Part XIV Social Status in The Academy

A month after the exam, Lazuro and Tristan learned they had both passed the Dragoon Academy entrance exam. They began their new lives at the Academy alongside Aicelia. The opening ceremony took place that morning in the main hall, where small chairs were arranged for the fifty new and senior students. Djuana and ten teachers stood on the podium. After a brief speech, Djuana invited the top-scoring, purple-haired student to the stage.

"Thank you to the students and teachers for giving me the opportunity to stand here," the student said.

"Isn't the Greattower family amazing? They don't even use a special quota for their children and instead require their children to take the exam," Tristan said mid-speech.

"So you think my father isn't a good person?" Aicelia narrowed her eyes.

"That's not true, but—"

"My father said that luck is also a part of strength, and he also thinks I'm worthy. So you shouldn't complain, Tristan." Aicelia puffed out her cheeks.

“Okay, sorry ... that was my bad.” Tristan sighed.

After the student representative's speech, the student council gave the new students a tour. They showed them their classrooms, the training hall that had previously served as the test site, the Mythbreaker maintenance area, and the infirmary. Their tour ended in a room with a large table topped with a luxurious tablecloth and a waiter standing in the corner.

“This is the last room. As the student council, I would like to thank you for allowing us to show you all the rooms in this school. This last room is the cafeteria. The students really enjoy sitting here relaxing, enjoying tea and dishes prepared by the expert waiters. This is also a place for first-year and third-year students to bond. So don't hesitate to ask your seniors.”

After explaining, Fiore walked toward the stairs and took a prominent table in the center of the room. Several people began to take their seats, including Lazuro and Tristan, who ended up sitting at the far end. Lazuro glanced at the rows of seats and realized something.

“So you notice it,” Tristan said suddenly.

“That…”

Lazuro glanced back at the seating arrangement and realized that the student council members were sitting in the center, while Aicelia sat at a table near them. Several more conspicuous students were also seated at tables near the student council members, forming a circle of moths around the flame. Meanwhile, people at the farthest tables were trying to talk to those at the table near the student council members. Some of them were greeted warmly, while others ended up being stared at and, even worse, kicked or having their glasses doused with water.

“The privilege of attending Dragoon Academy is a social network. As a commoner with a mythbreaker, you’re only restricted to hunting for a few days after the elites have finished. Knowing someone in the upper classes will make life easier for your family. That’s why commoners tend to act like they curry favor to gain an advantage. Students with high status often take advantage of this to find lackeys.”

“Restricted hunting schedule, looking for lackeys?” Lazuro was taken aback by Tristan’s statement.

"Huanlong only rests once every three months and rests its tail on land. During that time, the entire hunting schedule is set by the kingdom. Five days are for the northern, southern, eastern, and western groups. The rest is reserved for the kingdom, the nobles, and their trusted confidants. Usually, the king only reserves the final two days to return to the kingdom. At that time, everyone can hunt freely. However, it's a risky time, considering Huanlong's imminent resurrection. That's why gaining connections for hunting is so important," Tristan explained.

"So that's how it is." Lazuro nodded his head repeatedly.

Lazuro glanced at the student council table and noticed several people trying to approach Fiore.

"A little tip from me. Don't try to curry favor, or you'll only become their slaves. Nobles and direct descendants of clan leaders usually view commoners as nothing more than tools. Even I wouldn't be happy if I were summoned to their table," Tristan warned.

"But Tristan... shouldn't you be sitting at the table near the student council? You're a noble too, aren't you?" Lazuro asked, puzzled.

"Everyone has been forming their own circles since the beginning. You can see that as soon as we sat down, Aicelia was pulled along by one of the four clan leaders' children. Aicelia herself realized she couldn't refuse this, as it might impact her father's power. My being in this position isn't surprising, considering I wasn't chosen by the Mythbreakers, and my own father is dead. So why don't we just enjoy this?" Tristan leaned his shoulder against the chair.

Suddenly, a sexy purple-haired girl approached Lazuro and Tristan's table.

"You're... the new owner of Flamebreaker, aren't you?" the girl asked, smiling.

"Oh, that..." Tristan awkwardly rose from his chair. "I'm Tristan Draco. I am indeed the new owner of Flamebreaker."

"Draco... isn't that the surname of the previous northern clan leader? My name is Selene, Selene Greattower. I hope to form a party with you in the future. By the way, you shouldn't be sitting here." Selene glared at Lazuro. "Why don't you join us? We still have one empty seat at our table." Selene offered.

"But I'm with my friend," Tristan said.

"You can bring your friend with you. She can stand beside you as a bodyguard. You might need one when you become clan leader." The purple-haired girl tossed her shoulder-length hair.

Hearing the words "next clan leader" made Tristan smile like a fool. Tristan looked at Lazuro with a foolish smile, lulled by Selene's persuasion.

"What about it, Lazu? Do you want to come?" Tristan asked.

"I…" Lazuro's eyes darted from side to side. "I don't think I'm coming."

"See, he's not coming. You have to be selective in choosing your friends. It's better to be with people from your 'class' so you can grow." Selene smiled faintly.

Tristan finally relented and went to a table near the student council. Several seniors greeted him happily, and they began to chat. The waiter finally arrived and offered some of the day's dishes. After ordering a Pig Onion Steak set, Lazuro leaned back in his chair and looked around. Bored, he pulled his smartphone out of his pocket.

"Damn, it looks like my phone is completely out of battery. If only it could turn on, I could play a game to kill the boredom."

After a few minutes, the waiter arrived with two dishes to Lazuro's table. Lazuro was surprised, as he had only ordered one.

“Ano… actually, I just—”

Lazuro’s jaw nearly dropped as Fiore walked in and suddenly took a seat across from him. The sight immediately caught the attention of everyone in the room. They all started whispering, making Lazuro uncomfortable.

"You seem lonely, leaf boy." Fiore sipped her tea gracefully.

Lazuro pointed to himself, making an expression that said, "I... a leaf boy?" to Fiore.

"You don't have to make that expression. I've heard that you crossed swords with my father. You also fought Mrs. Djuana, one of the great generals with extraordinary strength. So... why did this leaf boy pretend to be weak back then?" Fiore glared at Lazuro.

"Are you talking about—"

The clink of Fiore's teacup made Lazuro stop speaking. The young man could even feel Fiore's gaze piercing his body repeatedly.

"That... I am indeed weak. I swear I would have died if you hadn't come then," Lazuro stammered.

"Okay, I believe you. But in the future, I want to form a party with you." Fiore took another sip of her tea.

"You must be joking? Why did you have to form a party with a weakling like me?"

"Right, why did you have to form a party with this loser? There are still many who want to form a party with you?" interrupted the blond man.

"Why did you interrupt my conversation with him, Trion Mavin?" Fiore glared sharply.

"That... you should be more selective about who you befriend. As a good friend, I'm just trying to remind you."

"You have no right to dictate who I befriend. Besides, this man in front of you had the honor of fighting Mrs. Djuana. I myself never had such a rare opportunity. The man in front of you even managed to land a single blow on Mrs. Djuana. You may leave now, Trion, and we're not close enough to be called friends."

"I think you should think things through carefully. The Mavin family is a family with immense wealth. Our discovery also saved the royal family. Therefore—"

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

Fiore's oppressive tone and sharp gaze made Mavin finally back down. Before leaving, Trion shot Lazuro a hateful look, as if confirming his revenge.

"Was that necessary?" asked Lazuro with a trembling body.

“With your abilities, you shouldn’t be afraid. I’m actually fed up with this social class system. All the nobles act as if the commoners are their slaves. Even mythbreaker users do the same. What are your views on this social status?” Fiore asked.

“I… I feel that a leader should be decided by majority vote, not just by bloodline. At the very least, a leader should be able to be replaced by someone else and not rule absolutely. At least if a leader makes a mistake, they can be held accountable,” Lazuro replied.

“I certainly didn’t make the wrong choice. Now, tell me about your strange plant mythbreaker!”

“That… I guess I’ll keep it a secret from you.” Lazuro rubbed the back of his head.

Fiore suddenly grabbed a knife from the table and made a swift slashing motion.

“T… E… l… l…!”

“W-wait, didn’t you just say you don’t use power to oppress others?”

"I didn't use power, just a little force. It would be terrible if you didn't tell me about your unique mythbreaker." Fiore glared at Lazuro, the knife held before her face for emphasis.

Lazuro sighed tiredly, realizing that Fiore was a problem. Even so, Lazuro couldn't seem to escape the spoiled, stern-faced, but pushy princess.