Wyne and Mil arrived at the lecture hall where their classroom would be held with a couple of minutes to spare though most of the spots were already filled. Most students filled the top few rows with only a few sitting in the bottom row but none were in the center.
Wyne and Mil didn't think about it and sat down in the center of the front row. That was always the best spot for lectures, at least from what their parents told them.
"Make sure you sit as close to the front and center as possible," Wyne's mom told him while they were sending them off
"That's right. Mages need to construct their magic circles so you guys can see it up close and study it better that way," Mil's mother told them. "You two will be a bit behind since you wanted to focus on your Ranger training but you will have to make up for that lost time with effort."
The women continued to lecture their children while their fathers looked on without care. As Beastmen who had mastered aura, they didn't think highly of mages. They had both slain many mages and wished their children had also inherited their talents like their siblings.
Remembering both of their mothers' words, the two sat at the front without bothering to shy away from their professor like the others. Each spot had a few books that covered the different courses of Black Magic as well as a few notebooks and pencils to write with.
'Guess these are for commoner students who can't afford these things?' Wyne thought, grateful that they were provided. He didn't want to waste points on small things like this.
Wyne looked around the room to gauge potential allies in the room. He knew that he could not just have Mil as his only ally in the school or senior students. He needed to gather other students in his years for missions that required groups.
'At the very least, I need some people that won't drag me down or try to sabotage me.'
Wyne wasn't hoping for much. He knew that he and Mil were the strongest of the Black Magic students, whether it came to combat ability, hunting, battle tactics, or talent. What he needed were those who had talents that could make up for certain areas he didn't have time to train in.
But in order to learn what they were skilled in, that would take time. Instead, he wanted to see their personalities. He knew from Sally and Liz that most people hated black mages due to how their spells worked. It also meant that many students hated the fact that their primary talent was in Black Magic. In fact, while all the other schools had a pass rate of 85%, the School of Black Magic only had a 40% during their year yet a 99.9% pass rate in their 2nd and 3rd years.
Those who actually appreciated or at least accepted their talents as black mages were the ones who would thrive. He needed allies and subordinates who appreciated their talent.
'No point in having someone beside me that will just abandon me halfway,' he contemplated while noting down several people who seemed comfortable in the lecture hall. Most others were nervous, even though they tried to hide it.
'Can't fool a Beastman's sense of smell.'
"See anyone good?" Wyne asked Mil as he turned around and asked Mil after he scanned over his prospective picks, wanting to see if they found the same people.
"Hmm," she looked at him and nodded her head. "A few beauties around us. Some are outright open while a few seem willing to experiment. Should be able to find 5 or 6 out of these 100. The other schools and upperclassmen should also have some good people to get a taste of."
"Tch. You know what I was talking about," Wyne looked at his friend in disdain. "Forget it. I forgot it was you, you damn horny rabbit."
Mil didn't take the insult to heart. Even if rabbit Beastmen were known as 'harem chasers', she took it to another level. Ever since she went through puberty, she would go through lovers on a near-weekly basis.
"I know, I know but why should I use my brain right now? We both know we are going to ally with each other and I know you won't pick any weaklings for allies. No need for me to think about it."
Wyne wanted to rebut her but he knew she was right which made him even more annoyed. As much as he wanted to toss away the rabbit some days, she was too powerful, loyal, and useful to do so.
"I loathe you. Very much," Wyne spit out which earned him Mil sticking her tongue out at him.
Less than a minute later, their professor walked into the room and he reeked of being a traditional black mage. He was wearing black robes, carrying a staff with a skull on its tip, and giving off a chilling aura.
"Greetings, everyone. I am the head professor for the School of Black Magic 1st year students. My name is Ulin Henderson. I will be your homeroom teacher as well as the professor for everyone who wishes to learn low-tier Dark Magic spells from the School of Black Magic.
Since I do not know your level of understanding of magic, I will be providing a basic explanation of each of the schools and their sub-schools.
Curses and Necromancy are the two most famous branches of Black Magic but they are only two of the 4 exclusive schools. Black mages also use Ice and Dark Magic. The basic principle of Black Magic is to improve and prepare one's self enough so that one can handle any situation that comes their way. They strive to be as strong as possible so they never lose, even when they are outnumbered.
Black Magic also shares the sub-schools of Space-Time with Blue and White Magic as well as Alchemy with White Magic.
White Magic's exclusive branches are Light Magic, Holy Magic, and Blessings while having the same sub-schools as Black Magic. The basic principle of White Magic is to prepare one's group enough so that they may defeat any foe together. Their goal is to be strong enough as a group so that they can take on any enemy, regardless of strength and numbers.
Green Magic has the exclusive branches of Plant and Animacy Magic while sharing the sub-school of Earth Magic with red mages. The basic principle of Green Magic is adaptation to one's circumstances in the moment. They are constantly changing and impossible to predict due to how their magic works.
Then we have Blue Magic. Their exclusive branches are Water and Wind Magic while sharing Space-Time Magic with White and Black Magic. Their basic principle is to adapt to their circumstances ahead of time. They are planners who figure out how they need to operate ahead of time and move accordingly.
Next is Red Magic. Their exclusive branches are Fire and Lightning Magic while sharing Earth Magic with Green Magic. The basic principle of Red Magic is adaptation to one's circumstances after the fact. They are survivors who learn from their losses and improve based on them.
And lastly is Arcane Magic. This is the most fundamental magic that everyone learns to use as a last resort. Facing an opponent that neutralizes your water? Use arcane. Going against someone that has anti-undead relics? Use arcane. Inside a temple that you can't risk burning down? Arcane is the answer."