Aria had barely stepped through the university gates when Jennie suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Come with me!"
Before Aria could ask anything, Jennie had already started running.
"Wait—Jennie? What's going on?"
Jennie didn't answer. She ran across the courtyard as if something incredible had happened. Sweat formed on her forehead, and her breathing grew heavy, but her expression looked strangely happy.
Aria had never seen her like this.
They rushed past students and professors, drawing curious looks as they ran toward the academic hall.
"Jennie—slow down!"
But Jennie only ran faster.
Just as they reached the entrance stairs, a calm voice called out.
"Miss Jennie."
Both of them froze.
Standing at the top of the stairs was the university principal, hands folded neatly behind his back.
"Running through the academy grounds is quite unlady-like," he said calmly. "Please walk."
Jennie stopped for exactly one second.
Then she blurted out,
"Principal! It's her! She used magic!"
The principal raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
His eyes moved toward Aria.
"That is… fascinating."
Then, without warning, he stepped forward and guided Aria toward the corridor.
"Come. Let us verify this immediately."
And he began walking quickly.
Too quickly.
Aria had no choice but to jog beside him.
Behind them, several students shouted in shock.
"Principal! Please don't run in the hallway!"
The principal waved a hand without turning back.
"My apologies," he said calmly.
"This is an emergency."
The examination hall was quiet when they entered.
Several teachers sat around a large circular platform, reviewing documents and magical instruments. They looked up as the principal walked in.
"Emergency examination," he said.
The teachers exchanged glances but did not question him.
One of them gestured toward the platform.
"Show us the magic."
Aria hesitated for a moment.
Then she stepped forward.
A small knife rested on the table beside the platform. Aria picked it up and cut the tip of her finger.
A thin line of blood appeared.
Aria raised her hand.
Soft light gathered around the wound.
Within seconds, the cut closed completely.
The room fell silent.
One of the teachers leaned forward.
"Regeneration…"
Another whispered,
"That is impossible…"
The principal watched carefully.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Wonderful."
He folded his hands behind his back again.
"This is a Holy Race Authority."
Jennie blinked in shock.
"The Holy Race?"
"Yes," the principal said. "A race believed to be nearly extinct. Their Authority specializes in purification and healing."
Jennie looked back at Aria, frowning.
"No way. She doesn't have any other racial traits."
The principal nodded slowly.
"That is indeed unusual."
He studied Aria more carefully.
"According to historical records, members of the Holy Race possessed elegant wings."
He glanced behind Aria.
"But she has none."
Aria raised her hand slightly.
"I once had a maid from the Holy Race," she said.
The room turned toward her.
"She told me she had wings. But they were cut off so she could wear maid clothes."
The principal's expression changed slightly.
"I see."
He nodded slowly.
"So that is where you learned the technique."
Aria bowed her head.
"Yes, sir."
Jennie tilted her head in confusion.
"Wait…"
She crossed her arms.
"I heard Aria once was a slave before."
Aria nodded.
"Yes."
Jennie frowned.
"Then why would a slave have a maid?"
The room suddenly became quiet.
The principal did not speak.
But inside his mind, thoughts moved rapidly.
A human… with a Holy Race maid?
That alone was almost impossible.
The Holy Race rarely served anyone. Even among the high races, they were treated with deep respect.
If what the girl said was true…
Then she must have grown up in a household powerful enough to command a Holy Race servant.
Nobility… perhaps even royalty.
The principal studied Aria again.
The quiet girl standing before him suddenly seemed far more important than she appeared.
He slowly turned toward the teachers.
His voice became firm.
"What we witnessed today must remain inside this hall."
The teachers straightened immediately.
"No one is to speak about this. Not to students, not to other departments, and certainly not outside the university."
Jennie blinked in surprise.
The principal then looked directly at Aria.
"You as well."
Aria nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Be careful when you use this ability," he continued. "Until we understand your situation better, revealing it could attract unnecessary attention."
He paused.
"For official records, I will classify you as a human–Holy Race hybrid."
Jennie's eyes widened.
"A hybrid…?"
"It is the most reasonable explanation."
The principal looked around the hall once more.
"Let us treat today's examination as… confidential."
No one disagreed.
As Aria and Jennie left the examination hall, Jennie finally spoke again.
"You're unbelievable."
Aria looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Jennie sighed.
"You came to the university pretending to be a Murk… and the first thing you do is show a healing Authority."
Aria blinked.
"Authority?"
Jennie paused for a moment, realizing Aria truly didn't understand.
"Oh, right… you wouldn't know."
She rubbed the back of her head.
"Authority is an ability that only one race can naturally perform. When an entire race can use the same ability, scholars call it that race's Authority."
Aria listened quietly.
"But if another race manages to learn how to reproduce it," Jennie continued, "then it stops being an Authority. It becomes ordinary magic."
Jennie looked back at Aria with a small smile.
"So if you really learned healing… then technically it might not be an Authority anymore."
She shrugged.
"But these classifications can be complicated."
Jennie's expression grew a little more serious.
"So just remember one thing."
"Be careful when you use it."
Aria nodded slowly.
"I understand."
They stepped out into the university courtyard again.
Tall stone buildings surrounded the wide open grounds. Students walked between lectures, discussing spells and practicing magic.
Aria looked around quietly.
For the first time since arriving, she truly felt it.
Her life at the university had only just begun.
Later that evening, the principal sat alone in his office.
The university grounds had grown quiet. Only the distant sound of students talking drifted through the open window.
He removed his glasses slowly and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
For a long moment, he simply stared at the desk in front of him.
Then he sighed.
"The next Monster Lord will be human…"
The words echoed quietly in the empty room.
The prophecy had been kept secret for generations. Only a handful of royal families and a few scholars were allowed to know about it.
And now…
A human girl had appeared at the university.
A human who could use a Holy Race Authority.
The principal leaned back in his chair, his expression troubled.
"Huh… indeed."
He stared toward the dark window.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…then we may already be standing at the beginning of the worst era in history."
Outside, the wind moved softly through the trees of the academy courtyard.
And somewhere far away, a monster howled in the night.