Waking up, I slowly opened my eyes and began recalling everything that had happened to me: first, my humiliating failure during the magical talent test, then my disinheritance from the imperial succession and exile disguised as enrollment into the academy. After that came the swordsman evaluation, where it turned out I had been chosen by gods—the very gods who had abandoned this world. Then I received the goddess's mark, followed by changes that were both physical and possibly magical, though I still wasn't certain about the latter. And all of it had happened in a single day.
The thought left me uneasy. In such a bizarre turn of events, there was no telling how today would end. But there was nowhere for me to run. Sighing, I rubbed my temples, got up, and headed for the shower.
After getting dressed, I realized my hair had become incredibly inconvenient in its current state. It kept falling into my eyes and blocking my vision. Since I obviously hadn't brought anything to tie it back with—I had never expected my hair to become this long—I began searching for a solution.
Not thinking too hard about it, I glanced at the clothes I had arrived in. Taking my cloak, I tore off part of the lower hem and used the fabric strip to tie my hair into a ponytail. Primitive, yes, but far better than wandering around the academy at dawn searching for a barber.
Once I was sure I was ready, I left my room, locked it, and headed downstairs.
The first floor was already crowded with students. They wore all kinds of uniforms—some were mages, others swordsmen. I didn't spend much time studying their emblems, but I noticed none of them were identical.
Did that mean every student possessed a unique talent?
Yes. That was exactly what it meant.
Looking around, I decided to eavesdrop a little. Maybe their conversations would reveal something about the three trials mentioned for class assignment.
"You heard? They say this year's assignment will be unusual." one student asked another standing nearby.
Both belonged to the magical wing, and if I wasn't mistaken, both looked talented. One was a tall, broad human with short dark hair, while the other was an elf with long bright golden hair.
"What did they come up with this time?" the elf asked irritably.
"The first stage is one-on-one combat, second is age and talent verification, and third is monster hunting." the human replied thoughtfully while glancing around.
And there was the first problem I noticed for myself.
Age verification wasn't dangerous for me, but talent verification? Would the stone reveal me as Ges's herald—or what people now called a cursed swordsman? I needed to speak with Ama'Lein somehow.
The other tests were dangerous, but not enough to truly unsettle me. I had no intention of drawing attention to myself. I was far too weak for that.
Listening to the rest of their conversation, I gradually began understanding how the academy functioned—something neither the dean nor that strange professor, whose name I still didn't know, had bothered to explain.
If you wanted to attract the attention of major guilds, royal courts, or even imperial figures, you had to rank among the top ten students. Logical enough.
What surprised me more was another requirement: entering the catacombs at least twice before the Red Moon.
The Red Moon was infamous. During it, all monsters—from weak undead to liches—became drastically stronger and more aggressive.
After the War of Five Races, large portions of land had been abandoned, becoming habitats for some of the most dangerous monsters in existence. To keep their numbers under control, guilds were regularly hired to raid those territories and eliminate specific creatures.
A few minutes later, the dormitory doors opened, and a professor stepped inside.
He wore magical robes, meaning he belonged to the magical wing. Clearing his throat loudly, he waited for all conversation to stop, then gave a silent nod as he scanned the room.
For some reason, his gaze lingered on me. Surprise flickered in his eyes, though he quickly concealed it.
"I'm pleased to see all of you awake and that none of you overslept. Today, class assignments will take place. What does that mean for you? The stronger you and your assigned class are, the more currency you will earn, as well as the opportunity to participate in the Tournament of Six Academies." he began in a calm but commanding voice.
"The assignment consists of three stages. First: one-on-one combat. Mages may use magic, swordsmen may use weapons.
Second: verification of your true age. Yes, we know you submitted documents, but this serves as official confirmation recorded by the academy itself.
Third: monster hunting. All students who pass assignment will be teleported to hunting grounds, where you must earn points either alone or in groups over the course of two days. Any questions?"
A few hands rose.
"Professor, will the fights only be against other boys, or will we also fight girls?" a light elf asked, blushing slightly at his own question.
A ridiculous question.
"Foolish question, student. You will fight both one another and female students. We cannot properly assess your talents if we separate you by gender." the professor replied coldly.
The elf immediately tried retreating behind the others, but no one was willing to trade places with him.
Another voice spoke up.
"And what if we fail the first or third stage? Do we just get assigned to a weaker class or something?"
Many nodded in agreement. I couldn't tell who had asked.
"You will not be accepted into the academy if you fail any stage. The academy charges you neither admission nor tuition. Any more questions?"
Silence.
"Good. Then follow me. I will escort you to the assignment grounds."
Opening the door, the professor led us away from the academy buildings and dormitories, deeper and deeper into the forest.
The farther we walked, the more nervous everyone became.
Oddly enough, I felt calm.
I didn't understand why anyone bothered panicking. Whatever was coming could no longer be changed.
After another fifteen or twenty minutes, the professor led us to a large clearing.
Seeing no one there, many students exchanged confused looks. Some assumed we had arrived first; others suspected we were lost.
Someone was about to call out to the professor when he pulled out a wand and struck the air in front of him with its tip.
Several students immediately began wondering if the professor had lost his mind.
But a second later, the air where he had struck began trembling.
Slowly, a massive white structure materialized before us.
Judging by its sides, I guessed it was circular and enormous inside.
The professor walked along its wall until reaching an archway, then motioned for us to follow.
Passing beneath the arch, we immediately heard voices.
Many voices.
Male. Female.
The closer we moved inward, the louder they became.
Emerging from the corridor, I looked around.
Rows of seats surrounded the arena, filled with students from all branches and years—mages, swordsmen, everyone was here.
At the center stood one human, two light elves, and one elven woman.
One of them was Ama'Lein.
The others I had never seen before.
The professor bowed respectfully to them, then left.
"Silence." the elven woman said in a melodic voice.
When everyone quieted, she nodded.
"As you know, today is first-year class assignment. My name is Shego'Lo, dean of the magical wing. Beside me is Ama'Lein, representative of the swordsman wing, as well as our academy director, Suga Tin. I ask all students to double tap your emblems. Once done, I will continue."
Following her instructions, I tapped my emblem twice.
Text appeared before my eyes.
Trey (Alurik) vs. Mayfi – Arena Three.
I sincerely hoped my opponent couldn't see my real name.
Looking around, I noticed arenas beginning to appear. They weren't particularly large, but each could easily hold around ten people.
After everyone checked their arena assignments, a few minutes passed before a clap echoed through the structure.
"Good. Everyone now knows where they are fighting and against whom. The rules are simple: defeat your opponent by destroying their emblem or forcing them out of bounds. You may track your turn on the display board above. You may also use magic, if you possess it."
Another clap, and lists appeared overhead.
Seeing my name, I exhaled.
Thankfully, only "Trey" was displayed.
Students began moving toward their designated arenas.
My match was later, which meant I could observe others first.
Approaching Arena Three, I watched the first competitors step forward.
One was a light elven girl with short hair, dressed in an elegant white shirt tucked into trousers, holding a staff.
Opposite her stood the same human I had overheard in the dormitory. In his hand, I noticed a wand.
So, I was about to witness a duel between two mages.
The elf made the first move.
Her mana control was excellent, but the incantation she was reciting was long, forcing her to remain stationary.
Her opponent began slowly approaching while launching bursts of wind at her, trying to interrupt the spell.
But he only managed a few more steps before she completed it.
The moment she spoke the final words, I felt a powerful surge of wind erupt from her position.
It blasted directly into her opponent.
Upon impact, the force drove him backward step by step until he stumbled beyond the arena boundary.
Defeat.
The boy immediately began cursing her under his breath while the spectators laughed.