hall in a bit, actually. Just let me get changed and shower first.”

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“That’s Velic Vass. I can’t believe you roped me into eating dinner with Velic freaking Vass,” Jeremy said for the third time, shaking his head.

“What’s the big deal, anyway? Weren’t you the one telling me about how the nobles have to learn to not look down on the normal adventurers, that they’re no more skilled than the rest of us?”

“Yeah, but that was before I realized that Velic freaking Vass was in our class,” Jeremy said, and Cayden once again shook his head.

They stood side-by-side in one of the half-dozen different food lines in the dining hall, waiting for the servants to serve those in line ahead while the buzz of conversation echoed around them. Cayden had initially planned to visit Elise before eating, but he’d spent long enough talking with his new roommates that he decided to delay that for later. Besides, it was still the first day that Elise had access to the library. He was sure she had plenty to entertain her.

He’d arrived at the dining hall with Velic and Marvenal and chatted with them while they waited for Jeremy to arrive. Though honestly, it was mostly just Velic who chatted while Cayden only occasionally chimed in with Marvenal standing silently to the side, his eyes constantly scanning each of the other students who passed.

Despite the number of students who passed while they waited, it seemed as if Velic knew them all. And not just their names – each one he offered a polite greeting and a question personal to them, though never so personal as to become awkward. And to each one Velic introduced Cayden as his roommate.

Cayden gave up on trying to memorize their names after the third, as there were simply too many for him to keep track of. Many of them gave him disgusted looks as they approached, but those quickly changed to poorly concealed looks of appraisal after Velic’s introduction. Cayden supposed that was better than disgust, but not by much.

Princess Valeria and Marrianne were among the number that Velic greeted as they passed. He had just as much enthusiasm as the rest, but with just a hair more deference. Valeria, trailed by a posse of other female students, turned and regarded Velic with a stoic gaze before nodding in greeting to him, Marvenal, and Cayden, and then going on her way. Cayden had instinctively tensed up upon seeing the mind-controlling princess, and Velic gave Cayden an appraising glance after that, but didn’t comment, and returned to his greetings of the other students.

“What’s so special about Velic?” Cayden asked his formine friend, honestly curious about what had Jeremy so flustered. Sure, Velic certainly seemed higher on the totem pole than some of the other nobles, and Cayden knew ‘duke’ was an important title. But was that really such an important distinction?

Jeremy groaned and rubbed the chitin on his face. “I guess you haven’t been an adventurer long, and you’re not from the capital. It isn’t that strange that you wouldn’t know.” He took a breath. “Velic is the firstborn son of Duke Vass, who runs many of the guilds in the kingdom. Including the adventurer’s guild.”

Cayden paused, thinking. “Oh…I suppose that would make him fairly influential in a place like this, then.”

“Fairly influential?!?” Jeremy responded, then looked around before lowering his voice. “You know your old guildmaster in Avernon? The one who ultimately determined your rank, the missions you could accept, and pretty much everything else about your status as an adventurer?”

“Not personally, no.”

“Shut up. The person he reports to would be the head guildmaster here in the capital. And the head guildmaster reports to only one person: Duke Vass, father of Velic Vass. That is the position your roommate is set to inherit. One of complete control over pretty much all adventurers.”

Cayden frowned. While the hierarchy Jeremy explained made sense from a bureaucratic perspective, he’d never personally felt influenced or controlled by anyone in the Avernon adventurer’s guild, much less by the guildmaster. “What does that all mean, though? For him and the rest of us in the academy?”

To this, Jeremy could only sigh. “…I really don’t know.”

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--turns out, it was strep throat. Got some antibiotics and should be all better soon. Thanks for reading!