THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 162: 162. ARRIVALS

A week after the lower years had been released from the academy to leave room for the incoming schools, instructors, and guests, the first school finally arrived. The cadets of Galka War Academy were required to welcome other schools as a custom of hospitality. school, but they would not interact for three weeks till the beginning of the exam.

The first two weeks could be for the written exams, which are divided into two. The first week would involve schools doing the written exams specific to their school specialization, and the second week, all ten schools would sit for the twelve compulsory high school exams.

The following two weeks would be further divided into one-week exams. In the third week, schools would be divided into their specialization. Academies like Cilsi, which are more medicine-oriented, will be tested in their individual specialization, war schools this week will get to just showcase their war dances, and many love to watch this. The Molakwa Academy in inventions, whether it is in medical innovations, war, or just building innovations that would push Tagayia a step forward.

Then the fourth week will come, and it will be the week every guest usually waits for. Every army general. Outsiders also loved this week. The week where all the academies that are war-oriented could tear each other to shreds until the final winner is found. All in all, the exam sections are divided into three to four for the war-oriented academies.

Students who could ace two out of three and three out of four, respectively, would get to attain a prestigious position in the college they joined, depending on the school specialization. For the war-oriented schools, a cadet has to ace at least three to get to join a war college. To say the least, the competition was about to be vicious. Tagayia, in total, has five war-oriented academies. The Galka War Academy, which is an all-boys academy. The Kafika Academy, which is an all-girls academy. The Konate Wild Academy, Yalami Forest School, Yalami forest school, and Zoli sea school. Daziko could also be said to be a war academy, but most warriors did not approve of their fighting, so they almost always did not get counted if they also participated.

Using poisons to kill was not considered the most honorable. The put using poisons in their weapons above all, and they were good at medicine too, which made them a lethal opponent. Cilsi was completely medicine and healing-oriented. Tisaro Arc School is a mixture of both medicine and innovations. They study more innovations to elevate healing. Molakwa is solely about innovations. Lokuza Spirit Academy only studies languages, peacekeeping, and how to sing to nature, and they would just compete among themselves mostly. Most women of the north go here, and their men are more warring in nature.

It is said that the most graceful and dainty girls always come from Lokuza. The male students, of course, could become ink keepers and go into politics as advisors. Lokuza was the first to arrive. As peacekeepers and a neutral school that does not compete with any other school, them arriving first was a good thing. They were dressed in their lilac purple robes. The big cloaks on top of the ropes swallowed every part of them living only a shaved head for men and undecorated hair for the women.

The girls were not only shy but also graceful. Being an all-boys academy, there was a lot of excitement among the Galka War Academy cadets at the new arrival. They all stood in line, even the boys of Lokuza were graceful, and Kaka snickered. He approved of the girls, but of the men he looked with distaste. Lokuza was not restricted to a number of students, yet not many joined due to the deep traditions, especially in the north, that demanded that a man be a warrior. Even though it was mixed, the majority were girls, and the men in their midst dwindled in number. They all stood at a head count of almost four hundred, yet they did not make a lot of noise when they entered. Even their men, who were one-third of the total number, walked so softly as if they were walking on cotton.

After forming a neat line, they bowed deeply to the Galka cadets, who returned their bow with that of a warrior. They did not linger, and they were led to the first-year pentagon, where they could stay. Several groans were heard as they watched the girls leave, but the cadets quickly behaved when Torena looked their way. He had not eased on punishment, and he was the type to punish someone at their wedding for holding a lady’s hand too long before the white ceremony. Next to arrive was the Daziko Sun School, and the mood suddenly shifted from welcoming to hostile. They had arrived an hour after Lokuza Academy, but the contrast could be felt. The exam mood and the competitive tension were so thick in the air that it was almost suffocating. Their maroon combats did not make them any more of an eyesore than they already were. I mean, what warrior wore maroon to battle? How could you even camouflage in maroon?

Somehow, Kiuga had been assigned the duty of greeting the arrivals as the welcoming cadet by Senraki. It seemed no matter how lazy Kiuga was and how much he liked to appear lazy, he had yet again found himself in the spotlight. He greeted the number one student of the Daziko school. He was not as big as Kaka. In fact, the boy was only medium-sized, but his eyes were fierce and wide. He shook Kiuga’s hand quickly and stepped back before he saluted. Perhaps keeping Kaka from the welcoming cadet was best. He was the worst at welcoming those he considered dishonorable in their way of fighting. Those who passed in three areas could go to the war college from all the war-oriented academies, and they were prone to meet, and it could only be imagined how the first week of college was going to be. All the cadets of both schools saluted, and this was led into the third year pentagon.

The third school to arrive was the Molakwa Forge Academy, and their welcome was much like that of Lokuza. They would only compete in one area, just like Lokuza and Galka did not see them as a direct threat. They did look like innovators. They wore some of their innovation over their indigo overall suits and did not look one bit nervous. It was the beauty of being an innovator. You could only compete with yourself to be the best of the best, and let your innovations speak for you. All in all, the welcoming of Molakwa was pretty easy, and they were led to the first year pentagon, like the Lokuza, a fact that sparked some hostility, even if it is a mixed academy. After all, not all battles were fought by swords.