For a moment, Gaenando thought Ihan was joking.
How could someone survive on nothing but hard black bread and cold rice balls? How could someone wear such a rough and shabby cloak? But Ihan didn’t look like he was joking at all. The Wardanaz family... what a terrifying family! Gaenando was shocked.
The noble families of the empire wielded immense power, each with their own unique customs and traditions.
Among them, the Wardanaz family, to which Ihan belonged, was one of the least known.
They didn’t actively participate in politics, focusing solely on magical research... but because of that, Gaenando couldn’t help but misunderstand. *Do they really raise their family members like this? Isn’t this too much? Even slaves aren’t treated this poorly...
I never thought the head of the Wardanaz family could be so cruel...*
With a sympathetic expression, Gaenando patted Ihan on the shoulder. “Come visit my mansion sometime. I’ll treat you properly.”
“Uh... thanks?” Ihan didn’t understand why Gaenando was acting this way, but he nodded anyway.
After the headmaster’s stormy speech ended and the students began to disperse, Ihan got a chance to talk to Yonell again.
He asked the question that had been on his mind earlier.
“Why are you hanging out with Gaenando? Even if he’s your cousin, someone from the Meikin family shouldn’t need to curry favor with a mere royal family member.”
“Ah, it’s because of Gaenando’s mother,” Yonell replied casually.
Ihan’s curiosity was piqued. “Do you owe her a favor or something?”
For a moment, Ihan imagined a much younger Yonell attending a royal banquet and making a huge mistake.
Everyone looked at him with disdain, and Yonell, on the verge of tears, was comforted by Gaenando’s mother, one of the imperial consorts, who said warmly, “It’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes.” If that were the case, it would make sense for Yonell to feel indebted.
“Huh? No. Gaenando’s mother is incredibly wealthy. If you’re on good terms with Gaenando, she gives you a lot of money.”
“...!!” Ihan was stunned. There’s such a secret? I should get close to him too!
The magic school, Einrogard, accepted students from all walks of life—royals, nobles, commoners, and even slaves—as long as they had talent.
Of course, the school knew that gathering a bunch of temperamental and sharp-tongued young mages in one place was a recipe for disaster.
That’s why Einrogard’s dormitories were divided into four towers based on the students’ backgrounds.
The Arrogant Blue Dragon Tower housed royals and nobles from prestigious families.
As a member of the Wardanaz family, Ihan was automatically assigned here.
“Ugh. Priests. I hope they don’t start preaching at us,” someone grumbled nearby.
“Shh. Don’t pick a fight,” another voice warned.
The complainers were looking at the new students from the Tower of the Eternal Phoenix, where priests from various religious orders were housed.
Surprisingly, the empire’s priests didn’t shy away from using magic.
They believed that magical power was a blessing from the gods.
It wasn’t unusual for religious orders to send their priests to Einrogard, the empire’s most prestigious magic school.
They do stand out. While the royals and nobles hadn’t yet changed into their uniforms and were dressed in various styles, the priests all wore simple, modest robes.
The noble students, who had grown up listening to sermons from visiting priests, frowned at the sight.
Clank, clank—
But the expressions of the noble students soured even more when the next group arrived.
The Tower of the White Tiger, which housed students from knightly families.
It might seem strange for knights to attend a magic school, but even knights needed magic—from telepathy to healing.
These students were prepared to walk the path of both knight and mage.
Gaenando, clearly displeased, muttered, “Do we really need to accept people who insult the pure path of magic like this? They could just hire a street mage as a tutor.”
Ihan, standing nearby, felt a little guilty.
While others might have joined the school to pursue the pure truth of magic, Ihan had come solely to climb the social ladder.
“If you’re going to learn, you might as well learn from the best,” Ihan said.
“What? Why are you taking their side?”
“Gaenando,” Ihan said, now feeling more generous toward him.
After all, he’d just learned that Gaenando’s mother was incredibly wealthy. “A noble person doesn’t look down on those beneath them.”
“... That’s a pretty harsh condition...” Gaenando muttered, but he kept quiet, perhaps wanting to appear noble.
As the knightly students passed by, the final group of dormitory students appeared.
They were the most diverse and uniquely dressed.
The Tower of the Black Turtle housed commoners, servants, slaves, entertainers, beggars, merchants, and newly risen lower nobles.
They seemed aware of their low status, their expressions timid.
I’d like to get close to them if I get the chance. Unlike the others who looked at them with disdain, Ihan wanted to build connections.
After all, what was the best way to make money? Business.
And who better to do business with than people who had real-world experience, not someone like Gaenando?
“They’re looking this way.”
“Don’t make eye contact. Nothing good will come of it.”
“Disgusting people...”
The students from the Blue Dragon Tower didn’t hide their contempt, and the Black Turtle students, knowing better than to start a fight, averted their gazes and moved on.
“Do we really have to accept such lowly people? This is too much,” one voice whispered loudly.
The Black Turtle students heard it, their expressions darkening.
Oh. Ihan realized this was his chance.
A chance to build a connection with the Black Turtle students! I should step in now.
The Black Turtle students couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
Even the more confident ones hesitated in the face of the unfamiliar atmosphere and the whispers.
That’s when Ihan, a boy from the Blue Dragon Tower, stepped forward.
With a commanding presence and a face that seemed carved from stone, the boy spoke slowly. “The lowly ones are you. Didn’t you all leave behind what you had before entering Einrogard? And yet you cling to your petty pride.”
A sense of authority and a strong aura emanated from the boy.
It was the noble demeanor of someone born into a great family, someone who took pride in their lineage.
The other Blue Dragon students seemed to agree.
“He’s right.”
“You’re from the Wardanaz family, aren’t you? Truly worthy of the Wardanaz name.”
The person who had mocked the Black Turtle students earlier was too ashamed to speak up and kept his mouth shut.
Meanwhile, the Black Turtle students reacted.
“The Wardanaz family??”
“That magic family...?!”
“Don’t make eye contact, idiot! They’re a dangerous family!”
“Isn’t their family head a dragon? Are they of dragon blood?”
“I heard they’re descended from ancient spirits, not dragons...”
“......”
At first, Ihan thought things were going well.
The students seemed convinced by his words. This is good. Now, if the Black Turtle students would just thank him...
“The Wardanaz family??”
“That magic family...?!”
“Don’t make eye contact, idiot! They’re a dangerous family!”
“Isn’t their family head a dragon? Are they of dragon blood?”
“I heard they’re descended from ancient spirits, not dragons...”
“......”
But the reaction wasn’t what Ihan had expected.
Instead of gratitude, the students looked at him with fear. Something’s gone wrong. He had expected thanks, but...
Yonell, standing nearby, admired Ihan’s actions. “That was impressive. Truly noble. That’s how a noble at Einrogard should act.”
“... Yonell. Do I look scary?”
“Huh? No? You look noble and dignified.”
Yonell didn’t understand why Ihan was worried.
Ihan’s appearance was the epitome of nobility—strong jawline, sharp features, and piercing eyes.
His imposing presence was considered an advantage among nobles.
Even the other Blue Dragon students seemed to approve.
Ihan sighed. This isn’t going to help me blend in.
The dormitories were spread out in the four cardinal directions around the main building.
Ihan and the other students headed toward the distant Blue Tower.
It’s really big. Seeing it from the inside was a new experience.
The school wasn’t just a school—it had lakes, forests, rivers, and mountains within its grounds.
It reminded Ihan of what the headmaster had said earlier. “Find what you need,” he said. The headmaster had told them they could find anything they wanted here.
Seeing the vast landscape, Ihan believed it.
“You’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you?” Yonell asked.
“Huh?”
“I was thinking how blessed we are to see such beautiful scenery.”
“No. I was wondering what kind of animals we could hunt in the forest.”
“... Does the Wardanaz family train you in that kind of thing??”
The Arrogant Blue Dragon Tower was a tall, slender structure made of blue stone.
From the outside, it didn’t look particularly large.
But inside, the mages of Einrogard had expanded it into a near-infinite space.
“!”
As Ihan passed through the tower’s entrance, the other students who had been with him vanished.
When he regained his senses, he was alone in a dark space.
[Where do you wish to go?]
“??”
[Where do you wish to go?]
Ah. Ihan realized the tower itself was speaking to him.
“Where... can I go?”
[You adapt quickly.] Though the tower wasn’t visible, Ihan felt as if it were smiling. [Right now, you can go to your private room or the first-year steel lounge.]
“Can I go anywhere else?”
[Yes.
Some places require only their names, while others require more knowledge.]
“Can I go to the first-year lounge or the common lounge?”
[Yes.
But not right now.]
“Why not?”
[The headmaster has forbidden it.]
“......” Ihan cursed the headmaster’s thoroughness.
The man was meticulous when it came to these things.
“Then send me to my private room.”
[Very well.
Welcome, young mage.]