Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

Luo Wei noticed the announcement on the wall: "The 19th Western Continental Magic Competition Participant List for Siria Magic Academy?"

"What magic competition is this that's already in its nineteenth year?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Jane looked surprised, then smacked her forehead, "Right, I forgot - you're not from the Western Continent."

She explained: "The Western Magic Competition has been held since our academy's first year of enrollment."

"Back then, there was no precedent for establishing a private magic academy in the Western Continent. So after Siria Magic Academy was founded, magic academies from various countries challenged Headmaster Morrison..."

The first competition was reportedly the most spectacular. The ten strongest magic academies in the Western Continent sent representatives one after another, engaging in a two-week-long marathon of battles with Siria's professors and students.

Siria Magic Academy was forced to receive groups of arrogant challengers almost daily, with the academy gates being demolished multiple times.

At that time, the academy had very few people - just three professors and five commoner students. Headmaster Morrison personally led the team in battle, defeating every challenging academy team.

That battle established Siria Magic Academy's reputation.

More and more people learned about Siria Magic Academy, and even many nobles brought their children, hoping to have them study magic here.

They believed that if Headmaster Morrison could teach magic so effectively to dull-witted commoners, he could surely do even better with their children.

Nobles from various countries started sending children with poor magical aptitude that other academies wouldn't accept to Siria - naturally, children with good aptitude still went to noble academies.

At this point, Jane's expression darkened: "I was sent here because my magical aptitude was too poor."

In her family, children with good magical aptitude were all sent to Taslonte Noble Magic Academy, like her cousin.

Taslonte Noble Magic Academy ranked in the top three in the Western Continent. Her cousin would likely come for this magic competition, and Jane dreaded seeing her mocking gaze.

"But Jane, your magical aptitude isn't poor at all. You need to believe in yourself," Luo Wei comfortingly patted the back of her hand.

In her view, people like Jane who had balanced affinity with all five elements were quite rare - usually, characters with such attributes were geniuses.

"Yes, I believe," Jane raised her fist to cheer herself up, "I've only been at Siria for half a year, who knows what might happen in the future!"

She hadn't finished explaining earlier that among that first batch of noble students, several who were considered so talentless that even their parents had given up on them actually underwent amazing transformations here, becoming outstanding mages.

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Jane rekindled her confidence in magic, then tried to get back on track: "Oh, where were we?"

"You were talking about many nobles sending their children here," Luo Wei reminded her.

"No, before that," Jane quickly remembered, "I was saying how Headmaster Morrison led the students to defeat other academies, and those academies, unwilling to accept defeat, agreed to fight again the next year."

"Later, Headmaster Morrison reached some agreement with them. Since then, Siria has held a magic competition every year, and all the renowned magic academies in the Western Continent send teams to compete."

"In the previous eighteen competitions, our academy's overall performance has never fallen out of the top three!"

Jane declared proudly.

However, what caught Luo Wei's attention was different: Siria Magic Academy was only eighteen years old?

The church and castle in the academy looked so ancient, she had assumed the academy had been established for hundreds of years.

Then again, considering how Western architecture often lasted for centuries, perhaps it made sense that they would look aged even when new.

With the student assembly scheduled for the afternoon, Luo Wei parted ways with Jane and returned to the dormitory castle, yawning repeatedly.

Before she could even climb the stairs, she heard people on the upper floor discussing the competition roster, and her name came up in their conversation.

"Wasn't that Luo Wei from your class supposed to be really strong? Why isn't she on the list?"

"Those rumors you heard are ancient history. Now Axina is the strongest in our class."

"Really? I remember last year you told me how amazing Luo Wei's magical talent was, how she conjured flames in less than half a lesson..."

"Oh come on, didn't I tell you later? Luo Wei only has talent in fire magic, her affinity with other magical elements is terrible! You don't know, but in the last few months of last year when we were learning earth and wind spells, she couldn't cast a single one."

Hearing this last comment, Luo Wei silently thought to herself that it wasn't because of poor magical talent, but because her wand had split, making it impossible to conduct magical power.

The conversation upstairs continued.

"So you see, Axina is stronger. Besides fire, she has high affinity with the other four elements, and she's never lost any class points or yearly points. She must be ranked first in our junior division, right?"

Luo Wei, who had lost forty yearly points: That stings!

"Probably. You know, Gladys from our class also had high total points, but she got disciplined for breaking school rules."

"Now that you mention it, isn't it strange? The Savage Witch is such a strong fighter, how come she wasn't selected?"

"Don't know. And it's not just Gladys - that Master Poisoner from Professor Temple's class isn't on the list either. Wouldn't it be great to have him? No need to fight - just throw a potion and knock out the opponent!"

"Haha, that reminds me! I heard last year during the competition, a senior named Theodore farted on the arena and knocked his opponent out cold with the smell."

"Really? Is that senior competing this year? I want to watch!"

"I don't see his name on the list," the speaker sounded disappointed, "For some reason, three people from their team were replaced."

"What a shame..."

Luo Wei waited until the conversation upstairs ended before quietly lifting her skirts and walking up.

As she reached the second floor, the two rooms next to the staircase closed their doors right in front of her.

No wonder the voices had been so clear - their rooms were right here.

Luo Wei looked at the door on the left, where Monica - Axina's new follower - lived.

Students at the magic academy tended to follow the strong. If she couldn't maintain her strength and excellence, she would quickly lose a large group of followers.

A single roster had exposed her current shortcomings.

If she couldn't prove her strength, how could she convince those talented individuals she had her eye on?

As Luo Wei walked, she pondered how she could reclaim her lost first place position.

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