Chapter 1

  Another Brick In The Wall

  Morning period — Geography class.

  Maybe it was because he’d had too much breakfast…

  Dan was starting to feel drowsy.

  It would’ve been different if he were learning something new—but this was stuff he already knew. It bored him out of his mind. Still, he understood why the other students were taking this class. For him, it felt like competing in a diving contest inside a kiddie pool.

  No way, man. Falling asleep in the first period? Not happening.

  He forced his eyes open and made it through the class. Next thing he knew, the morning had passed.

  The bell rang, and a sea of students flooded out of the classroom. That’s when Dan was approached by one of them.

  “Hey! Want to eat lunch with me?”

  It was a male classmate with similarly black hair.

  “Me…?”

  “Come on, it’s on me.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re the guy who tested into the class, right? I could tell right away. It’s impressive you got into this room.”

  “Uh… thanks.”

  “Come on, then. I’m the son of Mathema’s Minister of Finance, you know.”

  “Wait, what?”

  Before he could respond, Dan was pulled away by a group of upper-class students.

  Nora, too, was approached—but in her case…

  “Your Highness, would you—”

  “I have something I must do.”

  She turned him down cold, standing up and gathering her stack of books.

  “Thank you for the offer, but I really do have something to attend to. I’ll join you next time.”

  The student who invited her wilted on the spot.

  Nora left on her own, disappearing through the doorway.

  “Yeesh… stuck-up much…”

  The social atmosphere in the King class wasn’t all that bad. Casca had once told him about other academies, where students of different classes treated each other like masters and servants.

  But here, at Artheris Academy, it was different. That’s why it had the reputation of being the place where future rulers were made.

  Here, regardless of lineage, students supported one another. Even when Dan introduced himself as a poor kid from the outskirts of Zentinel, no one gave him a hard time.

  Because they all knew—getting into this class meant you had ability. You had a future.

  What these students valued was “connection.” Generational networking, not oppression.

  Sure, the Minister’s son who was treating Dan and the large group of commoners to lunch had a habit of bragging—but all in all, he wasn’t a bad guy.

  Or, thinking of it more cynically—

  The commoners who made it into the King class would almost certainly grow into key figures in the kingdom. From an investor’s standpoint, it made sense to befriend them now—build rapport, party together early on. That foundation could bring long-term benefits far greater than bullying ever could.

  In the end, they’d have to rely on one another anyway.

  Zeedee should be done with class by now, right?

  Dan bit into a big slice of pizza and glanced at the wall clock.

  Everyone was busy making friends, and things were going smoothly—but Dan wasn’t particularly interested in school life. His focus was on finding Casca. He played the part of a quiet student and slipped away when the moment was right.

  Zeedee had also gone off on her own to blend in elsewhere. To gather the most intel, they had to operate separately for now. So she was off the board.

  That left Dan alone in the academy.

  He walked in solitude through the grand hall, past Eden Garden and the statue of Paladin Maximain.

  Now what…? Where should I start?

  Then it hit him.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Of course—the library.

  Human books, human news, human newspapers.

  Casca was famous. There had to be something.

  He turned around and headed for the library. But just as he did, he almost bumped into a stern-faced girl with a short bob cut. Good thing he juked in time.

  “Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

  “Sorry!”

  He recognized her… the same student he had a run-in with this morning…

  But for now, all that mattered was getting to the library.

  Artheris Academy’s library was called the Sheffield Library.

  It held knowledge and research theses from across the kingdom. It was the most vital information hub, especially for students preparing to graduate. Most people here were seniors working on their theses.

  Whether it was magical technology, elemental research, strategy, economics, governance, or optimizing “mana crystals”—there was so much that even a prince would feel overwhelmed.

  “Focus. You’re here for Casca. Don’t get distrac…ted…”

  A research paper on mana crystal refinement, authored by Professor Killian M.

  “Damn it…”

  He’d accidentally pulled one off the shelf. It was interesting, but a lower priority for him. Why?

  Because in Diablo, they had oceans of mana crystals. What they lacked was the “know-how” to refine them into high-quality ones—a problem unsolved for over a decade.

  Diablo had tried everything to enhance crystal quality and increase magic output, but progress had been slow. And human merchants weren’t exactly sharing their secrets.

  That’s why Diablo often got ripped off when buying refined crystals.

  “Screw it. I’ve already come this far. Might as well steal some knowledge.”

  Dan climbed down from the tall ladder and shifted his search to what he really needed—records of national events, or “archives.”

  It was a compilation from many countries, but he was looking for one thing: the “Kingdom of Luminous.” That’s where Casca would definitely show up.

  “Where the hell is it…?”

  He glanced around for help, but the place was nearly empty.

  Right, of course.

  The Sheffield Library was quiet because the seniors were out hosting freshmen orientation.

  Besides the librarian…

  “No way any sane kid’s coming to the library on the first da—”

  Nora Ophilis was sitting quietly in the corner, reading a book.

  Seriously…?

  Dan hadn’t even meant to look, but there she was.

  Princess Nora, who’d just said two hours ago she “had something to do”…

  That “something” was hurrying out of class just to come study more?

  What the hell… Is this some kind of academic promo event?

  Yeah… this was going to take longer to figure out.

  But from the look on her face…

  This princess might be the real deal.

  Dan didn’t want to disturb her.

  He distanced himself, choosing a table far away. Even though his chair made some noise, the pale-skinned princess didn’t react.

  “…”

  Dan opened his book and began to read.

  Time passed, and lunch break ended.

  Afternoon period — Magic class.

  They assembled in the dueling arena, which was far more modern, well-equipped, and grand than the classic classrooms from the morning. The backdrop was a massive mountain.

  “Even though it’s your first day, magic is a practical subject. That means 70% practical, 30% theory. I don’t expect you to master the theory—I expect you to understand what magic is and grasp the discipline thoroughly. I don’t care what kind of spell you use, as long as it’s legal. Get that into your heads.”

  Professor McClaff was a tall man in a black uniform and glasses with a stern face. A high-level mage from the kingdom of Velmount.

  Classic Velmount.

  They didn’t distinguish between white and black magic. Magic was magic—nature made it that way, and it wouldn’t change.

  Dan now saw what Casca had once described. Even she admitted that the “white magic/black magic” dichotomy of Luminous was becoming outdated. Fewer people believed in gods.

  This was the golden age of two friendly nations: Velmount, devoted to magic, and Mathema, driven by science.

  Both were powerful and godless. That’s why Velmount took the insult “Kingdom of Black Magic” from Luminous and owned it—turning it into their actual name, mocking Luminous’s demon/god duality.

  Mathema was worse, really. And the bitter irony? The so-called holy kingdom of Luminous still relied on Mathema’s godless technology to keep up with the world. Mathema didn’t care much—they were more interested in the money.

  Ask who rules the human lands?

  The answer was Mathema, the scientific superpower. Then Velmount, the meritocracy open to all races. Then Luminous, the “old” superpower with its dated ideals. Then Snowhaven, the northern watcher. And finally Zentinel, the peace-loving neutral.

  Magic class began in earnest.

  After an hour, students were flying in all directions, looking like wrecks. Dan included.

  “Disappointing,” Professor McClaff said flatly to everyone who didn’t meet his standards. Dan was one of them. Zeedee just barely passed.

  “But even so, I did see a glimmer of light.”

  He turned to the side—“light” meant both literally and figuratively.

  A reflection of sunlight shimmered through icy crystals orbiting Nora Ophilis.

  She made everyone feel like they were in the middle of a freezing blizzard—like the northern kingdom itself had descended on the arena.

  The ice spiraled into beautiful geometric formations, glimmering white, sending out a cold aura that stung Dan’s skin.

  That… wasn’t ordinary ice magic.

  Then there was another light—a golden gleam at the tip of a sword. It burned like fire. The sword, French in style, belonged to a short-haired girl whose bangs nearly covered her eyes—the one he nearly bumped into this morning.

  A swordswoman… huh?

  There were two or three others Dan didn’t know yet, still standing tall with magic surging through them.

  Scary… Could these guys all be royalty?

  “You’ve impressed me,” McClaff said.

  “Thank you, Professor.”

  He marked their scores, well above average. They were the only group to pass with flying colors.

  “Not everyone can use magic. But that’s no excuse to give up on a class like this—it’s just the basics. If you can’t keep up, don’t bother showing up in year two.”

  Professor McClaff was harsh, but Dan respected him. At least he didn’t scorn students the way Luminous looked down on black magic as demonic.

  He simply, coldly, drew the line between who should stay and who should go. Some students whispered and groaned about how cruel he was, but Dan… Dan admired him.

  “Before we wrap up, I have an announcement. You’ll be drawing lots.”

  “Lots? For what, Professor?”

  “For sparring partners.”

  In magic class, students would be paired up for sparring—and those same partners would be their exam opponents at the end of the semester.

  “What?! Sparring is fine, but I heard something about an exam partner?!”

  “That’s right.”

  Their sparring partners would also be their test partners.

  And the exam? A live magic duel in front of the academy faculty.

  “!”

  Some students went pale.

  Others had heard whispers from upperclassmen.

  “Don’t worry if you’re unsure of your abilities. There are no failing grades in this class. You won’t be judged on winning or losing—but on your understanding of magic.”

  “!”

  That eased some nerves… but—

  “For those planning to drop magic later, that’s fine. But if you want to pursue the magic track in year two… If your score is below 80%, you won’t be eligible.”

  Every successful figure had come from the magic track.

  Three of five legendary heroes of the realm were magic users.

  So… especially in the King class—

  There was no way anyone didn’t want to continue magic next year.

  The prince glanced around at his classmates… and gulped.

  Why is everything here so intense?

  “This drawing of lots is a standard requirement. We live and learn together—it must be fair. You’ll draw partners in one month. Think carefully whether you’ll continue in this path or not.”

  Alright—class dismissed.