Chapter 18 Azure

Chapter 18 Azure

Silence returned to the classroom.

In the morning sunlight, the students' eyes sparkled like gems.

Suye had not entered the classroom for a long time, and feeling everyone's gaze, he felt some pressure, almost wanting to tap his right thumb and index finger together.

"Sorry, Teacher Niedern, I'm late."

Suye bowed deeply at ninety degrees to Niedern, respectfully.

Admitting mistakes was Suye's good habit.

As Suye straightened up, he met Niedern's kind gaze, but he felt completely seen through.

Niedern's stern voice echoed throughout the classroom.

"This is the worst class I've ever taught, and you are the worst student."

The classmates burst into laughter.

Suye's face flushed with embarrassment.

"However, I believe you can do better." Niedern's voice softened.

"Thank you, Teacher," Suye hurriedly said.

"I know a little about your situation. But you must understand that only by making yourself shudder with effort will the future give you strength."

"Thank you, Teacher!" Suye lowered his head, earnestly remembering Niedern's advice and savoring those words in his heart.

In the world of magic, Suye considered himself a complete student.

Several students in the class looked at Niedern, recalling his words, lost in thought.

"Back to your seats." Niedern nodded slightly, turning to face everyone.

Suye breathed a sigh of relief, scanning the classroom and noticing how different it was from Blue Star.

Here, there were only five large, crude tables facing the magic blackboard at the front.

The first four tables were full, leaving only the last table with empty seats.

Last year, Suye also sat at the last table.

Suye quickly glanced around and walked swiftly toward the last table, hugging the wall.

Some students winked at Suye, others stared intently at their magic books, while a few more sneered, whispering a single word under their breath.

Third Fool.

Hearing this word, Suye instinctively felt uncomfortable, his expression growing cold.

Earlier, as Suye ran, he was also recalling.

Last year, Suye ranked third from the bottom in the class.

The student who ranked last had already dropped out.

The one who ranked second from the bottom had been repeating the first grade for five years before finally being specially approved by the dean to enter the second grade. He was now twenty-five years old and named Holt.

Unlike children on Blue Star who started learning from a young age, Greece had no basic education system.

Over 90% of boys across Greece began learning farming or trades from the age of seven, while girls learned weaving or household chores. Only less than 10% of children from wealthy families received education after the age of seven, mainly reciting poetry or learning some arts or skills.

In Ancient Greece, poetry held a higher status than any other form of literature, including history and opera.

However, among these 10% of children, only one-tenth possessed adequate reading and writing skills. This was because the tutors in wealthy households were often slaves, and no one wanted to appear like one.

With the emergence of mages, this situation changed slightly, and more people began to read.

By the age of fourteen, a very small number of children from wealthy families would follow renowned teachers to learn knowledge or skills, while the rest either continued farming or labor, or began military training.

Sparta was an exception.

Spartans had no mages; they were all warriors, and even the weakest adult was a Bronze Warrior.

Because any Spartan man who did not become a Bronze Warrior by the age of twenty was executed.

Before last year, Suye had not received sufficient education, so despite his efforts, he still ranked third from the bottom.

Thus, Suye, Holt, and the student who dropped out were mockingly called the Three Fools of Plato's Academy.

Suye was known as the Third Fool.

Suye walked to the last table and found six people sitting behind it.

One was Holt, the young man known as the Second Fool, whose appearance was more mature than anyone else present.

No one could ignore his presence, as he seemed to be the only one standing, even when seated.

Holt stood over two meters tall and was still growing.

He smiled at Suye, looking rather naive.

The reason he had not been expelled was his father's dying wish.

His father was an old soldier who discovered the movements of the Persian army in the wild. Leading his team to report the news, he evaded multiple ambushes and ultimately succeeded in delivering the intelligence to the Athenian army. After expressing his wish for his son to study at Plato's Academy, he passed away.

Holt was Suye's best classmate, and Suye nodded at him as a greeting first.

The others at the last table had a decent relationship with Suye, but he had spoken no more than three sentences to another noble classmate, Luo Long.

Luo Long transferred to this class midway through the previous semester. It was said that his family held a significant position in Athens City, and he originally studied at a renowned noble academy there. No one knew why he suddenly came here. Later, rumors spread that Luo Long had severely injured someone at the noble academy and was forced to leave.

Suye nodded at Jimmy, Rick, and Albert one by one but made no gesture toward Luo Long.

Luo Long didn't look at Suye either.

As Suye approached the table, he suddenly found himself amidst a deep blue ocean.

He saw a girl in a white long dress sitting beside the table, her long black hair cascading down her back like a glossy waterfall, each strand seemingly embedded with black diamonds.

When Suye looked at her, all his attention was drawn to her eyes.

Her eyes were clear as sapphires, like azure lakes atop pure snow-capped mountains.

The azure lakes reflected the blue sky above.

Around the girl's neck, she wore a matte gold necklace, with a pendant shaped like a woman's profile. The hair of this golden woman was intertwined with nine golden snakes, each with red diamond shards embedded in their eye sockets.

This gold necklace was exquisite yet grand, ancient yet vibrant. Suye almost immediately determined it was not only a noble heirloom but also a particularly powerful magical artifact.

On anyone else, this Medusa necklace would be the focal point, but Suye hadn't even noticed it until now.

This new classmate was also the first time Suye had seen her.

Suye wondered how such a beautiful girl could have escaped his notice upon entering the classroom. Was it because of the necklace?

Feeling Suye's gaze, the girl turned her head to look at him.

Her delicate face showed no emotion, cold like an ice sculpture.

Unaccustomed to interacting with women, Suye merely gave a slight nod before taking his seat, then paused.

The large table could seat eight people, but only the seats next to the girl and the big guy Holt were empty.

Suye had no choice but to sit between the girl and Holt.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the deep blue sea.

Holding his magic book, Suye received a magic message as he sat down.

At that moment, Niedern's voice came from the front of the classroom: "Next, I will review all the language classes from last year. After the review, I will briefly summarize the six new xenolinguistics courses added this year, and other new courses will be introduced by other teachers..."

"Six? And other new courses? Did I hear that right?" Suye was puzzled, and memories filled with despair, panic, helplessness, and madness instantly flooded his mind. He felt a ringing in his ears and his heart pounding wildly.