Chapter 96: Class Starts!

“The Mithril League? What is that?”

Facing Erika’s question, Axis pushed up her glasses with her index finger. “The range from rank 100 to 500 is the domain of the Mithril Badge. Whether inside or outside the Ark, the Silver Badge heroes serve as the core backbone and mainstay of our forces. The alliance formed by those heroes is the so-called ‘Mithril League.’ Their members often refer to themselves as ‘Silver Wings.'”

‘A middle-tier veteran association—something like that?’

According to Axis’s explanation, the Mithril League was the primary culprit behind the Ark’s obsession with rankings and sequences. These were the people who maintained the class distinctions and order, leaving the lower Brass Rank students to tremble in fear.

Behavior like F-junior’s—monopolizing courses and bullying those in the Brass Rank—was part of the behavior tacitly permitted by this hierarchy.

“And now, I’ve broken that…”

“That is why, Miss Erika, they will likely be watching you closely from now on. Although you have a deep background and they probably won’t take direct or extreme action against you, still…”

The rest went unsaid.

In short, these words were spoken out of concern for her.

“Thank you for the warning.”

“You’re welcome. Speaking of which, the rumors from Noelle’s side seem to be true.”

“Rumors…?”

“I heard that Miss Erika has always fought for the poor and helpless—people like slaves, children, and the elderly.”

“Eh…”

“I also heard the Slave Human Rights Law was Miss Erika’s idea. I couldn’t believe it when I first heard the news. Would a place with such rigid social stratification like Noelle actually implement such a law?”

“Is… is that so?”

“I assume that’s also why you deliberately entered the Academy with Brass Rank scores, right?”

“Eh? What?”

While Erika fell into deep thought because she couldn’t understand that statement, Axis spoke again, her voice rising slightly in pitch. “‘Do not give up on those struggling to survive.’ Isn’t that the message you’re sending? It’s fine to say it now, but I was actually an orphan. I even come from a slave background.”

Standing next to her, Lisette looked shocked. “Really? I had no idea.”

“I grit my teeth, studied hard, and trained. Finally, I was able to enter this Academy thanks to a scholarship provided by the Order.” Unfamiliar phrases poured out of Axis’s mouth, terms like ‘a ray of hope for the slaves’ and ‘a hero from the humble.’

“Though it’s less common, are you aware of the title whispered alongside ‘Demoness’? Saintess! It’s Saintess!”

Erika could feel that this honorific was born from a completely different emotion than the ‘Miss’ spoken out of fear earlier.

‘Saintess? Haha… I wonder what Gahlia would think if she heard that…’

While she had indeed pushed for policies favoring the lower classes and slaves, it wasn’t entirely for their sake. A large part of it was to appease the public’s anger and extinguish the sparks of uprising. She didn’t want to be dragged to the execution scaffold by a massive mob breaking into the Court one day.

Therefore, while she wasn’t exactly an outsider to the cause, Erika felt quite unworthy of the praise. Feeling restless, her small hands began to fidget with the hem of her skirt, counting the number of pleats.

Anyway, it seemed she was unexpectedly popular among the slave population.

She had gained widespread support from monsters like Gorigo, slaves, and marginalized groups. As a self-proclaimed bad girl and a descendant of the Demon King, this feeling was truly surreal.

***

“I feel… a bit embarrassed…” Erika stood before a full-length mirror. The surface reflected the figure of a girl beautiful enough to topple nations. She wore the school uniform jacket, which was tailored to emphasize her slender silhouette. For the lower half, after much effort, the girl had managed to lower the hem of her brown skirt to her knees.

If worn normally, it would likely only cover half of her thighs. Girls who enjoyed showing off their charm might deliberately pull the waistband higher and pair it with over-the-knee socks. Combined with leather shoes, it would be a complete JK look.

But Erika found that completely unacceptable. After growing accustomed to long dresses, she hadn’t paid attention to sock styles for a long time. This left the girl feeling helpless about her exposed calves and ankles. In her desperation, she had borrowed a pair of white high stockings from Evelyn.

Come to think of it, it was strange. Evelyn usually only wore black silk stockings. Why did she have a white pair ready?

“One last check…” Before heading out, Erika lifted her skirt, her gaze sharp and scrutinizing.

‘Safety shorts, in place! Good…’

Two days had passed since the duel—forty-eight hours, to be exact.

The Course Selection Assembly had ended without further incident. It was now impossible to change courses even if one wanted to. Everyone’s semester schedule was set.

Today was Wednesday. Here in the Ark, Erika was facing her first lecture from an Academy professor. The first class was ‘Introduction to Ancient Death-speech,’ taught by Professor Balan.

If she could learn this language—one whose origin was already untraceable and was currently dying out—she might be able to understand the words she had read before that she could only phonetically pronounce but not comprehend. This would pull back the veil of mystery surrounding magic.

Furthermore, if she succeeded, she might even find a way to heal the mental issues of a high-tier Great Sorcerer like Evelyn.

Even putting those reasons aside, as the successor to the Demon King, she might discover the mysterious power latent within her bloodline through this course. In short, this class offered her many benefits and zero drawbacks.

“But where exactly is this classroom?”

Since the class began at 9:00 AM, Erika had been searching everywhere for the Philology Building and the assigned room to avoid being late for her very first lesson. She barely managed to arrive at the correct location in time.

*Creak—* She pushed open the sliding door to the classroom and found several people already seated, wearing silver and gold brooches on their chests.

“Is that girl Erika Angelina?”

“Did you see that duel the other day? The one between her and that FFF guy.”

“She looks like she can’t even lift a sword, and she probably has no magical talent. Why is someone like her studying Death-speech? Does she think Necromancy is just a low-tier substitute for magic?”

“Can’t she control ogres? She must be a Monster Tamer, right?”

The whispering hadn’t stopped since Erika entered the room.

They thought they were muttering privately, but the girl’s sensitive Fairy ears caught every single word.

‘I can hear you, boys. Stop whispering over there.’

Rumors of the duel from two days ago had spread quickly, and Erika had gained quite a bit of notoriety.

She found a seat in a corner and sat down, taking out her notebook and pen in sequence. Then, she discreetly surveyed her surroundings. As time passed, the empty classroom gradually filled up.

Strangely, while everyone who entered cast curious, admiring, or probing glances her way, no one was willing to sit in the seat next to her.

It was a bit saddening. Seeing them sitting in groups of two or three, they seemed like old friends who had chosen the course together.

Although studying was a personal matter, she felt it would be quite awkward if there were any group assignments…

Gradually, all the seats were filled, except for the one right next to her…

*Creak—* At that moment, someone pushed open the door and entered the classroom. It wasn’t the scruffy old professor Erika had imagined, but a beautiful girl with silky silver hair fluttering in the breeze. Her hair color and temperament were exceptionally striking.

It was Miona Draco.

Miona looked around and saw there were no empty seats, causing her slender, snow-white eyebrows to furrow. She was likely frustrated at arriving so late.

However, she seemed to find a vacant spot quickly. Having no other choice, her footsteps clicked as she moved toward it.

But when she stood before the seat and realized who was sitting next to the empty space, Miona’s eyes widened.