"Oi... wake up."
"Boss... the kid's not waking up."
"Damned Phoenix students think they can do as they please in this kingdom... kick him."
Griff woke up in a jolt of pain as he found himself lying on the ground with someones boots on his stomach, and the book he was previously reading tossed behind him.
Griff looked around in confusion. The three students that basically ambushed him were wearing golden-white robes with a dragon engraved on their robes.
"Now scram you phoenix trash."
The kid that was standing on top of him said with his arms crossed together.
Griff sighed.
'Well not this shit again. Guess I'll just have to show them I'm no pushover.'
The boy felt mana gathering around Griff, but he paid no heed as he smugly thought that the magic of a phoenix was worthless. However, the stone pillar that shot out of Griff's and slammed him right across the stomach said otherwise.
"Stone Pillar... Novice Class Magic. Leave me alone, and I won't resort to anything stronger."
The other two boys looked at him with shock and disbelief. A phoenix student hadn't stood up against their noble class for a long time, bar Ellen, but she was counted as a noble.
The boy in the middle who had grayish hair and a plump face pointed at Griff in anger.
"Who do you think you are, you phoenix trash! The Ancient Dragon Order will not stand for trash like you ruining the honor code of knights."
Griff cracked his neck in relief as he stood up and shrugged.
"I'm not the one who attacked first, so you guys are the ones who broke the code of ethics."
"Pfft. Like any of the teachers would believe a useless phoenix like you who can only cast second tier magic."
Griff raised an eyebrow as his face slowly twisted into a grin.
"You seem to be pretty arrogant fatty. You don't want me to knock you off your high-horse."
The gray haired boy squeezed his hands in anger as he turned to his lackey who was still standing.
"Kill him! I'll put in a good word to my father so you can become a viscount if you help me!"
The other boy who was plain looking with black hair nodded and shouted in enthusiasm.
"Yes Count! I'll show you how I can be of use to you! Acid Magic: The Viper's Bite!"
As soon as he finished his chant, a greenish smoke started to cover the area around Griff.
"Heh... a phoenix like him can't break from a third tier magic. He'll die from the poison for disrespecting you Count Balir."
The fatty, Balir, grinned with ill intentions as he watched Griff succumb to his so called death.
"...that's it? A cocoon of poison? And I was expecting you nobles to be more creative. Man... Wind Magic: Gale."
Griff chanted out the third tier spell... well, more like he contradicted his earth lacrima to replicate wind, to blow away the poison.
The fatty looked at him in shock and clenched his fists as he turned away.
"I won't smear myself with the likes of you. You two, from now on I don't want to see your faced anywhere near me too. I don't need weaklings as my so called friends."
The guy who was on the ground in pain raised his hand.
"No please, it was a mistake! Give us a second chance!"
The fatty simply raised his hand as the boy on the ground was suddenly tossed further back by a metallic arm that had sprouted from the ground.
"As for you, phoenix. I'll deal with you another day. I need to cleanse my followers of weaklings now."
The fatty gave a devilish and disgusting grin as he walked away. The two remaining hooligans looked at Griff with fear.
"Oi... I'm not gonna hit you anymore."
The two cried tears of joy as they stood up and ran away, leaving Griff confused, baffled, and most possibly bamboozled by what just happened to him.
He shrugged.
"Yeah anyway... this school is getting weirder and weirder."
He looked at the magic clock that was ticking in the library, and his eyes widened.
"Aw shoot! The first practice match!"
He scrambled out of the library as the librarian looked at him with dead beat eyes. She had already given up on forcing him to be silent.
———————————————————————
Griff arrived at the training grounds where they had held their first mock fight to see both Ellen's team and his team going back and forth with someone in white-gold robes.
"You phoenix's need to scram. Today's the Gilded Kings day to train here."
"I won't buy any of that bull crap! It was your turn yesterday, and the day before!"
Ellen shouted in vigor as Sylvie stood next to her with the same wrathful gaze. These two didn't get along most of the time, but they did share the same temper and spirit.
"So? It's not like the Phoenix Order will do anything good for the kingdom. Us Gilded Kings are the ones who do all the heavy work in the first place. You should just be grateful we even allowed your class to still exist for your so called equality."
"Why damn-"
Griff caught Sylvie's fist before she flung it just in time. He looked over to his teammates to see Kato giving a solemn nod of approval.
Ellen was also frustrated but she bowed her head in anger.
Griff slightly chuckled as he gave a response to the supposed leader of the squad in front of him.
"Sorry about that, we will be leaving immediately. You can have the training room."
The Gilded Kings stood for a moment before the started to burst with laughter, and the one in front of them patted Griff on the shoulder.
"Now this is how a phoenix should be. Subservient to its king. I like you kid, I'll put in a good word for you if you want so you can become a Valiant Eagle!"
Griff kept up his façade smile as he nodded, holding himself.
"I'll keep that in mind sir-"
"Call me Marquis Vincent! You and I will get along just fine. Now take your friends and off you go."
Griff nodded one last time before he pulled both Ellen and Sylvie's arms in a hurry before the two hot heads started something. Kato and Jewels followed behind them to prevent any accidents as the rest walked ahead of them.
Sylvie whispered to Griff.
"Hey what the hell was that! I haven't seen YOU of all people forcibly bow your head to trash like that!"
"Yeah Griff! I thought you had more guts!"
Blurted out Ellen right behind her.
Griff sighed but before he opened his mouth Kato interjected.
"Can't you guys see that there's a forced hierarchy here among students that replicates Kulva's society? No matter what we did the Gilded Kings would be prioritized as are nobles outside of this school. Griff simply avoided unnecessary fighting."
Griff closed his mouth in shock for a second before smiling.
"Thanks for backing me up Kato."
"No worries. However, I don't think I can bow my head another time to these pricks. We better keep training if we want to show them what the phoenix class is made of..."
"Hell yeah!"
Griff gave a thumbs up before thinking for a second.
"Also what are the Valiant Eagles?"
"That's the third class that works directly under the Gilded Kings. It's supposedly its own Order, but it's just a bunch of barons and small nobles sucking up to the higher ones."
"Yeah... Phoenix is the best."
"It really is..."