All eyes gathered once again, with a heavier sense of confusion. They couldn't understand what the servant was up to.

"Alice!" Rocky shouted, low and abrupt.

Alice clenched her teeth, her fangs producing a subtle grinding sound. Flames seemed to flicker in her golden-red irises, and her sharp nails scraped five fine lines on the wooden table. She didn't know why she was so angry, but she was never good at hiding her emotions. When she felt the fire within her, she immediately stood up... but she hadn't thought about what to do next.

Break all their necks and rip their mouths apart? It was a brilliant idea... but if she did that, Rocky would be implicated as well. They had important business to attend to in this academy, and she couldn't risk jeopardizing their efforts because of her impulsiveness.

So she could only lower her head, quietly lift the chair back up, and sit down as if adjusting her posture, pretending she didn't care.

And so, the class resumed, with the magic instructor on the podium passionately explaining the concept of the basic elements. "The world we live in is extremely delicate. Ordinary people can only see the surface, while the task of a magician is to see the truth behind things. Therefore, you must know that it is not matter that constructs this world, but the four basic elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. They are everywhere, integrated into all things, and are also important materials for magic."

"Since the basic elements construct the world, does that mean our bodies are also made up of these four elements?" someone asked.

"Of course, the human body's skeleton, flesh, hair, and even nails are all formed by the interaction of the basic elements."

"But that's strange. Since the basic elements are materials for spellcasting and our bodies are also made up of these elements, then why don't we ignite ourselves as spellcasting materials?" the person continued to inquire.

Rocky furrowed his brows. This question touched on the secret of element activity. Although this world was filled with elements, not all elements were suitable for spellcasting. Elements could be classified into active and inert elements, and generally, only active elements that hadn't formed any substance would be attracted to magic... This was a very basic question in the field of inherited magic, but it has plagued many generations of magic practitioners because only the eyes of a Mage could truly analyze the world and observe the difference between active and inert elements, the difference in magic power between the two.

Presenting such a question seemed deliberately challenging the magic instructor, and Rocky shifted his gaze to the questioner.

She was a slightly petite girl with bright and silky golden hair deliberately tied into a mature hairstyle at the back of her head. Her delicate face resembled that of a doll, with long eyelashes and intense purple eyes. However, this charming face was marred by her inherent arrogance, as if she was speaking through her nostrils, looking down with contempt at the magic instructor at the bottom of the podium.

She was wearing an obviously altered school uniform, a distinctive white, with gold trimmings. It appeared that two badges were attached to the collar, one of which Rocky couldn't see properly due to the angle – the student badge, and another one.

The magic instructor felt somewhat embarrassed since he didn't know the answer to this question. He turned to the girl with the golden hair and asked, "Well then, why don't you tell us?"

"Inert elements are generally unaffected by spellcasting. Even Mage instructors find it difficult to utilize inert elements. At the same time, the guided elements during spellcasting directly correlate to the nature of the magic. The human body is primarily composed of water elements, so it is logically impossible to guide inert water elements using fire magic." The girl stood up and walked towards the podium, standing beside the magic instructor.

Just as expected... Rocky subtly activated his Wind Observation, a wind-based magic that exponentially enhanced his vision. He could now clearly see the badge on the other side of the girl's collar – a pattern made up of seven intertwined silver serpents. It was an emblem of heritage, indicating that she was an inherited mage.

"So, she's the woman your teacher mentioned, right?" Alice whispered. "She looks decent, but seems hard to handle... What was her name again?"

"Michian Magetroide Aldanoya," Rocky replied. "She is a direct descendant of the Aldanoya family, the precious gem in the hands of Pope Eulero Usolio Aldanoya.""You guys with your long names, humans are really troublesome."

"Only nobles are like this, first part is the given name, middle part is the mother's surname, last part is the father's surname...during the annual Holy Ritual period, if one introduces oneself, they must also add their baptismal name after the given name. And by the way, your name is quite absurd."

"Well, now that I have become your contract apostle, all that's left is my name, which is pretty convenient, isn't it?" Alice pouted. "Speaking of which, how does the Aldanoya family compare to your Rocky family? Well, I mean, before."

"Not as great as the former Oxias family. My family has been around since the founding of the nation, with deep roots. The Aldanoya family that only rose to power in the past century can't compare, but they have quite a bit of influence as well."

But while they have thrived, your family with deep roots was uprooted...Alice wanted to say that, but she didn't want to upset the contract holder, so she asked, "She has her family's support, she is a disciple of a mage, and on top of that, her father is the pope. She has quite the advantage."

"She does have the capital to be proud, but she's far from being able to do as she pleases," Rocky said. "Nomenge is much more complicated than you imagine. Even the pope is constrained by many forces and cannot help her too much."

In the next second, as if feeling his gaze, Michian's gaze shifted towards them. Rocky remained expressionless, while the corners of Michian's mouth formed a cold smile.

"Traitor Rocky Dolaville Oxias," Michian said in a resounding voice. "You dare to come back?"

Rocky remained silent, waiting quietly for Michian to continue.

"The Church may forgive you, but I won't." Michian suddenly tore off the heritage emblem on his collar and forcefully threw it, landing precisely on the table in front of Rocky. "Do you think this city sees you as a hero? In reality, they just find killing you too dirty for their own hands...but I don't mind."

This was a standard duel gesture. Between knights, if one threw their white glove and the other picked it up, the duel would commence. Both sides willingly gave up their lives, and the outcome of life and death was not restricted by the law. Similarly, among mages, if one threw the emblem from their collar, it meant the same thing.

The crowd was in an uproar. No one had expected such a development. Who would have thought that the Pope's beloved daughter would have such deep-seated hatred for the traitor from the Oxias family? Even the magic instructors beside Michian were stunned, forgetting that as teachers, they should stop this duel...of course, it might also be that they didn't dare to intervene. Michian might not be the person with the deepest background here, but she was definitely someone he couldn't afford to provoke. If she were to angrily throw another emblem at his face, unless Tiran descended, no one could save him.

But everyone was more than happy to witness a good show, so all eyes were on Rocky at this moment.

However, Rocky shook his head. "I've never thought of myself as a hero. I am grateful that the Church could forgive my sins...let the past be in the past. There is no need for this fight between you and me."

"Don't you dare pick it up?" Michian stared at Rocky. "You're still the same as five years ago, choosing to be a coward and begging for mercy from others...it's such a shame, your sister doesn't have a second head for you to court."

The ice in those deep blue eyes suddenly cracked, and Rocky stood up, his fingers reaching towards the emblem on the table.

"Rocky, this is not what we planned..." Alice whispered. She felt a bit embarrassed because she couldn't hold her temper earlier, but now it was her turn to persuade Rocky.

"She's right, plans can always have a second option, but my sister doesn't have a second head." He finished speaking and closed his fist, grabbing hold of the emblem, raising it high. "I, Rocky Dolaville Oxias, accept your challenge."