Chapter 17

The Entrance Ceremony ---

The elderly principal stood on the stage in the auditorium, exuding a grandfatherly aura and delivering his welcoming speech in a gentle tone.

"To all the talented students who aspire to become magicians, welcome to the Royal Magic Academy. All the faculty and staff sincerely congratulate and welcome you. I look forward to the day when you will leave a significant mark on the kingdom through your studies here. Work hard."

And so, we became students of the academy.

After the ceremony ended, we headed straight to the classroom. By a stroke of luck, I and Laura ended up in the same class.

A young man with a short beard stood at the front of the classroom.

"I am your homeroom teacher, Filbus. I look forward to working with you all for the next year."

While encouraging us to study hard, Filbus added with a laugh that he had taken things easy during his own student days.

"After all, the court magician Carail is an alumnus here. It's hard to feel motivated to work hard."

Filbus laughed heartily.

The moment he mentioned Carail as an alumnus, the students' gazes were filled with admiration.

...That court magician is a genius and very popular...

Filbus, with his easy-going nature, seemed to be a teacher who would be popular with the students.

After a pause, Filbus continued as if he had just remembered something.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

He rummaged through his pockets and rolled something small onto the desk.

Filbus picked it up and showed it to us.

"You probably can't see it well -- it's the school badge."

The surface was engraved with the emblem of the Royal Magic Academy.

"You haven't received your school badges yet. Do you want one? Sorry, but not everyone can get one."

Filbus waited for everyone's attention before continuing.

"This badge is only awarded to students who achieve a certain level in their exams. The first one is this 'stone' badge. You need to get it before the end of the year."

"What happens if we don't get it?"

One of the students asked.

Filbus smiled and replied.

"You'll be expelled."

A murmur ran through the students.

I didn't react. I remained calm.

I knew this. Nothing had changed since my time.

The students were shaken, but there was no need to be overly worried. As long as you lived a normal student life and achieved normal growth, anyone could meet this requirement.

...I couldn't do it ten years ago.

I never received the school badge. Just before the final year exams -- overwhelmed by the tension and my own disappointment, I fled from the academy.

The badge I never received.

Can I get it this time?

If I can, how will I feel?

I want it.

That's what I thought.

Filbus, after letting go of the stone badge, picked up another one.

"Hey, don't panic over just a stone! Everyone can get it. The next one is 'iron.' If you don't get this, you'll be expelled after the second year. Be careful!"

He then held up a shiny badge.

"And the final requirement is 'silver.' If you don't get this by the end of the third year, you won't graduate. Put in your best effort. But... that's not the end."

He chuckled and picked up two more badges with his other hand.

"Getting silver means you can graduate. But those who achieve even higher grades are awarded 'gold' and 'mithril.' Gold and above are tough. It's a lifetime achievement. Give it a try."

"Teacher!"

A student raised their hand.

"What is it?"

"Are you an alumnus of the academy? What badge did you get?"

"Just a plain silver! Is that a problem!"

The classroom erupted in laughter.

"What about Carail-sama, your alumnus?"

"He had mithril by the end of his second year."

At that moment --

The classroom fell silent.

They must have understood the insurmountable gap between ordinary talent and genius.

Filbus waved his hand.

"Well, he's in a league of his own. Don't compare yourself to him. He's an outlier. Just aim for me as your goal."

"Start with the ordinary, right?"

"Exactly -- hey! Are you making fun of 'ordinary'!?"

The students chuckled, and a warm atmosphere filled the classroom.

"Anyway, aim for the stone badge first. Until you get it, you're a student here, but not really a student. Understand? Make us recognize you, you half-finished ones."

Filbus grinned and said, "That's all for today. Dismissed!" before leaving.

The students stood up and began to pack up.

Laura approached me as I slowly gathered my things.

"Albert! It's great that we're in the same class! Let's aim for the stone badge together!"

"Sure."

The stone badge.

Something I couldn't get back then.

The teacher said that until we get it, we're "students here, but not really students."

By that definition, I was never really a student ten years ago.

I was just at the academy.

That's why I made a strong wish and a vow. This time, I will.

The meaning of returning here after ten years must be something I will truly feel when I achieve it.

Smiling at Laura, I said,

"Yeah, let's work hard."

This is the character design image drawn by Masima Sakki, the illustrator for the book.

This is the student uniform version.

Please note that this is an early design stage material, so there might be some adjustments by the time it is released.