Jack's POV
*Knock-Knock*
I woke up to a knock at the door.
Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I sat up and rubbed my face. The room was still dim, the early morning sun barely filtering through the curtains.
I glanced toward the door, sensing something was off.
I turned to Aaron, who was also just waking up, and thankfully, he seemed to be along.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up, stretched, put on a shirt and walked over to the door. When I opened it, I saw a piece of paper taped to the wood.
I pulled it off and started reading.
I stared at the last part for a moment before scowling.
"What the hell is this?" I said
"Is something wrong?" Aaron asked
I passed him the note, stepped out of my room, I noticed the others emerging from theirs, each of them holding the same paper.
Orin, who was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, was the first to speak. "Did anyone else see this?" He held up the notice, his brow furrowed.
Araki frowned. "Yeah… why does it say that commoners have a separate ceremony?"
Zek, who walked out from behind Orin, clicked his tongue in irritation after Orin showed it to him. "Someone added it afterward, looks it different hand writing," he said while pointing at it.
Aaron held his paper up, eyes narrowing. "He's right. It's a different handwriting. Sloppy and rushed too meaning they were in a hurry. It wasn't done by whoever wrote the original."
I sighed. "Figured as much."
Zek crossed his arms. "So, what now?"
"I'm going to ask Nate about this," I said, already turning toward the stairwell.
Nate, the Commoner Dorm Supervisor, was easy to find. He was sitting in the dorm's small lounge area, rubbing his temples like he already knew what I was about to ask. When I handed him the paper, he glanced over it and let out a long sigh.
"Figures," he muttered.
"So?" I asked.
Nate leaned back against the chair, arms crossed. "Upperclassmen are the ones who post these announcements at night. I followed them around to make sure they didn't make noise, but one of them must've pulled this shit when I wasn't looking. Just a stupid prank to make sure commoners miss the actual ceremony."
I exhaled sharply, already irritated. "Of course... Great start to the year."
"I'll make sure everyone knows," Nate assured me.
"Appreciate it," I said before leaving.
Back in the hallway, I met up with the others. They all turned to me expectantly.
"It's a prank," I told them. "Upperclassmen added it to screw with us."
Orin clicked his tongue in annoyance, while Araki and Aaron exchanged unimpressed looks.
"At least we know," Zek muttered.
"Yeah," I agreed before glancing at Ark.
He looked nervous.
His ears twitched slightly, and he kept shifting his weight, like he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to.
I narrowed my eyes. "Ark, what's wrong?"
His tail gave a small flick, and he quickly looked away. "N-nothing!.. It's... its nothing."
I stared at him for a moment but didn't push.
"...Alright," I said, but I made a mental note to keep an eye on him.
~~~~~~~~~
2 hours later at The Grand Hall
The Grand Hall was massive.
A vast open space with towering pillars lining the walls, intricate banners of the academy's crest hanging from above.
Hundreds of students filled the center of the room, sitting in chairs and waiting for this to stand, all first-years like us—about 200 in total by my count.
But we weren't alone.
Upperclassmen stood on balconies, watching from above. Some filled the stands on the side, while others were standing on the stage in front or us or off to the sides.
some of their gazes were sharp, filled with judgment, while others showed indifference and others showed happiness. most of the happy ones are also commoners though.
I sat next to Ark, who fidgeted slightly. I glanced at him, noting his nervousness, but I had my own issues to deal with.
Because the Headmaster had arrived.
A tall woman with long black hair and piercing dark eyes walked onto the podium, dressed in elegant robes that screamed nobility. Headmaster Elara Veynos.
She had a cold, calculating expression. But beneath that, I saw something else. Something like… excitement.
She raised a hand, and the hall fell silent.
Then, she began to speak.
"Welcome, students, to the Second Rumia Academy." she began
Her voice rang through the hall, clear and commanding.
"This academy has stood for generations, a pillar of strength and knowledge. Each year, a new group of students arrives, ready to forge their path. Some will rise to greatness. Others will be forgotten. But all will be tested."
She let those words hang in the air before continuing.
"The times are changing. The world is growing dangerous. As you all know, the Kingdom of Rumia stands on the edge of war with Decadra. Because of this, the academy's curriculum will change. Combat and magic will take priority. You are the next generation—the ones who will defend your families, your lands, and your legacy."
At that, she glanced at the small group of commoners—including me—with a look that made her opinion on us clear.
Cannon fodder.
The nobles in the crowd seemed pleased by this, exchanging smug, self-satisfied glances.
I ignored them.
"how can someone like her be the headmaster of the academy." Orin whispered, noticing her look at us.
But something about the Headmaster's expression caught my attention. She looked… eager. Excited. Yet also strangely conflicted.
Like she was forcing herself to be happy about this.
Weird.
She clapped her hands, regaining everyone's attention.
"Now, before we move on—there is one student who has already demonstrated exceptional ability."
I tensed. "oh no..." I sighed
"Jackson Drovas. Step forward."
A ripple of whispers spread through the hall. I sighed, standing up.
Ark grabbed my sleeve. "J-Jack…?"
I gave him a reassuring smile before stepping forward.
The Headmaster's eyes locked onto me as I walked onto the stage.
"This student performed incredibly during the entrance exam," she announced. "He remained calm in battle, as I'm sure the rumors have spread, the dead bodies of some wolves and a direwolf became possessed by demons and became hell hounds. Mister Jackson here nearly single-handedly defeated multiple Hellhounds—including the Alpha."
The nobles murmured among themselves, eyes widening. The rumors were true.
The Headmaster turned to me, preparing to say more—
But I wasn't stupid. I saw the shift in her expression.
She was about to say something I really didn't want her to.
So I acted first.
I slammed my foot down, letting a wave of my aura burst out only at her. The pressure made the air heavy. The Headmaster hesitated. I stared her down, my meaning clear.
Don't say it.
She faltered—then quickly corrected herself, realising I didn't want that known.
"Because of his exceptional talent, I am offering him a reward. Jackson Drovas—"
She forced a smile.
"I am granting you the opportunity to join Class 1-1, the elite class of this academy. And as an even greater honor—"
I didn't like where this was going.
"I offer you my daughter's hand in marriage."
The hall went dead silent.
The nobles blinked in surprise. The commoners stared. The Headmaster's daughter, who was standing behind her, looked shocked and was about to protest—
But I didn't let her.
I clenched my fists, furious.
Then, shouted "FUCK OFF! NO, YOU CRAZY B*TCH!"
The words exploded out of me.
The entire hall froze.
i stormed off the stage after whispering, "we will talk about this later," and preasuring her with my aura again.
~~~~~~~
~4 minutes later~
The air in the office was thick.
I sat across from Headmaster Elara Veynos, watching as she stared me down from behind her polished mahogany desk. Her hands were folded in front of her, but her nails dug into her sleeves, and her jaw was locked tight.
She was furious.
Her dark eyes burned with barely restrained rage, but she was keeping herself in check—probably because she was still reeling from what had just happened.
Then, finally, she spoke.
"What," she said slowly, voice sharp as a blade, "was that display earlier?"
I met her glare with an unimpressed stare of my own. "That?" I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "That was me making it clear I'm not interested in handouts or marriage proposals."
Her fingers twitched slightly.
"I make my own path," I continued. "I don't accept things like that from anyone. And if you'd done even a little research on me, you'd know that already."
We stared at each other in silence.
Then, after a brief pause, I tilted my head.
"That's the reason you can tell everyone else, anyway," I said casually. "But the real reason?"
I leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with her.
"I hate you."
Her expression flickered for just a second.
I smirked. "I hate your hypocritical reputation. I hate your favoritism for noble students. And I really hate that you pretend to be some wise, respectable figure when everyone with a brain knows exactly what kind of person you are."
Her teeth clenched. "You—"
I didn't let her finish.
"Careful," I cut in smoothly. "I know you can't do anything to me."
Her breath caught.
"If you expel me, you risk the possibility I'll just go to another academy—or better yet, straight to the King." I tapped my fingers against the armrest of my chair. "I wonder how he'd react if I told him everything you've been doing here. You know, all the illegal stuff."
For the first time since I stepped into the office, a crack appeared in her composure.
Her face paled.
I could see the calculation in her eyes as she realized exactly what I meant. Favoring nobles over commoners was against the King's rule. And if word got out, she wouldn't just lose her position—she'd be ruined.
But it got worse for her.
Because she also knew something that most didn't.
I leaned back again, giving her a knowing look.
"And let's not forget—" I continued, voice calm, "you know what I am."
Her fingers twitched again.
A Spirit Summoner.
A being so rare that kingdoms would go to war over just one. Only ten were currently known to exist. And I was one of them.
That meant I had leverage.
A lot of it.
Enough that if I asked the king to step down and let me take the throne, he would do so just to keep me as a resource to the kingdom.
Her mouth opened slightly, but before she could even try to defend herself, I pressed the final nail in the coffin.
"And if you ever try to go after my friends," I said, my voice dropping lower, "I can always get a spirit to curse you. Or tear down this whole damn academy."
I smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile.
"Would be a shame if all the bodies you've buried in your closet were dragged out into the light, wouldn't it?"
The color drained from her face completely.
Silence.
The entire time, I kept my aura pushing down on her. Not enough to be obvious to anyone outside the room, but enough. Enough to make sure she felt it. Enough to make sure she knew she was one wrong move away from watching everything she worked for crumble.
Finally—slowly—she nodded.
I waited a second longer, then exhaled, releasing my aura.
The pressure vanished.
Elara inhaled sharply, but she didn't say a word.
I stood up, straightened my coat, and turned toward the door.
Just before leaving, I glanced over my shoulder.
"Glad we had this talk," I said casually. "Have a nice day, Headmaster."
Then, without another word, I walked out.