Open Challenge [III]

Michael was the Ace of the first-years in the game.

Coming from a humble background, he faced relentless discrimination and ridicule from noble Cadets who refused to acknowledge his authority.

And when the commoners tried to recruit him into their faction, he turned them down. Because of that, he lost their support as well.

As a result, he ended up with no standing despite being their Ace.

He was alone — neither side willing to follow his lead. 

And that made his position as the strongest of the first-years far more difficult than it should have been.

He faced many challenges.

One of which was a side quest in which he had to stop an all-out clash between the noble and commoner factions.

Factions weren't an official part of the Academy. They were just cliques — loose alliances formed within the first-year batch, where Cadets grouped together based on their social backgrounds.

Nobles stuck with nobles.