Mister Pteryx nodded happily as he saw the latest students had found themselves places to sit. Lucille, the overly serious one, had found a place in the front row next to a spectacled human boy who didn't seem to care much. It didn't surprise him, Timothy wasn't one to care about anything but his studies and future plans, but hopefully those two would open up in time.

Blanche, the albino fashionista, was already engaged in what appeared to be a passionate conversation with her deskmate, Christie, a sea serpent sirene with iridescent scales who seemed just as fascinated with her new friend's pristine white fur as the small one was with her reptilian physique. When sapience was involved animal instincts and stereotypes were usually dismissable, but seeing the rodent and the snake chatting right away still did warm his heart.

Foudre had decided to settle next to Bruce, the most cliché skateboarder bro the world had ever seen. It was adorable how the youth went out of his way at every turn to make sure to keep his theme, a fact that was made all the more heartwarming when one knew the lengths his parents went to when it came to encouraging his dreams, such as the skateboard-shaped biscuits they prepared him every day. They even had functional wheels! The teacher could already see the two exchanging bro tips and how the young girl's interest in trying out his passion made the boy smile.

David, the little troublemaker in the making, didn't hesitate one second to join Lyra, regardless of the fact the orc was sitting in the back with the other taller students for a reason. While students could sit wherever they pleased, he did try to organize them by height so that everyone could see the front of the class. The second to last row wasn't as bad as the last one, but David was a particularly short individual. Pteryx frowned as he made a note to ask for an adjusted desk later. David would be fine without it for a day, particularly the first day when the siblings weren't truly meant to learn but rather get used to how school works, but it was still something he would need to put in place.

Yes, he had a feeling he would need to prepare a lot more things for the little one in the future. Let it never be said that Theodore Pteryx didn't like a challenge! Not to mention, seeing kids grow as people was always a delight.

Goliath, the little sweetheart, was the one who seemed to have the most trouble finding a seat. Not because no one wanted him, but the opposite. Too many people were inviting him to sit next to them, leading to at least half a minute of obvious pondering before ultimately resorting to the old classic "point at things in rhythm with a little song until it ends" trick, leading the bulkiest of the little mammals to sit next to Amelia. Theodore wasn't surprised quite a few raised eyebrows at the otherwise prickly human girl inviting someone and trying to make friends of her own volition, but he knew that beneath all the black and violet gloom and spikes was a kind heart.

He also knew from running into her at the cinema during an anniversary that she too loved the old Superhero cartoon show based on real events, her usual attire replaced by a full cosplay of Green Girl. The way she got even more embarrassed when she realized he wasn't a fellow Captain Cyan fan but was there to watch a different movie had given him a good chuckle, though he had made to reassure her there was nothing wrong with liking old things or having varied tastes. While Captain Cyan may have fallen somewhat out of fashion in recent years, it was still a worthwhile watch for those her age. Still, he did promise her to keep her secret, and he had successfully done exactly that. Perhaps spending some time with such a sweet boy would help her realize she could openly like both Nightmare Zone Nox and something more warmhearted. Only time would tell.

The way she had to fight to keep her eyes off her adorable deskmate's face as he watched their teacher eagerly told Theodore they were on the right track.

"Alright class, I understand everyone's excited to see some new arrivals, but we still have a curriculum to follow. They may not have as much time when recess comes but you'll still have lunch to learn more about each other. So, this morning we will be talking about something I'm sure a lot of you are curious about: how did Zalcien come to be."

The teacher stood a little straighter and clapped once again, the screen on the wall behind turning on to reveal depictions of a city that didn't match their home.

"Now, while we went over bits and pieces of our history in previous classes, I feel it is only fair to our new arrivals and the more forgetful among you to summarize some events before getting to the foundation of today's Zalcien. So, as a reminder, Zalcien is part of the ACS, the Alliance of City States - or Association, depending on local lingo - a nation formed close to four hundred years ago."

A boy with spiky red hair raised his hand.

"Mister Pteryx, why does the ACS have the two names?"

"Alliance is the historical and thus most commonly used term. A few decades ago a movement to use Association instead began, to cement our bond as more than a mere militaristic or economic alliance. As you can guess it didn't take, but the term is still popular enough to be considered valid. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes teach!"

"Wonderful! Well, where was I? Ah, right. The ACS was founded close to four hundred years ago. I'm sure some of you have heard that there are already preparations for the proper 400th anniversary two years from now. At the time only six city-states existed, banding together to fend off invaders and opportunistic raiders interested in the still young settlements. We have come much further since then, with officially fifty members and many more small semi-independent settlements. The ACS was formed by settlers from the Old Continent, originally here on behalf of different nations for the sake of colonization. Without their original government close to keep them subservient, those settlers slowly began to form their own identities. Official cessation came one after the other and soon the city-states allied to protect themselves from their former rulers. As luck would have it, those from the Old Continent failed to agree on how to handle the situation, each one considering the newly born ACS their rightful territory regardless of the previous presence of the others."

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He waved to the screen which now showed multiple maps of the time, revealing that there were more battles between the invading powers than against the ACS itself.

"The leaders of the Alliance at the time took advantage of their behavior and engineered even more discord and conflict. Soon other colonial settlements grew discontent at the resource drain of the war and joined the revolution, making the ACS even stronger and leading our newborn nation to take over former enemy outposts without bloodshed. The process wasn't a peaceful walk in the park though. Not every city in the ACS today joined willingly."

A girl with a crocodile's head raised her hand.

"Does that include Zalcien?"

"Ah, no. For you see, Zalcien was founded after the Great Rebellion. There was an unoccupied stretch of land, the ACS needed to expand to develop its agriculture to feed its population now that it had grown and lost all support from overseas, it was a match made in heaven."

Lyra the orc wasn't fully convinced.

"Was the land truly unoccupied?"

"For the most part, surprisingly, yes. The old Zalcien was built close to three hundred years ago on a massive swamp that native inhabitants considered cursed grounds. For once, no natives were harmed in the process. The few tribes who lived around the swamp left on their own when the settlers came near and migrated to other regions. We do know where they are today, though they have remained reclusive to this day."

Another child raised their voice.

"Oh! Was it built the same year as the hundredth anniversary of the ACS?"

"No, but close. It was built thirteen months prior. Well, considered founded thirteen months prior. Even with the Creation Aspect, building a city that size takes some time. Now, as I was saying, Zalcien was made to be the agricultural heart of the ACS."

Christie and Blanche exchanged a look before speaking as one.

"In a swamp?"

"Wetlands are beneficial in agriculture, yes. Ideally, they should coexist rather than just uproot everything and replace it with wheat, but the nutrients in the soil alone should be enough to justify the venture. Still, I do wish Zalcien's founders had the foresight not to erase an entire ecosystem. Regardless, Zalcien was built for agriculture. Now, while there is still a healthy amount of it outside the city's walls, you should be aware that we never rose to be this key piece we were meant to be. The answer as to why is tragically simple: advances in magic and technology made raising crops smoother and required less land, robbing Zalcien of its purpose. From that point on, why go to Zalcien when other more established city-states were available?"

Bruce raised his hand.

"Is that why we're bums?"

"Language, and do not depreciate us too much. Zalcien may be on the lower end of things, but we're far from the worst city-state to live in. But yes, our home lacking something to make it stand out from the rest is partly responsible for its relative forgettableness. That wasn't helped by what happened nearly a hundred years ago. The end of the Old Zalcien, and the birth of the new."

This time it was Lucille's turn to raise her hand, though unlike the others she waited for her teacher to nod before speaking.

"The Sunken City."

Pteryx smiled.

"Indeed, the Sunken City. While the specifics are unclear to this day, a good deal of censorship and corruption keeping history muddled, what we do know is that someone brought something to the Old Zalcien. Before this event, while the city wasn't glorious it was still doing well. If we are below average today, we were slightly above in those times. When this something broke out of this someone's hold, it became a catastrophe that overran the city to the point there was no choice but to abandon it. After evacuating as many as possible, the Hero Union and the army collaborated to end the threat at any cost."

The screen shifted this time to reveal a painting of an old city. Red tendrils and tentacles were everywhere and some growing higher than some of the tallest buildings. Above the city was a gigantic green ball of light, so massive it nearly blotted out the sky and colored everything green, even the sun on the horizon.

Several children gasped or gulped while others got a shine in their eyes.

"You can see why they felt the need to do so. The threat was put to an end, but so was the city. Although officially declared purged and safe, a decision was made to abandon the Old Zalcien regardless. The ACS worked together to create a dome-like structure to quarantine the ruins while offering space and accommodations to build Zalcien anew. While nicknamed the Black Dome, you can guess as to why the title was never officialized. During construction, former Zalcians were housed by neighboring city-states. Many were displeased to be forced to house refugees without warning. Tensions rose in some areas, though thankfully nothing ever went too far. The Dome was finished, placed over the ruins, basic infrastructures were made, and the people of Zalcien returned to their home, now forever changed."

The painting was replaced by a photograph of what would become the modern Zalcien. The Dome Pteryx spoke of was clearly visible, a black half of a cone rising from the ground surrounded by fields. The picture was old, the barebones beginning of the city atop the manmade base lacking the many buildings that would become part of Zalcien's landscape in the modern age. Still, anyone having seen a picture of the city from outside would recognize it.

"Of course, it wasn't perfect. While officially the threat that necessitated such heavy measures was obliterated, it is hard to ignore its similitude to the Horror, one of our local monsters, and how that creature's attack that led to the creation of the slums was eerily similar to the initial catastrophe. Since then, however, there have been no more major incidents surrounding it, in part thanks to the agreement between the city's powers and its Villains. You can't commit crimes if there is no city."

The teacher clapped his hands.

"Alright! Now that we've done the broad overview, time to get to the nitty gritty and dive deeper. I know it's the part you like the least, but it's time to learn some names and dates."

The students groaned as the man shrugged.

"I know, I know. But sadly, those are things you can't just handwave away."

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