“What did she tell you?” Dorian asked under his breath, only for Lona, one of their classmates who usually wanted nothing more than to share some juicy gossip, to shake her head and hurry away.

  Orion groaned, thunking his head against the stone wall. Sitting next to him on the wooden bench were the few remaining students who had yet to attend the counseling session.

  This was technically supposed to be a formality. They were still young, and they would have another chance to change their fate at level fifty if they truly wanted to.

  Some, like Orion, were already over halfway there, while others would need their entire time as students to reach tier two status.

  Today was intended to help them refine their lesson plans to capitalize on their strengths. In less polite terms, it would determine their future within the Sanctum. It’s not a death sentence, but it’s the closest thing. If your class doesn’t let you advance in the core subjects, you might as well leave now.

  No one was taking that lightly. Even Orion, who liked to think himself above such childish troubles, felt some anxiety, and it was all he could do to keep his knees from bouncing.

  Once Lona disappeared down the corridor, Madame Jaime’s voice came from the room, “Dorian, please come in and close the door behind you.”

  The boy jumped up, as tense as a bowstring. His eyes flitted to Orion’s, who tried to smile encouragingly, and he set his jaw.

  Only after Dorian entered did Orion allow himself to sigh. “This is torture. Torture, I tell you.”

  Selene stifled her amusement with a sleeve, her eyes twinkling. “Who would have thought this would be what brought you down?”

  “I’m not good with authority,” he grumbled, adjusting his glasses. He’d gotten used to wearing them, and after his Class Ceremony, he didn't even have to worry about the heat.

  Or rather, pushing them hard by inspecting everyone he encountered was still impossible and prone to damaging them. However, ever since his [Mana Manipulation] had ranked up, he could easily manage several inspections in a row before needing to stop.

  His classmates had been among the first targets since he spent so much time with them. There were a few surprises, like Dorian developing the [Spellblade] Class. He hadn’t known there was a possibility of having hybrid martial and magical classes at the first tier, but there it was.

  Of course, the most interesting of all had been Selene, who simply sat down next to him and told him to get it over with. Her [Acolyte of Foresight] was self-explanatory enough, but what surprised him was that her class, unlike that of every other student, was C-rank.

  That put her squarely in the same category as him, a level that couldn’t be reached without “special circumstances.”

  A few minutes later, Dorian finally emerged from the room. His brow was furrowed, and he was clearly deep in thought. When Orion tried to get his attention, his only male friend shook his head in apology before hurriedly walking away.

  “Selene, please come in and close the door behind you.” Sir Theron called once more, though the girl was already halfway there. She turned for a split second, winking at Orion before disappearing into the room.

  “Why do I have to be the last one?” He grumbled. He knew why. Despite his best efforts not to rock the boat too much, it had become clear over the past three years that he was different from the other children.

  Where others needed encouragement to exercise, study, and memorize long paragraphs, he could do it effortlessly. He displayed an immediate understanding of every new concept introduced during the lessons.

  It wasn’t even a matter of power. He had been careful after the incident with the ghoul not to show off. It was just that he couldn’t pass as an average student when he understood the underlying concepts behind every piece of magic better than the instructors themselves.

  Oh, that didn’t automatically mean he could cast powerful spells. While tier zero magic could be learned in just a single lesson, tier one magic required a more dedicated approach, and tier two seemed to have steeper Knowledge and Intent requirements.

  But his progress couldn’t be compared to the others’. While even someone as talented as Luna was only just starting to cast a Light Shield sturdy enough to withstand actual damage, he had long since progressed to more complicated spells.

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  His glasses were the most striking example of this. He felt very confident in saying that no other student, from the first year to the last, could have created anything like them.

  They simply lacked the knowledge base he had and, more importantly, the inventive drive. No one else ever tried to push beyond what they were taught.

  And perhaps that was acceptable. The Sanctum certainly produced powerful witches and wizards. However, Orion was not content to follow the path others had already trodden.

  Soon, the door opened, and Selene stepped outside. “It’s your turn.”

  Orion pushed himself off the bench and smiled briefly at his friend before entering.

  In the classroom were his three teachers. Madame Jaime and Sir Theron occupied either side of the desk, with Magistra Eire positioned in the center, slightly elevated compared to the other two.

  “Welcome, Orion,” the highest-ranking woman said with a smile, motioning toward the solitary chair. “Please, have a seat.”

  He did as he was told, meeting their eyes directly. This wasn’t meant to be a test, but something about the room’s layout made him think it was. And he was never one to do anything but ace tests.

  “As you might already know, we are here to discuss your future,” Madame Jaime began, picking up a folder that contained several annotations, presumably about him.

  “Yes, I understand this is supposed to be the moment when I decide what lessons to take that will fit well with my class,” he replied.

  Eire smiled, “In a way, yes, but do not make the mistake of thinking you cannot expand your horizons. Just because someone gets a pure mage class doesn’t mean they cannot study osteomancy or something equally niche.”

  From the way she was looking at him, she clearly didn’t expect him to be a vanilla mage. Still, she hadn’t asked, and he didn’t offer any specifics.

  “Is there a specialization you’d like to pursue? We have a few ideas for you, but we always try to keep in mind your desires,” Theron added. He was the less congenial one, appearing somewhat regretful. Considering how restricted a man's pathway was within the Sanctum, Orion could understand why he felt that way.

  Theron ranked among the highest men in the coven. As far as he knew, there were only a couple more male instructors and a dozen mages scattered across the various departments, none of whom had risen above the rank of ‘Sir’.

  Given that they are not knights, the title reflects more on respect than on martial prowess, and even then, it is almost insulting. They are perpetually barred from advancing to proper Magisters solely because of their gender.

  It didn’t escape his notice that this was the opposite of the situation many women faced, in this world and his last one, but two wrongs didn’t make a right. Oh well, I wouldn’t want to dedicate my life to a religious organization anyway.

  “I’d like to focus on spellcraft and enchanting, though almost all kinds of magic interest me,” he finally replied.

  Eire nodded as if she had expected as much. “Yes, that seems like a suitable path for you. I imagine your class doesn’t have an elemental specialization, then?”

  Orion blinked, surprised by the straightforward question. Classes were essentially taboo to ask about, but then again, they couldn’t really suggest anything without having at least a vague idea of what he was working with.

  “Yes, I do not have a specialization. Mine is mostly research-focused.” Admitting that much shouldn’t create problems. Many witches spent their entire lives studying a specific art, barely bothering to engage in a social life. It shouldn’t feel too out of place.

  The glances exchanged between the two lecturers didn’t escape him. Clearly, they believed they had him all figured out.

  It irritated him, but in a way, this was for the best. The more they believed they knew him, the freer he was to pursue his goals.

  “Well, I think your focus should be on the more traditional magical arts, then.” Eire continued, “This is something that we ask you to keep to yourself, but the choices you make now will not only reflect on your presence within the Sanctum but will heavily influence your next rank up. Not everyone reaches level one hundred, but we pride ourselves on producing students who have at least gotten to level fifty. These next few years might be determinant for your entire life.”

  Orion hummed to indicate he was listening. He already knew as much, though he believed his own personal studies would be far more incisive.

  “I will sign you up for the two classes I teach, Enchanting and the obligatory Light Magic. After that, you might enjoy Charms, Rituals, and Potions, as I know you already have a head start there,” she concluded.

  Orion nodded. Those classes were all fine enough. Charms alone should suffice to expand his repertoire. So far, he had mostly focused on mastering his method instead of developing new spells, but now that he had ranked up, he felt confident it wouldn’t take long to master the curriculum.

  “You have two more slots,” Jaime added. “I suggest a History class to all. Now more than ever, it is important to know why things are as they are.”

  Once again, Orion agreed readily. He had developed a basic understanding of Cyril’s history, largely thanks to the library and his visits to Silverpeak. However, studying it in greater detail could be beneficial, and even if he found out it was mostly propaganda, understanding what the Sanctum wanted him to believe was valuable on its own.

  I should still take some time to find unbiased sources. Set should be able to point me in the right direction, and if not him, then I’ll find something in Silverpeak. The situation outside its walls might be getting dire, but I haven’t seen any signs of the Sanctum clamping down on outside information yet.

  “You have another elective you can take this year. Most of your cohort chose broom flight, but you will still have a couple of lessons even if you don’t pick it. You can take either Religious Studies, which I would suggest if you want to take the first steps for your future in the Sanctum, or something like Basics Jewelcraft, which can have great applications in both magic and commerce,” Eire concluded, and a moment of silence fell as the three waited for his response.

  It was clear from how it was presented that whereas broom flight would be seen as the basic option—something everyone at least tried—Religious Studies was the subject he should choose if he wanted to pursue a career within the Sanctum.

  Men were already at a disadvantage. If he chose anything else, it would be like admitting he would leave as soon as he was done learning.

  It would likely get Morliana’s people off my back, at least for a while. Choosing the conservative option would demonstrate that I have some respect for their culture.

  “Basic Jewelcraft sounds very interesting,” Orion said with a smile, completely unbothered. Everyone would receive a couple of lessons in broom flight anyway, and he’d only need some practice to sort out the kinks of his spell.

  Eire took a moment to write something down. “Very well, your choices have been recorded. Please keep in mind that you can still change your mind within the first month if you decide a course doesn't suit you."

  Her tone carried a finality that indicated she knew he could read the subtext and understood the implications of his choice.

  Orion nodded, stood up, and left.