Chapter 76: Don't know

“As I have already told you, Tier 3 is the threshold that divides ordinary practitioners from true mages,” Mark begins, his voice carrying clearly across the silent room. “Mages who fail to reach Tier 3 are regarded as failures by the broader realm. And before you ask—with proper guidance, sufficient effort, and adequate resources, reaching Tier 3 is demanding, but entirely possible. That reality is the very reason this Academy was established in the first place.”

​

Mark stops for a moment, letting the room settle into an expectant hush as the tension builds. He looks across the attentive faces of the cohort before continuing.

​“However... above Tier 3 lies a realm where no amount of external guidance or lavish resources can aid you. Beyond that point, only your own relentless effort, unyielding will, and deep comprehension of magic can pave your path. It is because no matter how similar two mages' circumstances might appear on the surface, their core experiences remain fundamentally different—and so, too, is their path through magic.”

“In fact, more than eighty percent of all mages who make it to Tier 3 never manage to surpass it and reach Tier 4,” Mark says, his voice taking on a heavy, serious gravity.

​He looks across the silent, spellbound classroom before offering a sharp, pragmatic comparison.

​

“If I had to give you an analogy... in the wider world of magic, Tier 3 mages are merely common grunts. The mages above that rank are the ones who truly hold the power to churn the magic world. ​You can grasp the sheer weight of that distinction simply by looking at the nobility,” Mark continues, placing his hands flat on his desk. “Attaining Tier 4 as a mage or knight is one of the absolute minimum requirements for elevated nobility—the other being meritorious service to the Empire. That is why the vast majority of lower noble houses are held by Tier 4 mages or knights.”

​In the middle rows, William calmly muses

but that explains the status and political difference between Tier 3 and Tier 4,But how does their actual magic differ?

​“Status within the Empire is only the superficial layer,” Mark says, gesturing broadly. “The true distinction lies in the fundamental nature of their magic. Beyond merely possessing a significantly stronger physical vessel and a far larger mana pool, a Tier 4 mage’s true power stems from the sheer depth of their comprehension.

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​“For instance, a Tier 3 Fire mage cannot turn water into ice—their magic is bound by basic elemental domain. For a Tier 4 Fire mage, however, manipulating thermal energy to rapidly strip heat from water and turn it to ice is entirely achievable. Similarly, it is almost impossible for a Tier 3 Ice mage to completely freeze a person without destroying their organs and killing them—yet a Tier 4 mage can freeze a target solid while keeping them alive through precise control over heat transfer.”

​

Mark leans forward against the podium, locking eyes with William.

​“The real gulf between Tier 3 and Tier 4 is not just output—it is mastery over their own magic and the environmental mana around them. And because every single mage’s comprehension is forged by their own unique mind and life, it is virtually impossible to simply walk in another mage's exact footsteps.”

“​Next is Tier 5,” Mark continues, his tone growing sharp and deliberate. “These are the individuals holding key positions across the entire world of magic. Every single professor standing in this Academy is a Tier 5 mage, and most centuries-old noble houses are headed by Tier 5 mages or knights. Whether as high nobility governing vast fiefs, or holding senior commands in the Imperial military or internal ministry, they are the people with the authority to make decisions governing the lives of commoners, mages, and knights alike.”

​

Mark pauses, letting the sobering reality of political power sink in before dropping the final statistic.

​“And if you are wondering about the odds... only ten percent of Tier 4 mages or knights ever manage to reach Tier 5.”

​“And as for their magic... they are the people who have touched the realm of impossibility,” Mark says, his voice dropping into a quiet, reverent murmur. “Their comprehension runs so profoundly deep that they can fundamentally alter the very nature of magic and mana itself.

​For instance, I once saw a senior professor freeze a solid stone using fire magic, while another created droplets of water that weighed heavier than iron boulders. These are the mages who, in their own words, have glimpsed the true nature of magic.”Mark waits for a long moment, letting his words settle over the stunned students before continuing

​“And then comes Tier 6. They are the apex powerhouses of our world—the patriarchs and matriarchs of ancient ducal houses, where every single individual is a walking calamity in their own right. They are the figures even the Crown itself must treat with absolute deference—the Dukes of the Empire, the Commander of the Royal Guard in the capital, and our very own Vice Headmistress. Each of them acts as a cornerstone for the realm, where a single command from their lips can decide the fate of hundreds of thousands of lives.” Mark pauses, scanning the room to take in the breathless, wide-eyed anticipation radiating off the cohort. An amused smile plays at the corner of his lips.

​“And as for their magic...” Mark trails off, letting the silence stretch to its absolute breaking point.

​He shrugs simply. “I don't know.”