The central hall of Aurelthia Academy fell into silence.
Hundreds of students sat upright, their breathing restrained within an orderly stillness.
Footsteps echoed.
A middle-aged man stepped forward onto the podium. His robe was simple, yet the aura he carried pressed down on the entire hall without effort. His hair was neatly combed, his expression calm… too calm for someone standing before hundreds of future elites of the empire.
He stopped.
His gaze swept across the hall.
"Allow me to introduce myself," his voice was deep and clear,
"My name Aldrian Elsworth Fread, Headmaster of Aurelthia Academy."
The silence deepened.
"I am pleased to see new faces… filled with ambition and grand dreams."
He walked slowly in front of the podium.
"You have all passed the final selection. That alone proves that you… are not ordinary."
He paused briefly, looking upward.
"And for that, we should be grateful to the Goddess Phomenia… who has bestowed talent upon each of you."
Some students lowered their heads reflexively.
But his gaze shifted, sharper.
For just a moment.
Like a blade hidden between gentle words.
"Although…"
His eyes scanned the rows of students.
"…I can see that most of you are of noble descent."
Silence.
A few expressions stiffened.
Then.
His smile returned.
Gentle.
"Your presence here… is not the end."
"It is the beginning of your final evaluation."
The faint creak of chairs echoed.
"Your position… and your worth within this academy…"
He paused.
"…will be determined without leniency."
Whispers began to spread.
In one row, a girl with faded brown hair lowered her head slightly.
"So… students with low scores will be expelled?" she murmured softly.
Omnia let out a small sigh.
"That's unlikely… stop being so skeptical, Elyria."
Elyria smiled faintly.
"I think it's necessary, Omnia."
At the front, Aldrian spoke again.
"But."
The entire hall tensed.
"That… will not happen."
Several students exhaled in relief.
Aldrian looked at them.
"…I was joking."
Silence.
The wind from the tall windows drifted softly through the room.
No one laughed.
Aldrian gave an awkward smile.
"A poor sense of humor."
He cleared his throat lightly.
"You are all already familiar with the history and system of this academy."
"So… I will not waste time explaining it in detail."
His gaze sharpened again.
"…And for those who do not know it, yet still stand here…"
"…I doubt they will survive."
A chill ran through several students.
Blane swallowed.
"…I feel attacked."
Sarah nodded stiffly.
"…So do I."
Cillian glanced at them slightly.
"What's wrong with you two?"
Alyssa covered her mouth with her fan, eyes narrowing.
"You don't know?"
Blane forced a smile.
"We know. Of course we know."
Cillian watched him for a few seconds longer.
Suspicious.
At the front, Aldrian raised his hand.
"Now…"
The atmosphere returned to silence.
"We will begin the welcoming ceremony."
"A representative of the new students will step forward… to deliver a formal address to the academy."
The students' hearts began to race.
This was what they had been waiting for.
That name would determine… who stood at the top.
Aldrian unfolded the paper in his hand.
"…Vynessia Aurellian."
Silence,
Then it shattered.
"The imperial princess?!
"Seriously?!"
Footsteps echoed.
A girl stepped forward from the front row.
Her long black hair flowed like ink in the night, touched with a faint golden sheen. Her golden eyes were calm… yet deep, like a sky concealing a storm. Her posture was straight, elegant without effort. Every step was measured, as if the world itself had long since adjusted to her presence.
Vynessia Ve Aurellian.
She stood at the podium.
The paper was handed to her gently.
Her gaze lifted.
Sweeping across the entire hall.
Friends.
Students.
The future of the empire.
Then she began to speak "With all due respect… I stand here as a part of the Aurelthia Empire."
Her voice was calm. Firm.
"We live… under the protection of His Majesty the Emperor, heir to the noble bloodline of Lucius Aurellian, the founder of the laws and civilization we uphold."
Several students bowed their heads.
"Under his leadership, this world has not merely endured… but flourished."
Her tone softened.
"And for that… we give our gratitude."
She closed her eyes briefly.
"To the Goddess Phomenia… who has granted light to those chosen."
"Who has given us the chance… to stand here today."
The atmosphere began to shift.
"Aurelthia Academy…"
Her eyes opened once more.
"…is not merely a place of learning."
"It is a place where humans… transcend their limits."
Her voice flowed more smoothly now.
"The professors… the instructors… they are not merely guides."
"They are the guardians of our future."
Several instructors at the front fell silent.
"And we…"
She took a slow breath.
"…are the generation that will lead this world… toward a better future."
The hall fell into a heavy silence.
As if every word carried weight.
"Not because we are exceptional…"
"But because we have been given the opportunity… to become better."
Tears began to form in some corners of the hall.
One professor lightly tapped his colleague's shoulder.
"Why are your eyes watering, Claude?"
Claude frowned.
"You don't feel moved, Xavier?"
Xavier stared straight ahead.
"…I don't find this moving."
Claude glanced at him.
"A professor with a heart of stone."
Yet Xavier's face… had stiffened.
Amid all of that—
Cillian simply folded his arms.
Silent.
Unmoved.
Alyssa beside him looked on with faint disdain.
"Fool," she whispered softly.
Cillian did not respond.
His gaze remained fixed on Vynessia.
And at the very end,
"…That is all."
Vynessia lifted her eyes.
Directly.
Toward Cillian.
The distance between them was vast.
Yet it felt as though no space existed at all.
Their gazes… connected.
As if there was something that should never be known.
Then Vynessia smiled.
The flag of the Aurelthia Empire fluttered high above, its fabric rippling softly in the seasonal wind. Beside it, the banner of Aurelth Academy swayed along, symbols of pride and, for some students, the beginning of a long suffering known as "education."
The ceremony had ended.
The national anthem they had sung together still lingered faintly in the air, like remnants of spirit that had yet to fully settle within the hearts of the new students.
Footsteps began to move.
Hundreds of students walked toward two main buildings, Mage and Enlightened.
Cillian paused for a moment in front of the massive oak doors of the Enlightened building. His eyes shifted toward the Mage building across from it.
There, Lilith… no, Alyssa… also stopped.
Their eyes met.
No smiles, No words.
Just a brief blink, firm, cold, and sufficient.
The same signal as before.
Don't embarrass yourself.
You neither.
Sarah lightly pulled Alyssa's arm.
"Come on. If you stand there any longer, people might think you're cursing the building."
Alyssa let out a quiet scoff, her fan opening to cover half her face.
"If I were cursing it, at least it would become more interesting."
On the other side, Blane patted Cillian's shoulder.
"We going in? Or-"
"You planning to stand here until you turn into a statue?" Aider cut in quickly.
Cillian let out a short breath.
"Just go in. Why are you waiting for me?"
"…How pitiful."
They entered.
Enlightened Evaluation Hall
A vast room with a polished floor.
At its center, a massive crystal floated slowly, rotating as soft light flowed across its surface.
Some students were immediately captivated.
"Whoa…"
"That's… huge…"
Hans stepped closer, his eyes gleaming like a child discovering a new toy.
"If that thing falls, we all die, right?"
His friend, Milea glanced at him flatly.
"Thank you for that highly useful analysis."
Cillian only gave it a brief look.
"If it falls, the first thing to be destroyed won't be us… but this academy's reputation."
"Your priorities are strange."
"So... as your hair and eyes."
At the front, two figures stood.
Professor Roland, calm and composed.
and beside him, Instructor Reginald. his gaze sharp, as if judging who deserved to live and who should just go home.
"Pay attention," Roland said, his voice steady.
"This is the Observer Crystal. It will read you."
Reginald continued,
"Affinity. Class. Enlightenment. And… level."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Some students swallowed nervously.
"Affinity," Roland explained, "is your closeness to mana. For example, most of you possess Light affinity."
A student in the back whispered,
"If it's not Light… then what is it?"
His friend replied quietly,
"Then… it's weird?"
Cillian flinched slightly.
"?!"
Blane glanced at him curiously.
"Class," Reginald continued, "determines your path. Knight, Archer, Rogue, and others. You will not choose—your path will be assigned."
Aider raised his hand without hesitation.
"If I don't like the result, can I file a complaint?"
The entire room fell silent.
Reginald stared at him.
For a long time.
"…Try it," he finally said.
Aider slowly lowered his hand.
"I… changed my mind."
A student whispered,
"You're shaking too quickly"
"Enlightenment," Reginald's voice echoed again,
"is your true nature. It does not change. It cannot be faked."
He raised his hand slightly.
"For example. Mine, Chimera Sense."
The air grew heavy for a moment.
Several students shivered.
"Instincts of multiple legendary creatures. Without weakness."
Blane swallowed.
"I suddenly don't want to know mine."
Cillian crossed his arms.
"Now you're scared?"
"This isn't fear. This is… risk evaluation."
[Mage Evaluation Hall]
On the other side, the atmosphere was no less lively.
Professor Selene stood elegantly, while Professor Astrid beside her looked… slightly too excited.
Affinity and Class It has been explained , Selene had already explained them.
Then she moved on to Stigma.
Professor Astrid raised her hand. Runes appeared in the air, rotating, merging, then-
Boom.
A flower of light bloomed in midair, soft and beautiful.
Several students were mesmerized.
"Wow…"
Astrid smiled proudly.
"This is an example of a Stigma. Mine- Air Catalyst. I can write runes without conventional casting."
Alyssa opened her fan, watching with a flat expression.
"Interesting… but is it faster?"
Sarah nudged her.
"Do you see how many students are here?"
Alyssa glanced around.
Dozens. No, hundreds.
She froze.
"…I hate queue systems."
Sarah gave a faint smile.
"Same impression."
Back in the Enlightened hall, Elyria murmured,
"Can Enlightenment change?"
Ketty, the pink-haired girl beside her, shrugged.
"Doesn't seem like it. At Honorary Tower last week, mine was still the same."
Elyria nodded slowly.
"I see…"
A blue-eyed boy muttered, loud enough to be heard,
"Typical nobles. Walking privilege."
Omnia immediately cut in.
"You're the same, Felix."
Felix smiled gently.
"It's an honor that Lady Griff remembers me."
"And lastly…" Reginald's voice pulled attention back.
"Level."
Every student focused instantly.
This was what they had been waiting for.
"It determines your starting position," he continued.
"Not just a number. But… where you stand among others."
A student whispered,
"If it's low…?"
His friend answered,
"Then… we become the joke?"
Cillian exhaled softly.
"Humans are consistent."
Blane glanced at him.
"In what way?"
"Judging others by numbers."
Aider suddenly appeared between them again.
"Hey. Got a feeling? We're going to be the strongest here."
Blane stared at him.
"Where does that confidence even come from?"
Aider grinned widely.
"From ignorance."
Cillian looked straight ahead.
"..."
The crystal at the center began spinning faster.
The light within it pulsed.
Reginald stepped forward.
"Evaluation… begins now!"