Izumi continued: “I would like to emphasize that only due to the increased influence of the Institution, modern-day mages can be perceived by the magicless as an acceptable phenomenon. Now we no longer need to engage into constant discussion that we do not pose any danger and are eligible to the same rights and treatment as all other members of society. And your mission is to support this course of action. After all, many of you will go to the army, medical institutions or other governmental agencies. This is very responsible and important work. You embody the hopes of both magical and non-magical communities. For a long time we had been provoking an inferiority complex in magicless people, thus we cannot exhibit our differences due to possible rejection, indignation or even fear. Mages must be aware of their unique role and always strive to reach a compromise. The key to our prosperous future is temperance.”

Niji felt her intestines tying in a tight knot.

“Imagine yourself—just for a moment—a common citizen without spectrum cells; without abilities that often go beyond the limits of universal comprehension. Would it be easy for you to accept the existence of someone who is much stronger than you? Crimsons can trap you in ice. Ambers are hard to defeat in battle. Goldens control objects or even space around you. Viridians will always outsmart you. For some reason, Celestials are so selfish that they provide help to ‘their own kind’ exclusively. Azures summon strange mythical creatures. And, of course, there are Violets—extremely dangerous even for ourselves, because they cannot be controlled. Would you like having such a neighbor if you were completely defenseless against their devastating powers?”

Niji twitched again. Did anyone notice? Seemed like they didn’t.

“To summarize, I would like to complete this course with a simple, but at the same time, an incredibly complex question that each of you should answer. What is a mage today? I do not demand an answer from you straight away; please take your time. I would be obliged if you write a small essay and send it to me by e-mail. This is an optional task, but I’m encouraging you to give it a special thought. In order to spur your creativity, I will share my own vision...”

“Ah, rubbish!” whispered a second-year student Ariadna who was sitting in front of the friends. “What is a mage… urgh. The dumbest lecture I’ve ever heard.”

“Nothing of the kind,” the Lackluster objected. “Izumi-sensei is sharing a very detailed analysis of—”

“...of his brain-washed ideas,” Ariadna interrupted, turning to face him. “I am a mage, so why should I humor these feebles? I have my own special talents, and I won’t bother hiding them. Even if someone would be pissed off by that, so what?”

“My, you have no talents to hide anyway. So shut it, will you?”

Rem was about to scream “Niji!” to her obnoxious remark, but braced himself for Ariadna’s return fire. However, the latter just gasped and turned away without a word. Few people would be reckless enough to start a conflict with someone two grades higher than them.

“You’re so salty today,” Shinigreel said, casting a sidelong look at Niji. “She might have a D-grade mana pool capacity, but that’s not enough reason to trash-talk her.”

“I’ve just opened her eyes, that’s all.”

“Oh, for Goddess’ sake, you can be so antisocial sometimes.”

“I’m not antisocial, I’m anti-idiot!” Niji raged. “If a mage believes he or she is So Goddamn Special, that sucks. Because why the fuck are you special? If you’re a dickhead, then you ARE a dickhead, mage or magicless. Spectrum cells don’t automatically cross you out from a list of dickheads. And, vice versa, if you lack the cells, it doesn’t mean you’re one. Ask Rem, he knows.”

“Don’t get me started on the Lackluster discrimination in—”

“Murasaki-san, Omnious-san,” Professor Izumi’s strict call reached the girls. “If you are not interested in the lecture, please feel free to leave.”

“Apologies, Sensei,” Niji sighed and took her smart again, pretending to take notes.

She was uncomfortable with the thought that whatever idiocy Ariadne had proclaimed, she was right in some way. The more PRISM was striving to erase the difference between mages and the magicless, the more they contradicted themselves. This vaunted compromise was nothing but pressure on some in order to please the others. The strongest had their chance to live only while put in chains with a key thrown away forever. But didn’t commoners have their own criminal elements among them? From this point of view, did it matter if someone had arcane in their blood or not?

There was something wrong with it. Definitely wrong.

The “wrong” part centered on the idea that Niji herself might be put in chains.

For the rest of the lecture, she couldn’t concentrate at all with all these thoughts eating away at her. When the class finally ended, the students rushed into the corridor. Rem had already written the requested essay in his head, and Shiningreel was worrying whether she would be able to join the Unit and see Sensei again. Niji was deeply lost in her gloomy reflections when she heard Izumi’s voice: “Murasaki-san, do you have a moment?”