Zeke was excited, a rarity in recent days. Today was the start of the regular schedule. Despite his struggles during the past week, he had learned how to control his Core and was finally able to attend classes. With a bit of luck, he would even share a class with Lilly from now on.

Moreover, he would learn how to do real Magic. And not just one type, but three kinds. Despite what anyone else might say, he was genuinely excited about being able to learn such a diverse set of abilities.

However, that would have to wait for a bit. Before leaving last week, he had familiarized himself with his schedule for the coming week. The days were separated into two parts, theory in the morning and practical classes in the afternoon. With assured steps, he made his way to the first class of the day — History of Magic.

As he took a seat in the back, he recognized several faces from the Evaluation. From what he could tell, the class was solely attended by commoner-born students. Nobles were likely not required to take this class. They were probably taught about those subjects from a young age.

Despite his efforts to spot Lilly, by the time the class started, he had to contend that she wasn’t there. But he had several more classes in the morning, and he was bound to run into her at some point.

The door creaked open, and an elderly man strode into the room. His pale gold robe clearly marked him as a teacher. Without as much as a glance toward his students, he launched into his lecture. He didn’t even seem to care if anybody paid him any attention as he started his routine.

“The origin of Magic is a subject debated up to this very day. Nobody can say for certain where Magic actually comes from. However, it is a widely held belief in the empire that the four elements are the origin of all Magic. Therefore, we call those four the primary affinities — with only the Mind affinity being superior still.”

A girl in the first row raised her hand but was completely ignored as the teacher continued without even looking at her.

“Subsequently, all other forms of Magic are what we call secondary affinities. Among them, Life, and Death mark the top while the body affinities, Blood, Bone, and Flesh, are at the low end of that ranking.”

Zeke frowned, raising his hand as well. Why would the Blood affinity be ranked so low? But just like the girl from earlier, he was also completely ignored as the teacher continued his lesson.

This pattern continued for the entire duration of the class, with the teacher droning on and on about the four elements. All the while, he ignored any and all questions or comments. But the moment the chime of the bell was heard, the old man, who had yet to introduce himself, stopped mid-sentence and left.

Zeke couldn't help but feel perplexed. Were all classes like this?

The morning's two other lectures didn't offer much reprieve from his initial disappointment. He had held high hopes for Magic Theory, but it turned out to be a letdown as well. Instead of diving into essential topics like Mana or spellcasting, the teacher talked solely about the interplay of elements.

They learned about the boiling point of water, the melting point of stone, and even the various hues of flames. While these concepts might be relevant for Elemental Mages, Zeke couldn't help but wonder. Wouldn't it be more fitting to explore these ideas in their separate classes?

The one, unifying thread that ran through his morning lectures was a palpable disinterest on the part of the teachers. They didn't come across as passionate educators but rather as individuals merely counting down the seconds until class ended. Yet, that wasn't the most troubling aspect for Zeke.

Against all odds, Zeke found himself not sharing a single class with Lilly. He didn't even catch a glimpse of her throughout the entire morning. Zeke pondered about how best to reconnect with her as he made his way across the academy grounds.

He might be able to meet her if he went to the lunch hall, as almost all first-years gathered there at this time of day, but that was not an option for him. The meals were not free, and he was struggling enough as it was. There was no way he could even consider paying the exorbitant prices for the food here. How did Lilly manage? Maybe she had made friends with somebody wealthy?

Shortly after, he arrived at the secluded spot where he always came to eat. From the satchel at his waist, he retrieved his meal: Two pieces of bread alongside a thick slice of cheese and a much thinner slice of bacon. For him, this was plenty.

However, he had learned on his first day not to eat in front of the others. Their disbelief had quickly turned to ridicule as they saw his sparse meal. One of his classmates, Jeffery, had even gone into detail explaining how even his dogs ate better. Ever since, he had come here to eat, far away from prying eyes.

After finishing his meal, Zeke let his upper body fall backward. For a moment, he just laid there, spread out on the shortly cropped lawn. His nostrils twitched, momentarily surprised at the intense smell of grass and earth as he enjoyed the wind brushing against his skin.

Then, he channeled his Blood Mana.

He had made a habit out of doing so as often as he could. Not only was this the only way to get stronger, but the revitalizing effect was also one of the only pleasures he enjoyed. Those few minutes of silence were the most peaceful moments of his day.

But all too soon, his short reprieve was over.

The tolling of the bell signaled the end of lunch. Zeke jumped to his feet. For a moment, he struggled to find his balance. Gertrude had not exaggerated when describing the benefits of his Blood affinity.

It had only been a few days and he could already tell that his body was growing stronger. Despite not looking any more muscular, his arms and legs held a strength far greater than before. A welcome blessing, considering the long commute he had to undertake each day.

Zeke broke out in a jog that quickly turned into a sprint. His hurried pace was partly prompted by his newfound strength, but there was another reason as well. His first class of the afternoon was Blood Magic.

For a change, he was the first to arrive. Zeke picked a seat in the very first row as he waited for the class to start. But even after a long while, nobody had joined him. His mood sank further as he was still sitting alone even after the bell announced the start of class.

Doubts crept in. Had he mistakenly found the wrong room? Before he had the chance to verify his suspicion, the door swung open.

In strolled a man who, at first glance, could’ve been mistaken for a random drunkard off the street. The only hint of his role as an educator was the faded, golden robe exclusive to teachers. He swayed back and forth before his eyes settled on Zeke. “So, you are the one…”

“Yes?”

“The Blood Mage,” the man clarified. His speech was slurred, giving credence to the theory that the man didn’t just look like a drunkard.

“I have a Blood affinity, if that is what you mean, sir.”

The man scoffed. “Yeah, whatever. How long do you think you are going to stay?”

“Until the end of class?” he asked more than stated.

The drunkard rolled his eyes. “Not that. I am talking about how long you’ll stay at the Elementium.”

“This is my first year, sir,” Zeke tried to explain. “So, I’ll be staying for four more years.”

The man blinked owlishly before bursting out laughing, almost doubling over. It was not a pleasant sound, and Zeke got the distinct impression that the man was laughing at him.

After he finally got his shaking and swaying body under control again, the stranger smirked. “That’s very unlikely, boyo.”

“Why is that?”

"Do you see any other students here?" Zeke’s brow furrowed, but the man dismissed his unasked question with a wave. "Whatever — forget about it. I’ve probably said too much already. Name's Cenred, by the way."

"I've never come across that name before…"

"Well, I'm not exactly a local," Cenred replied, cutting off the coming inquiry once more. "But that's none of your business."

Zeke fell silent, already sensing he wouldn't see eye to eye with his new teacher. The man seemed resolute in dodging his questions — a less-than-ideal trait for any educator.

“Anyway, welcome to your first Blood Magic class,” he said in a voice that made the greeting sound like a taunt. “A few things before we start: As with any other affinity, I will teach you three spells during your first year. You’ll be expected to learn at least one of them until the midterm exam. Any questions?“

Zeke shook his head, too excited about the prospect of actually learning Magic to bother with anything else.

“Good. The three spells you are supposed to learn in my class are: [Blood Manipulation], [Blood Spike], and [Boost].”

“What do they do?”

“[Blood Manipulation] is pretty much the same as any of the other manipulation spells. It gives you the ability to control blood freely.” Seeing the smile that was beginning to emerge on Zeke’s face, the man rolled his eyes. “Don’t get excited, boyo, Manipulation spells are next to useless for all Body Mages.”

“Doesn’t sound useless to me,” Zeke protested.

“That’s because you don’t know shit. I bet you imagine yourself controlling an opponent’s blood to impale them from the inside or something equally childish.”

“…Not at all,” Zeke lied.

“Well, that’s good then, because you can forget about doing that,” Cenred sneered. “It’s almost impossible to influence another Mage’s body with Magic. That would only be possible if you outclass your opponent by a tier, at least. And at that point, why even bother?”

“What is it good for, then?”

“You can control your blood.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much,” Cenred said with a sage nod. “To be honest, the spell is primarily taught for practice purposes. There is a very low risk of injuring yourself with [Blood Manipulation] — unlike other Blood magic, say, [Blood Spike], for example.”

Zeke gulped. “What does it do?”

“It creates a spike… from blood….”

He waited for his teacher to elaborate further, but after a few moments of silence, it became clear that this was all the man was going to say. “What about [Boost], then?”

“[Boost] is the most complex, but also the most versatile of the three. It increases your blood flow to increase your physical capabilities. Run faster, hit harder, whatever you need, this spell can provide.”

Zeke scowled. None of the spells on offer appeared to be particularly magical. If [Blood Spike] did what he thought it did, then it was nothing more than a glorified spear. [Blood Manipulation] was used for training purposes only, and [Boost], well, provided a boost. This was all he would learn all year long?

“What about other spells?” Zeke asked hopefully. “Will I be able to learn more when I am done with those?”

Cenred scoffed. “Dream on! What do you think spells are? Cabbages? You can call yourself lucky to even be taught anything here as a Blood Mage.”

“Then how am I supposed to learn new spells?”

“Well, that’s what Mage families are for,” Cenred explained. “Why do you think everybody is so eager to kowtow to the four great families if not for their spells?”

“So, I’ll just have to join a powerful Blood family?”

Cenred grinned. “Indeed, boyo.”

“…What’s with that expression? Do you think they won’t take me?” he was looking forward to wiping the smug grin off his teacher’s face. “Joke’s on you. I have a perfect Blood affinity.”

However, contrary to his expectation, the grin on Cenred’s face only widened.

“No,” the man said. “Joke’s on you. There is no such family in the empire. And neither will you be allowed to join any family outside of it.”

Zeke’s eyes widened. “What? Why not?”

“Because we are on the brink of war, boyo. And the kingdom of Valor is one of our main adversaries. The emperor would never allow a kid with a perfect affinity to join his enemies. No, one such monster is enough.”

“Then… what does that mean for me?”

Cenred leaned forward, his oily face coming close. Zeke could smell the acrid tang of alcohol from the man’s breath as he whispered into Zeke’s ear. “It means you are FUCKED.”