"Avalon Academy is the place where young Evans, born from at least one clan member active or not come to train, hoping to one day become full members themselves".
Professor Amelia stood at the front of the classroom and began her explanation in a firm, steady voice.
"It's important to note that Avalon is the only specialized academy for the Evans in the entire galaxy. And if you're wondering why… it's simply because there's no need for another," she said, as if the answer were obvious.
"Contrary to what one might assume, given the vastness of our territory, there are currently fewer than one hundred thousand active members in the clan. This is due to our high standards, deaths from age or missions, and another reason I'll explain shortly," she continued, pacing slowly in front of us with her hands clasped behind her back.
"Because of the relatively small number of members seventy percent of whom are ranked medium or higher the birth of new children is quite rare. That's why this institution is capable of training all the young members of the clan without issue."
"Professor, may I ask something?" asked a girl beside me, raising her hand timidly.
"Of course. Go ahead," Amelia replied.
"Why is it so rare for babies to be born?"
The professor nodded slowly, as if she had been waiting for that question.
"Without going into too much detail… the higher a person's rank, the more difficult it becomes to conceive. Once you reach the medium level, pregnancy becomes significantly harder. At high level, it's very rare. And if we're talking about paladins… almost impossible. If both parents are powerful, the difficulties multiply. In the last three thousand years, only eight children have been born to paladins in the Evans clan."
Wait… didn't Mom and Dad say they were paladins?
Yesterday at lunch, I heard my brother Ethan use that word. When I asked what it meant, Uncle James gave my parents a weird look. Then he explained the whole ranking thing in the clan.
While I was thinking about that, the professor's voice pulled me back.
"And in the entire history of the clan, there have only been two known cases where both the mother and father were paladins."
Did she just look at me when she said that?
So… does that mean my sister and I are special? Like the main characters in a show? Hehe…
Or maybe the special ones are Mom and Dad. Well… Ethan too, because I heard Dad say Uncle James is also a paladin.
So that means… we're all special!
Coool.
"So, since most clan members are ranked medium or higher, having a child is a rare thing. At the moment, there are four thousand students enrolled in the academy," the professor went on.
"Your time here will last a total of seven years. The first two are relatively light, a kind of adjustment period. During this time, you'll be able to go home in the afternoons. For those who live on faraway planets, comfortable rooms will be provided until the one-month break begins. Remember that all dates and schedules follow the Nexus calendar, which has 26-hour days and 32-day months, with thirteen months per year. If you're from elsewhere, make sure to convert accordingly."
"From the third to the fifth year, staying on campus will be mandatory, except during the break month."
"Finally, during the sixth and seventh years, you'll spend less time at the academy. You'll be assigned to a group led by an instructor, who will guide you through D-level missions or even C-level, if your performance is outstanding."
"To graduate, you'll need to reach at least the rank of Apprentice and demonstrate satisfactory performance based on your instructor's evaluation. It's worth noting that some students manage to graduate in six years. These are usually those who achieve the Apprentice rank quickly and perform exceptionally well in their first mission. They often receive extra benefits in the form of resources or future opportunities."
"Professor, is it possible not to graduate?" asked a boy behind me, his voice a little nervous.
"Yes, it is. Your progress will be evaluated each year through assignments and both theoretical and practical exams. If your performance doesn't meet the minimum requirements, you'll have to repeat the year. But that can only happen once. If you fail again, you'll be expelled."
I swallowed hard.
"The other way to fail is not meeting your objectives during the sixth and seventh years. In that case, you can repeat one of those years, but if you fail again… you'll still be expelled."
"Being expelled means you're not eligible to become an active clan member. You'll keep the Evans surname, but you won't be considered a real part of the clan. This means you won't be assigned missions and will have to find 'normal' jobs on your homeworlds, or rely on family support… if they're willing. Other Evans will simply see you as ordinary people."
"The only way to become an active member after that is to pass the Medium Rank test. If you succeed, you'll be considered valuable again."
"Professor, is being Medium Rank a big deal?" I asked. I couldn't hold the question back.
She looked at me and answered.
"From a paladin's perspective… not really. But from the perspective of a Apprentices , yes, it is. To give you an idea: out of the trillions of people in the galaxy, about 97% are considered low level. That's why the great clans rule over Nixara they concentrate almost all the high-ranked individuals."
"Are there high-level people outside the big clans?" someone else asked.
"Yes, but very few. Most people who reach that level without the resources of a clan eventually get recruited. The few who don't are known as drifters, and many of them turn into ruthless criminals with massive bounties on their heads."
The professor paused.
"Others just live quietly or form small guilds with low-level members. As long as they don't threaten the major clans, they're usually left alone."
"But as I said, registered drifters are extremely rare fewer than two thousand."
"If we include non-human beings, the number is higher. Some are so powerful that even though they live on planets within clan-controlled regions, people avoid them altogether. We'll study those species later on."
The professor turned to the board and wrote as she spoke.
"In case you're curious, here's the approximate number of Evans clan members by rank:
Apprentices 10,000
Novices 20,000
Rank 3 35,000
Rank 2 20,000
Rank 1 8,000
Captain 3,500
Commander 2,000
General 1,000
Elite 500
Paladins 9"
"The other six great clans have similar numbers… except for paladins. In that rank, we are far superior. That's why we consider ourselves the strongest clan."
For the first time, I noticed a faint smile on Professor Amelia's face.
"That concludes the basics about the academy."
She paused for a moment, checking if anyone had more questions.
"Now we'll begin with what you've all probably been waiting for..."
"What is mana… and how it's used."