Chapter 200: Class S
Vania puffed out her chest proudly. "Yup, that’s how amazing the Shereen Tigers are. But... what about you? What are you exactly?"
Her sharp eyes scanned the boy in front of her from head to toe. His facial structure didn’t look fully human, especially with those two large, protruding front teeth.
But he didn’t look like a beastkin either.
"I’m Miki Lepidus. Half-human, half-ratfolk," the rat boy replied.
Vania’s expression instantly twisted into disgust. "A lowly ratfolk... and even a half-human at that."
"Beastkin might hate ratfolk," Miki quickly defended himself, "but at least I got accepted into the Academy without taking the entrance test."
"You passed without a test?" Vania gave him another up-and-down look. "Well, I guess that makes you slightly better than pure humans.
At least your parents were smart enough to marry into beastkin blood, though they could’ve chosen a better beastkin partner. But then again, no great beast would ever marry a human."
Her words insulted multiple races at once, but no one seemed interested in arguing with her arrogance.
Vania’s gaze soon drifted toward three figures standing near Anel. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw them.
She quickly strutted over, brushing past Gara with a flick of her shoulder, before stopping in front of the trio.
"Hi! I’m Vania Shereen," she greeted cheerfully. She’d already introduced herself to every member of Class S, except for one who couldn’t be seen.
"Oh, hey Vania. I’m Revan Soren," the young man in the center replied warmly.
That single response made Vania’s pride soar even higher.
She waited expectantly for the other two to respond, but the only girl, Andine, wasn’t even looking at her. Her eyes were fixed on the group behind Vania, Gara’s group.
Meanwhile, the other young man didn’t spare Vania a glance at all, too busy chatting with Aneline.
"Fian! We meet again!" Andine’s voice sparkled with delight as she looked straight at the elf.
Fian didn’t respond, but Andine was already glowing with joy.
Her cheerful tone made Aneline pause mid-conversation. She turned, spotting Gara and Madha.
"Oh! So you two actually got in without the entrance test," Aneline greeted them with a friendly smile.
Andine’s eyes shifted to the two humans beside Fian, surprise flashing across her face when she realized her sister knew them.
Soon, the five of them exchanged introductions, leaving Vania completely forgotten... except by the ever-curious rat boy.
"Whoa, so that’s Fian," Miki whispered, voice dripping with gossip. "I might’ve gotten in without a test, but I’ve heard all about him.
The elf with no last name who took first place in the entrance exam— beating Andine Karina from the famous healer mermaid family, and even Lysa Fenris, daughter of Alpha Fenris."
"Amazing or not, why would someone like that hang around with humans?" Vania muttered, her tone filled with disgust—though her eyes glimmered with interest.
"I don’t know the details of their relationship," Miki said, "but I do know those two humans were personally invited by Professor Langga himself. He even became the main advisor for the first-year Class S because of them."
Vania clicked her tongue. "Once Professor Langga officially marries Alya, someone needs to remind him not to get too close to those filthy humans anymore."
Miki turned to Vania, giving her a look that clearly said, Are you serious?
He wondered if the girl’s brain was made of shrimp. But since Miki was more of a gossip lover than a dispenser of wisdom, he didn’t bother responding.
"Alright, guys, we’ll continue chatting later. For now, I’ll take you to your classrooms," Anel clapped her hands together, her fins glimmering faintly under the light. "We’ve got ten people, right?"
She started counting the students one by one. "...Nine... plus you, ten."
Anel pointed toward the very back, at a short girl with long black hair and bangs that nearly covered her entire face.
"Hikk!" Miki jumped. He was in the second-to-last row and hadn’t even realized there was someone behind him.
Instinctively, he tried to step forward, but Vania, standing right in front of him, blocked his way. So Miki had no choice but to keep walking— with the back of his body prickling with a cold, eerie chill.
"She’s gotta be the ghost girl," Miki whispered under his breath.
Unfortunately, the girl behind heard it. Her head drooped even lower.
...
After leaving the main hall, Anel guided the ten students up a wide staircase to the second floor.
"First-year classrooms are all on the second floor," the mermaid girl explained, her tone cheerful.
The group from Class S passed by several other rooms already filled with students.
At the very end of the corridor, they stopped before a double door made of marble— quite different from the single wooden doors the other classes had.
As they approached, the marble doors swung open on their own.
"This is your classroom, Class S. Once your main advisor finishes introductions, I’ll come back to take you on a school tour," Anel said with a small wave. "See you later, everyone!"
After she left, the ten students began taking their seats.
The desks were arranged in a U-shape, all facing inward.
Gara, who liked to think of himself as neither dumb nor brilliant —just comfortably average— chose the third seat from the door. Not too close to the corner, not too conspicuous. Perfect.
Naturally, Fian and Madha took the seats beside him— Fian on the right, Madha on the left.
They weren’t the only ones picking seats based on who they wanted next to them.
A mermaid girl with bright yellow hair scanned the room, spotted an empty seat in the far corner near the door, and hurried over.
Plop. She landed gracefully in her chosen spot.
"Hi, Fian!" Andine greeted with a burst of enthusiasm.
Fian glanced her way briefly... then turned back toward Gara, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been ignored today, but Andine didn’t seem the least bit discouraged.
On Madha’s other side, another student took the seat— Revan Soren.
Gara and Madha exchanged looks. They didn’t have to go out of their way to meet the vampire boy, he’d already seated himself right next to them.
...