Mage Rankings

"Listen up, everyone. We have a new addition to our class today, so let's give a warm welcome to Maxwell Alstrain." With that, a figure of a young man stepped into the classroom, casting a shadow across the floor.

Maxwell Alstrain's short silver hair shimmered under the light, and his striking red pupils captured everyone's attention.

Kathleen couldn't help but notice his chiseled features, reminding her of the heroes from her past life. He came to a halt in front of the instructor, then turned to face the class.

Maxwell Alstrain introduced himself in a soft and courteous tone, his gaze sweeping across the room. However, his introduction failed to impress a certain individual.

"Excuse me, Miss Elina, but how could the academy allow someone to join without undergoing any entrance exams? Moreover, with the final exams just around the corner, is it possible for anyone to enroll and take the tests without even attending classes?"

A boy with black hair stood up and spoke out against Max's enrollment, "I worked hard to pass the entrance tests, but this Duke's son just waltzes in without any effort. Isn't the Magus Academy supposed to be fair to everyone regardless of their status?" The murmurs of the other students filled the classroom in agreement with the boy's sentiment.

"Quiet!" Instructor Elina bellowed, causing the murmurs to dissipate.

"You're asking if the academy is granting admission to Maxwell Alstrain due to his status? The answer is a resounding no. The Magus Academy holds true to its principles, and it will never differentiate between nobles, royals, or commoners."

"It is a rule that all those who enter the academy must abide by, no matter their background. However, the academy does differentiate between one crucial factor, and that factor is known as TALENT." Instructor Elina spoke as she advanced towards the young man.

"Maxwell Alstrain didn't just enter the academy without proper testing, he passed all the entrance tests conducted by the headmaster himself. Moreover, he's already a 2-star mage, unlike some of you who are still stuck at 1-star Rank from last year."

"l'm not obliged to clarify this to you, but if you have any concerns, you can directly file a complaint to the headmaster's office. Now, let's focus on our studies and get back to class." Instructor Elina stated calmly, without showing any signs of annoyance.

Instructor Elina gestured towards the empty seats and said, "You may take a seat now, Maxwell." Max nodded politely and made his way towards the back of the classroom. As all the front benches were taken, he chose to sit at the back. To his left, he noticed that Kathleen was seated, and so he sat down beside her.

The young man who had voiced his protest against Max's entry into the academy reluctantly returned to his seat with a visible scowl, but he kept his mouth shut and focused on the lecture.

"Now, let's get back to the topic. Today, we'll be revising the fundamentals of mana and how to progress through the ranks." Instructor Elina retrieved a pen-like tool and began jotting on the board behind her.

"Let's start with the basics. Mana is the fundamental source of our power that we harness to strengthen our cells and perform magic. It can be viewed as natural energy particles that permeate the air around us."

Instructor Elina continued, "By absorbing this mana, people can advance their strength. It's a simple process. About 90 percent of people in the world awaken their mana cores between the ages of 10 to 16. The remaining 10 percent have very little chance of awakening after this age." She glanced at Max, she was also surprised about his enrollment in the academy.

The Duke Nicholas had requested the academy's headmaster to test his son's abilities and determine if he was eligible to attend.

Despite awakening his mana core a year later than usual, Max had become a 2-star mage within just 2-3 months. It would have been impossible for the academy to deny such a prodigious talent.

"Now let's delve into the ranking system of mages. Within the empire, mages are classified based on their power level which ranges from 1 star to 9 stars. Each rank is divided into 4 minor levels: Low, Mid, High, and Peak level."

"Each mage's rank is indicated by stars as we absorb mana and advance our levels, a star will form in our body and continue to orbit around our mana core. With each additional star, we progress to the next rank." Elina explained while observing the class to ensure they were paying attention.

Elina noticed that many students were not paying attention to her class, except for a few who had a particular interest in magic. Kathleen was among those attentive students.

It would be a lie if she claimed to remember every detail about the world of the novel, despite inheriting the previous owner's memories. There was still much she didn't know.

"Now let's talk about the basic elements of magic: fire, water, earth, and wind. These were the fundamental elements known in ancient times, but as time passed, our ancestors discovered that these were not the only ways to use mana. They uncovered many secrets about magic, such as special physiques and bloodlines.

And humans made a significant breakthrough when they discovered the Elemental Principles, which enabled them to master various elements beyond the four fundamental elements."

Ring~ Ring~

As Elina wrapped up her lecture, the bell rang signaling the end of the class. She bid farewell to her students before gathering her belongings and leaving the room.

As soon as she departed, the class erupted into chaos as many of the students began discussing about Max and how Instructor Elina had stood up for him.

Kathleen sat on the bench, leaning back and placing her palm over her face.

'Hold on! Why did I only consider exploiting the plot? Magic is also valuable, especially since I have knowledge of its future advancements. Hehehe.' Kathleen chuckled to herself, realizing how much easier her life would be if she put her plans into action.

Sophie looked at Kathleen, who had her face covered with her hands and appeared to be confused.

Sophie wondered why Kathleen had a wide grin on her face. She thought that perhaps Kathleen had lost her sanity from the loneliness of being isolated in the academy for a whole year.

Sophie had noticed that Kathleen had changed her seat from yesterday and also observed her strange reaction when Sophie had visited her.