Chapter 27 - The Mess
(Leo's POV)
After securing his uniform in the wall mounted storage cabinet and disposing of the mysterious note safely in his bathroom, Leo stepped out of his dormitory, his stomach finally reminding him of how long it had been since he last ate.
The trials of the entrance exam and the second round had left little time to think about meals, but now, hunger settled in like a dull ache.
The mess hall wasn't far, just a short walk from the dormitories, and not wanting to stay hungry for too long, Leo decided to make a trip.
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Mess Hall Timings:
Breakfast: 06:00 - 08:30
Lunch: 12:00 - 14:00
Dinner: 19:00 - 21:00
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Just outside the mess hall, the service timings had been posted, and seeing how lunch hour had just begun, Leo felt relieved that he hadn't missed his window.
Pushing open the heavy cafeteria doors, he stepped inside, immediately greeted by the scent of hot food and the low murmur of scattered conversations.
The hall was spacious, militaristic in design, with long metallic tables lined in organized rows. The food was served buffet-style, with recruits moving down the line with metal trays, picking what they needed.
Leo joined the queue, his hungry eyes glancing over every lunch option available.
He expected to not be able to recognise the food that was being served, however, the options presented were pretty basic and easy to understand.
There was meat, vegetables, fruits, and some side dishes and although he did not exactly understand what sort of meat or fruit was being given, he decided to pick it up as long as it smelled okay.
The meal was nutritionally optimized, clearly designed to sustain warriors-in-training.
Each plate had a precisely balanced portion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fiber, as the academy seemed to favor function over taste, but the food still looked edible— or atleast better than standard military rations.
His tray held:
A serving of grilled meat, seasoned lightly but cooked to perfection.
Steamed vegetables, their color vibrant, likely providing the necessary vitamins.
A dense grain-based side, resembling brown rice or something similar.
A small protein bar, wrapped and placed on the side for additional sustenance.
A flask of nutrient-rich water, meant to keep hydration levels up.
A flask of stamina regeneration water, meant to restore stamina.
A flask of mana regeneration water, meant to restore lost mana.
And a flask of muscle recovery water, meant to restore peak muscular function.
After filling his tray, Leo made his way to a corner table, preferring to eat alone.
As he sat down, he took his first bite, expecting nothing special—only to be pleasantly surprised. The meat was tender and well-cooked, while the vegetables retained a crisp freshness that suggested careful preparation.
It wasn't gourmet by any means, but it was far better than tasteless military rations. And for now, that was enough.
However, as he continued his meal in silence, more first-year recruits flooded into the mess hall.
The noise level steadily rose as students grabbed food, formed groups, and engaged in introductions, eager to establish early alliances or friendships.
Leo instinctively scoffed at their behavior.
'Naive–' he thought, as he felt like he had seen this before—people forming bonds out of convenience, not loyalty.
Trust was a fragile thing, and trusting one's back to another was by far one of the dumbest mistakes a man could make.
Most of these so-called friendships wouldn't last. The moment survival outweighed companionship, they would turn on each other, and Leo knew this well.
The entrance test had already proven that much to him, as every assassin here had been forced to betray and eliminate their own partner to secure an entrance spot.
That alone was proof of the true nature of people, which was selfish, calculating and opportunistic at its core.
Leo had no intentions of making alliances or engaging in pointless small talk. At Least not today, or until he found someone truly worthy of being called a companion.
However, unfortunately for him, as the mess hall filled to capacity, his quiet isolation was abruptly disturbed.
Within minutes, the empty seats around him were occupied, and before long, he found himself surrounded by other students.
A few first-years at his table glanced in his direction, one of them attempting to initiate casual conversation.
"You just gonna sit there all quiet? Why not introduce yourself too? I'm Meng Jun from the Mage-Craft branch."
Another chimed in, grinning. "We're all fresh here. Might as well get to know each other.... No?"
They were a group of four around him, who all looked to be from different branches, trying to rope him in for casual conversation, however, Leo did not take the bait.
Instead, he offered a polite nod— before saying. "Sorry, I don't speak while I eat"
It was a polite yet tacit rejection, one that wouldn't sound too rude, but would pass on the message that he was not interested in small talk.
"Must be from the Assassin Branch," Meng Jun noted, leaning back. "No interest in fraternizing, huh?"
Leo merely smirked, taking another bite of his food.
He wasn't anti-social, nor did he hate conversation.
But for now, he decided that it was far more valuable to observe than to participate.
'I'll just finish my food quickly and leave,' Leo thought, increasing his pace as he scooped another bite into his mouth.
But just as he did, a loud crashing sound tore through the mess hall's growing chatter, followed by the unmistakable thud of someone being thrown to the ground.
Thud!
The entire room fell into an uneasy hush.
All around, heads turned toward the source of the disturbance.
Near the center of the hall, a brutal scene was unfolding—a young man lay curled on the floor, clutching his stomach in pain, his gasps sharp and ragged.
Towering over him, eyes filled with pure disdain, stood another recruit.
Su Yang.
A member of the prestigious Su Clan and, by all accounts, one of this year's strongest recruits. The air around him crackled with arrogance, as if the very act of standing near commoners was beneath him.
Su Yang was tall and well-built, his raven-black hair neatly tied in a warrior's ponytail. He had already changed into his academy uniform, which only added to the overbearing presence he exuded.
Even from a distance, his noble upbringing was evident—from the self-assured way he carried himself to the thinly veiled contempt laced in his every word.
He had the look of someone who had never once been denied anything in his life—and the sheer entitlement in his posture reflected that much.
"You filthy, lowborn scum," Su Yang sneered, his boot pressing down on the fallen recruit's shoulder, pinning him in place like an insect.
"You dare impersonate someone from the Mu Clan by claiming memory loss?" His voice dripped with scorn. "Know your place, vermin."
The student on the ground let out a strained groan, his breath hitching as he struggled to move beneath the crushing weight of Su Yang's foot.
Murmurs rippled through the surrounding recruits, but no one immediately stepped in.
Some turned away, unwilling to get involved. Others watched with wary intrigue, as if testing the boundaries of what the academy would tolerate.
Leo, however, continued to eat—but his instincts were on high alert the moment he heard the mention of memory loss.
For it hit him too close to home.
Across the table, one of the students scoffed, muttering under his breath. "Su Clan brats are all the same. Arrogant, overbearing, and violent."
Another recruit snorted, shaking his head. "The six great clans always act like they own the place. They think they're untouchable."
"But they're not," Meng Jun interjected, a knowing smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "This academy has a way of humbling even the most arrogant noble brats. They won't get away with this forever."
Leo remained silent but mentally filed their words away.
His eyes flicked back to Su Yang, who still hadn't lifted his foot from the fallen recruit, his expression that of someone stepping on something disgusting.
The air in the mess hall had turned tense, thick with the weight of unspoken judgment.
No instructors intervened. No enforcers appeared.
Everyone was watching, waiting—to see if anyone would step forward, or if this was simply the academy's way of weeding out the weak.
"That guy might actually deserve this beating," another voice muttered from nearby as Leo's ears sharpened at the comment.
"If he really is impersonating a Mu Clan heir, then he's asking for it. Everyone knows how they operate—sending their young out into the world with no memory of their past to ensure they carve their own path."
"But recently, more and more small fries have started faking memory loss, hoping to gain sympathy and special treatment in the academies."
Leo felt his stomach tighten slightly as he heard these words.
This was bad.
If there were already rumors circulating about frauds pretending to be Mu Clan heirs, then he was in dangerous territory.
Because if anyone started suspecting him of doing the same—
Then he could very well be next.
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/// A/N- This bonus sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in the comments for the same. ///