“Seven million years after the Fall, humanity’s elites joined with those of the other races, marching into Demon Territory. After a string of victorious reports, they were never heard from again. Nor were the legions of the Demon King.” -- Diary of Serghan Merack,

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Within the Imperial Academy’s male dormitories was a certain room. The living quarters of the Academy, constructed with the intention of housing humanity’s best talents, were already considered to be lavishly decorated, with plenty of expensive furniture, paintings, and other luxuries. However, this room was even more decadent than the others.

Inside the room sat a young man who would be considered quite handsome by most standards. Surrounded by servants, he was eating his evening meal alone at a large table. Before him were far too many dishes for one person to consume: a whole roast chicken, a salad, a large bowl of quinoa, a lobster, and a potato stuffed with cheese and tuna. Just as he was raising a forkful of salad to his mouth, the sound of knocking interrupted him. A man dressed in a butler uniform walked to the door and opened it. After a hushed discussion with the visitor outside, he escorted a shifty man to the noble.

“Heir Fars, Sean is here to see you,” the butler announced.

Elegantly wiping his mouth with a napkin, Vagrand Fars turned his gaze to Sean. Without looking, he dismissively gestured towards the food remaining on the table. At his command, the servants cleared the table and exited the room to throw away the food, leaving only the butler guarding the door from the outside.

“Report.” Vagrand’s voice was cold, and his expression frozen.

“I’ll give you the information, but first…” The shifty man’s gaze was filled with greed. The disdain in Vagrand’s gaze intensified, and he tossed a small bag to his informant. Sean did not hesitate to empty the bag into his palm. With a jingle of metal, several gold coins spilled out, and the man grinned.

After confirming the amount, Sean spoke. “Yerin-” Vagrand’s gaze turned angry as he glared at the man. “Errr, Grand Duke Heiress Aelis arrived at the Golden Apple Inn two days ago. Her group consisted of her father, some merchants from the Aelis domain, a group of guards, and a traveler who the caravan encountered on the way here. The traveller separated from the group upon their arrival at the inn. Yesterday, they met up again. Grand Duke Heiress Aelis brought her to the Imperial Academy to take the entrance exam, which she passed with flying colors and where it was revealed that she is female. If her appearance is anything like her voice, then she is likely very beautiful, possibly even more so than the Grand Duke Heiress.”

Vagrand nodded, and seemed to stop acknowledging Sean’s existence. The man was already used to this treatment, and left; he wasn’t the type to argue with his employer. At least, as long as their relationship remained profitable.

Neither Heir Fars nor Sean even considered that the traveller could be of Fae blood; the other races all had their own academies, after all. While there were no rules against it, there was no particular reason for a person to travel far from their homeland to attend when there was a school that was almost exactly the same in their own country.

Gazing blankly into the distance, Vagrand mentally smiled. A crafty glint shone in his eyes. As for his thoughts… Polygamy was not abnormal in a noble family. And he could always use more pretty ornaments… Now, his eyes shone with lust and greed.