The opening ceremony dragged on for a while, with speeches from the principal, staff, and student council. Among them was the current prince, Emil Renatius.

Flann stared at his majestic visage, taking in the way his violet hair fluttered with his movements, and the firm gaze that exuded from his silver eyes. Indeed, both his outer appearance and the way he carried himself embodied royalty and elegance, and no one would doubt that he was the distinguished son of the duke that had taken arms to reestablish the kingdom. 

Yet somehow, as Flann gazed at him, he was reminded of the image of the former king, with his golden locks and shining eyes, smiling as he wore the crown. Clearly, the former king had wronged the kingdom, and the golden appearance of his lineage was no longer the sun of the Haelika kingdom. Still, the thought of him left Flann with an odd feeling of loss and pity, and he couldn’t look at the current prince without thinking of the events of the past. 

After the speeches of the student council, the opening ceremony concluded, and the students were directed to separate halls for their study by class. Flann followed after Clarette and Leticia as they headed towards a slightly smaller room for the gathering of the third years.

As he walked by others, he seemed to hear a low whispering follow him, and at first didn’t pay much attention to what it could be. But after a while, he began to make out some of the words, and couldn’t pretend not to hear what was being said.

“Isn’t that the adopted son of the Ruzena family?”

“I heard that he’s not only a commoner, but an orphan as well.”

“Really, what were they thinking… this not only lowers their reputation but the academy as a whole.”

Hearing the topic shift from himself to the Ruzenas, Flann abruptly stopped in his tracks, his fists clenched tightly. He turned around to find the individuals from which the insult came, and icily stared them down. 

The two people he glared at ceased their gossiping and averted their eyes, but the whispering amongst the others remained the same.

“Exuding such violent hostility… he has no manners, as expected.”

Flann turned back around, keeping his eyes off any particular individuals as he walked forward. His clenched fists shook a little, but he tried to ignore it, along with the endless whispers that floated behind his ears.

***

“Flann Ruzena, please come speak with me.”

“...Yes!”

After the basic reunion of the third year and a speech from the head instructor, the students were allowed to chat amongst themselves as individual issues were addressed. 

Flann walked to the front of the room where the head instructor was, slightly nervous.

“As you know, students typically begin practicing magic and studying academics at the age of thirteen, so you are behind by two years,” the instructor stated, looking at Flann’s files. 

Flann nodded his head. “...Yes.”

“According to what I have been told, it seems that you have a relatively high capacity for mana despite not being born to a noble family.”

The instructor flipped through the pages a few more times before placing them down. “With the current pace of things, we have decided to place you directly into the same curriculum as those in your year. If your potential is as reported, you should be able to catch up fairly quickly, although practicing magic may still be dangerous at first. As such, you will have individual supplemental lessons with a teacher for as long as you need to bridge the gap.”

“...I understand,” Flann replied.

“You may also be given additional readings and assignments for the academic courses, if deemed necessary. Since this is less dangerous, if you need any help, we have asked the top student in your year to provide assistance.” The instructor adjusted the glasses on his nose, and looked towards Flann. “Do you have any questions?”

“...No, none for now.” 

The head instructor nodded. “Then you can feel free to get to know some of the people in your year.” Motioning towards an individual, he stated, “Regardless of whether or not you need help, it would be good to get to know the student I mentioned earlier. He is the one in the back who stands taller amongst the others.” 

“...Yes, thank you.”

Flann turned to look in the direction that the instructor pointed, and spotted a tall, well-built teenager with a short, neat cut that made it easy to see his face. His face was chiseled, and his expression stern, and Flann felt a bit hesitant to approach him. 

Still, he quietly made his way through the classroom towards the boy, and when he caught his attention, bowed deeply before him.

“Hello… I am Flann Ruzena,” he said. “I heard… I will be in your care this year. It’s nice to meet you.”

Standing up, he got a good look at the boy’s face, and felt as if his sharp blue eyes were digging into his soul. 

“I am Servas Crescens. It’s nice meeting you.” 

The boy’s voice was low and cold, and Flann’s hands trembled a little at his side.

“...Thank you for offering to help with my studies,” he stated. “I apologize if I cause any inconveniences.”

“Don’t apologize,” Servas replied. “The faster you get caught up, the better.”

“Since the Ruzenas adopted you and sent you to this academy, you should quickly improve to make it worthwhile.”

Flann nodded his head towards him. “...I understand. I’ll do my best.”

Servas slightly tilted his head in acknowledgement, and then turned away to speak with the people he was talking with prior. 

Left alone, Flann stood for a moment, contemplating the words he had just been told. Was Servas encouraging him to do his best to improve quickly? Or was he simply looking at him as a waste of time? With his tone that was flat and seemingly emotionless, Flann couldn’t decipher the meaning behind those words. He blinked his eyes a few times, looking at the ground. Then, brushing his hair back, he turned around and headed towards the area of the classroom where Clarette stood, chatting with her friends.