Jiran stood just inside the fenced gateway that served as the entrance to the Cruex Military Academy Va’liance. The sky was only just being graced by the rays of First Father’s light. Only a few other students were walking the grounds between the gateway and the massive academy.

It’s finally time to start school. I wonder what I’ll be able to learn here. Will I be able to make any allies like Samris insisted on?

A few paces away, Jiran noticed three bright-eyed girls entering the gateway.

Might as well try to put my best foot forward and start making friends.

He waved to them with a polite smile as they walked by. They immediately huddled together, giggling and whispering. Curious, Jiran used his aura to listen.

“Oh, my moons that was a Master! He waved at us.”

“Isn’t that Jiran of Feylon? The one who picked a fight with Princess Oliviala.”

“The record holder for most academy property destroyed before the first day of class?”

“He’s so cute! I think I'm in love. Do you think he would step on me if I asked him?”

“Molly! Why do you always have to make everything so weird?!”

Okay, that was a… bad idea. Shake it off Jiran. Remember why you came here so early.

Focusing on his task, Jiran pulled out his map of the school Ramora had given him. He entered the academy from the West entrance and proceeded to familiarize himself with the path he would take in a few hours.

There were multiple signs in each hallway that helped him stay oriented. It didn’t take him long to track down the classrooms where his morning lessons would be. He then made his way to the cafeteria and finally the sprawling underground training field where afternoon drills would be held.

Several times he encountered his peers wandering the halls. He made sure to wave and greet them if they did so first. Normally, whenever someone spotted him, they would look the other way or turn down another hallway.

What the heck is going on? Is my rep already ruined from just a couple of incidents? This is probably a good thing though. If I stand out, then others will too. Whatever allies I’m going to want, they certainly won’t be normal people.

Once he had his route planned for the day, Jiran made his way to the M class homeroom where he had met Ramora. Pushing open the scarred double doors, he was relieved to find the room empty. On the table that occupied the majority of the room, Jiran noticed a small hand-sized bag with a note on it, addressed to him.

The note simply had his name on it and inside the bag were two metal keys with an engraved M-zero-seven.

These must be my dorm keys. Maybe I should check it out, I’m pretty happy staying at the inn though, so I doubt I’ll use the dorm.

Jiran sat down in one of the plump, luxurious chairs at the table. He took out a notepad he had bought and the pen from the twins.

He already had five pages full of ideas for the class he would eventually have to teach. Jiran added two pages before the academy day officially began.

Ramora arrived thirty minutes before he needed to leave, interrupting his thoughts with a greeting.

"Good morning, Master Jiran," She sent him a dazzling smile before bowing deeply.

She was wearing a more official-looking outfit today than he had last seen her in. It was similar to the academy uniform but lacked the emblazoned designs of the students and the emblem of the faculty.

Is she not an official faculty member? It makes sense she's not a student since she's a year older than us. What exactly is her purpose here and why didn't she go to the front line after graduating?

Jiran did not spend long pondering his questions. He decided he really didn't care that much after she tried to trap him during orientation.

He did note through his aura that she had several bruises and cuts on her back like she had been whipped.

Looks like the price for failure is pretty high. I wonder what she's been commanded to do next.

She recovered quickly from Jiran’s lack of a returned greeting.

"I see you found the keys to your private dorm. I took the liberty of furnishing and preparing the suite for you. Mine is right next door. So if you need anything, day or night, you can just knock and I’ll be available.

So they chose to double down. Pathetic. They probably assume I’ll eventually give in to temptation. Considering their complete lack of tact, if I decline the room or don’t stay there, they will likely do something to the inn. I don’t want to get them involved so I’ll have to play along to an extent.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Annoying.

“Thank you, Ramora. That was very thoughtful of you,” Taking his thanks as permission to continue, she slowly advanced toward him with a seductive smile plastered on her face. She took the seat nearest his and leaned toward him, looking down at his notepad.

“What are you working on? Perhaps I can help.”

“Some notes for the class I’m being forced to teach. Nothing too important. If you're curious, you can always come to my class.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it, master.”

Jiran was alerted to a new presence entering his aura. A certain blond, blue-eyed princess steadily approached with a professional gait. Her shoulder-length bob cut was perfectly trimmed and straightened. Not a single blemish or smudge existed on her uniform. She was the ideal image of a serious hard-working student.

Jiran realized that her armor must have been blocking his senses when they last met. Without its interference, he really saw her for the first time. The sight of her body instantly reminded him why he usually blocked out that information from his aura senses.

His hormones went haywire at the sight of her transcendent beauty. He jerked to his feet, the chair behind him shooting backward a meter at his sudden movement. Ramora’s intake of breath at his sudden movements barely registered as Jiran scooped up his belongings and rushed for the door.

Nope, I am not dealing with both of them right now!

Without a word, he raced for the door and then down the hallway in the opposite direction of the princess.

First Ramora, then that… thing. Give a guy a break!

Jiran let out a breath of relief when neither of the pesky girls chased him. Knowing class would be starting soon, he headed to his first class, General Mana Manipulation. The excitement of getting to learn how everyone else controlled mana helped him forget about the uncomfortable situation he had just fled.

The auditorium for the class was large enough for three hundred students. There were two platforms in the middle of the room. One for the teacher and the other for demonstrations. Jiran found an empty seat in the middle of the rows of benches and waited for class to start. To pass the time he observed his peers.

Already groups of friends were beginning to form as students filed into the room in twos and threes. Idle gossip about teachers and other students occupied the majority of the conversations.

One commonality among the students occurred whenever they noticed Jiran. First, one person in the group would point at him. Then, they would whisper among themselves. Finally, they would find a seat somewhere far away from him.

Glad I had that walk around campus to get used to this.

Eventually, the auditorium was full enough that students had to sit closer to him. When the room was full, there was still a single ring of bench seats directly around him that were vacant. The last few stragglers even chose to stand rather than sit next to him.

The professor had entered shortly before the last students trickled in. He was a middle-aged man, skinny, with oiled-back hair and a well-maintained goatee. His choppy movements and the way he looked down his nose at each student that walked by gave Jiran the impression he was a bit of a scholarly snob.

“My name is Professor Arcilith Ma’dolbe. This is my Introduction to the Principles of General Mana Manipulation. This class is a prerequisite for all advanced mana manipulation courses and should be given your absolute focus.

“Without my approval, you will never advance. Please keep that in mind as we progress through the curriculum,” His voice was nasally and overbearing, a noble through and through.

Wow, this guy is a douche. Kiss my ass or kiss your future goodbye, huh? Who put someone like this as the gateway to advancement? I bet every single noble kid passes this class even if they sleep through every lesson.

“Today’s lesson will cover the basics of density absorption, conversion, and emotions as they pertain to mana.

“Density, as you all know, is the foundation of our reality. Without it, nothing would exist.”

Wait, what? Uhm, no?

“Our bodies are capable of absorbing density through food and breathing. There are also some high-level techniques, that will not be taught in this class, that allow one to absorb density through the skin.

“Once inside the body, density is converted naturally over time into its usable state, which we call mana. This is a time-consuming process, which should never be rushed, and is the primary bottleneck for all high-tier members of the empire.

“It is for this very reason that our majestic emperors do not sally forth and wipe the graymin from existence.”

What am I listening to right now? Is this a joke? He’s pulling everyone’s legs and is going to start the real lesson soon, right?

Jiran looked around at the rapt attention in most of the faces in the auditorium. They were completely spellbound by the information being provided.

The only exception were the students who seemed to know this information already and looked a little bored. But not one person seemed to think the professor was joking or giving them completely false information.

This doesn’t match my own experience with density and mana at all. Density is far from natural, and to use it, you have to claim ownership of it. Which is an instant process that only takes a surge of emotion and will. What is this guy on about?

Jiran’s wild thoughts did nothing to stop the professor from continuing his lecture. Forcing him to bring his brain back under control before he missed the next inane thing the man said.

“Emotions are a by-product of the conversion of density to mana within the body. They are a hindrance, a hurdle that all practitioners of higher tier skills must overcome to grasp perfection.”

Did he seriously just say that with a straight face?

“Once created, emotions are stored in your mana and will be released when you expend that mana. It is imperative that you learn to combat this interference in preparation for learning to cast. Casting with emotions running wild will invariably lead to ruin and the death of yourself and your comrades.

“With the introduction out of the way, we will begin with the intricacies of absorbing density. I will need three volunteers.”

Without thinking through what he was doing, Jiran stood up and spoke.

“Is this a joke? Surely you don’t actually believe anything you just said.”

His words were met with a collective sharp intake of breath and an aghast look of horror from the professor.