Taking the stage, Miss Margrave began to speak.

"We, the instructors of Celera, are pleased to announce that we have an exceptional group of promising students this year."

As her words echoed through the hall, her gaze briefly rested on Emily, Marcus, and Arnos.

"This year's mana test has also yielded some unexpected results," she continued, her eyes shifting toward Mabel, Arnos at the back, and Emily in the front.

"Now that we’ve assessed your mana levels, it’s time to classify you accordingly."

She gestured toward a large screen behind her, and as her hand moved, the screen came to life, displaying a glowing chart.

"There will be four classes," she said, holding up four fingers.

- Class A will be designated for S-Rankers and A-Rankers, under the supervision of Margrave Eldridge. "That's me, by the way," she added with a slight smirk.

- Class B will cater to B-Rankers, supervised by Miss Chloe Valmont.

Miss Margrave gestured toward a shorter woman standing beside her. Miss Chloe, though smaller in stature, had a lean figure similar to Margrave’s. She wore a bright yellow dress that fell just below her knees, perfectly complementing her long yellow hair and striking yellow eyes. Her hairstyle featured a neat left-side part with a delicate braid running down her left side.

- Class C will accommodate C-Rankers and be overseen by Sir Matsumoto Akihiro.

She motioned to a tall male instructor nearby. Sir Akihiro wore a crisp white shirt paired with brown trousers, exuding simplicity and professionalism. His well-built physique hinted at years of rigorous training. He had jet-black hair and matching eyes, with a noticeable scar running across his right eye, adding to his aura of experience.

- Class D will include D-Rankers and E-Rankers, under the care of Serena Blackwell.

Finally, she pointed to a woman dressed in an elegant black gown, her demeanor starkly contrasting with the others. Miss Blackwell’s blank expression revealed little interest, and her deep black eyes carried a heavy, drowsy quality. Her short black hair was styled in a striking wolf cut, further enhancing her appearance.

"This will be a temporary arrangement, as mana level isn't always equal to potential. There are several other factors, such as efficiency, knowledge, and even physical prowess. We will hold a battle tournament to decide who stays in which class by the middle of the first term, or in three months. Until then, you will report to your assigned classes."

"I will be in Class B. Tsk, I wanted Class A," a male student in the front muttered.

"Class C it is for me. Not bad, I would say," a girl added.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Class D, huh? I need to work hard now," another boy sighed.

Miss Margrave cleared her throat, regaining the crowd’s attention. "As for the dormitories, S-Rankers and A-Rankers will stay in the Ares dorm. B and C-Rankers are assigned to the Cryz dorm, while D and E-Rankers will stay in the Wiz dorm and you will be informed of the room allocated to you by the dorm's attendant."

Her voice shifted to a stern tone as she continued, "Remember, you are all forbidden to use magic inside the campus unless explicitly instructed to do so or with a reasonable explanation."

Finally, Miss Margrave's tone lightened. "Now that this is over, you are all dismissed. You can explore the campus buildings to familiarize yourselves with the training grounds and other facilities. If that doesn’t interest you, feel free to head to your respective dorms to relax."

She descended from the stage, and the students began filing out of the hall.

– – –

Just a row ahead of Arnos and his group, another group of boys was engaged in a discussion.

"Hey, I actually want to check out the dorms," said a boy with light brown hair.

"Hmm, maybe we could check out the Cryz dorm for today. Need to find some motivation for exams, don’t we?" the blonde-haired boy next to him added.

"I want to check the training arena," the third one chimed in.

"Hey Mabel, what was Emily's rank? Do you have any idea about it?" Marcus asked, turning to Mabel.

"S rank. Pretty neat, isn't it?" Mabel spoke in a shocked voice.

"Really? Guess I expected that. She was always better than me in the stamina department," Marcus chuckled.

"Did you guys train in magic from childhood?" Arnos asked curiously.

"We did, actually. It's kind of a normal practice in noble households, and I was actually trained with her."

"You did, huh?" Arnos added. "Well, so she would be in Ares dorm too. Sighs."

Mabel, speaking in a mock-sad voice, said, "So, I think I’ll be all alone, huh?"

Arnos smiled. "Yeah, but it’s not like you can’t climb up or more likely, there’s a chance I might fall from the Ares dorm."

Marcus gave Arnos a skeptical look. "Why do I feel like you want to fall a rank?"

Arnos stuttered, "N-No, obviously not! That’s not my plan."

Mabel smirked and lightly punched his shoulder. "It sure seems that way."

Arnos sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Fine, that might be true. I don’t actually want to stay in the Ares dorm. If I’m not wrong..." His expression turned slightly scared. "Look, princess is in the same dorm. That would be tough for me. And considering most of the nobles will be pissed at me..." He smiled faintly. "I think it would be better for me to stay in the background. Understand?"

Marcus stood up from his seat, irritated. "You’re saying you’d like to stay in the background? How could anyone want that? You are.."

Before Marcus could continue, Arnos interjected. "What’s your dream, Marcus?"

Marcus hesitated. "Wait, that’s irrelevant here, and I am not too sure about what I want."

Arnos continued in a neutral voice as he stood up. "Do you think dreams are important?"

Marcus looked serious. "I think they’re important for everyone. A person without a dream... I can’t even imagine it."

Arnos walked toward Marcus. "And what if your dream is, let’s say, weird compared to what others want? Maybe what you want isn’t conventional. Should you live by others’ opinions?"

Marcus responded, "I don’t think so."

Arnos smiled. "Well, living a normal life has always been kind of my dream. And hey, getting to live a normal life in a nice house after living in an orphanage is a huge jump, you know."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Wait you were in an orphanage?"

Arnos nodded. "I was. Now, don’t go telling anyone about it." He pointed at Marcus and turned to Mabel. "You too, okay? It’s kind of awkward with all the sympathy and stuff. But yeah, I know the comments I’ll get here, and they’ll be anything but sympathetic."

Mabel nodded. "Sure, I won’t tell anyone. And I guess... I mean, if that’s what you want, then yeah, sure."

Marcus nodded as well, agreeing with Mabel’s comment.