THE entrance ceremony brought together new and current students. Tonight, a solemn atmosphere blanketed the central hall of the Academy.
“Next, the representative of the new students. Lyle Elvard, the top male student in the year, will give a speech. Please come forward.”
At the master of ceremonies’ call, Lyle, who was sitting in the front row, stood up and headed for the stage. As soon as he looked around, the atmosphere, which had been relaxed until then, became charged. This happened not only because of his position as the third prince but also his own charisma.
“Thank you for the introduction. I am Lyle Elvard, and I’m truly honored to be here today as the representative of the new students. Today, we pass through the gates of this glorious Academy of Magic and begin a new journey in life…”
Yuffie, sitting in the section specifically for new students, was astounded at how smoothly he rattled off his speech. Lord Lyle sure is amazing… He’s the third prince and the top of our grade. He suddenly seemed distant, and that feeling made her a little lonely.
Then a boy sitting nearby whispered, “So, he really is the top male student in our cohort, after all.”
“That means…he’s the most powerful in attack magic in the freshman class, right?”
“Wooow, I only wish I could be like him… I need to practice and become top-notch at attack magic too.”
Yuffie felt a chill run down her spine at their words.
In this world, only men could use offensive magic. At least, in the history of the Kingdom of Elvador, no woman had ever been able to use it. This was important, so it bore repeating. Only men could use offensive magic; women could not.
This was common knowledge not only in Elvador, but the rest of the world too. Therefore, Lyle, who entered the Academy at the top of his class, was the best at attack magic in their year.
“I chose to learn and grow as an offensive magician because this power is a gift from heaven that only men like me can use, and I believe it’s necessary to protect the citizens of this country from all enemies. That includes monsters and other nations…”
His words were a testament to the fact that offensive magic lay solely in men’s domain.
“We’ll learn, grow, and become stronger at this school. And we pledge to use this power to work hard for our nation and our people. By taking pride in ourselves as magicians, acting with sincerity and a sense of responsibility, and fulfilling our individual roles, we will be able to overcome all difficulties.”
Lyle finally reached the end of his passionate speech.
“So, everyone, let’s celebrate the start of a new journey and move forward! May our country and our future be a brilliant one!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in cheers. Moved by his words, the students rose to their feet and clapped enthusiastically.
Amidst all of this was Yuffie…
Wow, the pressure is incredible… I feel like I might faint…
The zeal of the crowd nearly burned her to death. If you put an octopus in boiling water, its resulting color would probably match Yuffie’s face right now.
As Lyle returned to his seat, silence settled over the hall again.
“Next up, Erina Celestia, the top female student. Please step forward.”
A girl walked to the stage and took Lyle’s place at the podium. Yuffie’s eyes widened comically the moment she saw her.
“No way…” she muttered. The girl with the shoulder-length silver hair was the same one who had been kind enough to give her directions to the dorms yesterday.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Erina Celestia. I couldn’t be happier to stand up here as the female representative. Having said that, I plan to take a lighter approach to what I’m about to say, so please relax, everyone.” She began with a soft smile.
Yuffie felt the atmosphere in the hall mellow instantly. Once it did, Erina continued addressing the student body.
“The reason I wanted to learn healing magic…is because I grew up with a sick grandmother. At the time, I could do nothing but watch over her, and I wanted power so much. This experience was the catalyst that led me to the path of studying recovery magic…”
The students listened to the words she spun like a beautiful melody, their expressions captivated. This time, a girl sitting near Yuffie whispered loudly.
“Oh, Lady Erina, you look divine today too…”
“I want to become a great healer like her…”
Their words made Yuffie’s heart pound.
In this world, only women could use recovery magic. There had never been a male in the history of the Kingdom of Elvador who could use it. This was also important to remember, so it bore repeating as well. Only women could use recovery magic, not men.
Being at the top of her grade meant that Erina was the most talented user of healing magic among the students enrolled in the Academy this year.
“Healing magic is a power given only to us women, to heal and support people. It can cure illnesses, heal wounds, and make people’s lives richer and more comfortable. However, with power comes the responsibility to use it correctly. The healing magic we learn is a force to be reckoned with, and if misused, it can bring great tragedy. We all know what happened in the Tragedy of Seraphin, and that’s precisely why we must study the knowledge and techniques to control our power and utilize it correctly.”
But…what is the Tragedy of Seraphin? While Yuffie tilted her head in confusion, Erina continued her speech, her gentle voice somehow exuding passionate conviction.
“However, you needn’t worry. We’re friends who will learn together, grow together, and become stronger together. With our powers combined, we can definitely overcome any difficulties. No matter what happens, don’t forget to support and help each other.”
After a pause, Erina looked around the hall and let her final words settle in the air. “Finally, I would like to conclude this speech with heartfelt thanks. I sincerely hope that your school life will prove fruitful for you all. I look forward to embarking on this new journey with everyone.”
She bowed gracefully and was met with thunderous applause. A different kind of emotion than Lyle’s speech enveloped the hall. Yuffie clapped too, albeit quietly. Erina’s words had penetrated deep into her heart.
“Lady Erina is incredible too…” Yuffie mumbled.
“Of course. She’s destined to be the country’s next Saint.” Edward, sitting next to her, heard her and couldn’t resist making the barbed reply.
“She’s what…?!”
She stared googly-eyed at him. Having lived in the countryside until now, Yuffie was unfamiliar with the magical affairs of this country, but she knew enough about Saints. One had visited her village during her childhood, and she was the reason why Yuffie wanted to study healing magic.
The Saint was the protector of the Kingdom of Elvador and considered a symbol of the hearts of its people. They could cure any terminal illness or serious injury using prayer and healing powers, and reigned as the symbol of the state religion, Valencia. Their deep wisdom and insight meant they also served as an advisor to the king.
There could only be one of her kind in each generation, demonstrating the importance of the role and the great responsibility that the Saint held. Taking all of this into consideration, it went without saying just how incredible the position was for the next one. Apparently, Erina was a person of incredible status and was in no way inferior to Lyle. The thought made Yuffie’s blood run cold.
“By the way, Edward, may I ask about your background…?” Yuffie asked.
“My father is the prime minister.”
“P-Prime minister…?”
“Clearly, you don’t know much.”
“I-I’m sorry…” She bowed her head repeatedly.
He sighed and explained. “The prime minister is someone who assists the king in government affairs.”
“Th-That’s so elite!”
“My father, yes. Me? Not so much.”
“I still think it’s impressive… I mean, our class is full of incredible people.”
“Another of our classmates is from a high-ranking family, named Jack. He’s the son of the minister of war.”
“R-Really…?”
Even Yuffie understood what that meant.
“I find it strange that a group of old friends is in the same cohort. I’m sure the school thought it would be more convenient to keep us all together,” he said.
“I-I see…?”
She didn’t know much about their circumstances, so she didn’t really understand what he was implying. But one thing she did know was that she’d be studying alongside such incredible talent. A shiver ran through her at the realization.
Both Lyle and Erina are from different worlds…
A strong sense of shame overcame her then, making her wonder if she was worthy of even breathing the same air as them.
She thought back to Erina’s speech. Her beautiful face that entranced everyone, her soft smile, and the way she spoke confidently made her the epitome of the Saint. Yuffie didn’t doubt that the people in the hall had a lot of faith and expectations for Erina.
And what about Yuffie herself? She didn’t want to think about it.
I studied and practiced healing magic a lot too… But in the end…
Everyone was still applauding for Erina.
“I wonder if I can really become one…”
No one heard Yuffie’s faint mutter as the commotion drowned it out.
💠🌸💠