“So what is it that you want?” asked an older lady behind the cafeteria counter.

Erik gazed through the glass at the day’s breakfast options: economy, standard, and premium. The economy menu offered a simple bowl of oat porridge, the standard came with eggs, beans, and a few strips of smoked meat, and the premium was a feast of sausages, smoked ham, thick-cut bread, and soft cheese. Each meal came with a steaming pot of tea on the side.

His mouth started watering and drooling for a moment but before anyone said anything, he brushed his sleeve on it.

Meat for breakfast was a luxury he wasn’t accustomed to—especially in such portions. Since arriving at the academy, he’d been spoiled with meat at every meal, however. It was going to be hard to go back home.

“Hello? There’s a line behind you, you know?” the lady said in a stern tone.

“Oops,” Erik muttered, glancing back. Sure enough, a long line had formed. With 800 students across the academy’s three cafeterias, it was only natural that crowds would form for every meal.

“I’ll take the premium,” he said, pulling a white card from his pocket—his student ID.

Each student was required to have one on campus. Along with his name, age, and year, the card held a link to his mana signature for identification, tracked his points, and allowed him to make official duel challenges. The duels intrigued him, though he hadn’t quite figured out how they worked yet.

A few seconds later, some numbers appeared on the card: 800-200. Now, Erik only had 600 points from the games at his house.

‘I hope I get more points soon,’ he thought to himself as he grabbed his plate. Here money was useless, in fact, he had to store the bag of money he had received in a safe at the school entrance so he could pick it up when he wanted to leave the academy grounds. It had to do with making kids learn to be responsible with currency and whole other bullocks that Erik didn’t remember.

Erik’s gaze wandered all around the cafeteria as he searched for familiar faces. He couldn’t say he had made close friends yet, but he would usually eat around people from his house.

He couldn’t see any here today, however.

That’s when he saw some long red hair he couldn’t forget.

Princess Elizabeth. On her side was that guy Arthur.

‘Weird how no one is sitting with them,’ Erik noted as there were at least three chairs between the duo and everyone else. Perhaps they were intimidated to be around someone so important.

“Hey, it's been a while,” Erik said before putting down his food and sitting in front of her.

Her eyes moved up, interlocking their gaze. Almost instantly the princess’ lips darted. “It's nice to see you here Erik, although I was sure you would pass easily.”

Erik scratched the side of his cheek slightly and looked at the tall ceiling. “Y-Yeah… it was way too easy.”

‘I can’t let them know I almost failed the written part and had to cheat!’ he remarked to himself, not wanting to appear bad.

Erik quickly started munching on his food and took a quick view of their plates. Elizabeth chose the same as him, however, Arthur went with the economy food.

“You don’t have points already?” Erik asked. It wasn’t like he couldn’t eat the porridge but when he had such good options, he couldn’t imagine himself getting that.

The blond kept eating, his eyes not even looking up upon being asked that question. Only after Elizabeth bumped him on the arm, his gaze left the food.

“Oh… you were talking to me?” he asked uninterestedly. His gaze wandered around Erik, never quite settling in his eyes.

“Yeah…” Erik answered, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you always seem so awkward?” Erik asked with honesty. Despite only having met the boy twice, he felt that he would rather be elsewhere, do anything, before talking to others.

It wasn’t that Erik only knew ultra-sociable people but this level of

“I just don’t have much to say,” Arthur answered before munching another spoon of the porridge. “But no, I got some points. I’m just saving until an opportunity to buy something arises.”

‘Well that’s a fair reason I guess,’ Erik thought as his expression softened slightly. The boy wasn’t that weird after hearing his reason.

“Yes, don’t mind him,” the princess waved her hand as she laughed. Sir Vilmo’dath here cares more about training than anything else. Don’t mind him; it's not personal.”

Arthur surprisingly grumbled while eating but said nothing otherwise.

Erik nodded slowly and started to eat his meal. His gaze moved slowly around the cafeteria as he did so, noticing how full it was.

There was something off though.

His gaze moved to the side. There was a student staring at him.

‘Weirdo…’ Just as he thought that he noticed another pair of eyes doing the same.

And then another, another, another, and another. Almost everyone in the cafeteria stared at Erik.

Everyone was staring at him.

“Hey, what is he—”

“Why is he with her—”

People muttered to each other, lowly enough that he could only hear tiny bits of it.

“What’s happening?” he asked, before grabbing a piece of meat and munching on it. “Am I some celebrity now?”

“Well,” the princess started before looking around and noticing the eyes. “You are eating with royalty, uninvited. That’s bold. I would have punished most other students for doing that,” her voice was sharp yet calm to the point Erik couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not.

“Heh really?” he asked before biting more food again, trying to appear calm.

‘Well, I hope I’m not part of them then,’ Erik thought, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead yet his demeanor appeared nonchalant.

Elizabeth laughed, her expression softening. “Relax, Erik. You’re special—you don’t have to worry about that,” she leaned in a little, lowering her voice. “Besides, there’s another reason they’re staring. You’re in a different house from us. Students from separate houses rarely sit together, given the rivalry.”

“Rivalry?” Erik asked, looking intrigued. On the first day at the academy, they had a big party and after that, everyone seemed just so nice and alright. No one mentioned rivalries.

“Surprised you haven’t heard of it,” she said in a low tone, her eyes peering through his own. “But well, the tradition of dividing students in houses started hundreds of years ago. During our tests, they watch our actions and choose the best house for you based on your demeanor from the big three: Mischief, Valor, and Knowledge.”

“So, what’s the point of it all?”

Elizabeth clasped her hands together, a grin grew on her face. “It's to nurture future growth, of course. Through rivalry, our students can become more skilled mages in the future and help our nation.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Erik brought his hand to his chin as she finished. Despite her overly complicated lingo, he got it—at least he thought so.

As if reading his thoughts, she nodded.’

“You’re from Mischief, right?” she pointed at the tie around his neck. Every student had to use one as per uniform rules.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Well, it's your tie of course. Red ties mean Mischief, Blue ties mean Knowledge, and Green means Valor. it's the simplest way to identify someone.”

‘I guess I know nothing here,’ Erik mused before looking at their ties. Both Elizabeth and Arthur had a green one, so it was Valor.

Then grin she had before slowly widened, showing her teeth. “Erik…” she said slowly, her eyes wide before squinting at him. “Erik, your house is full of troublemakers. That’s what makes someone join it. They’re like the villains of our school. A lot of people will probably want to challenge you to feel good about themselves if you become prominent. Are you ready for challenges?”

Erik threw his arms up in the air before laughing.

“Well, that’s hard to say princess… but if everyone is as weak as what I saw in the entrance exam,” he stopped looking all around and watching the gaze of several students upon him. Erik cleared his throat. “Buf if everyone is as weak as what I saw in the entrance exam then I have nothing to worry about.”

That was all it took for the cafeteria to erupt. Students began booing, their voices taunting Erik into an altercation.

“Who does he think he is?”

“We got to teach him some respect!”

“He doesn’t even know his place!”

A smile grew on Erik’s face as they continued unleashing their feelings and took a sip of his tea.

“See? They’re so weak they won’t even face me,” Erik said before chuckling. Most of the students were from higher-class backgrounds. They were the type to bark and not bite, expecting someone else to do the work for them instead.

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair, she placed her hand in front of her mouth to hide her giggles. “You’ve outdid yourself, huh? Well, just make sure you avoid picking fights with those from different years,” she said in a soft voice that showed her amusement and yet it was clear she cared—if only the slightest bit.

The rest of the breakfast went by normally, however. The lousy students soon stopped booing and only faint whispers could be heard. Erik took this opportunity to eat his meal. Just as he left the cafeteria, he glanced at a clock on the wall.

‘That’s an amazing invention!’ he thought to himself. back in the village, you would roughly say the time by the position of the sun, not caring about details but here everyone kept track of the precise time with these mysteriously crafted artifacts—after all, it was important to know the time to go to your class.

Erik’s first class today was “Fundamentals of Magic.” It was a class that everyone in the first year had to attend, and it promised to teach all the basics of magic and even some spells.

The academy had vast options like Swordsmanship, Dragon Taming, Summoning, Alchemy, Enchanting/Magical Blacksmithing, Physical Combat, Archery, Magical History and Lore, and Simple Magic. Erik had contemplated joining the Dragon Taming or the Summoning class as well.

However, since he was only required to take three of those, he went with Alchemy, Physical Combat, and Simple Magic.

Just as he left the place, though, he froze in his tracks as shouts echoed through the hallway.

“What’s the matter? Too scared to fight back?”

Erik turned his head to the voice. There was a boy, taller than Erik, towering over a small smaller student on the ground. He was lean, yet had an imposing frame. His sandy blonde hair was unkempt, matching his sharp, arrogant smirk. Erik didn’t recognize him—probably someone from another year, judging by the boy’s older appearance, however, the red tie was proof they were from the same house. He also had a red tie.

“I—I didn’t mean to bump into you,” the smaller student stammered, her voice trembling. She on the other hand had a blue tie, from her size and appearance Erik deduced she was about his age—so probably another first year. Two bangs of chestnut-brown hair framed her pale face, while strands of hair fell down the sides of her face, softly framing her features. Her wide hazel eyes darted nervously between the bully and the ground, and she clutched her books tightly against her chest, as though they could shield her from harm.

Erik frowned. The resemblance was faint, but something about her reminded him of his younger sister, Anna. The personality was completely different as Anna was brash and didn’t appear timid or intimidated at all, and yet the vulnerable look this girl had reminded him of how he saw his siblings after their father’s death.

He sighed, turning to walk away. ‘Welp, nothing to do with me,’ he thought, shoving his hands into his pockets. People from the House of Mischief would be troublemakers after all—no point in causing further quarrels.

“You think an apology is enough?” the bully snarled, his voice dripping with disdain. “Maybe I should teach you a lesson so you don’t forget your place.”

Erik froze mid-step. His eyes shifted to the side, watching the scene unfold once again.

‘Is she really not going to do anything?’ Erik questioned, frowning at the thought. It somewhat reminded him of the weakness he bore in the past, not being strong enough to go against the thugs back in Ashford. Erik would surely never bow to someone and let them get away with that again.

The bully raised his hand. Though nothing appeared, Erik could feel his airs getting up. It was clearly mana being used, yet he saw no element.

That’s when a word flashed on his mind.

‘Wind.’

In a flash, Erik dashed, grabbing the student's wrist as it was centimeters away from hitting the other. The sudden halt caused the air around the bully’s hand to dissipate.

“That's enough,” Erik said firmly, his grip tightening on the noble’s wrist to a point it would be extremely painful to normal people.

The wind element was the fastest, the most precise, and the stealthiest of all basic elements. Because of that, Erik had to be careful around someone like this—it's hard to dodge what you can’t see.

The bully’s eyes widened in shock before narrowing, his forehead frowning. “Who the hell do you think you are?” he spat, yanking his arm back. “Do you even know who you’re dealing with? I’m Colin Raelthorne of House Raelthorne. My family—”

“Could use a lesson in respect,” Erik cut him off with a smug smile before placing his hands in his pockets. A kid who would mention his family when in any trouble didn’t deserve his knuckles.

Colin’s face turned red with anger, veins threatened to pop out of his forehead as his expression contorted. “You insolent prick.”

The noble swung his right hand, aiming for a sucker punch at Erik’s face. It suddenly burst with magic, wind swirling on his palm.

Erik sidestepped with ease, dodging the move and closing the distance in an instant. He bent one arm and with his hand still tucked firmly in his pocket, Erik shifted his weight, jumped, and slammed his elbow into Colin’s chest in the blink of an eye.

The impact sent the teen sprawling onto the ground, coughing and gasping for air as the wind was knocked out of him.

Erik didn’t even glance down at his opponent. Instead, he casually straightened up, his hand still buried in his pocket.

He gave a quick glance at the girl that he saved. She got up, though her legs trembled. Erik wasn’t sure if she was relieved or scared of what would happen, but honestly, he didn’t care.

“Wow,” he said sarcastically, turning to the bully. A cocky smirk that went from ear to ear grew on his face. “Guess I’m too good for you. Didn’t even need to take my hands out.” It was clear by now that his physicality far surpassed that of the noble. This wouldn’t even be a challenge.

The crowd around them erupted in cheers. Erik’s nonchalance only made the spectacle more humiliating for Colin, who struggled to get back on his feet, his face burning red with anger and shame. It must’ve been quite the spectacle, watching a new student dispatch someone older so easily.

“You’ll regret that!” Colin roared with fury. From the ground, he raised both hands up and directed them at Erik.

Suddenly, the air rippled.

‘Fuck—’ Erik’s instincts told him to run, to get out of here.

There was a boom.

Erik leaped backward, the sudden blast of wind throwing him several meters away.

The boy landed on his two feet, one hand brushing against the ground for balance. He kept the smirk on his face as he mused the situation. Had he been any slower to dodge, that attack could have been troublesome.

At that moment, however, he felt a stinging sensation burn across his cheek. After brushing his fingertips over the spot, he saw blood.

“Ah,” he muttered, inspecting the crimson streak. His gaze darted back to Colin, narrowing. “So, you do have some power after all.”

“Stop this nonsense at once!”

Both boys froze as an older girl with long, dark pink hair and a red tie stepped between them. Her gaze was cold and commanding, her hands resting on her hips.

“This is disgraceful,” she said, her tone dripping with disapproval. “If you must fight, do it properly. An official duel, not some petty scuffle in the halls.”

Colin straightened, though his breathing was still labored. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll humiliate this peasant where everyone can see.”

‘He gave up just like that? Didn’t even try to bring up his family?’ Erik was surprised. Not like he knew the guy in any deep level but bullies like those were the type his brother would talk to him all the time from books. They were dumb and unruly and never followed authority.

The girl turned to Erik, her expression softening slightly. “Do you agree to this? Or will you be smart enough to walk away?” it was as she stood next to him that Erik could realize her stature. She was at least a head above him and the feeling he got from looking at her made his stomach swirl. She was strong.

Erik crossed his arms, though. He didn’t want to skip class but he wouldn’t let this person get away with drawing blood from him. “I agree. Let’s make it official.”

The girl sighed, clearly unimpressed with their bravado. “Very well. I hope you don’t get too many injuries.”