The Trial of Strength - an annual test to determine each student's power. While they taught general sciences and the history of calligraphy here, strength always took precedence. Depending on their specialization, students underwent different trials. Warriors engaged in sparring with instructors, thieves and assassins likely had something similar, though no one knew exactly what they did. Traders had to negotiate their class with the merchants overseeing their faculty, but it was unfairly evaluated based on the student's initial capital. As for mages, they had to demonstrate their best spells...
And here lay a small problem - I had no idea how to use magic at all. Yes, I had once managed to deflect a fireball, but that was a long time ago and only happened once. I needed to learn at least the basics by tonight, or my education would end before it even began.
The only place where I could find this knowledge was the Academy's library, renowned for its collection of books on all possible sciences and magic.
"And what am I supposed to do here?" Massive shelves filled the entire basement of the main building. "I'll be searching for the right book until morning... Maybe there's someone here capable of helping me."
However, there was no one at the entrance, and no one seemed eager to respond.
"I'll have to find it myself." There were many sections here - history, applied sciences, beliefs, and myths. But all that seemed unlikely to help me. "It seems there's a magic section as well, well, at least something."
Wandering through the library's passages, I finally found the relevant section, although it wasn't what I expected. A whole wing was dedicated to magical books, and many of the tomes were written in languages unknown to me.
"Now what do I do?" I hopelessly grabbed the first book from the shelf with familiar symbols, but unfortunately, it only discussed how to maintain skin's youth with micro-bursts of lightning magic. It was unlikely to impress the judges, except perhaps the rector... Why the hell have I been flipping through it for five minutes?
Frustrated, I threw the book to the ground, and the loud thud echoed through the room.
"Nonsense."
"Don't throw books! I just finished organizing them," an unfamiliar girl suddenly appeared next to me and quickly put the book back in place.
"Um... sorry. And who are you?"
"My name is Levris, I'm a teacher! And in my free time, I look after the library."
"Really?" The girl was of short stature, with long chestnut hair and wearing a simple dress. She appeared only slightly older than me and clearly fell short of the other professors.
"What's wrong?"
"You look rather doubtful for a teacher, too young, maybe."
"Well, I started working here recently. I only graduated from the Academy a year ago, to be honest," she replied evasively, muttering under her breath, "I just didn't have other candidates for my position."
"And the teachers I've seen here looked... well, more dignified, so to speak."
"Ahem," my words seemed to wound the girl. "It's a silly cost-cutting measure; I can't afford a fancy dress, and the students mistake me for a servant, damn it."
With her head bowed, she turned to the shelf and irritably tapped it with her fist. Apparently, I was the reason for her descent into depression, but she did look exceedingly modest for such a prestigious institution.
"Well, if you work here, could you help me find some books?"
"Yes, of course, I'll help. It's every teacher's duty to assist students!" Her depression instantly vanished, and if she had a tail, she would have wagged it joyfully.
Tomorrow is the examination, and my knowledge of spells is not very good. If there's any simpler grimoire here that could help me grasp the basics by tomorrow...
"Oh, this test, I've never been lucky with it," the girl clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "So, what interests you? Do you want to learn a more powerful spell or try to master a new element? Everyone tries to impress the judges as much as they can during the exam."
"Well, I don't even know. Maybe you could at least describe the test in general terms and how to get the best result?"
"Weren't you supposed to be explained that?"
"By whom?"
"Well, your teacher during the first class, isn't it?"
"Well, I wouldn't say he cared about us at all..."
"Mmm," the girl helplessly covered her eyes. "Was your teacher by any chance a middle-aged man with red hair, a nasty disposition, and made some unpleasant comments, maybe even reducing a couple of students to tears?"
"He never made anyone cry."
"Lucky you," the teacher sighed heavily.
"Do you happen to know him?"
"Most likely, it's Kiram. He's the head trainer for fire magic and is considered one of the strongest mages here, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a real jerk," the girl clenched her fists in anger.
"Do you have some personal issues with him?"
"No-no, nothing like that, well, except that he used to be my teacher too," the girl turned away again and grumbled something under her breath. "And he loved tormenting me until I cried, but I'll remind him of that someday."
"Um, so what about the exam?"
"Oh yes, of course," the teacher's sudden shifts from low muttering to enthusiastic mentor slightly unnerved me. "As you know, the main thing is to show yourself. The easiest way to do that is by conjuring something extraordinary, unusual, or difficult to perform. If you can create a golem or a fiery dragon, you'll secure a fourth-class rank. With that, you'll likely be in demand in the guilds, and the scholarship is quite decent. Too bad I never made it to the third class."
The girl began to scratch the shelf angrily again.
"What exactly distinguishes the classes? We've already been divided into classes."
"Oh no, that's something completely different. It's the level of your power, and it determines your scholarship, which is the main thing!" The teacher grinned slyly. "The Academy is sponsored by noble families from three countries, and they aren't eager to invest money in unpromising students. So, those who don't stand out much have to pay for their education themselves."
"Ah, so the education is also paid?"
"Oh my, how did you even end up here without knowing such simple truths?"
"Well, a feudal lord sent me here, though he didn't really go into detail."
"Here, everything has to be paid for - education, accommodation, food, and clothing. Even your uniform is included in the cost of education. There are five levels of scholarships - from first to fifth in increasing order. The first class is given by default, and it's only enough to cover the tuition fee. You have to pay for living expenses, food, uniform, and other things yourself. By the way, many nobles who lack talent but come from wealthy families enroll here and study successfully with a fifth-class scholarship. Even though we focus on combat skills, the core sciences are also taught quite well."
But I thought the weakest students mostly come from humble families.
"Oh no, you're mistaken. Simple commoners who can't even reach the fourth class aren't even sent here, so there are surprisingly few fifth-class students. With a fourth-class ranking, your accommodation is already covered, so you only need to earn a little. Therefore, these students often join guilds or take temporary jobs, though it often hinders them from developing their abilities and rising to a higher class."
"It doesn't seem very fair."
"Yes, unfortunately, it's a trap for the poor. If you don't shine with exceptional talent, you won't be able to get a high scholarship. If you don't receive a high scholarship, you have to work. If you're always working, you won't have time for training. It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? But it helps select only the best from commoners while at the same time pushing rather weak nobles up."
"Well, my prospects don't look very bright unless I prove myself."
"And did you think you've landed in an earthly paradise? This is no fairytale. It's not like you have to impress them with your talent. If you can show a couple of elemental spells, you might get a third-class ranking, and that's something. You'll be able to afford a modest existence and focus on your studies and networking with the right people. And if you get into a decent guild, you'll be able to earn and train, but no one has canceled the risk of ending up in the cemetery prematurely."
"And were you a member of a guild?"
"Heh... no," the girl sadly stared at the floor. "You see, a fourth-class earth mage is not needed by anyone; you'll only be a hindrance in battle. In the city, they're looking for stone masons for church construction; go there instead. I'll remind them of that too."
I felt rather awkward when she retreated into herself, muttering curses against her tormentors.
"And to rise even higher, what do you need to do?"
"Ho, the fourth class is no joke. You need to either show mastery of several elements at a good level or create the most complex spells of your element. It's certainly not easy, but the respect for such a student immediately increases. With such a scholarship, you can live quite comfortably, and guilds gladly accept them into their ranks."
"And are there many like that?"
"Not really. Among first-year students, there are about a tenth of all mages and perhaps a dozen warriors. The problem is that warriors aren't entitled to a higher class, so this is the maximum for their abilities, but such people are highly sought after. Mages always need defenders, so warriors who have reached such mastery are the first to be invited to successful guilds."
"And what interesting things need to be done to get a fifth class?"
"I don't even know; in all the time I've been studying, there were only a couple of such people. To achieve that, you need overwhelming power, the kind that leaves no doubt about the superiority of that mage."
"It sounds quite vague."
"I know, but if you see such a mage, you'll understand what I mean. And that's why their scholarship is the highest possible. With it, they can afford to live very comfortably, even rent an entire house, maybe have servants or spend money on decorations. True, such students often come from very prominent families and rarely need money. But occasionally, even commoners give birth to children with exceptional magical gifts, like natural mages, though that's very rare."
"Again, it all comes down to origin and money?"
"It varies, but most of the time, yes. I would have also wanted to develop my abilities, but I have to earn a living. During my time of study, I couldn't find a decent job. If it weren't for the rector, I would now be working as some petty clerk in the city."
"Or a librarian?"
"Well, or a librarian..." The girl threw me an offended glance. "You probably think that's all I'm capable of? Not at all! But yes, unfortunately, from my first year, they treated me like a weak little sorceress from a poor family."
"And did you stand out that much?"