A low whistle broke the lingering silence from the student body.
"No way," a male voice muttered from somewhere in the crowd. "A professor? He looks… young."
Ozpin let a small, knowing smile play on his lips, observing the varied reactions.
"Indeed," he affirmed, taking another slow sip from his mug.
"And Professor Leywin Stark's youth, I assure you, he has a capability that few can match. He will be instrumental in shaping your understanding of both yourselves and the threats that lie beyond these walls."
Ruby, meanwhile, had recovered from her initial shock, her silver eyes gleaming.
"See, Yang? I told you he was cool!" she practically bounced, nudging her sister.
"A professor! That's even better than just super cool! Now he has to tell us all about his magic!"
Yang chuckled, ruffling Ruby's hair.
"Looks like you got yourself a personal magic tutor, huh, sis?"
She glanced at Arthur, a genuine smile replacing her earlier smirk. She had to admit, the reveal was certainly unexpected, but it also made a lot of sense.
The way he handled Jaune and Weiss, the calm authority in his voice – it all pointed to someone beyond the typical student.
Jaune, still trying to process the information, finally managed to articulate his thoughts.
"So… the guy who stopped me from barfing all over myself… is a professor?"
He looked at Arthur with a mixture of awe and a faint hint of terror.
"Does that mean if I get motion sickness again, I have to go to his office hours?"
Weiss, however, remained utterly speechless, her blue eyes still wide with disbelief.
A professor. Her professor, now stood before her as a member of Beacon's faculty.
The faint blush on her cheeks intensified, and she quickly averted her gaze, focusing intensely on the polished floor.
The thought of having to learn from him, to interact with him in a formal setting, was… disconcerting.
And strangely, a little thrilling. She found herself trying to recall every detail of their brief interactions, every subtle movement and word.
Ozpin's voice cut through the lingering murmurs.
"Now, as for the rest of your orientation, please ensure you have found your designated sleeping arrangements for the night. Tomorrow, you will be assigned your teams. Remember, the strength of Beacon lies not just in individual prowess, but in the bonds forged between Huntsmen and Huntresses. Choose wisely, for your team will be your family."
With that, Ozpin gave a final, enigmatic smile before stepping back.
The auditorium immediately erupted into a cacophony of chatter as students began to disperse, eager to find their dorms and discuss the day's surprising revelations.
Ruby, practically dragging Arthur by the sleeve, was already formulating a plan.
"Come on, Professor Arthur! We gotta find our place! And then maybe you can tell me more about… about Professor stuff! Like, do you have a special classroom? And what are you going to teach? Is it going to be like combat class, but with magic?"
Arthur smiled warmly at Ruby's relentless enthusiasm.
"Patience, Ruby. All in due time."
He subtly shifted the suitcase he was still carrying for Weiss, who had been too stunned to even register that he was still holding it.
Weiss, snapping out of her daze, suddenly noticed the suitcase. Her eyes widened again, this time with a mix of embarrassment and indignation.
"My… my suitcase!" she exclaimed, snatching it from his hand with a sharp tug.
"You… you didn't have to carry it!"
Her cheeks were a deeper shade of crimson now.
"It was no trouble, Miss Schnee," Arthur replied calmly, his polite smile unwavering. "It seemed convenient."
Weiss huffed, turning her head away to hide her fluster.
"Hmph. Well, it was entirely unnecessary. I am perfectly capable of carrying my own belongings."
She clutched the suitcase tightly, as if to prove a point, though her grip was still lighter than usual.
She then marched off, albeit in the same general direction as Arthur, Ruby, Yang, and Jaune, keeping a slightly greater but still noticeable distance.
Jaune watched her go, then looked at Arthur, shaking his head.
"Wow. She's… intense."
Yang slung an arm around Jaune's shoulders, a playful grin on her face.
"You get used to it, Vomit Boy. Just wait till you see her in action. It's always this type of girl who falls hard."
She then winked at Arthur.
"Looks like you've already made quite the impression, Professor."
Arthur merely offered a knowing smile, his gaze briefly flicking to the retreating figure of Weiss Schnee before turning back to Ruby, who was still practically vibrating with questions about his "magic professor stuff."
They found a spot to sleep for today.
Yang thought it was a good idea to let Ruby find a new friend outside their group.
Then she found her target. It was a girl with black ribbon reading a book.
Ruby, still buzzing with excitement, was easily distracted by anything that promised a new adventure.
Her eyes, ever keen, quickly landed on a lone figure seated quietly by a window.
It was a girl, with striking black hair and a crimson ribbon tied neatly in a bow at the back of her head, engrossed in a book.
"Oh, look!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing. "She's reading! Maybe she knows about magic too!"
Yang, seeing an opportunity, nudged Ruby forward.
"Go on, Rubes. Make a new friend. Professor Stark here isn't the only interesting person in Beacon, you know."
She gave Ruby a playful shove towards the girl.
Ruby, needing no further encouragement, practically skipped over.
"Hi!" she chirped, her voice bright and enthusiastic.
"What are you reading? Is it a story about Huntsmen? Or maybe… magic?"
The girl looked up from her book, her dark eyes blinking in surprise.
A slight, almost imperceptible flinch rippled through her before she composed herself.
"It's… a book," she replied, her voice soft and a little hesitant. "About history."
Ruby's shoulders sagged slightly.
"Oh. History," she said, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
"Is it… exciting history? Like, with big monsters and heroic battles?"
The girl offered a small smile. "Some of it," she admitted. "My name is Blake, by the way."
"I'm Ruby! And this is my sister, Yang, and that's Jaune, and… and that's Professor Stark!" Ruby gestures wildly, her excitement quickly returning.
"He's a professor! And he's going to teach us all about magic, I think!"
Blake's eyes flickered to Arthur, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths before she returned her gaze to Ruby.
"A professor?" she murmured, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
"He does look rather young."
"That's what everyone said!" Ruby declared proudly, as if Arthur's youth was a personal triumph.
"But he's super cool! He stopped Jaune from getting sick, and he knew how to talk to Weiss when she was being all… Weiss-y."
Blake raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
"Weiss-y?"
"Yeah!"
Ruby nodded emphatically.
"You know, all huffy and proper! But Professor Stark wasn't scared of her at all!"
Meanwhile, Arthur observed her with a fond smile.
It seemed Ruby was doing a good job of making introductions, however unconventional.