Selestine's POV

I was in a momentary shock when a beautiful red-haired girl with a menacing aura, who was like a full-bloomed rose covered with deadly thorns, tried to defend me.

So there are still kind noble girls?

She flashed me a reassuring smile and turned back to the other girls.

"Have you all sunk down that you tried bullying a girl of low status? So what if she is? Does this undermine her worth as a person?"

"Let's withdraw from now, she's a Marquis' daughter..." The obsidian-haired boy left.

The class started with Valkyane-sensei teaching us about Arithmetic, then followed by Theology by Divin-sensei, next is Literature by Marbecke-sensei, History by Oliver-sensei, Foreign Language by Ripley-sensei and Music and Arts by Clio-sensei.

Finally, Elimar-sensei, who had unkempt gray hair and droopy ruby eyes. He was carrying a book entitled 'Magic 101: Easy Steps to Learn Magic!' as he went in through the door.

He swiped his left hand on the empty desk and a magic ball with swirling light inside appeared atop the furniture.

Wow, that's so cool!! Will I be able to do that too?!!

"Before I start blabbering on a useless subject called magic *yawn*, let's test your mana first... *yawn*"

He called out various names until, "Selestine Villin!"

"Ye-Yes sensei..!" I got up from my seat and went beside him. "Elimar-sensei, now what..?"

"Just place both of your hands on it and imagine pouring your mana into it, just a tiny amount is okay." I nodded in determination and did as he instructed.

We waited for a few minutes and there was no reaction.

*laughs

"I thought she was a Light magic user? How could she be one when she doesn't have any mana?!"

*laughs

"Can you try casting a spell, Selestine-san?" I nodded.

"Leoght!" A beam of light came out from my hand and towards the girl who mocked me.

"How can this be? The mana-measuring device clearly showed that you have no mana... unless--" He swiped his hand again and the magic ball from earlier got replaced by a miniature grandfather clock. I just stared at him questioningly. "Don't be deceived." He patted it. "This is also a mana-measuring device, but more complex and it measures a different kind of mana. Try putting your hands on it..."

I closed my eyes imagining a wide ocean, and consciously controlling it until it flows like a small stream going through a hole.

When I opened my eyes, a bright light illuminated the whole room blinding everyone including sensei. When it disappeared, Elimar-sensei held both of my hands with clear amazement in his eyes.

"What happened..?"

"What was that bright light just now..?"

"Everybody, have you heard of soul mana?" Elimar-sensei suddenly asked and the whole class got quiet. My classmates talked amongst themselves that sensei had to slam the desk loudly to get back their attention. "Do any of you know?" We shook our heads. "Well, you're all familiar with normal mana. You have to gather it either within your body or from the surroundings. But soul mana, err... it doesn't require much practice."

"Why is that, sensei?" The crimson-haired girl from earlier, Liliana Cosette Petain-ojou, asked in wonder.

"Because... do any of you wanna guess?"

"It sacrifices the soul..?" A guy from the back asked.

"No... because it needs mastery of the soul for the person to properly wield it. You need to know your identity and might require you to isolate from others as a being living in this world. Though people with soul mana are super rare, about one in a trillionth."

"Mastery of the soul..?"

"Yes, my new favorite student!" He affirmed. "And which do you think has an advantage, a person with normal mana or a person with soul mana?"

"The person with normal mana..?" The hazelnut-haired girl asked in pride and looked at me with her chin tilted to look down on me.

"Wrong! It's the person with soul mana! Do you know why?"

"Why?" We asked in unison.

"Because soul mana is more powerful and more concentrated. If a S-Class Adventurer with normal mana fights with a D-Class Adventurer with soul mana, who do you think will win?"

"Of course, it's the S-Class..!"

"Wrong again! It's the D-Class Adventurer. Let me tell you why... a normal mana user's magic power will always be 1/10000 of a soul mana user's. So in other words, a soul mana user is very powerful. I know a few people who uses soul mana, and you know him very well either..."

"His Excellency the Grand Duke..?"

"No, he uses normal mana but he is still on par with a soul mana user in his prime. Guess again!"

"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor?!"

"No, he is the same with His Excellency. Though for me, the Grand Duke is a little stronger than the Emperor."

I pondered for a while.

"Is it... His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince?"

*clap 3x

"I thought no one could get it right!!" He walked towards me and ruffled my hair. "Good job Selestine-san, you guessed it right despite being late for introductions."

"Tee~hee~"

"She's right, His Imperial Highness is one of three people who were discovered to use soul mana. The other two are the Archmage and the Master of the Magic Tower and, her." He pointed at me. "Soul mana users are even rarer than Dark magic users and many people want to exploit them if they ever found one..."

*gulp

His words do not contain humor at all, he's too serious!! Now, I'm too scared to use magic...

"Everyone, I'll teach you the basics tomorrow. I expect everyone to study in advance because I will hold written and practical tests tomorrow. Selestine-san, stay here."

*clap 2x

"Class is over." He waved his hand in a grotesque manner and the guy from earlier arrived.

"You've called, Elimar-sensei?"

"Yes, I've finally found a new apprentice. Say hello to Selestine Villin, our fellow soul mana user." I saw the Crown Prince's eyes widen in disbelief.

But what did Elimar-sensei mean by 'our fellow soul mana user'?

"Let me introduce myself formally, I'm Archmage Limare Gottlob of the Magic Tower." I turned to stone at what he said.

Ehhh?!!