Chapter 51: Class 1-B

The next morning, Ethan Vale failed his first academic test.

It was not a difficult test.

It was not even a magical test.

It was a seating arrangement.

Professor Aurelia Voss stood before Class 1-B with a clipboard in her hand.

"Today is your first official day as an independent class."

The students sat quietly.

Some were excited.

Others looked nervous.

Noah Blake was hiding behind a book that was upside down.

Adrian Cross sat with perfect posture.

Elena Frost had already opened her notebook.

Rowan sat beside Ethan, staring at the desk as if it were a complicated magical artifact.

Ethan looked around the classroom.

The walls were newly repaired.

The windows had been replaced.

The blackboard was ordinary.

There was no hidden door.

No ancient skeleton.

No mysterious voice.

Room 13 had returned to being an empty storage room.

Professor Voss raised her clipboard.

"Before we begin, we will organize the seating arrangement."

Ethan relaxed slightly.

The previous night had ended without an ancient monster emerging from the floor.

For once, he expected a normal morning.

Professor Voss pointed toward the first row.

"Ethan Vale, seat one."

Ethan looked at the desk.

A small golden symbol appeared above it.

**SEAT ONE.**

He walked toward it.

"Rowan, seat two."

Rowan followed him.

"Difficult," Rowan whispered.

"It is a chair," Ethan replied.

"The chair has a number."

"It is still a chair."

"What if the number is a magical ranking?"

"It is not."

The chair immediately changed.

**SEAT TWO: SECOND POSITION.**

Rowan looked at Ethan.

"It may be a ranking."

Ethan stared at the chair.

Professor Voss continued.

"Elena Frost, seat three. Adrian Cross, seat four. Noah Blake, seat five."

Noah raised his hand.

"Professor, I have a concern."

"You have several."

"Why am I sitting beside Adrian?"

"Because you are both students."

"That does not feel like a sufficient reason."

Adrian looked at him.

"You are seated beside me because the professor believes I can keep you focused."

Noah stared.

"Do you?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

"To prevent you from causing problems."

Noah glanced toward Ethan.

"You should be sitting beside him."

Ethan looked at the two of them.

"Why?"

"Because you are the source of most of the problems."

The blackboard wrote:

**NOAH BLAKE: CORRECT.**

Noah stood.

"Why is the board still here?"

Professor Voss did not look up from her clipboard.

"It is part of the classroom."

"It has opinions."

"It is a standard teaching board."

"It insulted me yesterday."

"It gave an accurate assessment."

Noah slowly sat down.

"I already miss the war."

Professor Voss finished assigning the seats.

Veyron stood at the back of the classroom beside the teacher’s desk.

He was wearing a dark academic robe and holding a stack of history books.

His expression suggested that he had been personally offended by the existence of the students.

Professor Voss turned toward him.

"You will begin the first lesson."

Veyron placed the books on the desk.

"The subject is the Final War."

The classroom became quiet.

Noah raised his hand.

Veyron pointed toward him.

"What?"

"Are we allowed to ask questions?"

"If they are intelligent."

Noah lowered his hand.

"I will remain silent."

"That will be a first."

Professor Voss sat at the back of the room.

"I will observe."

Veyron faced the class.

"The Final War began nearly one thousand years ago. It involved seven kingdoms, three major magical factions, two ancient bloodlines, and one extremely irresponsible student."

Several students looked toward him.

Veyron continued:

"That student was Azeroth Veyr."

Ethan stared at the window.

Noah leaned toward him.

"He is talking about you."

"I am aware."

"Do you want to say something?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He is not entirely wrong."

Noah looked shocked.

"I never thought I would hear you admit that."

"Do not get used to it."

Veyron wrote on the blackboard:

**CAUSES OF THE FINAL WAR**

1. The First Door.

2. The fragments.

3. The conflict between Azeroth and Veyron.

4. Excessive arrogance.

5. Poor communication.

Noah raised his hand again.

Veyron sighed.

"What?"

"Was poor communication really one of the causes?"

"Yes."

"How important was it?"

Veyron considered the question.

"Most wars begin because people refuse to discuss their plans."

Ethan glanced toward him.

"That is not entirely true."

Veyron looked back.

"You would know."

The students turned toward Ethan.

Noah slowly lowered his head onto his desk.

Elena looked at Ethan.

"Were you and Veyron unable to communicate?"

"We communicated."

Veyron nodded.

"We threatened each other."

"That is communication."

"It is not effective communication," Elena said.

Veyron pointed at her.

"Correct. Five points for Frost."

Noah raised his hand.

"I also have an answer."

"You have not been asked a question."

"Five points for Blake."

"Denied."

The blackboard wrote:

**NOAH BLAKE: -5 POINTS.**

Noah stood.

"I have lost points for speaking."

"You were warned."

"I have lost points for breathing near the board."

"That was not why."

The board added:

**-2 POINTS FOR COMPLAINING.**

Noah turned toward Ethan.

"Make it stop."

Ethan looked at the board.

"It is a teaching tool."

"It is an enemy."

The board wrote:

**NOAH BLAKE: DETENTION.**

Noah’s face fell.

"It has only been ten minutes."

Professor Voss finally spoke from the back.

"Your record is impressive."

Noah sat down with folded arms.

"I am being persecuted."

Adrian looked at him.

"You have been in class for ten minutes."

"That is enough time to establish a pattern."

Veyron continued the lesson.

"Azeroth believed that the First Door should be destroyed. He believed magic itself was the source of war."

A student near the window raised her hand.

"Was he right?"

Veyron paused.

Ethan looked toward him.

Veyron answered carefully.

"He was not completely wrong."

The classroom became quiet.

"Magic gave people power," Veyron continued. "But power did not force them to become cruel. Their choices did that."

Rowan raised his hand.

"What is cruelty?"

Noah turned toward him.

"You have been here for one day and you already ask better questions than the rest of us."

Veyron looked at Rowan.

"Cruelty is choosing to harm someone when you understand they can suffer."

Rowan thought about it.

"Then is fighting always cruel?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because fighting may be necessary to protect someone."

"Who decides when it is necessary?"

Veyron glanced toward Ethan.

"That is the most dangerous question."

Ethan looked at Rowan.

"You decide, then answer for the result."

Rowan nodded slowly.

The classroom remained silent for a moment.

Then the bell rang.

Everyone jumped.

Noah nearly fell out of his chair.

"What was that?"

"The bell," Adrian said.

"It sounded hostile."

"It announces the end of class."

"Then why did it sound like a warning?"

The blackboard wrote:

**BECAUSE YOU HAVE ANOTHER CLASS.**

Noah looked toward Professor Voss.

"I would like to leave the academy."

"You have been here for twenty minutes."

"That is long enough to understand the danger."

Professor Voss stood.

"Your next lesson is Basic Mana Control."

Rowan turned toward Ethan.

"Is that difficult?"

"No."

The blackboard wrote:

**FALSE.**

Ethan looked at it.

"Why is it false?"

**BECAUSE ETHAN FAILED IT.**

The students turned toward him.

Noah’s mood improved instantly.

"You failed Basic Mana Control?"

"I did not fail."

Professor Voss opened her clipboard.

"You destroyed the measuring crystal."

"It was fragile."

"You overloaded three mana gauges."

"They were poorly calibrated."

"You accidentally froze half the training hall."

"The spell was unstable."

The blackboard wrote:

**FAILURE CONFIRMED.**

Ethan stared at the board.

"You are becoming irritating."

**I AM LEARNING FROM YOU.**

Noah laughed.

"Ethan, the classroom is your greatest enemy."

"The classroom is not an enemy."

The board wrote:

**DEBATABLE.**

The students moved to the practical training hall.

The hall was much larger than the classroom. Its walls were covered with safety runes, and dozens of measuring crystals floated above the floor.

Professor Voss stood at the center.

"Basic Mana Control is simple. You will place your hand on a crystal and release a small amount of mana."

"How small?" Rowan asked.

"Enough to make the crystal glow."

"Not break?"

"Correct."

Noah raised his hand.

"What if it breaks by accident?"

Professor Voss looked at Ethan.

"Then I will know who taught you."

Ethan walked toward the first crystal.

The students stepped aside.

Noah whispered to Rowan:

"Watch carefully. This is an important historical event."

Ethan placed his hand on the crystal.

The crystal glowed.

For half a second, everything seemed normal.

Then it began to shake.

Professor Voss’s expression changed.

"Ethan, stop."

Ethan removed his hand.

The crystal continued shaking.

A thin crack appeared across its surface.

"No," Professor Voss said.

The crystal exploded.

A wave of harmless blue light filled the training hall.

The safety runes activated.

The students were thrown backward onto padded mats.

Noah landed on Adrian.

Adrian pushed him away.

"You are heavy."

"I am emotionally heavier than physically."

Ethan stood in the center of the hall, covered in glowing dust.

Professor Voss walked toward him.

"Explain."

"I used almost no mana."

The blackboard from the classroom appeared on the wall.

**HE USED THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF HIS VERSION OF ALMOST NO MANA.**

Ethan looked at the board.

"You followed us?"

**I AM PART OF THE ACADEMY.**

Noah sat up.

"Can it attend all our classes?"

**YES.**

"No."

**YES.**

Professor Voss handed Ethan a wooden measuring token.

"Use this."

Ethan looked at it.

"Why?"

"Because it cannot explode."

The token immediately cracked.

Everyone stared at it.

Professor Voss closed her eyes.

"Of course."

Noah raised his hand.

"Can I go next?"

Professor Voss looked surprised.

"You want to?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To prove that I am capable of basic mana control."

Adrian muttered:

"You are trying to compete with Ethan."

"I am trying to establish a normal level of competence."

Noah placed his hand on a crystal.

The crystal glowed softly.

Nothing exploded.

Noah looked around.

"Did you see that?"

The students applauded.

Noah removed his hand and bowed.

The blackboard appeared on the wall.

**NOAH BLAKE: ACCEPTABLE.**

Noah smiled at Ethan.

"I passed."

Ethan nodded.

"Congratulations."

"You sound jealous."

"I am not."

The crystal behind Noah suddenly exploded.

Noah jumped.

Professor Voss looked at the broken remains.

The blackboard wrote:

**DELAYED FAILURE.**

Noah’s smile vanished.

"I reject this result."

The next student stepped forward.

Rowan.

He placed his hand on the crystal.

Nothing happened.

The crystal remained dark.

Professor Voss frowned.

"Release a small amount of mana."

Rowan focused.

A tiny violet spark appeared.

The crystal glowed.

Everyone waited.

The crystal did not break.

Rowan removed his hand.

The students applauded again.

The blackboard wrote:

**ROWAN: ACCEPTABLE.**

Rowan looked toward Ethan.

"Is acceptable good?"

"It is sufficient."

Noah placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not listen to him. Acceptable is excellent in this academy."

The board wrote:

**NOAH BLAKE: INCORRECT.**

Noah pointed at it.

"Stop lowering my morale."

Elena stepped forward.

Her crystal glowed pale blue.

The light formed a perfect snowflake inside it.

Professor Voss nodded.

"Excellent control."

The blackboard wrote:

**ELENA FROST: VERY ACCEPTABLE.**

Elena looked at the board.

"Again?"

**YOU ARE DIFFICULT TO IMPRESS.**

"Correct."

Adrian took his turn.

Golden light filled the crystal.

The crystal glowed so brightly that several students shielded their eyes.

Professor Voss immediately stopped him.

"Too much."

Adrian frowned.

"I used the amount required to produce a clear result."

"You used enough mana to signal the capital."

The blackboard wrote:

**ADRIAN CROSS: DRAMATIC.**

Adrian looked offended.

"It was controlled."

The crystal exploded.

A safety barrier appeared instantly.

The blackboard wrote:

**DRAMATIC AND INCORRECT.**

Noah leaned toward Ethan.

"I like this board."

"You hated it earlier."

"It has grown on me."

The practical lesson continued.

By the end, most of the students had successfully controlled their mana.

Ethan was the only one forced to use a wooden token.

Even then, the token had developed a faint crack.

Professor Voss dismissed the class.

As everyone left, Rowan remained near the training hall entrance.

He looked at the other students.

"They know I am different."

"Yes," Ethan said.

"Some are afraid."

"Yes."

"Should I explain what I am?"

"Only if you want to."

"What if they ask?"

"Answer honestly."

"What if the answer frightens them?"

"They may be frightened anyway."

Rowan looked toward the classroom windows.

A few students were watching him.

One quickly looked away.

Another waved awkwardly.

Rowan raised his hand and waved back.

The student smiled.

Noah came running down the corridor.

"Rowan! You have been assigned a roommate."

"Who?"

Noah pointed at Ethan.

"Ethan."

Ethan turned sharply.

"No."

Professor Voss appeared behind them.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because your room is the only one with enough protective seals."

"That is not a reason to make us roommates."

"It is the reason."

Noah looked disappointed.

"I requested to share a room with Ethan."

Ethan stared at him.

"Why?"

"To prevent him from doing anything dangerous while asleep."

"I do not do anything dangerous while sleeping."

The blackboard appeared at the end of the corridor.

**FALSE.**

Noah pointed toward it.

"See?"

Ethan looked at Professor Voss.

"What did I do?"

"You tried to command the furniture."

"I was dreaming."

"You told the bed to kneel."

Noah covered his mouth.

Rowan looked confused.

"Did the bed obey?"

"No," Professor Voss said.

"It was a resistant bed," Ethan replied.

The blackboard wrote:

**THE BED FILED A COMPLAINT.**

Noah laughed.

Ethan walked away.

Rowan followed him.

"Do we have a room now?"

"Yes."

"Will the bed be there?"

"Probably."

"Should we apologize?"

"No."

The bell rang again.

A new announcement appeared on every blackboard in the academy.

**CLASS 1-B: FIRST-YEAR COMBAT ASSESSMENT TOMORROW.**

Beneath it:

**PARTNER ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE RANDOM.**

The students began complaining.

Adrian immediately started planning.

Elena opened her notebook.

Noah looked at Ethan.

"Please do not get paired with me."

"Why?"

"Because you will destroy the arena."

"That only happened once."

"Three times."

"Two."

The blackboard wrote:

**THREE.**

Noah pointed at Ethan.

"See? Even the board agrees."

Rowan looked toward the announcement.

"What is a combat assessment?"

"A school activity," Noah explained.

"Will we fight?"

"Yes."

"Can we die?"

"No," Ethan answered.

The blackboard wrote:

**PROBABLY NOT.**

Rowan turned toward Ethan.

"Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"No."

The academy bell rang a third time.

Somewhere in the old library, a book opened by itself.

A page turned.

Then another.

The title on the cover was barely visible:

**Darius Veyr: A Study of Magical Identity.**

A new sentence appeared beneath the title:

**Subject Ethan Vale has returned to school.**

The book closed.

Back in the corridor, Ethan felt a faint pulse from the black notebook in his room.

He stopped walking.

Elena noticed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

The notebook pulsed again.

A second sentence appeared on its first page:

**The first lesson was observed.**

Ethan’s expression hardened.

A third line slowly formed beneath it:

**The second lesson will be graded by someone outside the academy.**

Noah looked over his shoulder.

"Is that bad?"

Ethan closed the notebook.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"Whether the examiner passes Basic Mana Control."

The blackboard at the end of the corridor wrote:

**ETHAN VALE: STILL UNACCEPTABLE.**

Noah burst out laughing.

For the first time since the Royal Palace, Ethan smiled.

Then the academy bell rang again.

And somewhere beyond the school walls, someone began watching Class 1-B.