"Hey, isn't he the only new student who came from afar on foot? He's the one who made it into the special class after winning against Prince Damian, right?"
"Although he can only use two basic magic, he's strong when fighting in the arena. I wonder if he's one of those rare geniuses who appeared from the commoners."
"I'm curious about what he can do in the future. I heard Prince Damian also allowed him to meet him after the battle."
Along the way to class, Elijah heard many people talking about his origins. It seemed that on the Rhodes Continent, ordinary people did not possess as much magic as those from the nobility. His existence must have caught the attention of some people, so he seemed like a freak who attracted attention wherever he went.
Fortunately, even though his class was at the top, the crowd of students began to quiet down the moment he stepped onto the third floor of the magic academy. The third-year student's and above were usually too busy with their own tasks to have time to gossip like those below them. At most, Elijah would run into one or two of his seniors, and they would just stare at him for a while before moving on.
Elijah finally arrived at the top floor. Where, unlike other floors that could have seven to ten classes in one level, there were only four special classes filled with students from four different years.
Elijah saw a board labeled one, which meant first-year special class, and entered it without hesitation. The atmosphere in the special class was not as friendly as the atmosphere in the regular class that Elijah had passed earlier. The place was filled with thick mana pressure, as each student had an above-average mana capacity.
There were only twenty tables and benches in the special class, and more than half of them had been filled by students who had arrived earlier than Elijah. Elijah checked their status briefly as he passed them. Most of them were at levels 20 to 30, with the elves holding dominance for the high levels. For a first-year student of the academy, such a high level was quite an achievement.
Elijah looked at the empty seat by the window at the back, intending to make it his seat. Elijah walked without caring about the stares people gave him. But halfway through, Elijah's steps were forced to stop because someone blocked his way by sticking his foot out in the middle of the road.
"Do commoners always lack manners like you? The royal family of the human kingdom is in front of you. Yet, you don't want to greet me at all, huh?"
Elijah looked at the person who had just spoken to him with a flat look. Then not long after, another status information appeared in front of the teenager.
[Name] Gazel (19 years old)
[Level 27]
[HP] 1400/1400
[MP] 1000/1000
[Stamina] 300/300
[Physical Skills] Light armor level 3, One-handed level 2
[Magic Skills] Fire level 16, Light level 11, Thunder level 9, Magic shield level 7, Wind level 5
Elijah knew that the human royal family was regarded as saints by their people. But as an 'outsider', Elijah never felt the same as those who lived on the Rhodes Continent. Everyone was just an NPC in Elijah's eyes. As long as the information status still appeared when Elijah stared at someone a little longer, even an arrogant man like Gazel, who raised his leg to block Elijah's path, was just part of the data set in the teenager's eyes.
"Move aside."
Gazel widened his eyes, seemingly in disbelief that Elijah still dared to speak disrespectfully when dealing with him. Even Elijah's gaze seemed to be trying to demean him, who was the king's cousin. Gazel got up from his sitting position and then roughly pulled Elijah's collar.
"Listen, country boy. I hope you don't feel proud just because you were put into a special class with your meager abilities. You should be lucky we're in the academy right now. If we were outside, I would order someone to immediately remove your head from your body as punishment for your impudence."
Most of the residents of the special class of mages were of the elven race, and they never cared much about the affairs of other races. They enjoyed the time when the humans were arguing with cold expressions. That was how noble elves really behaved. The cheerful Damian, who was insensitive, seemed to be an exception in every sense among the elven race.
"Move aside."
Elijah repeated his words evenly and chose not to engage in violence and fighting outside of sparring time because it would only drag him into unnecessary trouble. Elijah had granted leniency by ignoring all of Gazel's previous remarks. But Gazel didn't seem willing to let Elijah off the hook so easily and intended to make him fall by kicking his leg deliberately.
"Damn country boy like you-"
WHOOSH!
Gazel stopped talking as he sensed the sudden danger, then realized that the danger came from Elijah's hand moving quickly to aim for his neck. Unfortunately, Gazel managed to enter the special class for a reason. The man immediately used a magic shield to block Elijah's attack. Meanwhile, his other hand raised to cast firebolt magic aimed at Elijah's face.
"Fire-"
"What are you going to do with your magic, Gazel?"
Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice from behind Elijah, Gazel's movements immediately stopped in midair. The fireball magic that had almost formed in his hand again disappeared after that. Everyone except Elijah turned their heads to the origin of the voice and saw a girl standing upright while wearing a cold expression on her beautiful face.
"Don't you already know that using magic outside of class hours is forbidden, Gazel?"
The girl spoke again, and Gazel began to look a little frightened. Gazel stepped back to put some distance between him and Elijah, seemingly afraid to provoke the person reprimanding him any further.
"Please pardon me, Your Highness," he replied respectfully to the girl. Gazel didn't even try to find a justification for his actions in front of the girl. Gazel simply fell silent, changing completely from a tiger to a docile cat.
After hearing the word 'Your Highness', Elijah finally looked back to find out who the noble figure was which could made Gazel scared. Standing behind him was a human girl with a cold face like the elves. The woman's gaze was as sharp as a sword. But unlike Gazel, there was no condescending look or any arrogance in those beautiful eyes.
A status screen came back, and Elijah read it carefully this time.
[Name] Sofia (17 years old)
[Level 40]
[HP] 1800/1800
[MP] 1500/1500
[Stamina] 700/700
[Physical Skills] Leadership level 15, One-handed level 9, Light armor level 7, Archery level 3
[Magic Skills] Light level 15, Healing level 11, Wind level 9, Ice spear level 7, Magic shield level 5, Six sense level 3
Elijah was a little pensive as he looked at the status of the girl of the same age as him. In a game, a figure like that girl usually becomes the main character in a story. Elijah only stopped daydreaming when Sofia looked back at him. The girl may not have a friendly expression like other girls. But when she spoke, there was a gentle tone that indicated that the girl actually had a good heart.
"Please forgive my cousin's attitude. In the academy, all students are on equal footing, so it is unjustified for him to try to use his position to pressure someone in this place."
"Actually, it would be better if he never used his position to pressure anyone in his entire life."
Unfortunately, Elijah still didn't really care about anyone, even if it was Sofia, who was the princess of the human kingdom. Elijah said what he wanted to Sofia, then left when he realized Gazel was no longer in his way.
"You!"
Gazel had really finished Elijah off when the teenager dared to answer Sofia's words shamelessly. But Gazel could only return to silence as Sofia glanced at him sharply. The girl stared at Gazel for a few moments, before her gaze returned to Elijah, who continued on his way to sit in his chosen seat.
"That commoner are very ignorant, Your Highness. Just because we're in the academy and he's in the same class as us, he thinks he's in the same status as we are."
Gazel knew he should have kept his mouth shut in front of Sofia, who had already reprimanded him twice. But every time Gazel saw Elijah's uncaring gaze, there was only hatred in his heart. Elijah was just a child with no clear origins. But when dealing with a royal family like them, Elijah dared to stare at them as if they were an insignificant existence.
Elijah treated Sofia in the same way. Because of that, Gazel thought Sofia would also take offense to him after he had experienced how insolent Sofia was towards them.
"Don't make trouble in the class, Gazel. Can't you see that the others are watching us now?"
Unfortunately, instead of getting support, Gazel was scolded for one more time. Gazel was completely silent this time. Everyone who knew Sofia knew how she would never warn someone more than three times in her entire life.
When the atmosphere in the classroom felt a little strange because of the dispute, the one who broke the awkwardness was the teacher, who finally walked in and greeted everyone in a cheerful voice.
"Alright, everyone, sit in the empty seats, okay? I'm Anya, your homeroom teacher for the next year. I have a few things to say before this class officially starts."
Their homeroom teacher was a vibrant woman who carried a dominant aura when she spoke in front of the children in the special class. Elijah was quite curious about his homeroom teacher's abilities. So, when the woman wasn't paying attention, Elijah immediately looked at her status information secretly.
[Name] Anya (31 years old)
[Level 73]
[HP] 3000/3000
[MP] 3300/3300
[Stamina] 1000/1000
[Physical Skills] Body Enchancement level 30, Light armor level 27, Two-handed spear level 15
[Magic Skills] Wind level 50, Magic shield level 31, Fire level 25, Thunder level 19, Healing level 16
For a mage, Elijah new homeroom teacher's status was extraordinary. Elijah finally understood why his teacher was so confident while the others listened carefully. With the power of his homeroom teacher, Elijah no longer hesitated to be in a special class and listen to Anya's explanation seriously.