This particular teacher was not from just any academy. He was from the very First-Rank academy Michael had chosen to accept his offer from.
In the Awakener academies, order mattered as much as power. The structure was strict, layered like the bones of a fortress: Principal at the peak, then Vice Principals, followed by Heads of Departments, their Deputies, then the Teachers, the Assistant Teachers, and finally the students.
But the weight of each position was never the same across academies. It scaled with rank.
In a First-Rank academy, the Principal was always at least a Rank 5 Awakener—sometimes more. The Vice Principal might stand at Rank 5 as well, or at worst a strong Rank 4. Heads of Departments and their deputies were often Rank 4 too, though the weakest among them would still be a solid Rank 3. Teachers were Rank 3 at minimum, their assistants no lower than a powerful Rank 2, often Rank 3 as well.
