This was unquestionably the darkest day in the history of the continent. As many as eighteen Deities had fallen, and natural disasters had struck many places, killing countless mortals. The three great kingdoms had all sent out large numbers of court Mages, and the Mage Association had mobilized many of its own people as well, all in an effort to keep the losses to a minimum.
Fortunately, most of the disasters had struck villages in remote areas. None had appeared in the central cities of any kingdom.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Camille Magic Academy, and there was no way anyone could learn the news so quickly. Once the sky had gradually calmed, the teachers organized the students and led them back to their classrooms.
Rose let the first lesson go nowhere. Even if she’d wanted to teach, the students couldn’t help discussing what had happened below, and weren’t in the least bit focused on the lesson. She needed some time to process it all herself, too.
To Rose, what had happened in the sky was terrifying. It had to be a battle between super-strong beings—perhaps Ninth Tier, or even Tenth Tier Demigods. As a Fifth Tier Mage, if she’d so much as brushed the edge of their battlefield, the rampaging elements would likely have torn her to pieces in an instant.
An ancient clock atop one of the school’s towers struck ten. Rose stood up. “Everyone’s been discussing things for quite a while. Let’s skip the break and go straight into our second lesson, shall we?”
Not one student objected. After all, they’d spent several times longer whispering among themselves than they would’ve spent on a break. Besides, they were here primarily to learn magic, so naturally they had no complaints.
“All right.” Rose nodded, pleased with the students’ response. “Then let’s pick up where we left off. I’d like each of you to come up, introduce yourselves, and summon your familiar.”
Young familiars need a Mage to supply them with mana in order to appear in the outside world. When their Mage runs out of mana, they return to their own familiar space and can’t come out again until the Mage has recovered. This continues until they grow strong enough to supply their own mana.
By then, though, they’ve usually reached adulthood.
One student after another went up to the podium to introduce themselves and their partner. But Rose’s brows gradually furrowed. Most of them were really just talking about how powerful their families were and what kind of legacy they possessed.
It was almost as if the noble students were showing off to the commoners. That was a bad sign. The oldest student in the class was only fourteen, yet they were already talking like this. If it continued, they’d all grow into spoiled young masters and spoiled young ladies.
The commoner students kept their introductions much shorter. Their familiars were generally a step below the nobles’ in terms of species, after all. The difference in their backgrounds was plain to see.
“It’s our turn, Xing.” Eve tugged at Xing Hai’s hand.
“I know.” Xing Hai nodded. Hand in hand, Xing Hai and Eve walked up to the podium.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Eve.” As soon as she spoke, a quiet murmur spread through the students. From her clothes, she looked like she came from a wealthy merchant family or a noble household, and children from families like those all had family surnames. But Eve had none.
What’s more, she was the only student to bring someone else up with her for her introduction. The moment Rose noticed Xing Hai, her heart gave a start. She’d never seen a man like him before.
“This is Xing, my familiar,” Eve continued. But when she finished, the classroom fell completely silent.
“W-What’s going on?” The students stared at her, dumbfounded, and Eve grew a little frightened. Without thinking, she edged behind Xing Hai.
“They’re just a bunch of ants who’ve never seen the world. Don’t mind them,” Xing Hai replied in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Unbelievable,” Rose murmured.
