"Julius Sterling, Cassane Windsteel, Margareth Padden, Nicolas Storm, Leia Leamington, and Cassian Varkas," the professor in charge of forming the teams announced.
Two familiar names stood out; it almost felt intentional.
I stepped forward to where the newly formed groups were gathering. Five people were already waiting for me. Julius looked like he wanted to fight me again, but at the same time, he seemed different—perhaps more mature. It seems our encounter in the arena was more useful for him than I thought.
Cassane, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable around him, and seeing me didn't improve her expression.
"Alright, now that we're all here, I think some of us already know each other, but it would be good to introduce ourselves properly," Leia Leamington said enthusiastically.
Julius ignored her completely. I suppose I should take back what I said about his maturity.
Margareth Padden, meanwhile, introduced herself briefly. She was the daughter of a baronial family and a third-circle mage. She looked confident, though she kept adjusting her uniform and checking that her brown braids were perfectly in place. Her green eyes scanned all of us, analyzing.
Nicolas Storm, in contrast, gave off a much simpler impression. He was a second-level aura warrior—a commoner, yet quite talented for someone without resources or a powerful lineage.
Leia Leamington was the weakest in the group, and like Nicolas, she was also a commoner. She had entered the academy as a prodigy due to her rare affinity for sound, but she had stagnated at the first circle and hadn't progressed in years.
When it was my turn to introduce myself, I was stopped.
"That won't be necessary. I think we all know you—and him," Margareth said, pointing at Julius. "After all, you caused quite a stir not long ago. Though it would be useful to know if you can actually use a sword. If so, you'll be very helpful during the tests."
Despite her innocent appearance, Margareth was clearly quite analytical.
"I only know a little. Don't expect too much. Luck probably played a role that day," I replied with my usual indifference.
Disappointed, she lowered her head and nodded, but then Leia stepped in.
"That's amazing, Cassian! Luck is part of skill. If you managed to defeat a fifth-circle mage by any means, that's already incredible. I think our team definitely has an advantage over the others!"
Her eyes shone too brightly; it was a mix of admiration and a kind of confidence that made me slightly uncomfortable.
Cassane was the last to introduce herself. It was more of a formality than a necessity—there wasn't anyone there who didn't already know her.
"Does anyone know when the exams will officially take place and where?" I asked.
"Oh, right—you arrived late, so you missed the important part," Leia said. "The exams will start next week, will last a total of five days, and will take place in the hunting grounds south of the capital. We'll be transported there on Monday morning, so you'll need to be on time or it'll count as if you didn't participate."
"And unless you want to be expelled, you really shouldn't skip the exams, Cassian," she added, sounding especially concerned for me.
I nodded and thanked her for the information.
For a while, we stayed there. Margareth and Leia did most of the talking—the former analyzing how we could perform better as a team, and the latter enthusiastically agreeing with everything she said. Occasionally, Cassane joined in with her own input.
I tried to see if I could get along with Nicolas, but he wasn't very talkative.
Julius, meanwhile, stood with his arms crossed, listening to everything as if none of it really mattered.
"Alright, I hope everyone understands their role. I'll try to gather everything we'll need to survive five days in the hunting grounds and let you know what's missing so you can help," Margareth announced.
She had taken on the role of leader with surprising ease.
We all nodded without objection. Finally, it seemed I could leave that place—or at least, I would have, if Cassane hadn't stopped me to say whatever was on her mind.
"Cassian, wait," she said, with that cold, queenly voice of hers that didn't allow refusal.
She looked me up and down, as if trying to figure something out.
"I wanted to ask you for something…" she said. It was strange—she wasn't phrasing it like an order.
"You've been asking me for a lot lately. I don't see how someone like me could help one of the three queens of this institution," I replied with a hint of irony.
"Don't joke right now. I know we're not exactly close, but technically we're engaged. What's wrong with me asking you for a favor?"
"Let's get this over with, Cassane. What do you want?"
She didn't seem pleased with my response, but after a brief hesitation, she continued:
"I wanted to know if there's any way you could ask Sera to let me enter the inheritance realm with her." She bit her lip nervously. "I heard that even though the Sterlings wanted to decide it themselves without taking Seraphine into account, the Headmistress intervened and gave her the final decision."
Good to know Sylvia helped Sera, I thought. When I handed over the piece, I wasn't sure how things would unfold.
"You should talk to her yourself," I said. "I don't understand why you're coming to me for this."
"Everyone knows you have a good relationship with her. I think there's a higher chance she'll accept if you're the one asking."
She wasn't wrong. Sera would say yes to anything I asked—especially something like this.
However…
"No," I replied, my cold tone seeming to freeze the air between us. "If you want something from her, ask her yourself. I'm not going to use my relationship with Sera for your political gain—or your family's."
Cassane froze, as if she hadn't expected such a direct refusal from me.
Without waiting for a response, I turned around and left the training hall.
I could feel her gaze fixed on my back—a mix of indignation and surprise that I didn't bother to confirm.