I'm sure by now everyone has noticed. The stats, and the way the world works… I have been revealing very little and refusing to answer specific questions about it that reviewers ask. There's good reason for that, and it's part of the world building here.

Jaune doesn't know everything himself, not being a Hero. So you will be learning along with him.


Beta: College Fool

Chapter 4


"-aune." Something jostled my shoulder gently. I tried to ignore it, gripping the covers with one hand and rolling over to get back to sleep. The sheets were warm; the air around me less so. Had I left the window open last night? "Jaune, you need to wake up."

My mother must have had a difficult night too, since she sounded like she had a cold, her voice more masculine than usual. Like always though, she gave up with a sigh, and I let out a breath of relief as she left me be.

Before the blankets were town away completely, exposing me to the brisk morning air.

"I'm used to waking Nora up," Lie Ren said without an iota of apology, standing above me with a neutral expression. As though he hadn't just exposed my warm and comfortable body to what felt like sub-zero temperatures. "If you don't get up then we'll miss breakfast, and likely our first lesson too."

Oh right. I wasn't at home anymore. I was at Beacon Academy, with Ren and about a hundred other guys, all squashed into one long hall. I shivered lightly as I grabbed the uniform jacket that rested on the chest at the end of the bed. No wonder it was so cold, the hall was completely open to the elements, with only a few fires to heat up what was a huge building. It didn't help that the students on their way out left the doors open, welcoming in a stiff breeze.

"What time is it?" I asked, teeth chattering.

"About seven forty-five. We need to have a shower and get ready. The others will be waiting for us at breakfast." Ren rubbed one hand down his cheek. "You might not know, but bad things tend to happen if I'm late. Nora's imagination is… well let's just say she might assume I've been kidnapped and launch a rescue mission."

"Okay, okay. I'm up…" I sighed, pushing myself off the low bed. My back ached a little; they really weren't the most comfortable of beds and with how cold it was I must have seized up in the night. There was also a bit of a funky smell about, which was most likely the scent of too many guys squeezed into too little a space. "You said something about a shower? I could use one after yesterday." I could still feel a little grime on me, what might have even been Grimm blood. No, that would have vanished with the Grimm. Either way, I was filthy.

Ren nodded and motioned for me to follow after him. The chest at the end of the bed contained a few basic amenities, a towel, some cheap shampoo and soap. I stacked it all atop one another and headed with him to the showers, brushing past other guys who walked about with groggy expressions and dazed steps. I was hardly the only one reeling from the exhaustion of our Quest the previous day, it seemed.

But as we reached the showers and what I hoped would be the best way to wake up, we were faced with a fresh conundrum. One that Ren didn't balk at nearly as much as I did.

"Communal showers?" I hesitated outside, eyes noticing the misty shapes of other guys under the steam.

"Hm?" Ren turned to me, one brow raised. "There are lockers we can put our clothes in," he said, apparently mistaking my concern. Either that or he was just being polite, I couldn't really tell.

It's just another challenge, I thought with a sigh, forcing a smile to my face and following after my new friend as he led us into the changing rooms. It calmed me a little to see the various booths to change in, not to mention the fact that everyone else there refused to look at one another with the studious determination of young men desperate not to see anything they shouldn't.

We took a pair of booths next to one another, pulling the curtains over as I divested my clothes and placed them on a nearby shelf. Naked and feeling more than a little awkward for it, I turned to look at the full length mirror attached to the wall.

Jaune. Blacksmith.

My eyes widened.

Crap, crap, the amulet was resting atop my folded clothes, before I yanked it back down over my head. The white characters morphed and changed into the Knight I was supposed to be. I hadn't even thought twice about taking it off, lost in the familiar act of getting changed. My breathing calmed as I reminded myself that no one had seen.

This was something I'd need to be careful about. The amulet had to stay on, pretty much forever. I needed to sleep with it, bathe with it, and go to lessons with it. I couldn't afford to make a mistake like that again. I could just imagine it, me walking out into the showers while everyone stared at me in shock. Idiot…

"Jaune?" Ren asked, voice low but audible just behind the curtains.

"Coming," I called, quickly folding my clothes and stepping out with them covering my privates. To my relief Ren was pretty much the same, though he managed to make it look a lot more casual. "Communal showers is a little awkward."

"Tell me about it." Ren sighed, but managed a small smile. His eyes roved down a little, however, looking at my chest. "You're not going to take that off?"

"I can't." I said. Ren's brow rose. "I mean I won't," I corrected quickly. "It's sentimental." I hoped that would do as an excuse, and although Ren didn't say anything, he seemed to accept it. With a casual shrug we stored our clothes away in the lockers lining one wall, before stepping out into the tiled showers.

Thankfully the place was filled with steam and the sounds of hot water. It was hard to make out anything other than indistinct shapes and muted conversation, and as we found some unoccupied showers to use, no one even looked twice at the two of us.

I should wake up earlier in future, I decided. If I can get to the showers before most people wake up then there'll be less chance of someone mentioning my amulet. I had no idea whether it would handle being constantly soaked. Magic was hardly my forte, enchantment even less so. Ren hadn't thought anything of it, but then again he was a monk and might not have known any better.

What if a Mage of some other magic-user saw it? They might be able to tell that it was enchanted, or maybe even what it did! It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that a Knight wearing a trinket that would make your Class look like Knight clearly wasn't one. That was a risk I couldn't afford to take. Ugh… that meant I would be getting up around half-five or six in the morning from this point on. Not fun.

I excused myself a little earlier than Ren, only really doing enough to wash my hair and get rid of any lingering odours before hurriedly making my way back to the changing rooms. I wasn't willing to risk it any further than I had to. The uniform was simple enough, a white shirt beneath a dark blazer with black trousers. Useless to fight in, it was probably more to present a good image. Either way, the amulet was quickly stuffed down beneath the shirt, hidden from view. Jaune Arc, the Knight, looked back at me in the mirror.

"You can do this," I encouraged, taking a deep breath. I had gotten this far… how much harder could it be?

It was closer to eight fifteen by the time I got outside. Ren was still inside and I wasn't keen on going anywhere without him for now. Instead I leaned against a nearby wall, watching fresh and awake students rush out into the morning air, no doubt headed for the smell of food I could just make out. It smelled good.

It was while people were rushing to and fro, that I watched an inevitable collision take place. I saw it in slow motion, as a burly figure bumped into a smaller one, quickly calling out an automatic apology. The shorter person fell to the floor, reminding me of Ruby instantly. The fact that it was a girl helped, but what was a girl doing in the men's dorms at all? Wasn't that against the rules?

"Sorry!" The man called back, expression contrite. He didn't turn to help, however, continuing out the door. I frowned as he saw a few other people look at the girl, before walking around her entirely. Chivalry really was dead, it seemed. With a resigned sigh I pushed off the wall and walked up to the girl, offering a hand.

"T-Thank you," the girl took it hesitantly, accepting the help but not quite meeting my eyes. My own looked above her head, to long brown ears that reached up to the white characters that floated above her. Her name was Velvet, and she was a Tailor, an NPC. "S-Sorry sir," she stammered. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine," I said, unable to do anything but compare her to a frightened rabbit. The ears didn't help, though it was the way she kept her eyes locked on my chest that really sold it. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sir." Her ears drooped a little, "It was just an accident. He didn't mean to."

I hummed a little at that. It had been an accident. That was clear enough. But it didn't really excuse the guy for not coming back to help her up. Mum would have had my head for something like that, that was if my sisters didn't hear about it first.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked. "Aren't girls not supposed to enter the men's dorms?"

"I'm an NPC," she said, as if that explained everything. "I'm supposed to collect any broken or frayed bed sheets and uniforms and repair them. I was coming to replace the towels."

"You work at Beacon?" It made sense. The school had to have people who saw to the various tasks. No doubt the meals were cooked by culinary NPC Classes. I hadn't really thought about it at the time, but the school likely couldn't run without NPC support.

"Yes sir," she said. "I'm a tailor. Um… if you don't mind, sir, can I continue my work?"

"Oh sure, sorry." I let her go, watching as she backed away and bowed once to me, still not quite meeting my eyes. Once she was a few feet away she turned and hurried off, worming her way through the various people who didn't really looked concerned to see a woman amongst them. It was almost like they didn't see her at all.

"Making a new friend?" Ren asked, somehow sneaking up without me even noticing him. The other boy chuckled lightly as I jumped and fixed a little glare on him. My ability to intimidate him was clearly lacking, since he just looked more amused.

"I don't know about a friend," I sighed, "she seemed pretty awkward around me."

"She's an NPC," Ren said. And again I was hit with the curious sense that it should have explained everything away. "She's likely on the clock, even now. Don't take it personally. Either way, we should go get some food before everything is gone." We were already pretty late, judging by how empty the hall was. So with a quick nod we rushed out after the crowd.

The food hall - or I supposed it was some kind of communal area - was much larger than the men and women's halls put together. There were also far more people than I'd seen before, likely from the other years that attended Beacon. With rows of wooden tables that reached down into the distance, not to mention some round ones on another side, it was honestly more intimidating than breakfast had any right to be.

"Renny!" a voice shouted, and it was testament to the sheer amount of noise that Nora's voice could be drowned out at all. Thankfully, Ren managed to find her, touching my arm and pointing over to where the ginger-haired girl was waving from. Pyrrha sat beside her, also holding one hand up towards them. I waved back with a little grin, even as we pushed our way over to them. "Morning Renny," Nora giggled as we sat down opposite them. "Hey Jauney."

"Nora," I nodded back. "And morning to you too, Pyrrha. How's life in the girl's dorm?"

"Crowded," the redhead smiled back to me, pushing a tray of food over. I wondered why she'd felt the need to get some food for me, but I wasn't going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. I quickly started devouring the bacon and eggs there. "I'm not used to sharing a bed with so many other people nearby. It will take some getting used to."

"We're neighbours," Nora boasted, and I found some amusement in that their arrangement mirrored ours so well. "But don't worry Renny, I'm not going to replace you with a redheaded counterpart."

"The thought didn't cross my mind," the boy chuckled. Were the two of them in some kind of relationship? "Jaune, aren't they your friends from the other day?" It took me a second to realise he had turned to look at me, before his words finally filtered through. I spun around in my seat, just about making out Ruby at one of the doors. She seemed to be looking for something. In fact, she looked a little apprehensive.

"Ruby!" I called out, waving one arm above my head as I fought for her attention. The little girl didn't seem to spot me, but luckily her older sister did, touching her shoulder and pointing over at me. Ruby's face lit up instantly, as she bounced on her feet and waved back. "They're friends," I whispered to Pyrrha and Nora, who were watching me with curious expressions. "I'll introduce you when they come over."

Except that I noticed, as they made their way through the crowds, that two had somehow become three over the course of the night. My eyes widened as I realised just who was trailing after them, and to my embarrassment hers narrowed in recognition as she saw me.

"Oh great," I heard her grumble. What little ego I had quickly died.

"Jaune!" Ruby gushed, sliding into the seat beside me and resurrecting my self-esteem just a little. "Guess what? I made another friend."

"We are not friends," the white-haired mage from before initiation growled. It looked like I wasn't the only one who had managed to earn Weiss' ire, though Ruby had apparently come out without being frozen.

"She's just shy," Ruby whispered. It wasn't a very quiet whisper.

"I am not shy."

"Right," I coughed, and waved towards the people at the table. "So Ruby, this is Pyrrha and Nora, you already know Ren," I then waved back, "and this is Ruby, her sister Yang and… Weiss, I guess."

"I can introduce myself, thank you," the girl snorted imperiously. "I am Weiss Schnee, Mage of Atlas, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." From the way she said it, it was clear the pleasure was all theirs. How Ruby had managed to befriend – or rather snag – the attention of the scary girl I had no idea. I just wished she could have picked someone that I hadn't tried to flirt with less than twenty-four hours before.

"Weiss has the bed between me and Yang," Ruby ladled jam onto a piece of toast, stacking it high enough to make my teeth ache. "She seemed pretty lonely so I figured we could all be friends."

"I've already told you if this is how annoying you're going to be, then I am more than happy to switch beds," Weiss rolled her eyes. "That way you can sleep next to your sister and leave me alone."

"Nah, I'm cool," Yang grinned, flicking a seed from an apple of the pale girl's face. Ren and I leaned back as we both felt the temperature suddenly drop. The fact that there was an angry Mage at the table was a fact lost on neither of us. Any feelings of ice creeping up our spines could very well be literal. "Besides, Ruby needs to learn to become more independent. I can't coddle her forever. This way she can be her own person without interference."

"Aww Yang…" Ruby cooed.

"Independence?" Weiss cried. "You are one bed apart. No more than five metres away from one another. How is this independence?" Weiss turned to Ruby, eyes wide, "Just how sheltered are you!?"

Nora and Pyrrha giggled at the show, and I might have as well if I hadn't been so close to it. Weiss seemed like the type to take things literally, even if it seemed obvious to me that Yang was just trying to get a rise out of her. Well, mission accomplished.

On the bright side, sitting and laughing at a table with four friends and one possible frenemy was a lot better than I'd expected of my time at Beacon. It was kind of lucky how that had turned out, since if Pyrrha, Nora and Ren hadn't arrived – I'd have been dead.

In fact, I'd have already died before that, if it wasn't for that girl helping out. I tried to pick her out in the crowd, craning my neck above Ruby's head so that I could look over the sea of students. It was a doomed task from the start. There were just too many people. With a sigh I sat back down, just catching the middle of a conversation between Pyrrha and Yang.

"-first lesson is more of an introductory thing I'm told," Yang said. "I guess they want to explain how Beacon works and what we're meant to do."

"Do you know where it's held?" Pyrrha asked.

"I overheard some older students say how they need to guide the noobs to their first lesson. I guess that means us."

"Nice to see they think so much of us," Pyrrha sighed. I wasn't sure what she expected, really. We'd only been here for a day, so it made sense the other students wouldn't really have all that respect for us. Even NPC schools, what little schooling they did, was pretty much the same. I'd been bullied for being a first year, before later being bullied for having my sisters be the ones to stick up for me. Such was life. What was a Blacksmith supposed to do about it?

"Well we'll prove them wrong!" Ruby said, slamming a hand down on the table. It barely shook and it definitely didn't generate much in the way of noise. Ruby seemed to flush as she realised that, but pushed on regardless. "We'll show them all how awesome we are, and how we're mature students ready to be Heroes."

"You are going to show them how mature you are?" Weiss sniped, "I can't wait to see this."

"Aw, thanks Weiss – see? I told you she was just shy."

"What? I-ugh," the mage rolled her eyes, "I give up. I'm not even sure you're listening to half of what I say."

"I'd love some strawberries, thank you." Ruby gushed, making Weiss growl and push a bowl over. Ruby caught my eye at the last second, giggling slightly and winking. Poor Weiss… she was probably in for a real struggle. I'd have felt sorry for her, if she hadn't encased my feet in ice the day before.

A flash of movement caught my eye as I looked out over the hall once more. Over by one of the walls, on a bench filled with people, a black-haired figure stood with a tray of food, about to sit down. My eyes widened as I spotted her. No wonder I'd struggled, she was obviously in the school uniform now, with the black blazer and red-plaited skirt a far cry from the black outfit she'd worn before. It was honestly kind of impressive how despite the bare legs, red skirt and neutral expression, she still managed to fade out of view.

Damn it, what was her name again? Something that began with B. I didn't want to shout Assassin out over the hall, and there was no way I could fight my way through the crowd to get to her. She seemed to be choosing a space to sit at right then, but at the last second I managed to make out the name above her.

"Blake!" I called, holding an arm up. Her feline ears twitched instantly, perking in my direction. She didn't turn, though, even as I shouted out her name again. Maybe she thought I was shouting for someone else? "Blake. Over here!"

Golden eyes met mine. Finally, some success as she turned to look directly at me.

"Come sit with us," I called, motioning to the table. A few people looked my way, but it wasn't like I was the only person calling friends over. It would be a good chance to thank the girl for helping me, not to mention make a new friend out of the deal.

The Assassin reached down to pick her tray off the table and stand back up. My smile fell, however, when instead of coming over to us, she turned and carried it outside.

"Or not…" I muttered lamely, feeling as much as hearing some nearby tables laughing. With an awkward shrug, I turned back to my own table, just in time to finally notice that every single person was silent - and looking straight at me. "Uh, what's up?"

"What was that about?" Pyrrha asked. She was perhaps the most casual of the group, what with Weiss, Ren and Yang giving me odd looks.

"Just a friend," I shrugged.

"Doesn't look like it," Yang said, making me wince.

"Well hopefully a friend," I amended. "Maybe she just didn't want to eat with us, or wanted to eat outside." It felt like a weak excuse, even to me. Blake had already made to sit down and eat at that other table. It was fairly clear she'd chosen to avoid me.

"Well no complaints here," Weiss frowned and turned back to her breakfast, "I wouldn't want to eat with someone like that anyway."

"She wasn't being rude," I defended, even if I wasn't sure why. I couldn't help but add, "Maybe she's just shy like you?" Ruby clamped a hand over her mouth, even as Weiss gave me a look that could have frozen my blood.

I checked my body for ice, just in case.


True to Yang's prediction a number of older students led us to our first lessons, about two hundred people travelling in single file through the halls of the Academy. I tried to memorise the route, but with tall, arched corridors and numerous twists and turns, it wasn't easy. One of the older students assured us we would have maps waiting for us on our beds when we returned, but that hardly helped sooth my fears that I wouldn't be able to find my way back to my bed in the first place.

Eventually we were guided into a wide, circular room. It wasn't a classroom so much as an assembly hall. I guessed it made sense that for some introductory course they would want to teach it to everyone at once. More than likely the actual lessons would be in smaller groups, just to break up the numbers.

There was also the question of how they would be taught too, since surely there was no point in most of the Classes attending a lesson on magic or casting. No doubt that was something we would be told later, or when we received our timetables. For now I simply squeezed in after Pyrrha, with Ruby close behind. At least it was less crowded than before initiation, we were now able to stand shoulder to shoulder.

Ruby whispered something beside me, but went silent as a lone figure walked out onto the raised platform at the front. It was someone I hadn't seen before, though considering that they were an adult, they clearly worked at Beacon. The man didn't dress like a fighter though, given that he wore a white shirt sloppily tucked into brown trousers, with a bright yellow tie. He had green hair too, which made for a contrast that hurt my eyes.

"My name is Doctor Oobleck," the man's voice was loud and firm, if a little rushed. "I am an Alchemist, Hero and Professor here at Beacon Academy. During lessons you may refer to me as sir, doctor or Mr Oobleck." He waited for there to be any questions, though I doubted there would be with so many people around. No one wanted to stand out. "You will be having your first official lessons at Beacon today," he continued, "though before that I have been asked to introduce you to some of the nuances and rules of the academy, and your life here."

"Called it," Yang quipped to someone further down the line.

"You are here to learn the skills it takes to be Heroes of Remnant," the teacher went on. "You may come from different Kingdoms, but during your tenure here you are expected to have loyalty to only Beacon and Vale. You will attend lessons on various subjects, some practical and others academic. Let me make one thing clear, though some lessons may have no application for combat, they are no less important to your development. A Hero is more than a person who knows how to fight. They must know law, culture, history and a number of other things. We at Beacon will teach you this."

"Heroes are expected to protect the weak. We are bastions of defence against the Grimm that spawn across the Kingdoms, but beyond that we also protect people against rogue elements of society. Bandits, criminals, raiders… we are the shield which protects the Kingdom, and the sword which strikes down the enemies of humanity. But we are not soldiers," the man slammed a finger down to point at us all, making me jump slightly. "Do not forget this. Wars, skirmishes or diplomatic incident between the Kingdoms are not our concern. Due to the Treaty of Heroes drafted after the Great War, all members of the Hero Caste are barred from participating in armed conflict between the Kingdoms."

Armed conflict? I gulped slightly at that. So what were we to do if we were under attack – surely we could defend ourselves, but did that extend to anyone else? I shook my head. It was a pointless thing to dwell on. The Kingdoms had been at peace for decades. This was just to prevent anything happening.

"But Heroes are more than just this," Oobleck turned around to point at a large scroll that hung from the wall behind him. I strained my eyes to see it, only able to make out some kind of chart with pictures of various people on it. "Heroes are also the linchpin of society and the very basis of our economy. I am sure that you have all slain Grimm at one time or another. No doubt during the First Quest you fought against many. Did you all pick up some lien?"

There were mumbles among the crowd, and I nodded to Ren when he looked at me in question. I'd made sure to grab the lien the Beowolf dropped, which was still firmly stashed on me at that moment. I'd always planned to share it with them later. It wasn't much, and certainly not enough to want to lose any friendships over.

"I hope you have not spent it already," the man quipped. "Lien comes directly from fallen Grimm mobs that spawn across the Kingdom. In that way, we are the money makers for all people." At this he pointed to the chart once more, which had Heroes at the top. Beneath that was the word NPC. "Heroes use the lien they earn to purchase equipment and supplies. Much of this is crafted and sold by NPC's, thus much of our earnings go to the NPC Caste who provide us with food, weapons, armour and materials."

Again, it made sense. Apart from horse shoes and tools, the majority of wares my father sold were swords and armour to Soldiers or Heroes. I never got to meet them, since the work was often commissioned from a distance, but still.

"The lien that the NPC Caste receives is then spent among themselves on food, rent and bills – before being taxed by the Noble Caste, the administrators, and officials who run the Kingdom." He pointed to the third box, before moving onto the fourth. "This is then paid as wages to the Soldier Caste. As you might imagine, the Soldier Caste then spends it with NPC's and so forth. Our economy works as a well-oiled wheel that provides for every person within our society, but only so long as Heroes continue to feed it."

It was a strange analogy, though again it made sense. I'd never really considered that we effectively took from Heroes, or where that money had come from. All I knew was that we paid our taxes and lived as best we could, even if that wasn't always a wealthy life. It helped that both my parents worked, especially since my father didn't have to worry about a different salesperson taking a cut of his profits. So each bit of pocket money I'd ever owned… it had come from a bloodthirsty monster at some point or another.

That was kind of crazy, now that I thought about it.

"As you can see, we Heroes protect the Kingdoms in more ways than one. This leads me to the next issue you will face at Beacon. You may have noticed that NPC's work here. They provide your food, a place to rest; they clean your sheets, keep the school running and generally ensure that Beacon Academy is what it stands to be today." I smiled at hearing that. So many people seemed to disparage us that to hear someone straight up say how life would be impossible without NPC's was a rare blessing.

"They do not work for free."

Ah… yeah…

"Beacon also does not charge you anything to study here, yet we receive no funding from the Noble Caste. As the primary earners of Lien, we are expected to fend for ourselves. And we do. Your first week here will be covered, but after that it is the students who must pay for any all amenities within Beacon. From food to showers, from repair of clothing to having your bed cleaned."

That got a response. The man on the stage rode out the shouts and loud protests with ease, standing with arms crossed as I heard people complaining all around me. Some mentioned how the NPC's should be proud to serve them, others about how they hadn't expected this or couldn't afford it. I felt just as nervous, and noticed that my friends beside me all looked worried.

Doctor Oobleck didn't even bother to interrupt. And as one minute became two and then three, I wondered if he was going to at all.

"If you will let me continue," he said at last, his words pushing the students into silence. "Very good. Know that this is a model Beacon has used for generations. Every student before you has managed to cope and you shall too. You will have to, if you wish to stay here." And that wasn't ominous at all. "During your time here, after some lessons and training, you will have the opportunity to go on Quests or Hunts of your own. Beacon is ideally placed for you to enter Grimm-infested territory, and you may do so at your wish in order to farm lien. There is plenty of wealth in those woods, should you have the determination to seek it out. Of course, the danger is very real – but so are the benefits."

And it probably helped that while we were doing that, we would be farming Exp as well. It was pretty clever really, how they could have us pay them and do our own training at the same time. I wondered how much the work the NPC's did, and whether the funds I had would buy me any time. I definitely didn't feel confident enough to go out there alone right away.

But maybe I didn't have to. Pyrrha met my eyes at the same time I looked to her, quickly flashing a smile and a nod as we shared the same idea. Maybe I could get a whole party to go out together. It would be a lot safer.

"Exact pricing will be found on your beds tonight, but remember that for your first week there is no requirement to pay. What you do with any additional lien is your own choice. We will not take nor tax you beyond what you must already pay. There are additional benefits you can purchase, however, beyond what you currently have. Extra food for instance, or perhaps you would prefer private accommodation, additional lessons or new equipment."

That got some appreciative comments from the crowd, me included. It suddenly made sense why the dorms were so uncomfortable, and also why they were empty. There wasn't a single second, third or fourth year in them. I'd assumed that was because they had their own, but chances were it was that they had all chosen to move out.

The chance to have my own room, with a shower I wouldn't have to share? I definitely needed to have a look at that list.

"Should you find any equipment that drops from a Grimm, then the Academy also has an auction run by NPC's. You may provide your equipment for sale, and 90% of the sale price will be delivered to you. The Academy has a thriving economy of its own, which you will no doubt come to grips with soon enough." The man let out a quiet chuckle, "Why, I hear there are even those who sell material they really should not. Do remember that alcohol is strictly forbidden in the Academy. Should you be found with it, you will be punished."

"If he catches us," Ruby's sister whispered once more. She let out a quiet oomph as Ruby dug an elbow into her side and shushed her.

"A full list of rules and regulations will be provided, but for now it is important that you all plan ahead for when you will be expected to pay for any services. For now, however, I would like to introduce you to the faculty here, and the lessons you might expect to learn with us." I watched as the man turned to the left, three new figures walking out onto the stage. I recognised the Warlock from the First Quest almost immediately, and unlike Oobleck she wore clothing that befit her Class, namely dark robes with a white shirt.

The other two I wasn't quite as familiar with.

"As you know I am Doctor Oobleck. I am an Alchemist and I teach numerous lectures. Those of you with talents in the arcane may have lessons with me, while you will all study history, politics and Hero theory under me as well." The latter sounded of particular interest to me, since it ought to have many of the answers I was looking for. I'd still need to find a book on Knights though, when I got the chance. It wouldn't do to act surprised or not know Skills I was really supposed to have.

Before I could think any more on it, the woman stepped forward, expression stern, "I am Glynda Goodwitch," she said. "I am a Warlock and Deputy Headmistress of Beacon. Apart from my administrative duties I will teach advanced magic and first aid. I also oversee all combat classes, where you will be graded and judged on your ability to fight between one another."

And I also got the strange premonition that she handled detentions too. Something I would be keen to avoid since she made me nervous without even looking in my direction.

"Ha ha!" The rotund man barked loudly, striding forward with a swaggering gait. Where the other two teachers looked somewhat stern, this man had a wide and disarming smile, along with a huge moustache. His jacket was the most aggressively bright shade of red I'd ever seen, with gold embroidery across it. "My name is Peter Port, resident Hero, supreme gentlemen, wooer of fine ladies, embodiment of manl-"

Miss Goodwitch coughed. I wasn't at all surprised that the man stopped mid-stride. I would have as well if the woman had looked at me like that.

"Ah… my class is Cavalier," he waved towards the words above his head. "I am the resident warrior-type Class among the faculty, and I teach Grimm Studies, Battlefield Strategy and also hold a number of warrior-type lessons for those interested in the fine art of melee combat. I am also, against all odds, still single ladies." He held out one thumb, teeth sparkling. Even I felt awkward at absolute silence which followed. Someone in the crowd clapped twice, the sound dying out as no one else joined in.

"Moving on," the final man stepped forward, silver hair set above dark brown eyes behind rimmed glasses. He was dressed in a suit of dark green, with a strange stave held in one hand. It looked like he was leaning on it for support. "I am Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy." There could be no doubt of it. Even as he spoke I found myself going silent, along with every other student there. He didn't have the same terrifying presence as the Warlock, but his words carried no less weight. "As you can see I am a Sage. I do not hold lectures or classes within Beacon, though you may be invited to speak with me if I believe there is need. I would like to encourage you all to consider Doctor Oobleck's words here well, particularly when it comes to the economy of Beacon. Should you find yourself unable to afford necessary services to survive, it shall be I who steps in. Repeated instances of this, however, will lead to your tenure here coming to an end. You cannot afford to coast by in Beacon," Ozpin raised a mug towards them. "I wish you all luck." The Headmaster stepped back, though before the crowd could start talking again, the Alchemist spoke.

"That is all for this introduction," Oobleck said. "Individual time tables will be made available to you before you retire tonight. You may follow Miss Goodwitch from here. She will be holding her lesson with you for the rest of this day. Welcome to Beacon!"

Everyone cheered, and I clapped along with them. I could already make out people filing towards the exits. With how many of us there were, it was more likely older students would have to guide us there again. As I watched, my eyes caught a familiar pair of feline ears once more.

"Jaune wait!" Ruby gasped, trying to grab my arm as I pushed past.

"I'll catch up," I called back, not taking my eyes of the raven-haired girl as I made my way through the crowd. "Sorry, excuse me – sorry!" People growled and shoved back but I barely saw them. I needed to talk with her before she vanished once more. "Blake!" I called.

She didn't seem to hear me; the crowd really was too loud. Sod it. If I was going to catch her attention then I was going to have to catch her. As she exited the hall, I was hot on her tail, looking left and right. There – just going down one of the corridors. It didn't occur to me that it wasn't where the guides were taking us. I just followed, right into a pair of yellow eyes.

And a knife.

I yelped as she grabbed me by the arm, pulling me around the corner before pushing me against a wall, steel at my throat. If the words above her head weren't reminder enough, this certainly was.

"H-Hey," I managed nervously, hoping to look as unthreatening as I actually was.

She blinked. Yellow orbs widening but a fraction, before she stepped back and sheathed the blade. I hadn't even thought to draw Crocea Mors, which was actually still by my bed. Even if I'd had it, it wouldn't have been any use. In the time it would have taken to clear the scabbard, she could have carved her name into my neck.

"Sorry," she said, in a voice that really didn't sound all too apologetic. It didn't sound much of anything, in fact, just neutral.

"N-No worries," I rubbed my throat, but there was no blood there. "I guess I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

She continued to look at me, one brow raised as though waiting for me to speak. It hadn't occurred to me until that moment that I really didn't know what I was meant to say.

"So…" I trailed off, noticing her eyes narrow. She didn't seem pleased to have me wasting her time. "I wanted to thank you," I quickly said. She blinked again, and although there was no real emotion to it, I got the sense that I'd somehow surprised her.

"Thank me for what?"

Eh, did she really mean that? Wasn't it obvious?

"For helping me back in the Quest, with the Beowolf. You attacked it to buy me time, you probably saved my life. Plus, you helped at the end too." She still didn't say anything, and I started to panic a little. "I mean, I know I didn't follow your instructions to run, which means I wasted your efforts a little. But it's the thought that counts, right? I definitely appreciate what you did an-"

"It's fine," Blake interrupted, some hidden amusement behind those curious eyes. I didn't really like the idea of a cute girl laughing at me either, but it was preferable to the annoyance she'd shown before.

"It kind of isn't," I winced. "I nearly got killed despite you helping out. Plus, you risked your life for me too and I didn't even listen."

"A Knight isn't supposed to run away." She shrugged, nothing more than a raise of one shoulder. "Running away is my job."

"Well you didn't," I pointed out, which seemed to startle her. "Plus, it would have been a lot smarter for me to have listened to you, whatever my Class is. So I wanted to thank you, but also apologise for being an idiot and not listening."

I bowed my head in apology, hoping she would accept it. For a moment there was nothing but their breathing, before something that might have been the tiniest of amused sounds slipped from her lips.

"You're… kind of weird," she… chuckled, hummed – something in between the two? Either way, that didn't sound like a good thing, since I was supposed to be as unremarkable a Knight as possible.

"In a good way?" I asked. Blake smirked, or rather the edge of her lip tweaked up but the tiniest of fractions.

"I couldn't say," she said mysteriously. "Is that all?"

"That reminds me," I gasped, reaching down to my side. I noticed her flinch from the corner of my eye, her hand slipping to her weapon once more, but I trusted she'd hold it since I wasn't going for my sword. Instead I came back up with a thin piece of metal gripped between my fingers.

She stared at it with wide eyes.

"This is yours, right?" I asked, holding it out by the blade. Her eyes slipped up to mine for a second, before going back down to the throwing knife I was holding out to her. She didn't seem to want to take it off me, which left me feeling a little awkward.

Finally, however, she blinked. One hand tentatively reached out to take it. She paused, as though she expected me to pull it away at the last second.

"Thank you," she said cautiously, as she took the dagger from me. "I didn't expect to get this back." I watched as she flicked it over in her hand, catching it by the blade and sheathing it within her sleeve faster than I could really see. It was yet another reminder as to her Class, that even in nothing more than a school uniform she was armed and dangerous.

"Well you helped us out a lot," I grinned. "So I figured I should return the favour and give it back to you."

"You're definitely weird," she sighed, making me pout a little. "Thank you, though. I appreciate you bringing it back to me."

"No problem." I suddenly remembered that morning, "Hey, do you want to eat with us tomorr-"

"Jaune!" A feminine voice called, one that I recognised as Pyrrha's. Blake looked over my shoulder briefly, making me turn around to see the redhead rushing over. Weiss and Ruby were with her, though maybe it was more than Ruby had dragged Weiss along. I could just make out Ren and Nora bringing up the rear, while the others waited nearby.

"I'm fine," I laughed, "I was just talking to- huh?"

Blake was gone. It was as though she had never existed in the first place, but for the lack of a throwing knife in my possession and the lingering feeling of a blade pricked against my neck.

"Talking to…?" Ruby asked as she caught up with me. "I saw a black-haired person, but they rushed off."

"More like they vanished," Weiss frowned. She looked at me with a stern expression, "You shouldn't hang around people who do that. Tricks like that are the tools of an Assassin."

"Well that would make sense since I was talking to Blake," I shrugged. The name clearly meant nothing to them. "She's an Assassin, the one I was calling out to during breakfast." Weiss looked at me like I was an idiot, while Ruby shuffled in place.

"Jaune comes from an NPC family," Pyrrha explained for Weiss' benefit. That seemed to mean something to the girl, who suddenly looked at me like I was an unfortunate idiot as opposed to just a hopeless idiot. "Even so," Pyrrha said, "maybe you should avoid speaking to her in future."

"I was returning her weapon," I explained as the rest caught up. "Blake helped us against the Beowolf during the Quest. One of her knives was still stuck in it when it died."

"Just be careful," Pyrrha sighed. "You don't know everything about this life, yet. Trust us a little for now."

I frowned, but nodded. What was the problem with Blake, that they were so keen for me to avoid her so? She'd been nothing but friendly so far. Well, not friendly per se – but helpful. Or was it something I didn't know, because I wasn't a real Hero? They would know what was right and wrong, wouldn't they?

"Fine," I sighed. "I don't think she really wants to talk to me anyway." Not with how she'd rushed off this morning and again here. I'd made an art form of knowing when a woman wasn't interested in me, and with Blake it seemed pretty obvious. "What do we do from here then, do you know what the next lesson is?"

"It's with Miss Goodwitch," Yang spoke up. The first words she'd really directed at me for the day. She nodded back to an impatient looking teenager stood with crossed arms nearby. "This guy's waiting to take us to her lesson."

"Waiting indeed," he sighed. "Can we get this show on the road?"

I flushed as I realised I was the only one holding them up. I nodded in apology, following behind as he quickly led us through the halls, moving at a pace just below a jog.

"What's the lesson?" I asked him, calling out as I kept up with the others. My Constitution was decent, which meant my physical stamina was more than enough to keep up. It wasn't like we were going very fast, either, so my Agility wasn't an issue.

"Combat," the older student chuckled. "You get to fight against one another to see how good you are."

"Ooh!" Nora cooed in excitement. "Jaune, we should fight!"

"Now Nora," Pyrrha said, "I'm sure Miss Goodwitch will select our opponents. I hope you won't be upset if you end up against me."

"Not if you won't be upset when I beat you," the ginger girl laughed.

It was good that the two of them were having such a good time, since at the very mention of the class my face had gone as white as Weiss' hair. Fighting… at level fourteen, against people who might be as high levelled as Pyrrha? I looked down at my feet. Nope. The ice creeping up my body was completely from me this time.

This didn't bode well...


As you may know, this whole story was something I came up with ages ago as a response to a prompt by College Fool – that being "The World of Remnant is an RPG." Well a lot of aspects here came from conversations between us way back when, over how a world like that might work. I remember mentioning the idea that loot drops would be the main economy of such a world, and this entire Beacon structure came as a result of that.

It also works, sort of, since constant inflation of new currency entering the economy would mean the value of lien would deteriorate, necessitating more to be earned and passed through the Castes.

On that note, NPC means "Needs Protection Caste" but people do often say NPC Caste in this. It's just one of those things, kind of like how some people say ATM Machines, when the M already means that.

No stats this time, since nothing changed for Jaune. And yes, as you can see, things are different. No team set-ups means no reason for Blake to interact with anyone, though perhaps Jaune is creating one.


Next Chapter: 5th September

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