To be allowed to study at Sirenford, you only have to fulfill one of these criteria: Either you are part of a noble family or you have wealthy parents, then as long as you can pay the very high tuition fees, basically everyone is welcome at Sirenford. That may sound very unfair, but that's how this world has combined feudalism with capitalism. Those are the rules.
The lecture hall has already filled up with many students. Each of them is wearing the Academy uniforms with blue jackets and white velvet gloves and each of them is waiting to receive a lecture of exceptional quality in this place.
Cyril is among these students: the silver-haired student squeezes hectically through the crowd to secure the only two seats that have not yet been noticed by the others. He pulls Sudri with him, who hadn't even noticed the open seats. With the corners of her mouth hanging down and her eyebrows drawn together, she stares at Cyril, but he ignores the grumpy expression on his colleague's face.
As the two of them take their seats in the middle row, Sudri immediately gives vent to her displeasure:
“That was stupid of you Cyril!”
“A 'thank you' would have sufficed. At least Princess Sudri doesn't have to stand for the whole lecture now.” Cyril replies calmly. He knows full well that Sudri means something completely different.
“You spoke disrespectfully to Semis! We're talking about the Peacemaker of Meadows!”
“So what?”
“That will certainly have bad consequences for you!”
“Oh come on Sudri,” Cyril leans back casually. He can't admit it, but his little argument with the prince fills him with great satisfaction.
“If you're going to say stupid things about mysterious heroes, I might as well say something stupid to your brother, don't you think?”
“It's not even remotely the same thing!”
Cyril knows she's right, but right now he's in too good a mood to argue with Sudri. Relaxed, he puts his hands behind his head:.
“Yes, yes, I understand...” he simply replies and stares dreamily at the ceiling of the hall.
Sudri is visibly annoyed by Cyril's evasive answer, but she doesn't seem to be in the mood either. She stares silently at the podium where the professor will soon appear.
It's no secret to her that Cyril doesn't like her half-brother. The behavior of the nobility in general and the social hierarchies at Sirenford have always been a thorn in his side. From the outside, Sirenford is seen as an elite institution where all students study peacefully and with respect, but the truth is far from it:
While almost all students are of wealthy backgrounds, nobles and the super-rich, also known as jewels, enjoy more privileges than the rest of the student body, known as pebbles. Misbehavior by nobles is very rarely punished by the academy. After all, their parents have great political influence and make generous donations to Sirenford. If their children are expelled from the school, a major source of money for the academy disappears along with them. That is why the highest elite are allowed to get away with a lot. From simple violence and vandalism to fraud and blackmail. Some students could even get away with murder and sexual assault.
There is simply no justice at this academy, Cyril thinks to himself. Behind the elegant and pure exterior of Sirenford lies an ugly truth. It is truly a reflection of the unjust, evil world on whose earth it was built.
Cyril's good mood is already gone again. He has spoiled it with his own thoughts...
His gaze returns to the person sitting next to him: Sudri continues to stare at the podium in silence. The reflections of her glasses hide her eyes and thus also her state of mind.
Cyril doesn't understand why Sudri is so angry with him now. After all, he has pointed out her brother's misbehavior.
He knows how much she is suffering from this situation.
He knows her story.
Sudri and Semis are two of the many children the Sultan has with his numerous wives. But compared to her siblings, Sudri is the illegitimate child of a prostitute. For the Sultan, her existence is a disgrace and a humiliation. If he could, he would deny her heritage, but that is impossible - after all, she has magenta eyes, which are only passed down in the royal family. Sudri is therefore undoubtedly of royal descent, yet the sultan's 47th daughter is treated with contempt and rejection by her family.
“Tch!” Cyril clicks his tongue. It's not really my problem, but this unjust and arrogant behavior of the royal family really pisses me off! Who do they think they are?
But before Cyril can think himself into a deeper rage, the professor enters the room. The students' conversations fall silent and everyone turns their attention to the young man, who makes his way to the podium.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” the professor greets the crowd.
Like all teachers at Sirenford, this man - surprisingly young for a professor - is a very well-known figure:
His name is Will Wagner, and before becoming a respected member of Lacrima researchers, he spent many years as a knight. There he rose rapidly through the ranks and has already made a name for himself as a result. He is often praised for his effective combinations of practice and theory, which he owes to his practical experience as a knight.
For Cyril, this man is one of the few people on Sirenford that he genuinely respects. Professor Wagner is a man of humble origins who has fought his way to the top of society through hard work and therefore treats every student, regardless of their background, with respect and dignity. You could almost say that he is a role model for Cyril.
“Well, I know it's still early in the morning, but I'd like to discuss the topic of magic sequences with you again today.”
Wagner raises his hand, causing small screens to appear in front of the students. They are the result of magic - a kind of supernatural technology that makes it possible to change the laws of nature. It starts with simple things like lighting a fire and can take on complex proportions, like these magical screens.
When Cyril sees the enormous wall of text on the screen, he already knows that he won't be having any fun in today's lecture for the time being.
Hopefully we'll get to the practical part quickly...
And so many unbearably slow minutes pass, during which Wagner asks questions and diligently records the students' answers on the blackboard.
“Now that we've recorded all the important factors for the individual sequences...” Wagner begins, ”...what conclusions can we draw from these facts?”
Sudri points up excitedly. As always, she is a model student: always attentive and actively involved in the lesson... the exact opposite of Cyril...
“Yes please, Miss Bazma-Kannan.”
“The factors can only be fulfilled by specially crafted tools, but not by living beings.”
“Excellent!” Wagner praises Sudri. He scratches his beard as he continues to respond to Sudri's statement:
“In other words. Magic can only be contained in objects, but not in people. That's why magical tools have been the only objects that can cast magic for 200 years.”
Wagner paints a simple sketch of a bearded man in a witch's hat.
“The existence of magicians is still a product of the imagination. It will probably never be possible for people to cast magic on their own.”
A student from the back row raises her hand:
“Professor Wagner, what about Lacrimas?”
“Ah!” Wagner claps his hands together. If there's one subject this man loves, it's Lacrimas.
“Now it's getting interesting,” Cyril says, leaning forward attentively.
“A very good question! A Lacrima allows its owner to use a variety of supernatural abilities, but modern science does not classify them as magic.”
The young professor frantically searches for a free space on the already full blackboard:
“Even though lacrimas are much older than magic, we have very little information about their exact origins and how they work. Basically, all we know is that they are magic-like powers that can be passed on to other people.”
Although this lecture is about magic research, most of the students are obviously much more interested in Lacrimas:
“While most people are dependent on magical tools, people with a Lacrima can use special abilities from within their own bodies. These abilities are not subject to the laws of magic and are therefore seen as something completely different.”
Wagner is in his element and can't seem to stop talking:
“I've been wondering for years what exactly the Lacrimas are. Is it a special form of magic? Or perhaps a technology unknown to us? After all, they are activated by saying their names, like a voice recognition system... or is it a magic formula?”
Cyril crosses his arms as the professor delves deeper and deeper into his monologue. At this academy, a Lacrima is something very practical. Magic tools are forbidden on the entire school grounds - especially magic weapons. Unlike them, a lacrima lives in a person's body and therefore cannot be discarded. Their use is also forbidden, but what value do rules have when you are forced to fight for your survival at this school? In other words: In the event of a violent confrontation, having a Lacrima gives you a great advantage in battle at all times. And there are many of these conflicts at Sirenford...
The only problem is that over the last two centuries, most lacrimas are now in the possession of the nobility. It is precisely through these powerful weapons that they have been able to further consolidate their influential positions as rulers.
Students who, like Cyril, come from a simple merchant family do not usually possess Lacrimas, but Sirenford is home to a large number of noble students who carry these powers within them. And they are not afraid to use them for their own purposes. Due to their high status, they need not fear any consequences anyway.
In the royal family of the Bazmas, every family member owns a Lacrima - except Sudri - which is not really surprising for the despised daughter of the family.... The children of the Bazma family do not know which Lacrima they have received, but have to discover and understand their powers on their own. It is supposed to be a form of self-discovery and growing up.
Cyril also has no Lacrima. Sudri and he are seen as one of the weakest students as a result. They are easily oppressed.
They basically form the lower class of the academy.
“I can only recommend to you,” Wagner snaps Cyril out of his thoughts, ”that you all dedicate yourselves to Lacrima research. The more people research the subject, the more progress we can make in the field. That's why I became a teacher at this academy: To recruit potential researchers!”
Cyril glances around the lecture hall: none of the students present seem to be interested in research.
Why should they be? They will soon all take over the powerful positions of their parents. No one is interested in researching the Lacrima; all that matters to them is the possession and use of these powers.
Wagner notices the silence of his students and starts to laugh out loud:
“Haha! Please excuse me. I know that my wish has only reached a few.”
The professor turns back to the blackboard:
“So let's continue where we left off: The magic sequences.”
