Read AN for important shit!

I fucking beat Ornstein and Smough on my first try! Black Knight Sword +3, Black Iron Armour, and the Grass Shield. (Fat boi FTW) Killed Ornstein first and then hid between that big motherfucker's ankles and cut his ass up.

I'm finally ok at Dark Souls. I'm not complete ass at the game anymore! Although I died like ten times trying to get past the great bow knights. I still killed those two fucks on my first try!

Now, that I'm done ranting about Dark Souls. The worst fucking game I've ever played. I can discuss this chapter.

I was going to work on this last week, but I wanted to get a chapter for one of my other fics out. I also had two tests that week so I had to study.

This chapter takes place in the span of about an hour and a half. What we introduce to the story is the entire history behind the Great War-esque conflict and my favourite thing ever, Social Dynamics between classes.

In every fic that I write, I try to bring in real-world social issues to make it more relatable. In Beacon's Number One, I'm doing this heavily with the subjects of bullying, racism, and depression. In To Those Who Survived The Fall, and The Lengths We Must Go To, I use PTSD and trauma as a heavy theme throughout the entire story. In this fic, specifically, I deal with the issues of discrepancy between classes, misogyny, PTSD, and other various social issues.

Now as a disclaimer. Before anybody gets their pitchforks and torches out and demands that I be burned at the stake. Or comments, 'NoT aLL gUyS acT liKe tHis!"

The behaviours that the knights in this story (this chapter too) exhibit are not representative of the behaviours that any specific gender conduct in real life. I clarify the behaviours more in this chapter. There will be more people acting like this that are not knights but average people in the story. This story is set in a semi-medieval world. I cannot set it in an actual medieval world because our female characters would not be able to participate in anything other than being reproductive livestock. So this world does have comparable rights to that of any modern country today. Equal rights for gender (most of the time.) (Racial rights are still being worked on.) However, there will be people that believe women are merely objects in their minds.

I know that not all men act like these knights. I'm a dude and I understand this. I've played on an American Football team before and the shit that I've seen go down make these behaviours look innocent in comparison. So I have witnessed acts that are portrayed in this chapter and much worse. And the shit I'm putting in this chapter is tame.

It just really annoys me when people do this shit like this.

And do not think I don't know what I'm talking about. I've written essays and research papers in excess of ten-thousand words each on the historical and religious influences of these behaviours. Do not come at me. I will cook your ass!

I'm merely introducing these social conflicts to add some more realism to our world.

Each of the first year students was called to gather in the grand hall. It came as a sudden order just as breakfast began. No option was given for any of them to oppose the request as it was mandatory that everyone attends. The added threat of being hunted down by Professor Goodwitch was more than enough reason for all of the first years to assemble in the amphitheatre.

Dozens of other students were slow to move as many were still lethargic from just being awoken from their slumber. Jaune and Ren were already up and dressed for the day as was routine for the men. The Monk was making his bed as the order came while the Knight had been cleaning his boots.

Ok, got to meet up with Ruby and the others... Jaune hoped they would be easy enough to find. If not, then he could hook up with his friends later. Luckily Ren was still here, and they could go together if everyone else were unable to be found. It wouldn't be too awful. Just silence mixed with small portions of conversation.

He signalled to Ren and got a nod in reply. The two headed for the door to the communal dorms. Some of the other students seemed to have the same idea and followed along. Mostly warrior classes who had the look of knights. Hopefully, they just mind their business. The last thing I want is another fight because I hang out with other classes.

Jaune didn't know any of these other students, besides Ren of course. They tagged along as both he and Ren made their exit from the men's dorms. The Knight more or less kept to himself as did Ren while they marched towards the main hall. None of these students seemed to be from the group that followed Cardin around like he was their lord and saviour either, which was a good sign.

"So do you guys know what is going on," a knight spoke up from the crowd. Why are you asking me? I'm not some fountain of knowledge!

"Not sure," Jaune gave a terse answer. He was still hesitant about talking to the other knights. At the moment, they were still not his favourite group of people. "I knew there was going to be an announcement today, but they haven't said what."

Another knight pushed to the front and settled on Jaune and Ren's right side. "I've heard that the Headmaster is going to give a speech on the quests!" I've something along those lines too. But I don't think he'll be talking about that.

"Nah, man," another male called out from the back. "We all know about quests. Your dumbass just hasn't taken one." And I thought Nora was the boorish one. Aren't knights supposed to be all posh or something?

"Mate. None of us has," the first knight countered. Are you kidding me? And Cardin complains about me being a knight when these knobs are his supposed "Master Race."

Jaune was starting to get annoyed with the knights. Most of them seemed pretty incompetent at anything other than fighting. Basically, they were good footsoldiers and nothing else. And then they were usually squabbling amongst themselves for the attention of the women-folk at the academy.

Yang and Ruby got hit on a few times by other knights, but when the blonde threatened to crush their skulls like walnuts, they backed off. Pyrrha seemed to be generally polite towards them and declined their advances. Blake and Weiss were avoided like the plague despite their attractiveness. And Jaune was unsure about Nora.

"Why didn't any of you take quests when they opened the Questing House to the first years," Jaune asked, trying to keep himself from judging his fellow students too hard. They were probably a bunch of city boys who didn't have to work a day in their lives. It was just really annoying having to listen to all of them.

Several of the knights seemed to be contemplating their reasoning behind it. Jaune doubted that it would have been a good reason. Anything they could have come up with most likely was due to laziness and not an actual reason as to why they haven't taken any initiative.

"Well," one of the knights tried to formulate an answer. "You know... There's a bunch of cute girls." You're kidding? "And we had those two weeks free from rent." It's even worse than I thought it could be. I'm a hypocrite, but still, I'm focused on trying to get to the end of the year.

"Yeah," another knight shouted from the back of the crowd. "But we've got no bites yet! You guys are lucky!" How am I lucky? "You've got chicks hanging off your sleeves and left us with the scraps." That irked Jaune even further. Ruby and Yang are my friends. And Weiss is certainly not hanging off my sleeve. It's actually the opposite for the two of us.

Ren seemed to pause for a moment. He calmly turned around to face the group of knights. One of the knights had to have struck a nerve. It was honestly terrifying seeing the usually stoic Monk angry.

"I do not know what you are assuming about the nature of our relationship is with those, "chicks," but they are our friends and colleagues," Ren began. His emotionless tone of speech hid any anger or annoyance that would have otherwise surfaced. But Jaune could see the anger hidden beneath his eyes.

The look on the knight's faces remained unfazed. In fact, they seemed to be wearing wolfish grins. It was unsettling how they weren't taking Ren seriously or were going to take advantage of the opening.

"So, you're telling me neither of you have made a move on those hotties," the same knight who provoked Ren asked. The rest of them seemed ready and waiting for an answer.

Jaune noticed Ren ball up his right fist.

Don't do it, Ren...

While he wouldn't doubt how strong his friend was. They were outnumbered, and with him being possibly at a disadvantage because of his own lower level. It was advantageous to merely retreat and cool off.

Putting a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Come on Ren," Jaune beckoned his friend. "We need to find Nora and the others before Ms Goodwitch tans our hides." The Monk seemed to relax and unclenched his fist at hearing his friend's name.

"I agree, we shouldn't waste any time," Ren said, turning around and heading in the direction of the main hall. A slight pinkish glow made itself known for a fraction of a second.

What was that...

...

Following the mass of students heading to the main hall. Jaune and Ren remained quiet for some of their trip. The knights had since stopped following them which was a plus. However, Jaune was unsure of what many of them wanted, originally. Other than to pester the two men about whether or not they were making a move on their female friends.

Jaune decided to break the silence between the two of them. "So Ren, how are feeling," he asked, intertwining his fingers and placing his hands on the back of his head. As one would do if they were attempting to catch their breath. "You seemed pretty angry with those knights."

The question came out of a genuine concern for his friend. Jaune had made a point of checking on each of his friends since their attendance at the academy began. Homesickness was something that supposed to be frequent for young adults who left home for the first time. And was among the other issues any of his comrades might have faced during their time here. Whatever it was that angered Ren, however, was enough to get him to nearly start a fight over it. The logical side of him wasn't powerful enough to overcome the anger he must have felt.

"I'm fine," he replied in his monotone voice. "The knights at this academy have grown to annoy me at certain times." He paused for a moment. "No offence to you of course. You seem to be an outlier from the other members of your class. Not as though that is a bad thing either." He didn't try and backpedal his way out of it, so he meant what he was saying.

"Thanks..."

At least it wasn't meant in a bad light. Cardin seemed pretty intent on making it known how different he was from the other knights. Although the knight seemed to be much more violent in doing so.

Previously, Jaune had figured out that the knights of Beacon Academy did not play well with others. Nor did they care about other individuals beyond their own interests. Honestly, he wasn't sure how many of them would make it to the end of the year. The few outliers that Jaune noticed were open to siding with the other classes or ended up as loners who sought strength on their own.

Typically, more of the issues stemmed from the male knights. There were female knights, but the class was a male-dominated one. Many female sword bearers went by the class labels "Fencer," or "Duelist," as they did not fit the general description for a knight. Which a person who wears medium to heavy armour and fights as a stereotypical knight. There are exceptions to the heavy armour requirement as someone such as Pyrrha was a hybrid class.

The knights were also the most numerous class among the Beacon Academy students. Thus there would be more issues having to deal with the members of said class for reasons already stated. Frankly, other classes among the warriors had the same problems regarding the bravado they frequently exhibited. Other classes could exhibit these traits; however, the esteem of a knight often deluded many of their ilk into thinking they could do whatever they wanted. As was an issue that some of Jaune's friends had to face.

"Ruby and some of the others feel the same," Jaune added on. "Being annoyed with the knights, not the, me being completely different from Cardin and his friends." He looked to Ren to see that he was listening. "Yang threated to tear some guy's balls off if he tried hitting on her little sister again." That was a very colourful moment to observe. The Brawler's eyes did that red shining thing, and her hair seeming glowed as she lifted the poor fool off the ground.

That anecdote drew a snort from Ren. "I've had to give a similar threat to another intrepid romantic whom Nora complained about," he explained, still showing little change in his emotional state.

"Nora's had trouble with some of the knights," Jaune inquired further.

"Yes, he answered. "A few attempted to take advantage of her because they thought she would have been easy."

"They fucking what," Jaune shouted in anger, turning to his friend who seemed unsurprised by the Knight's reaction. He had to still himself from acting out on his rage and demanding the names of the accused. Had he had his way. There would be nothing but a red stain covering the wall, the ceilings, and whatever else blood could feasibly land on.

"They proposed she have sex with them," Ren further explained, gesturing his hands as some emotion surfaced. "I'll condense my explanation, but suffice to say. Her playful and happy-go-lucky personality made them think she would have not have thought to oppose them." He rubbed the back of his head momentarily calming himself. "When I learned of their behaviour. Nora was not the only person they learned to fear that day." Nora didn't seem to be enough apparently. That girl goes on and on about breaking legs. Maybe she thoroughly tenderised them with her hammer and then Ren came to finish the job with his daggers?

"I feel you," Jaune concurred upon hearing Ren's thoughts. "I've even had to step in a few times as well." He pushed whatever anger surfaced back down. There was no appropriate outlet for it right now.

"You've had prior experience dealing with issues such as this," Ren calmly asked, sidestepping another pair of students.

"I have seven sisters, Ren," Jaune answered, trying to act casual. "I've gotten the crap beaten out of me more times than I can count standing up for them." That elicited another snort from the Monk. "And if Nora or anybody else you know has trouble with them. Come find me!" The offer was not a flippant one done out of sympathy. He was serious about it.

...

Finally reaching the amphitheatre, Ren and Jaune began looking for their respective friends. The hundreds of other students did not make their search easy. Even considering how both men were vertically challenged compared to many of the other students. The Knight was close to suggesting that the Monk climb on his shoulders to get a better view.

Not as though it would change anything. Nora jumped on Ren's back barely seven seconds into their search. The Berserker wrapped her arms around the Monk's shoulders and her legs around his waist. Effectively making the strangest backpack Jaune had ever seen.

"Hi, Jaune," Nora shouted, her head next to Ren's ear. She gave him a cheery wave that nearly threw the Monk off balance. The man didn't seem to mind the new accessory adorning his back and was in no way struggling to carry his friend.

"Hey, Nora," Jaune replied, taking another look for his friends. "Have you seen Ruby or Yang anywhere? Or Weiss?" They should be around here somewhere.

"Oh, they're right behind you!" Nora pointed to something just over his shoulder. What...

Jaune felt another figure brush up against his back. "Did you miss me already," Yang asked in a sultry tone of voice. Her voice sent a shiver down his spine. "I mean, it's only been a day and a half since you last saw me. But I didn't know you were so addicted to my assets..."

He pulled himself away from the other blonde before it could get any worse. "O-Ok, Yang, i-it's nice to see you too," Jaune stammered as he retreated to a safe distance from the blonde's teasing. His cheeks turned beet red in embarrassment. Why does she do that to me?!

Jaune looked over to see Weiss with a mild blush on her cheeks. She must have found their exchange to be cringeworthy. As Jaune was quick to learn, the Heiress tended to become embarrassed at the slightest amount of unsavoury behaviour. Usually from others and not herself.

"Why must you two act like uncouth barbarians in public," Weiss scolded the two blondes. Her cheeks were still holding their shade of pink. It was so adorable to see the princess all flustered.

Jaune and Yang both looked at each other with a grin on their lips. "Nora," Jaune called out to the Berserker. "You're a barbarian... Do we act like them in public?"

The Barbarian readjusted her position atop her ravenette perch. "No," she answered, almost shouting. "I would have told her to shove that fancy language up her ass!" That seemed to irk Weiss even more than she had been previously.

Weiss groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The three of you are incorrigible..."

Yang snickered, "Oh, you know you love us, Weiss-cream," she paused for a moment, "or better yet. We can call you Ice Queen!" The Brawler's predatory smile resembled a hungry beast looking down on their kill.

Weiss' blush grew even worse than before. "You are not calling me that," she demanded, still looking adorable even though she was angry. She and Ruby had a knack for not being able to be appropriately angry with anybody, and it only added to how cute the two were.

"I think I will," Yang fired back, retaining her playful attitude the entire time. The Heiress only grew more red-faced.

Weiss looked to Jaune with an almost pleading expression. If she could genuinely manage one. The Heiress wasn't capable of keeping up with the likes of someone such as Yang for long periods. Even if she tried her best to retort with anger or heavily loaded words, it wouldn't supplement for a higher level charisma stat.

Jaune decided to step in to save his partner. "Ok, Yang," he interrupted, stepping forward to act as a barrier. "Don't beat a dead horse any more than it needs to be." He was fully prepared to be teased for coming to someone's defence.

"Fine," she groaned, rolling her eyes, relenting her crusade against the princess. "I guess I hit my limit for today." She mumbled something unintelligible before turning towards the main stage where the speech was supposed to be held.

Jaune followed suit as did the rest of their group. Professor Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin took centre stage with Professor Port, Dr Oobleck, and several other faculty members standing behind them.

Weiss stood next to Jaune, wearing a pout that still held its blush from her bout with Yang. "Thank you, she whispered, crossing her arms and looking like a puppy that was denied its treat.

"What was that," Jaune asked in jest, pretending he didn't hear her the first time. He leaned down a bit to be more level with the princess. "I don't believe I heard you."

"Don't you start..."

...

Professor Ozpin gestured with his hands beckoning the students to quiet down. Some listened to the order initially but most gradually fell silent. Once the hall became void of any other disturbances, Ozpin stepped forward.

"Welcome," he began, mug and cane in hand. "I hope each and every one of you has started becoming acclimatised to your life at Beacon Academy. These first two weeks were meant for the students to allow themselves to begin bonding with their companions and to develop a rhythm with classes and training in your spare time. I have also noticed that some of the first-year students have begun questing." He looked towards Jaune and the group. "I wish the rest of you who have not formed parties or taken your party out on a quest begin planning to in these coming weeks." He paused in the centre of the stage. "Before I tell you what is expected from the students at my academy. I would like to give a brief lesson of the history leading up to the birth of the modern age of Remnant and the founding of the academies."

"How many of you know the story of the paladin known as Sir Hans," Ozpin asked. Dozens of students raised their hands including Jaune and Ruby.

"I love this story," Ruby squeaked, jumping up and down like a giddy child.

"Yeah, my parents used to tell it to my sisters and me when I was a kid," Jaune said. "I used to love listening to my parents tell it." Usually in the winter months where there were long periods where free time was aplenty. Most families would gather around the fireplace and tell the story. Jaune's was no different.

"Hmmm, I've never heard it before," Ren voiced his opinion.

Ruby let out a loud gasp. "You've never had a childhood if your parents didn't tell this," she pointed out.

Ren and Nora both subtly reacted to what Ruby said. Jaune couldn't get a fix on what exactly it was, but Ruby seemed to be wholly unaware of it. The others didn't pick up on it either because they weren't paying attention. Their reaction was negative. That was as much as he could figure out without prying any further.

"To understand the story of Sir Hans. One must know what led up to his rise to fame and glory." Ozpin's speech cut Jaune's thoughts from going any further. "Over one-hundred years ago, Remnant knew a time of peace and prosperity," the Headmaster began orating the story. "The four kingdoms you know today coexisted alongside six others." He began listing them off with his fingers. "Shion, Argus, Valeria, Protea, Elysium, Citadel, Vale, Mantle, Mistral, and Vacuo. The ten capitols of Remnant stood as the symbols of our civilisation and the peace they represented for centuries prior." He shifted his hand with the cane behind his back. "We knew this period as The Great Peace or The Golden Age." He set his mug on a nearby podium. "It was a time of advancement in both our technological prowess and our understanding of the forces behind the magic that governs our world. The ills of this society: poverty, discrimination, disease, hunger, and war were beginning to decline. Populations rose, and great cities were constructed where the arts flourished alongside the ever advancing sciences. Millions of men, women, and children took residence in these sprawling metropolises." Ozpin took a deep breath. "It was a time of glory for every hero that dawned his or her colours. The last known lairs of the dragons were hunted and destroyed so none could prey upon the people ever again. Even with the deaths of the dragons, there was still work to do for the heroes. Our predecessors fought to keep the cities safe from the other monsters that roamed the countryside so the people could enjoy peace."

"Unfortunately, it all came to an end," he explained, taking a sharp breath, his voice turning grim. The mood of the room quickly soured. "One-hundred years ago... The forces of darkness that conspired against the people of Remnant made themselves known. Unleashing what could only be described as "abominations" upon the land. The first known appearance of what we call, 'The Creatures of Grimm.'" Jaune noticed several other students negatively react to the name. "On that day, thousands of rifts opened in every major kingdom on the planet. Millions of these demons poured out from these tears in space." Ozpin took another breath. "The cities were quickly overwhelmed. Whoever remained inside the walls met their end in the most brutal fashion. Those who were fortunate fled to the countryside and met their fate as the Grimm followed them out of the cities." Ozpin's posture stiffened. "These creatures took on any shape they pleased. Whatever made people fear them the most. Wolves, bears, dragons, phantoms, or even people. Many were unintelligent and acted on instinct. A few were smarter than the most brilliant minds of the previous age. No matter their intelligence. These demons decimated the once great cities..."

"After the initial calamity. Any remaining commanders or kings called for the people to rally behind them. They hoped to put together a resistance to push back the tide of demons," Ozpin continued telling his story. "Every man, woman, and child was called to serve. All were driven by a single purpose... To ensure the survival of the next generation through their sacrifice." He gestured with his free hand with the one holding the cane behind his back. "Millions of soldiers assembled in vast armies in the vain attempt to gain a foothold on our world. And they fought. They fought harder and faster with every skirmish that broke out. With every loss, our hopes and dreams were pulled further into the darkness. With every victory, the flames of our peoples rose from embers." He paused centre stage. "As time went on. The boundaries that once separated classes fell. Racial and social barriers were turned into ash. Men and women named whatever children they had after colours in the hope there could be some ray of light through the darkness. Some remnant of the arts." Ozpin tucked both hands behind his back. "We were united by a common enemy. None the like which we have ever seen before on our world. Our desperate struggle united us as a people. Humans-Faunus. Mages-Warriors-Rogues." He paced back and forth. "After ten years, it looked as though we were beginning to gain a footing. But the cost had been too great. Six of the ten kingdoms of Remnant were reduced to ruins. Half of the world's population fell in a single decade. Hundreds of millions of people were forgotten in the first ten years of The Great War. Only the most notable heroes and kings were remembered up to this day." Ozpin paused in the centre. "Our struggle allowed one young man to rise from infamy to greatness like these other heroes."

"Sir Hans was not a hero, originally," Ozpin explained. "He was merely a young boy kidnapped from his village by pirates. The raiders destroyed his home and took him captive aboard their ship. He was only seven years old at the time." He paused to take a breath. "From there, he was taken in by the crew and raised as one of their own. Despite the knowledge that these men killed his family. Hans embraced the lifestyle as it was the only chance he had for survival." He turned to face the crowd. "For the next ten years of his life, Hans participated in raids along the Sanus-Anima Straight. The crew that had captured him moulded the young boy into a warrior during that time. The life of battle and hardship turned him into a mountain. Standing well over the heads of his fellow crew members." Ozpin took another breath." He did not resemble any description of a hero that we know today. Hans was a corsair at heart. A true pirate. He enjoyed the life he made for himself. Not caring about the people he harmed or who the money he stole belonged to. At the age of fifteen, he was made the captain of a captured vessel. And for the next two years, Hans led his own raids against settlements and merchant convoys." Ozpin kept pacing back and forth. "One day, his fleet had sailed towards to the north. To plunder the southern shores of Mantle. And on that fateful day, when the fabric of space and time was torn asunder. The Great War began. A massive sea monster, created by demonic magic destroyed his fleet. Most of the sailors were lost in the frigid waters."

"When Hans awoke on the northern shore of Sanus. He witnessed the catastrophe before him," Ozpin continued. "Valeria was under siege by the demon armies. Men, women, and children fell in droves while he sat there and was too weak to do anything. The sights of the battle changed the way he saw the world. His entire life was now dedicated to defending the people. He was no longer fighting for himself, he was struggling to ensure the survival of everyone around him." He took another pause. "For the next twenty years, Sir Hans fought the demons where he could. Whether he was a regular in an army. Or leading his own. He fought. Using whatever means he could to do battle with the demonic spirits. Becoming a master of the sword and the spell. Eventually leading a guild known as the Black Sails. To grow into the most powerful hero that is recorded in our history."

"On this day, eighty years ago. Sir Hans and his companions ended The Great War," Ozpin explained. "Led by the Warrior King of Vale. They stormed the first rift that had opened in the city of Valeria. An army of over five thousand soldiers distracted the demons so Sir Hans and his men could infiltrate the bastion surrounding the gateway." Ozpin grew silent for a moment. "Unfortunately, we are not sure of what happened next in this story. All we know is every rift on the surface of the planet closed simultaneously. Only two members of the Black Sails Guild survived the battle. Sir Hans was lost. Survived by no descendants leaving his only friends Cervantes and Astrid to tell his tale. Even then, they could only describe part of his story. The beginning and the middle. The end, we presume, was where Sir Hans met his death at the hands of a powerful demon."

"In memory of the sacrifices made during the war," Ozpin continued. "The Warrior King of Vale and the remaining leaders of Vacuo, Mantle, and Mistral founded the Hero Academies of Remnant. Their goal was to ensure that more heroes could rise despite their meagre beginnings. Becoming a hero was no longer restricted to classical knights or paladins that were raised to fit the role. Now anyone who has the potential to succeed and does will be allowed to defend the people of Remnant."

He took another deep breath. "Beginning now, each of you will be tested to see if you are worthy of upholding the mantle of the hero. If you came here expecting to find all of the work done for you or only wish to coquet among your fellow students, then I expect you to leave by the morning. For those of you who remain. You will not find this journey to be simple." Ozpin gave an emotionless stare at the crowd. "You will be expected to pay your way from this day forth. While your tuition is covered by the Treasury of Vale, everything else is not. Your food and board must either be supplied by yourself, or you must pay for it. One of the lessons learned by Sir Hans was resourcefulness, the most important lesson he ever learned. You will have to find a way to fund yourself over the next four years." Some students began speaking up, but Ozpin gestured for them to quiet down. "There are many quests you can take on to provide yourself with funds. What you may have already learned is you are required to take on ten quests every semester. That is only the minimum amount required. There is no limit to how many contracts you are allowed to complete. However, in conjunction with the quota, you must finish a final quest every semester that can be completed at any time. This will be assigned when you decide you wish to complete it. And it will be difficult. The risk of death or failure will be great. If your final quest results in either, you will be dismissed from the academy." Ozpin took another pause. "To be frank, I do not expect more than half of you to remain at the end of your second semester." With that, he stepped off the stage followed by the rest of the faculty.

Most of the students stood there, stunned, having no idea of how they should react. Jaune turned to look at his friends. Ruby and Yang's were slack-jawed. Pyrrha, who had shown up some time ago, was utterly bewildered. Nora and Ren exhibited no visible reaction. Weiss was... angry?

The white-haired girl turned to Jaune. "Follow me..."

...

Jaune snuck away from the rest of his group. He hoped that it wasn't extremely obvious that he slipped away. Yang would have had a field day with him had she seen the boy's less-than-stellar attempt at stealth. Luckily, she seemed more occupied with the slap in the face that was Ozpin's speech.

How something could end up being inspiring and depressing at the same time was honestly bewildering. Ozpin didn't seem to sugar-coat any part of the story and told what amounted to the truth. Hearing that the greatest hero of the last century was actually a pirate was a little more encouraging, however. If Sir Hans could go from being a pirate to a hero then so could Jaune. Except he was a blacksmith and not a criminal.

The part where Sir Hans was actually a paladin was new to Jaune's ears. Any rendition of the story he heard told of Sir Hans the Knight not Sir Hans the Paladin. It might have had something to do with how that mage, Min Ao, was talking about paladins? They were perceived in a negative light by some it seemed.

Then the finale of the speech. That was a nightmare. A final quest to go along with the quota each of them had to achieve. And if you failed that, you were sent packing. No wonder Weiss was pissed. I am too, but I can hide better than she can.

Weiss had disappeared from view before Jaune could exit the auditorium. The princess being an entire foot shorter than him didn't exactly help. Even if she stood on her toes, there would be no way for him to spot her in the crowd. Where the hell did she go?

Jaune turned around to find Weiss standing just behind him.

"I told you to follow me," she scolded him for not following through with her order.

"Hey," Jaune fired back. "It's not my fault you're hard to follow. I can't exactly see you in a crowd." She caught the meaning behind what he said. While not reacting outwardly in anger, her face scrunched up before relaxing.

"Whatever," she huffed, tossing her hair to the side. "We need to discuss our plans for this week. Since you decided to play blacksmith and not the knight this weekend. We will have to do this now." Sure...

"You know I was repairing my armour, right," Jaune pointed out. He didn't doubt that the princess knew about it. "Kind of got stomped on by an ugly green giant?"

She turned around to face him again. "And that was your fault," she reminded him. "You should have let a higher levelled hero take the lead and not tank the damage like a buffoon." Ok, I can agree on that.

"Uhhh, What did you have in mind," Jaune asked, trying to get back onto the point and to prevent himself from being chastised further.

"You've levelled up," she began, cupping her chin in thought. "We should take on something that is slightly more difficult than you have previously. With a moderately powerful third party member, we could make quick work of a hunting contract or possibly a bounty. But it should be something that pays well for all three of us."

"I agree," Jaune concurred, leaning over an adjacent railing. "The gold from our dungeon run isn't going to last forever. And splitting it between three people is not going to replenish it. I might stay in the communal dorms for now until I have something saved up." That completely defeats the purpose of the communal dorms. You're supposed to get out of them as quickly as possible.

"Then it's settled," Weiss concluded. "Tomorrow we will head to the questing house early in the morning. If we can take care of this quest quickly, then it should not be an issue." She moved closer to Jaune. "And when we take on our final quest. You will not screw this up!" The Princess raised her voice towards the end to burn that into his skull.

Jaune let out a breath of air. "Yes, ma'am..."

I hope you guys like this chapter. I would have finished it earlier this week, but I got sidetracked and couldn't finish it. We'll pick it up when Weiss and Jaune go on their first quest together.

After that, we'll have a time skip to the next part of the plot. And then the ball will get rolling. I wanted to begin introducing our characters and get their dynamic working. Maybe around chapter fourty or fifty we'll finally see our baddies for the story.

And Ozpin's speech was the longest monologue I've ever written. It took me two days to write the damn thing because I had to literally create the entire backstory to this world.

Level Seventeen

Strength 33 (+5)

Agility 17 (+3)

Defence 23 (+3)

Perception 27 (+3)

Constitution 33 (+3)

Intelligence 40 (+5)

Charisma 21 (+3)

Willpower 14 (+2)

...

Abilities

Arclight

A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

The Saviour's Lance

A lance made from the holy light of the sun. Whoever wields this spear will be granted the knowledge of its use. Especially effective on the undead and any and all monsters or ethereal beings. Renders all armour and wards useless when cast.

...

Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.

Monster Slayer

Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.

Armour and Weapons Smith

Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.

Active Debuff

Aura Exhaustion

Aura will not fully generate for several days. Due to differences in constitution values, the duration for the debuff to be active can differ from person to person. With the debuff active, you are more susceptible to injuries and you may experience hypersensitivity in certain regions of your body.

...

Gear:

Jaune's Breastplate

Level 10

Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 21

Agility: 15

Defence: 16

Constitution: 22

Debuff:

Damaged

The damaged plate is more susceptible to being pierced from a weapon. A well-placed warhammer or even a bodkin arrow will punch through the plate.

Eagle's Armour

Level Twenty Eight

Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 57

Agility: 25

Defence: 30

Constitution: 39

Buffs:

This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.

This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.

Crocea Mors

Level Seventeen

Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather

Strength: 34

Agility: 15

Perception: 26