39.

A week have quickly passed by after my fight with Pram. And as expected, the Promotion battle was announced and the students were excited. As the top student in the Entrance Examination, I was given a pass and I was automatically one of the top 30 individuals that will participate in the Promotion battle.

The students have slowly gotten used to me as well, though, only a few people had the guts to come and talk to me. Most of them are female students who wanted to get my attention. In their minds, if they married into my family, they will have a smooth sailing in life.

I don't really mind talking with them but it was all talks of courtesy and misdirecting them to another topic. I managed to get them off my back when the Professor came in and the students returned to their seats.

"Looks like you're slowly getting popular, especially with the girls." Adjest said with a mocking tone.

"Are you..." I didn't manage to finish my sentence when Adjest spoke again.

"No, I am not. Why should I be? After all..." Adjest leaned and whispered.

"I'm. Your. Fiancée." Her words made my heart skip a beat. It was slightly seductive and it reaally really caught me off-guard that I had no words to say.

'Is Professor Bridgette mentoring Adjest?!' I thought as I can't believe that just happened.

"Oh, I'm so gonna get you back for this." I said in a voice just enough for Adjest to hear it.

"Miss Kingscrown, is there something you want to share to the rest of us?" The professor asked but Adjest just smiled as if nothing happened.

"Its nothing, Professor. Aegis just asked me about the previous lesson, Professor." Adjest said and the professor didn't pursue it anymore.

*

After the class, Adjest was picking up her things and I was about to talk to her when a student came and talked to her.

"Miss Adjest, Professor Pugman called all the Blue Moon Party members to his office. He said that the meeting is about the upcoming Promotion battle." The student said and left quickly.

Adjest glanced at me before standing up. I don't have the mood to tease Adjest back.

"Are you mad that I joined Blue Moon Party?" Adjest asked me as she turned back to face me.

"Hm? Not really. Its just a party, nothing to be serious about it. Besides, what I don't like is Professor Pugman. Not the party itself." I said and Adjest smiled at me.

"Then see you at the Promotional Battle." Adjest said which made me chuckle.

"Sure." The reason why Adjest said that is because the Professors of the Alpha Class gave free time for the students to prepare the Promotional Battle. You can do whatever you want in that free time.

I picked my book up and stood up. I left the room to have some lunch and once again saw Professor Bridgette outside the classroom.

"Professor, what brings you here?" I asked her.

"Are you busy?" She asked me instead.

"Well, not really. I was about to have lunch after the class." I said confusingly. I don't know why Professor Bridgette would call out to me.

"Then, I want to introduce you to someone. You can have some snacks in my office." Professor Bridgette said and I knew where this was going.

"I'm kind of hungry but that works, I guess." I followed her into her office.

She served me a box of freshly baked cookies and tea. I took a bite of the cookie and realized that it was pretty good. Seeing my reaction, Professor Bridgette smiled.

"Is it to your liking?" She asked me the obvious.

"Yes, it is good. Did you make it yourself?" I asked her in curiosity.

"I made it myself but I learned it at a corner town of the Empire when I was travelling." She said which surprised me quite a bit.

"I never expected someone to make a recipe this good even though its just a snack." I said making Bridgette a little sad.

"Unfortunately, the Grandma and her family that made the recipe were killed because of a petty noble who didn't get what they want. The noble wanted to take the Grandma's daughter for himself but she's already married. In his rage, the noble captured the family and killed them in public. I wouldn't be surprised if the noble tried to force himself on the girl before he killed them." Professor Bridgette said with shaking shoulders. I could feel her rage and sadness. I didn't have anything to say, she probably tried to help them but it was already too late and she couldn't go against a noble.

"If you hated those nobles, why did you decide to enter the academy to teach those nobles you hate?" I asked her seriously, I was curious about it. If she asked for a job as a professor, I could have her teach in my public school and maybe make her the Principal.

"I... I wanted to destroy the rotten system of the academy." She said as she forced herself to calm down. She knows that what she's saying is going against the nobles but she wanted to change it.

"So the person that you wanted me to meet will do that?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. He's a talented individual. His desire for knowledge probably rivals the Tower Master. The way he held my cape to teach him how to use magic is just so adorable." She said with a smile and I chuckled at her words.

She was about to continue when a knock took our attention away from each other.

"It seems like they are here." Professor Bridgette said.

"They? I thought you're introducing me to someone?" I asked her, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, they are a party of three is what he said to me." Professor Bridgette said and opened the door.

"Hello, Professor." I heard the voice of Desir from the outside.

"Come in and have a seat." Professor Bridgette invited them in and they enthusiastically came in only to be surprised seeing me inside, already seated.

"Aegis?!" Desir said, surprised. The other two that's with Desir was surprised at his outburst so they peeked with their head and saw me. They suddenly understood the outburst of Desir.

"My oh my, it seems like you know each other." Professor Bridgette was surprised as well.

"Well, we've already met each other by coincidence." I said which made sense to Professor Bridgette.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Take a seat." Professor Bridgette gestured the trio to the seat, opposite of mine. Pram and Romantica are still fidgety around me but Desir has already calmed down. He may be surprised but that's all.

"So, Professor. What's the point for asking this meeting?" I asked her to satiate my curiosity. Desir wanted answers as well so he waited for Professor Bridgette to answer my question.

"Before I answer your question. I would like to congratulate you, Desir, for passing the Entrance exam. Your performance surprised me, I never knew that your level of performance was that precise." Bridgette said making Desir smile wryly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Did I really? I lost to Aegis though. I couldn't do anything that its frustrating just thinking about it. You're so strong, Aegis. Adjest even said that you didn't bring your prized spear. We don't know the extent of your strength." Desir said as he praised me but I just chuckled.

"Thank you, the way you use the basic spells surprised me as well. Its an eye-opening performance, Desir." I praised him for his genuine ideas of how useless spells become incredibly useful just by changing the perspective of the user.

"Indeed. The high level implementation and application of magic... it was my first time seeing you perform exceptionally. Back then when I was teaching you about magic, you were complaining that it was impossible for you to learn it but now, look at you. You were so exceptional that it felt like you betrayed all of my expectations." Professor Bridgette said with a nostalgic look causing Desir's face to crumple in embarrassment.

"Just kidding, I'm just messing with you." Professor Bridgette laughed and she placed teacups and poured tea for them.

"Drink up, before they get cold. Its hard to get these tea leaves you know?" Professor Bridgette eyed everyone with a smile.

"Before we get to Aegis' question. Student Desir, what is your purpose for creating a party?" Professor Bridgette asked Desir. Everyone knew that she's done messing around and onto the main point.

"I will take the promotional exam with my party members, and advance them to the Alpha Class." Desir said and Professor Bridgette looked at Desir first before looking at me.

"That will be a difficult task. I'm sure you're aware of that." Professor Bridgette said seriously.

"Of course." Desir replied with the same seriousness.

"Excuse me... when you say that you're advancing us to the Alpha Class... What exactly do you mean by that?" Pram suddenly asked in confusion.

"You see, in the academy, there a thing called a ranking system. The promotional battle is a test that determines the rankings of the students of the students of our academy. The test follows a tournament structure and selects the top 30 students.

After being selected, the students that passed will be placed in another test.

They will be placed at a tier 5 shadow world and will be tasked with a specific mission. The 9 students that passed the shadow world will be given a special title called 'Single Ranker'. The positions also determines whether you advance from beta class to Alpha Class." I said removing the confusion on Romantica and Pram's face.

"But the advancement that Student Desir isn't just a simple advancement. He doesn't want to just pass the advancement, he also wants to gun for the 'Single Ranker' title. Correct?" Professor Bridgette said and Desir nodded.

"Yes. That's right." Desir said as if it was his plan at the start.

"Are you insane!? Its already hard to be selected as the top 30 students and even if we were one of the selected students, we'll be ostracized because we're from the Beta class!" Romantica suddenly stood up from her seat and caused a scene.

"What she says is true. Usually the 30 students that are selected are all elite students from reputable parties. And all these reputable parties all came from the Alpha Class. So if a Beta class were to be selected..." Professor Bridgette paused looking at Desir and his party members.

"They will do everything to eliminate us because we are beta class students." Pram said as he understood what Professor Bridgette meant.

"Correct. That's why you'll be targeted by the alpha students." Professor Bridgette said.

"That's precisely why we have to aim for the single ranker title." Desir said.

"Are you serious?!" Romantica questioned Desir once more.

"I see. I now see what you want to achieve." I said looking at Professor Bridgette.

"And where do I come from this and what will I get from this, Professor?" I stared at Professor Bridgette.

"What do you mean by what Desir wants to achieve?" Pram asked me about what Desir's goal.

"You should ask your party leader about it. But if you want to get the general idea, if a beta class party of 3 managed to snag 3 single ranker titles all by themselves, not only will the professors who despises the beta class will be forced to acknowledge you. It will also cause a spark." I said looking at Pram.

"What spark?" Romantica asked me for more but Desir was the one who answered.

"A spark that will ignite the hearts of those from the beta class. 'If they can do it, we can do it as well.'. It will become the signal for this ridiculous discrimination must be changed." Desir said making Romantica look at Desir like he's a crazy person while Pram just shut his mouth.

"Fine, I will allow you to form this party under one condition. Student Romantica Eru, Student Pram Schneider, I will need your consent. After hearing what Student Desir proposed... Do you still want to join his party?" Professor Bridgette looked at the two of them.

Romantica and Pram were silent. After some hesitation, Pram nodded his head and agreed to give his consent. As for Romantica, she's still weighing the pros and cons of such decision. After a bit more time of thinking, she helplessly sighed and nodded her head.

"Then we're going back to Student Aegis. I want to ask you for a favor. I want you to help their party." Professor Bridgette finally said what's on her mind. Desir, Pram, and Romantica were shocked by what Professor Bridgette just proposed.