Simon, Imara, and I walked into the classroom.
The room was large, with rows of desks stretching toward the back.
Students were already gathering and filling the empty seats.
As we entered, murmurs immediately began to spread throughout the room.
“That’s Princess Imara.”
“Prince Li Qiang is here.”
“Isn’t that Simon Psaras?”
“Three royals…”
Honestly, I was already getting used to it.
Still, I hoped that as the school year continued, people would become too busy to gossip about royals.
…Who was I kidding?
People would always find time to gossip.
As we searched for empty seats, Simon pointed toward an area near the front of the room.
“Let’s sit over there.”
Before we could take our seats, however, I noticed a small crowd gathered around a boy with glasses.
He looked nervous.
One of the students—a noble judging by his family crest on his uniform—was sitting backward on a chair in front of the boy’s desk, his elbows resting on the backrest.
“Ah,” the noble said loudly, “the academy is truly generous.”
His friends chuckled.
“Not everyone has the education required to understand the history and theory of magic.”
The group laughed again.
“You should probably thank the academy for accepting you.”
The boy lowered his gaze.
Around them, some students looked amused while others looked uncomfortable.
Yet nobody stepped in.
Most likely, they didn’t want to make an enemy of a noble.
As the noble looked around to gauge the reactions of the crowd, his eyes landed on us.
Instantly, his entire demeanor changed.
He stood up, fixed his hair, straightened his uniform, and flashed a confident smile.
Then he began walking toward us with three students following closely behind.
Stopping in front of us, he gave a slight bow.
“Greetings, Prince Li Qiang. Princess Imara. Prince Simon.”
“I am Lord Cassian Vale.”
He puffed out his chest proudly.
“My father is Lord Stain Vale, ruler of Oxtain. Our family has produced many talented mages throughout the generations. In fact—”
And he just kept talking.
And talking.
And talking.
Eventually, an awkward silence settled over our group.
Cassian finally stopped and seemed to notice the expressions on our faces.
Imara placed her hands on her hips.
Her eyebrow twitched.
“Didn’t you just insult that guy over there?”
Cassian froze.
“And now you have the nerve to walk over here and introduce yourself like nothing happened?”
Honestly, the look in her eyes was terrifying.
The fact that she was practically towering over him didn’t help.
He was still smiling, but it wasn’t his usual playful smile.
It was the kind of smile that made people nervous.
Looking increasingly uncomfortable, Cassian turned toward me for support.
I raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t think rank or birth determines someone’s worth.”
His face fell.
“And maybe you didn’t understand anything that was said yesterday,” I continued, “but the only thing that matters here is the amount of work you’re willing to put in.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Even the classroom seemed quieter.
The boy with glasses glanced up from his desk, surprise flashing across his face.
Seeing that the conversation was clearly over, the three of us walked away and took our seats.
Behind us, snickers began spreading through the room.
Cassian stood frozen for a few seconds before returning to his seat, his face bright red.
Soon afterward, most of the seats were filled and the room settled down.
Then a tall man entered the classroom.
His footsteps echoed across the floor.
He placed a leather satchel on the teacher’s desk before clearing his throat.
“Good morning, class.”
The room immediately fell silent.
“My name is Greg Fall, though you may call me Professor Fall.”
He had gray hair pulled neatly back and a curled mustache that gave him a distinguished appearance.
“Today we will begin with the foundations of magical theory.”
He picked up a piece of chalk.
“What is magic?”
“Where does it come from?”
“What affects it?”
“What can it be used for?”
He turned toward the class.
“So, please take out your textbooks and turn to page nine.”
Books immediately began opening.
“Let’s begin.”
Professor Fall drew a simple circle on the board.
“Magic is an energy found within all living beings. It is essential to life itself.”
He continued drawing as he spoke.
“Centuries ago, a scientist named Salvic Domn discovered that magic could be manipulated and transformed into different forms.”
“This process eventually became known as mana manipulation and spell casting.”
He pointed toward the board.
“However, Salvic did not reach this discovery alone.”
“He learned from elves, druids, and beastfolk.”
The professor continued.
“Through years of study, Salvic realized that not everyone possessed the same amount of magical energy.”
He tapped the circle he had drawn.
“Imagine this circle is a bowl.”
He drew liquid inside it.
“This liquid represents magic.”
“The amount of magic you possess influences how efficiently you can manipulate mana and cast spells.”
He turned back toward us.
“Now then.”
“I mentioned that Salvic learned from many different races.”
“What are some factors that can influence or affect magic?”
Hands shot up throughout the room.
Including mine.
Professor Fall pointed toward a girl with pigtails.
“You.”
“Magic can be affected by biology,” she answered.
“Correct.”
Professor Fall nodded.
“Beastfolk are an excellent example. They are naturally born with greater physical strength than most races.”
His eyes moved across the classroom.
“You.”
A boy in the front row stood.
“Magic can be affected by the environment.”
“Excellent.”
Professor Fall smiled.
“Mana storms, mana stones, magical plants, and enchanted locations are all examples.”
He looked around once more.
“One more.”
His gaze landed on me.
“What about you, Prince Li Qiang?”
I stood.
“Emotions can affect magic.”
The professor’s smile widened.
“Excellent answer.”
I sat back down.
“Emotions are one of the strongest influences on magic,” Professor Fall explained.
“They can affect how spells are cast, what magical affinities a person develops, and even the environment around them.”
He began writing notes across the board.
“For example, large concentrations of negative emotions can corrupt the magical energy of an area and contribute to the creation of monsters, these areas are known as Dark Ends.”
Several students immediately began writing.
“Druids provide another example. Their connection to nature often causes their emotions to influence surrounding plant life.”
“If a druid is grieving, plants may wither.”
“If a druid is joyful, plants may flourish.”
He continued.
“Beastfolk often experience the opposite effect. Strong emotions can make their magic more aggressive and difficult to control.”
Professor Fall placed the chalk down.
“One thing you will learn throughout your years here is that biology, environment, and emotion all influence one another.”
He tapped the center of the diagram.
“And at the center of it all…”
“Magic.”
As the lesson continued, we learned more about magical history, theory, and the foundations of mana.
Before I realized it, the morning had passed.
And it was finally time for lunch.