Raza checked his Reward shop. He was awarded points for saving Drifa.
Achievement Unlocked:
Damsel in Distress
Murderer
Gunsmith
Bonuses: Duke Victim, Double Kill, First crafted Weapon
Total Points Awarded: 280 pt
That was a lot of points, but it wasn't enough to make Raza celebrate. Each new magic cost at least 1 thousand points, and summons varied in price depending on what kind of summon it was.
Raza also found out that buying a summon would make him a master over a mystical or legendary beast. Legendary beasts were one of a kind while mystical beasts were like a weaker version. In other words, for every species of mystical beast, only one legendary beast could exist at a time, and in order to get that right, the beasts would have to fight for it.
While Raza was thinking about his Reward Shop, Drifa was also in her own world.
She was subconscious about herself as she was walking with Raza. She was a person who also had trouble making friends… well, it wasn't like Raza was trying to make friends. Drifa read books and researched about the chemistry that friends should have. She brushed up on different personalities, comedy, and even social cues. She was mentally reviewing everything that she had read.
'I grew up alone. Not even my own family bothered to speak to me, saying that I was a strange child. Now it's my time to prove them wrong! It's my first day of going to the MAP Academy and I have already made a friend.'
She tried to go with a cute approach.
"We've been walking for a while and you haven't said anything," Drifa poked Raza's shoulders.
Raza snapped out of his trance and looked down at Drifa who was about a head shorter than him. Despite all of Drifa's knowledge, she had one downside. Her facial expressions very rarely changed. She was a rather stoic and cold person.
"Why would why? Must we speak about something?" Raza raised an eyebrow.
"If we're friends, then shouldn't we talk about something?" Drifa tried to act cute.
"How would I know? You are my first friend," Raza sighed.
'Was having friends this troublesome? What was there to talk about? Whatever, I might as well as entertain her until we go to the academy,' Raza thought to himself.
"However, if you feel the need to speak, then we will. What are you going to the academy for?"
"I'm studying politics. What are you studying?" She responded.
She was proud of her response since she was now able to keep the conversation going.
"I'll be taking the adventurer's course. I am already well versed in magic and politics, so I have no interest in taking courses related to those things," Raza shared.
"Really? Based on the way you carry yourself and the way you are dressed, I would have assumed that you would want to take a more intellectual field."
"We are both wearing the academy's uniform," Raza pointed out.
"Oh yeah, we are…" Drifa looked down at her clothes.
Raza was beginning to regret his choice of befriending Drifa. The rest of the walk to the academy was filled with awkward silence. Fortunately, the duo were able to arrive at the MAP academy in time for the opening ceremony. At the front gates, Leora was waiting for Raza.
"Razaaa! I'm so excited to start this year wit… who is this?" Her tone and expression took a massive 180 as she looked at Drifa.
"This is Drifa. I met her along the way here. She is my new friend," Raza informed her.
"Nice to meet you. I am Drifa Montgomery, the first daughter of Alfred Montgomery. It's a pleasure to meet you," Drifa gave a curtsy.
'Take that! Raza would much rather be my friend since I am better looking and have a higher status. Not to mention that I'm smarter,' Drifa thought highly of herself.
On the other hand, Leora looked at Raza and then back at Drifa. Her thoughts were completely different.
'This girl is the son of a duke! If that's how it's going to be, then I accept your challenge! I will not let you steal Raza from me, you witch!' Leora smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Drifa. I am Leora Anges. The pleasure is all mine," Leora also bowed.
"Oh please, there's no need for formalities. We are all friends here," Drifa looked up.
The two girls glared at each other with cold smiles. Raza was witnessing this scene, and he could more or less figure out what each one was thinking. He decided it was best to let them work things out and just go inside. Without saying anything, he walked to the auditorium where the opening ceremony was being held.
"Raza, wait up!" Both girls called for him when they noticed he was gone.
Unfortunately for Raza, they were able to find three open seats in a row. The two girls forced Raza to sit in the middle since both of them wanted to sit next to them. Leora grabbed Raza's hand, trying to assert dominance, but Drifa did the same, refusing to lose.
'I just want to go home,' Raza mentally sighed.
He hated this. It wasn't long until a tall, beautiful woman walked onto the stage. She was wearing a suit and dress pants and wore minimal makeup, but none of this did anything to deter her beauty. If anything, she had her own charm that bewitched teachers and students alike. She stood behind the podium and cleared her throat.
"Good morning students. Let me be the first to welcome you to the MAP Academy. I am the headmaster, Junko Karam. I am well aware that all of the upcoming students are eager to begin their journey which will ultimately prepare them for their futures. I must first begin to explain the expectations of your roles as students," She began her introduction.
"Karam? Raza, doesn't that mean she's related to the king?" Leora whispered.
"Yes," Raza nodded his head. "She is the second daughter of the king."
Raza examined her closely as he said this. That meant that they were technically siblings, but they didn't have any similar features. Unlike Raza, Junko had a pale skin complexion, as if she had never been outside before. Raza reasoned that his mother's genes were dominant and moved on. He will, however, keep this information for later.
"First off, the Board of Education understands that every student has different living situations. Some students may work while others have other responsibilities to the school that must be handled. Therefore, attendance to class is not a requirement, but that also means that passing grades are even higher than other academies," She explained.
This was all Raza needed to hear. He knew his way around the academy since Alden showed him around while he was visiting the academy for a business trip. Raza stood up and began to leave.
"But all students must take an entrance exam and physical exam to see if they're worthy to be admitted," Junko said as she glared at Raza.
'I was so close,' Raza sighed as he sat back down.
When he sat down, Drifa leaned towards him.
"Why would you want to leave? It's important to attend classes either way. If anything, it's a privilege that we can even attend here without having to worry about fees," She sounded concerned.
"I hate wasting my time," Raza shook his head. "Most things can be learned outside of the classroom, so I have no interest in attending class."
Raza was also confident in his Memory Log, but he didn't want to go through the hassle of explaining what that was. The three of them turned their attention back to the headmaster as she continued with her speech. Well Leora and Drifa did. Raza was in his own world.
Junko made a mental note of the three students' faces. She was annoyed and disappointed that there were always goofballs during the assembly.
'That arrogant fool tried to leave in the middle of the assembly. I should have him spar with this academy's top student, my little brother! He's sure to learn some manners from that!' Junko planned out how she would give the exam.
Of course, she kept a professional facade the entire time she was giving her speech. She grew up being the center of attention, so she quickly learned how to separate her thoughts from her actions. She was ready to get this orientation over with since she wanted to go to her room and read a novel that she started.
'What a pain,' Both Raza and Junko had the same thought.
Raza's mind was on going back home. He didn't want to be at the academy, and he knew that he would move out of his parent's house once he graduated in 2 years. This school had three programs, Magic, Adventurer, and Politics. Each branch took two years to finish, and most students either studied two or all branches. Raza only planned to study one branch since he was mainly going here because his parents wanted him to. He could not wait to leave this stiffed-necked environment.