...

Naza walked towards her seat, scanning the classroom—anything to avoid looking at Janina, who was staring out the window, clearly bored and lost in her thoughts. Worse, there were other unpleasant faces in the room. A noble boy—a jaguar-kin—glanced at her disapprovingly before deciding she wasn't worth his attention. He was the one who caused the commotion at the entrance.

Besides them, there was a high-demon boy with horns and a tail that ended in a heart-shaped tip. The rest of the class was comprised chiefly of orphans or children from poor families—sixteen students in total.

Naza took her seat, trying to distract herself from whoever was sitting behind her by marveling at the classroom. 'It's so beautiful,' she thought.

The room had high arched ceilings that looked like they were carved from a single piece of glowing stone. It shimmered with soft, warm hues like a magical night sky.

The desks, though simple, were made of fine polished wood, with intricate carvings of mythical creatures winding their way along the edges. The walls were covered in murals depicting scenes of lush forests, majestic castles, and friendly beasts, giving the space a magical yet kittenish-friendly atmosphere.

It was not too busy or distracting but rather relaxing, like looking at the waves in Furri—there was so much to see, but it made one relaxed when starring at the Howl Sea.

At the front was a blackboard unlike any Naza had seen before. It was a massive, shimmering slate, glowing faintly in shifting colors, showing a clock with playful mystical creatures hanging on the hands—all drawn by colorful chalks, and every change appeared to dissolve like a strong gust of wind blowing away dust.

A sigh behind her brought her back to reality, and she hesitated. 'Should I at least greet her?' she thought, glancing at Janina. Then, deciding to take a leap, she turned towards her with a smile, "Hello, you must be M..." She suddenly froze, recalling Alexander's advice on proper introductions. She cleared her throat. "—Janina, right? Or do I need to add the Ms.? I am so confused, but nice to meet you either way!"

Just as Janina seemed ready to react, a woman strode in, her voice rough, a cigarette dangling from her lips. "Oh my! Look at all these lively hatchlings!" she exclaimed, a little saliva stuck in her throat. "You call her Janina, of course! As Mr. Alexander said, status doesn't matter here!"

As she spoke, everyone turned to her, staring. The woman had deep-seated wrinkles on her face, dark green hair tied in a bun, and greyish-blue eyes. Her skin was darker, and she wore a broad smile. "But first, I want all of you to sit down so we can start our first homeroom class."

As if enchanted by her presence, the students quickly took their seats. The teacher nodded, satisfied, and puffed on her cigarette, smoke curling from her nose and mouth. She casually sat down on the edge of her desk, crossed her legs, and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the blackboard behind her turned blank before slowly filling up with chalk, writing, 'First Homeroom Class,' as if by an unseen hand. "Magic is quite handy, I must admit," she said, glancing at the blackboard, clearly pleased with the results.

She turned back to the students, her soft but piercing gaze making a few of them flinch. "This is a fascinating project, one that I'm genuinely passionate about," she said, pausing to blow a smoke ring. "Ana invited me and many of my colleagues to join this initiative—trained us for months, pushing our old bones to the limit." She blew smoke out of her nose, shaping it into a ship that sailed gracefully through the smoke ring.

There was a moment of silence, which she interrupted with a shrug, mumbling, "The boy told me to look for someone who would say Gandalf, whatever that means."

She gave the students a crooked smile, full of charm and wisdom, "My name's Josefine N. Hard-Shell. I was banished from my family, so I had to change my surname to Shell; I hope there is no confusion. But—" She shrugged. "Now I'm here."

While the chalk continued to write behind her, she continued, "My specialization has always been education, childcare, and research. Even though the Free Cities have more exchanges and opportunities, I believe Wolfsteeth has the potential to become a new hub." She took a strong puff.

Breathing out a cloud of thick, colorful smoke, she continued, "You should feel proud to be the first students at such a high-class institution—one of few that might ever exist on this continent." She chuckled, her laughter interrupted by a wet cough, "Need to visit the Temple again... whatever."

She cleared her throat, the noise dragging on a little too long, then continued, "Now then, let's start with the first row, shall we? Please introduce yourselves: name, age, interests, a little about your family—everything you can think of."

A boy stood up, stiff as an arrow. "M... My... name is... is..." He was visibly trembling.

Naza sighed, realizing how nervous he was. After him, more students introduced themselves, each given a lot of time by Ms. Shell. Everyone who came from a similar background to hers felt anxiety and nervousness. 'Yeah, it's always like this.'

Fear had shaped their personalities, making them always expect the worst whenever something good happened. Many students tried desperately to introduce themselves in the best possible light, afraid of what might happen if they didn't.

But for Naza, who had listened to Alexander's speeches, she understood that his focus was never on present flaws but on future potential and growth. He believed no one should be cast aside for minor shortcomings, and she agreed with him wholly.

Then, it was Lucifer's turn. He stood up, flashing a charming smile, making even Naza blush. "Hello, my name is Lucifer L. Love. I'm an Incubus and six years old! I love reading romance and drama! My family sent me here to gain an understanding of Moorgrelian culture, and I am very interested in the concept of what this school may represent. Also, we're friends with the Count of..."

Lucifer rambled on for three minutes about his household's history and ties with the Moorgrelians—primarily due to Kratikal. The high-demon territory was enormous, bordering the notorious region consisting of monsters. Surprisingly, the succubi and incubi were the best at defending their border.

Even though the northern concentration of miasma was less intense, it still made most high demons obnoxiously aggressive. It didn't matter much for their kin as it only increased their drive to procreate, which seemed like a perfect region for them.

However, the class' attention waned as Lucifer detailed alliances, family politics, and bridge-building efforts. Finally, he concluded, "...and now, after my sister went with what we would call the Blood Saint as her disciple, I'm here to exchange ideas, cultures, and maybe much more!"

She slowly adapted to his charm every time he talked, finding it strange. 'His scent is so... bizarre.'

Ms. Shell nodded to Lucifer and then addressed the class, her voice firm, "I encourage you to follow Mr. Alexander's guidance and treat everyone equally, regardless of their kin. This school has a strict no-bullying policy, and any such behavior will be met with severe consequences, no matter your status or race."

After a short pause, an eerie silence loomed over the class—no one knew what to say or do. For Naza, it was ingrained to distrust dwarves, humans, gnomes, and high elves. Everyone else was either friendly or neutral—nothing more. Even before receiving any formal education, this was something everyone simply knew.

Ms. Shell smiled again, her wrinkles deepening like a lively grandmother's. "But let me clarify something." She turned to Lucifer, her smile becoming mischievous. "High demons, like beast-kin, have various subraces, each with unique traits. For beast-kin, traits can often be guessed—like canine-kin having an excellent sense of smell or turtle-kin having a long lifespan. But there are also some naughty abilities, like being able to poison someone with just a kiss or cause hallucinations by touching their skin."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

She gestured toward Lucifer, taking out a cigarette, "Lucifer, could you explain how your subrace differs from other high demons? Some of your fellow students stare at you and are confused about what is happening to them."

Lucifer laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry about that! Incubi and succubi of our subrace are exceptionally charming and seductive. We also can regenerate through... intercourse if we choose to. But when we are young, we can't control our ability to seduce so well, so I apologize!"

There was an awkward silence. Even Naza, used to hearing about strange abilities, blushed slightly, 'That's... well...' she thought, unsure how to react to someone who might accidentally seduce her.

Ms. Shell nodded, gesturing for Lucifer to sit down. "Yes, please take your seat." She turned toward the class, puffing again. Ana, your headmistress, decided it was fine even though some may fall in love and get heartbroken." A chuckle escaped her, but she immediately stopped it, overplaying it by clearing her throat.

Lucifer hung his head low, visibly feeling terrible. 'Poor boy,' Naza thought, sympathizing with him. 'He didn't do it on purpose.'

"Well, whatever it may be, they are our friends," Ms. Shell said, chuckling before erupting into a wet cough, now not on purpose. "We also have our people who have incredible charisma. Take canine kin, for example. Even though their charm is different, one always sees them as best friends, loyal companions, or lifelong partners."

Everyone glanced at Janina, who didn't care about the attention. Naza noticed it, too. 'Yeah, they really do seem friendly and trustworthy,' she thought, though she could tell the charm was of a different nature.

The introductions continued, and at some point, it was Naza's turn to introduce herself. She stood up and began, her voice full of joy, "Hello. My name is Naza, and I think I'm six years old."

Everyone with a family stared at her, clearly confused, which forced her to clarify. "I'm an orphan. I don't know if I have any family, so I don't know when I was born. But I see our matron as my mother and consider the day she took me in as my birthday."

She smiled and shared more about herself, her face lighting up as she recounted all the interests she enjoyed and could remember. "My hobbies are learning as much as I can and talking to others..." she said, her voice filled with excitement. A minute passed, and she finished her introduction with a flushed face, feeling both nervous and proud as she smiled broadly.

After her, a fox-kin boy stood up; dirt-blond hair and red eyes accentuated his crazed smile. "Hello, my dear fellows. My name is Lacroux, and I'm the son of a servant at the estate. I'm thrilled to be here. My interests include pharmacy, dagger arts, and hidden weapon techniques..."

Naza eyed him warily. Something about Lacroux felt dangerous. 'Better stay away from him,' she thought.

After a few more introductions, it was Janina's turn. She sighed, still sitting. "My name is Janina, but since my brother is having a fit, you may call me Nina for all I care. My interests are mana painting and arts in general."

The teacher raised an eyebrow. "Mana painting?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Janina waved her hand lazily, creating an intricate illusion of a bunny—the same one Alexander had made, only much more detailed and lifelike. "With mana, you can paint by either using contraptions or manipulating the mana directly to create illusions..." she explained.

Ms. Shell interrupted, smiling, "Oh my, such talent in magic. I hope you'll help the others, too?"

Janina rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not," she said, her voice annoyed.

The teacher ignored her attitude, taking a stronger puff on her cigarette. "Now that introductions are over let's go over what your typical day will look like..."

What followed was a lot more than Naza had anticipated. The school day ran from 06:00 to 20:00, with classes from 10:00 to 16:00 and a lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00. Before classes started, students could have breakfast and participate in club activities financed by the school and overseen by teachers.

After classes, there would be dinner, remedial lessons, club activities, and specialized classes provided by teachers and outside experts—lessons Alexander and Anastasia believed to be beneficial but not mandatory.

While it seemed like a lot, that was the whole point, and it made most students, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, joyful, if not ecstatic. Meanwhile, the others from better-off families sighed, already sighing and frowning.

Naza was thrilled, though. 'What clubs are there? Should I start one?' she wondered, giddy at the thought. Her life at the orphanage had always been either filled with dread, trying to survive at all costs, never able to have a relaxing second, or dull, like now. It became safe after Alexander helped them, but she had nothing to do but do some chores, training, and whatever she could study. The prospect of having so much to do excited her.

She couldn't help but grin widely, her excitement evident. She heard suddenly Janina's voice behind her, "Are you okay?"

Naza leaned back slightly, tilting her head towards Janina. "Yes! Isn't this amazing? I usually get bored at home, but now I have so much to do!"

Janina sounded puzzled, "But... wouldn't you rather be stealing or playing pranks or something?"

Naza turned to her, eyebrow raised. "Are you stupid?" she said bluntly. "Do you think I stole because I wanted to? I was hungry." She dismissively waved at her, "You wouldn't understand."

Silence fell over the classroom. Naza realized everyone was staring at them. Before she could apologize, Ms. Shell chimed in cheerfully, "What an interesting discussion! Would you care to involve the rest of us?"

Naza blushed, but Janina seemed genuinely curious. She spoke up, "I saw how happy she was and wanted to know why."

"Naza, would you like to share with the class why you were so happy?" Ms. Shell prompted, her smile mischievous.

Naza nodded, still embarrassed, unable to form a coherent sentence, "Um... I said I was happy because I finally had something to do and... she asked if I liked stealing, but I only did it because I was hungry. Now I'm happy to be at school, so... I was thinking about the clubs I could join..." Her voice trailed off.

The class murmured in agreement, some nodding. But the few from better-off families didn't seem to get it. Lucifer frowned, "Huh? Hungry? What do you mean?" Henry added, "Can't you just ask your parents?"

The room grew tense, prompting Ms. Shell to clap her hands. "What we have here is a disparity," she said, smiling. "Ninety percent of our students are orphans and had difficult lives before Mr. Alexander's support. They're obviously excited about the opportunities here, and that's something you others need to understand."

Janina frowned, interrupting Ms. Shell. "But why not just be like my brother? He invented so many things and made so much gold!"

Now, even the ones from the better-off families looked at her as if she was the crazy one. Even Naza couldn't believe how dense she was, 'Yeah, just become like Mr. Alexander... why not an Emperor at that.'

The teacher laughed, "Your brother is remarkable, Janina. But not everyone is like him. Let me ask you, did you learn everything by yourself?"

"Yes! I painted, drew, and wrote for months to develop my skills!" Her voice was full of pridefulness, clearly knowing that a lot of work was put into her interest.

"Very impressive," Ms. Shell acknowledged. "Now, what if you hadn't eaten for two days? Could you still concentrate on learning those things?"

Janina opened her mouth and then paused, her expression softening as she understood the point. The teacher continued, "This school is for people who need support. Don't forget, Janina, these students are part of your household's territory. The more skilled they become, the more they can contribute. You should be happy about students like Naza, no?"

Janina stared at Naza momentarily, her arrogant gaze giving way to something more genuine. Finally, she nodded. "You're right, Ms. Shell. I apologize, and I hope you all continue to do your best."

Naza nodded back, surprised. "Thanks..." Janina was, by all accounts, arrogant. There was no humbleness but pure dismissiveness. She only accepted authority inside her family, but not here, only listening to the arguments.

"Perfect!" Ms. Shell said, clapping her hands again and taking out another cigarette. "This school is not just for commoners to study, but for nobles to broaden their perspectives as well. As you may have heard, Mr. Alexander, now heir, alongside Ms. Sarah, wants us all to be amiable towards one another. To become friends, as he said in his inspiring speech."

Henry suddenly spoke up, smiling at Lucifer. "I hope so, too. What else but becoming friendly?" There was a bizarre sensation as the incubus smiled back, like a prey looking at a predator.

Naza's first romance and drama novel was about two men who loved each other. Since then, she loved to read trashy books, at least what she could find.

As such, seeing those two boys reminded her of a novel, with her whispering, "Cute..." Janina, behind her, grinned and whispered, "Yeah, they are pretty cute together."

Naza turned, seeing the same grin mirrored on Janina's face. She suddenly found a soul-sister, "Did you read 'The Vampire Prince and the Furry Mercenary'?"

Janina nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, it's one of my favorites!"

Before they could continue, Ms. Shell called for attention, her voice rising above the growing chatter. "All right, let's move on! Now, let's talk about the classes you'll be taking..."

The bell suddenly rang, confusing everyone. Ms. Shell stood up, frowning. "Well, we will have to improvise for now! First, go and eat something, and then you must attend all your classes today to get a first glimpse! So, don't be confused if you have until 18:00 today!"

Everyone didn't know what to do, which made her chuckle. "The bell signaled the end of the session! Go to the cafeteria and eat something! Talk to each other and try to build friendships! Ask the boards about your next classes, and they should show them! Off you go!"

Naza gathered her things, still buzzing with excitement. She was slightly confused as she left the classroom, but suddenly, someone else walked beside her—Janina, talking loudly. "So, who do you like more? The pirate or the boy?"