Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 13: Cutting In Line

In addition to his daily routine, Sein also found time to visit the public library of the Black Magic Academy.

Sein did not have many academy merit points, just a few. This was because ever since he became Master Morsidor’s apprentice, he had not taken on any academy tasks. He dedicated all his time to his studies.

The academy merit points he had accumulated over the past few years had already been spent on acquiring study materials for the Minor Fireball spell and other magic knowledge.

There were reasons why he had chosen the Minor Fireball spell as his first magic spell. It was the most powerful of all the entry-level magic spells, and it aligned perfectly with his affinity for the pyro element.

Sein entered the public library once more, with the intention of testing his focus and mana levels.

Master Morsidor had a crystal ball in his residence that could perform the test directly, but Sein had not seen his mentor for several days due to an ongoing experiment with Zorro, so he decided not to disturb them needlessly.

The public library of the Black Magic Academy was a massive five-story building filled with a vast collection of magic books.

When Sein visited the library for the very first time, he marveled at the sheer volume of knowledge available, and wondered if he could ever read all the books in his lifetime.

Since public classes of the academy were not yet in session, the library was still filled with initiates.

Black Street was an area where violence was prohibited, but the library was an area where even the use of magic was prohibited.

Anyone caught initiating a fight in the library would be sentenced to death, regardless of their powerful background.

Though black mages were notorious for their unruly nature and lack of morals, they did share a common respect for knowledge as spellcasters.

Countless magic runes were etched into every corner of the library. In addition to safeguarding the library, these runes were also designed to eliminate threats promptly.

The library was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. When Sein arrived, he made his way to the eastern corridor, where he saw more than twenty initiates waiting in line.

At the end of the queue was a transparent crystal ball mounted on a special wooden frame, about the size of a human face.

Sein’s arrival immediately caused a stir among the initiates waiting in line. While they remained silent, twelve or so initiates, who had been near to the rear of the line, collectively stepped aside and allowed Sein to move forward.

Fairness was a rare concept in the Black Magic Academy. The initiates who had stepped aside were all fresh initiates who had joined the academy less than three years ago.

Despite being younger than Sein, their experiences had already taught them how to survive in the Black Magic Academy.

The ignorant ones were typically eliminated within their first year or two. They were either crushed by irritable black mages or played to death by stronger seniors.

Corpses or dismembered body parts were often found scattered throughout the academy’s grounds.

Interestingly, there was an unwritten rule in the academy. If an act went unnoticed by the overseers patrolling the academy, then it would not be considered a violation of academy rules.

Such a cold and brutal reality really took the law of the jungle to an extreme, where strength indeed reigned supreme.

Sein confidently strode past the initiates, moving forward in the queue. There was no need for him to be modest. Being overly humble would only make these initiates assume he had malicious intentions toward them instead.

After all, it was the norm for stronger initiates to pick on the weaker ones in the Black Magic Academy. This was especially true for weaker female initiates, who were generally vulnerable due to their gender.

Many newcomers to Mystralora City were the same age as Sein when he first arrived ten years ago. They were merely six or seven years old, utterly powerless and defenseless.

Regrettably, those with corrupt and despicable natures took pleasure in exploiting such vulnerability. They targeted not only female initiates but also male ones.

Sein, with his handsome looks and noble blond hair, could have easily become a target had it not been for Leena’s intervention and declaration of “ownership” over him.

As Sein walked past the timid initiates, all of whom were shorter than him, he advanced to the middle of the line. There were eight people ahead of him at this point—two intermediate initiates and six junior initiates.

The junior initiate waiting in front of him suddenly turned his head around, and was visibly shaken by Sein’s presence.

After a brief glance, he quickly lowered his gaze and moved behind Sein.

In the Black Magic Academy, distinctions in strength and status among initiates of the same rank were not always clear.

Sein had no intention of cutting the line, so he was taken aback by the gesture of the junior initiate in front of him.

Cressler was the name of the junior initiate who stepped aside for Sein. This was not the first time he had seen Sein, as he was present on the scene when Sein took Elrik down two weeks ago.

Furthermore, Sein was able to get away with causing a public commotion on Black Street, which had led to the deaths of several intermediate initiates, including Jack.

Clearly, Sein was not someone Cressler could afford to antagonize.

Given these circumstances, Cressler wisely chose not to offend Sein over something as trivial as queueing.

What Cressler did not know was that Sein was not one to hold petty grudges, even though the academy had its fair share of such individuals.

Since Cressler had made a gesture of stepping aside, Sein accepted it without protest.

To Sein's astonishment, the other initiates swiftly followed Cressler’s example and fell in line behind him. In just less than half a minute, Sein became the second person in line.

He could not help but marvel at how smoothly and efficiently it had happened. It was a clear demonstration of the privileges that came with strength and authority.

The tanned intermediate initiate, who had just completed the crystal ball test, departed from the queue. When he noticed Sein’s presence in the library, he could not help but sneak a few curious glances at him.

The initiate ahead of Sein, however, was starting to feel a bit anxious at this point. He had already placed his palm on the crystal ball, so stepping aside for Sein was no longer an option.

Besides, with his status as an intermediate initiate, his reputation might be tarnished if he were to give up his position to a junior initiate like Sein.

In the Black Magic Academy, safeguarding one’s reputation could often determine one’s destiny. Demonstrating supremacy and obstinacy was sometimes the sole means of self-preservation.

Fortunately, Sein remained silent throughout his test. The intermediate initiate hastily concluded the crystal ball test and hurriedly left. Sein even wondered if he managed to see the numerical value of his stats clearly.

Ignoring the intermediate initiate who had left in a rush, Sein stood in front of the crystal ball. He took a deep breath, then reached out with his right palm.