Less than half of the students were at the cafeteria. Most of the students were hanging out in groups of 2 or 3 already, but the largest group was at Neil and Nora’s table.

‘How does it feel to be a prince. Aah, you are so handsome, let’s get married. You look so normal for a prince. Let’s be friends.’

Neil inwardly imitated the people around him. They were so annoying for him, but he kept his cool since he had an image to protect.

‘Ah! Please, take your fake smiles and your insincere polite behavior and shove it up to your ass!’

He wanted to say it out loud but couldn’t. He refused to trust anyone again when he learned his friends were using him just for his title ten years ago. Unlike him, Nora was handling the situation quite professionally. She never stopped smiling and politely answered them. Everyone wanted her on their team, but Nora humbly refused. Her cheeks were reddish because of Ian, who was sitting across the cafeteria. The men around her all thought that she was blushing because of themselves and rain her with compliments.

‘Ah, you pests! Back off, you are blocking both his and my view.”

She screamed inwardly. Her eyes were locking on Ian, and then, Ian raised his head to scan the cafeteria. Their eyes met again. Nora became utterly red, softly smiled, and was about to wave at him without anybody noticing.

“Ian! Look!”

Before she could wave at him, somebody came running from his side while showing his ID. A vein popped on her forehead.

‘You @#%# redhead! How dare you take his attention away from me!’

Siblings were totally in two different worlds right now. Neil stood up.

“Are you coming? I’m going to do some training.”

Nora also stood up.

“Good, let’s do some sparring. I was itching to relieve some stress anyways.”

Hearing that made Neil shudder. Nora was always stronger, and she was always beating him whenever they were sparring. It was because she trained under the empress, and Neil trained under various teachers who only had basic knowledge about katanas. His mother once offered to teach him how to use a sword since katana was also a sword, but he strictly refused. Thus, he left the cafeteria behind Nora with a regretful expression, and of course, the crowd was following them.

Elius showed Ian his ID and sat next to him. The ID only had the academy’s symbol, his name with his photo engraved with magic, and a ranking.

“I’m rank F. What is yours?”

Ian rolled his eyes.

“I’m F too, and everyone starts at F. Didn’t you listen to them while getting your ID?”

“Hehe, no.”

Then the ID disappeared. That was Elius’ storage spell. He learned it a few years ago from Julius’ grimoire, but the academy provided everyone with a storage ring who couldn’t use that spell. That wasn’t the only thing that the academy gave them. The students created and gave their own clothing design so the academy would produce it by reinforcing it with magic.

“Did you get your new blade? Show me.”

Elius asked with curiosity. The academy also provided them with proper weapons if they didn’t have one or wanted to change their current weapon.

“Not yet. They said it would take a few days. Did you think of a name for our team?”

“No, you got something?”

“No.”

“Forget the name. We will eventually find something. Finding new members is far more critical for the team and Namean.”

“But we don’t know anyone yet.”

“I saw two guys on my way here, one of them was an elf, and the other was huge. They looked strong.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should wait for the tournament.”

Elius nodded.

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out. Are you coming to train tonight? I’ll do in on backyard.”

Ian shrugged.

“Sure.”

They could use the facility under the building, but Elius preferred the open air. Thus, they came to the training ground in the backyard at night. The time was a little late, so most people were asleep, but there were still about ten people working on their own in the backyard. Elius admired them for working at this hour. Someone caught his attention, her short, chin-length dark purple hair was swaying with each stroke. She had a staff in her hands, just like the one Elius used, but with a wavy sword was attached to its end. It was a spear.

Her movements were quite similar to his, so Elius paused and watched a little. The girl must have felt the gaze on her. For a moment, she stopped and looked behind her. She saw Elius, who was watching her, but then she turned and continued her training, expressionless as if nothing had happened.

While watching the girl, he didn’t realize that Jay was waiting for them. Ian was already talking with him.

‘Why is he here?’

He approached them.

“Hello, Jay. What are you doing here?”

Ian answered instead of Jay.

“I asked him to train me.”

‘Ahh. Right.’

That was one of the things Elius didn’t listen to while getting his ID. Students could ask any trainers to teach them personally, but the priority should be your team leader. If you needed something your team leader couldn’t provide, then you were free to ask any other adventurers.

“So, what do you want to do, Ian?”

He already knew what Ian lacked but still asked.

“I want to create my style, but I’m having a problem creating new spells.”

“You know, you can create spells that have mana as its core instead of an element.”

Ian nodded.

“Yes, but it is limited. What I want to create is something different. But I can’t think of a way to improve my control over my element.”

“Hmm.”

Jay stroked his chin.

“Are you sure that you have an aptitude towards shadow?”

“Yes, they even tested me again after seeing how hard I was struggling to create a spell.”

“What about a second element?”

“No, I don’t have one. Whenever I get tested, the sphere fills with darkness, and after a while, it dissipates.”

‘Weird, I have never heard something like this. Was he incompetent? Did I make the wrong choice?’

He hesitated for a few seconds but then quickly dismissed those thoughts.

‘No, he is quite skilled. There must be something wrong.’

“Don’t worry. We will figure it out, but you know, wast majority of people create non-elemental skills and use only their mana, and assassins are not that dependent on elemental spells, so why do you want to use yours this much?”

Ian lowered his head as if embarrassed and spoke in a low voice.

“I-I want to be like Arkhaar.”

“Hah! I see now.”

Jay laughed and put his hand on Ian’s shoulder.

“Believe me, every shadow assassin wants, but the information about his spells and blade techniques is quite limited. There are only stories of his achievements.”

‘Who the hell is Arkhaar?’

Elius was watching them for a while without saying anything.

‘Whatever, maybe I should ask Mr. Idarin to teach me. Yes, I should do that.’

He nodded and turned back with a smile, he planned to go to Idarin’s office, but he saw that huge guy he bumped in today. He was smiling and walking towards Elius.

“What do we have here, already kissing your team leader’s ass?”

Elius raised an eyebrow.

“Ha? What do you mean?”

Liam got closer and examined Elius.

“I don’t get it. Why did an SS-rank adventurer like him choose you even before the tournament?”

Elius smiled and clenched his fist in front of Liam’s face.

“Want me to show you?”

Liam’s smile got brighter.

“Good, good, show me. But you should know that I am not a type to fight for nothing. So let’s have a bet, shall we?”

‘Tsk, you liar! You could fight with any living organism for anything!’

Ruvyn was also with him. They became friends when Liam saved him from slave traders ten years ago. They have been best friends since, like Elius and Ian. He looked embarrassed and went to Jay.

“Mr. Jay, I’m really sorry. Can you forgive his behavior?”

“Don’t worry. That happens all the time. That is why we have rules.”

They indeed had a strict rule about fighting in the academy. Of course, it was not forbidden, but if both parties agree, within the framework of the rules they set, it would be carried out under the supervision of an instructor. And to resolve the dispute, both sides should present what they want, and the trainers would bind them with the contract magic papers given to them. That way, the loser would have to do what the winner wished to, even if he didn’t want to.

“Fine! What do you want to bet on?”

“Hmm, let’s think.”

Liam thought for a second and then raised his index finger.

“Found it. If I win, you’ll leave Mr. Jay’s team, and we will replace you.”

“Pfft, is that it? Done.”

Ian panicked.

“No, wait, Elius. Stop deciding by yourself.”

Then he turned to Ruvyn.

“What is your friend’s problem?”

Ruvyn scratched the back of his head.

“I’m sorry. He is always like this. He wanted to see how powerful your friend is.”

He was just like someone Ian knows very well, so he sighed.

“I know how you feel.”

Ruvyn laughed weirdly. Now it was Elius’ turn to offer him a condition.

“If I win…”

His eyes got bigger like he had found something, and he began to shake his wrist. That was a habit that he got from his father. Wilbert was always doing that before they started training.

“If I qualify you as competent, you will become a team member and accept me as your leader.”

“Pft, you? Qualify me?”

Liam said mockingly.

“Okay, that is good, but I still don’t have the contract papers since the academy officially starts a week later.”

Ruvyn was very relieved after hearing Jay. On the contrary, Liam and Elius were about to oppose, but a deep voice stopped them.

“Why don’t we make an exception then?”

It was Idarin.

“Hiya~”

Cassandra was also with him, and she was cheerful as always. Everybody who was training by themselves was already watching them even before Idarin came. Then a piece of paper appeared in front of both of them.

“Come on, kiddos, entertain me. If you accept the terms. Put your ha-”

Before Idarin finished his sentence, they both put their hands on the paper simultaneously. Their smile was scary.