Chie hugged the notebook to her chest, adjusted her posture a little, then spoke.
"Since today is your first day, there won't be any actual classes for now."
A few quiet murmurs immediately spread through the room.
I felt a little relieved too.
At the very least, the academy was not cruel enough to accept students and then drag them straight into some kind of test on the very first day.
"Today will be for introductions and getting to know your classmates," Chie continued. "And while we're at it, I'll also go over some of the basic rules."
Basically, it was not that different from a normal academy opening after all.
Chie turned around, picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing line by line on the board.
There were not many rules, but they were clear enough.
Some buildings in the academy could not be entered without authorization. That included the research tower, the western archive, the lower floors of the library, the advanced blessing practice area, and the main arena outside operating hours. If someone entered without permission, the academy watch would record the violation.
The cafeteria and shopping district, on the other hand, were almost completely open to students. The cafeteria operated on fixed hours, while the shopping district accepted either rent or academy credit. Besides daily necessities, there were ingredients, materials, basic magic tools, and all sorts of miscellaneous items.
The moment I heard that, I instinctively remembered the honey pancake that had cost five thousand rent on my first day.
Yeah.
The academy cafeteria really was a place that helped people mature very quickly.
After finishing the last few lines, Chie turned back to face the class.
"There is only one thing the academy forbids."
The atmosphere in the room naturally grew a little quieter.
Chie said,
"Using blessings to fight."
I blinked.
Um.
That was very concise.
Not fighting itself.
But using blessings to fight?
I had a feeling that statement was extremely suspicious. I just did not have enough information yet to prove exactly why it was suspicious.
Maybe the academy did not really mind students getting into scuffles, as long as they did not blow away half a hallway with their blessings in the process.
That made sense.
And was also slightly terrifying.
"Alright." Chie clapped her hands lightly. "Now, everyone, please open your academy watches."
Almost the entire class lowered their heads to look at their wrists.
I tapped lightly on the face of mine. The transparent screen appeared right away, hazy and half-illusory, both convenient and very much in the style of this world.
Chie began explaining each function one by one.
How to view personal information.
How to check class assignment and dorm room.
How to open the academy map.
How to view the class schedule.
How to receive notifications.
How to send messages.
How to make calls.
The more I listened, the more I felt that this thing was basically just a smartphone.
Only worn on the wrist.
And with no games.
Or at least, I had not found any yet.
I found myself wondering who exactly had designed this thing. If I took it apart to study it, would the academy count that as destruction of property?
And where was the battery, exactly?
Or did it not need one?
This world really never let people relax.
After finishing the explanation, Chie closed her notebook and gave a small smile.
"Next, let's start introducing ourselves."
Honestly, this part existed everywhere.
It was mostly just to learn people's names and faces.
I rated this part eight out of ten.
Minus two points because it always made certain people suddenly become far too enthusiastic.
"May I go first?"
The first one to raise his hand was a blond boy.
I knew this type.
Without even hearing him speak, I could already guess at least three things: good background, proper upbringing, and used to standing in front of others.
He rose very naturally, wearing a smile bright enough to make people like him, but not so bright that it became obnoxious.
"Heiji Klovis." He dipped his head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I come from the western part of the empire. My family belongs to the nobility, but I hope that won't make anyone feel uncomfortable."
Clear voice. Measured rhythm. Even knew exactly where to pause.
As expected.
"I'm quite fond of swordsmanship, horseback riding, and straightforward conversation. If any of you ever need help within the scope of my abilities, feel free to come to me."
He paused, then smiled a little more.
"If it's about borrowing money, though, I'll have to think about it."
The whole class laughed.
Too polished.
Too neat.
Too textbook.
I muttered softly,
"How terrible."
"Hm?" Selene, sitting beside me, tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing."
I answered immediately, wearing a perfectly innocent expression.
How was I supposed to explain it?
What I felt right now was basically the same as some old professional sitting there and watching an amateur try to show off in front of him.
What was that phrase again?
Ah.
Showing off with an axe in front of a carpenter.
After Heiji, a few more people stood to introduce themselves. Some spoke for a long time. Some kept it short. Some were so nervous they almost forgot their own names. Some opened their mouths and instantly made it obvious they had grown up in proper households. Others were so simple they only said their name and sat right back down.
Because of that, the atmosphere in the class gradually became a little less awkward.
Then it was the red-headed cat's turn.
Estelle.
Chie looked toward her and smiled lightly, as if trying to encourage her.
"Would you like to introduce yourself?"
Estelle stayed seated.
She did not stand.
Did not answer.
Did not even bother to look at the teacher.
How rude can you be?
Worse still, when Stella looked like she was about to move, Estelle lightly tugged her hand too, signaling for her not to stand. Stella hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she could only sit back down.
Watching that, I found myself a little speechless.
What, did she want to get herself isolated?
First day of school, and she was already making unpleasant faces at the whole class, and now she was even stopping the cute girl next to her from introducing herself. She really was naturally gifted when it came to pushing herself away from everyone else.
But whatever.
That was her life.
Chie looked a little flustered, but in the end, she only gave an awkward smile and let it go. Her voice was so gentle that even the way she let students off the hook looked soft.
After a while, it was finally my turn.
Honestly, in the instant I stood up, I also wanted to do something cool.
Something deep. Something memorable. Something that would make the whole class unconsciously remember my face right from the start.
But after thinking about it, I just did not have that kind of coolness in me.
Try too hard, and you just end up looking lame.
So I simply stood up like normal and cleared my throat lightly.
"Ahem. Hello, everyone. I'm Rain."
I paused for a beat.
"Please take care of me."
Then I sat back down.
Short.
So short it was hard to criticize.
At least, that was how I saw it.
Selene looked at me, the corners of her lips curving slightly as if she were trying not to laugh. She had probably expected a little more. But well, people who knew how to be satisfied were happier in the end.
---
Sunday.
Time really did pass quickly.
Before I knew it, my first week at the academy was already over.
Right now, I was wearing the academy uniform. Black silk, pretty good fabric, not stuffy and not stiff either. On the left side of the chest was the empire's crest, embroidered neatly in silver thread. Underneath, I wore another white layer so it would not feel too plain.
Not bad, honestly.
I glanced at the time.
4:10 PM.
Maybe I should go buy a few ingredients for cooking.
Thinking that, I walked out of the dormitory and headed toward the shopping district.
These days, I was no longer as poor as I had been when I first got here. Mostly because Astral had a welfare system that converted achievement into credit and integrated it directly into the academy watch.
I love Astral.
Ah, that reminds me.
My first week here had gone very differently from what I had imagined.
It had been... peaceful.
No, more than that.
Peaceful to the point of being a little suspicious.
There was only one class a day. Chie had not really taught us much beyond a few light theory lessons on blessings and mana. No exams, no challenges, no scenes where teachers threw students into a forest and told them to survive three days and two nights on their own like in those academy novels I used to read.
Honestly, it made me feel weirdly suspicious.
An academy this prestigious could not possibly be this chill.
Where was the combat?
Where were the trials?
Where was the shining academy aura?
Of course, I had heard about a few fights here and there, but overall, nothing particularly major had happened.
At least, not so far.
Thinking idly like that, I arrived at the shopping district.
Naturally, I had used the transportation system.
Convenient as hell.
After passing by a few shops I had already gotten familiar with this week, I started picking things out.
"Some onions... a little salad... some rabbit meat..." I muttered. "And a few ingredients for broth too. Maybe some bread."
Western food today.
To be honest with you, I'm actually really good at cooking.
You don't believe me now, but one day you'll have to.
After paying, I carried my bag of groceries and started heading back to the dormitory.
This time, I chose not to use the transportation system.
Walking back while watching the sunset sounded better.
The road toward the dorms was broad and quiet. The evening light had softened, laying a gentle golden-orange glow over the distant buildings. The wind was just right—not cold, not hot. Everything moved so slowly that the heart naturally calmed down with it.
I walked at an easy pace and glanced at the time.
5:30.
Still pretty early.
After walking a little farther, I passed by a flower garden.
Golden forget-me-nots.
Just as I realized that, a voice from the opposite side spoke first.
"I heard they only grow in Dusk, because the sunsets here are especially beautiful."
It wasn't me.
I looked up.
There was a group of people approaching from the other side.
Two boys, two girls.
Leading them was a blond-haired boy.
I knew him.
Reiyi.
The genius of this generation.
Why did I know him?
Because he was too famous.
Famous enough that rumors about him spread faster than free food.
I had already seen him a few times this week. We had never spoken, but it only took standing in a crowd for a while before someone inevitably brought up his name.
After hearing all those stories, I had once thought—
If this world really were an academy novel...
And if it had a protagonist...
Then it would definitely be him.
Maybe I really have read too many novels.
I wish Selene were here.
Walking beside Reiyi was a blonde lady.
No, calling her a lady wasn't wrong at all.
She was very beautiful. I was about to say quite beautiful, but on second thought, that still felt too stingy. It had to be very beautiful. From her bearing to the way she looked at people, everything about her carried the air of a pampered noble young lady.
Elise.
Elise von Petra.
One look and you could tell she was the daughter of an influential noble house.
And that was exactly what she was.
"You really know a lot, Elise."
The voice came from a red-haired guy behind them. He was fairly tall, broad-shouldered, with muscular arms. Compared to him, I really did look a bit like a kid.
Even though I'm a full one-eighty.
"Yeah." The white-haired girl at the very back spoke up. "Unlike you, muscle-brain."
Her expression was very calm.
No, more like dull and lazy.
But beneath that bored expression, her pride still showed quite clearly.
After that, I stopped paying attention to what they were talking about.
Not because I disliked them or anything.
And not because I was jealous of the brilliant aura around them.
It was just that... the two sides belonged to entirely different worlds.
A genius had the life of a genius.
An ordinary person had the life of an ordinary person.
Better not to get involved with each other.
Carrying my groceries, I kept walking forward.
They kept walking in the opposite direction.
The distance between us gradually shrank.
One step.
Two steps.
Then we passed by each other.
At that exact moment, I suddenly noticed Reiyi looking at me.
I faltered ever so slightly.
By reflex, I turned my head and looked back at him too.
His gaze remained on me for one beat longer.
Not long.
But not accidental either.
It was the sort of look people wore when they had just come across something very strange, very distant, and yet vaguely familiar.
Then he turned away.
I lifted a hand to touch my face.
"Do I have something on me?"
There was nothing.
I lightly shook my head.
Above us, the sunset continued to pour quietly over the road, spreading evenly over my shoulders and over the retreating backs ahead.
The same evening.
And yet it felt like we stood at two opposite ends of the world.