Dean watched from outside the door, as the class room filled up with students.

Richard wasn’t here yet but it seemed Dean wasn’t the only one eager to learn more about this world after the first class.

A few minutes flew by and then Astrea arrived.

She looked as beautiful as ever. Bloody red hair and lips of the same shade. With a lean frame that fitted perfectly into a white clinging gown that made her shape even more attractive.

Dean didn’t let her enter, intercepting her at the door, before her new shadow Andre showed up.

Just as she stopped, Dean saw that it was an invitation even though she tried her best not to be approachable with a bleak expression on her face.

"How’s the assignment going?" Dean started with the basics.

"Fine," she responded while she looked at him from head to toe.

"...so you find anything good?" Dean ignored her scrutinizing eyes.

She stayed silent for a moment as if she was trying not to say the wrong thing.

"I don’t think there is any good answer to that assignment," she replied, a little more resigned than usual.

Dean nodded. He actually had no clue if she was right or wrong since he hadn’t started his own research.

"Anyways... let’s have lunch together later. You know... compare notes."

Astrea’s red eyes gleamed for half a second as they flicked at him.

"I’ll be going to the library for more research."

Was that a yes or was that a no. He couldn’t tell. And he didn’t do well with being in the middle.

"So that’s a yes?" he asked.

Astrea stayed quiet then began walking inside the class like she didn’t hear him.

"We’ll see..." she replied a few meters inside the class, loud enough anyone that didn’t need hearing aid could hear.

After watching how things unfolded. Olsen came from the side with a huge grin on his face.

Dean frowned, visibly disturbed by the grin. "What’s wrong with your face," Dean mocked.

"You just asked Astrea out for lunch, mate."

"So...?"

"So... everyone’s watching," he bumped Dean on the shoulder playfully.

Dean shrugged it off as he waved to the boy, who left for the workshop.

Dean took his seat and even when Richard arrived, the confused glares that kept coming his way, didn’t stop.

"Today we’ll be talking about the First coalition, the four families that gave Zhrea its first breath."

Richard paused as he cocked his head towards Dean with a small smile on his lips.

"Mr Gray... can you tell us about your family’s role in this?"

A rather confused expression appeared on Dean’s face as he had no clue what this man was talking about.

A few people laughed. Thinking this was Richard’s way to mock Dean.

But after the first thirty minutes, the looks of mockery and laughs turned into something else.

Apparently, the houses that laid the foundation for the fortress City of Zhrea were,

House Saint

House Gray

House Vermith, and

House Mikael.

These four houses formed the first alliance of summoners that joined together even when technology had failed civilization.

There was the first coalition that didn’t point fingers at each other at a time when everyone was looking for someone to blame.

But amongst these houses, the Gray family’s patriarch is considered one of the most powerful factors alongside the rest of the Gray family.

Not only did he have a powerful summon. But history remembers him to be the first person that discovered flux cores could be used to make and enhance weapons.

And this gave rise to the legend of House Gray and their unbreakable swords that turned the tides for the Coalition and Humanity.

When House Saint provided the dragons and riders, House Vermith provided the foot soldiers and blood magic.

While the Gray swords were a way, humanity could defend itself without depending fully on just summons. As they now had weapons that worked either way.

Dean was surprised by all of this. He knew the family was declining but never did he think they were amongst the founding families.

But even amongst these families playing a role, House Mikael ’s role was never stated. As if it was a crime to do so.

The only fact mentioned about them, was their extinction several years earlier due to an incident that Richard called "The Great Betrayal"

This incident left them with no descendants or in Richard’s exact words, they were now ghosts. Tales of the distant past.

"House Gray may be declining now, but without them, none of us are sitting here. Their swords are still the most effective weapons humanity has. Even now."

With those final words, Richard ended the class, smiling at Dean almost like he was telling him, the floor was now his.

But when Dean thought about it. Why was something like this not taught early?

Sure... the body he possessed wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shack when it came to intelligence, but at least, Ying should have lectured him on it.

Unless...there was more to the story than this... He would have to find out from Ying why a classroom was teaching him more about his family than his own father.

The glares on him had gone from contempt to jealousy and some actually showing interest, especially the girls.

Most of them only now understood that the Gray name meant something, but the hints were already there.

They had a bloody wall named after the House. Wall Gray. Of course they were important.

***

Astrea stood at the gates of the academy, just outside a building.

Raenar was by her side, raising a black umbrella to cover her.

"My lady, Am I allowed to come back?"

Astrea smiled. "Once Marquis Von agrees, I’ll love to have you by my side again."

Raenar nodded with a warm smile.

Astrea reached into her gown. Brought out a sealed black envelope and handed it over to Raenar.

"You’re to make sure, this gets to the Lord."

Raenar nodded and took the letter. "Is it about –"

Astrea quickly gestured a finger to her own mouth. Subtly telling not to say another word.

Raenar’s eyes widened. "My apologies, my lady... please would you for-"

"It’s okay," Astrea sighed. "Just deliver it, the Lord would understand."

"As you wish," Raenar said before she seemingly disappeared into a nearby shadow.

With Raenar gone, Astrea caught the umbrella and began making her way back into the academy.

But even as she walked, the phantom of a spiralling eye hovered over her. As Richard stood opposite a window with one eye closed and a smile arching on the edge of his lips.