Everyone’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. Great. Nicely done Adrin. What a great start and maybe he should drop out from this academy too.

Adrin sighed inside while he took a seat at the end row. Brian had saved him a seat but he didn’t even notice the guy until he saw the guy stood up. The young man made his way to the back to sit right beside him. Maybe it had become his job to keep him accompanied, either way, he didn't really care.

For a few long seconds, not a word was muttered. Even the instructor was speechless. Arriving with the future Matriarch obsessing with his arm did the charm.

“What did you do?” Brian whispered without even looking at him.

“I didn’t do anything,” he replied, leaning onto his seat and crossing his arms.

Miss Florence cleared her throat gracefully. “Well, as I was saying, we all already know that mana moves by our will, it is the main requirement to become a mage. Each one of you has been able to sense mana, and should have been working hard practicing to manipulate it. Everyone should know how to meld [Cleanse] by now. Please show it to me.”

One by one the glyphs appeared in the air. The older woman looked around before she paused at him for a little too long. The lady might be too surprised to be angry or something.

“You must have done something,” the guy beside him whispered again.

“Just shut it, I’m trying to focus.”

“No, you're not,” Brian muttered.

“Good,” the instructor breathed in relief. “But when it comes to spell-casting, there are two conflicting ways which even created different tier-two classes. [Sorcerers], for example, cast spells by using their pure will tapped into their raw emotion with little to no guidance from spell glyphs. [Magi], on the other hand, heavily depended on rigid spell glyphs, while relying on calm will and subdued emotion to control mana.”

“Is that why female [Sorcerers] are always more powerful, Miss Florence?” A girl asked with clear intention to look down on the men.

Adrin groaned inside and resisted rolling his eyes. The answer was already clearly stated in her speech, one just had to read in between the lines.

“Boys, anyone wants to answer that?” Miss Florence offered.

Some of the girls snickered when no one lifted their hand. Adrin was just fine to leave everyone in their ignorance. He leaned back and waited to see if anyone could come up with something.

A male apprentice raised his hand.

“Yes, Valin?”

“Will backed by strong emotions might be powerful, but it can be easily ruined. Spell glyphs might be rigid, but it is much more reliable. You can’t fail to cast a spell with primed glyphs.”

“It can’t be that easy, just control your emotions,” another girl answered.

“What if I kill or torture your lover, parents, or siblings? Bleed or mutilate them right in front of your eyes?” Valin shut her down.

“Ouch,” Adrin muttered to himself.

The apprentices gasped at the young man's dark retort. Even though it was a grim example, Adrin couldn’t think of any better way to convey the message.

‘That Valin guy is pretty interesting,’ he mused and made a note to check the guy out.

“Yes, he is right," Miss Florence stated. "Will fueled with emotions can be powerful, but sadly, they also can be a mage’s greatest weakness. Both sides of the gender must learn from each other and you’ll be surprised what you could learn from one another.”

A quiet mumurs spread in between the apprentices and the lady tapped the table beside her to get everyone's attention. She looked around before stopping at him again.

“Next in the topic is affinities,” the lady said while looking at him.

Adrin cursed inside. He just knew she would bring that up again.

“As you already know, there are five main affinities and a plethora of exotics. We had the pleasure to witness the famous [Shadow] and the rare [Crystal]. The five main affinities are [Fire], [Stone], [Water], [Air], and [Life]. [Fire] being the most common for humans and [Life] the rarest. Exotic affinities come from the combination of the main five or its extensions.”

“But what about [Shadow]?” Emilia asked, interested in her own affinity. “What combination or extension of it?”

“[Shadow] is unique for a reason, and it is generally agreed it is an extension of [Fire],” the woman paused. “As Archmagi Hugo has said in his research text, the lack of Aether in [Fire] will cast [Shadow] over the realm as it is [Life] to [Death].”

Almost all of the apprentices nodded their heads. It was an interesting theory, but he was one of the few who looked around at other people in the lecture.

‘Generally agreed?’ Adrin mused inside his head. It was clear the magic knowledge didn’t base on experiments or proof of concept. There was no science behind it. He didn’t know about magic, but a shadow was simply an area that light particles couldn’t reach.

However, the knowledge was based on the world without mana. He couldn’t say whether it was right or wrong about it and many other things.

“What about other races, ma’am, what are their common and rare affinities?” one of the boys asked.

“Good question,” she replied. “The Elves are basically the opposite of us humans with a few exceptions, while the Beast-kin mainly focuses on [Beast] affinity and [Life]. One as an extension of the latter. An Orc who could wield magic is rare, but their [Shamans] are known to dabble in [Fire], [Lightning], and [Blood] magic. The Dwarves primarily focus on [Fire] to forge their tools or machines, and [Stone], to build their homes in the mountains. But don’t let your mind be confined by this, you won’t know what you’ll find out there until you face it.”

The apprentices nodded again, and Adrin found himself nodding along with them. He should get the map of the world soon. It might help if he could get in contact with the Dwarves. It could expedite his dream ahead of time.

“Lastly, never overestimate yourself because of your scores,” the lady stressed in her voice. “It will never dictate how good you are out in the real world.”

Adrin agreed. The lady knew her stuff. Scores in exams never ensured you could handle what the world decided to throw at you.

“Now the fun part,” Miss Florence changed to a much lighter tone. “We are going to advance everyone to get your mage class. For this purpose, everyone will learn the [Bolt] spell glyph and gain levels in the academy’s Mirage dungeon. To make this more interesting, please make a group of five, and each group should at least have one boy in it. No housemates allowed,” she chimed in the end.

As soon as she said that, Adrin knew he was doomed. He already had the option to choose a class, but he had chosen to withhold first, just in case anything better came later. He wanted to object but everyone seemed to be content with the instruction.

As expected, the offer of free spell glyph was welcomed by the commoners while the rich had only scoff at it. The rich only had eyes on making a group of friends early on. As in the old world, connections were important for people like them.

Out of wit, Adrin simply waited until everyone was settled before he joined the unwanted team.

William Duray, the proud [Lightning] dude was, of course, popular with the girls. He was flocked by them. There was a long line of girls fighting over the man, but ultimately, only the prettiest was selected by him. No surprise there.

Brian had Nerina and Emi hooked up as expected. The handsome young man would be a bane for Adrin but maybe it would be good for the girls. They might lose their crush on him and finally move on. The three were soon to be joined by two other girls who looked like twins?

Anyway, he wanted to turn the ‘monk mode’ on right after the girls had lost interest, but he didn’t think the family would let him. But at least, he would have Lily around if the girls monkey-branched.

And to his surprise, Willy the spark had approached the ever-popular redhead and bluehead. He probably was offering the two the top spots in his huge harem. Adrin was more surprised when the redhead shook her head and the bluehead did the same thing right after. Maybe they had some else in mind?

The blood drained from his face when the redhead headed his way. He discreetly looked around but he couldn’t find any other guys in his direction. Pretty much all of the men were taken. Brian had long abaddoned him as soon as the lady instructor finished talking. Adrin was pretty sure the young man had already guessed this was coming based on the look the guy had now.

The bluehead followed right after and she only made things worse. By this time everyone in the arena had noticed who the future Matriarch was targeting.

Adrin wanted to run or escape somehow, but he didn’t want to appear pathetic either. He still had some balls even if he knew the girls would be nothing but trouble.

He opened his status in an effort to ignore incoming trouble. The last thing he wanted to be caught doing was staring at the well-practiced sway of their hips as they were coming over.

The girl stopped right before him with her fingers joined in front of her, like a proper lady.

“Hi, Adrin, do you like to team up with me?” the redhead asked but he knew it was rhetoric.

“I prefer not, but I can’t say no, can’t I?”

“Not unless you want to hurt my feelings,” she said with a fake pout.

More like her pride than her feelings, but whatever. “Sure, Miss? What's your name again?”

The crowd gasped and the girl’s face turned red. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like fish out of water. Adrin chuckled, he didn’t know the girl could make that kind of face.

“Her name is Anaxandra Emberwind, but I’m sure you already know that,” a girl with blue hair joined in with her hands on her back. “I’m Alicia Yang, from the Yang Clan, I’ll be honored to join if you’ll have me.”

It was the first time he heard both their names, but he didn’t want to point it out.

“A clan instead of family? What’s the difference?”

“We are just humble merchants, young master Adrin,” Alicia bowed slightly. “Some of us had become minor nobles but that is separate from the clan’s business.”

“Why are you trying to curry his favor?” Ana almost hissed at the other girl.

“Well, to make more money, of course,” Alicia admitted shamelessly. “All brilliant inventors are worth the Clan’s full attention, is that right, young master Adrin?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Miss Alicia,” he replied while trying his best to maintain a poker face.

To be honest, he didn’t see this coming, not at all. How could she learn about it so fast? Had the weird guy in the weird shop already made a deal with the clan already?

“Well, of course,” she said with a knowing smile. “The clan will always respect their benefactors’ whims, unlike the prideful magi family.”

Alicia made it sound like the clan was the best place for him to settle down and relax. Maybe he should consider it, well, if the clan offered.

“Until he stopped making money for the Clan,” the redhead scoffed.

“Well, that is true, but some inventions can make money even after a hundred years,” she proclaimed. “And I’ve heard a rumor that something like it will emerge soon, thanks to Adrin.”

Whoever was listening gasped at the statement. Adrin groaned inside. That part of his secret was out, but mages should not care about lowly inventions. Right?

Regardless, this was why harems in the stories in the old world were nothing but a bunch of lies.

These two girls didn’t even like him and they were already at it. Women were more prone to have catfights rather than work things up, especially when emotions were involved.

If one woman was enough of a headache, imagine four or more of them bickering with each other every single day. It would be a living nightmare.

“I’m open to joining whoever but only if they can work together,” Adrin stated.

“But of course,” said both of them almost at the same time.

“We have been friends ever since we were children, right Ana?”

“Yes, we are the best of friends!” the redhead hooked the other girl’s arm. They began whispering to each other right after.

Of course, he had been played right into the trap. What else was new?