This… wasn't how it happened.
Voswick—the iron wall of the Disciplinary Department.
In my past life, he never set foot near the D-Class courtyard. We had someone else.
A nobody professor with no spine and no bite, who could barely be bothered to even care about us.
So why the hell was Grahn Voswick standing here now, like an indomitable obstacle?
His presence alone made the other students tremble. The noble brats, who were once rowdy and full of complaints, immediately cowered in silence.
I mean, who wouldn't be afraid of that menacing aura?
"Headmaster's orders. I'm to sort the garbage from the raw gems. Most of you will be gone by month's end."
Voswick announced, his gaze sharp and scanning.
"Although, there's hardly anything worth sifting."
There was nothing like this before.
This class was just supposed to be filled with unknown rugrats and nothing else—so why had the academy already decided to throw us away?
Both the other students and I broke into a cold sweat just from hearing that announcement. Not that we hadn't been sweating buckets since his arrival.
"No complaints?"
Silence. No one dared to speak up—not even the cockiest noble brat.
"Very well then."
He circled around us like a predator waiting for its prey to make a mistake.
I prayed internally that his eyes wouldn't fall on me because I don't want to leave the academy early.
After he finished circling around our trembling figures.
What followed suit was nothing short of brutal.
Right off the bat, we were ordered to run fifteen laps around the courtyard.
Of course there would be complaints but Voswick immediately fired back with the line:
"If you couldn't handle it, feel free to drop out immediately."
A tone devoid of any empathy.
We weren't even given a good warm up and immediately sent running.
Some vomited by the second lap, others fell down by the fourth as their bodies had already given up.
Some students managed to reach the seventh lap but even that was pushing past their limit, as for me?
I was barely conscious just by the fifth lap, it almost felt as if the world was spinning around me and I nearly puked but I held my mouth.
I thought I could've been used to this, but the reality couldn't be more different.
My body ached all over and my legs were on the verge of giving up. If it wasn't from my experience and my knowledge of the proper breathing to keep me afloat, I'd slump over like a dried kelp by the first lap.
Taking a glance behind me, the noble brat from earlier sucked up his gut and simply crawled.
Amidst this, Voswick remained indifferent often glaring at those who stopped while writing something on a clipboard.
Hopefully not the deduction of our points.
"Listen, all of you! Those who cannot even pass this simple regime couldn't even dream of leaving this class. So get your arses crawling, walking or running in this instant!"
He commanded with an ominous tone that I could feel it in my bones.
What does he mean by simple regime? halfway into a military boot camp!
Noticing that the other students that were ahead of me earlier began slumping down and falling on the ground from exhaustion.
The sweltering heat didn't help and there's not even a single shade to cover us.
I slowed my pace just a little to avoid tripping over them.
I could feel the exhaustion creeping up on my body and eventually...
I fell down on the ground, not even halfway through the laps. I forgot to count at that point but from the disappointment in Voswick's eyes—I couldn't make it far.
Not one of us could even make it far.
We collapsed in clumps, some sobbing quietly, others gasping for air like drowning men.
Voswick stood in front of us not even hiding his disappointment.
"Five of you failed to finish,"
He said flatly as he pointed at the students who had fallen far behind.
"Three fainted. Two gave up. Those five will report to the front office tomorrow morning. They're no longer students of Rouxarths."
Expelled immediately?!
No warnings? No second chances?
Voswick didn't care. Nothing like this happened in the past. No one should've been expelled!
I could tell that the other two wanted to argue but Voswick seemed like an immovable fortress, his decision absolute.
"Tch. We've already wasted enough time today."
His eyes wandered over the slumped bodies of the exhausted and half-conscious students while pinching the bridge of his nose.
"At this rate, I'd be dragging corpses off the field instead of sorting talent."
Silence before a click of his tongue, his disappointment never faltering once.
"Get yourselves cleaned up. You've got a long month ahead. Those who survive today—don't even start getting comfortable. We're just starting."
Voswick turned his back on us before dismissing us with just a wave.
What the hell?
How do you expect us to move especially with this blazing heat?
I wasn't even expecting a praise from him but at least a good luck might've motivated us to even crawl more for a bit.
This whole day has been weird so far and it seems that the fact I went back in time wasn't just as simple as following the future events.
Not that I have time to think about that as my body is already falling unconscious.
...
SPLASH!
A wave of cold water hit my face as I slowly opened my eyes whole groaning.
"Are you still alive?"
A guy questioned as I scratched the back of my head, trying to get a grip of everything.
"Yeah, unfortunately."
I graoned, wiping the water off my fave before scanning my background, a not-so well kept building made of wooden planks, a stark contrast to my dormitory and the familiar scent of reek.
I couldn't forget it.
This is the locker room of the D-Class.
"Well you better lie back down if you don't want another session of Mr. Wicked."
But it's about damn time I meet this guy.
"Name's Finley. First-year too. Pretty sure you blacked out by lap six. Nice to meet ya!"
Nice to meet you too captain.
"The name's Clovis, thanks for helping me out there, although I'm pretty sure I made it by the seventh lap."
I muttered before squeezing the temples of my forehead as the forehead wouldn't go anytime soon.
"Sure, whatever helps you sleep tonight. You look like hell, by the way."
He chuckled crossing his arms.
Seeing the other students that are lying down, groaning and slowly waking up—I aided Finley in helping them get over the headache, albeit that didn't go over too well with the nobles.
They didn't want to be helped by peasants, bunch of ingrates.
We were called multiple unpleasant names and pretentious heroes trying to take advantage of them so we would be on their good graces.
Don't even get me started with the spits.
If it weren't for Finley I would've punched some of them in the face since I've dealt with multiple nobles just in one day and I don't exactly have the patience of a saint.
"What's the deal with these arrogant bastards?"
I groaned drinking a bottle of water Finley gave me.
"You better get used to it, partner."
Finley scoffed watching as the other nobles groan in pain before he lightly tapped my shoulder before pointing at their misery.
I couldn't help but grin seeing those who declined our, in my opinion, very generous offering of aid suffer in pain.
"Well, I've no intentions of tolerating that behavior but this makes it somewhat worth it."
I replied earning a giggle from Finley.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Mr. Wicked left us a homework and the deadline is apparently by the end of the week?"
Finley brought up. Another unexpected event, we were never supposed to have that, not until next month that is.
"If I can remember—it's about making magic stones or something?"
He added causing my once grin to disappear into a massive frown.
"Does he seriously expect these bunch of losers, including an F-Class student to be even able to make magic stones?"
Finley and I talked more for the rest of the day about the making of magic stones and apparently it wasn't that difficult for him.
Must be nice.
Those things, while cheap—cost me a fortune back then.
We went on separate ways the moment time had passed into dismissal and I just grumbled on my way there.
Tracing my path back to my dorm while dragging my exhausted body, I looked at a certain distance—luxurious and bright shimmering lights from a mansion.
"Must've been a nice party."
I'm envious of laughter back then and still now, but with so many unexpected things that happened just in one day.
Voswick. Homework. Expulsions. Nothing is the same.
I think I have a chance to shift this life—someone to be remembered.
Finally slumping back on the bed for some well needed rest for my body.
I could already feel the painful cramps in the morning.
But then—I seemed to have forgotten one thing.
Ysinia.
Oh come on!
...
After dismissal, Ysinia can be seen in front of the gates of the academy still with her aloof expression looking from left to right.
She blinked once and twice.
"He's not here..."
Looking like a lost kid, she mumbled something before deciding to depart and make her way back home.