Seifr stood at the entrance way to The Misty Realm Academy and gazed all around. The grounds were substantial, and he did not know how he had never noticed them before. The Misty Realm Academy was located only a couple of blocks away from the Kyian Trading House headquarters, where he had been on numerous occasions.

The academy was walled off from the rest of the city and appeared to take up an entire block. The lawns were well manicured and there were peaceful brick paths meandering through the groves and fields. Seifr could see a small garden in the corner off a ways by itself that he could feel a noticeable pulse of Spiritual Energy emanating from. Considering his low cultivation base, one could imagine how powerful the fluctuations were. Seifr did not know what was being grown, but it was most likely herbs that assisted with cultivation. He had heard of some, but he had never used any or known anyone who had.

The main pathway from the gate lead straight to a large four-story building directly in the center of the campus. The academy took up a city block, so was square shaped, but the grounds were laid out in a circle with other buildings in a pattern in the primary directions. Seifr imagined that the corners created between the circle and the square wall were special locations like the garden he had spied upon entry.

There were many young men and women walking about along the main path lining up in front of a table set out with several older men and women sitting behind. Seifr assumed this was the admissions table where he would identify himself and receive instruction on where he would go from here. He could also see some older teenagers already in the grounds walking along the paths, some with purpose, and others meandering, apparently lost in thought.

Seifr walked to the back of the line and took his place. There were probably fifty or sixty others waiting along with him, but the line was moving at a relatively quick pace compared to other lines he had been subjected to. The academy grounds appeared to be a very peaceful, tranquil conclave segregated from the busy city surrounding it. Seifr noticed that, much like the smithy, he could not hear the outer city from within the grounds.

Seifr's peace and quiet was suddenly disturbed as someone snickered behind him. "Looky here, boys; we got ourselves a 4th Stage Commoner. What's a piece of trash like him doing here?" The voice was loud and unapologetic, almost like it wanted to spread attention of Seifr's situation to as many people as possible.

Seifr turned his head and glanced at the other boy who had spoken. He was roughly the same age, with a neat aristocratic attire and hairstyle. He was the epitome of posh and arrogance. Seifr noticed that he was at the earliest stages of the Elementary Realm, so far the highest cultivation of anyone he had met close to his age. Typically teenagers around 15 were in the low to mid Mortal Realm, and some geniuses were at the peak of the Mortal Realm. Clearly this young aristocrat was actually quite skilled.

The aristocrat was talking to a group of other young noble boys who appeared to be with him. Seifr imagined that they were the other boy's lackeys. He had seen the type before, weak willed snivellers latching on to an alpha male to make themselves feel important. There were five other boys, all with looks of disdain and ridicule on their faces sneering at Seifr.

Seifr decided that the best course of action to take was to ignore this magpie, so he turned back to facing the front and remained silent.

"Hey, trash, I'm talking to you! Don't turn your back on me or you'll regret it. Don't you know who I am?" The young man continued.

Seifr sighed in his heart as he turned back around, "No, I don't know who you are. And I don't care." With that, he once again faced forward.

The other boy's face became nearly apoplectic with shock. Nobody dismissed him, and hardly anyone did not know who he was. "You don't know who I am? Of course, how silly of me, rodents obviously don't recognize the masters. Listen here, trash, I'm Kohl Lucidi. As in the heir to the Lucidi House, the family granted governorship of this province."

Seifr's eyebrows rose up in surprise. The governor's son! Seifr had an involuntary panic attack before he calmed himself. Doesn't matter, we're in The Misty Realm. Master Kveld told me yesterday that there was a clear chain of command with the instructors, and that did not include bowing to the noble kids.

Seifr turned back around and looked Kohl up and down. He really did not want to get into a fight first thing upon entering the academy, but it seemed like there was a sign that followed him around that just yelled at people, "Hit me!"

"And?" Seifr appeared nonplussed and utterly calm, even though his heart rate had picked up. Hopefully one of the instructors or older students saw what was happening and intervened before things got out of hand.

"And? And? And get out of here! Nobody wants some no-talent trash like you destroying the exalted reputation of this academy." Kohl gesticulated loudly, drawing even more attention from others waiting in line further ahead.

"Oh? And you're the arbiter of admissions to the school? I thought you said it was exalted? Since when did they employ a child in the 1st Stage Elementary Realm as an instructor? It would appear the standards have already fallen if that's the case." Seifr shook his head at Kohl's rampant attitude.

"Are you talking back to me? Did you not hear me when I said who I am? Or are you just cracked in the head? Mentally challenged individuals likewise aren't wanted. If you won't walk out, you'll be carried out." Kohl smirked to his so-called friends as he approached Seifr.

Here we go again. This time he's in the Elementary Realm, but he looks like someone who's never been in a real fight before. I'll stick to my usual strategy of dominating the pace. Seifr appeared calm as he waited for Kohl to get within striking range. He did not even know the rules of the academy yet, and he was already in a fight.

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As soon as Kohl entered Seifr's personal space, Seifr lashed out at the other boy with his trademark jab to the face. Kohl was not as unprepared and arrogant as he appeared, and he easily deflected the blow with a look of disdain on his face. He was about to open his mouth to further ridicule his opponent, but Seifr had never actually stopped moving, and his follow-up strike landed solidly in Kohl's abdomen. Seifr was right in his assumption that Kohl had never been in a real fight before, and was just expecting to use his higher cultivation to brute force take control.

Seifr made one miscalculation, though, and he found out what it was shortly after the satisfying gut punch. A blow struck him on the back of the head from his blind spot, and staggered him. As he was about to regain his balance, another blow came from the other direction and knocked him down. He had assumed he would just have to fend off Kohl, but with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he realized that look from Kohl to his friends earlier was actually a signal.

"Punch me in the stomach?!" Kohl yelled out shrilly. He had never been struck in retaliation before. This was an utter humiliation. He screamed at the boy on the ground and ruthlessly kicked him in the ribs. Seifr curled up into a ball and tried to protect himself to the best of his abilities. He had been beaten in fights before, but usually when one was knocked to the ground and could not get back up, the pressure was let off. Not so with these aristocratic teenagers. They're so used to standing on the backs of the commoners that they don't even realize how ironic it is for them to be ganging up and kicking a man when he's down.

Kohl continued to kick Seifr, trying to smash his face in while the other nobles rained blows onto his body as well. Most of them were at the 1st Stage of the Mortal Realm, so they were not causing any real damage to Seifr, but the kicks from Kohl hurt. He was sure his body would be covered in bruises later.

"What's the meaning of this?" A man in his late twenties dressed in the robes of an instructor came rushing over from the table. He had been seated there and noticed some strange activity with the line and finally realized what was going on when he caught a glance through the crowd at the vicious faces of the young nobles.

"This doesn't concern you," Kohl casually replied without even looking up and brought his foot back to deliver another kick.

The man who was obviously an instructor instantly dashed in front of Kohl and slapped him across the face, knocking him down. He glared at the other young men and pointed to a spot to the side. "Wait there and don't move. Anyone who disobeys is expelled." He then turned his attention back to Kohl. Kohl had an astonished look on his face while he laid there propped up on his elbow with his other hand on his face where he had been slapped.

Kohl regained his composure and leapt to his feet and screamed at the older man, "How dare you strike me! I'm of noble blood..."

The instructor lashed out and slapped Kohl to the ground again. "Your blood means less than dog shit after you stepped through the gate into our grounds." The instructor did not seem impressed with Kohl's declaration of being a noble.

Kohl again stood and glared at the instructor. "I am the heir to the Lucidi House. I demand an apology! And I demand to speak to Kveld right now!"

The instructor's eyes widened at the outburst from the young man, and Kohl thought that he had him now. Kohl was utterly flabbergasted when the older man started laughing in his face.

"Hahahaha! You think I don't know exactly who you are? Your father knows that he better not dare to disrespect Master Kveld. If he wanted to see Master Kveld, he would make an appointment and then wait, much less demand to see him."

Kohl seemed to realize that he had struck an iron wall this time, but he was too stubborn to give up just yet after being humiliated by a commoner. "Maybe I can't demand to see Kveld...urkfg..."

As soon as Kohl mentioned the name Kveld again, the smile on the instructor's face vanished to be replaced with viciousness as he slammed Kohl into the ground. "Boy, even I address Master Kveld as Master. If you so much as even think about him without that honorific again, I will make your life a living nightmare. Mark my words, I will hurt you. This started off as me breaking up a fight, but now you have repeatedly disrespected me, Master Kveld, and this academy. As punishment you must face the central hall, kowtow, and bark like a dog so you never forget your place."

Kohl was horrified at what he was hearing. Never in his life had he imagined that he would be subjected to such treatment. He wanted to get up and refuse, but the instructor placed a foot on his back and held him in place. Clearly he meant for him to do as he was told without even having the opportunity to stand up and orient himself. The instructor looked over at the other nobles, "You, too. Quick, quick!"

All of the noble children who had been involved in the confrontation quickly scrambled to obey this instructor. The Misty Realm was not joking around when they said there was a clear chain of command.

As Kohl kowtowed toward the central hall, he glanced at Seifr, who had long since stood back up. The rage and hate in his eyes was creating a nearly palpable feeling in the air, and Seifr could feel the desire for blood from this other young man. Great, the punishment that the instructor put on him has obviously been blamed on me. Typical. Thanks, Instructor, for making me an enemy for life.