Magical Affinity

As they arrived at the academy, Arthur passed through the gate, along with several other students who kept their distance from him. It wasn't just him; the other heirs experienced similar treatment. It was no secret that this was a game orchestrated by the Emperor long before he had children. Previous emperors had the habit of having one or two children, making things simpler. However, the current Emperor wanted a spectacle of blood, so he planned to have a child with several different women, each exhibiting interesting traits. He impregnated them around the same time, ensuring that each heir would be of similar age, with only a few months' difference at most. There were rules in this "game": the heirs were not to have supporters or friends until they entered the academy. They were kept in isolated mansions, with only their mother's permission to speak directly to them. Everything else was forbidden, though there were servants, they were only allowed to speak when necessary. They were not to learn magic until they were taught in the academy, which posed several problems since nobles were taught magic from a young age. Therefore, the heirs had to surpass them to establish solid leadership. While pondering over all of this, Arthur entered his assigned classroom. A symbol of a dragon heart adorned the door; this was his room. Upon entering, he found about four students already inside: two men and two women. Observing their features, it was evident that one pair was of noble descent, while the other was of common origins. A girl with short black hair and light brown eyes, a boy with black hair and dark brown eyes, the other pair consisted of a red-haired boy with blue eyes, and a girl with light blue hair and golden eyes.

Sophie greeted Arthur with a smile. "Good morning, I'm Sophie. I hope we can get along." She extended her hand in a gesture Arthur had read about in books but was unfamiliar with. Arthur hesitated for a moment; according to his mother, he should be cautious about touching commoners, as it could make him sick. Eventually, he extended his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Sophie. I'm Arthur Drakonia." After shaking hands, Arthur noticed, "Her hands are small but rough."

John tapped Sophie's head. "You idiot, he's an heir. Didn't you hear his name?" Sophie placed her hand on her head, frowning. "So what?" The two engaged in a heated argument.

Arthur was certain they knew each other from childhood, perhaps from the same village or something.

Nicolas Bellator, who had been observing, nodded slightly and said, "It's a pleasure to be in your presence, Prince Arthur." His face was expressionless, and his eyes were closed. He was quite tall.

"Don't worry about formalities, Nicolas Bellator," Arthur replied.

Nicolas Bellator corrected his posture and looked at the girl with blue hair. "You should introduce yourself, Selene Lunaris."

Selene Lunaris glanced at them for a moment and nodded before turning her attention back to the door, waiting for the teacher to arrive.

Nicolas Bellator frowned at her for a moment before sitting down at his desk.

The room had several chairs; Selene was sitting in the middle of the left corner, while Nicolas Bellator sat in front of her.

Arthur observed that there was a clear distance between the nobles and commoners in the room. It was evident that Sophie had greeted Nicolas and Selene when they arrived, but they likely ignored her.

Arthur sat in the middle of the first row. After stopping arguing with John, Sophie sat down next to Arthur, smiling, and began talking about various random things, asking what it was like to be a prince. John, who sat next to her, looked at Arthur and said with a somewhat hesitant voice, "Nice to meet you. I'm John."

Arthur nodded to him and rested his head on the desk; Sophie's chatter was very boring. As if sensing this, John diverted her attention by engaging in conversation with her.

They awaited the arrival of the teacher.

As the professor arrives, a man with disheveled blond hair and green eyes, he speaks, "No introductions needed, I already have the data on all of you. You may refer to me simply as 'Professor'."

He sits down in the chair in a relaxed manner. "Congratulations to the four of you in this room. You've been selected as part of Prince Arthur Drakonia's team. This means you're obliged to fight alongside him against the other princes. Refusal means your families will lose their nobility or, for those who aren't nobles, their families will face dire consequences."

Jhon's expression turns fearful, and Sophie comforts him with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, Jhon. We just need to win."

Selene and Nicolas wear calm expressions, indicating they already knew about this.

Arthur observes everyone's reactions, having no particular thoughts on the matter. His mother always said people should die to make him emperor and that he should use everyone to his advantage. Though he preferred the ideology of the books he read, he understood it was only fantasy.

The professor continues, "Our first lesson will be about magical affinity."

He reaches into a small leather pouch tied to his waist. The pouch opens on its own, releasing a chameleon onto the table before closing shut. "Come up one at a time. This chameleon is highly sensitive to magic. The color it turns when you touch it represents your magical affinity."

Jhon worries aloud, "Won't the chameleon try to escape if we touch it?"

"No, it's enchanted to stay put until it dies or is captured," the professor assures.

Selene approaches first and touches the chameleon, turning it silver. She then returns to her seat.

Sophie claps, impressed.

Nicolas touches the chameleon next, turning it orange.

He then sits back down, and Sophie claps again, though she still seems unnoticed by the others.

The professor explains, "The silver color symbolizes an affinity for gravity magic, reflection magic, precognition, illusion magic, and more. It's quite rare but tends to be hereditary in the Lunaris family."

He continues, "As for the orange color, it represents an affinity for physical amplification magic, increased physical speed, heightened sensory abilities, and so on."

After Sophie, the chameleon turns red when she touches it. The professor briefly explains, "Those with a red affinity can manipulate fire and other destructive elements, such as electricity, magma, and kinetic energy. They can unleash lightning storms, melt metals with intense heat, and cause devastating impact explosions."

When it's Jhon's turn, the chameleon turns green. The professor explains, "This indicates an affinity for nature magic in general—communication with plants and animals, and that's it."

Jhon looks somewhat disappointed as he sits down, receiving a brief explanation from the professor.

Lastly, Arthur approaches. Nicolas and Jhon pay close attention, while Sophie is eager to learn, and Selene looks indifferent.

He reaches the table, touching the chameleon, turning it a brownish-red—bronze.

The professor remarks, "A very rare color. Discover its significance for yourself." With that, he stands up and leaves, clearly exhausted. Before exiting, he says, "Now, it's self-study time. Find out on your own how to use your magic."

Nicolas furrows his brow at the professor's behavior, which doesn't seem to fit with the academy's standards.

When Arthur sits down, Jhon says, "It's a shame the professor didn't explain your affinity, Arthur."

Arthur replies confidently, "That's alright. I already know. I've memorized all the affinity colors."

He recalls the properties of the bronze affinity:

Elemental Transmutation: Manipulating iron and other materials, converting stone into metal, earth into crystal, and water into vapor.

Controlled Magnetism: Manipulating magnetic fields to attract, repel, or shape metallic objects.

Elemental Forging: Shaping and forging metal objects with ease, creating exceptional weapons, armor, and tools.

Body Alteration: Temporarily altering one's body structure, granting enhanced strength, resilience, or even temporary metal transformation.

Metal Telekinesis: Manipulating metallic objects at a distance with precise control.

Magnetic Sensors: Creating sensitive magnetic fields to detect nearby metals.

Arthur smiles, feeling confident. "I can definitely become emperor with this," he thinks to himself.