The morning rose gently. A ray of sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains and struck Aria's face. She blinked, still sleepy, and looked around.
The room was enormous. Two other canopy beds stood at a good distance, separated by a wide space that almost made it feel like three separate rooms. Yet another proof of the Academy's ostentatious luxury.
Aria got up. Almost immediately, a servant entered silently, bowed slightly, and escorted her to the adjoining bathroom. The bath was quick, efficient, almost ritualistic. When Aria came out, hair still damp and skin refreshed, the atmosphere had already shifted.
Behind a silk screen, Miore was being dressed by her own servant. Leslie sat at a vanity, having her hair brushed with almost punitive vigor.
"You really have to make a scene first thing in the morning?" Leslie said in a superior tone. "You're a student at this great Academy now. The servants clean your commoner body—it's normal. You're no longer part of the basic rabble. No, you're a commoner… with a title now. Heh heh."
Miore snickered from behind the curtain.
"You never know when to shut up, do you? I'm already disgusted at sharing a room with an arrogant princess like you. Good thing noble titles disappear here. I have zero desire to respect you."
The argument quickly escalated, voices rising in crescendo. Aria, already dressed, didn't wait for the quarrel to end. She touched her necklace with her fingertips, took a deep breath, and left the room without a word.
In the vast, sunlit cafeteria, servants approached as soon as she sat down. She ordered simply; they brought her a balanced plate. She ate in silence when a small figure timidly sat next to her.
"Good morning…" Sasha murmured, eyes downcast. "Did you sleep well? I… I wanted to know if I could sit with you?"
Aria smiled softly.
"Of course. Sit down."
Sasha settled in, visibly nervous. She ate in small, hesitant bites, as if afraid of making a wrong move or looking ridiculous. Aria found her adorable. They finished their meal almost in silence, a budding complicity forming between them.
Together, they headed toward the Primerra classroom.
The amphitheater was built in reverse tiers: the back seats were the highest, the front ones the lowest, close to the board. Aria chose the very first row, determined to absorb everything. Little by little, the others arrived. When the class was finally complete, Lamia entered.
She placed her things on the desk with calculated slowness, then turned to them.
"Good. We already met yesterday, but I'll introduce myself again: I am Lamia Grandcester, your homeroom teacher. I will teach you all subjects."
Eyes instinctively drifted to the still-visible red mark on her cheek. No one dared ask the question out loud: who could hurt someone that strong?
Lamia continued, unfazed.
"At the Academy, we will work on your education with homework, of course. But the most important thing is that you become heroes. Weapon mastery, physical training, magic mastery and understanding, adaptation in crisis situations, teamwork, confidence in your abilities… After the entrance test, I'm formal: you are extremely bad. Zero points.
You only succeeded because I limited my abilities to fifteen percent. You throw spells randomly hoping to hit, you don't know how to work as a team… Why did you split up right from the start? Teams of ten would have been much more efficient. Your guard drops too quickly, you argue in the middle of combat. Disappointing."
A heavy silence fell.
"But that's exactly why you're here. To learn."
She paused, then continued:
"If I had to pick an example… imagine the Soul Devourer attacks this class. None of you could even scratch him. He would play with you."
The silence became oppressive. No one dared contradict her.
"Natural magic and hereditary magic… Tell me: what really makes a hero powerful?"
Leslie raised her hand. Lamia pointed to her.
"Hereditary magic? The children of the Kingdom of Daven all have unique family magic, even commoners."
Lamia shook her head.
"Wrong. It's strong, yes. But without one essential thing, it's useless."
She waited. Aria timidly raised her hand.
"…The titles, ma'am?"
Lamia gave a slight smile.
"Exactly. Titles."
She stepped forward.
"A long time ago, mages discovered that the titles a person receives are closely linked to the collective consciousness. And that collective consciousness is itself linked to magic… which is linked to humanity. The more a title is known, widespread, anchored in people's minds, the stronger the person who bears it becomes.
A good example: Lux. Became a hero in everyone's eyes, his power increased with every battle. The more he made people talk about him, the more, unconsciously, the world saw him as an overwhelmingly powerful hero. It's hard to accept, but it's others who strengthen us.
That's why Vespia waited for that precise moment. Right after the Demon King was sealed, killing the Hero made her even more famous than both combined. The kingdoms knew it… hence the astronomical bounty. A perfect crime. Calculated.
If people know you as a pervert, your powers will become perverted. But a title isn't invented: the person must truly match what is said about them. By extension, the Devourers placed themselves at Vespia's service to become known under specific titles. The one who devours the sun… her power is probably linked to the sun."
Lamia made a gesture. A large poster descended from the ceiling: the four symbols of the nations, and in the center, an immense arena.
Ben jumped to his feet, excited.
"The Tournament of the Four Nations!"
Lamia nodded.
"Yes. This tournament is extremely well-known. Students from all nations fight there to earn their hero title in front of the largest number of spectators possible. You now understand why titles are given so much importance.
The tournament is in six months. We're going to train you so that, on that day, you are able to force me to use my full abilities."
She stepped toward the board and began a basic lesson on magic.
For the first time, the students worked seriously. Concentrated. Motivated.
They now knew what was at stake.
End of Chapter 6