Book 3: Chapter 266: Grudges of the Past

—"Ice Death School," Sephone College

In July, most academies entered their summer vacation period.

"Anari, where are you planning to go for the break?"

Several female students in black academy uniforms walked together, discussing their vacation plans. Among them, one girl was petite in stature, with curved horns on her head—a rare beastman apprentice.

"I'm planning to head back to the Asra District," the girl replied.

"Oh, we know you're going back, of course. But what about after that? Any plans?" her companion pressed.

"Um, no plans."

Anari shook her head. She didn't know where she wanted to go for fun. She only felt that she still had quite a gap between herself and the other students at the academy. If she had free time during the break, she'd surely need to spend it catching up on her studies.

"I see. Well, how about coming with us to the southern seaside for a vacation? The sunlight there is abundant, and the waves are gorgeous."

"This..." Anari showed a hint of hesitation.

"If we miss this chance, once the Sinking Fog season arrives, going there won't be as enjoyable—it'll be nothing but gray, overcast days," her classmate urged again.

"Then I'll come along too, but..." Anari thought it over, then replied.

"But I might need to save up some money." She was among the poorer freshmen.

"Oh, don't worry about that. We'll cover it." For these few students of noble birth, the cost of a trip was merely a drop in the bucket, hardly worth mentioning.

"This..." Although she was spared from paying, Anari's face flushed red with embarrassment. She felt a bit ashamed, but she also kept telling herself inwardly that this was not the time to refuse her companions' offer—doing so would only spoil everyone's mood.

"Thank you." Finally, she managed to force out those words with a sense of awkwardness.

"Hehehe, it's nothing. We're classmates, after all."

And so, after agreeing on a departure time with her companions, Anari boarded the train back to the Asra District.

For her, the hometown from her childhood memories could never be returned to. There were no family members left there, and the entire village had long been abandoned. Going back would serve no purpose other than gazing at the wild grass growing on the local soil.

It was the Asra District, on the other hand, that carried so many of her beautiful memories, along with those who had once been close to her.

Sitting on the train, Anari reminisced about the little moments of life in the Asra District, gradually looking forward to the reunion this vacation would bring.

It had already been a year since she formally enrolled at the "Sephone College" of the Ice Death School.

Originally, she should have reported this matter properly to Hedra, who had taken care of her so much. But the other party, having taken over the Mishil District last year, had become incredibly busy, rising to become a notable figure throughout the entire Mage Alliance. With such a massive gap in status and standing, Anari didn't dare rashly contact Hedra, afraid of disturbing her.

Sitting on the train, Anari was lost in memories. A train attendant passed by carrying a food box, asking passengers if they wished to purchase one.

Not feeling hungry, Anari didn't speak up, her gaze instead drifting into the distant scenery outside the window. But the attendant still placed a meal box in front of her.

"I didn't order lunch." Anari shook her head.

"Another passenger ordered it for you." The attendant pointed to Anari's side and rear, where a figure was waving.

"Mind if we chat a bit?" He walked over and sat down across from Anari.

"Actually, I'm a beastman too." With that, the young-looking apprentice pulled back his hood, revealing a pair of black, brown, and white tri-colored beast ears standing upright.

This was the mark of a beastman, signifying that his beastman bloodline was tied to the wolf lineage.

Over the next few minutes, the fellow beastman apprentice, who looked just as young, introduced his name, the academy he currently attended, and some of the problems he'd encountered in daily life.

"In every academy of the Alliance, beastmen are still a minority, so we need to stand united." His name was Yatos, and he was currently studying at "Zhelais College," a member of the "Lightning School."

"I don't quite understand what you mean." Anari looked at him.

"No, you do understand." The other party shook his head.

"Of course you understand. You got into Sephone College of the Ice Death School—with your intelligence and comprehension, there's no way you don't know what I'm saying. You're just hesitant right now, unwilling to say it outright." He called out Anari's true thoughts.

"You hold far too much undue hope and closeness toward the Alliance. You believe you've already integrated into it and can live a good life from here on out, right?" His words grew increasingly aggressive.

"These are all illusions. Think carefully—has there ever been a Seventh Tier beastman sage in the Alliance's history? No, there hasn't."

"Setting that aside, what about Sixth Tier master-level figures?"

"As it stands, the entire Alliance has barely over four hundred master-level figures combined..." He continued to elaborate on the current situation of beastmen within the Alliance.

"We need to unite and fight against this situation. Only when members of beastman origin also occupy those highest positions can this injustice of identity be lifted."

Anari now understood his purpose in coming. If this were a few years ago, she would have excitedly agreed on the spot. But now, she maintained a cautious attitude toward it.

During the latter half of the train journey, the other party continuously fed Anari these ideas. Unfortunately, the pink-purple haired beastgirl never accepted them.

As the train pulled into the station and their parting drew near, Yatos told Anari a startling piece of news.

"Do you know why I went out of my way to persuade you, even taking great risks without giving up?" Yatos leaned close to Anari's ear, lowering his voice.

"Haven't you noticed that you've never grown tall, and that the curved horns on your head are uneven—one big, one small?"

"Do you really think that's just a difference in growth?"

"Beastmen originated from ancient wizards who craved the power of the 'Primordial Beasts.' They transplanted various ancient bloodline powers, and over the following millennia, beastmen suffered all kinds of elimination and contempt."

"Beastmen with even slight flaws or weakness were essentially weeded out over that long stretch of time. The beastmen who survive today all possess physiques naturally stronger than ordinary humans. It's impossible to have such obvious weak traits."

"You're a survivor of the mages' cruel bloodline experiments. Why do you let yourself forget that fact?" This statement struck Anari's heart like a thunderbolt, leaving her frozen in place. Scenes from the past that she had nearly forgotten came flooding back into her mind.

The horrific fates of familiar family members and companions, along with the despair she had once experienced, struck her all over again.

"You shouldn't betray yourself. Remember your mission, and the hatred you carry on your shoulders." Those words coiled around Anari's ears like a cold, sinister serpent, lingering until she stepped off the train. Standing on the station platform, she remained motionless for a long, long time.