On the first day of school, the usual first period was replaced with a welcoming ceremony for the first-year students.
The academy's grand hall was far larger than Lily remembered. Rows upon rows of seats stretched out in neat lines, all facing the raised stage at the front. Tall windows lined the walls, letting in soft morning light that reflected off polished floors and banners bearing the academy's crest.
Lily sat in the very front row.
Not by choice—but because she was the top student of the first years.
That alone drew attention. Even before the ceremony began, she could feel occasional glances directed toward her. Some curious, some impressed, and a few that carried something closer to competitiveness.
Lily pretended not to notice.
On the stage, the curtains slowly parted.
The headmaster stepped forward.
His presence alone quieted the entire hall.
Without wasting time, he began his speech.
"Welcome, new students, to the academy…"
His tone was calm. Steady.
And incredibly monotone.
At first, Lily tried to listen. She really did. But as the speech went on—introducing teachers, explaining schedules, mentioning rules, and talking about future off-campus activities—her attention slowly slipped away.
Something about the way he spoke made even interesting information sound… dull.
Outside the kingdom? That sounds kind of important…
She blinked slowly.
…wait, what did he just say?
Her thoughts drifted again.
Her posture relaxed slightly as she stared forward without really seeing anything. The voice of the headmaster faded into background noise, blending with the quiet rustling of the crowd.
Her eyelids felt heavier.
And heavier.
She was just about to lose the fight against sleep—
"—Finally, the welcoming ceremony will be concluded with a speech from our first-year top student, Lily Aedile. Please give her a round of applause."
Lily's eyes snapped open.
"…what?"
Applause erupted across the hall.
For a brief moment, she just sat there, completely frozen.
Wait. Me?
No one had told her about this.
Her mind went blank.
Then panic hit.
What am I supposed to say?!
Her heart started beating faster as she slowly stood up. The sound of clapping only made everything feel worse, like all attention had suddenly condensed onto her.
The top students usually give speeches, right?
Something like… congratulations? Motivation?
Yeah… yeah, that should work… probably…
Trying to look composed—and mostly failing—Lily walked up the steps to the stage.
Each step felt louder than it should have.
When she reached the top, the headmaster handed her a voice amplifier without a word.
That somehow made it more nerve-wracking.
She turned to face the crowd.
So many people.
Too many people.
Her grip tightened slightly around the amplifier.
Say something. Anything.
She took a breath.
"U-um…"
Her voice echoed slightly across the hall.
Great start.
"I—I hope that all the students and teachers… um… can have a great year together…"
Her words came out faster than she intended.
"And that we can make… good memories…"
She paused briefly, her mind scrambling for anything else to add.
"C-congratulations on… getting into the academy… and… um…"
She could hear it.
The slight shake in her voice.
Which only made her more aware of it.
Which made it worse.
By the time she reached the end, she wasn't even sure what she had said anymore.
"…thank you."
A second later, applause followed.
It sounded polite.
That somehow made it more embarrassing.
Lily quickly stepped down from the stage and returned to her seat, her face slightly flushed.
That was terrible.
That was actually terrible.
If there weren't more classes later, she might have tried to disappear entirely.
By the time the ceremony ended, Lily was still replaying every word she had said in her head.
And somehow, each replay made it worse.
Walking to her next class, she kept her gaze forward, hoping no one would bring it up.
Unfortunately, Kane was right next to her.
"So," he started, clearly holding back a grin, "that speech—"
"Don't."
Lily cut him off instantly.
"That bad, huh?" he said, amused.
Lily didn't respond.
Which was basically confirmation.
Kane chuckled quietly as they continued walking.
Their next class was magic theory.
The moment Lily remembered that, her embarrassment faded almost instantly.
This was the class she had been looking forward to the most.
Understanding magic better—especially her own—was something she cared about far more than a single embarrassing speech.
By the time they reached the classroom, her focus had completely shifted.
The classroom itself was arranged in tiers, with rows of desks rising step by step toward the back. It gave a clear view of the front, where a large board and demonstration area were set up.
Several students were already inside.
Lily quickly recognized a few familiar faces.
Arlen.
Seraphina.
Darius.
And many others she didn't know yet.
She walked up a few steps and chose a seat on the left side, roughly in the middle. Kane followed and sat beside her, leaning back like he had no intention of paying attention.
At the front, Arlen happened to glance back at the time—and noticed her.
He gave a small, casual wave.
Lily nodded back.
She then carefully took out her notebook and pencil, placing them neatly on the desk.
Unlike Kane, who already looked like he was about to fall asleep.
When the class began, the professor walked in.
Lily immediately noticed something… off.
His clothes were slightly wrinkled. His hair was messy. There were faint stains on his sleeves, and his posture was hunched, as if he hadn't properly rested in days.
Dark circles surrounded his eyes.
He looked less like a professor—and more like someone who had been dragged out of a workshop.
He turned to face the class.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Richard Mios. I'll be teaching theory for the first years."
His voice sounded tired—but not weak.
"It just so happens I got assigned to the top class."
He lifted a folder of papers above his head.
"But seriously… there are quite a number of people in this class this year, huh?"
A few students shifted slightly at his comment.
"Do any of you know what these papers are?"
He gave them a moment.
Students glanced at each other.
Lily had a guess—but she wasn't confident enough to say it.
"Well, it's not a big deal if you don't," he continued. "These are your entrance written exams."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
"Now," he said, tapping the stack lightly, "all of you did well. That's why you're here."
He paused.
"But what I want to talk about isn't your scores."
His gaze swept across the room.
"It's your answers."
More specifically—"
He lifted one paper slightly.
"—the last question."
Lily stiffened slightly.
She remembered that question clearly.
The one she couldn't answer properly.
Richard's voice lowered slightly.
"What is magic?"
The room fell completely silent.
No one spoke.
Richard let the silence linger for a moment before continuing.
"Well… most of your answers were along the lines of 'magic is…'"
He flipped through the stack of papers in his hand.
"Magic is knowledge."
Another page turned.
"Magic is power."
Another.
"Magic is… energy… control… will…"
His tone remained casual, almost uninterested, as if he had seen these answers countless times before.
While flipping through the papers, his hand suddenly stopped.
He paused.
"…well, this one is kind of interesting."
A few students straightened slightly.
Richard glanced down at the paper again before reading it aloud.
"Hmm… 'magic is everything.'"
There was a brief murmur across the classroom.
"It seems right… yet also wrong," Richard continued. "But the answer itself is creative—even though it still follows the same format as the others."
Lily froze.
That's mine.
Leaning slightly against the wall beside her, she felt a strange mix of emotions rise up all at once.
Embarrassment—because her answer was being read in front of everyone.
And pride—because it was the only one that stood out.
She lowered her gaze slightly, unsure how to feel.
Richard didn't dwell on it for long.
He continued flipping through the rest of the papers, reading a few more answers—most of them variations of the same idea.
"Magic is strength."
"Magic is talent."
"Magic is the manipulation of elements."
Eventually, he stopped.
"That's about it."
He placed the stack of papers on the desk beside him and picked up a piece of chalk.
Turning around, he walked to the board.
The sound of chalk scratching against the surface echoed softly through the room.
He wrote a single word:
imagination
The class stared at it.
Waiting.
Expecting more.
But nothing else was added.
Richard stepped back slightly and looked at the word.
"This," he said suddenly, "is magic."
A few students shifted, confused.
"The very act of using magic is the act of using your imagination," he continued. "The ability to think of something—and then recreate it based on those thoughts."
He tapped the board lightly.
"That is magic."
His eyes moved across the class.
"Of course… that's just my understanding. And the understanding of some others."
He shrugged slightly.
"Different people have different explanations."
He gestured vaguely toward the door.
"Right now, other classes are probably listening to different teachers explaining magic in completely different ways."
The room remained quiet, but this time it wasn't from confusion alone—it was from thought.
Then Richard turned back to the class, his tone becoming more casual again.
"Well, for now, don't think too deeply about it."
He set the chalk down.
"You should focus on learning the basics first."
He paused briefly before adding—
"Understanding comes later."