EP.159 Autumn, New Semester (2)
It’s worth mentioning again that Apuria is home to many talented individuals. Whether they are mages or scholars, those with the potential to succeed are scattered everywhere. In fact, it’s now more challenging to find someone without talent.
Whoosh!
Hence, it is called the cradle of stars.
This is the name the world uses for Apuria. A place where stars that will one day light up the night sky briefly pass through. A place to hone oneself. That place is none other than Apuria Academy.
Ding!
“The place where the stars that will lead the next generation gather.”
What’s crucial here is the term “next generation.” The ones gathered in Apuria are important talents that will lead the next generation in any direction. This means that there’s no better place than Apuria to build meaningful connections…
Scratch!
A quill that had been gliding over paper suddenly comes to a halt.
The girl set the quill down on the table and looked at the list she had written with satisfaction. It was a list summarizing the characteristics of each student.
“I think this is about it.”
Fourth Princess, Ayla.
With her platinum hair, a symbol of the royal family, she handed the list to her guard knight.
“I plan to make contact with the students listed there one by one. Wanna check it out, Habel?”
Guard Knight Habel checked the list handed over by his master. He clicked his tongue inwardly at the names filling up one page.
Click!
“…Is this everyone?”
“Yes, everyone.”
Ayla nodded as if it was no big deal. Habel hesitated for a moment before speaking up.
“The individuals at the top of the list are well-known and dignified, so that’s understandable… but do the students below have any value?”
“There’s a reason I noted them down, Habel.”
Despite her words, Habel still seemed unsatisfied. Ayla let out a short sigh. It wasn’t that hard to understand why Habel had such an attitude.
Hmm…
“The lower you go on the list, the poorer the grades get… and it’s likely that there are students who aren’t well evaluated by the faculty.”
However, Ayla was confident.
She had talked with them and knew better.
“They just haven’t bloomed yet. With just a little encouragement, they’ll surely rise.”
Hmm?
“…Is that so?”
“Listen, Habel.”
Ayla lightly tapped her eyes.
“I decided based on what I saw. Is there any more dissatisfaction?”
A star beloved by the cosmos, Stella.
Habel knew well how keen her judgment was. He spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
Hmm…
“…There’s no way I could be dissatisfied with the princess’s decision. It’s just… I’m worried whether they’re worth your time, Princess.”
“Anyway, please arrange a meeting. I want to have a proper conversation in a meeting room.”
“Yes, understood.”
After sending Habel away, Ayla was left alone in the room, resting her chin while looking out the window. The view from the dormitory was quite different from what she had seen at the royal palace.
Whoosh…
A semester had already passed.
As the new semester’s commencement approached, she could see a line of students with packed bags returning to the dormitory. Eyeballing them, Ayla fell into thought for a moment.
Apuria Academy.
The reason she decided to enroll here was to escape the bloody royal palace and find a place to relax. However, it wasn’t just to seek peace that she came here.
Involved!
Ayla muttered while resting her chin.
“Connections. The most valuable asset of all.”
It was a phrase she read somewhere.
The relationships between people cannot be given a price. A connection built on authority and gold is flimsy. It can crumble at any time. What Ayla wished for was not those kinds of shallow relationships.
A connection built as people to people.
A solid bond.
That was a type of relationship Ayla had never built before. She longed for such ties. She hoped for those who would stand by her in the future, those with whom she could truly trust one another.
For her, Apuria was the best stage.
Everyone is treated equally as students.
Unlike life at the royal palace, there’s no need for cumbersome procedures to meet someone.
Ahh…
In short, it allows for natural encounters. That was highly appealing to Ayla.
During the last semester, everyone was preoccupied adapting and couldn’t fully utilize this advantage…
But this semester would be different.
She had adapted to a certain extent. She had opened up to others. They were getting used to each other. Familiarity breeds intimacy. Ayla smiled softly.
The seeds of connection sown during one semester.
Now that the harvest season of autumn has arrived, it was time to reap what she had sown.
Heh!
“I’m excited.”
As Ayla mused, she suddenly narrowed her brow. She stood from her chair and walked to the window.
Creeeak!
Opening the window, she glanced down.
In the line returning to the dormitory, she spotted a strange girl. A girl with striking white hair stood there, mouth agape, gazing at the Central Academic Hall.
Bam!
Ayla’s golden eyes pierced through the essence of the girl. She read the starlight pooling around the girl’s body with precision.
Hmm…
“…Now that I think about it.”
She remembered hearing from her sister that a candidate for the next hero would be enrolling at Apuria while hiding her identity. Ayla let out a subtle smile.
Hee hee!
“I have one more person to meet.”
—
1.
Apuria Academy put great effort into its exterior. To match the reputation of being the best magic academy in the royal capital, Aaron boldly invested the budget.
Thanks to that, Apuria Academy boasts a more beautiful exterior than many sight-seeing spots. Well-maintained gardens, shining tiles, and patterns engraved on every sidewalk. Even the clock tower, built with care by top architects.
Yet, the students of Apuria hardly have the leisure to appreciate that exterior… however, to those who come from outside or the new incoming students, Apuria often appears as a land filled with dreams and hope.
Bam!
And among them is one girl.
A girl who transferred to Apuria filled with dreams and hope.
Wow…
Chloe stood with her mouth agape, staring blankly at the Central Academic Hall. Since the day she decided to enroll in Apuria, how many times did she read the guidebook they sent? How many times did she look at the page featuring a photo of the Central Academic Hall where she would stay?
Countless!
She had looked at it endlessly.
She even cut it out and stuck it on her wall.
Despite thinking she had gotten familiar with it after seeing the pictures repeatedly… seeing it in real life left her speechless in awe. Ever since she passed through the front gate of Apuria Academy, it had been a continuous stream of admiration.
Pull!
Chloe tugged on the sleeve of her childhood friend who stood beside her.
“Belnoa, Belnoa.”
“Uh, what?”
“Am I really going to live here?”
“If you weren’t living here, would I have lugged this heavy baggage all the way here?”
Gulp!
Chloe swallowed dryly.
Are you saying there’s a room for me inside this dazzling building? Chloe’s shoulders trembled.
“This is… Apuria?”
Everything was beyond her imagination. A story that would bring tears to the Master of the Black Tower, but it was on a completely different level from the dreary Black Tower’s facilities. It would be a disgrace to even compare them.
Perfect!
Everything about Apuria was perfectly meeting Chloe’s expectations. Standing in the dreamlike Apuria, Chloe made a vow.
“I’ll truly work hard.”
“What for?”
“For everything. I’ll just do my best at everything.”
Thump!
If she could learn in a place like this, what could possibly be too difficult? No matter how great the trials that may befall her, she would gladly overcome them.
I can do anything!
“………”
“Hey? Belnoa, what’s wrong?”
“Uh, nothing, just…”
Belnoa looked at Chloe with a pitying gaze.
“Don’t overexert yourself.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Soon… Very soon.
Belnoa walked toward the dormitory, with Chloe scampering after her.
Wow…
Listening to Chloe’s voiced admiration like background music, Belnoa let out a sigh. How long would it take for those shining eyes to turn into those of a dying undead?
Soon.
It seemed like it would be quick.
And all that Belnoa could do for her childhood friend about to face a nightmare was… offer some encouragement now and then.
“…Do your best.”
“Okay? Okay, I will!”
—
3.
With just about a week left until the semester begins.
As students returning to the dormitory bustle in Apuria, Rania sat on the sofa in the professor’s office, finally contemplating a dilemma.
“How do I teach this?”
It was truly a professor’s dilemma.
However, it was somewhat different from the usual concerns of professors. Rania glanced over the report detailing the ‘special student’ assigned to her.
“Next Generation Hero, Chloe.”
She was a special student. As she envisioned the uniquely charming appearance of this special student in her mind… Rania murmured.
“How far can she last?”
A chilling remark lingered in the professor’s office.
Rania wasn’t alone in the office. Someone reacted to that chilling remark.
“…Rania?”
“Yes? What’s the matter, Master?”
Rosel called Rania’s name.
He looked at Rania with suspicion. He had a lot to say, but he distilled his thoughts down to one sentence.
“Apuria is a place for learning, not a training ground to test human limits.”
“Oh…”
Indeed, Rania nodded slowly.
Rosel struggled not to let out a sigh. He merely brushed his eyes with his hand. Rania slowly got up from the sofa.
I need to catch up on the syllabus.
She was a student who transferred in during the second semester.
To have her follow the same classes as students who had been attending since the first semester… she needed to supplement the material she missed. That was the issue.
Four months of classes.
How was she supposed to digest that amount of material in such a short time?
Hmm…
In fact, she already knew the method. In her case, it often meant literally ‘injecting’ knowledge based on the high-speed needs of the battlefield.
“Experiential learning.”
It means gaining knowledge through personal experience.
Or, repeatedly embedding knowledge into the body through practice.
But, as the Master said… this is Apuria Academy.
Using extreme methods would be difficult.
It was essential to approach it more gently. And the gentler method was always a confusing topic for Rania.
Why do I have to throw away a fast, efficient method?
Putting that doubt aside, Rania continued her contemplation. She tried to piece together the configuration of a short-term seminar in her mind, but it just wouldn’t fit.
To structure a class…
She first needed to check the student’s level.
Oops!
Rania stood up from the sofa.
She took the cape hanging on the coat rack and draped it over her shoulders. After preparing to leave, Rania strode decisively toward the office door.
“Master, I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”
“Are you going to the café?”
“Um…”
Rania, grooming her lips, hesitated.
“Yes. But with one student.”
I’ll treat her to coffee and engage in conversation.
While chatting, she would also subtly check the flow of mana. In doing so, she would naturally be able to gauge their level.
Perfect plan.
It was indeed a perfect plan. Rania nodded happily, her smile lit up her face. However, Rosel’s expression turned a bit sour at her smile.
“Then I’ll be off.”
“…Alright, come back safe.”
