"As I suspected..."
Michael’s eyes shot wide open when he heard an unfamiliar voice. He quickly turned around and froze.
That crimson-red hair, those blue, sparkling eyes, her ample, brilliantly curved figure, and perfect streamlined waist, he couldn’t forget them.
It was the academy’s beauty herself.
"It was you, wasn’t it?"
"Princess Rias?" Michael stared at Princess Rias with nothing but confusion. He couldn’t understand what she was doing here, much less why she was speaking to him of all people, a member of Class C as the rest of the academy would put it.
"That did what?"
Princess Rhea looked at Michael for a moment, quietly studying his face, then tilted her head slightly to the left, and rested her chin on her palm.
"You don’t have to lie you know, I already know." She said in a rather soft voice.
’Huh?’ Despite being revered as the beauty of the entire academy, one of its strongest students, and a member of royalty, Princess Rias was surprisingly... Casual.
She had already awakened as an Early-Stage Grade Three Evolver, yet she carried herself without the slightest hint of arrogance or superiority.
Totally unexpected from someone who stood at the pinnacle of teenage superiority.
"You can relax." She smiled brightly, with a radiance that was almost angelic. "It wasn’t that hard to figure out, none of the members of Class A has the capability to defeat the boss of the first level, yet. To assume it was class B was far fetched, and class C... Well, you know. That only left one other option."
"Let me guess, the mystery student Mr Jin brought in?"
"I’ll be straight as I can."
Princess Rias stepped forward and interlocked her hands behind her back. Then she smiled brightly with her eyes gently shut, looking completely carefree as she said.
"Transfer to Class A."
Micheal raised a brow. "What did you say?"
"Transfer to Class A." She said, even bolder this time. "Your addition to Class A will take our strength beyond what this academy has ever seen."
’This cunning fox... She’s not even trying to hide the fact that she’s trying to use me.’
After all, every member of Class A came from royalty. They were princes, princesses, and descendants of powerful noble families who had spent their entire lives looking down on commoners.
And Michael was no different from what they perceived him to be.
Although he was, in truth, the fourth son of the King of Midgard, none of them knew it, and not even Michael did till the system revealed he was the exiled son of the Dreyar family. The king had deliberately disowned his identity as both a son and a prince, stripping him of the very status that should have commanded their respect.
So in their eyes, Michael was nothing more than a commoner who had somehow managed to get in through dumb luck.
And now, adding him to Class A? That was something they absolutely refused to accept.
"And what makes you think I’m interested in joining a class choked full with royal pride?"
"Because, despite the unsettling attention you will most definitely receive, judging by the circumstances, and how Mr Jin personally brought you here this late into the semester, you only have one goal here."
She paused.
"To get stronger, isn’t that why you’re here? But you can do that with the kind of lessons they offer in Class C, join Class A, and you’ll have access to advanced lessons on cultivating your origin. You must have noticed by now haven’t you, the distinction between the three classes."
Michael lowered his head for a bit, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
Princess Rias was right.
During the past month of training for their expedition into the Abyss, Michael noticed one clear distinction between the three classes.
The quality of lessons and training they received varied drastically according to their class.
Class C, for instance, was taught nothing beyond the fundamentals of being an Evolver. They were taught on how to create and develop their Natural Arts, with the sole purpose of preparing them to survive the first level of the Abyss.
Class B, on the other hand, enjoyed access to more advanced Natural Arts, specialized fighting styles, and a variety of combat techniques.
As for Class A, there was hardly any need for an explanation.
The difference was simply staggering.
"Hmph." Michael chuckled a bit. "So that was your game all along, smart and beautiful. Now I can see why you’re admired by everyone."
Michael, however, paid little attention to her reaction. He slipped both hands into his pockets and casually walked right past her.
"Tempting offer though, I’ll think about it." He said.
Princess Rias could only watch as Michael returned to his class, with a faint glint of confusion and uncertainty in her eyes.
Several hours had passed since the first level of the Abyss was cleared, and honestly? Things were as exactly as Princess Rias had said.
The lessons they were being taught were still confined to the beginner and intermediate stages of Evolver training. And thanks to the Origin Evolution System, most of that knowledge had become practically irrelevant to Michael.
He had already surpassed the fundamentals they were trying to teach him.
The lessons taught basically covered what they had been taught over and over again, the principles of refining and cultivating their Origins, how to develop, stabilize, and grow their natural arts.
Then, the next second, a bold, feminine voice echoed through the speakers installed in every class and along the corners of the hallways.
"Michael of Class C, please report to the principal’s office immediately."
The entire class turned their heads toward Michael almost simultaneously, their eyes settling on him as he sat quietly at the end of the classroom.
"Him?"
"What happened?"
"Did he do something?"
"I knew that guy was no good..."
One whisper quickly became another, spreading across the classroom like a ripple. Some students stared at Michael with curiosity, while others exchanged suspicious glances, trying to piece together the reason behind the unexpected summon.
Michael sighed.
"What now?"