Chapter 16

EP.16 Opening Ceremony

The road leading into the Aflia Academy is lined with trees. The flowers on the trees lining both sides of the road are a light pink. They were cherry blossoms.

The cherry blossoms scatter in the wind.

As I looked at the petals scattered along the tree-lined road, my shoes suddenly caught my eye.

Shiny, dark-colored oxford shoes.

They were shoes that Master had bought for me, saying that the ones I had were inappropriate for coming to the Academy. I felt unfamiliar with these shoes and kept checking my feet.

‘I feel like I shouldn’t dirty them.’

The shoes I usually wore were combat boots.

I had embedded dozens of spells into them to cross the swamps of the Demon Realm and added steel plates to gain an edge in battle.

Compared to those combat boots, these oxfords are...

“...You don’t need to walk so carefully; they won’t get wrinkled or worn out. Just walk faster.”

“Ahaha...”

I smiled bitterly and followed Master. I felt a strange sensation. The peaceful atmosphere made the back of my neck tingle.

‘Why the hell does it feel like the Demon Army will jump out any moment?’

Such thoughts kept coming to mind.

Those crazy guys would always destroy anything beautiful they saw, and they often launched surprise attacks during festivals.

Of course, I was confident that nothing like that would happen here.

This was right in the heart of the capital.

There were countless knights on standby.

The Demon Army wouldn’t appear in such a place. Even so, I was still gripped by an unnecessary tension.

I habitually stroked the spells stored in my fingers. I had to rub my fingers and confirm that the amount of stored spells was sufficient to feel at ease.

‘This is also a kind of illness.’

I smiled bitterly.

I had spent about five years on the battlefield.

It was only about one-fifth of my life.

However, the five years that had been etched into me made me feel unfamiliar with things I should be familiar with.

‘I feel like I shouldn’t be here.’

With a sigh, I moved my steps, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the main gate of the Academy.

“Stop for a moment.”

Master, standing at the main gate, turned to look at me.

I met Master’s gaze. After a moment, Master spoke.

“You will stand on the stage with me, so go to the waiting room and wait there. Come out when your name is called.”

“Yes.”

“I will meet with the headmaster and prepare...”

Master paused, then stroked his chin.

Then, Master looked at me and said casually.

“Your neck looks bare.”

“Huh?”

“Your robe also looks a bit messy.”

Is that so? I was sure I had tidied up properly.

Still, it seemed Master wasn’t satisfied, and he gestured for me to come closer.

“Come here.”

As I took a step forward, Master reached out his hand.

“Laniel.”

“Yes.”

“Once you cross that gate, you won’t be called by your name for a while. You’ll be called Lania, and I’ll treat you accordingly.”

Master’s wrinkled fingers straightened my rumpled collar and retied the loosely fastened robe.

“So, Lania.”

Master looked at me.

“Stand up straight. Why are you already hunching like that?”

I smiled bitterly as Master poked my shoulder.

“Master’s mouth has gotten a bit rough.”

“I’ve always been rough.”

“Well, who did I learn from?”

“Anyway, you never stop talking.”

Master smiled bitterly.

After a moment, Master took something out of his pocket and placed it in my hand.

“You left this behind.”

“...”

“Your neck looks bare. Why don’t you wear this?”

I looked at what was in my palm without a word.

Familiar texture, familiar weight, familiar size.

It was the emblem I had taken back from Lephe.

“Stand up straight, my unworthy disciple.”

Really.

I smiled bitterly and tightly gripped the emblem.

“Yes, Master.”

2.

The Cradle of Stars, Aflia Academy.

The Academy was bustling with people who had gathered to witness the era’s geniuses as they enrolled.

-That’s the... from the North...

-The child of Twilight that the headmaster recommended is also here...

A bit away from the noise.

-Look over there.

-The Red Tower Master, the Blue... They’re all here?

-That must mean this year’s freshmen are exceptional.

The VIP seats prepared for the dignitaries.

The eyes of those seated there were naturally drawn to the stage. It was only natural, considering who was seated there.

Red, Blue, White, Green, Black.

The masters of the towers, each granted a color by the royal family.

All the tower masters except for the Gray were seated in the VIP area, closely observing the freshmen on the stage.

-Representing the freshmen, four students...

There were only four students on the stage.

They were the legendary geniuses whose reputations had spread even before their enrollment.

The Prince of the North, Battle Mage Lark.

The next Gray Tower Master, Summoner Resty.

The Nightmare of the Slums, Shaman Belnoa.

And, standing at the forefront, representing them, the princess of this country, Stella Ayla.

The tower masters’ gazes were filled with interest. Each of their talents was like a beautiful flower to the masters.

In the midst of admiring the talents, the Red Tower Master suddenly spoke.

“So, that’s the Prince of the North the White mentioned.”

“Yes, he played in the snow mountains with the duke’s knights since he was young. His combat sense is probably on par with veteran knights.”

The White Tower Master, Selly, smiled.

Due to the White Tower’s location in the North, she had many opportunities to meet Lark, the duke’s only son. Thus, it was natural for her to become his magic teacher.

‘Of course, at first, it was a means to impress the Duke of the North...’

But not anymore.

Lark was the best among the mages she had raised.

“Huh.”

As she looked at Lark on the stage, Selly felt a sense of pride. She had raised that wild prince to this level.

Selly straightened her shoulders and spoke.

“Frankly, if we were to deploy them in actual combat, Lark would be the most outstanding among the four.”

“Hmm? I have a different opinion, White.”

Selly frowned.

The Black Tower Master, sitting next to her, smiled faintly and pointed to one side of the stage.

“You didn’t see the Nightmare of the Slums, the one who destroyed Twilight. That’s why you’re saying that.”

“What do you mean? Black.”

“Exactly what I said. No matter how good his combat sense is, can it surpass someone who has killed countless people?”

The Black Tower Master, Yetoal, shrugged.

“Belnoa is a monster, a monster. It was the first time I felt so uneasy while teaching someone.”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

“The child has a restraint that’s completely different from the warriors of the North.”

A strange tension flowed between Selly and Yetoal.

Their gazes clashed in the air, creating an uneasy atmosphere. The other tower masters, seeing this, sighed inwardly.

‘Here we go again.’

Was it because of the difference in their colors, Red and White, or their personalities? These two always engaged in such subtle psychological battles whenever they gathered.

‘If Gray had been here, this wouldn’t have happened.’

The Red Tower Master, Rurian, clicked his tongue.

The seat between Red and White, now empty, belonged to the Gray Tower Master. If that person were here, neither Red nor White would have spoken, and the tower masters would have been silent.

‘Of course, that’s not necessarily a good thing...’

But it’s better than seeing them engage in such unpleasant psychological battles.

“Since you’ve raised such outstanding disciples, let’s be quiet and watch. After all, we didn’t gather here just to boast about our disciples, did we?”

“That’s... true.”

Rurian’s words silenced the Red and White.

“Don’t forget our main purpose.”

The tower masters had appeared at the opening ceremony not only to observe the talents but also for a specific purpose.

‘The Gray Elder, Roselle von Trias.’

The adoptive daughter of that strict mage.

Lania von Trias.

Upon hearing that she had been appointed as an assistant professor at Aflia Academy, the tower masters decided to attend the opening ceremony.

It was a rare opportunity to see a girl who had never publicly appeared.

‘And to assess her potential.’

If her potential was deemed comparable to that of the Gray Mage, Laniel...

No matter what.

‘Even if it means making her a cripple, she must not be allowed to join another tower.’

Rurian thought this.

He was certain that the other tower masters shared similar thoughts. They all remembered the gap between the towers that had widened uncontrollably due to Laniel in the past.

The Black and White, who had stood shoulder to shoulder with the Gray, had fallen.

The Red, who had always been at the top, had plummeted.

Even though there were differences in height, there was no absolute superiority among the towers.

All of this happened.

Because of the Gray Mage, Laniel. It all happened during the two years he served as the next tower master.

‘At least he retired after joining the Hero Party...’

If he had stayed in the Gray Tower a bit longer, one of the five towers, excluding the Gray, might have disappeared.

‘So, we can’t let the same disaster happen again.’

The tower masters watched the stage with keen eyes. After the students’ introductions, the faculty members began to ascend the stage.

One by one, the professors and assistant professors responsible for specific classes like Combat Magic, Alchemy, Magical Engineering, and Summoning Magic took the stage.

Then, the name of the professor responsible for the most fundamental subjects was called.

-Professor Roselle von Trias.

His subject was the basics of mana and transactions.

The foundation of all magic.

An elderly man walked out from one side of the stage. Despite being over 50, his deep wrinkles gave a sharp impression. Some mages held their breath at his sharp gaze.

-Assistant Professor Lania von Trias.

Amid the hushed audience, a woman followed Roselle and ascended the stage. Her ash-gray hair rippled as she moved, and the ends of her slightly long robe fluttered in the wind.

A dignified and beautiful girl.

A girl standing between youth and maturity.

“...”

The tower masters’ eyes narrowed.

Their enhanced vision pierced through the girl on the stage, assessing her mana, her potential, everything.

For a moment.

‘...There’s nothing.’

Red blinked.

‘Her mana is minimal. There’s no sign of frequent spell use.’

Such a mediocre potential.

Red, feeling something was off, looked at his side. White, Green, and Blue all had the same reaction.

“Cough, cough. Ahem.”

Only Black had a different reaction.

Black, who seemed to have caught a chill, cleared his throat and hastily averted his gaze. Red tilted his head in confusion.

“...What did you see? I didn’t feel anything.”

“Me too. She seems to have excellent control over her mana, but the amount is negligible.”

“I feel the same.”

“I see no difference either.”

While the other tower masters added their comments, Black remained silent. Cold sweat had even formed on his forehead.

“...It’s nothing.”

Black only said this much.

“...Well, then there’s no need to worry for now.”

“Indeed. Since she’s Roselle’s adoptive daughter, we should observe her a bit more...”

“She doesn’t stand out immediately, so...”

The conversation was settled that way.

While the other tower masters chatted, Black bowed his head.

‘Did I see something that no one else did?’

Black’s eyes trembled.

‘After all, they’ve always ignored the concept of Stock...’

Before the Gray Mage Laniel redefined the concept of spell Stock, only the Black Tower had studied it.

Therefore.

Yetoal, the Black Tower Master, saw it.

Only he could notice it.

‘Stocked spells.’

Because he felt nothing, Yetoal confirmed it one last time and had to remain silent.

‘I couldn’t gauge how many there were.’

The spell circuits that appeared in a chaotic manner were too numerous for Yetoal to read.

“Black?”

“...Why are you asking?”

“Just making sure. We should observe her a bit more for now.”

“