Part 1 — Emergency Mobilization
The classroom remained quiet after attendance ended.
No one spoke.
Even the students who normally couldn't sit still had gone silent.
Daigo closed the attendance sheet slowly and placed it on the desk beside him.
For a moment—
he simply looked at the class.
At the fear they were all carrying differently.
Then he spoke.
"…Listen carefully."
The remaining whispers disappeared immediately.
Daigo's voice stayed calm.
Steady.
But more serious than usual.
"…What happened last night was an emergency mobilization response."
Several students lowered their eyes hearing it confirmed aloud.
Daigo continued before panic could spread further.
"…That does not mean the village is under attack."
"…But it does mean the situation outside the village is unstable enough for higher command to begin precautionary deployment."
The room stayed silent.
Everyone was listening carefully now.
Daigo turned toward the board behind him and wrote slowly:
ERA
The chalk echoed softly through the classroom.
Then he looked back at them.
"…Most of you have heard people mentioning Eras since last night."
A few students nodded slightly.
Others still looked confused.
Daigo folded his arms lightly.
"…First understand this clearly."
"…An Era does not mean age."
That immediately caught several students off guard.
Daigo continued.
"…An Era is the official title given to a graduating academy generation."
He wrote beneath it:
Era = Graduating Generation
"…Normally, each Era graduates around four years apart."
Then he gestured lightly toward the upper academy buildings visible through the window.
"…Your seniors who are preparing to graduate now…"
"…they will become Era 9."
A few students glanced outside instinctively.
Daigo then pointed toward the class itself.
"…When your generation graduates…"
"…you will officially become Era 10."
Kaito blinked slightly hearing it spoken aloud like that.
Daigo continued calmly.
"…And the academy students younger than you right now…"
"…their generation will become Era 11."
Then after a small pause—
"…And it continues forward from there."
The class had become fully focused now.
Even the frightened students were listening carefully.
Daigo tapped the word "Era" once with the chalk.
"…An Era is a historical generation identity."
"…Not simply an age group."
Then he wrote slowly beneath it:
Era 7 — Daigo Generation
Era 8 — Akari / Renjiro Generation
A few students immediately looked surprised.
Daigo noticed.
"…Yes."
"…There is an age difference between Era 7 and Era 8."
"…But eight years ago, during the previous war period…"
His expression lowered slightly.
"…both generations graduated at the same time."
The atmosphere in the classroom shifted immediately.
He continued calmly.
"…The situation back then became unstable enough that emergency graduation procedures were activated."
"…Multiple academy generations were pushed into deployment preparation early."
Several students stiffened hearing that.
Haruto's hands tightened slightly without him realizing.
Daigo noticed—
but continued.
"…Even though Era 7 and Era 8 graduated together…"
"…their Era identities remained separate."
He tapped the board again.
"…Because Era identity is determined by generation."
"…Not graduation timing."
Silence settled across the room.
Then Daigo spoke again.
"…That is also why the village is being careful right now."
Several students looked up immediately.
Daigo's voice remained calm.
"…The current mobilization is specifically trying to avoid another emergency academy graduation."