The atmosphere in the central courtyard turned cold. Dark mana oozed from Gideon’s fists. The commoner boy cowered on the ground, blood trickling from his split lip, too terrified to even crawl away.
Prince Ansel took two deliberate steps forward, his boots ringing clearly against the stone.
"I said stand down, Gideon," Ansel repeated, his voice low, measured, and stripped of all casual warmth. "You are on academy grounds, not your family’s domain. Publicly beating an unarmed student over a passing conversation is a breach of conduct."
Ares stood near the edge of the courtyard, watching the display with a cold, detached gaze. ’Beating someone up just because he talked to his sister... what an arrogant brat. But whatever. It’s not my place to educate him.’
Gideon’s jaw clenched, a muscle twitching near his cheek. He glanced at Ansel, taking a subtle step back as he extinguished his dark mana with a violent flick of his wrist. Lowering his head, Gideon offered a small, rigid bow. "My apologies, Your Highness. I let my temper get the better of me."
Beside him, May bowed quickly as well, her voice soft and anxious. "Please forgive the commotion, Your Highness."
Ansel maintained a steady, firm gaze on the two. "This is an academy, Gideon. House standings do not work here within these walls, all students are equal, and that mindset needs to change. If there are disputes, the disciplinary committee is here to handle them, not your fists."
Gideon and May both nodded silently before turning on their heels, retreating into the surrounding crowd. Whispers immediately fluttered among the watching cadets as the tension dispersed. Ansel exhaled, the heavy golden aura fading, and leaned down to offer a hand to the injured commoner boy, pulling him to his feet and motioning for a proctor to take him to the infirmary.
Before anyone could dwell on the scene further, a deep, resonant chime echoed from the main academy tower. The massive bronze bells rang three times, signaling the official posting of the entrance trial results.
"Attention all cadets!" a loud, mana amplified voice boomed across the quadrangle. "The final rankings for the first year class have been finalized.
A collective surge swept through the courtyard as hundreds of students flooded toward the central plaza. Built into the high granite wall of the main administrative building were massive glass slates, glowing with pulsing blue mana letters.
...
Iver and Adela worked their way to the edge of the crowd as names flashed into view. Only fifteen cadets had earned a place in the elite Class S. The rest were split from Class A through D by their final grades.
[ CLASS S: EVALUATION RANKINGS ]
Ansel ..... 9,850
Ares ..... 9,610
Sitri ..... 9,420
Aria ..... 9,380
Lyra ..... 9,150
Gideon ..... 8,900
Mina ..... 8,850
Orin ..... 7,920
Adela ..... 7,810*
"Wait, rank two? Ares?"
"Isn’t he the guy from the Prince’s team?"
"Second place, over Sitri and Aria?!"
Lyra, near the front, lit up when she found her name. "We’re in the same class, Your Highness!"
Beside Iver, Adela clasped her hands and laughed brightly. "Rank nine! I made Class S! And we’re in the same class, Ares!"
Ansel came through the parted crowd with a warm grin, looking between Iver and the glowing board. "It seems we’re in the same class after all, Ares. It must be fate."
"It seems so," Iver said evenly.
With the class lists posted, proctors handed out housing keys. Each Class S cadet received a private residence on the upper terrace.
Iver left the noisy plaza behind and climbed the cobblestone paths toward the quiet, forested ridge reserved for Class S. His residence was remarkably fine: hardwood floors, high ceilings with polished stone trim, a private meditation hearth, and a broad balcony overlooking the courtyard.
He didn’t bother admiring the fixtures or unpacking. He walked straight into the bedroom, unbuckled his sword belt, leaned it against the nightstand, and collapsed onto the oversized bed.
The quiet of the upper terrace washed over him, and he drifted off to sleep.
...
iver from the author pov, ares from the characters since he is using it as an alias