Starting from the Bottom

The class placement results for Morningstar Academy were announced shortly after the Hunting Festival ended.

When Erich saw ‘Morningstar Orbit, Class F’ on his school badge, his expression became extremely complicated.

The academy divided students into three tiers based on their talent. From lowest to highest, they were the Morningstar Orbit, the Dawnstar Orbit, and the Solar Orbit. Each tier was further divided into six classes, from A to F. According to the academy's official statement, while there was indeed a gap in talent between different tiers, there was little difference between the classes within the same tier.

Who were they trying to fool?

Over the years, everyone had come to understand the unspoken truth: the later the letter of the class, the worse the students' talent. Class A was the elite of the elite, while Class F was a literal garbage dump.

And what was the absolute worst class in the entire academy? Morningstar Class F—the trash heap of the garbage dump.

Right now, Erich really wanted to rip off the head of the teacher responsible for the class placements and kick it around like a ball.

“You were put in Class F too?”

Balin's voice came from behind him. The dwarf held his school badge, which also read ‘Morningstar Class F.’ Yser walked over from the other end of the corridor with Ragg following closely behind him. Both of them showed their school badges at the same time.

They were all in Morningstar Class F.

“Let's go,” Erich said with a chuckle, pinning the school badge to his chest. “Let's go see what our garbage dump looks like.”

The classroom for Morningstar Class F was located in the most remote corner of the academy's south wing, inside an old school building that had clearly seen better days. The classroom itself was reasonably spacious, but the desks and chairs were heavily worn.

By the time Erich's group of four arrived, quite a few people were already seated inside. Scanning the room, he walked straight toward the second-to-last row, choosing a seat by the window.

He had to claim this spot.

Because he was too short, Balin was placed right in the middle of the first row. Ragg, being too tall, could only squeeze into the corner of the back row. Yser sat next to Ragg in the back row, leaning against his backrest with his eyes closed to rest.

Meanwhile, Erich sat firmly in the second-to-last row by the window, resting his chin in his hand as he gazed outside.

The undisputed protagonist seat.

He had even given up the option of sitting with his roommates for this spot. Some things were simply more important than loyalty.

The classroom grew increasingly crowded, and the noise gradually filled the space as students began chatting and forming initial cliques.

While the classroom was bustling with activity, a white-haired old man walked in.

He wore a deep blue robe and a pair of reading glasses, cradling a thick stack of documents in his arms.

The old man stood behind the podium and looked around at the students in the classroom.

“I am Morris Flint, your homeroom teacher and the instructor for your Basic Elemental Theory course. For the next three years, we will have to tolerate each other's existence.”

Scattered laughter echoed through the classroom.

Morris began introducing the academy's academic system. Morningstar Academy implemented a six-year curriculum: the first three years involved unified training organized by class, while the latter three years transitioned into in-depth studies within specialized fields. Simply put, it was three years of high school followed by three years of university. The first year's curriculum included Basic Elemental Theory, History of Magic, Elementary Practical Combat, Introduction to Magical Beast Ecology, Imperial Political Theory, and Basic Sigilology.

“I know many of you have already attempted to practice basic magic before coming to school,” Morris said, pushing up his glasses. “However, I must remind everyone that the academy strictly prohibits the unauthorized use of offensive magic in public spaces. Depending on the severity of the violation, offenders may even face expulsion.”

While the teacher lectured on stage, Erich had already propped up his head and fallen asleep.

The morning light streamed in through the window, casting a faint golden glow over his silver hair. In this classroom of the worst class in the entire academy, he slept soundly, seemingly completely indifferent to his surroundings.

Erich's wonderful slumber was interrupted by a sudden fragrance. A fresh, warm scent of citrus wafted into his nose, and then the space before him darkened as something blocked the light.

“Hello, may I sit here?”

A light, cheerful female voice.

Erich opened his eyes to see a red-haired girl already sitting down in the seat next to him. Her movements were so natural, as if the seat had always belonged to her, showing absolutely no intention of waiting for Erich's reply.

She turned her head, met Erich's gaze, and smiled slightly.

In that instant, Erich noticed her eyes. They were a light gold, gleaming with a soft luster in the morning light. Her features were delicate but not overly sharp, carrying a natural approachability. The school uniform wrapped around her slender frame, tracing just the right curves. The bow at her collar was neatly tied, and her skirt hem draped past her knees, revealing a portion of her calves clad in white stockings. Compared to the maid, her figure was slightly more youthful and immature, but that youthful aura was a weapon in its own right.

Noticing that Erich was sizing her up, she tilted her head and offered a sweet smile.

“I'm Isabella,” she said.

Erich suddenly felt a brief daze.