---Silvia's pov---

Today is the day that classes start. I got up and started preparing for the day. After getting dressed and eating breakfast at the school cafeteria, I looked at the time. 9:50. Time to go to class. 

When I got there, there were a few people sparsely sprinkled around the room. I looked around and saw Deverick sitting by himself in the back. I approached him, hoping we could get familiar enough to be friends. I am still not used to how he is the first person to treat me normally. 

"Hey, Deverick."

"Hello, Sylvia."

"So you like being in the back?"

"Yes, I can see everything that happens. You can't believe the stuff some people get away with."

I laughed at this. I never thought about it that way. Normally when I am in class, I am focused on learning everything I can. But to think Deverick would see it like that. It refreshing.

"So why did you decide to take this class?"

"The class will give people an idea of what all the specializations are about. Having that knowledge can be very helpful in deciding what one wants to do in life. And even if one doesn't realize what they want to do, they will at least form some understanding of everything."

This is a very rational explanation that fully analyzes the pros of taking this class.

"What about you?" Deverick asked.

"I wanted to take the hardest classes to improve myself."

"A good goal, as long as your doing it for yourself and not someone else."

This statement hit me hard. For someone the same age as me, he seems very wise. As I was lost in thought, I heard someone say something to Deverick.

"Deverick? Is that you?"

"Lia? What are you doing here?"

"I'm attending the academy. Why, I can't?"

"No, you can. I am just surprised to meet you like this."

"I am as well. After following teacher around, I decided to start my college life. And I see that you started a year ahead."

When I heard this, I realized what she meant. Deverick is not my age. He is one year younger than me. A surprise considering high school goes on until the student is 19. Just how much more is there about you?

I then looked at the girl that was next to Deverick. Isn't that Lia Mordesin, the little genius of the family? It makes sense now. But isn't Lia 20 now? Did she take a gap year? Oh, that's right. She took Elder Ganora as her teacher a year ago. So by a series of coincidences, the two siblings that are two years apart, are now attending the same school at the same time. I wonder how Lia feels about having her seniority being demoted?

Then she turned to me.

"Care to introduce me?"

"This is Sylvia, a new friend."

Friend. He just called me a friend didn't he? OhmygodwhatamIgoingtodo? Calm down. Just act normal. But what does that even mean? AHHHHH.

"Sylvia?"

"Oh sorry. I got lost in thought. It's nice to meet the rising artifician that everyone is talking about these days."

"You're flattering me. You're not too bad yourself, Child of Lions."

"If possible, please don't call me that."

"Ok?"

As the three of us were talking, I heard the sound of frantic running from the hallway. It stopped outside the door followed by its opening.

"Sowy. Emy *pant* is late. *pant* Emy forget the time." Emy shouted.

The class went silent. This includes me when I heard this childish way of talking. What is she doing here? Could she be taking this class as well? But why would she? It doesn't fit her.

"It's ok," Deverick said.

She looked over.

"Brother Deverick!"

"It's nice to see you again, Emy."

She sat down in front of him. The class returned to their own thing.

"Hi Savee, hi other lady."

"I didn't know you are in the academy as well, Emy."

"Emy look young, but she 19."

"That makes sense."

"Hold on a second," I interrupted. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah, we met an hour ago and I invited her to breakfast."

"Breakfast very good."

"You're talking as if you know her as well, Sylvia," Lia asked.

"Who doesn't? She was ranked 3rd on the placement test. Wait, did you two even take the entrance test? I didn't see either of you in it."

"No I didn't," Deverick said, "I got in here because of some connections. My mom is good friends with the dean."

That makes sense, but would the higher-ups make an exception like that?

"As for me, teacher Ganora's name is enough to let me skip the test."

Darn, I am so jealous. These two straight-up skipped the most difficult part.

As we chatted some more, I realized something feels off. I don't know what, but something feels off. I looked at the time. 10:05. That's when it hit me. It's past the starting time, so where is the professor? A few other people realized it and voiced their doubts.

"Well that's my queue," Deverick said to himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

"You'll see."

He got up and put his hands in his pockets. Then he started walking down the steps at a leisurely pace. When he got to the middle of the room, people started noticing him.

He continued. When he walked past the front row, whispers started.

"What's that guy doing?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think he will get in trouble for this?"

Deverick got behind the podium. He fiddled around with it for a few seconds before his amplified voice rang out.

"Can everyone hear me?"

Everyone turned their heads toward the clown.

"Since it appears that no one else is running late, I will introduce myself."

"Who does he think he is?" A question that came out of nowhere.

I looked around. Lia started panicking. She must be worried that her brother will leave a bad impression on the professor. I don't blame her. If I were the professor running a little late on the first day, I would be pretty annoyed when I see someone messing around in the classroom.

But Deverick ignored all of these doubts.

"I am Deverick Mordesin. As of today, I am the professor assigned to this classroom."

Silence. Absolute silence. I had my mouth open. What did he say? I looked at Lia.

"Please tell me this is some elaborate prank."

But her equally shocked expression proved me wrong. Emy as well. Her wide eyes and hanging mouth, though only made her more adorable.

A few more seconds passed. Then the classroom exploded into a series of overlapping questions. 

"One question at a time."

Everyone became quiet. They looked at each other to see who will ask the question.

Someone raises his hand. 

"Yes? Oh before you ask your question, I will say a few things. No this is not a prank. Yes, I am younger than all of you. And yes I did get here by connections. So what's your question?"

The person stood up. 

"I am Shin Kinemasu. I want to ask in what why are you qualified to teach us?"

Shin asked, ignoring Deverick's last statement. After all, no matter how young he looks, he needs to have some ability to get into the university. There is no way the higher-ups would ever let a useless person in. Right?

Shin Kinemasu. Another big name. At least to the people that took the entrance exam. Losing only after a hard-fought battle, he managed to secure himself 2nd in the overall rankings when facing the current first. Compared to Emy, both of them completely outclass her by a long shot. Just for comparison, I at least have a fighting chance against Emy if she doesn't get serious, but when Emy fought both of them, They knocked her out in one hit. Complete monsters.

"That's a valid question. I think it is better to show everyone."

Deverick activated his kata and projected his screen onto the board. He clicked on the icon on the side and pulled up Nemesis. Then he proceeded to bring up his profile page. 

*Gasp*

"Look at his rank," someone shouted out.

I looked over. Rank 32. Is that supposed to be something impressive?

"Now I know a lot of you didn't have a kata until a few days ago, so you might not know what this means. Let me put it this way. This server contains all the mages who have touched the network in the last 8 years. And I mean everyone. I'm not exaggerating. Every. Single. Mage."

He paused to let everything sink in.

"And the highest rank someone has gotten is rank 32. Do I need to say anymore?"

"But sir, there has only been one person who has reached such a level. Are you saying-"

"Yes. I am saying exactly what you think I am."

"Unbelievable. To think I would actually meet WhiteAlias in person." A few people murmured.

Huh? Is he famous or something?

"I see that a lot of you still have blank stares. So let me change my introduction plans a little."

Deverick then went about projecting a magic circle on the board. 

"Everyone see this? I want you all to copy it down. For homework, I want you to cast this and explore what kind of existence Nemesis is. For those who already know, I want you to attempt the optional problem in your profile. Oh, I would recommend you cast it in a private space. It does cause a big commotion after all."

As he was saying the last part, he cast a spell that drained the mana in the classroom, causing the casts of a few spells to fail.

"We will meet again in two days. Class is now dismissed."

People started shuffling out the door after hearing that. At the end of this, only Lia, Emy, Shin, and I were left.

"How can I help you student Shin?"

"How did you do that?"

"The draining of mana or my profile at my age?"

"The mana part."

"That will be something I will talk about in my Intracsies of Elements class. If you to hear about it, consider joining that class. It will happen at 2."

Shin fell into thought for a few moments. Then he asked, "I can still drop the classes I picked, right?"

"Yes. Though you could pick it up as a third class."

"If you are going to go into as much detail as I think you will, then I don't think I will need any other classes. I would rather focus my time on learning your stuff better."

"A good resolve. I will be available on days I don't hold classes if you want to consult me on anything."

"Thank you professor Mordesin."

Shin then walked out of the classroom. What remains is now just the original group.

Deverick, no professor Mordesin turned to Lia.

"Well, are you surprised?"

"How could I not? My little brother now became my professor."

"Well you have my contact information so can you leave the chance to ask questions to these two?"

"Emy doesn't have questions. Emy leave with Lia," the cheerful girl chimed in.

"Then let's leave. We could go check out the other classes that are happening right now."

Emy nodded.

That leaves me and my supposed friend.

"Am I still your friend?"

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"But your status-"

"No buts. Status means little to me. I am foremost myself before I am a professor."

This calmed me down. I didn't want to lose one of the only people I considered friends. Feeling better, I asked the other question on my mind.

"Then why did you lie to me?"

"What lies?"

"When you told me about yourself. You said you took this class to get a better idea-"

"Before you go further, I need to correct you on something. I never said that is why I am in this class. I just explained the merits of this class. To be more specific, I never answered your question, but you came to the conclusion that is my reason."

I thought about it for some time. "No way?"

"Think about it some more, Sylvia. Every time you felt like I lied to you."

I thought about the conversations we had so far. Without letting me respond, he continued.

"I never told any lies. My words are the truth, taken out of context, that is. I simply gave misleading answers. I even gave you a hint when I first talked to you. Do you remember the hint?"

"It's all in the details."

"Correct. Unless I specifically say something, never assume what I said is my actual answer."

"But why would you do that? Especially to someone you just met?"

"Consider it me sowing some seeds and having a little fun."

"Seeds for what?"

"For moments like these where I get to deny everything you claim to know about me." He burst out laughing.

"What a bad habit."

"You can consider this as getting to know more about me, my friend. If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I never say the things I do without a reason."

"Ok. Last thing, why did you make your entrance the way you did? You could have easily just walked in and made yourself more believable to everyone."

He stared at me for a few seconds.

"If there is a second thing you should know about me, it is that I love putting on a show."