EP.16 Entrance ceremony
There are trees along the road leading to Aplia Academy. The petals of the street trees hanging down on both sides of the road are light pink. It was cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossoms bloom in the blowing wind.
As I looked at the flower petals spread along the tree-lined road, my shoes suddenly caught my eye.
Shiny dark blue shoes.
When I was going to the academy, my teacher asked me what those shoes were and before I knew it, they were the shoes he had bought. I was unfamiliar with those shoes, so I kept looking at the top of my feet.
‘I feel like I shouldn’t spoil something.’
Originally, the shoes I wore were military boots.
Military boots that had dozens of spells embedded in them to cross the swamp of the Demon World, and had iron plates added to them to gain even the slightest advantage in battle.
Compared to those military boots, these shoes…
“···Even if you don’t walk carefully, it won’t get wrinkled or worn out. “I’m going to walk fast.”
“Ahaha…”
I smiled bitterly and walked behind Master. Something feels strange. It feels like the back of my neck is itching in this peaceful atmosphere.
‘Why the f*ck, does it seem like the Demon King’s army keeps popping out?’
I keep thinking about that.
When those crazy people see something beautiful, they always have to destroy it to make them angry, so they used to raid every festival like this.
Of course, I am confident in my head that that will not happen.
Because this was the center of the royal capital.
Because there are many knights waiting.
There is no way the Demon King’s army would appear in a place like this. Even though there is nothing, I am caught up in such useless tension.
As a habit, I touch the stocked spells with my fingers. Rubbing my fingers, I feel some relief only when I confirm that I have enough stored spells.
‘This too is a disease.’
I laughed bitterly.
I have been wandering the battlefield for about 5 years.
It’s only about one-fifth of my life.
However, the sense that those five years have engraved in me makes things that should be familiar feel unfamiliar.
‘I feel like something isn’t right here.’
As I sighed and continued walking, I soon arrived at the main gate of the academy.
“Stop for a moment.”
Master, standing right at the front door, looks back.
I make eye contact with Master. Finally, Master opens his mouth.
“You will be standing on the podium with me, so go to the waiting room and wait. “I come out when my name is called.”
“yes.”
“I will meet with the dean and prepare…”
Without speaking, Master touched his chin.
Then he looks at me and blurts out.
“The nape of your neck looks bare.”
“yes?”
“The robe also looks disheveled.”
is it? I think I definitely got it all sorted out.
Still, it didn’t seem to satisfy Master, so he motioned to me.
“Come closer.”
As I took a step closer, Master stretched out his hand.
“Raniel.”
“yes.”
“Once you get through that door, I won’t hear your name called for a while. I’ll call you Rania. “We will treat you accordingly.”
Master’s wrinkled fingers straighten the crumpled collar. Untie the roughly tied string of the robe and tie it again.
“So, Rania.”
Master is looking at me.
“Spread your shoulders. “Why are you already cowering and freaking out?”
I smiled bitterly when a hand touched my shoulder.
“Master, your mouth has become foul-mouthed too.”
“I was rough from the beginning.”
“Well, who would I have learned from?”
“Anyway, you don’t say a word.”
Master laughs bitterly.
Finally, Master took something out of his pocket and put it in my hand.
“You left that behind.”
“·····.”
“The nape of your neck is bare. Why don’t you wear that at least?”
I looked at what was held in my palm without saying a word.
Familiar texture, familiar weight, familiar size.
It was the badge I had taken back from Lepe.
“Just straighten your shoulders, you ugly disciple.”
Really?
I smiled bitterly and held the badge tightly.
“Yes, Master.”
2.
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Cradle of Stars, Aplia Academy.
Aplia is crowded with people who come to admire the geniuses of the era who will enter there.
-That’s the North…
-You can also see the twilight child that the dean strongly recommended…
A place one step away from all that noise.
-Look over there.
-Red magic tower, blue… Did everyone just get together?
-That’s how amazing the new students are.
VIP seats prepared for dignitaries.
Attention is also focused on those sitting there. Considering the people sitting there, it was only natural.
Red, blue, white, green, black.
The owners of the Magic Tower who received color from the royal family.
Magic tower owners of every color except gray are sitting in the VIP seats, looking intently at the entering students on the podium.
-Representing the admitted students, four students…
There are only four students standing on the podium.
They are rare geniuses whose rumors spread widely even before they entered school.
Confucius of the North, Battle Mage Lark.
The next gray magic tower lord, Summoner Resty.
The nightmare of the slums, Shaman Belnoa.
And, standing at the front as if representing them, is the princess of this country. Stella Ayla.
The gaze of the magic tower owners looking at them is full of interest. Because each and every talent they had was like a beautiful flower in their eyes.
While appreciating the talents, the red magic tower suddenly opened his mouth.
“I guess that’s the Confucius of the North that White said.”
“Yes, you have been running around the snowy mountains with the Grand Duke’s knights since you were young. “You won’t be inferior to veteran knights in terms of your sense of battle?”
The white magic tower lord, Selly, smiles.
Due to the nature of the White Magic Tower located in the north, she had many opportunities to meet Lark, the only son of the Archduke. So, it was a natural progression for her to become Lark’s magic teacher.
‘Of course, at first it was just a means of impressing the Grand Duke of the North…’
Not now.
Of all the wizards she raised, Lark was by far the best.
“Hehe.”
Looking at Lark standing on the podium, Celie felt proud. She was the one who raised Confucius, who was like a barbarian, to such a level.
Sally straightened her shoulders and opened her mouth.
“I dare say that if put into actual combat, Prince Lark would be the best among the four.”
“well? “My thoughts are a little different, but white.”
Sally frowns.
A black magic tower lord sat next to her. He points to one side of the podium with a faint smile.
“You’re saying that because you didn’t see the child who destroyed the slum’s nightmare, the twilight.”
“What does that mean? black.”
“That’s literally it. No matter how good your fighting sense is, is it any better than Sura, who has killed people?”
Black Mage Tower Yetual shrugs his shoulders.
“Belnoa, that guy is a monster, a monster. “It was the first time I felt so uncomfortable while teaching.”
“Huh? is it so?”
“I’m talking about Ayran, who has a completely different attitude from the northern warriors.”
A strange current flows between Celie and Yetual.
The two gazes collide in the air, creating an unsettling atmosphere. Looking at that scene, the magic tower owners nearby sighed inwardly.
‘Here we go again.’
Is it because of the difference between the colors black and white, or is it because of their compatibility? Whenever those two got together in a place like this, they would have this strange war of nerves.
‘If there had been gray, this wouldn’t have happened.’
The red magic tower lord Lurian briefly clicked his tongue.
A place between black and white.
If there were an owner of that gray seat that is now empty, all of the magic tower owners would have become mute, let alone black or white.
‘Of course, I’m not saying that’s a good thing…’
I think it’s much better to keep your mouth shut like a mute than to watch them fight like that.
“I know that the student you raised is great, so let’s be quiet and let’s finish this. “Isn’t the reason we gathered here in the first place to make our disciples proud?”
“That’s right.”
Black and White close their mouths at Lurian’s words.
“Don’t forget your purpose.”
The reason the magic tower owners showed up at this entrance ceremony was to see talented people, but they had a different purpose.
‘Ashen Elder, Roselle Van Trias.’
The adoptive daughter that that strict wizard took in.
Rania van Trias.
After hearing that she had been appointed as an assistant professor at Aplia Academy, the magic tower owners decided to attend the entrance ceremony.
Because it was an opportunity to see the girl who had never been seen publicly.
‘And, it’s a chance to check those qualities.’
And, just in case, it is judged that his qualities are comparable to the gray wizard, Raniel…
No matter what happens.
‘Even if it means making you a bad person, you must not let him go to another magic tower.’
Lurian thought so.
And, I was sure that other magic tower owners were thinking similarly. They will also remember the gap between the magic towers that grew uncontrollably in the past due to Raniel.
Black and white, which stood side by side with gray, collapsed.
Red, which was always at the top, fell.
Although there may be differences in high and low, there was no such thing as absolute superiority, but a hierarchy was created among the magic towers.
All of that.
The gray wizard, Raniel. This was accomplished during the two years that he took charge as the next Mage Tower lord.
‘I’d rather join the warrior party and retire after that, so it’s a shame…’
If he had stayed at the Gray Magic Tower a little longer, one of the five magic towers excluding the Gray Tower might have disappeared.
‘So, we can never allow the same tragedy to happen.’
The magic tower owners turned on their eyes and looked at the platform. After the students’ introductions, faculty members begin to come up to the podium.
Professors and assistant professors in charge of specific classes such as combat magic, alchemy, magic engineering, summoning magic, etc. appear one by one.
Following this, the name of the professor in charge of the most basic academic discipline is called.
-Professor Rochelle Van Trias.
His subjects are the basics and trading of mana.
A subject that is the basis of all magic.
An elderly man walks out from one side of the podium. Even though he is over 50, even the wrinkles that have deepened over time are keenly felt. Those sharp eyes make some wizards hold their breath.
– Assistant Professor in Charge, Ms. Rania Van Trias.
With the audience holding their breath, a woman steps up onto the stage, following Rossel. Every time she moves, her gray hair flutters. The hem of the slightly long robe flutters in the wind.
A graceful and beautiful girl.
She is a girl who seems to be standing between youth and maturity.
“······.”
The eyes of the magic tower owners narrow.
Their gaze, strengthened by mana, pierces through the girl standing on the podium. The mana she has, her qualities, everything.
So for a moment.
‘… there’s nothing.’
Red blinks.
‘The amount of mana is minimal. There are no traces of frequent use of specific spells.’
It’s an insignificant quality.
Red, who felt strange about that fact, looked to his side. White, green, and blue all have the same reaction.
“Cough, clack. “Sigh.”
Only black has a different reaction.
The black one cleared his throat as if he had been told something, and hastily looked away. Red tilted his head in response.
“…What did you see? “I couldn’t feel anything.”
“me too. “It seems like your ability to control mana is excellent… but the amount was insignificant?”
“Me too.”
“It didn’t look any different to me.”
Even as the other magic tower owners added their words one by one, Black still remained silent. There is even cold sweat on his forehead.
“…It’s nothing.”
Black was just sparing his words.
“···Well, then there’s no need to worry about it right now.”
“It seemed so. Since this is the person that Elder Rossell adopted as his adopted daughter, we will have to wait and see a little more…”
“I’m not going to stand out right away, so whatever.”
That’s how the story is organized.
While the other magic tower owners were talking, Black lowered his head.
‘Am I the only one who saw this?’
Black eyes tremble.
‘Well, these are the people who ignored Stock, so they wouldn’t have seen it.’
Until the gray wizard Raniel redefined spell stock, the only magic tower that studied spell stock was the Black Magic Tower.
so that.
Yetual, the master of black, saw.
Only he could notice.
‘Stocked order.’
Since he couldn’t feel anything, Yetual checked it one last time and had no choice but to close his mouth.
‘I couldn’t see it.’
I couldn’t even guess how many there were.
Yetual could not bear to read the spell circuit that appeared in a dizzy and chaotic manner.
“black?”
“···Why are you calling me?”
“I guess that’s how it was arranged. “For now, let’s wait and see.”
“·····.”
“No matter how much Rosel is semi-retired from the Gray Magic Tower, he is still an elder. Much less that reputation is something to be taken lightly. “It’s still too early to touch that disciple.”
Red says that and nods.
“Besides, it doesn’t seem like there’s any need to touch it. “Because those qualities don’t seem outstanding.”
“···under.”
Yetual burst into laughter inadvertently.
They’re all just blind people.
“···But why?”
“No. “It’s just that I think your eyes have become a little bleary-eyed.”
“What on earth is that reaction from earlier? What did you see? Yetual?”
I saw it.
However, Yetual had no intention of announcing it hastily. It seems like he was the only one who recognized that girl’s true worth.
“I’ll go first.”
“···Well, let’s do it like that.”
Leaving behind the trembled reactions of the magic tower owners, Yetual stood up.
‘Rania van Trias.’
The black magic tower lord remembered the name.
A word from the author (author review)
It’s a plus! Bababam!
After accumulating 15 episodes, it was converted to a plus!
There are only 15 episodes, but thank you for the positive response and for having fun reading!
So, where did the transition commemoration ceremony go?
sorry···.
But Monday is a regular Sabbath day.
I needed a day to heal my tired soul on Sunday, which was no longer a holiday but the deadline for my assignment…
I am always grateful, and I look forward to your continued support.
*04/07 Subtitle changed (Opening Ceremony (1) -> Entrance Ceremony.)
