Being the last trimester, the students of the White Griffon academy weren’t going to receive hidden report cards anymore. They would be ranked according to their grades, letting everyone in the Kingdom know about their performance.

The royal decree that called off the third exam made many youths desperate. Cooperation suddenly had no value. Extra points had unexpectedly become more valuable than platinum, turning friend against friend and brother against sister.

Everyone would walk the extra mile trying to score as many as possible during the last two weeks, hoping to improve their ranking even if by just one position. Classes and corridors turned into battlefields, following the principle that attack is the best form of defense.

During the practical lessons, sabotaging one own’s neighbors was elevated to a form of art, while any student walking alone, no matter the time of the day, was bound to be attacked.

Lith barely noticed such inconveniences. While performing the morning rounds for the Healer specialization, his only companions were the members of his group.

During the Magica Crystals classes, Professor Farg proved to have a frightening keen eye and a ruthless personality. She beat the students at their own game.

As soon as she understood what was happening, anyone she caught not working on their gemstone without a good explanation would lose some points. A couple of students attempted a coordinated attack.