From a neutral standpoint, it made sense to seat me and Marisol together. We were both shorter than average, with her being a half-human-Eleon. We both were shorter than 150cm (4’11’) tall.

"Haru!" She exclaimed back, feigning surprise. "I didn’t know they allowed the unawakened to attend!"

> Level 36 female 1/2 human 1/2 Eleon [Mage]

The Royal bodyguards wanted nothing but to tell us to be silent. If I had to risk a guess, they were allowed here as a special case because of some stupid demand from their families. Most of the other classes had close to twenty-five students, the Academy policy was to divide the students between the Classes evenly. This one had only thirteen, eight students less than the others. It was obviously to make room for the bodyguards.

Windemere was in a state of crisis and without a central government. The only reason nobody attacked yet was that this was a game of reverse whack a mole. The lamias were secluded in their quarters and Kazuyran’s group was silent too. The first mole to pop their heads up, I mean, attack Windemere would get whacked on the head by angry snake-women and then stabbed in the back by the best [Assassins] on the continent.

They wanted to have someone inside the country to protect their investments. The fact they sent people so far away from the line of succession was more than enough proof. Should shit happen, the Academy was sworn to protect them and these princelings would have firsthand knowledge to act without delay. The most probable scenario was a provoked attack from Sadian. That would explain why someone from Ekar was here. With Ekar and Windemere together, they could choke almost all northern trade routes from Sadian. They would need support from Leondirac, but the two were sitting not four meters apart.

"Perish the thought, Marisol. I’m in the first rank already, closer to the second." I replied.

"Liar. I can't see your status."

I rolled my eyes. "Watch." I pressed my finger against the table and spent some Energy to draw a magic circle for a complex {Healing Rain} spell. One of the mages sensed it and I dismissed the spell.

"I still can't see your status."

"Nobody can," I admitted in a whisper.

I instinctively destroyed a scrying spell forming behind me. The same mage that sensed my spell jumped slightly on his seat. But we had no more time to play. The inner door opened and the teacher entered the room.

Level 149 male 1/2 elf 1/4 human 1/4 gnome [Mystic Scholar]

"Greetings Class. Your Highnesses. I'm professor Strengite Ibarin and I am the head lecturer for this class, Light-1. I'm doing the roll call and then I want all of you to make a brief introduction. Make it brief so our esteemed princes and princess don't get bothered."

"Oh, professor," Mirina called with a soft tone. "I think we students should all be equal here at the academy. I am most interested in what my classmates have to say. I would be here without an escort if I could. Let them speak, I say. What do you think, Ise and Rico?"

Goodness, what a poisonous woman. And I had deathberries for an evening snack.

"I don't mind," Euric 'Rico' Fairfax replied. "I think we should let everyone have a voice."

This one was also versed in doublespeak. He seemed to be empathetic and standoffish. The kind that was willing to negotiate before descending into violence.

"Make it brief," Isengar Leondirac grumbled. "I don't know why they put us together with commoners. The Academy's standards are crumbling like this country. I can't believe I'm stuck here in this petting zoo."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

What an asshole! Never mind he had werebear's blood in his veins. I had half the mind of going over there and beat some common sense in that fucker's head. With a lot of "love" from his [Matriarch], of course. We couldn't do without our class' pampered asshole. The one that thought he was too good for such a shitty mission and would like nothing more than to go back home do whatever Royal pampered assholes did.

"Let's start then. Let me see… Haru, you were the last one to register. Please stand up and say something about you."

The problem with these chairs adapted for the Kin was that you had to leave the same way you entered. I stood next to the desk. "Hello, I'm Haru. I one day hope to be a spellcaster worthy of the title [Master of Magic]. Thank you."

The students hooted at my bold declaration.

"We don't know if that title exists, miss. Some old tomes reference it but we believe it to be a myth. Nevertheless, you should aim at the dragon's head if you want to hit its toes. Miss Haru, there's one thing that concerns me. We can't see your Status."

I nodded. "Nobody can. It's a curse I was born with."

"I'll need some information from you then. What's your level?"

"Seventy-six."

"Class?"

"[Crafter]."

He cleared his throat, annoyed. "I mean, spellcasting Class."

"I haven't it," I blurted with a straight face.

Let's imagine those squiggly anime veins popping on his head. "Your second path?"

"Fused. All of them. I don't think they'll give me another."

The teacher grunted. "How many paths did you fuse?"

I tilted my head and answered with the most angelic voice possible. "All of them."

Fuming, he pressed onward, "Miss Haru Stouthammer, do you want me to believe you've fused FOUR paths? At level seventy-six?"

"Yes." My tail was furiously flicking with mischievous energy. I barely kept myself from smiling.

Professor Ibarin was at his wits' end. "What's your Class rarity?"

"[Ultra-Rare] with two pluses."

"Do you have the [Spellcaster] proficiency?"

"Of course."

"What is your proficiency level?"

"Eighty," I lied.

"You must've worked hard for that."

The mage that noticed my magic circle called Strengite's attention. Once he got permission to speak, he ratted me out, "Miss Haru traced a fifth-circle spell diagram with both Water and Healing affinities."

The teacher and the other two mages gasped.

If Strengite was Kryptonian, I would have a hole in my forehead. "Miss Haru, would you show us that same spell circle?"

In hindsight, I should've shown a fake status. I should've laid low. But these Royal pricks… I mean, cunts! These cunts always got under my skin. Anyway, I traced the circle for {Healing Rain}.

"Perfect execution," Strengite whispered under his breath but my ears could almost hear a pin drop in a thunderstorm. Sucking in a big lungful, he asked, "Miss Haru, do you have {Healing} and {Water} affinities?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yet your tail is mundane." He pointed at the flicking appendage behind me that couldn't stay quiet.

"Oh, I hide my extra tails with a Perk. I don't like drawing attention to me."

"You sure do, darling," Marisol quipped.

I winked back at her.

"Well, the cat is out of the bag now," Ibarin said. "Show us your tails."

Prepare for trouble and make it double. I took some time to focus only on my pink and blue tails, then replaced the animal one with them. "Here you go. Blue and pink, professor."

"Passable," he admitted. "You demonstrated skill and dedication to spend Perks the right way. You also trained a lot to reach this proficiency level. Congratulations, miss Haru."

Some students clapped their hands.

"Next, miss Marisol," he called as I took my seat.

"Yes," the blonde bimbo stood up. "I'm Marisol, from Rosebush. [Mage] is my main Path. I hope to unlock {Wind Magic Affinity}."

"Thank you, miss. Next!"

A silk-folk boy with a rough green fabric for skin stood up. "I'm Darriston, born and raised here in Windemere. My second path is [Mage] too." He delivered his line and sat."

Strengite nodded. Darriston's partner, a half-dwarf-Eleon, stood on his chair. "Niccolo Brewster from Narmont," he bowed. "I'm a [Runecaster] but I intend to pick {Wizardry} as well."

"Steven Ashcleaner," a badger-kin with two white stripes on his fuzzy hair went next. "I didn't pick my second path yet."

"Remus Dyer," a silk-folk that escaped a Romero Britto's painting. Stylish but psychedelic. "I'm a first-rank [Wizard]."

"Phyllis," a lamia with a light green and bright orange wavy pattern on her tails stood next. It was obvious she had wind and fire affinities. If not the Perks then her Species rank-ups. "I'm a [Spell-Knight], first rank."

"Camilla Squire from Dublone," the next girl had calico hair, sharp triangular ears, and a long cat tail behind her. She was a half-elf-cat-kin. An interesting combination. "I'm a [Mage] and almost on the first rank."

"I'm Melania Cooper!" an energetic wolf-kin girl grinned, showing her elongated and sharp canine teeth. "I'm a [Sorceress] but I want to get [Wizard] later and fuse both paths!"

The last to introduce herself was Melania's partner, a silk-folk girl with glistening pearly satin skin. Actual satin. Silk-folk sometimes looked like dolls but she would get the state fair's blue ribbon. "I'm Jocelin Trinity, it's a pleasure to meet you," she caught me gawking and winked. "I'm a first-rank [Wizard] and I have {Force Affinity}."