She looked at him for a second before saying, "How did you do it?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"
"How did you get S-Class power in both physical and magical damage while only having an A-Grade talent?"
Arthur's smile was slight but noticeable. "It's rude to ask about someone's strength without even introducing yourself first."
Sarah blinked, then let out a small sigh. "You're right." She crossed her arms. "My name is Sarah. Sarah Draketower."
Arthur's eyes flickered with mild surprise. "Draketower? As in the elite family Draketower?"
Her jaw tightened slightly, just for a second, but Arthur caught it.
"I see." Arthur nodded. "My name is Azarel."
Sarah tilted her head, waiting.
"No surname," he added.
A brief moment of silence stretched between them. Sarah's expression barely shifted, but Arthur could tell his answer had caught her off guard.
No surname in Caldera meant one of two things: either the person was an orphan, or they came from the lowest class of society.
Either way, it was nearly impossible to reach S-Class without a powerful backing.
Sarah's arms tightened slightly against her chest. "No surname. No noble ties. No family records." Her emerald eyes narrowed. "And yet, you scored higher than me."
Arthur chuckled. "I wasn't aware this was a competition."
"It's not," she replied. "But people like you don't just appear. Strength like yours doesn't come out of nowhere. You could've just said that you didn't want to disclose it. You don't have to lie for no reason."
Arthur met her gaze. "I didn't lie though. Maybe, I just worked harder than everyone else."
She scoffed. "That's a pretty fairytale, but we both know hard work has its limits."
Arthur smirked. "So what are you suggesting?"
Sarah took a step closer. "I got A-Class in both tests. Do you know how rare that is?"
"Yet you, someone with no background, no elite training, and an A-Rank talent, managed to surpass that. And, get S-Class Power, as an A-Rank talent user. That is borderline impossible."
"Why is that?" He raised his eyebrow.
Sarah exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "Because only a handful of students in the entire history of the Academy have ever achieved S-Class power while having only an A-Grade talent." She leaned forward slightly. "And those students? Not a single one of them came from a mid-class family, let alone a poor one."
Arthur didn't respond, letting her continue.
"They all came from the Four Elite Families," she said, her emerald eyes locking onto his. "That means you didn't just accomplish something incredibly rare—you exceeded even those with the highest potential."
Arthur's smirk returned, but it was smaller now. "I mean, there's always a first," he said casually. "I'm sure when the first A-Grade talent student reached S-Class power, people said it was impossible too. Right?"
Sarah's jaw clenched.
Arthur could tell she didn't like his answer—not because it was wrong, but because it wasn't the one she wanted.
She sighed. "You're impossible."
Sarah studied him for another moment before shaking her head. "Fine. Keep your secrets. Do you know anything about the academy? Or should I tour you?"
Arthur thought for a second. Having a guide would be useful, and she had helped him before during the examination.
He shook his head. "I don't know anything, but I'd appreciate a tour."
Sarah smirked. "Alright, follow me."
She turned on her heel, leading him further into the Academy grounds.
"The Academy of Mera is divided into several key areas," she began, speaking as they walked. "At the heart of it all is the main building, where classes are held. It's where you'll spend most of your time when you're not training."
Arthur listened closely, his eyes scanning the massive structures around them.
"To the east, you'll find the dormitories," she continued, gesturing toward a row of towering buildings with arched windows and fortified walls. "All the students get private rooms. But that doesn't mean that they are of the same quality as the others. An S-Class student's room is not the same as a B-Class student's room."
Arthur did not need to take note of that. No matter where you were, there were clear distinctions in privileges based on ranking.
Sarah pointed to the south. "That's where the training grounds are. If you want to improve your combat skills, you'll be spending a lot of time there. And if you're looking for real fights—" she tilted her head toward an enormous structure in the distance, "—the combat arena is where you'll want to be."
"Fighting inside the Academy is forbidden. So if you have any problems with any student, you will have to sort it out in the arena. Even then, you cannot kill your opponent. However, serious injuries are something that is tolerable, as long as you don't cripple the other student. You are good."
"This is allowed?" He raised his eyebrow, it was quite tough.
"Yes, it's allowed. This is simply because both parties have to accept the challenge. Otherwise, the fight won't happen."
"But this isn't the only purpose of the arena."
Arthur waited for her to continue quite interested in the other purposes of the arena.
"In the arena, there are rankings. Arena rankings are important for one reason. Weekly allocation of resources. Depending on your ranking in the arena, you will be able to get higher resources."
Arthur's eyes lingered on the arena. Reinforced walls, towering stands, and even from here, he could see the faint shimmer of magical barriers surrounding it.
"How do the exams work?" he asked.
Sarah smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Arthur glanced at her, noting the way she kept certain details vague.
'Are the examinations meant to be surprising or something?' he thought.
"This place doesn't just reward talent," Sarah said. "It rewards effort. If you don't push yourself, you'll get left behind. So you better keep working hard. Otherwise, you will get demoted to A-Class in no time."