<Chapter 18>
“With this, we conclude the 52nd Entrance Ceremony. Freshmen, please remain seated for further announcements.”
The entrance ceremony had run far past the scheduled time, stretching to a full hour and thirty minutes before finally ending.
Selina straightened her slumped body—only to sink right back down when they were told to wait longer.
The ceremony itself was tiring, but the real reason she felt drained was the person sitting beside her.
“Is it because of dorm assignments? I’m so curious where we’ll be assigned. Right, Selina?”
“Uh… yeah.”
For the entire hour and a half, Sylvia had not stopped talking. Which meant Selina had been tortured for ninety minutes straight.
As if becoming the unexpected freshman representative—forcing her to stand in front of the entire school—wasn’t bad enough for her goal of staying quiet, now she was at risk of becoming close to Sylvia. If that happened, her peaceful school life was truly doomed.
And not just doomed—she’d get dragged into all sorts of trouble. No thanks.
She had absolutely zero desire to become friends with the story’s heroine, but Sylvia kept approaching her as if they were destined to be best friends.
“But Selina.”
“Y-yeah?”
Sylvia suddenly dropped her smile and stared at her seriously. Selina felt as if her own face was reflected in Sylvia’s clear blue eyes.
“Have we met before?”
…Huh? What kind of line was that?
Wasn’t that the kind of question a guy asks when trying to flirt with a girl?
Selina answered awkwardly, confused.
“No…? Today’s the first time I’ve seen you…”
“Really? Then why does your voice sound familiar? Hmmm…”
Sylvia folded her arms and pondered, her elegant nose slightly scrunching.
“Maybe I’m imagining it. But I swear I heard your voice recently…”
“You must be imagining it. I’ve never seen you before.”
“Hmm… maybe.”
“Testing, testing. Can all incoming students hear me clearly?”
A loud voice boomed through the auditorium again.
“Freshmen will now follow your assigned professors to your respective classes. They will explain your upcoming schedule, so please do not wander off and follow instructions carefully…”
As Selina listened absentmindedly, a shadow appeared in front of her and Sylvia.
Startled, both girls looked up.
A man with messy, bed-head hair, a poorly-worn uniform, and even a sword sheath hanging loosely from his waist stood there.
If they saw him on the street, they might assume he was a vagrant.
“Uh… so. Is this Class 1?”
His indifferent gaze shifted downward and landed on Selina and Sylvia.
“Do I really have to introduce myself? Doing that here is a pain… whatever. You.”
Calix pointed at Sylvia.
“You’re the class president. Keep the kids in line and follow me.”
Sylvia looked shocked, while Selina quietly sighed in relief.
Thank goodness—she wasn’t the class president.
“And you’re the vice president.”
Calix smoothly shifted his finger sideways, pointing directly at Selina.
The sigh she’d just exhaled was sucked right back into her lungs. Her face fell into pure despair.
“If you understand, follow me.”
With his long robe swishing behind him, Calix strutted away. Sylvia stood awkwardly and turned toward their classmates.
“E-everyone! We need to follow the professor! Let’s hurry!”
The students murmured but quickly obeyed, standing from their seats.
“Selina, I’ll guide everyone from the front. Can you stay at the back and make sure no one falls behind?”
“…Okay.”
Sylvia grabbed the cage with Nox inside and started leading the group.
Selina followed behind with Luna, checking that all students stayed together.
Once she confirmed the last student was moving, she stepped behind them.
Class 1 wasn’t the only one moving in formation; all freshman classes were following their assigned professors.
✦ ✦ ✦
Following Calix, they arrived at the classroom labeled Class 1-1.
It was large enough to fit nearly forty students.
But… it was uncomfortably luxurious.
The chairs, desks, even the flower vases were made of expensive materials. Just stepping inside felt intimidating.
Only Selina seemed overwhelmed. The others behaved casually and picked their seats without hesitation.
Selina entered late, and before she could choose a seat, Sylvia called out:
“Selina! Over here!”
There were empty seats scattered around, but if Selina ignored Sylvia and sat elsewhere… she didn’t even want to imagine what would happen.
Sylvia pointed at the seat beside her.
In front of them sat the boy who had stopped them earlier at the bulletin board. Diagonally ahead were Theodore and Kris.
It was such a terrible seating arrangement she briefly wondered if she should drop out.
“Vice president. Sit down quickly.”
Calix stood at the podium, urging her. Selina forced her heavy legs to move. Every step brought more stares—filled with curiosity, jealousy, and envy.
If she opened her spiritual sight now, she’d probably drown in negative emotions.
“Alright, now that everyone’s here, I’ll introduce myself again. My name is Calix. I’ll be your class advisor for the next year. Nice to meet you.”
The class immediately buzzed at the mention of his name.
“Calix? That Calix?”
“You mean the commoner who became Vice Captain of the Imperial Second Knight Order?”
“I heard he’s close to becoming a Sword Master… is that true?”
“A real war hero… here?!”
Selina hadn’t known this, but he was apparently very famous.
“Oh! That Calix! No wonder the name sounded familiar!” Sylvia chimed in belatedly.
“Quiet. Silence.”
The sharp charisma embedded in his voice instantly suppressed the room. Everyone shut their mouths at once.
“For the next year you’ll see each other every single day—whether you like it or not. So get along.
Now, I’ll explain your class schedule.”
He wrote on the board while speaking.
For the next two weeks, students would spend time adapting to school life—learning the campus layout, forming relationships, and attending trial classes.
They could try any elective courses during this time and later register for the ones they wanted.
“What I’m handing out now is your schedule and a list of courses you can register for.”
The papers were handed down row by row. The first page contained a large timetable with required courses already marked.
“As you can see, there are many classes. Try them out during the next two weeks and choose wisely. And consider your credit requirements.”
Each semester required 20 credits, with 8 credits coming from required classes. So students needed at least 12 elective credits.
“You can take more than 20 credits if you want. Some students rack up extra credits and graduate early.”
Calix brushed chalk dust off his hands, then glanced lazily toward Sylvia and Selina.
“And before anyone asks—Ferion Academy prohibits bringing animals. But the class president and vice president each brought one. You may be curious.”
All students turned around to stare at the two cages on their desks.
“They are not animals. They are familiars. So don’t bother reporting them to me—I hate troublesome things.”
The room buzzed again.
“Also, familiars are allowed anywhere on campus. But if anyone gets harmed by a familiar, it will be expelled immediately—and so will its owner face penalties. So manage them carefully. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Y-yes…”
“As for dorm assignments, the lists are posted at the dormitory. Check your room number, and your luggage should already be delivered there.
You’ll learn the rest of the school rules naturally as you live here.
Now that I’ve explained everything, I’ll take questions.”
Hands shot up everywhere.
Looking visibly annoyed, Calix called on the students in the front row first.
“For certain classes… can anyone register? Like magic or swordsmanship?”
“A good question. Some classes require talent, yes. But most are open to everyone.
However, magic requires innate talent. Students will be tested beforehand—if you lack magical aptitude, you cannot register.”
“What about swordsmanship?”
“Anyone can take it. But students will be evaluated and sorted into beginner, intermediate, or advanced groups.
There is also theology. You don’t need divine power to join, though that might cause issues in some lessons.”
Another student asked:
“It says here that every student must join at least one club. What happens if we don’t?”
“Oh, right. Clubs.”
Calix scratched his head, apparently having forgotten to explain.
“You don’t have to join a club.”
The room erupted again. They quickly checked their schedules—yes, it clearly said joining a club was mandatory.
“But if you don’t join one, you won’t advance to second year. So if you want to stay in first year forever, feel free to skip it.”
Groans filled the room as Calix chuckled.
“What clubs exist?”
“There are so many I don’t know them all myself. Recruitment notices are posted on school and dorm bulletin boards. Don’t worry—you won’t have to look for them. Clubs desperately recruit members.”
After a few more small questions, Calix looked around.
“Seems that’s all. Today’s session ends here. You now have free time.
Explore the campus with friends or check out club listings. But first, go to the dormitory and confirm your room. If you’re late, you might have trouble finding it.”
“Dismissed.”
With that, Calix lazily walked out into the hallway.
