The cafeteria was bustling with activity when Lucas and Damion arrived.

Students from all years filled the space, some celebrating their exam performances while others looked decidedly less enthusiastic about their prospects.

"Over here!" a familiar voice called out.

Lucas spotted Marie waving from a corner table where she sat with Lydia and Raymond.

The three second-years looked surprisingly energetic considering they'd just finished their own midterm exams.

"How'd it go?" Damion asked as they approached, already grabbing a chair.

"Exhausting," Marie said, though her smile suggested otherwise. "The second-year combat exam is significantly harder than what you first-years deal with. We had to face actual magical constructs, not just each other."

"At least you didn't have to deal with Carl Wayland and his cronies," Lucas muttered, dropping into a seat.

Raymond laughed. "We heard about that! Word travels fast. Apparently you dismantled his entire group without even using a weapon?"

"More or less."

"That's our Lucas," Lydia said with a grin. "Always making things interesting."

Celeste arrived moments later with Zacard in tow, both carrying trays loaded with food.

The dark-haired spear user looked as calm and collected as ever, showing no signs of having just dominated a battle royale.

"Twenty-three eliminations," Marie said, shaking her head at Zacard. "That's absurd even for you."

"The competition was weak," Zacard replied simply, sitting down and immediately attacking his food.

Lucas grabbed his own tray from a passing server and started eating. His body desperately needed the calories after everything he'd been through.

The cafeteria had outdone itself today, probably in anticipation of the exam participants' needs: roasted meats, fresh bread, vegetable stews, and various fruits were all available in abundance.

"So," Lucas said between bites, "I learned something interesting during the battle royale."

"Oh?" Marie raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently there's a group called the Pureblooded Society, and they've decided I'm their enemy because I talked to Princess Leyla once."

The table went quiet for a moment.

"The Pureblooded Society," Lydia said slowly. "Those idiots are still active?"

"You know about them?" Lucas asked.

"Everyone knows about them," Raymond said. "They're a bunch of noble supremacists who think anyone with commoner blood is beneath them. They've been causing problems at the academy for years, but they're too well-connected for the administration to do much about it."

Lucas turned to Zacard. "Their leader is from your social circle, isn't he? Rayon Ylois?"

Zacard paused mid-bite, his expression darkening slightly. "Rayon and I don't exactly run in the same circles."

"But you know him," Lucas pressed. "What can you tell me?"

Zacard set down his fork with deliberate care. "I know very little, honestly. The Ylois family is one of the four duke families, along with the Zeveks, the de Rathanes, and my own family, the Tosins. We're supposed to maintain certain... courtesies with each other."

"But?" Damion asked.

"But Rayon is an extremist even by noble standards," Zacard continued. "His 'Pureblooded Society' is exactly what it sounds like. They despise commoners and anyone with mixed blood. They believe in absolute noble supremacy."

"That's putting it mildly," Marie interjected. "They've been harassing commoner students since the society was founded three years ago. Nothing overtly violent, they're too smart for that, but they make life miserable for anyone they consider 'beneath' them."

It all made sense now. He'd inadvertently painted a target on his back by being seen with the princess while also being "tainted" by commoner blood.

"The real problem," Raymond added, "is that the society has members in all the major noble houses. They have protection from their families, money, influence. The academy can't touch them without risking a political incident."

"So they can do whatever they want," Lucas said.

"Within reason," Lydia corrected. "They can't kill anyone or cause serious injury without consequences. But intimidation, social pressure, making sure certain students fail their exams through 'accidents'? That's all fair game to them."

Lucas looked at Zacard again. "I heard you got in a fight with Damion during orientation."

The entire table shifted their attention to the two young men. Damion stopped eating, his expression becoming unreadable.

"I did," Zacard confirmed without hesitation.

"I heard it was because you thought he was a commoner," Lucas continued. "Before you knew he was adopted by the Castille family."

A heavy silence fell over the table.

Zacard met Lucas's gaze directly. "It was."

"So what, you're one of them?" Lucas asked. "One of these pureblooded supremacists?"

"Lucas," Damion said, "it's not..."

"No," Zacard interrupted. "Let him ask. He has a right to know, especially after what happened today." He turned his full attention to Lucas.

"Yes, I attacked Damion during orientation because I thought he was a commoner who had somehow gotten into the academy. And yes, I was wrong."

"That doesn't answer my question," Lucas said.

"I am not a member of the Pureblooded Society. I never have been, and I never will be." Zacard said.

"But you share their beliefs."

"I did," Zacard corrected. "Past tense."

Marie leaned forward. "Zacard, you don't have to..."

"Yes, I do." Zacard's voice was firm. "Lucas deserves to understand, especially if he's going to be targeted by Rayon and his followers." He turned back to Lucas.

"I was raised in the Tosin household with very specific views about social hierarchy and the role of nobility. My father... he's a traditionalist. He believes that nobles are inherently superior, that commoners exist to serve, and that mixing bloodlines weakens both."

"Sounds exactly like Rayon's philosophy," Lucas said.

"It is," Zacard agreed. "Because Rayon's father taught him the same things my father taught me. Our families have similar values, which is why Rayon assumed I would join his little society when it was founded."

"But you didn't."

"No," Zacard said. "I attended one meeting. One." He paused, his expression becoming distant.

"They weren't just talking about maintaining noble standards or preserving bloodlines. They were discussing ways to actively harm commoner students. To drive them out of the academy. To ruin their lives."

"And that bothered you?" Lucas asked. His tone was still skeptical.

"It should have bothered me from the start," Zacard admitted.

"But I'd been so thoroughly indoctrinated that I didn't realize how wrong it all was until I saw it in action. They were planning to sabotage a commoner student's exam. Not just make him fail, but injure him badly enough that he'd be expelled and potentially crippled for life."

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