Number 7

'School, eh?'

His life should have been shaken.

And yet, Randov found himself walking through a back alley, heading to the very place that had been a constant in his inconsistent life.

School.

'No matter where you live... poor or rich... immigrant or citizen... I guess everywhere you go, you have to go to school first.'

Such naive thoughts were what entertained the boy as he walked.

For he could never imagine a place in which schooling was not a necessity, but a luxury.

'In order to get a job... one must first get an education. And in order to get an education... one must first go to school. Or at least... that's what the adults probably want us to think.'

With a smirk, the boy passed by a number of unruly places.

Bars, whorehouses, hookah shops, and all sorts of technically legal places which a child should not be surrounded by.

Of course, in the light of the day, these places were closed down.

When the night came the lights would flare and these places would prosper, yet right now they appeared to be dead.

'It may seem dead on the outside... but that's what everyone wants you to think. And as soon as nobody is looking... those places will open. They'll sell their drugs and alcohol... people will come to have fun and party... and the children will be left at home in order to figure things out for themselves.'

Without a mother or father around to patrol him, Randov had access to the internet.

With such freedom, he learned many things about the world - things which a child his age should not have known.

And because of this, even these things which he witnessed for the first time were not new in the slightest.

'Even though the adults say that you should get an education and work hard to get a job... they're all lying.'

Gritting his teeth, the boy strode forward in this land of desolation, masked by the cover of a prosperous city.

'They should know good and well that hard work will only get you far enough to survive.'

Homeless people dotted the streets, and as the boy passed them one after another he looked at them with irritation as he was made well aware of the state of living of those around him.

'But I don't want to survive.'

'I want to LIVE.'

Ignited with resolve, the boy decided that he would not end up like these people.

‘And in order to live... I have to be the one calling the shots.'

He knew well that if the Commander had sent Nerokov and the sniper in order to watch over him, that without a doubt the Commander had some use for him.

What this use was - he did not know.

Yet there was no way that such a man would waste resources out of the kindness of his heart in order to provide a home and a place for a child which he had no relation to.

'If I want to meet that Commander... then without a doubt I'll have to become a big shot.'

Without question, if the Commander truly was expecting something out of Randov - then surely he was more than a mere pawn.

The amount of time and resources put into him could only mean one thing.

'Rather than taking control of a pawn for himself... if he's willing to wait for years before making his move... then he must instead be trying to obtain a strong piece.'

'One so powerful that it will shake the balance between nations... all to his benefit.'

'But... I can't do that in a day... or even a year.'

'I have an entire lifetime to build up whatever this Commander wants of me.'

Arriving at his destination, the boy was greeted by a large building, and a number of children who made their way inside.

'Therefore... I suppose I'll start by taking control of the school.'

With these thoughts, the boy was motivated.

His entire existence - the truth behind his parents and their relationship with Nerokov, the will of the old man who had died so suddenly, all of these answers lied with that Commander.

Therefore, he had to meet him.

And no matter what obstacle he would have to face in order to do this, he would face it head on.

Even if it meant sacrificing everything.

For this boy no longer had anything left to protect.

----

"Alright, alright."

A teacher spoke out to a class of students, all of whom were talking freely before the start of the class.

"Hey, did you hear about Sherly's mother?"

"Oh, and you won't believe this."

"Hahaha!! Look at this video!"

"And that idiot decided it would be a good idea to try and run! So I put him in his place."

However despite the attempt of the teacher to quiet down the students, none of them seemed to care in the slightest.

"Alright everyone, shut the fuck up!"

Slamming his fist on his desk, the man was able to quiet down the group of unruly students, gathering their attention and silencing them - for a moment.

"Listen up, little shits. There's another one of you coming in today. Unregistered too, an illegal immigrant this time. School seems to always like to put all the problematic ones with me, so I don't wanna hear any more damn reports about some bullshit going on with y’all. Do I make myself clear!?"

"Yeeees..."

Droning in unison, the students halfheartedly agreed with the teacher, as if just to get him to be quiet so that they could continue on with their conversations.

"Ahem. Get your ass in here, kid. What, you think I'mma wait all day? Hurry up so we can get this class started so that we can get it over with and I can go home where I don't have to see your sorry faces."

While the teacher motioned to the door with an unfiltered command, into the classroom walked a boy.

His head was bald, a condition which he had from birth - one in which nobody at his previous school had so much as mentioned, yet something the boy was well aware of.

His ears were sharp, and the boy carried himself with a grin, waltzing into the class with confidence.

"My name is Randov Spielbenz. I'm from-"

"Ah, teacher, is this kid from Joraten?"

"Heh... really? They let one of those in here?"

"Hey, speak like a normal person! What's with that communist accent?"

"And grow some hair while you're at it!"

As the boy introduced himself, he was immediately cut off not by one, but by numerous others.

"Shut the hell up! What the hell did I just fucking say!? Did y'all even listen to me!? Hah!? Ya'll think this is a joke? Trying to get my ass in trouble with the principal every damn day, causing some incident. Well you know fucking what!? I'm done. I'm done dealing with your bullshit. I quit."

Storming out of the room, the instructor slammed the door on the way out, leaving the kids to their own devices as the boy merely watched, eyes widened at such a display.

'What... the hell?'

This was nothing like the school he had attended previously.

Slowly, each student stood up, surrounding the boy without hesitation, and he immediately found himself to be the center of attention in a way unlike ever before.

'Why did the teacher just leave?'

"Ah, you look surprised, don't you? That's the third teacher this month to quit, you know. Oh, but you're probably from some suburb where the teachers are able to handle their jobs."

Grabbing the pointer from the chalkboard, one particular boy grinned as he tutted the device in his hand, flexing as he approached Randov.

"Listen up, baldie. You're not in the suburbs anymore. And you sure as hell aren't in your communist nation where everyone is 'equal'."

Stepping in front of the boy who was surrounded on all sides by other boys while the girls watched the hazing from afar, the leader spoke with pride.

"In this world, everyone is unequal. And I'm Number One."

"No, that's wrong."

However, he was cut off.

By none other than the bald child who grinned as he put up his fists, ready to take on this boy who threatened him.

"Up until today... you were Number One."

"Pfft..."

"Omg..."

"Did he really..."

Yet even as the kid prepared to fight, he was met with the mocking laughter of those around him, who tried to contain themselves as they held it in.

"Wow... what an idiot..."

"Welp, it's over for him."

The girls whispered to one another while the boys merely grinned, and all of a sudden - as if practiced, everyone burst out into laughter.

"AHAHAHA!!!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

The entire class fell completely delirious, as if the actions of the boy were something far out of their expectations.

And even the leader joined them.

They laughed and they laughed, to the confusion and irritation of the boy, whose forehead wrinkled as he spoke up.

"What's so funny?"

Then, taking a swing, the boy aimed straight for the head of the one known as the leader.

"Oh, sorry."

Catching the fist in his hand while he wiped his tears with another, the leader chuckled as the laughter of all the people around came to a stop in an instant.

"It's just been a while since anyone had the balls to challenge the structure here. So I couldn't help but find it hilarious that of all the people... a commie would be the one to do so."

At that moment, Randov felt a knee to his gut as he felt the urge to puke up the little food which he had eaten that morning.

Falling to the ground, the boy's eyes quivered as he trembled from the blow, too weak to even look up.

"But you know what the funniest part is? If you had just shut up and become my dog... then maybe you wouldn't have been the LOWEST on the totem pole. But by pulling that little stunt... hey, pipsqueak. Kick him for me. He's weakened, so even you shouldn't have a problem. Congratz! Looks like you're getting a promotion because of this baldie!"

The leader looked over to a young boy who had an overbite, at which the thin boy stood forward, walking over to Randov with a smile.

"You... you mean that?"

"Course I do. Just follow my order and you don't have to be the one getting kicked all the time anymore."

Slam!

The boy’s brains rattled in his skull as a foot slammed into his head with a power that was completely unlike anything he could have possibly expected from that thin boy.

Yet it didn't stop there.

Slam! Slam!

One to his neck, and another to his chest, the boy had the wind knocked out of him as he struggled to breathe, grabbing his throat.

"Hey hey, don't kill him, pipsqueak! Haha... but you did quite a good job at teaching him a lesson. So nice job."

Bending down to meet the face of Randov, the leader grabbed his chin as he sat in front of him like a delinquent.

"You hear that, commie? You're the new plaything from this point on. Because you tried to take my position as Number One... you're going to be starting from ZERO. And if you want to escape that position... then you're going to have to redirect everything about your entire life."

----

"Good morning everyone! It looks like the previous instructor quit recently... I suppose he probably had a lot going on, but from this day on I'll be teaching you all, so I hope we can all get along and have fun learning together!"

A cheerful teacher appeared the following day to replace the man who had stormed out, yet even as this woman spoke with excitement in her voice, she was met with the passive aggressive irritation of the students.

Not a single person responded to the woman’s enthusiasm, many rolling their eyes as they ignored the existence of the woman.

"Er... it doesn't seem like you all are very excited to learn. Well, don't worry! I know that some other teachers have probably been very boring, but I'll do my best to make this fun!"

Still no response.

With a twitch in her eye, the woman realized that these students were not the type to react kindly to her energy, as many other children might have.

'Ah... I suppose I should try a different approach... well, I suppose if I pull out the rewards, maybe they'll respond in kind.', she thought. 'After all, punishment is too old fashioned. If you punish a child, it only makes them hate you even more. As adults, it is our responsibility to grin and bear the annoyances while we teach the children.'

Heading over to her desk, the woman laid down her bag as she began to forage inside of it.

'Let's see... somewhere in here... ah!'

"Alright, how about we start with a little game? I have a chocolate bar here, and anyone who wins the game will get it. How about that?"

"What type of game?", one girl asked.

"Oh, good question!", the woman responded with energy. "Hmm... what type of game... well, it would have to be something that tests your knowledge, so I suppose let's do a little quiz! I know. How about when I ask a question, I will give four answers. Each of you will go to one corner of the room, and if you get it right you stay in the game until only one person is left."

Heading over to the board with a smile, the woman began to write on it.

"Alright! Corner A will be there, Corner B will be there, C will be there, and D will be there. For the first question... let's see... I guess we'll start with something simple. Who is our current president?"

A. Travis Rilton

B. Lestor Kurgistak

C. Percius XXIV

D. Francesco Bellini

"Does she think we're idiots?"

"Even if we didn't know it, just by those names alone we'd know which ones look foreign and which one looks Stronvardian."

The students whispered to themselves as they all made their way to corner A without hesitation, the corner where the desk of the woman was.

"My! It looks like that was a bit too easy. Well, I suppose all of your parents were probably always talking about it when they voted. In case you all didn't know, the other names were people who are from other countries. Lestor Kurgistak is... well, he is the current King of Joraten... but I've heard that there have been some issues there, so whether he is still the King is questionable... Percius XXIV is the leader of a noble house in the Forgestarian Empire, which is ruled collectively by a number of noble houses. And Francesco Bellini is the current Emperor of Koravik. Now for the next question.... which nation is this?"

Walking over to the map, the woman pointed to a country on the Western end of the world before heading back over to the board as she wrote the answers.

A. Joraten

B. Koravik

C. Forgestaria

D. Vorathia

Many of the students seemed to look to the answer choices with difficulty, as many of them did not know the answer.

After some thought, some people began to walk over to different corners, some here and another there, until eventually all of the corners were filled.

"Oh... it would seem that this one was a bit more difficult. I guess you all know quite a bit about this country, but when it comes to foreign countries you don't really know much. Well, that's fine! This entire exercise is to learn what you know and what you don't know so that I can form a better plan to teach you all."

Grabbing a clipboard, the woman began to make notes as she glanced over to corner D, in which a few students were standing.

And among them was a bald child whose skin was bruised, though he had no bandages to cover such bruises.

'Ah... I didn't see that kid when I came in... has he had those bruises for long? They look fresh... did he fall down some stairs or something?', the woman wondered.

"Are you going to tell us the answer?", one kid asked, bringing the woman back to the present.

"Ah! Yes, yes. The answer is D. This is Vorathia. It's a nation of City States that have allied to form a single united country... although each City State rules over itself and they tend to have their own unique decisions and methods of ruling."

"What's a City State?", one kid asked. "I've never heard of that before."

"Oh, curious aren't we? A City State is a City that can rule over itself like a little country. It even has its own military and government, and-"

"So basically, they're all weak?"

Cutting off the woman was one particular child, who sneered at the mention of such places.

"Hm? I mean-"

"They're so weak that they could only handle controlling one City, and couldn't even take any more for themselves... and because they were so weak, they were forced to ally with one another so that the bigger nations like Stronvardia don't crush them completely. Isn't that right?"

"Er.... let's see... your name is?"

Somewhat taken aback by the response of the boy, the woman glanced down to her clipboard as she flipped through the papers.

"Brian Carter.", the boy responded quickly.

"Er... Brian... well, you are somewhat correct, but it isn't good to put down other nations. It's true that they allied with one another in order to become stronger, but to call them weak wouldn't be right either. After all, the city states of Vorathia each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. It was to compensate for one another's weaknesses that they allied in the first place."

With a mature response, the teacher answered the question of the boy, yet he continued to press.

"Hmm... you sound like you're advocating for them."

"Eh? Well, of course not. I'm just trying to look at things from an objective-"

"Which country do you think is the strongest then?"

Freezing in place, the woman realized something as she spoke with this boy.

'I... have to be careful what I say here.'

"Of course, that would be Stronvardia. But you know, just because we're the strongest doesn't mean that we should gloat about that strength. We should make sure that we use it properly, for the sake of all the countries of the world."

"So what is your opinion on the revolution in Joraten?"

Finally reaching the heart of the matter, the boy spoke directly as he eyed the woman.

'What... is this boy saying? He's only a student... a child at that... and yet...'

Meeting her eyes with the boy, the woman felt intimidated.

'I feel like I'm being interrogated.'

"That... well... I don't think it would be good to bring politics into the school or the workplace, therefore I'm going to end this conversation here."

"Hmm... staying silent then? I see."

With a victorious grin, the boy known as Brian nodded firmly.

With a whisper, the boy returned to his seat as he put his arms behind his head, closing his eyes without a care.

"The only person who would do that is someone whose beliefs are... dangerous."

----

That evening, Mrs. Hina left the school, confusion filling her mind.

The game had continued on, and eventually a single student was left over.

This particular student was none other than the bald one, who seemed to have a strange amount of knowledge about the nations outside of Stronvardia.

Yet even though he won, he didn't seem happy in the least when he had received the reward.

"Congratulations! What's your name?"

"Randov."

"Oh! That's an interesting name."

"Is it?"

The boy spoke with a slavic accent.

When she read the reports, she realized that he was an immigrant, and an illegal one at that.

'He was the one who had bruises all over... I wonder if his parents are abusing him, or maybe if he just fell and hurt himself?'

With concern, the woman bit her lip.

'If that's the case, as his teacher, I'll have to step up and do something about it.'

Making this decision in her mind, the woman returned to her home.

'And there was also that other kid... Brian... could he be? No... there's no way, right? But...'

Taking a deep breath, the woman shook her head in denial.

'I must be getting too paranoid about these things. Haha... I guess all this history really makes you question those above you.'

----

"Hand it over, commie."

Everyone had left the school.

Everyone except two particular boys.

"What if I don't? You're going to gang up on me again and take it?"

"Hah... you don't learn, do you? I was gonna go easy on you, you know. But it looks like..."

Raising his fists with a grin, the boy known as Brian swung at Randov, who attempted to dodge.

"You need to be put in your place."

His fist slammed right into the eye of the bald boy, who stumbled backwards as he hit the wall behind him.

The two were in the bathroom, both having stayed after for one reason.

The previous day, Brian had made the situation clear to Randov.

"Listen up, Commie. From this point on, you're my slave. You do exactly as I say. When I say it. How I say it. You don't listen, you get your ass beat. And every time you disobey me, the beating is gonna get worse and worse. And unless you manage to beat me, you're gonna remain my slave until the day you leave this school. Got that?"

At that time, Randov's mind was mush.

So many thoughts flew through it at one time, and he couldn't do anything more than nod in agreement at the words of the boy, who had him thoroughly beaten.

'I'll give in for now... but just you wait... when I catch you one on one... I'll beat you. And you'll regret ever pissing me off.'

However the following day, Randov had won the competition.

As soon as the teacher had left for the day, Randov had burst off running, knowing full well one thing - that if he didn't escape, he would be attacked again.

Once again it would be 5 on 1, and he would lose.

'I have to hide in the bathroom, and wait for them all to get bored and leave. But if I'm correct... he won't leave. Which means if I wait long enough...'

With a smile, the boy had rushed off, formulating his plan as he bolted towards the bathroom.

"Hey! He's running! Get him! That slave needs to learn that everything he owns is mine!"

Multiple boys darted after Randov, who quickly locked himself in a bathroom stall.

Fortunately for him, these were wooden stalls which went all the way to the ceiling, therefore people couldn't climb over or under, and he was able to hide in there while the boys banged on the door.

"You jackass!!! Open this door right now!!!! If you don't, I'll beat you tomorrow as well!"

"Get out here, wimp!"

"Quit playing these games!"

The other boys jeered in, all of them furiously banging as the walls of the stall shook, yet the boy merely smiled.

'They won't be able to break them down. Even if these walls aren't that strong, they'd have to get a club to do that. So now... I just wait.'

Thus, Randov waited.

He waited and waited, and eventually the banging stopped.

"Hey, get the hell out here already!! You're wasting all our time!!"

"I'm leaving."

"Wha-!? You asshole. You think you're leaving!?"

"What are you gonna do about it? Beat me up like you're gonna do to him? Hey everyone! Aren't y'all all tired of waiting on this little shit? Shouldn't we just get out of here?"

"Yeah, I'm bored."

"I've got shit to do."

"Later."

"Why you..."

"What? Are you gonna beat us all up? I'm out."

One particular boy had spoken up against Brian after an hour had passed.

All of the others had grown tired of waiting, and exactly as Randov had planned, they had all left of their own accord.

'If he relies on a group to attack me, then all I have to do is give the group a reason not to be loyal to him anymore. Now... he'll be alone.'

Randov listened as the footsteps on the other side of the door gave proof that the other boys were leaving.

'And if he's alone... will he still be able to beat me?'

It wasn't about the reward.

Both of the two boys knew and understood this.

Such a thing was merely the trigger, yet these two boys would have made an excuse to go after one another either way.

For each of them desired to be Number One.

Opening the stall door, Randov strutted out into that bathroom, at which he met a boy who was sitting on the sink.

Jumping off immediately while bearing his fists, the boy grit his teeth as he pierced Randov with his eyes.

"I've been waiting, commie."

"I have too."

----