Chapter 9

The following classes were an ongoing trial. The second period was Divinity Defense, and the third was Hemomancy. In each class, without fail, the professors called Simon, Special Admission Number One, to the front for a demonstration. It was an annual Kizen ritual. The competition here was fierce, not just among students, but among the faculty as well. Professors with poor results were fired mid-semester, their salaries tied directly to performance, their influence within the school rising and falling with their students’ success. Consequently, every professor vied for the most promising students, hoping to recruit them as direct disciples. Testing the top-ranked freshman on the first day was a natural part of this process.