They were known as the pillars of Ainzlark Academy—the untouchable among the ranks of students.
Due to their immense potential and prospects, the words of these people carried weight—enough to reshape the school! These extremely influential students were known as none other than...
... Rankers!
There were nine of them in total, all said to be capable of performing feats akin to fully-fledged Mages. These nine students were the cream of the crop in Ainzlark Academy, so it was only expected that they would belong to the epitome of Ainzlark's Class System.
Yes, they were all Upper-Class students!
Jerry scowled a little as he watched them enter the Hall and walk toward their highly esteemed seats.
The audience was in a frenzy as the greatest public figures made their appearance. Some shrieked in delight while others merely cried and gasped. Murmurs spread across the large expanse—naturally—and words of excitement leaked into the seated boy's ears.
"John Spencer looks elegant as always!"
"Devan Keith is so dark! So this is how he looks like... I've only heard the rumors!"
"I-isn't that...?!!"
Jerry wished he could block off all the sounds that assailed his head, but he simply endured it. There was certainly a spell for that, but it was only a wonder why he didn't think of using it.
As gasps and shrieks went forth, attention began converging on a particular someone.
"Wow! Look at Fabian Lestrome Indiavel! He's so charming!"
"Yeah! As expected of the one who leads the Rankers!"
When one looked at the Elite Ten of the Upper Class, the term 'Rankers' came into mind. Out of all of them, only one was not a Ranker, and that was simply because he was the weakest of the bunch.
The one who led both the Elite Ten and the Rankers, the strongest student in the Academy—Fabian Lestrome Indiavel—also known as the Second Prince of the Eastern Empire and the 'Gifted One Of Magic', was certainly at the center of attention.
His cool smile radiated the elegance he carried.
The boy's blond hair was cleanly cut, but was still long enough to slightly touch the tip of his shoulders. A strand, like a sharp elegant line, covered a bit of his forehead in a breathtaking style.
Fabian had a big build, most likely due to a well-tempered body, making any who stood before him feel like they were in front of a mountain. His outfit was pure white, having gold designs to accentuate the splendor.
As a matter of course, he walked in front of everyone else that belonged to the same 'Elite' rank as him.
As the prince of the Kingdom and the strongest of the students, this was only natural.
Walking behind him, however, was someone who was not lost in his shadow. Even though he was in front of everyone, this particular figure was just a hair's breadth from his side.
It took a second for the people to recognize her, but once they did, their eyes popped beyond what would be considered normal and their gazes shifted to a celebrity that was on par with the prince.
"I-isn't that...?!!!"
Gasps and shrieks filled the mouths of students as they let out the girl's name.
"Ciara Epilson!!!"
Yes, that was the name of the most famous Ranker, well, the second most famous Ranker in all of Ainzlark Academy.
She would have easily won first place based on her merits alone, but it was only due to the royal heritage of the Prince that granted him an edge over her.
This girl was said to be a phenomenal genius, a wonder in the realm of Magic... the second Year who made it to the realm of Rankers, one who had never lost in a match... and the current occupant of the Second Seat of the Elite Ten and Rankers!
Ciara Epilson was the epitome of a genius—plus, she was a girl!
"Kyaaaaaaaa!!!"
"She's so amazing!!!"
"And she's pretty too!!!"
"I want to be like her!"
"To think a Second Year could... how amazing!"
More and more cries rang out, and before long, only the prince and Ciara got all the attention.
The other Elite Ten members acted indifferent about the lack of attention on them and simply kept moving, but if one took a closer glance at them, the jealousy in their eyes was clear as day.
Gritting their teeth and clenching their fists powerlessly, they endured the humiliation of being behind their junior.
Being overshadowed by the prince was understandable, no one would argue. However, for a junior—one whose background was of a commoner—to completely steal all their glory... that was unforgivable.
Still, there was nothing they could do about Ciara Epilson. Not only has she bested each and every one of the other members of the Elite Ten, except number one, but she was also undoubtedly beyond their reach.
The only thing those of the lower ranks could do was watch powerlessly as the grill gracefully trailed behind the prince—nearly by his side.
Other than the other Elites who trailed behind Ciara, one other person was staring intensely at her. His look wasn't exactly a glare, but it wasn't one of pleasantries either.
The look came from Jerry.
Ciara Epilson, who had apparently ignored all the other stares, looked in the direction of the seated Lower Class Elite and gave a naughty smile—no, more like a mocking expression.
Jerry gritted his teeth as their eyes met. He wanted to yell at her the way he used to, but that would be suicide now.
Things were more complicated now, and Ciara seemed to be enjoying herself as she looked at his powerlessness.
Who would have thought that these two were once... friends.
The Elite Ten of the Upper Class reached their seats and began climbing their stairs to get to the zenith where they would be staying. As they all trailed upward, Jerry decided to take his eyes off the girl before his neck turned to the side.
He had to let go of these feelings one day...
"Oh? So you're still here... and with that intense gaze in your eyes..." Ciara whispered as she walked past him.
