Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Exactly one month had passed since the start of class and, unlike most days, both the True Mage and Magic Knight classes were brought together early in the morning. They hadn't been given any prior notice to the peculiar class so many students were beginning to feel tense. If not for the ever relaxed Mordred and the rest of the girls forming the Imperial Quintet, tensions would have increased even more.Feeling emboldened, a girl named Yvette decided to try and ease her nerves by sheepishly asking Mash, "Excuse me, Miss Kyrielight...do you know why we were all told to come here so early...?"Hearing the girl ask her question, most of the students in the class became more attentive as Mash, with her usual smile, politely stated, "I'm afraid the particulars have not been explained to any of us. We may hail from the Empire but we're not privileged to know about events in advance. I'm just as nervous as everyone else, even if it may not seem like it on the surface..."Yvette gave an awkward smile in response to Mash's words as, looking at the calm and collected girl, it was difficult to believe she was even remotely nervous. This wasn't something that could be said out loud, however, so Yvette just combed her fingers through the fringe of her hair, saying, "Well, I just hope nothing bad happened...I've been enjoying the classes a lot..."Mash found Yvette's words somewhat peculiar but, before she could say anything further, the door to the classroom opened to reveal Da Vinci and Sion. This brought a prompt end to any discussions and, though there was still a lot of tension in the air, the focus of every student shifted to the two inordinately beautiful Professors.Upon taking her place at the lectern, Da Vinci's smile blossomed into a truly breathtaking visage that seemed to help everyone in the room relax as she explained, "I'm certain everyone has questions. I'll do my best to explain everything in detail so please, relax. You aren't wrong to be nervous but what we're here to discuss isn't anything particularly dangerous or disadvantageous~"As Da Vinci spoke, the massive monitor that had replaced the classroom's blackboard came to life. It depicted a very complex structure that looked like two pyramids welded together at their bases. This created a diamond-shaped superstructure that, upon closer observation, formed a complex network of tunnels and rooms, each listing a variety of different materials that could be found.Though the average student had only ventured into the upper layers of the Spirit Tomb, everyone in the class was familiar with the massive dungeon beneath the school. What surprised them was how detailed the infographic provided by Da Vinci was as, unless you traded a large number of materials or points, it was impossible to get a map of the Spirit Tombs interior.Before she could be bombarded with questions, Da Vinci explained, "Today is a very important day for each and every one of you. Today, you will establish a baseline for future growth by completing a task assigned to you based on your ranking and skill level. Each of you will be assigned to a group based on the data we have collected over the last month. There will be several different objectives, each with different ratings based on their difficulty. You may complete multiple objectives but keep in mind that, in many cases, it is wiser to return with lesser accomplishments than forcing yourself forward to your deaths. Judgment is one of the metrics you are evaluated on so consider each of your options as a team before deciding whether or not you'll put yourselves in danger..."Some of the students had actually been wondering whether or not they would be given access to the Spirit Tomb so, hearing they suddenly had to enter and complete challenges, they were both excited and nervous. Most of them had been looking forward to measuring their growth so, while it was productive to spar against each other during training, battling against monsters was infinitely better since you didn't have to hold back.To further excite the class, Da Vinci explained, "Over the last month, each of you has compiled a sizeable number of contribution points. I'm aware that it has been a rather popular topic so allow me to explain a bit of their use. The simplest way in which they can be used is to exchange for various materials and resources. After today, you will all be given a tablet that is synchronized with each of your Companions. Using this will allow you to access one of three different shops based on your class, overall ranking, and personal ranking. We'll go into greater detail about these different things upon the completion of today's exercise but here is a sample of what you can expect~"At Da Vinci's behest, the monitor behind her showed a list of various items, each neatly filed into a series of columns with their picture, use, and exchange value. What surprised the students was that, by exchanging a single contribution point, they could obtain relatively rare alchemical ingredients. It was even possible to exchange for a Philosopher's Stone, something that was heavily regulated by the Mage's Association, for a meager 100 contribution points...With even the cheaper items being of such high value, the students couldn't help but focus on the items at the very top of the list. There, various Mystic Codexes were listed, some of which could be considered a heritage item within an established family. At the very top, there were even seemingly legendary items like the [Golden Fleece] and [Decanter of Perpetuity], a highly sought after item in the Magus community due to its purported effect of restoring a person to their youth without any decrease in physical and magical capabilities...Da Vinci waited for the students to peruse the items for a short while before breaking their idle thoughts as she explained, "This is only a small portion of the items that will be available in the shop. In truth, there is no limit to what you can obtain. So long as you work hard, even purchasing items that increase your Od, unlock your potential, strengthen your body, or grant you a lesser form of immortality can be found within the shop~"As could be expected, Da Vinci's words caused a stir within the class as it was very difficult to believe what she was saying. However, considering what they had already experienced, a few students could be seen shaking slightly in anticipation of the future. One of them, Ophelia, couldn't resist the urge to raise her hand and, upon being recognized by Da Vinci, asked, "Professor, I wonder if even Mystic Eyes can be exchanged and purchased from the shop...?"Ophelia was a girl that already possessed one Mystic Eye and, as a result, her life had been made very difficult. However, while it could be considered the source of her burden, it had also allowed her to establish herself as a capable Magus. Prior to joining the Department of Unified Thaumaturgical Theory, one of the avenues she had been pursuing was increasing her power to the point that it was difficult for her family to control her. If she made a good impression on a higher ranking Noble, she could avoid being married off by becoming a Governess or a bodyguard. It wasn't much better than being exploited by her family but, considering it would be a path of her own choosing, it was still the better option...Meeting Ophelia's expectations, Da Vinci didn't even flinch as she casually answered, "I'd prefer to avoid having to answer too many questions like this but, as you are the first, I'll make an exception, Miss Phamrsolone. To reiterate my earlier statement, there are very few things you cannot purchase from the shop. The only restrictions would be your overall points, your ranking, and the evaluation of your character. We will obviously not allow someone with destructive tendencies to buy a nuclear warhead with the intent of blowing up a classroom~"Da Vinci's words not only met Ophelia's expectations but, while it was an offhanded and casual remark, some of the students couldn't help but internally retort, ("We can buy nuclear warheads!?"). This seemed to convey there was very little they couldn't purchase, cementing Da Vinci's words in their mind, regardless of how ridiculous they seemed. At the very least, she had greatly increased the interest of each student in the shop and, now that they knew what the points were used for, those who had been slacking off over the last month began to lament...---After answering a few more questions and alleviating some concerns, Da Vinci began a long lecture on the various environments, monsters, and materials that could be found in the Spirit Tomb. Since it was on everyone's mind, she discussed how these could all be exchanged for points and, upon being asked how monsters could be counted, Da Vinci reminded them that their Companions were linked to the tablets so, even if they didn't bring back proof of the subjugation, they would get credit for any monsters killed. This wasn't a foolproof system, as hordes of monsters would be hard to count, but Da Vinci simply advised them to run away in such situations.It was only after the much longer than expected lecture that the students understood why they had been asked to come in so early. Had they started at a normal time, they would have to take a break for lunch and, if they were unlucky, getting stuck overnight in the Spirit Tomb was a real possibility. It had an enchantment that made leaving after a certain point in time impossible as the 'gate' would close for a few hours during the evening. Though there were some waypoints inside, allowing those within to teleport back to the Mining City, Magi's Fair, they would be forced to turn over all acquired items as compensation.Vahn's agreement with Solon allowed for relatively unrestricted access to the Spirit Tomb but, in exchange, everything gathered by himself and the students had to be returned to the Clock Tower. It was for this reason that he came up with the idea of a school shop as, with the virtually unlimited resources of the Empire, it wasn't that difficult to acquire the materials and items requested by the students. Though he had to put monthly, weekly, and daily restrictions on some goods, even the laziest students would be able to stockpile a considerable amount of wealth by the time they were preparing to graduate.Unfortunately for these students, the very concept of wealth would ultimately lose its meaning once the Empire came into prominence. Only those that sought to better themselves would be able to rise above others and live comparably luxurious lifestyles as, once the market system collapsed, the only way to obtain materials and resources would be through bartering for them or earning them based on your contributions and capabilities. Through the Empire, it was possible to get resources for free but, rather than stockpile them and treat them as 'accumulated wealth', you had to actually use them for their intended purpose.One of the primary corrupting factors within a society was wealth itself as, when one group began to accumulate and stockpile wealth, they used it to leverage their authority over others. So long as they made sure they had a monopoly on the most important resources, combined with the power to back it up, they could dictate how others lived with borderline impunity. This was only made worse when the children of such individuals, despite never having done anything to establish themselves within a community, believed they were better than others by virtue of birth alone...It was impossible to completely root out corruption but, with a system that primarily rewarded those that put in the effort to obtain their status, Vahn hoped to prevent its spread. This was the primary justification for the existence of the Virtual World they were creating as, with unlimited freedom in the virtual world, they could prevent a lot of problems in the real world from developing. There, so long as they followed the rules of the Virtual World, it was possible for them to be veritable gods in a world of their own design. They could eat the most delicious foods, walk on the surface of stars, or play catch with literal planets...all while affecting nothing in the real world.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Surprise expedition~!','I want access to that shop...','Every human is a god in their own mind. They have absolute power within their own imaginations~')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After being provided with the opportunity to eat breakfast, all of the students within the department were gathered outside the entrance to the Spiritual Tomb: Albion. Most of them had explored the Mining City, Magi's Fair, in the past so they weren't particularly interested in the hustle and bustle surrounding them. Rather, as students of the Department of Unified Thaumaturgical Theory, they were the center of attention, much like rare and exotic beasts that everyone was interested in but too afraid to approach.Everyone had already been assigned their groups at this point so, with Companions included, there ten groups with six individuals, one group with eight, and one group with twelve. The largest group was only so due to the fact that Astrid had brought along her small entourage of Companions as she specialized almost exclusively in support and healing Magecraft. Her seven Companions had grown quite attached to her so, while it was possible for her to leave some behind, they would be restless if she was in danger while they were just idling about in their room.Teams were distributed in a way that allowed power to be spread across each team so, as the most powerful student in the class, Mordred ended up paired together with the three weakest students. This gave her the largest team, sans Companions, but, due to the massive gap in strength, it wasn't an exaggeration to say her team members were anchors. She would have to protect them and make sound judgment calls to keep them out of trouble as, while it was easy to complete the simple tasks and just leave, her pride didn't really allow such things.As could be expected, the three weakest members of the class were all former members of the Clock Tower's Department of General Studies. They consisted of a single male student, David, and two of the more shy and demure female members of the class, Alissandra, and Berenice. Despite the girls' shy nature, however, the boy seemed a lot more nervous than everyone else as, while it was lucky of him to be paired with Mordred, his instinct as a Magus warned him of the coming danger.Mordred knew what must be going through all three of her teammate's minds but she kept her calm and confident smile as she explained, "We'll focus on the D-Rank Objective before moving our way up the list. This will be an opportunity for you to grow so I'll leave the easier objectives to the six of you to complete. If there is any danger, Neko and I will step in to protect you. Once we encounter an enemy beyond your capabilities, I'll deal with it personally. Any questions?"Of the three, Berenice, a girl with light brown hair and grey-blue eyes sheepishly raised her hand and asked, "If we are unable to complete the objectives before the closing of the gate...will we stay inside overnight...?"Hearing the question, Mordred gave a somewhat sly smile before shaking her head and saying, "Not this time. My intuition tells me that we're also being graded on how quickly we complete our given tasks so we'll return to the surface before the gate closes. Don't worry, though, even if we do end up getting stuck inside, I have plenty of supplies to last for upwards of a month."The trio was able to relax a bit when they heard the first part of Mordred's statement but, hearing the second half, they couldn't help but feel she had triggered some event. Berenice and Alissandra gave each other knowing looks while David, despite earning a few laughs from students in the surrounding area, hugged his sheep-like Companion a little tighter. It, in turn, gave him a gentle pat on the arm so he was able to calm down a little bit while internally remarking, ("After today, I'll work harder to become stronger...").David was one of the trio of male students that believed themselves to be ostracized by the rest of the class so he had a lot to reflect upon after learning the value of points. As it was possible to earn bonus points by showing up to non-mandatory training sessions, he suddenly felt that idling about in his room had been a mistake. His Rank was actually the lowest in the entire class so, in the past, Mordred had even offered to help him out after their usual lessons.Believing that Mordred had just wanted to hang out but, David had ignorantly believed his fortune had turned around but, after an hour of hellish training, he was certain she was just bullying him. It was due to this initial incident that he sought the other male students to complain to and, as they had all experienced 'hardships' of their own, it had been easy for them to become friends. It was only now, after a month of classes, that David began to realize that they were quickly being left behind by the rest of the class.This expedition was an opportunity for those with few points to earn a considerable amount due to the fact that they were all assigned to groups with a powerful leader. As for people like David, this was a wake-up call that reminded him that the Empire wasn't looking for people that only did the bare minimum. The rewards of the shop were beyond anything he could have imagined in the past so, in order to secure his future, he needed to obtain a few precious resources to strengthen himself as both a Magus and a Magic Knight...David's sentiments weren't uniquely his own as, after seeing the items listed on the monitor, even the students of the Atlas Temple seemed motivated. They had noticed some items that were almost impossible to obtain in the modern world so, if it was true that they could be purchased, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the Empire's capabilities already exceeded their Temple and it's near-three-thousand years of history.---At precisely 10:00 AM, it was finally time for the Baseline Expedition to begin so, after another short reminder to stay safe, Da Vinci released the teams into the Spirit Tomb. Each group passed through a large transparent blue portal that, at a glance, looked like a perfectly circular pond. However, while it was active, the portal connected to a large spiraling staircase that led into the Spirit Tomb's highest layer, the Great Magic Circuit known as the Vein Corridor: Od Vena. Here, the mana saturation was a startling 11%, making it more than five times more potent than the mana found on the Surface.All of the students felt the increase in mana but, back in her own group, Sakura turned her eyes toward the rainbow-like aurora winding down the long spiraling path. It was quite beautiful and, though they were supposed to be descending into the earth, the surroundings actually opened up wider as they descended while, outside of the few gaps that were present, an endless void seemed to stretch out into eternity. This was due to the fact that, after passing through the Gate, you would enter into a unique Bounded Field, a sub-dimension created by the True Dragon's will...Upon reaching a landing, each of the groups began to split off in random directions, some choosing to stay together for mutual protection. As for Sakura, she had been designated as the leader of her group so, after glancing at her classmates, two girls named Irene and Kana, she turned to Momo and said, "Momo, please lead us to the area where we can find Crystal Mandrake."Irene and Kana were momentarily confused by Sakura's decision to task Momo with leading the way but, before they could ask, she explained, "Our Companions aren't just adorable. They are extremely intelligent and have access to a larger network of information. That diagram Professor Alpha put on display should be stored within their shared network. So long as the location of an item is known, it should be possible for our Companions to lead us there."Hearing Sakura's explanation, the two girls looked at their own Companions, a dog and fox variation, with glittering eyes. In response, their Companions adopted somewhat silly smiles on their faces that caused the girls' hearts to do backflips as they picked up the adorable creatures to snuggle. Sakura saw this and offered a smile of her own but, rather than idle for too long, she gestured to the duo and said, "Come, we should hurry. If the area is looted by other people, we'll have to wait until the materials respawn or risk having to venture deeper to obtain them."With Sakura's reminder, the girls became more serious as complacency really was the number one cause of death within the Spirit Tomb. They also recognized this as an opportunity to make a good impression on Sakura as, for the first time since they had started attending class, this was the only instance they had seen the Imperial Quintet split up. The only one that seemed to move about on her own was Mordred so this was a rare chance to become friends with someone they believed to be an Imperial Princess...---As the Spirit Tomb was the body of a legendary True Dragon, many parts of it were still full of vitality, despite more than two thousand years having passed since its death. Though most of the 'walls' had solidified into an extremely hard substance, there were areas where fleshy bits could be found. These places served as monster nurseries and, if not purged periodically, a horrifying phenomenon known as a stampede could occur.Fortunately, this was an extremely rare occurrence and, with the increased flow of traffic into and out of the Spirit Tomb, the density of monsters in the upper chambers had reduced significantly. Because of this, Sakura's party had an easy time reaching the location where Crystal Mandrake could usually be found. The downside, however, was that the alchemical material had already been looted so they would have to wait upwards of four hours for another one to be produced.Sakura didn't particularly care about things like points but, considering how important such things were to her classmates, she wanted to support them. With this in mind, she spread her mana out like thin threads and, upon detecting a foreign mana signature, she turned to allies and said, "We'll try and hunt some monsters by wandering the surrounding chambers. We can earn some extra points by killing weaker enemies and periodically check back to see if the mandrake has respawned. Is that okay with the four of you...?"Points were heavily sought after right now so, upon hearing Sakura's words, Irene and Kana were more than willing to go hunting. This wasn't their first time in the Spirit Tomb so the only monsters were things like Giant Rats, Slimes, and other magical creatures. You would have to venture to the upper floors of the 'Ancient Heart', the middle region of the Spirit Tomb, before you started coming across truly dangerous enemies.With her team's consent, Sakura had the two girls take the lead so that she could protect their real and view the entire situation. Since point allocation depended on contribution, the girls would have to kill their own monsters if they wanted the most benefits. Sakura understood this and, knowing it was a lot easier for her to obtain resources compared to other students, she didn't mind letting them benefit.In this manner, Kana and Irene, using single burst [Sagitta Magicka], began to clear out every single monster they encountered. This spell was quickly becoming even more popular than [Gandr] as the flexibility it provided was something only advanced users of [Gandr] would be able to pull off. The students of the True Mage course had been surprised that such a simple and versatile spell existed but, as this was only scratching the surface of the mountain of revelations they had received from their brilliant Professor, it had already become 'normal' for them...Sakura was happy to see her fellow classmates having fun but, as she had trained under both Artoria and Galahad, she never once dropped her guard. She continued to send out threads of mana, one of the unique ways in which she could make use of her overwhelming Od. Using these, she could easily probe ahead to find dangerous monsters and, in some situations, other students. This allowed her to guide the group towards safer pathways but, despite changing course several times, she was also aware of the group of people that had been following them shortly after they split off from the rest of the groups...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP David','Everyone is point hungry~','What is it that people say about those that go seeking trouble...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Classes within the Department of Unified Thaumaturgical Theory were designed to give the children a lot of free time for personal study and self-advancement.Depending on whether or not you were in the Magic Knight or True Mage classes, you would have a total of three four-hour lectures, three two-hour lectures, and two practical lessons every week. The four-hour lectures focused on your main topic of interest so, if you were in the Magic Knight course, you would spend four hours training under the guidance of Galahad in the morning before studying theory with Da Vinci and Sion in the afternoon. The inverse was true for students in the True Mage course as they would spend their mornings studying theory before exercising for two hours in the afternoon.In between every standard day, the two courses would combine for practical lessons that could take as little as two hours or as long as eight. They would be given various challenges and would have to form teams in order to overcome the trials that had been set for them. This was their opportunity to earn bonus points for themselves and improve their individual rankings so most students took it very seriously in the hopes of elevating their status.The only real issue with the current system was that several small cliques had already formed within the class. Those in the lower rankings tended to mingle with each other and lay low while those in higher positions would band together to form 'strong' teams. This seemed to be perfectly natural in the minds of the students and, while it wasn't exactly an unexpected outcome, it was still more than a little troublesome.Fortunately, Vahn didn't have to step in to personally address this matter as Mordred had used her high [Charisma] to penetrate virtually every group. Though she had a way of unnerving other people, primarily those with greater ambition than willpower, it was impossible for anyone to send her away. Thus, with her acting as the lynchpin, the various cliques were required to interact with each other as she didn't really accept their excuses for wanting to distance themselves from others.Because of her actions, Mordred had seeded herself as a figure of authority and leadership between both classes. She encouraged certain team structures and pushed everyone to get used to working alongside each other, taking advantage of the militaristic structure of their curriculum. This put a lot of pressure on those that only enrolled in the program to advance themselves but, due to the prior teachings of the Clock Tower, they lacked the ability to accede to her insistence.Mordred's arrangements required that those in the highest positions take on proteges from the other end of the rankings. As the Rank 1 student, she helped guide the Rank 37 student and, while this was an 'optional' responsibility, even Sakura and Mash had gone along with Mordred's whim. As a result, Rani and the other Atlas Temple students did the same so, while there was a fair amount of tension and awkwardness, the average strength of even the weaker students was being elevated to a higher standard.The only two students within the top 10 that opted out of participating in the mentorship program were Astrid and Zoë, each for their own reasons. They didn't want to end up being paired with any male students and, not wanting to be accused of unfair treatment, they decided not to take on any females students either. They would rather focus on their individual interests and focus on their own students for the time being so they wouldn't participate in such movements until they had become more comfortable with the class as a whole.As the entire class had realized that Astrid and Zoë were 'untouchables' at this point, everyone tried to be nice and polite around the two as upsetting them in any way all but guaranteed that Mordred would give you some 'advice' on how you should act. She was very protective of everyone belonging to the Imperial Quintet but Astrid and Zoë were like her reverse scale. This caused most of the boys to feel nervous around the two but, as Astrid and Zoë never really pressured others, Mordred didn't have to step in all that often...---In spite of her efforts, there was bound to be some dissent caused by Mordred's 'tyrannical' actions. The boys hailing from the Clock Tower, in particular, felt as if they were being ostracized by their predominately female classmates. Though they weren't overtly talked down to or suppressed, they felt as if the average female student looked down on them, at least within their mind. It was difficult to interact with any of their female classmates without drawing looks of suspicion and ire from their other classmates, at least from their perspective.Of the nine male students, five hailed from the Atlas Temple so the group that feeling suppressed only amounted to three people. Though Silvain also felt a little pressured by Mordred, he didn't have the same mentality as the other boys as his ambitions and fears offset his frustration. He considered the possibility that they were under constant supervision so, even if he felt the same way as the rest, he distanced himself from such conversations for fear of drawing negative attention to himself.The other three students obviously considered they were under observation as well but, feeling the need to vent their frustrations, they still met up with each other to complain during their time off. It was really their only option as it was borderline impossible for them to interact in any meaningful way with the female students. Since they were effectively cut off from the rest of the Clock Tower, for a variety of reasons, the only people they could really confide in were each other...With a dull expression on his face, a boy with grey hair and dark green eyes leaned against a pile of stacked pillows with his Companion, a sheep-type model, sitting in his lap. Stroking its soft and fluffy fur help him relax but, with his fellow beaten dogs present, he still commented, "I'm not sure if I'll be able to complete the curriculum at this rate...I always expected that I would find a nice girl to unwind with between studies. This sucks..."Hearing his friends remark, a boy with neatly combed brown hair and hazel eyes laughed dryly while playing a fighting game on a handheld gaming device. Across from him, his Companion was using a similar device and, though it had tiny fingers compared to a human, it had enough dexterity to easily play games. It was even better than the boy himself at the game so, while it was frustrating in many ways, the boy actually enjoyed the competition.The final member of the trio, a boy with pale auburn hair and cat-like eyes, heard the complaint from where he was reading a book so, without taking his eyes away from the page, he remarked, "I won't disagree with the sentiment. From the perspective of finding a girlfriend, this situation is pretty shit. It doesn't help that most of the girls here are the type that escaped some shitty situation so the odds of them being coaxed and favoring any of us is slim..."As even the boys were the type that had basically fled their families, it wasn't as if they were unable to empathize with the girls. They were all going through a lot and, with the opportunities provided by the Empire, there was a chance they could truly seize their own destiny. This made them less likely to consider things like dating as, for the time being, they were more focused on securing a place for themselves in the Empire.All three of the boys understood this but, as almost every one of their female classmates could be considered a beauty, it was 'very' frustrating for them. They no longer had any background to rely on as leverage for establishing a relationship so, with most of them being in the lower half of the ranks, it was difficult to even approach their classmates, much less ask them out.The only thing the boys couldn't really complain about was the classes themselves as, compared to life within the Clock Tower, the Empire seemed relatively easy going. Though they had to be serious during lessons, they were given a lot of free time to relax and self-study. The most surprising part of this was that the classes taught by Professor Alpha and Sir Galahad were extremely effective so, even with their leisurely schedule, they were quickly increasing in strength. This had come as a surprise to all of the fourth and fifth-year students as it felt like everything they had learned during their studies in the Clock Tower was meant to guide them down the wrong path.Upon realizing that was very likely the case, the determination of the average student had increased considerably. They refused to become a pawn of the Mage's Association and, while there was a good chance they would become pawns in the Empire, they would at least have more power. Some people on the BBS even speculated that the Aldrnari Empire would become a global power in the future so, while they might feel a little suppressed right now, the boys knew their future prospects were better than anything they could have hoped for under the thumb of the Nobles. There was even a chance they could become an actual Knight, earning the title of Baron for themselves and becoming a lesser Noble in the process.This was the hope of all three boys present in the room so, even though it made them feel less than dirt when comparing themselves to the Imperial Quintet, they joined the Magic Knight class. As the entire class consisted of nine people, they were forced to directly interact with people like Mordred, Sakura, Mash, and Zoë. This put a lot of pressure on them due to the monstrous difference in their strength compared to the girls but, believing they would eventually be able to surpass the girls due to their male physiques, they continued working hard...at least when they were supposed to.The curriculum of the Department of Unified Thaumaturgical Theory was designed to reward those who worked hard, both within the classroom and outside of it. Those that let the stress get to them, causing them to take long breaks and use all their free time to relax, would ultimately fall into the lower ranks. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing but, if you wanted to succeed within the Empire's merit-based system, a genuine effort was required.What the boys didn't realize was that their attitude was the main reason none of the girls showed any interest in them. As boys, they hadn't experienced the darkest parts of the Magus community so it was easy for them to fall into a routine where they used their recreational time to relax and play video games. They were fundamentally incapable of thinking themselves talentless and, while they were far behind the girls in the class, their rapid increase in strength caused them to carry an air of arrogance about themselves.A stark contrast to the boys, the average female student treated their studies extremely seriously. If they failed out of the program, a tragic end was their only outcome. With this in mind, they focused wholly on improving and, with so many like-minded people surrounding them, they supported each other to become stronger. The didn't particularly look down on the boys but, seeing how lax the trio were, they would rather associate with those putting in effort than being dragged down by a group that just wanted to put in only the required amount of effort.With Mordred, Rani, Sakura, Mash, Zoë, and even Astrid setting a strong example of how strong a woman could become, most of the girls were extremely motivated. They would proactively seek advice from those stronger than themselves and, though there was a fair amount of tension between some of them, they at least pretended to get along with everyone else. The decisions they made now would shape their entire future so, in order to ensure they did not become victims a second time, they couldn't afford to play around with boys who cared more about alleviating their boredom than excelling in the program...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mordred is da Queen...!','Youths...','The difference between prioritizing comfort and suffering hardships to shape a better future o3o...')(A/N: This micro-arc will have quite a few school chapters and, while Vahn is still the MC, some of his children will take the limelight for a few chapters. He is more focused on dealing with things behind the scenes and self-improvement so, without doing a time skip, it would be a lot of the same kind of chapters. Don't worry, as things will develop in a potentially interesting direction in the near future!)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1298: Anticipation