“Bloodsail Alliance? What kind of organization is that... Never heard any of the older students mention it…”

“Doesn’t matter what they are, can’t you see from their aura that they’re not to be messed with? Let’s get out of here first.”

In the blink of an eye, Lecture Hall Nine was left with nearly eighty members of the Bloodsail Alliance surrounding a dozen terrified newcomers from the Wizard Continent. The very person who had been shouting about making sure Nidhogg and his friends didn’t last half a year in the academy was now pale-faced, forehead slick with cold sweat, legs trembling visibly beneath his robe.

“You... you guys? This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding…” stammered the young man named Toris, abandoning any pretense of dignity as his voice almost broke into tears.

He hadn’t expected such a powerful organization to emerge among the newcomers. After all, it had only been three days since they’d all enrolled!

“Misunderstanding? Ha!” Nina sneered, glancing at Yorkris and Yorkliana. Liana timidly whispered, “Sister Nina, don’t kill him. Killing in the academy will bring the enforcement team down on us.”

Liana’s cautionary words sent chills down Toris and his followers' spines.

Don’t kill him?

Were they really planning to resort to violence?

Killing openly in the academy would be a sure path to execution if the enforcement team got involved!

“Don’t worry,” Nina reassured Yorkliana, which briefly relieved Toris, though his inner mockery persisted.

He doubted they’d dare, huffing to himself that even he wouldn’t act without consulting older students. These newcomers might have formed an alliance for reasons unknown, but ultimately, they were just a bunch of ignorant, powerless commoners.

This alliance… won’t last!

However, Amrand, one of the Bloodsail members, added, “We’ve been getting the academy rules down these past few days. We meant to make a statement for our alliance anyway, and since this guy had the bad luck to provoke Nina, he’ll do.”

The spell manipulator shrugged, “Only I can handle such matters right now. Here’s hoping our alliance’s curse specialists grow up quickly.”

Nidhogg, seeing things were under control, delivered a swift kick to Toris’s stomach. Toris’s face turned a sickly white then flushed red, as if he’d swallowed something vile, doubling over and clutching his abdomen without uttering a sound.

“Hmph, disgusting fellow.”

Nidhogg recalled seeing the same contempt in this man’s eyes that he’d once seen among the Bloodsail Alliance on the sea vessel. Every member had been so arrogantly self-assured, as if the world was theirs.

It took the Faceless Sorcerer to wake everyone up, to make them see reality!

“Hello, I wasn't involved in this. Can I leave?” Toris’s would-be paramour looked at him with disdain. Uncomfortable under the scrutiny of so many, she asked if she could leave.

Amrand paused, carefully observing the girl’s demeanor.

After a moment, his harsh expression softened into a gentlemanly smile. Bowing slightly, he replied, “Of course, beautiful lady.”

“Oh?” she said with a surprised smile, glancing at Amrand before slipping away, not sparing a glance behind her.

As she departed, the wails from Lecture Hall Nine began—like slaughtered pigs—echoing with agony.

Outside, the expelled newcomers exchanged glances, every face grim.

These were not people to be trifled with!

The bespectacled boy, who earlier thought Yorkris, Nidhogg, and their friends doomed, now secretly cursed himself.

He should have realized from their fearless demeanor that they had backing, but he’d withdrawn too soon!

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The boy regretted that he hadn’t seized the moment to connect with them, to join the Bloodsail Alliance.

With only a little time left before class, Toris was escorted out by his battered companions, Saint Amrand signaling the spell manipulator with a throat-cutting gesture. The manipulator nodded reluctantly and followed them out.

Soon after, Lecture Hall Nine filled again, as if the altercation had been a mere illusion.

Click-clack…

The sound of high heels echoed from the hallway. As the magical clock chimed precisely, a young, attractive female wizard entered the hall to the audience’s disbelief.

With her short, smooth brown-black hair, flawless skin, amber eyes, and a figure accentuated by a fitted robe, she was every bit the image of a mature, sensual sorceress.

This was the first time Nidhogg had seen a wizard in a normal human form.

“Hello. I will be your instructor for the seven basic education courses. You may call me Instructor Eileen.”

Her voice was magnetic, and noticing the looks of surprise directed at her, she chuckled, “Are you surprised by my appearance? Not all wizards focus on bloodline studies. While bloodline magic can rapidly enhance a wizard’s power, it also alters one’s appearance and carries irreversible mental effects, so it’s not suitable for all wizards.”

Wow…

Indeed, the wizarding world had its beautiful sides, the students thought as they looked at Instructor Eileen.

Crunch…

Suddenly, a chewing noise disrupted the room’s trance, causing expressions to freeze in place. Even Nidhogg’s eye twitched involuntarily.

The beautiful sorceress had casually pulled out a hand-length black centipede and begun munching on it, producing a “crunch, crunch” sound that left them picturing it turning into pulp in her mouth.

Such a lovely sorceress, yet…

Sigh…

A silent sigh spread through the room.

“Surprised by my snack?” Eileen asked, upon seeing their expressions, shaking her head dismissively. “Every elemental sorcerer shares three common traits: crystal ball, symbiotic insect, and soul slave. Unless you want to die mysteriously from curses or illusions, you should cultivate your own symbiotic insect quickly.”

She smiled, “When the time comes, you’ll understand that these insects aren’t as disgusting as your shallow views suggest. They're merely symbols of the infinite worlds.”

Suppressing his nausea, Nidhogg thought, “But it’s definitely not like eating a snack!”

Eileen seemed unfazed by their reactions, continuing to chew her centipede. Once she swallowed, she spoke calmly, “Since it’s our first class, tell me about your perception of a wizard.”

The students exchanged looks.

Binghampton rose first, declaring, “A great wizard is one who masters the world’s order, standing at the pinnacle of this world, controlling the balance of life and death.”

“A wizard transcends mortal limits, embodying the pinnacle of life’s evolution…”

One by one, almost a dozen voiced praises of a wizard’s greatness, mystery, and irresistible power.

Nidhogg also shared his perspective: “A great wizard should use their mastery of knowledge to achieve their ideals.”

As he spoke, he recalled the words inscribed on the academy tunnel: “Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to move infinite worlds.”

Once everyone had shared their thoughts, Eileen remained silent, signaling her dissatisfaction.

However, no one else stood up.

Eileen stated calmly, “A wizard is someone who uses their exquisite knowledge as a lever to shift the world’s rules. Remember, these words are those of the great ancient wizard Antonio.”

Then, she tidied her desk and said, “Now, let me demonstrate what it means to shift the rules.”

Taking out three identical magic stones, she rolled them across the crystal ball before herself.

“Observe, these stones each contain seven standard units of magical energy.”

Eileen intoned a spell, and a transparent barrier rose from the table, lifting the crystal ball into the air.

“Now, this crystal ball will record the energy output of these magic stones.”

The first stone was wrapped in raw magic and flung into the air, where it exploded with a “pop.”

“Let’s check the result. Using the most primitive method to detonate the stone, the crystal ball records receiving three units of magical energy, while the stone originally contained seven.”

Eileen shook her head.

“This means the stone’s potential wasn’t fully realized due to a wizard’s crude manipulation.”

Next, she picked up the second magic stone, allowing its magic to flow into her. She incanted, conjuring a fist-sized fireball at her fingertip, which she casually lobbed at the floating crystal ball.

The barrier flashed, and the fire engulfed the isolated area within the table in flames.

“Now, see this,” Eileen said. “With the most basic fireball spell, converting the magic’s energy into fire, the crystal ball recorded an attack of forty energy units—over thirteen times greater, realizing five times the stone’s original power.”

Finally, Eileen lifted the last magic stone, absorbing its energy. With a complex incantation, a head-sized fireball emerged, transforming into a fiery bird.

“This is my own refinement of the fireball spell, developed during my apprenticeship. It took three years, but it was well worth the effort.”

The fiery bird hurtled towards the crystal ball with a whoosh, exploding into a concentrated firestorm around it.

The blast was instantaneous, unlike the prolonged burn of previous attempts.

Gesturing, Eileen summoned the crystal ball to her hand and examined its data, smiling. “The crystal ball shows it received an attack of sixty-six energy units. In other words, this stone, with just seven original units, produced over nine times its energy after I manipulated it as a wizard.”

She paused, smiling, “This is the power wizards hold.”

For the first time, the newcomers realized the source and philosophy of a wizard’s power, their expressions filled with wonder and incredulity.

However, they only considered Eileen’s demonstration a fascinating game, their focus solely on when they could wield such power themselves.

Nidhogg, though, pondered deeply.

Using knowledge as a lever, oneself as a fulcrum, exploiting the diversity and contradictions of rules to shift the world’s framework!

Is this what it means to be a wizard?