They say the value of honor has fallen to the ground because the class system has weakened. But does this diagnosis truly hit the mark? In any society, where old values crumble, new values inevitably take their place.
And in many cases, these new values cast aside the former outer shell and take only the inner essence. That the study of the Empire was in vogue among the elites of the beastman coalition, or that salons themed around magic or literature were held among the Empire's newly rich, was of the same principle.
Astonishingly, this tendency was visible even at the Imperial Academy of Magic, the pinnacle of the Empire's intellect.
"Tsk, tsk... The end times, it's the end times."
A university student sat at a streetside tea house, looking down at this year's admissions results for the Imperial Academy of Magic.
"The hallowed halls of learning were supposed to be sacred, but now they've degenerated into a place that lets in any old dog or cow as long as they have money, and that's why the standards have fallen so low."
At her words, her friend tilted her head.
"Admissions by donation have always existed, haven't they?"
"... Anyway, they say these days the provincial magic academies are suspiciously full of beastmen with too much money. I'm saying, aren't they just seeing nothing but money?"
"Hmm. What's the percentage increase?"