"Mmnng"

Lee Jia groaned as she slowly woke to the sun on her face, her stomach growling, and something soft poking her in the cheek. She opened her eyes a crack and as she slowly adjusted to the light, she saw the figure of a girl staring down at her.

"Gah!"

Lee Jia yelped in fright and half-leapt, half-fell over the back of the couch, landing on all fours and peering nervously over it at the girl who had awoken her. The girl was short, around the same height as Lee Jia with dark, straight hair and a rat or mouse tail—still poised where she had used it to poke Lee Jia awake. Her arms were crossed and her face was scowling as she regarded Lee Jia.

She might have been pretty, if not for the expression on her face and the dark circles under her eyes—she looked like she hadn’t slept for as long as Lee Jia hadn’t eaten. The last thing Lee Jia noticed was a scar on the girl’s forehead—a brand actually, mostly hidden behind her hair. It was a mark Lee Jia had only ever seen on the most dangerous people she’d ever met—the mark of an exile, someone permanently banned from entering the safety of Goryeo’s famous shield formations. Lee Jia’s sleep-addled brain finally caught up and placed the girl as the knife-wielding psychopath that was to be her roommate.

"You!"

Lee Jia pointed her finger accusingly at the girl, the memories from last night returning quickly as her mind finally finished spinning up into proper consciousness. The girl clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Tsk, you really aren’t a mage, are you? You’re way too defenseless."

"I told you that yesterday! Before you tried to take my head off with those stupid knives! Who just throws knives at people!?"

The girl’s eyes narrowed and Lee Jia shuddered. She hadn’t meant to say that last part, but she was still slightly sleep-addled and her mouth had charged ahead of her brain.

"It was a misunderstanding. I’m not going to apologize, you can’t be too careful with mages."

Lee Jia sighed.

"Fine, whatever. As I was trying to say yesterday, I’m Lee Jia. I’m going to be your roommate because for some reason they didn’t think it was a good idea to pair you with anyone else."

The girl chuckled mirthlessly.

"Hah, I bet. Can’t put anyone in with the dangerous criminal, but also can’t insult everyone by giving her a private room. Fuckers were probably biting their nails with worry before your sorry ass came along and solved all their problems. Another vagabond with no status? Perfect! Throw the trash in with the trash and everybody can save face."

Lee Jia was taken aback by the girl’s vulgar language. It’s not like she wasn’t used to hearing it, but even on the streets most girls would keep to polite language—better not to be noticed.

"How do you know I have no status?"

"Easy, you’re here. Plus, you’re not a mage and you’re so skinny a stiff breeze would snap your scrawny ass in half. Have you ever eaten an entire meal?"

"Have you ever slept through an entire night?"

The girl’s furious scowl told Lee Jia that perhaps that rebuttal was the wrong thing to say to a self-described dangerous criminal.

"Mind your own fucking business! Anyway, I’m surprised they didn’t just kill me—or you for that matter. It would have been much more convenient, and I doubt anyone would have complained."

Lee Jia shuddered at the thought—the girl wasn’t wrong.

"Magus Hwang said that he wanted me to realize my latent talent…"

The girl’s scowl vanished, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open in awe.

"You...you believed that? Ancestors, you’re even dumber than I thought."

Lee Jia felt her face heat up as she flushed in embarrassment. She hadn’t really believed it, but she had been desperately clinging onto the hope that maybe she’d have a chance to make something of her life here. It hurt to have reality shoved in her face so indelicately.

"Well, why are you still here, then? If you hate mages so much why haven’t you just left?"

The girl shrugged with a frown.

"I tried. Couldn’t find a way out of the shield formation. I thought about trying to survive in the wilderness outside of town, but it’s crawling with magical beasts—way more than is normal. That shield formation is fucked, not only did it let me in but it’s like it does the exact opposite of what a normal formation is supposed to do."

Lee Jia remembered Hwang telling her that she could leave if she wanted to, and started to get nervous hearing the other girl’s story.

"Did you try asking to leave? The magus said I could if I wanted to."

The girl stared incredulously at Lee Jia.

"How gullible are you? Of course I didn’t—I don’t trust a single word out of a mage's mouth."

Ah. Lee Jia tried to face the world with a healthy dose of skepticism, but this girl was perhaps a few stages beyond that. Paranoid was the word that came to mind.

"If you say so. Anyway, I’d better get going. That initiation ceremony is supposed to be this morning and I don’t know how long the sun has been up. I hope I haven’t missed it."

The girl raised an eyebrow as Lee Jia straightened the uniform she had slept in.

"You’re just going along with that? You know, just because you’re at the lion’s mercy doesn’t mean you have to throw yourself willingly into its maw."

Lee Jia furrowed her brows and let out an exasperated sigh.

"For the first time ever, I might have the chance to finally take control of my life. I’m taking it no matter how small a chance it is. It might be a cruel trick by some mages, but so what if it is!? What have I got to lose? What have you got to lose!? You’re sitting here talking down to me, but you’re so paranoid that you haven’t even told me your name! If sitting in a corner and waiting to die is your idea of fighting back, best of luck with that!"

Lee Jia’s tirade left her red-faced and panting for air. Lee Jia blushed in embarrassment at her outburst—she really needed to stop antagonizing the knife-wielding psychopath. The other girl was glaring furiously and clenching her fists. When Lee Jia saw the girl reach into her sleeves she scrambled out of the way and ran for the door. She was ready to forget her shoes entirely and escape when she heard the girl call out from behind her.

"Wait!"

Against her better judgement, Lee Jia did, turning to face the scowling girl, who spoke through gritted teeth.

"I’m going with you, stupid. Maybe you’re right, or maybe I just want to see the look on your face when you see the truth. Either way, you’re right about one thing—we have nothing to lose."

Lee Jia regarded the girl warily.

"I thought you were going to stab me."

"I definitely considered it."

Lee Jia couldn’t tell whether the girl’s smirk meant she was joking or if it meant she was enjoying the thought. They walked quietly towards the town center for a few minutes before the girl broke the silence.

"An Eui."

"What?"

"My name, stupid. I’m An Eui."

Lee Jia scratched the back of her head and frowned as she looked askance at her new roommate.

"I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, An Eui."

"Hehe."

An Eui’s only response was a dry chuckle. They made the rest of the trip in silence.

The central courtyard of the town center was packed with people wearing the same uniform robes as Lee Jia. Most had already formed up into small groups and cliques as they ambled around and chatted amongst themselves, evidently still waiting for whatever was supposed to happen. As she scanned the crowd, Lee Jia was surprised to find that half-spirits like herself were very much in the minority—with perhaps only one in ten people showing signs of spiritual ancestry. This was a complete reversal from what she was accustomed to in Goryeo.

As Lee Jia searched for other half-spirits in the crowd, her heart nearly stopped when her sights settled on someone even more dangerous than an exile like An Eui. There, standing in solitude was a girl with her eyes downcast. The crowd seemed to part before her as if even the foreigners knew it was dangerous to approach.

She had an almost supernatural beauty—tall and slender with long dark hair and fair complexion. Atop her head were two long, pointed fox ears with black fur matching her hair. Displayed prominently behind her was not one, but two bushy white fox tails, with the tips colored black. Lee Jia recognized them as the distinctive features of the Seong clan.

The Seong clan were one of the four great noble houses of Goryeo. In theory, the four houses were equal. The throne was not hereditary, and a new ruler was elected from among the nobles whenever the old one died or abdicated. In practice, the Seong clan had held the throne for over a century and it was common knowledge that they were the first among equals. The Seong were said to be descended from the legendary Kumiho, a nine-tailed fox spirit. They took pride in their strong bloodline, and it was rumored that they still maintained close ties to their ancestral progenitor.

Lee Jia felt the hopeful optimism she’d been building up crumble like a house of cards. She had expected mages, figures of status like the Tae In-Su whom she’d replaced, even minor nobility. A literal princess was so far outside of Lee Jia’s expectations that it didn’t even exist in the same realm. She was ready to admit defeat to An Eui and go back to the house to curl up in a corner when the fox girl glanced up and met Lee Jia’s eyes.

Lee Jia’s thoughts instantly scattered to nothing as their gazes locked together. The vertical pupils of the fox girl’s piercing blue gaze seemed to stare directly into Lee Jia’s soul. The prolonged eye contact was embarrassing, but Lee Jia couldn’t bring herself to look away.

Despite the distance, it felt like they were standing right next to each other, as if nothing in the world existed except for them. Lee Jia couldn’t even remember what she had just been thinking about, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the Seong girl. Even if Lee Jia died at this moment, she’d be content. After what felt like an eternity, yet at the same time far too short, the Seong girl broke eye contact and went back to staring at the floor.

Lee Jia felt like she was going to be sick as her thoughts returned to normal. What the hell was that!? It was like all of her thoughts had been forcibly stripped away somehow! Lee Jia had been completely overwhelmed by the barest glance from the Seong girl. She desperately tried to still her trembling hands and calm her ragged breathing.

She didn’t belong here, but she’d known that already. She was so far out of her depth that she couldn’t even see the shore. Her only options were to sink and drown, or learn how to swim in this unfamiliar ocean. Lee Jia only wished the former option didn’t feel so imminent all of a sudden.

"Silence."

A voice resounded through the courtyard. It was a normal speaking volume, but Lee Jia heard it as clearly as if it had been spoken directly into her ear, and it seemed to come from everywhere at once. There was a brief susurration as the crowd quieted down and turned its attention to three figures who had appeared on a dais on one side of the courtyard.

Front and center was a positively ancient looking man with dark hair and a long thin beard and mustache, dressed in a gold-colored brocade robe. The lines of his face seemed to indicate that the scowl on his face was not an indication of his mood, but rather a permanent affectation. Behind him on the left, Lee Jia recognized Hwang Sung, dressed in the same blue mage’s robe he had worn previously. On the right was a woman wearing a set of red-colored light armor and a curved sword at her hip. Her long, light-brown hair was tied into a high ponytail. Unlike the two old men next to her, she seemed fairly young—only appearing to be in her late twenties or early thirties.

"Welcome, Disciples, to the Grand Academy of Spiritual, Martial, and Arcane Arts."

The dark-haired old man began, his voice had been the one that called for silence and it still seemed to come from everywhere at once. His voice was stiff and his tone was clipped.

"I am Elder Qin Zhao, the dean of spiritual cultivation. I will be your primary advisor on matters pertaining to cultivation. As many of you already know, this academy is a joint effort by our three nations to share techniques, disciplines, and cultures. With such a variety of backgrounds and techniques, many of you may feel compelled to compete and test yourselves against each other. This is encouraged, but let it be known that undue suppression of your peers will not be tolerated. ‘Power maintained by stifling the growth of the weak is not strength, but tyranny, and it is the fate of all tyrants to meet their ends in the face of true strength.’ So sayeth the great and wise God-Emperor Qin. These words are the foundation upon which all of the great sects are built, and you would do well to hold them in your heart."

Lee Jia wasn’t sure she liked any of what she had just heard. Were they supposed to be fighting each other? How could she possibly compete? And did he say his name was Qin? As in the name of the largest country on the continent, the same name shared by the Emperor who had ruled that country since the day it was founded? Lee Jia wasn’t sure she was prepared to handle even more royalty. As Lee Jia struggled with her rapidly mounting feelings of inadequacy, Hwang Sung stepped forward to speak.

"Thank you, Elder Qin. I am Magus Hwang Sung, the dean of magic. I’ll be overseeing your arcane studies, should you choose to engage in them. The academy will be providing basic lessons on the primary disciplines of spiritual cultivation, martial arts, and magic. In order to encourage interdisciplinary practice, these lessons will always be available without condition. More advanced lessons may be conducted, with the nature and condition of these lessons left to the discretion of the instructors. I look forward to seeing each of you realize your potential."

Lee Jia blanched slightly as Hwang’s gaze briefly fell on her. She didn’t know what kind of expectations he had of her, and she was starting to think that An Eui was right and she was caught up in some kind of cruel game being played by the mage. Finally, the last of the three instructors stepped forward to speak.

"My name is Ienaga Yumi! As the dean of martial arts, I will be in charge of your physical education!"

Lee Jia winced and held her ears flat against her head. Unlike Qin and Hwang who had used some kind of ventriloquism, Ienaga opted to ensure that she was heard the old fashioned way—yelling extremely loudly.

"Training begins at first light every second day in the open field to the north. Do not think that I will accept tardiness just because Magus Hwang said the lessons are unconditional. Basic provisions will be provided in your dorms—should you desire more you will have to trade or hunt for it. Your safety is not guaranteed outside of the walls. Should you be injured by magical beasts, you may receive treatment at the medical pavilion near the south gate. As for trade, there will be caravans passing through roughly once a month. That is all."

When Ienaga finished her speech, Hwang stepped forward once again.

"Your provisions as well as schedules for the basic lessons have been delivered to your dorms. Those of you who helped prepare the campus over the last few weeks will find your rewards included. You are now all officially inducted as the first generation of disciples here at the academy. I am sure you will leave an incredible legacy for those that come after you. Good luck!"

With that, the instructors left and the crowd began to disperse. It all felt a bit anticlimactic to Lee Jia. That was the initiation? She had half-expected some kind of grand ritual, but it had just been an introduction and an explanation of the rules.

Lee Jia glanced around but saw no sign of An Eui, so she began heading back to the dorm on her own. She really hoped the promised provisions included food, her stomach had been growling at her all day.

"Well that was a fucking waste of time."

Lee Jia jumped with a start at the sound of An Eui’s voice right next to her—that girl could be sneaky.

"An Eui, where were you?"

"Staying out of sight, like you should have been. Those mages sure love the sound of their own voices."

"They did talk a lot. It’s good to know the rules, though."

An Eui scoffed.

"The rules only serve to restrict those who aren’t strong enough to get away with breaking them. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the only reason I’m not the weakest person in this entire place is because you’re here."

Lee Jia wanted to argue, but she knew that on some level An Eui was right. Back home it wasn’t uncommon for the nobility to flout the rules, leaning on their status to get their way. She had little hope that this place would be any different.

"I’m not going to be the weakest forever. If they’re going to teach magic, then I’ll learn it. The foreign techniques too, I’ll learn everything!"

"Hah! Ok, so let’s pretend for a second that I believe they’ll actually waste their time teaching you. You’re what, going to catch up to all these people who’ve been living and breathing it their entire lives? Just like that?"

Lee Jia clenched her fists as her tail lashed in irritation. Gathering her resolve, she met An Eui’s eyes with a fierce glare.

"Yes! Just like that! Because they don’t know what it’s like to be hungry! They take what they have for granted, but starvation is all I’ve ever known! I’ll take everything—every scrap they take for granted, I’ll hoard it greedily because I don’t know when or if I’ll ever get another chance! For every minute they train, I’ll train an hour."

An Eui raised her hands defensively.

"Okay, okay! I get it. Shit, you’re pretty intense when you want to be. It’s kinda cute when you get all fired up, but you’re way too honest."

Lee Jia frowned.

"I’m not that honest, An Eui. Did you think that working hard was my only plan? It’s good to know the rules, because Mages and nobles will at least try to appear to be following them. They have pride, and that pride is a weakness I can use against them! I’m not just going to try harder. I’ll throw away my pride and take every advantage I possibly can! I’ll do everything they’re too proud or stupid to do because it’s beneath them."

Lee Jia was proud of the awed expression on An Eui’s face. Right up until the moment was ruined by her loudly growling stomach. An Eui laughed at Lee Jia’s blushing face.

"Hahaha! If you’re planning on winning with hunger, you’re clearly already an expert!"

Lee Jia wanted to be angry, but it was the first time she’d seen a genuine smile from An Eui. An Eui’s laughter was interrupted by her own stomach growling. After a beat of silence, both girls erupted into laughter.