The walk to the Class D wing was a journey through the Academy's social basement. While the Class S halls were lined with gold leaf and mana-enriched air, the Class D classroom was cold, functional, and smelled faintly of damp stone.
As Lucien stepped through the door, the air grew heavy with judgment.
Every head turned. Even among the "failures" of the D-Rank, Lucien was an anomaly—a Vilor with a mana bar that hadn't budged a single point during the exam.
"Is that him?" a girl whispered, leaning toward her friend. "A Vilor with no magic? How is that even biologically possible?"
"Maybe he was adopted to cover up a scandal," her friend giggled, not even trying to lower her voice. "He looks like a doll. Perfectly handsome and perfectly useless."
Lucien didn't spare them a glance. He moved with a rhythmic, steady stride toward the back of the class. He picked a seat next to a girl who sat perfectly still, her long hair obscuring her face as she stared out the window. Unlike the others, she wasn't whispering, she seemed to be existing in a different world entirely.
Behind him, the conversation shifted as a group of girls relaxed into their seats. "Honestly, thank God for the Apathy Seal," one girl sighed, leaning back. "At least we don't have to deal with perverts and thirsty stares while we're trying to train. They're all just... harmless now."
"Speaking of that," another girl chimed in, her eyes widening. "Did you see the floor plan? We're sharing the same dressing rooms. Boys and girls."
"What!?" a third girl gasped, her face flushing. "Are they serious? Are we still going to share toilets too?"
"No, just the dressing rooms. The school says it's to 'maximize space and promote unity,'" the girl answered with a smirk. "But really, it's because the Goddess knows it doesn't matter. Even if they tried to corner us, they can't use their flimsy penis to harm us ever again. They'll be forced to focus on their magic instead of their... distractions."
Lucien kept his eyes forward, his expression a mask of indifference. He could feel the eyes of his seatmate flicker toward him for a brief second before returning to the window.
The heavy doors at the front of the room swung open. A woman with a sharp bob and a pink suit marched to the podium in front of the class.
She didn't look like a teacher, she looked like a student with her big breasts larger than any girl here and her white hair covering some part of her cute face, her purple eyes staring at the failures in front of her.
"Sit. Shut up," she snapped.
The room went silent. She didn't introduce herself. Instead, she pulled a sleek device from her pocket and tapped the screen.
Ding.
Simultaneously, every freshman student's phone and System Interface vibrated.
"I am Instructor Karlene Earlene," the woman said, her voice like grinding stones. "I am here for your introductory briefing. You have just received the Aethegald Code of Conduct, read it, memorize it. If you break it, you don't get a detention, you get the gate."
Lucien tapped the notification, and a wall of red text filled his vision, he saw the money transferred to them at first, "10 000"
"The money transferred is your weekend rations, well if you squander it like a fool then consider yourself among the ones who will starve to death here."
[AETHEGALD ACADEMY: INTERNAL REGULATIONS FOR D-RANK]
1. The lowest student in the D-class in performance will get expelled and will temporarily disable the whole class from ranking up for a month.
2. THE CONTRIBUTION MINIMUM: Class D students must maintain a collective average of 50 Monster Kills per week. If the average falls, the entire class will be denied weekend rations.
3. THE APATHY MANDATE: Any male student found attempting to bypass the Seal via forbidden alchemy or dark magic will be executed on sight. (Expulsion)
4. Class D can only rank up surpassing Class C if their average level is higher than the class same for the upper classes.
5: RANK SOVEREIGNTY: A student shall not provoke or engage in conflict with an individual of a higher Rank unless they are prepared to accept the immediate consequences. Should the superior party choose to show mercy, consider it luck, however, the Academy and its staff shall offer no aid, intervention, or protection to the lower-ranked student except when near death."
Lucien scrolled to the bottom, his mind already dissecting the loopholes.
The freshmans in the class quietly turned their head to him, "He is the lowest in the class and he doesn't look bothered how are we going to rank up?" A girl whispered to another audible enough for him to hear it.
"You are the bottom of the food chain," Karlene said, her eyes landing on Lucien with a sneer. "Some of you have famous names, but in this room, you are all zeroes. If you want to survive the first month, I suggest you stop worrying about who you're changing clothes with and start worrying about your kill count."
Lucien felt the girl next to him shift. For the first time, she spoke, her voice a barely audible whisper meant only for him.
"The dressing rooms... they aren't for 'unity.' They're for the girls to monitor the boys for the Seal."
Lucien didn't turn his head. "I know," he whispered back. "It's a cage built on observation."
He closed a file.
The Goddess thought she had removed the fire from the room, but as Lucien looked at the "Rule 3" about expulsion, he felt his own pulse beating faster, if he were to get expelled after they found out his potent, his father will end him.
The game had officially begun.
Instructor Karlene didn't leave them with a word of encouragement. Instead, she leaned over the podium, her shadow stretching across the front row.
"One last thing," Karlene said, her voice dropping into a warning growl. "Seniors. They are the apex predators of Aethegald. If a senior challenges you to a duel, my advice is to kneel and apologize immediately." She paused to catch a breath.
And continued, "According to the Rank Sovereignty laws, a senior is permitted to beat a lower-ranked opponent until they are near death to 'teach a lesson.' As long as you are still standing when they're done, the Academy will not lift a finger to help you."
The room felt several degrees colder. The girls who had been laughing about the dressing rooms suddenly looked pale. "Class dismissed," Karlene snapped, turning on her heel and marching out.