''Your words are far from the truth, Elder Soren.'' The head of the Beast Arts department let out small scoff, his arms folded across his chest. ''Senior Virelia embodies an untouchable exquisiteness far beyond that of an unaesthetic spoiled brat.''
''Watch your words, Instructor Kairo.'' Instructor Virelia casted a warning glance at the last person on her right. Though there was some distance between them, high-ranking Beastmasters like them had no difficulty hearing at such range.
''Hmph! I only speak the truth, Senior Virelia.''
''Well, well….who doesn't know how much you adore Virelia, Idris?'' Instructor Noctalis quickly stepped in between the two heads of departments. It has always been like this between them; the admired and the admirer.
''To think a zero percent Beastryl level existed…''
An Instructor between instructor Virelia and Instructor Noctalis mused aloud as he observed the black-haired student heading to her seat. His voice gruff, each word echoing faintly from beneath his metallic mask. ''Her body will be a perfect subject for a future research.''
''…You can't conduct a research on the Blackthorne family's child, Magnus.'' Instructor Noctalis let out an awkward laugh, his gaze flickering briefly at the robotic fingers as they flexed slightly; a habit of head of the Beast technology department when he suddenly got the urge do a research.
Thank goodness there's always a barrier.
Instructor Noctalis suppressed a relieved sigh. He couldn't imagine how horrified the first year students would be if they heard such cruel words from the head of a department.
''The Guildmaster of the Lumos guild should allow my research. It's his privilege that I, Magnus Synther, has taken an interest in his daughter as my research subject.''
I believe no parent would want their child to be your research subject unless they are as insane as you, Magnus. Instructor Noctalis struggled to keep his expression calm as he heard those words from a Beastmaster almost as old as him.
''Isn't that right, Instructor Harlan?'' The head of Beast technology department, Instructor Synther called out the Head of Beastology department.
Timothy Harlan.
The weakest Beastmaster of all heads of departments in the Western Beast Academy.
''What are you trying to say, Instructor Synther?'' asked Instructor Harlan calmly without looking at the metallic mask.
''It is your privilege that I have taken an interest in one of your students.'' Instructor Synther replied in the same prideful manner.
''Well, I am not the parent of the student you're interested in.'' Instructor Harlan shrugged with a faint smile.
''However…'' He paused, his droopy eye lifting towards Instructor Synther. ''When did you come to believe I would allow you to take one of my students?''
Tension rose at his words.
''...When?'' Instructor Synther scoffed, finding the question to be a foolish one. ''How naive, Instructor Harlan. When I desire something, I possess it…by force.''
His words sparked an unspoken challenge between them.
''Enough.'' Sensing the argument escalating out of control, Instructor Noctalis intervened, his Beastryl surging forward just enough to clash against the Beastryl emitting from the two heads of departments. Other Instructors also glanced at them, the tension thick in the atmosphere around them.
''The students are here, Instructor Synther, Instructor Harlan.'' This time, Instructor Noctalis addressed them with their Instructor titles and not their first names.
''....Hmph!'' Instructor Synther withdrew his Beastryl. ''Interfering as always, Instructor Noctalis.'' Displeasure evident in his tone as he faced forward, watching a student returning from the control center.
Instructor Harlan also withdrew his Beastryl and turned his gaze forward without a word.
Meanwhile, no student detected the fight that almost broke out between two heads of departments. Unaware that she was the cause of the fight, Amina was watching other students from her department called up to the control center.
There were no other students with a high Beastmaster rank like Claudia Varkas, making her the top talent of their year in the Beastology department.
''Ken Ashwyn.''
''Finally! The Beast Combat department.''
The students stirred with a surge of excitement unlike before as the staff-in-charge finally called a student from the top department of the academy.
As more students from the Beast combat department got called up to the control center, Amina noticed how the lowest Beastmaster rank was a C-Rank, unlike other departments that had lower ranks.
''Marcel Pantheris.''
''Yes.''
A familiar dark-blue haired male student stood up, his voice calm yet audible enough for one to hear.
''Look, the Young master Pantheris is finally going up.''
''I heard his Beastmaster rank is an S-Rank.''
''I'm not surprised. The Pantheris family is among the powerful top families of the Empire.''
As the Young master Pantheris strode forward to the control center, his figure drew both admiring and envious gazes from other students.
It didn't take long for his Beastmaster ranking information to pop up on the screens.
Name: Marcel Pantheris
Age: 16 years
Beast: Pantheris (War beast)
Beast class: S-Class
Beastmaster rank: S
Beastryl level: 850%
Beast attribute: Tri (Shadow step, Abyssal cloak, Abyss)
''Woah…He's an S-Rank.''
''The rumors were true.''
''850% He's already at C-Rank now.''
''Three Beast attributes…I'm so jealous.''
''Beast Resonance won't be impossible for him.''
''Definitely. He's an S-Rank, after all.''
The students excitedly gushed about the Young master Pantheris' high Beastmaster ranking information. Their reactions couldn't compare to their former reactions of top students from other departments.
Unlike those students, the Young master Pantheris was clearly different. Not only was he a high ranking Beastmaster, his family was one of the six pillars supporting the Western Beast Empire.
It's obvious he would be an important Beastmaster of the Empire like his family members, particularly his elder brother; the Vice-Guildmaster of the top five Guilds.
The Pantheris Guild.
While students thought of ways to connect with such an important person, the Young master Pantheris brought out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers on his way back.
Hmph…As expected of dirty commoners.
Marcel scoffed in his mind.
Such lowly intentions…
He wasn't blind to the greedy eyes of other students. Did they assume he would welcome dirty commoners like them with open arms?
They should think twice before approaching him.
As Marcel neared the row of his seat, his expression nearly twisted at the sight of a dark-haired student with crimson eyes.
There's even someone dirtier than them.
He couldn't understand what the Blackthorne family was thinking by sending a disgrace to stain the prestigious reputation of the Western Beast Academy.
Once again, Amina was unaware that someone was having some negative thoughts about her. Even if she could feel the unfriendly gazes her way, they had already become a norm to her by now.
At the sight of the Young master Pantheris' Beastmaster ranking information, Amina only thought it was to be expected.
After all, she had read about him in the novel. He was one the main characters which made her to recognize him at the orientation asides hearing his name from other students.
After the Young master Pantheris, other students were called up to control center.
''Liliane Astryx.''
Another student's name caused another wave of excitement among the students. Like the Young master Pantheris, her family was one of the six pillars supporting the Empire, as well as her mother being the Guildmaster of the top five guilds.
Her Beastmaster ranking information appeared on the three screens.
Name: Liliane Astryx
Age: 16 years
Beast: Ursus (War beast)
Beast class: S-Class
Beastmaster rank: S
Beastryl level: 800%
Beast attribute: Dual (Stonehide, berserk)
''That makes two S-Rank Beastmasters in the Beast combat department.''
''Honestly…''
''Don't forget there are A-Rank Beastmasters with the potential of becoming S-Rank.''
''Woah…''
''The Beast Combat department is the strongest in the academy for a reason.''
''Instructor Virelia is there too.''
''Their courses and practical trainings must be very intense.''
''Somehow, I feel grateful to the academy for not registering me as their student.''
''Yeah…who knows how I'll survive.''
While students felt admiration and envy, they couldn't help but feel intimidated and fearful of the Beast Combat department. After all, they already have two S-Rank Beastmasters as students unlike the other departments.
Amina watched as the Young miss Astryx calmly returned to her seat. Just like the Young master Pantheris, her name was also mentioned in the novel.
''Rosaline Oaken.''
''Y-Yes!''
The female lead's name was finally called up to the control center.
Amina saw the familiar cotton candy hair and observed how the students had a rather lukewarm reaction to her name unlike the Young master Pantheris and Young miss Astryx.
This much was understandable. After all, her family wasn't as influential and widely known as top families of the Western Beast Empire. Even her relationship with the Crown Prince wasn't publicly known because of his engagement with the Villainess according to the novel.
However, Amina knew that these lukewarm reactions would change once the female lead's Beastmaster ranking information appeared on the three screens.
There was a scene in the novel that made the female lead widely known in the Western Beast Academy, as well as the entire Animyth and not just the Western Beast Empire. That scene was during the Beastryl Assessment.
Name: Rosaline Oaken
Age: 16 years
Beast: Panthera (War beast)
Beast class: A-Class
Beastmaster rank: A
Beastryl level: 600%
Beast attribute: Tri (Divine stigma, queen of the wild, Hunt )
''D-Divine stigma?!''
''She has Divine stigma?!''
''Why is she at the academy and not the Temple?''
''Is the Temple even aware?''
''Her Beast aren't like those at the Temple. How does she have Divine stigma?''
''Does that mean she's a Saintess?''
Amina watched as the students reacted heavily to one of the female lead's Beast attribute; Divine stigma.
An attribute borne by a Beastmaster marked by Anima, the god of Beasts.
Those Beastmasters were known as the Saints of Beasts, and the female lead was one in the novel.