Soft whispers Alex heard, behind the noise.

People flowed into the vast courtyard in small groups or alone, the afternoon light pouring down over the buildings, and while many serious faces could be seen throughout, there was still conversation. Everyone was nervous, but eager to make connections. Alex stood to the edge of the grass with his back to one of the large buildings that made up the encircling wall, watching them arrive and trying to get a feel for the group of students that would be spending the next three years together with him, neither smiling nor talking to anyone.

For Alex, these people were to be his classmates. They were not his enemies, but at the same time he could not make them his friends.

Many of the youths carried bags of possessions with them, and many carried weapons at their hip or on their backs, while a few carried neither and were instead accompanied by a servant of some description who did-so for them. While nobody was unfriendly towards anyone else, naturally those with servants and clothing that spoke of a more privileged upbringing automatically gravitated towards one-another, and those without did the same. Alex had no servant, nor did he have a sword or the clothing that would mark him as nobility. He was the complete opposite to those nobles: he carried only a small travel-bag of possessions, and if anything, his clothing was so tattered and patched that even most of the commoners would likely keep their distance.

Etheret, The Windrian Institute of the Arcane was a place that both nobles and commoners could attend, and where the nobility went it was only natural that servants would follow. Alex had expected this sight, just as he’d anticipated the presence of weapons and the immediate division of classes. It was only natural. The institute admitted all Windrian citizens that could afford the cost of their own education, and furthermore, every year it gave out one or two free scholarships, admitting those who proved themselves to be particularly gifted with the arcane, with a gentleman’s agreement that the scholarship be paid back in the years after graduating. It was an excellent deal for those who had that level of talent.

Graduates from Etheret were almost guaranteed a success. While some graduates would remain on the grounds and research various aspects of the arcane and some would become specialized casters signing-on with a crafting guild or company that could use the help of a skilled magister, Etheret was primarily a military institution and oriented its lessons towards the training of those seeking a special position in the Windrian army.

A particularly loud cacophony of whispers rose up somewhere to Alex’s left, but he ignored them.

As he watched, the group in the courtyard gradually swelled, and the number of people flowing-in from the main gates slowed to a trickle.

“Hey” a strong but friendly voice sounded beside him. “Not going to introduce yourself to anyone?”

He turned to see a girl wearing a dull brown spaghetti-strap top that hung belted over a similarly coloured flared skirt and what looked to be an expensive pair of riding boots. The skirt fell just past her knees, and enabled freedom of movement while allowing its wearer to retain both modesty and a degree of feminine charm in a style that was popular among chevaliers. She carried a large travel bag easily over one shoulder, and at her waist was a simple arming-sword. With her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail behind her, eyes of clear blue, and a face that was more than pleasant to look at, she smiled at Alex politely. It was a confident smile that tried hard to mask the nerves of the person who wore it, but from what he could tell, it held neither guile nor hidden motives.

“Alexander Ness” he answered and extended a hand in what was probably an overly formal gesture for the occasion, while trying not to frown. He found her attire and approach a little confusing. Aside from the boots, her clothing was of the kind that commoners would wear: it was functional and simple with none of the frills that one would find on the clothing of the upper classes. Swords weren’t cheap however, and neither were those boots, so he could only assume that she was the daughter of someone successful who had little interaction with the nobility.

Even for a person not normally associated with the nobility however, a girl from a wealthy family would normally look to ingratiate herself into the upper-crust (or at-least middle-class) in the present situation. She was acting outside of the norm for some reason.

“Serah Ashborn” she said, also extending her hand, all traces of nervousness immediately vanishing at the extended handshake. She didn’t find it strange at all; rather she seemed to be unusually happy upon seeing that gesture.

Alex froze for a moment. Ashborn. The name struck a chord. “Are you?” he asked and left the question hanging awkwardly.

She took a moment before realizing what he was implying. “No, no. My mother was Ashborn.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ashborn was a name granted only to foundlings of war. When Serah said that her mother was Ashborn, she was likely implying that it was her mother who had been a war orphan.

Alex resisted the urge to frown again. Serah had said that her mother was Ashborn, but she hadn’t mentioned her father. Naturally she should have taken his name, and not hers so the whole thing sounded a little odd. Deciding that it was none of his business however, he put the issue aside.

“Sorry about that” he muttered, scratching his head. “It probably wasn’t the best thing to ask, especially after just meeting someone.”

Serah laughed a little and shook her hand as if to say not to worry about it. “I don’t mind at all, though I suppose if I was a first generation Ashborn it probably be an awkward conversation.”

Alexander laughed along with her a little nervously and nodded. He had no intention of making friends, so he began thinking of a polite way to end the conversation.

“There’s more people with swords than I thought. I wonder how many are going to be joining a chivalric order?” She turned and faced the crowd of people that were now clustering and conversing, likely broaching the subject to avoid further awkwardness.

“Everyone with a title will be aiming to join one. Basically, anyone with a servant behind them or wearing expensive clothes will be following that path.”

A grim smile spread across Serah’s face at his answer. “That’s a lot. I’m surprised that they would allow so many people.” As she had said, about forty of the hundred-or-so people present appeared to be nobility.

“Most noble families aim to push at least one of their children into the military. Families that serve and protect their country are looked upon more highly, and those children who join an order have better marriage opportunities after all. The military knows this, and caters to the nobles, keeping their children safe and far from battle, while reaping the rewards in the form of donations. It’s a bit silly, but most of those chivalric orders of the interior are filled with nobles who are active knights in name only, with neither skill nor real experience in battle.”

“Wow. That sounds pretty bad.”

“Ah, I’m not looking down on them or anything. There are many ways to serve the country, and those contributions keep the soldiers on the front-line alive. It’s a give-and-take thing.”

“I see. So, what about the orders on the frontline? How many of these students do you think will go South after graduating?”

By South, Serah was likely referring to the ongoing hostilities on the continent of Glass. It was a war without end: not with large forces smashing against one another on open fields, but with regular, bloody and dirty skirmishes occurring weekly; a war of constant horrors against enemies that were often far from human.

“The Southern orders might make a handful of offers to the most skilled magisters, but the orders of Windria posted in the Southern continent are mainly made up of knights who were granted titles due to valour in battle. They are orders that place more emphasis on merit than nobility, so nobility tends to follow merit down there, and mainland nobles aren’t generally taken seriously. For those orders to scout someone from the institute, that person would have to be at the absolute peak when it came to arcane knowledge as well as skilled in combat.”

At this, Serah frowned. “I understand combat skill, but why would they be so focused on magical prowess.”

The whispers to Alex’s left quietened down once more. He ignored it. Instead he shifted his gaze from the crowd to her face. She seemed to be very focused on the conversation now. “Think about it. No matter how hard they practice, there is no way that a student could match their skill against someone who has been fighting on the frontline and training against battle-tested veterans for ten or twenty years. It’s only natural that those soldiers would be granted a knighthood and admission to an order before a student of the institute. The only way that a student would be recruited is if they were a highly skilled magister as well as a half-decent fighter. The frontline soldiers don’t have access to a university for learning magic after all.”

“Ah”

The concern on her face was easily discerned. “You’re aiming for the frontlines?”

“Yeah. I’ve been training with the sword every day since I was six, but when it comes to the arcane, I don’t know anything at all.”

She was looking at the ground, anxiety hanging around her head like a cloud. It was as though Alex just shot down all her hopes and dreams. He didn’t feel right about ending the conversation in its current state and just walking away; although he wanted to avoid making friends, he had no intention of making enemies or hurting people. So he answered: “Well, don’t worry too much about that. That’s why you’re here after all. It just means you’ll be putting-in a lot of work from here-on-out.” He gestured to the crowd with his chin. “I’m sure they’re all amateurs when it comes to magic, so don’t let it bother you.”

Alex had no way of knowing how many skilled arcanists were in the group of one-hundred or-so before them because his spirits weren’t present, but he had a feeling that many of the student’s families had been cautious, leaving their education to those who knew best instead of putting their lives at risk.

Her eyes met his. “Haha, yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks.” A relieved smile quickly wiped away the shadows. It was a smile that made his legs feel a little like jelly.

“Y-yeah No problem. Just saying it how it is. Though I should probably mention that even if you’re offered a position on the frontlines, for a commoner to be granted a chevalier’s title immediately is very unlikely. You’d have to work a bit for it.”

She seemed a little confused at that for some reason, but soon nodded in understanding. A moment passed and then she pursed her lips and squinted her eyes a little. “They’re all amateurs when it comes to magic.”

“Huh?”

“You said they’re all amateurs when it comes to magic, you didn’t say we’re all amateurs.”

Alexander cursed internally, but at the same time found himself surprised that she’d picked up on something so small.

“I was curious about you since you were standing over here alone, dressed like that, with only a few possessions. At first it was only a hunch, but now I’m fairly sure I was right. I think I know all about your little secret, Alexander Ness.” The girl smiled slyly. “Don’t worry though, I won’t tell anyone.”

The secret that she was referring to he knew, without a doubt, was the fact that he was a scholarship student. Since it was common for students to be judged based on their family name or the privileges granted them from birth, the institute chose never to reveal its scholarship students. It would be no mere trifle for such a thing to be revealed, especially if that student’s family had no money or position at all.

The full cost of tuition at Etheret was the equivalent to six years of pay for the average labourer; it was a sum that most people would struggle to save-up within an entire lifetime. For many wealthy merchants or craftsmen, or those among the landed gentry whose titles did not extend to their children such as knights and esquires, paying the cost of tuition was something within the realm of possibility, but for the average person it was too extreme.

To those children whose families had paid this cost so that they could attend the world’s most prestigious arcane institution, especially the high-bloods, a scholarship for someone in such circumstances as Alexander’s would be looked upon as something akin to theft.

He was poor. He was not absolutely broke, but by his estimates, he barely had enough money for the clothing and magical consumables that would last him for the next three years. Food was provided for students at the on-campus cafeteria (a fact that made it possible for him to enrol), but he was certainly in the lowest bracket among the students in-terms of finances.

Then, for Alex, the rest of her words sunk-in. She had acted on a hunch and approached him knowing that he could be such a person, in such a position. Rather than approach those around them who were of greater status or wealth and getting to know them, she had chosen to interact with someone that would likely be the most skilled as an arcanist. It wasn’t the same as the political moves that everyone else was making, but it was certainly an excellent tactical one for someone who wanted to secure a place in an order to the South.

He rearranged his thoughts and stared at her. If she had known from the start that she had needed greater skill in the arcane to secure that position, then it was entirely possible that she had picked him out and controlled the conversation towards that subject, garnering his sympathy and moving him into a position where it would be natural for her to ask for his help with her studies in the future. Furthermore, she held a card that could make it very difficult for him to refuse.

Her last words echoed in Alex’s head: “I think I know all about your little secret, Alexander Ness”. He gulped. She had just placed herself into a position where she could effectively manipulate him for the rest of their time at Etheret, and she knew that he was a person who could be of use to her.

“Are you okay? You look a bit pale.” Serah asked, cocking her head to the side and looking at Alex, who was still staring at her wide-eyed. Her expression was as friendly as before, though it was now confused and even a little worried.

There was no malice on that face. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, he thought, and quickly looked away and reorganized. “Yeah, I’m fine. You just threw me for a bit of a loop.”

“I see.” She continued looking at him, but this time with a little curiosity.

“It looks like they’re here.” Alex announced, avoiding her gaze.

Just as Alex had said, the welcoming party had arrived, walking from one of the buildings towards the back of the courtyard. There were two students and one teacher; the students wore black uniforms with gold trim, and the instructor wore all white. Those uniforms were a lot like soldier’s uniforms, giving off a similar air of formality, with both genders wearing button-up long-sleeve shirts with collars. The men wore long-pants and the women wore a skirt that fell past the knees.

The three reached the front of the crowd that had now completely finished flowing into the courtyard, and then the bearded old teacher spoke, raising his voice “Welcome to Etheret, new students. My name is Viskal Draks, head of initiates. From tomorrow onward, you will be pushing forth into the mysteries of the arcane and discovering the secrets of magic beginning with the very fundamentals. It is these fundamentals that will allow you to distinguish between the many paths of magic, so that you may choose and follow one or more during the remainder of your time here.”

Gesturing to the male student on his left Draks introduced him. He was a tall, and well-built young man with short-cropped black hair and black eyes “This is Lance Verdi, head of our own Etheret house, which you will often hear referred to as the Order of Etheret. While it’s not technically an order, within this school it is permitted to operate as one.”

Viskal Draks continued: “Etheret house accepts and trains only the most hard-working of students who aim to become knights or chevaliers polishing their skills to perfection. They are also this school’s guards both internally, and against any external threats.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile on hearing that last part. Etheret was about as far from the dangers of the outside world as any place could be. It was geographically positioned on the outskirts of the city of Zephyr, which meant that it was in the dead-centre of Windria: the safest country in the world.

Lance Verdi, the head of house Etheret bowed lightly. He seemed to be a very serious person. “The order of Etheret welcomes all new students to the school. Please keep in mind that any aggressive actions taken against other students outside of that which is allowed by the order will be severely punished. For those wishing to duel, please seek out a member of house Etheret for advice, and to act as a mediator first, then with their consent, formally issue the challenge. Also keep in mind that issuing a challenge or accepting a challenge could easily result in your own death. Once a duel has begun, neither the school nor the order takes any responsibility for the outcome.”

Silence fell on the crowd. The emotionless voice of Lance Verdi left no room for confusion. Once a duel began, death would likely follow.

Professor Viskal Draks then gestured to the girl on his right. “This young lady is Gwen Rivers, she is the head of the events committee. She also deals with club management.”

The young lady sported black hair and eyes just like Lance, but her personality seemed to be friendly and bubbly, which quickly brought a more relaxed atmosphere. “At Etheret we have clubs for every student, whichever path you wish to follow, as well as clubs for fun. From combat to spellcraft to hiking or reading, we cater for all kinds-of interests. For any information on clubs or upcoming events, simply refer to the notice board.” She pointed at a board that stood outside the building that they had come from. “Try to make the most of your time here, everyone.”

Viskal then gestured to the back building as-well. “The student dormitory buildings are through that archway. There are four in-total, with females on the right, males on the left, and nobility at the front. Your names will be listed on the map in the entrance of each building, along with the names of anyone you might be staying with. For today, that is all. Foundations classes start at nine tomorrow.”

He then went-on to point-out which classroom the commoners would be attending, and which the nobles would be attending, before the crowd of students began to slowly move towards the back building and the archway through it. Alex and Serah followed along behind them.

“It looks like titles matter more than anything here, after all.” she said with a slight frown, looking at the trio that had been talking.

“Ah, you’re referring to the dorm and classroom situation? It can’t really be helped; there’s no way that those high-borns would be happy to sit in the same class as the rest of us or live in the same building. When all’s said and done, this school is still at the mercy of the noble class. I’m just glad they still let people like us in.”

She threw him a pleasant smile. “Actually, I was just noticing that Lance Verdi and Gwen Rivers are both from pretty powerful families. Thorn, Dahlia, Verdi, Aster, Rivers: It just seems a little too coincidental that the third and fifth most powerful families would have children in the most powerful positions in the school. Still, you talk like it doesn’t bother you at all. To me it seems like it would make more sense for the institute to overlook the distinction between classes, especially since the fee is the same for both classes.”

He hadn’t been thinking about class distinctions at all. He had been thinking about how amazingly lucky he was that he had seen both Lance Verdi and Gwen Rivers on his very first day. They were both people of great interest to him.

Alex shrugged. “The noble families are probably making contributions behind the scenes and would likely complain if their children were given the same treatment as commoners. Don’t pay it any mind. We’re just here to learn; if you get too caught up in the politics, it’ll only cause trouble, and it won’t be the kind of trouble you can avoid.”

“You mean those duels?”

Alex laughed at that. “No. Duels between nobles and duels between commoners are one thing, but if a commoner were to challenge a noble, it wouldn’t go down so well. They’d likely be charged with Les Majeste; and while a commoner could accept a noble’s challenge, the noble would probably have someone else stand-in for them. I guarantee you that there is at least one trained bodyguard among all those servants.”

Serah’s eyes were wide. “I’ll keep that in-mind.”

“Just try not to get involved, and if you offend one of them, apologise openly in a way that would make them look good. They may not have their lives on the line, but they value their family’s reputations, so it’s not as though they don’t have anything at-stake. They will be acting cautiously too.”

She nodded back to him, listening intently. Alex gathered from her reaction that she’d probably never had to deal with nobles before.

“Well, it looks like we part ways here for today.” He declared, as they reached the intersection that lead to their respective dorms.

“Ah, yeah, thank you very much for the talk.” Her smile was bright, and she once-again seemed a little too happy to be talking to him.

“No problem.” he nodded and smiled a little awkwardly. “See you another time.”

“Definitely.” She smiled back with confidence, and following that, she turned and started-off towards the building on the right.