Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

The students from St. Teno Divine College took the very front seats. At the same time, the reception room doors opened.

Headmaster Morrison—absent for over half a month—finally emerged. He wore a white robe today, a mild smile resting on his refined, scholarly face.

Professors from other schools approached to chat. He answered each with gentle courtesy, temper pliant as soft dough.

Today the professors all wore rank-differentiated robes: Mages in russet crimson, Archmages in white. The number of stripes on cuffs and lapel facings marked level.

As a Grand Archmage, Morrison's white robe bore three dark gold stripes embroidered along the front edging and the wide sleeve hems.

Most professors from the Ten Great Academies had only one stripe; a few possessed two. All outranked by Morrison, they walked half a step behind, careful not to align shoulder to shoulder.

Luo Wei watched a moment and formed a rough picture.

The Ten Great Academies had brought neither substitute members nor logistical instructors—pure confidence, not even entertaining worry about injuries.

Given their habitual pride—always branding themselves superior—eschewing substitutes and support likely served as yet another display of strength.

The Divine College, likewise, had no substitutes.

Their lack of substitutes could be chalked up to scarcity. But why bring no supervising teacher either?

Do Divine College instructors prefer hands-off "free-range" education?

Luo Wei doubted it was that simple.

Under everyone's gaze, Professor Pence took the platform first. Professors from the Ten Great Academies followed with a few nutrient-free remarks. Finally Headmaster Morrison stepped up to announce the competition venue, deliver formal greetings, and declare the tournament open.

Only after his speech did Luo Wei learn where he'd spent the past half month: helping construct the arena.

Setting up the venue was grueling labor. In past years Siria Magic Academy sent other professors. This year the headmaster went himself?

On second thought—it tracked. With Divine College representatives present, he had to at least perform respect and give the Church face.

The first event would be held in the Bader Mountains, roughly one hundred thirty kilometers from Siria City.

All participating teams would travel there and spend three days and two nights surviving in the wild.

Siria Magic Academy had activated a temporary Teleportation Array on Swordsmanship Plaza. Departure: eleven o'clock.

When the meeting ended, the apprentices rose, streaming out in clusters.

"Should we grab food first?" Jack asked, barely containing his excitement.

"Dorms to pack first," Luo Wei said, standing. "Once everything's loaded, we meet at the academy restaurant."

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"Got it! I'll pack right now!" Jack answered at once. Luo Wei was captain; Professor Moses had stressed that obeying the captain enabled coordinated team play.

Gladys asked, "What do we bring?"

"Your usual weapon, some food—don't overdo it—and don't forget lead garments and sunglasses," Luo Wei instructed carefully.

Axina, impatient, cut in. "You talk. I'm leaving."

Jack dared not speak. The others ignored her.

Axina's face sank; she stormed off.

Watching her back, Jack hesitated. "Is Axina mad? What if later she—"

"Don't worry about her," Luo Wei said evenly. "She has ears."

Jack shut his mouth. Hol clapped his shoulder. "All right, brother. Boys' dorm. Gear."

Jack jolted. "R-Right!"

Luo Wei returned to her room. Her pack was already done—Bella and Chris had competed to prepare it the previous day.

She had checked last night: bread, pastries, jerky, her favored barley tea, plus the cotton cloth she relied on daily.

Half the backpack's space remained empty for additional items.

She added the lead garment, sunglasses, and turtle shell, slipped a dagger into her boot, slid her magic wand into her sleeve, and tucked in a small metal cup for soup or hot water outdoors.

The pack felt heavy; she drew two Weight-Reduction Runes across the surface, then lifted it and headed for the restaurant.

It was a dual-strap backpack, but for low profile she'd folded the straps away—planning to reattach them once inside the competition field.

Hard to fight beasts while hand-carrying luggage.

After a quick lunch, the eleven o'clock chime sounded; the five headed to the academy plaza.

"Here we are—let's go in."

Professor Moses and Professor Phil nodded to them and stepped into the Teleportation Array.

Luo Wei and her teammates quickened their pace and entered. Light flared; the world spun; in the next blink they stood in the Bader Mountains.

May's forest was lush and vivid, a cool, clear breath flowing down the slopes.

Layers of magic arrays surrounded the range, penned to confine the released beasts.

Students had a dedicated entrance, guarded by Mages who strictly verified identity for all movement in or out.

The Bader Mountains had been divided into three zones. The Junior Division's field lay at the far west—relatively flat terrain, lower-level beasts, less difficult than the middle and senior zones.

Outside the field stood a church structure of over a thousand square meters, jointly sponsored by the Divine College and the Ten Great Academies as spectator and referee hub.

Supervising teachers could not enter the competition zone. After escorting them close, Professors Moses and Phil turned toward the spectator church.

Luo Wei led her team to the entrance to receive their Participant Necklaces and Magic Bees.

Each participant received a necklace whose pendant bore an engraved Tracking Rune to locate the wearer; inside lay a micro-mechanism crafted by a Mystical Smith—press the button to send a distress signal outside.

The Magic Bee was a round, fuzzy, bumblebee-like little creature: social summoning-type magic beast, low level, but with exceptionally developed vision.

Large compound eyes gave it a wide field and strong target lock. Linked to the pendant's Tracking Rune, it could follow the participant's every move and stream real-time images to scrying mirrors in the spectator area.

Luo Wei put on her necklace; a Magic Bee immediately buzzed out of the large box at the Mage's right, circling above her head.

Once all five had theirs on, the Mage still didn't wave them through. He jerked his chin at their packs. "Open them. Anything against regulations doesn't go in."

This rule was standard. Luo Wei set down her pack and removed its contents.

The others did likewise, opening their bags under his eyes.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing at the sunglasses.

Luo Wei calmly put them on. "As you can see—black glasses. My eyes are sensitive to sunlight. I need them to block the glare."

The Mage looked past her. "Yours are sensitive too?"

"Yes!" Hol, Gladys, and Jack chorused, sliding sunglasses onto their noses.

Axina clenched her teeth—clearly unwilling—then put hers on.

Staring at five magic apprentices who now looked like a bunch of little black bears, the Mage opened his mouth—then left the words unsaid.

…Forget it.

He glanced over their dull grayish robes.

Siria Magic Academy students—nothing would surprise him.

Eccentric, sure. But compared to last year's contestant who ate stink beans before competing, they counted as—barely—normal.

…
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