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To Live and Learn

CHAPTER 7

"Smells like fire dust, tastes like chicken."

-Charon 'Fry' Gilroy, Atlesian Irregular Legion Corporal of the 13th Dead Dogs' Fangbusters unit

As I left Professor Port's classroom, I took out my scroll and reviewed the schedule to see where I should go next:

Freshman Timetable(1st Semester) – Monday, Wednesday & Friday:

0900 – 1100 hrs. Grimm Studies (Prof. Port)

1100 – 1230 hrs. History & Humanities (Dr. Oobleck, Ph.D.)

1230 – 1400 hrs. Recess

1400 – 1530 hrs. Dust Studies (Prof. Peach)

1530 – 1700 hrs. Physical Education & Combat Training (Prof. Goodwitch)

As you might have noticed, they use the 24-hour clock professional military forces use, something which I've already learned from military school. It's probably because they wanted to remind you that Huntsmen are essentially glorified soldiers—but due to academies' emphasis on individualism and diversity within colors, they didn't want you to feel like one in a military academy disguised as a colorful costume party that happens to teach you how to fight Grimm. [1]

The school provided me with some books vital for some classes including history which was the next class, so I went straight to the locker room and grabbed my history textbook. On my way to Dr. Oobleck's classroom, Cardin, the dumb jock haircut guy who insulted my hoodie the previous day, rudely knocked my arm off while he was passing through and made me drop my books. "Hey!"

"Welcome to Beacon, bunny boy!" he laughed to himself as he walked away.

I glared at him for a moment before picking up my books and moving to class. Although what he did was uncalled for, he was not worth my time, I'll let him screw around until he loses interest or something. I just hope he doesn't end up becoming an actual problem, that would be annoying and I would have to waste precious willpower doing something over it.

I went to the classroom and sat next to Ruby. In contrast to the previous class, Team RWBY and JNPR were scattered around the classroom instead of sitting near each other. The classroom itself looked like the room belonged to a very dedicated investigator or a demented conspiracy theorist rather than a professor from Sanus' finest academy. Either way, it had little regard for tidiness at all, with piles of books and paper littered everywhere on the front and some of the papers sticking on the walls while other books are stored on the two shelves, with varying degrees of organization. Instead of a board, we get a huge map of Remnant with some paper attached to it which was being connected by red strings.

"Uhh, Jaune?" Ruby shook my shoulder while we were waiting for the professor to arrive.

I decided to engage with whatever small talk she had to offer in the meantime. It would help speed things up. "Yeah, Ruby?"

"Am I a bad leader?" The tone of her voice was glum compared to the cheerful demeanor she always bore ever since I helped her up back at that courtyard. That shocked me a bit, it made me wonder if Weiss was that harsh on her after the last class.

Whatever the case, I did give her some comforting words that every decent person would have told her. I needed to get her spirits up otherwise she wouldn't be an effective ally with the morale she's in. "Ruby, it's only your first day as a leader, you still have a lot to prove before you can let people judge you. If you ask me, I think you're a great leader, you did a great job yesterday on getting rid of that Deathstalker with your team." I never got to see how Ruby and her team got rid of that bug though since I was too occupied with the Nevermore to even watch her; all I know for sure is that she just did it. [2]

That seemed to have raised her spirits for a second but a shred of doubt inside her remained. "I know but… what if Ozpin really did make a mistake—and I'm really not fit to be the leader of this team." The pressure of leadership was already getting the best of her. Nobody said that carrying the badge and the burden of a leader was easy which is why I was also worried about myself. But if I was able to become a leader then she had the potential to be one too, even if it's just The Great & Powerful Ozpin having very low standards.

"Look, Ruby, you're a really nice girl and you came here to protect people from Grimm, right?" I asked, and she responded by nodding. "Then just be yourself and lead by example. I can see the heart of a Huntress in you, you just need to let others see that so they could know what a Huntsman should be. Don't let someone like Weiss discourage you because she couldn't see that yet. Just give yourself a chance."

She pondered these words before she finally stopped frowning and shifted back to her usual cheerfulness, to an extent at least. "Well, I guess that made me feel better. Thank you, Jaune. I'll take your word."

"Anytime, Ruby. You know, I think it would have taken longer for Weiss to kill the Grimm if you didn't point out where its weak spot was," I nodded. It's just a shame that I am mostly doing this to uphold my façade as a compassionate, if a little awkward knight in shining armor. She was taking advice from someone who could have left an entire village to burn to save his own skin, and I believed she deserved much better than that.

Suddenly, a voice came to our attention. "Alright everybody, settle down!" A man with messy green hair wearing a pair of glasses said as he entered the room before sipping from his cup and trotting to the front.

"My name is Bartholomew Oobleck— DOCTOR Oobleck, please remember that. I will be your professor for History and Humanities. Now, as Huntsmen and Huntresses you are tasked with safeguarding this planet from the Grimm, but what kind of Huntsmen are you if you know nothing about the world you are fighting for? That is why we are partaking in this course." He was taking sips of his coffee almost every two or three sentences. He looked around the class and turned his head at me. "You there! Stand up and introduce yourself."

I anticipated the professor noticing me at one point in the class but not this soon, so he was able to catch me off-guard. "Well, I… umm…"

"Come on now, don't be shy!" He insisted.

I hesitantly stood up and introduced myself, still feeling a little nervous, though it did enforce my front as a shy everyman a bit. "Well… my name is Arc... Jaune Arc… The leader of Team JNPR" I turned my head to my teammates as they waved.

"Thank you, Mister Arc, please be seated," he said as I complied. "Now, does that last name remind you of something?"

Of course, Weiss was the one that raised her hand and stood up. "Harry Arc, also known as 'The Flash', a renowned war hero of Vale during the Great War, who was responsible for many of Vale's victories during the conflict."

"Superb! It seems that someone's been learning their history." Doctor Oobleck remarked before sending Weiss back to her seat with a proud grin on her face. "That is one of the many stories told in history, it shows you how rich the world of Remnant is. You see, Jaune here is the descendant of Harry Arc." He explained while I tried not to cover my face out of embarrassment. "It doesn't end with just him, Harry Arc's son and the son after him, also contributed something as well."

I've seen my family name pop up a few times in the history books, and this along with my reputation made me worry that this exact thing will happen. Thankfully, he stopped right there and did not bring up my Dad or me and my fiasco at Podunk.

"But enough about the Arcs! Their stories are for another day! Our first lesson will be the rise of the Empire that was and how it greatly influenced civilization today! I'm sure you have all learned this countless times before, but students tend to forget it after the end of their school year and history is not something you should forget!" he said before clearing his throat and began referring to the board. "Now, as you know before there were the four kingdoms, there was once an empire that united Remnant… or most of it at least."

He went on and taught about the birth of the Old Empire and their contributions to early history while it spreads its culture around Remnant by slowly conquering its neighbors, at least that's what I got because I got lost in the middle of the lecture. After all, he was talking too fast while zooming around the classroom like a madman that I got tired of catching up. I spent most of the class skimming at random pages in my history book for anything that might interest me.

"…by this age, the empire now controls one-third of Remnant. They would go on to live another era of stability and prosperity before eventually meeting their eventual fall as what every civilization has to face. Now there are still debates on what exactly caused its downfall, but regardless the fall is one thing that must never repeat in our kingdoms, that's why we as Huntsmen, have a duty to fulfill." He then took a deep breath and paused before the school bell rang. "That's all for today, tomorrow we will discuss the Empire's finest hour to their eventual fall. Please study pages 16 to 23. You are dismissed."

With that, we stood up and left the class for lunch. All these lectures were making us hungry and we were given an hour and a half to eat and unwind, which is something I needed because I felt a little agitated after that. He just had to bring up my family to provide an example of one of Remnant's historical figures. Don't get me wrong, I had a huge amount of respect for my ancestors but they just remind me of greatness and bravery that I cannot emulate myself, at least legitimately. It didn't help that the professor seemed to recognize who I was and probably expected me to be as significant as them. [3] This, added to my reputation, makes this class somewhat troublesome.

=o=

1. Paramilitary if you want to get technical, and military time is used to familiarize students with it despite Ozpin's fanatical aversion towards regular armed forces due to his infamous Huntsman-exceptionalist beliefs. On any other occasion, the standard 12-hour clock is used.

2. Ruby had me freeze the Deathstalker while Blake distracted it. She then sliced off the gland before Yang punched it off the bridge.

3. Like most people, Jaune was not aware that his ancestors had to suffer the same dilemma he had to go through.

We were sitting down taking lunch, next to our closest allies, Team RWBY, and watching them gave me more reason to be concerned as they were barely acting like a team at all. Ruby and Weiss were just ignoring each other while Yang is chattering about something to which Blake just responds with disinterested nods. As much as I want to help to make sure they stay useful to me, this was Ruby's responsibility; she's barely going to learn anything herself if I solve her team's problems for her. So I decided to put good faith in Ruby hoping that she'd finally be able to put her team back on track while I worry about my own.

"Hey, Jaune. Is there anything bothering you?" Pyrrha asked, noticing my concerned expression.

"Oh, nothing in particular," I lied so I don't have to bring up our sister team's issue while eating in front of them. "It's just that I was thinking about the team-building exercises we were planning."

Nora was trying to say something with her mouth full, which was just as comprehensible as one would expect, it wasn't clear until she swallowed her food. "What's on your mind then, Fearless Leader?"

I would have told them then but this was a private business with my team and I didn't want an outside party to potentially ruin it for me, like a certain cardinal trying to get my attention by throwing small beans at me who I did my best to ignore. "We'll discuss it later at the dorm, right now, eat up, you're going to need it."

"Okie-Dokie!" Nora went back to munching her sandwich.

After we were finished eating, we gathered in the dorm and went on to plan for 'Operation: Golden Horse Training'. The three of them all lined up in the middle, paying close attention to me while I walked back and forth facing them.

"Alright gang, ever since we found ourselves to be mutual holders of the white knight chess piece, I knew that if we want Grimm to fear us, we must put some practice on our dynamics as a team. So, the first thing we need is—" I stopped pacing when I saw Nora standing up straight while wearing a green brodie helmet, something I wasn't able to notice until then. "Uh, what are you wearing?" I asked, losing my confident tone of authority.

"Standard issue protective headgear, sir!" She responded, taking this a little too seriously.

I gave a puzzled look. I knew what that was; it probably would have been more appropriate for me to have asked where that came from instead. I turned at Ren for a more candid answer. "Oh, she just likes to dress up sometimes. We got that from a dead soldier somewhere outside Vale."

So what they meant to tell me was that they once scavenged from a soldier, that was a little dark but I otherwise have no issue with it as I would have done the same. Everyone could use a helmet when exploring the wilderness. "Alright, at ease, soldier. You're just as fine yourself—no need for you to wear that." I said, sort of playing along.

"Sir, thank you, sir!" Nora discarded her helmet and went back to her usual demeanor. "…I mean, of course, dear leader! Anything you say!" she said, but not without a salute.

I decided to shrug it off and pick up where I left off. "Now, where was I? Ah, of course, the first thing we need is a place where we could practice in peace. We could only do so much in this room, and that's only assuming we somehow don't trash it. So, does anyone know where we can train?"

The room was silent for seconds, indicating that they had no answer. Well, we were only here for three days and even if we spent most of our time here exploring the academy, we were still not sure of an available space to train. We would just have to find one then. "Nothing, then? Alright then, don't worry, we just need to scout a place, starting right now. Make sure it has enough space for us to train, and be sure it is a place where no one can disturb us, and remember: this is private JNPR business, tell no one about this, not even Team RWBY unless I say so. Understood?"

They all nodded. "Good. Meeting adjourned." We all went our separate ways to spend our own time for the remaining minutes of recess.

When the bell rang, I immediately went to the Dust Lab to take Professor Peach's class. This time I became warier in case some smart-aleck tried to make me drop it. I should learn to keep my guard up at all times especially when the time comes when I start to carry dust. Huntsman academy prides itself on individuality so much that they allow some students to act like undisciplined jackasses so long as they stay mostly compliant with the rules, and these are supposed to be the guardians of tomorrow. I'm starting to wonder if this is the reason why most of the world remains Grimmified even though we supposedly had the adequate power and technology to turn the tides around.

Anyway, since I seldom use dust, this was going to be the toughest subject in my opinion, at least when it comes to not watching the clock. I predict it to be something like science class, only that it's focused on colorful magic rocks.

"Students," A woman in her early to mid-thirties called. She had orange curly hair, and was wearing some safety goggles and a lab gown. "Welcome to Dust Studies. I am Professor Megan Peach, I will be the one guiding you into learning about these useful tools and teaching you how to use them. All of you had at least used dust at one point in your lives, so even if you don't consider yourself a 'dust user', this subject will still be vital to you as a Huntsman, especially if you plan to compete in the tournament, where you are likely to face a dust user and want to know how to counter them." She then went to the chalkboard and started writing down 'Dust 101' "Now to start, please turn your textbooks to the introduction page."

She looked at the class and then noticed something when she adjusted her goggles. "My-my. Do my eyes deceive me? Are you Weiss Schnee? The heiress of the Schnee Dust Company?"

"Yes, I am, professor," Weiss responded as she tried to give herself a smile over the recognition.

"Oh. It's just I'm a huge fan of your singing. I'm also a staunch supporter of your father's company," Professor Peach complimented. Yeah, I still remember her singing, that's probably the only thing her vocal cords are good for. [1]

Having her ego stroked, a proud grin entered Weiss's face. "Why, thank you, ma'am."

"If you don't mind, would you like to read the introduction here in the front?" Professor Peach invited.

Weiss nodded. "It would be an honor."

It wasn't a surprise that an heiress of a dust company whose fighting style seemed to involve heavy use of dust will very likely excel in this subject. I noticed that Weiss was getting the attention of every professor since Professor Port so far. I was starting to believe that this was going to become a running theme. [2]

Other comments made about her were much less friendly than mine, to say the least.

"Ugh, her again? I really cannot stand that slag."

"Yeah. When will she just fuzz off?"

"Never liked the Schnees. Damn rich bigots."

With that, I cannot help but feel a little sorry for her even though I still possess some annoyance over her stuck-up attitude that I could spend two whole pages writing about. But being an heir of a multi-million lien company[3] also has its downsides, which must be a huge pain to deal with despite the privileges given to you.

This day's lesson was about the basics and origins of dust, something I already knew after studying it multiple times with Bleu. Though I did learn a few new things about it and it helped me remember things I forgot. While I don't think this subject is going to make me a dust expert, I intend to take this subject a little more seriously than I did, because since I was now a Huntsman-in-training, I have to make sure that I avoid accidents involving dust while learning how I could take advantage of them.

When it was over, we went to our lockers to get our weapons for Phys-Ed/Combat Class taught by Miss Goodwitch herself. I had mixed feelings about combat class, while I do appreciate that it would put our skills into practice, I fear that I might end up getting picked for a match in which I either have to make my undeserved reputation worse by winning, or disappoint my team and friends and expose myself as a sham by losing. The best-case scenario is to get lucky enough not to get picked, but I don't know if I could count on my luck on one of these days.

The combat hall was already filled with almost every other freshmen team in school. I sat beside my team and waited for Miss Goodwitch. She entered a few minutes later and stood in the middle of the arena, making the chatter fade with all eyes on her without uttering a single word.

She looked around the classroom for a moment before she began to speak. "Good afternoon, students, how was your first day treating you all? I hope you've found yourselves comfortable in your teams and lessons. Now, let us begin the course you have all been waiting for."

Or have been worrying about, if I might add.

"As some of you may have guessed, this is the most essential course in this school, as it trains your physique, skills, and tactical knowledge as you demonstrate them. As Huntsmen and Huntresses, you must always be prepared to engage in combat anytime, anywhere." She then pulled out a copy of the student's Beacon handbook. "Please refer to your handbooks for the guidelines written for the course."

We were given a few minutes to read the contents regarding combat training in our handbooks. After that, we were asked to stop and return our attention to Miss Goodwitch.

"In preparation, you will be given thirty minutes of warm-up exercises. We will need to make sure that your bodies are prepared to partake in combat training. To begin, I want you all to start by standing up and forming a queue outside. You will run thirty laps around the courtyard."

And so it began, I thought as everyone stood up to leave the courtyard in an orderly fashion.

I should mention that Vale used to have a warrior culture in its past which is why they were able to take on the more advanced and disciplined armies of Mantle and Mistral back in the Great War, which is why they had twin axes as the symbol of their kingdom. They still embrace this to some extent even if the kingdom is taking a more pacifistic approach these days, which is why I shouldn't underestimate what Vale could throw at me and I need to be prepared for just about anything.

=o=

1. I take offense to that.

2. Well, I hardly got any attention from Professor Goodwitch in the next class so that would be the last time I irritate detractors with my charming grace for the day.

3. Calling the SDC multimillion is somewhat underestimating, especially since we remained the most valuable company for the past few decades even with a few hiccups here and there.