Sir Maxim paid little heed to Viscount Neins Hamann, despite the illustrious lineage of his family. Despite their wealth and status within the empire, they had not managed to achieve any truly noteworthy feats. In fact, Viscount Hamann was known to be an intermediate-level Ascentionist, a level of skill that failed to impress Sir Maxim. Despite his vast riches, the viscount had not managed to attain the level of mastery that Sir Maxim sought in those he associated with.

Sir Maxim strode out of the amphitheatre with a sense of superiority, his armour glinting in the sunlight and his cloak billowing behind him. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy towards the Neins Hamann who had boasted about his wealth and influence as if it were nothing.

'If I had that wealth, I would be an Expert-level Knight already,' Sir Maxim thought to himself with a scoff. He knew that he had the skills and determination to rise through the ranks of the knights, but sometimes it seemed as though wealth and connections were just as important in achieving success.

But Sir Maxim didn't let these thoughts dampen his spirits for long. He knew that he had the support of his Eminence Tamizi, a powerful and influential figure within the kingdom. With Tamizi's backing, Sir Maxim was confident that he could overcome any obstacle that came his way.

So with a determined step, Sir Maxim exited the amphitheatre alongside his squadron, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

the entire classroom fell into an eerie silence. The students all stared at their desks, their eyes fixed on the scratches etched into the wood. The only sound that could be heard was the slow, steady ticking of the clock on the wall.

The second hand seemed to move in slow motion as it made its way around the clock face, marking the passing of each interminable second. The students sat in silence, their nerves stretched to the breaking point as they waited for something to happen.

Cagnus sat in the corner of the room, his eyes shining with excitement as he watched Sir Maxim confront the wealthy Hamann. He had never seen such bold and confident behaviour before, and he found it exhilarating to watch.

But as he sat there, lost in thought, Cagnus became aware of a change in the atmosphere of the room. The silence that had descended upon the class was so intense that it was almost palpable. He could feel it in his bones, in his heart, and in his head. It was a heavy, oppressive silence that filled the room and weighed down on him with an almost unbearable weight.

Cagnus couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. Here he was, about to be fined an outrageous sum of money, and yet the room was so eerily silent that he could almost hear his own thoughts echoing in his head.

But even as he chuckled to himself, Cagnus couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the silence. It was as if the entire class was holding its collective breath, waiting for something to happen, but no one knew what it was. The tension in the room was palpable, and Cagnus couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen next.

Cagnus turned around in his seat and noticed that the entire class was looking at him with strange expressions on their faces. Neins, in particular, looked furious, with red veins bulging on his forehead and fumes practically emanating from his nostrils.

Cagnus couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over him as he saw the reactions of his classmates. He had no idea what he had done to earn such strange looks, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

To Neins, a fine of ten thousand pounds was a drop in the bucket. After all, his father ran one of the empire's biggest exports and imports companies of supernatural ingredients, and they had more than enough wealth to cover the cost of the fine.

But it wasn't the money that bothered Neins the most. It was the humiliation and face-loss that came with the fine, especially when it was because of a lowly peasant of average descent. It was a blow to Neins's pride and ego, and he couldn't stand the thought of being seen as inferior to someone like Cagnus.

Neins glared at Cagnus with a burning intensity, his eyes filled with anger and resentment. He couldn't believe that someone like Cagnus, a mere peasant of average descent, could have the audacity to stand up to him. Neins was used to getting his way, and he couldn't stand the thought of being challenged by someone like Cagnus.

He clenched his fists at his sides, his muscles tensing with anger as he glared at Cagnus. He was determined to make Cagnus pay for his insolence, to teach him a lesson and show him who was really in charge.

Neins's face was contorted with rage, and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks as he glared at Cagnus. He wanted nothing more than to lash out, to vent his frustration and anger on Cagnus and make him pay for daring to defy him.

'Hey hey hey, you started it, why are you looking at me like that? I want no trouble!', Cagnus smiled bitterly as he closed his eyes to concentrate on the clock ticking, but the sound seemed to fade away as the silence became even more unbearable.

Cagnus made an effort to focus on the sound of the clock ticking, wishing that it would help him relax. But even that familiar sound seemed to fade away as the silence became even more unbearable.

Then, he heard a voice that boomed throughout the amphitheatre, almost shaking the entire room: "Insolence!"

The old man who had just stormed into the amphitheatre was a commanding presence, towering over those around him with his tall and strong stature. His broad shoulders and straight back spoke of a lifetime of discipline and hard work, and his head was adorned with a mane of snowy white hair that seemed to radiate a sense of wisdom and authority.

His face was etched with deep wrinkles that testified to his age and the wealth of experience he had accumulated over the years. It was a face that had seen much and had much to say, a face that commanded respect and attention.

But it wasn't just his appearance that set the old man apart. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit that fit him like a glove, with a crisp white shirt, a silk tie, and a pocket square that added a touch of elegance to his appearance. His leather shoes gleamed with a high polish, and a fancy pocket watch could be seen peeking out from one of his pockets, a symbol of his status and success.

Everything about the old man, from his appearance to his demeanor, spoke of a man who was used to getting what he wanted, a man who commanded respect and attention wherever he went. It was no wonder that the entire class fell silent at his arrival, for even the bravest of souls would hesitate to cross someone like him.

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The old man's face was a picture of rage and anger as he bellowed at Neins Hamann, his voice echoing like thunder throughout the room and almost shaking the very foundations of the amphitheatre. His eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, and his fists were clenched at his sides as he confronted Neins.

"Insolence!" he shouted, his voice ringing with authority and conviction. "You dare use foul magic in this class? The audacity! Not only do you dare to use magic, but you dare to use it against a student? Do you have any idea what you have done?"

Neins Hamann stood frozen in place, his body trembling and shaking as if he were standing in the midst of an earthquake. His face had gone deathly pale, all the color drained away as if he had just seen a ghost. He was rooted to the spot, unable to move or speak as he faced the intimidating presence of the old man standing before him.

Neins knew that this time, his offense was too serious to be brushed off with a mere monetary fine. The old man's eyes burned with a fierce intensity, seeming to see right through Neins's very soul. Neins could feel the weight of the old man's gaze upon him, and he knew that he had to do something to try and salvage the situation.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to find the right words to say. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, and his mind was a jumbled mess as he struggled to come up with a plan. The silence in the room was deafening, and Neins could feel the weight of his classmates' stares upon him.

He knew that he had to do something, anything, to try and make things right. But he was so overwhelmed with fear that he couldn't even move, let alone speak. He was trapped, caught in a web of his own making, and he had no idea how to escape.

"Go to the disciplinary office. You will dearly pay for your impotence in this facility.", Professor Aloyn shouted, commanding Neins to hurry up and leave this class as soon as possible.

Neins frantically got up from his seat and collected his belongings; he dared not go against Professor Aloyn's words. Even the handsome youngster from row C stayed silent, with no intentions whatsoever to aid the Hamann noble.

In the Imperial Chess Academy, going against professors' words is second only to blaspheming the Empress. The reason why he stood up for Neins earlier was because Professor Elizabeth was known to be an easy-going teacher, she's not the type of person who would punish people at a whim.

However, the same does not apply to Professor Aloyn.

Aloyn is known in the upper echelons of the Fide Empire to be a no-nonsense individual who is highly disciplined and expects the same from others. He is ambitiously driven and has a very high standard for himself and for those around them.

Not only is he inflexible in his beliefs, but he rarely accepts any deviations from his expectations. He is highly intimidating and has a tendency to be overly critical of any mistakes and perceived slights.

As for Neins? He is a goner through and through; knowing Professor Aloyn's intolerance for this sort of behaviour, Neins will definitely get expelled with a considerable fine.

If Cagnus were to be a fellow noble who was assaulted in the same way, even the Hamann family would have a portion of their noble status and title stripped.

Unfortunately, Cagnus is only a commoner with mediocre origins. Making it improbable for that to happen.

"There goes Neins; his father is only a viscount, yet dares to use magic in class? What a stupid moron, hehe…"

"Perhaps he would get a pass if he used magic in Professor Elizabeth's class, but using magic in Professor Aloyn's class? Who does he think he is? The Empress's son?"

"Even if my dad were to be a Marquis, I would never ever think about using magic and sorcery in this sacred place."

"His intelligence is second only to the Barbarian race, haha."

The entire class snickered and bickered, poking fun at Neins' actions and behaviour. Their hushed voices flowed into his ears, which only served to make him angrier by the second.

Neins' face was a mask full of rage and tension, his eyes were narrowed, and his jaw was clenched. His movements were rigid, and his hands were balled into his fists. Veins threatened to explode out from his skin as he looked at Cagnus with extreme hatred and anger.

He wanted to lash out at this peasant who destroyed his bright future. He wanted to tear his body apart, limb by limb. But because of Professor Aloyn's presence, he dared not do anything rash lest he brings calamity to himself and his family.

This only served to agitate his bottled-up feelings; the hatred and anger only grew.

He vowed that sooner or later, he would make this commoner pay dearly.

In the very first row of the amphitheatre, Lady Seraphine was observing all of this silently. Seeing Neins' behaviour and attitude, she frowned as ominous feelings rose in her heart. As for the mysterious prince, he looked at Cagnus with an imperceptible glimmer in his eyes.

Meanwhile, all the way in row Z. Cagnus was having an upheaval of emotions; multiple thoughts were going through his head.

'Magic? Where? I want to see it! My grandfather keeps telling me all these stories about magic and sorcery, how the elves can shatter the sky or split the earth with just one spell. I want to see it!'

'Agh, professor, why did you have to ruin the fun! Just when this guy was about to use magic, you stopped him! You know that it's my lifelong dream to see magic in action.'

'Oh? Why is he packing up? Is he leaving? To where? What happened? The disciplinary office? Ptooh! Serves him right! He deserves it all along!'

'Why are you glaring at me like that? You deserve it! You were the reason why my family heirlooms were destroyed! You were also the reason for my future fine of thousands of gold pounds!'

Cagnus was disheartened because he missed the lifelong opportunity of seeing magic in action, but he was also ecstatic to see Neins Hamann go to the disciplinary office.

"Silence.', Professor Aloyn's voice echoed throughout the class, "This is not the lands and territory you nobles own; this is the Imperial Chess Academy, understood? We do not tolerate any presumptuous behaviour whatsoever."

The man started pacing around as he spoke, "Now that's out of the way; let's speak about Chess and why it is so important to the future of humanity."

'Huh? Chess is just a game; what do you mean by "important to the future of humanity". Chess won't fend off the Demons lurking in the Abyss, nor will it stop the Elves and the Barbarians from encroaching upon humanity.', it goes without saying that Cagnus was confused by the professor's statement, he wanted to raise questions but considering his status, he pushed all his questions to the back of his head as he seriously paid attention to the class.

"As per the previous class' lessons, we learnt that Chess can allow us to shed our mortal coil and ascend to the limits. We learnt the theories behind Chess' power system and the core's crystallisation, which enabled humanity to pursue Ascentionism."

"Now that you're all Novice-level Ascentionists, it is your duty and job to protect this empire from all external threats and malicious existences. This world of myriad races does not only have Barbarians, Elves and Demons, but also many hidden entities you have to worry about."

"As a citizen of the Fide Empire, it is your duty to eliminate these hidden entities. After all, excluding Demons, the threat they pose is greater than the Barbarians and Elves."

"This is where the powers of Ascentionists come to the limelight, as for the details on how to utilise these powers, you'll learn that in Professor Elizabeth's class."

"In my class, I will teach you the basics of Chess. If your understanding of Chess is not sufficient enough, you'll never advance as an Ascentionist."

Professor Aloyn stopped pacing around and studied the students with his stern gaze.

"Understood?", his hoarse voice resounded throughout the room, bringing with it a heavy pressure on the shoulders of the present studies. Almost every student had grave and stern expressions on their faces; they thought of the responsibilities they'll have to bear as Ascentionists and what their future roles in society will be.

The only exception to this was two people who had leisurely attitudes, the mysterious prince in row A and the commoner in row Z, who was none other than Cagnus Marlsen.

'Ascentionism? First time hearing of it. Hidden entities? If they're hiding, why should we care about them? My understanding of Chess represents my level as an Ascentionist? Huh, what is that supposed to mean? My grandfather is a pretty good chess player; does that mean he is also an Ascentionist? No way that old geezer is an Ascentionist, he is just a bag of bones waiting for his time to come.', upon thinking of grandfather Kanatoly Arpov, Cagnus sighed silently as nostalgic memories of his childhood surfaced up.