Silas had visited the academy when he was younger to catch a glimpse of his future. Using those memories as a guide, I walked along the path that led to the North Wing and settled behind a tree.
To pass the time, I plucked a leaf from the bush in front of me and twirled it by its stem, trying to alleviate my boredom.
A few minutes later, the courtyard echoed with footsteps, drawing my attention to a striking figure—a boy with jet black hair and eyes like rubies, effortlessly flipping a gold coin into the air as he walked.
On the opposite side, two nobles spotted Derek instantly, their eyes narrowing at the sight of his prestigious S-Class badge.
"Hey, commoner! You think you're above us just because you lucked into the S-Class?" one of them taunted, deliberately bumping into Derek. To their surprise, he stood firm, barely flinching at the impact.
Derek flashed a bright smile and shook his head, his voice calm. "I'm sorry if it came off that way. It wasn't my intention."
Confusion flickered across the nobles' faces. They had expected defiance or arrogance, not an apology.
"Well then, bow before me, peasant," the noble sneered, pointing arrogantly at the ground.
A small crowd began to gather, sensing a confrontation brewing.
"Tell me, would a king kneel before those beneath him?" Derek asked, still smiling warmly.
"No," the noble replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "A king is superior. Bowing would show weakness."
"Exactly," Derek nodded, his demeanor playful yet poised. "So should I bow to you? Shouldn't it be you showing respect to those superior?"
Their pride hurt by Derek's unwavering composure, the nobles clenched their fists and lashed out.
Time seemed to slow as their punches approached Derek's face. But just as they were about to land, they halted, caught mid air by another S-Class student with black hair and piercing purple eyes.
"Xander! We're sorry!" the nobles pleaded, their voices tinged with fear as Xander tightened his grip.
Xander ignored their pleas, fixing Derek with a disdainful stare. "They handed the top spot to someone like you. Your presence means nothing to these F-Class plebs, despite your S-Class status."
With a final scoff, Xander turned to leave. Derek's voice cut through the tension, calm and measured.
"If you think they fear you for your strength, you're mistaken. It's your family name they fear."
Xander froze in his tracks, purple energy crackling around him. "I'll show you why they fear me," he vowed, his intent clear.
Derek's own aura flared, a crimson energy surrounding him. "Show me," he challenged.
Before the clash could escalate, a commanding voice resonated through the courtyard, compelling both Derek and Xander to their knees.
"Halt!"
An elderly man approached, his presence authoritative. "Fighting outside of sanctioned duels is forbidden. Any further incidents will result in disciplinary action. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Derek and Xander responded in unison, their words hardly exiting their mouths.
As the pressure lifted, they both breathed heavily, leaving the area quiet under the watchful eye of the principal.
"Back to your classes, all of you," the principal commanded firmly.
As the crowd dispersed and no one remained in sight, the principal fixed his gaze on a particular tree and said, "Come out."
When no one emerged from behind the tree, the principal sighed, "I know you're there, Silas," he said, rubbing his temples.
I cautiously poked my head out from behind the tree and saw the principal staring directly at me. "Oh…" I mumbled.
"Follow me," he instructed as we made our way to his office.
Upon arriving at his office, I took a seat in front of his desk. While he organized some papers, I glanced around the room, noting its surprising emptiness for such a large office. Apart from the bookshelf behind his desk, the room was bare.
"The reason I brought you here is that you arrived late to the academy, missed the assessment day to determine your class level, and did not bring your academy uniform," the principal enumerated my infractions.
Alistair Nywen, a ninth-ring awakened and the principal of Arcana Academy, was a powerful and ambitious older man.
"I have my reasons," I replied.
"Indeed, you do. Therefore, I won't punish you for the aforementioned issues. However, you will be placed in the F-Class," Alistair said, handing me a new uniform and an F-Class badge.
I nodded. "I'm fine with that."
Alistair stood up. "Very well then, go get changed and head to class," he said, leading me out of the office.
I changed into the uniform, which consisted of a black or crimson blazer adorned with gold embroidery, a white shirt for men or a blouse for women, and paired with black trousers or a skirt for women. I opted for the black blazer and proceeded to the F-Class in the North Wing. Upon entering, I was met with a class of approximately twenty students.
The teacher noticed my presence and approached me. "Why are you late?" she asked.
"I was speaking with the principal about personal matters," I explained.
"Name?" she asked.
"Silas Raven."
She checked her papers and then returned to the front of the class. "Go take a seat."
As I walked to a seat in the middle row near the windows, I overheard some uncomfortable whispers.
"Didn't he assault girls? How is he still here?"
"I've never seen him before, but he's hot…"
"He looks nothing like his sister. Is that why he got disowned? Is he even a real Raven?"
I sighed, realizing that such rumors would be a common occurrence. Despite my efforts to help people with Kim, my good deeds hadn't reached this part of the kingdom.
"Hello boys and girls, my name is Ana Wren, and I am the teacher for the F-Class. The primary objective of this academy is to educate you and help you become the strongest versions of yourselves.
Anyone unable to keep up with the curriculum will be expelled. In my class, no one is above the other. Your strength determines your status, and if you intend to use your status to pressure others, remember that I am a Wren and I will not hesitate to take action. Is that clear?" Ana declared, her gaze sweeping across the classroom, particularly focusing on me.
I already admired this teacher, and her being a Wren commanded respect from everyone.
Ana Wren, Xander's aunt. Xander is Derek's rival and will always strive to surpass him, though he will never succeed. This would be the first time he met someone more talented, leading him to eventually join the Eclipse Order for power.
I planned to keep him on our side by providing tips on improving his strength. Once he surpasses Derek slightly, Derek will naturally grow faster, not wanting to lose to Xander.
I couldn't help but smile at my plan, killing three birds with one stone.
The Wrens are the strongest of the five major families, followed by the Lancasters, the Ravens, the Aldridges, and the Romanovs. The Ravens used to be the strongest, having two Overlords within the family, but during the Dark War, Silas's uncle was killed, leaving the Ravens with only one Overlord, similar to the other major families.
Ana distributed a sheet of paper to each student. "You have one hour to complete this test. Your score is irrelevant. This is to gauge your basic knowledge level."
I looked at the hundred question test, knowing the answers to all of them. The test answers were provided in the game, and I remembered them perfectly.
I quickly scribbled my answers, and in fifteen minutes, I was done. I stood up, drawing everyone's gaze like a celebrity on a red carpet, and strutted to the teacher.
"I finished," I declared, chest puffed out.
Ana raised an eyebrow, "Really?" she asked, clearly dubious.
I nodded confidently, "Really."
"You have forty five minutes left. Are you sure you want to turn it in now?" She looked at me like I had just announced I was moving to Mars.
"Nah, I'm good with my choices," I said with confidence.
Ana sighed, "Take the paper to the office. They handle all the grading."
I raised an eyebrow right back, "Isn't that your job?" I asked, thinking I had a point.
"Is it?" Ana smiled sweetly, but her eyes said, 'I'm the teacher, kid.'
I plastered on a fake smile, "I thought so, but hey, what do I know?"
Translation: 'This is totally your job.'
"Yes, you were mistaken. Students take their papers to the office."
Translation: 'Get moving, kid, you're not winning this.'
"I see. I'll be on my way then."
Translation: 'What's all this talk about status meaning nothing?'
"Good."
Translation: 'I'm not abusing my status; I'm using my position. Just like the S-Class lords over every other classes.'
"Good."
Translation: 'Same difference. Abuse is abuse.'
I left the room after our little verbal sparring match. The other students stared at us, sweat dripping down their faces. They never knew a polite exchange of words could be so terrifying.