Chapter 6 – Curriculum

“I feel like I need to explain the benefit of outings to you.” Quest looked at Sal’s growing sense of unease. “They’re an opportunity for you to learn from established guilds out on the field, doing work that needs to be done. Outings with the guilds allow you to interact with the community and see the challenges they face on a daily basis. Paradox specializes in reclamation, which means you’d have a great insight into their strategies and why they push for certain territories. As a student, it’s an incredible opportunity for you to network with the best Heroes the city has to offer. Their training and advice could be invaluable for you.”

Sal nodded politely, but there was little the headmaster could say that was going to change his mind. He had no desire to go onto the field and put himself in harm’s way.

Just the thought of Sinclair as a prowler, up close and personal, was enough to send an involuntary shudder down his spine.

Quest didn’t miss the reaction and paused in his explanation as he looked at Sal thoughtfully. “Is it fear of the demons?” When Sal didn’t answer immediately, Quest nodded in understanding.

“Resilience isn’t taught in a day. There’s a whole module for that, and Professor Head will be putting you into situations that will build it up. Fighting against your classmates was probably terrifying when you first stepped into the prism, but how was it at the final round of the tournament?”

Sal could only laugh at how different the situations were. “I can get used to taking a punch or two, but demons are something else entirely… Seeing Professor Sinclair turn into a prowler was enough for me to start crafting defensive equipment in a panic.”

Quest’s smile was reassuring as he shook his head. “You’ve grown up in a gated community, and then whisked off to an academy that’s far removed from the threats on the other side of the barriers. It’s completely normal to feel the way you do. I can’t name a single Hero who isn’t terrified of demons. The difference is that they’re channeling their will to protect others. It’s not just a sense of duty; it’s a calling that makes them Heroes. Did any of them have that resolve on their first day, weeks, or months? Maybe in some rare cases, but for the vast majority of people like me and you, they’ve worked on it to get to where they are now. You were prepared to go on a strike team to ensure the safety of the students, which would have put you on the periphery of danger. Outings aren’t designed to throw you into the deep end. They’re an opportunity to acclimatize to the world we live in.”

Sal felt defensive at the label the headmaster had put on him. Sure, he had grown up in a gated community…but that didn’t define him. He took a breath and tried to sort through his emotions. He knew he was needlessly looking for a reason to be hurt or offended, but there was nothing to latch onto other than his own cowardice and self-preservation.

It was true that he was prepared to step up and be on the strike team, but that was different. That was a last resort, where this was something entirely optional. Sal didn’t feel like he was running away from reality by asking to stay off the field.

There was so much value that he could bring to the table with his abilities, and being out in the middle of demons didn’t feel like the best way to utilize them. All those thoughts and more swam through Sal’s head as his jaw tightened. As much as he wanted to vent and throw all sorts of accusations and excuses at Quest, he knew that they were just that. Excuses.

Maybe it was the growing tension, but Sal wanted to desperately change the topic away from the outings.

“I met Captain Chatfield earlier in the workshop and he said that things were going to get hectic from this point onward. Is that what the two of you were speaking about before I arrived, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Quest’s smile didn’t leave his lips as he ignored Sal’s question. “I can’t make you go on the outings, but I would very much recommend that you give them a try. You’re exempt from paying any fees, so you don’t have anything to lose from going on them. Maybe you should take Villa up on her offer to take you on an outing with the Reavers? You’d likely feel safest with Heroes you know.”

Sal wondered what the limit was to Quest’s knowledge of everything happening at the academy. Villa had offered to take him and others on an outing, but he had kept pushing it out with claims that he was too busy.

“I’m sorry. I’m just not that type of Hero,” Sal finally admitted, both to himself and Quest. He hated how shaky his voice sounded and wished he could have taken it back.

“Salvatore, you’ve only been here a month. What sort of academy do you think we would be if we expected you to be ready for the battlefield this soon? You asked about Captain Chatfield, so I’ll tell you what he’s proposing, and you’ll probably be able to guess my stance on the matter.

“Our second-years recently completed their excursion with him, and it didn’t meet his standards. His report is pretty damning, and a lot of it is good feedback. Our first-years are focused on student-versus-student combat, to acclimatize them to using their abilities in real-combat scenarios. We gradually build on this confidence through the tournament and inter-cohort battles. When we believe they’re ready, we introduce student-versus-demon combat in a controlled environment.

“It all culminates in an end-of-year assessment where we get the students to challenge a demonic tower. That’s the excursion that Captain Chatfield is responsible for. Due to his time constraints, we needed to delay the excursion until the start of the new academic year.”

Quest tapped a tablet beside him, which flickered to life. He gave it a sideways glance and started to read a few choice comments.

“Abysmal battle-readiness. No cohesive formations or tactics for dealing with demons. Little to no knowledge of basic field and survival training. Severely lacking in mental fortitude and resilience. Horrible standard of equipment… Yeah, the list goes on and on like that.” Quest sighed as he looked back at Sal.

“It’s a damning report that shows a lot of gaps in our current curriculum. Chatfield’s proposal is radical, and I’m hoping to meet him halfway on it. Otherwise, Quest Academy would become a glorified military barracks.”

Sal’s mouth dried at the thought of having to fight demons in a tower. “What does the halfway look like?” He didn’t know whether he was overstepping, but he wanted to know.

Quest laughed, but didn’t seem annoyed by the directness of the question. “Since I know you could divine the future and find out yourself, I’ll tell you what we’re thinking so you have the context behind the decisions. We’ve been getting a lot of pressure from the Hunter Bureau and the United Guilds Association to get the students more battle-ready upon their graduation. It’s an evolving landscape and we’re constantly learning new things, so our curriculum is ever changing.

“We didn’t have a Field module until two years ago. Resilience was added last year. Combat was previously an optional module, which has been switched to mandatory. Chatfield wants to combine Survival, Field, and Combat into one module that takes place off-site. Practical lessons out on the battlefield. He wants to push the change through immediately, and apply it to the current roster of first-years, before…”

Quest tapped the tablet again to read the quote. “Before we corrupt the next generation of Heroes and turn them into glorified sandbags.”

“He wants to combine all those classes? Is Crafting going to be untouched?” Sal asked, more out of panic than anything else.

The proposal would greatly affect him and the other first-years, and he didn’t want it to happen at all.

Quest shook his head with a laugh. “Chatfield’s view is that we’re too accommodating with our Crafting class. His solution is to put a hold on all personal projects and to eliminate creative freedom for first- and second-years, and take on military contracts that would offer steady revenue to the crafters and streamline the production of military-grade equipment. You can probably guess my stance on all this, which is one of the reasons my conversation with him was so heated. He’s the type of guy who only sees the big picture, with the students being tools in a greater plan.

“That said, he’s also one of the best Heroes we have, so his recommendations carry weight to them. We’ll be discussing it at the next faculty meeting as well as the next Doom Society meeting. We’re not going to rush into any big decisions, and we’ll need to see what the higher-ups think about all this. I’d ask that you keep this to yourself so we don’t create unrest among the students.” Quest gave Sal a weary smile.

Sal sat there in shock. Could Chatfield really have that much sway? It seemed ridiculous to think that Quest could be strong-armed by a single Hero into changing the entire academic trajectory of the students. How much did Chatfield expect of them after a year in the academy? Sal thought about it for a few moments before speaking again. He wasn’t sure how to process everything.

“You’re telling me that the Crafting class might get a complete overhaul and I won’t get to work on personal projects? Would that mean that I won’t be eligible to work on appraisals or commissions for the guilds? Even as Myth?” Sal dreaded the answer, but much to his relief, Quest laughed.

“I didn’t mean to sound so dramatic. Everything you’ve heard so far are proposals, and we’re negotiating the best course of action. Chatfield’s vision paints a bleak picture of our current state of affairs…but it doesn’t incorporate the incredible achievements of our current students. He’s looking at the results through a lens of warfare, and it didn’t meet his standards. Your work as Myth is going to create a massive ripple among the guilds when word gets out about the Legendary sniper rifle and its capability to evolve into a Mythic-grade weapon. If we did things Chatfield’s way, there’d be no way to foster talent like Myth. That’s why we need to strike a balance that makes us more combat ready to appease the Chatfields of this world, and have the creative freedom to encourage the Myths of this world. Don’t fret too much about what I’ve said, and forgive me for thinking aloud so much.”

Sal relaxed, taking solace in the reassurance that he’d still be able to craft…even if it was at the expense of the other modules becoming much worse.

Quest raised a finger, and Sal glanced up at the movement.

“So, your original question was what halfway looked like. Sinclair has made no secret of how much he hates teaching the current curriculum for Survival, so I would imagine that he’d be very enthused about a combination class out on the battlefield. Lars would likely go for it too, and Rust would go along with whatever is asked of him.

“Halfway is giving Chatfield the combination class, but making sure he doesn’t overstep in any of our other classes. We’re just going to be moving our schedule forward, and likely incorporating a demonic tower attack by the end of the first semester. I’m telling you all this so you can make the smartest decision for yourself. You can either be reactive to the changes that are coming, or you can be proactive and ready.”

Quest stood up from his desk and moved over to a glass cabinet on one side of the room. He moved a couple of things out of the way before withdrawing an ornate wooden box. Putting it under his arm, Quest closed the glass cabinet and locked it before returning to the desk and placing the box in front of Sal.

“You joked earlier about it, but I think Barry’s advice has merit.” Quest opened the box to reveal an ancient-looking pistol. “It was a gift from an old friend, and I’d like you to create a blueprint of it.”

Quest sat down and looked at Sal expectantly. “Change is coming, Salvatore. If you’re scared of demons, then craft something that will kill them before they can get close. If you’re worried about being blindsided by a curriculum change, then go on some outings and learn everything you can from our Heroes in advance. If you don’t have enough information, build a tracker that can fill in the gaps. You’re here to learn how to be a Hero. Use your gifts to your advantage and show the Chatfields of this world just how terrifying a Support class can really be.”

Sal looked at Quest in disbelief as the headmaster reclined in his chair with a smile. He made it all sound so incredibly easy.

Would a gun really help him conquer his fear of demons? Judging by Quest’s expression, he seemed to think it would. Activating his Mythcrafter ability, Sal targeted his gaze to the pistol and started an Appraisal.

“So, I go on a few outings, make a gun and a tracker, and you think I’ll be ready for anything?” Sal asked as he picked apart every detail of the weapon.

Quest locked his fingers between his palms and rested them behind his head as he leaned back. “I can’t make any promises, but it would be a hell of a start.”