The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 317

Chapter 317: 317 | A Tactician Anticipates

We reached the lecture hall at 9:47.

The room was arranged differently than most of the academic spaces I’d seen at Halloran. No amphitheater seating, no corporate boardroom table. The desks were arranged in a rough horseshoe formation facing a central open space where a raised platform stood empty. The walls were lined with tactical displays showing terrain maps, building schematics, and what appeared to be historical footage from notable Hero operations. Everything about the room said this is where you learn how to think about violence rather than just perform it.

Students from both 1-A and 1-B were already filling the seats. I spotted Cain Revell in the back row, his amber eyes tracking the room with predatory stillness. His single dark wing was visible at his shoulder, not fully manifested but present enough to cast a faint shadow across the wall behind him.

Camellia Thorn sat near the windows, her constant smile in place as she chatted with Yuna Dusk, whose pale violet eyes tracked the conversation with serene attention. Dante Castor had claimed a seat near the front, his leg bouncing with the restless energy that seemed to radiate off him constantly. Every few seconds his fingers tapped against the desk in a pattern that matched no rhythm I could identify.

From 1-A, I noticed Quinn Adler already in position two rows back, her posture perfect and her tablet open to what looked like the course syllabus. Mira Castillo had taken a seat beside her, the two of them clearly comfortable operating as a unit. Sora Kaine sat alone in the third row, her expression as neutral as always, her hands folded on the desk in a way that communicated she was waiting rather than preparing.

From 1-B, I noticed Theo settling into a seat with his usual warmth, Lyra appearing in the second row so quietly that I almost missed her entirely, and Marco already deep in conversation with Caden about something that was making them both laugh.

Camille had taken a seat on the far side of the horseshoe, as far from my likely position as the room geometry allowed. She was scrolling through her tablet with aggressive focus, her jaw set in a way that suggested she was using the device as a shield against unwanted interaction. Petra had chosen the opposite extreme, positioning herself near the door with her planner open and her attention apparently consumed by whatever notes she was reviewing.

I took a seat in the middle of the horseshoe, close enough to the central platform to see whatever Dravid was going to demonstrate but far enough back that I wasn’t advertising myself as an eager participant. Felicity claimed the seat to my right. Rina appeared to my left a moment later, her sheep mug held between both hands like a comfort object.

"Morning," I said.

"Morning." Her purple eyes flicked toward the front of the room, then back to me. "Percy told me you’re trending on social media."

"Percy tells everyone everything."

"He means well." She took a small sip from her mug. "I watched the interview. You were good. Like you’d done it before."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify