The classes would begin the next morning, with the eight o’clock chimes ringing on the clocktower. Lukas would groan, then he would wash his face in the washroom before he left. His brown hair had grown rather wild over the past few days. He really needed to get some new clothes, or literally anything else. Maybe, within a day or two, he would be able to ask one of the leaders about a trip, so that he could find something else to wear. The fact that he was wearing his plain shirt and pants around the rest of the students–most of whom had ties to nobility in the other realms–had grown to keep him self conscious.

The morning sun greeted him as he walked to the class. The university campus, which had sprawled out, would take time to cross. By the time he made it to class, he would pant from the exertion. Classes would begin at eight thirty, leaving little time before he would need to find his official classroom.

He wasn’t certain how the class would go, but as he found a seat in the far back of the room, he couldn’t help but question everything. Why had Lord Isidor paid for him to come here? Lukas was, and would always be, closer to a peasant. At least, if he looked at how he had been dressed, and what the rest of the students wore, it was apparent he was sorely out of place.

I have to study hard here, if I ever want to prove my place. 

The Lecturer appeared in the room, tapping on the side of the lectern before turning to the students, giving a basic greeting in the language. Then, the professor would take a large stack of papers and head up the rows of students, handing out the papers. Lukas took his, noticing the basic language to be in the pamphlet. There were a few words he didn’t remember, but most everything else would be easier to discern. The syllabus had been printed in multiple languages. He read the first page, before turning to the syllabus in his language. According to the syllabus, they would have quizzes at the beginning of each class, and at the end of the two weeks, they would complete a 500 word paper.

The class itself would take part in two sessions during the day–one three hour session, with a 5-minute break at the halfway point. Then, after that, there would be a two hour break for a meal, and then another 3 hour course, with another 5 minute break. The second course had been set up to mimick a lab, and would be most useful for practicing the language, as well as what they would have learned. At the end of the day, they would have a list of words they would have to study with one another, practicing punctuation and the like.

It was at this point Lukas realized why these classes had been set up like this. Sucking in a heavy breath, he set the syllabus down. According to what he read, it would take 80% grades minimum to be eligible for passing, but only those with higher scores would be considered by the university in future settings.

The lecturer began with introducing the alphabet and its sounds. Lukas jotted his notes down furiously. He had failed to enter university in his old world, and now, he would be damned before he would fail university in this new world.

The class passed slowly, with the end results being an entire stack of notes. The alphabet, the greetings, and all of that had been the challenge. The homework, then, was for Lukas to figure how to write his name in the alphabet, and to study over the lunch break, so that he may be ready for the next round of classes.

Outside, the sunny weather had been replayed with a thick layer of clouds threatening rain. Inside the lunch hall, his stomach rumbled. He had forgone breakfast, not wanting to spend too much time. Compared to his old world, it had wouldn’t have been too significant to say that he had finished a meal. But as he sat down, it was as if he hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.

It’s strange how being in a new world, where people are insistent on feeding you when you are their guest, changes you.

The meat in the lunch was made out of kotleti–or ground meat patties, and a porridge known as Kasha, with the hearty mushrooms and buckwheat providing a lot of warmth and comfort. So far in his time here, Lukas hadn’t had a meal he had truly disliked. Then again, it was preferable to his old world. Although he was certain that, at some point, Irvin would make comments about the changes in weight.

When he made it back to class, it would be somewhat harder to continue studying. Lukas wanted to sleep in the back of the classroom, as he had done in his old world. Instead, he reminded himself he would have other opportunities come up, making things much easier for him. As he looked on things, he found himself wondering if he had made the right decisions in remaining here.

When the class finished, he was informed dinner would be upon the hour. Lukas, despite his hunger, would wish he could skip, finding the library  and studying instead. On the other hand, another part of him wished he didn’t have to study, and that he could explore his new city. Another part of him, in spite of himself, felt guilty for leaving Irvin in the way that he had.

As he made his way to the library after dinner, the sadness would linger, making it much harder to study. He would make a lot of progress, redoing his notes from earlier and working things out. Then, when he went back to his dorm, he and his roommate would practice with one another.

“It was a fine day today,” Lukas said.

“Did you study much?” His partner asked.

“I did,” Lukas said.

They would continue to carry the somewhat stilted conversation with one another, before Lukas would complete a daily sketch, going over the happenings of the day. He had survived his first full day of university, and now that he would prepare for the second day, he wished he could take the longest sleep he had known.

A part of him, even after everything, had begun to miss Irvin. He could have gone back home by now, but he had chosen not to. He was certain he had failed his relationship, and that he would have to stay now, on the principle that he at least had some potential promises of a future here. But the guilt would remain with him for a while longer still.

I need to start earning money within the university, or I might not be able to make and sell art so quickly. I can hope I will find a job here, but according the the reports I have, the vast majority of people in this country are in an archaic serfdom, and to even live in the city–even as a peasant–is considered wealthy by most. I empathize with them, although I do feel like I have found my home within the city. I do, however, feel like a traitor, knowing where I have been in the last few weeks of my life.