To the east of Pira City, there was the academy. The so-called academy opened once every five years, only for a single day, and then closed again for another five years.
So it was important that any child who needed to enroll in the academy should do their best to enter during this once-in-five-years opportunity.
And today marked three month before that fated day arrived.
In the academy grounds, atop a tall rock pillar, stood a beautifully bloomed peach tree. Beneath this tree, on a stone seat, a bald monk sat motionlessly, immersed in his spiritual cultivation.
From his high vantage point on the pillar, the monk could see the whole of Pira City below in a single glance. The moon had long since risen, and Pira City, brightened by countless fire lamps, glimmered like tiny fireflies in the night.
From above, a cricket suddenly leapt down, landing on the monk's unmoving shoulder. It chirped, its sound ringing crisply in the night air.
After it made its call two or three times, the monk slowly opened his eyes. At that moment, a swift wind blew across the top of the rock pillar, carrying peach blossoms with it as the breeze descended below.
Soon after, a monk climbed up the rocky pillar.
"Master, are you awakened?"
The young monk gazed at the bald monk seated on top of the high rock pillar. Since he could only see his back, the monk was still unsure whether his master had truly awakened or not.
"My little apprentice."
The bald monk's voice was soothing to hear, and the young monk obediently listened to his master's words.
"Blow the horns and open the gates. Let the new blood from Pira City enter."
The young monk was baffled by his master's sudden decision.
"But… Master, we still have three months ahead of us before the usual time. Also, we still have the previous batch of people with us," the young monk questioned.
"Oh, my little disciple, you have forgotten one fundamental of my teachings. Nothing is eternal—everything will change at some point.
And today, a little cricket has caused me to change."
The master responded with a gentle voice.
"A little cricket?" The young monk noticed an actual cricket sitting on his master's shoulder. As he looked at it, the cricket leapt away into a nearby bush.
"It's that time of the year to get rid of the pests around the academy, I see," the little monk whispered quietly under his breath.
"Then, if it is your wish, Master, I will prepare for the enrollment ceremony." The little monk bowed to his master and slowly took a step back.
"Hmm." The bald monk nodded.
"By the way, there are rumors of someone sneaking out to the city at night from the academy. Since the elder disciple is absent, does this mean the security of our academy has failed?"
The little monk suddenly froze in place upon hearing his master's words. A guilty expression flashed across his face, but he forced himself to remain calm.
"Wha… what? That's preposterous! None of us monks are allowed to venture into the city at night—it's a law put in place by Master himself. How could anyone dare to think of breaking it? It's a lie, I say! A lie!"
The little monk retorted.
"Well, make sure something like that does not happen again. Humans are full of mistakes; all we must do is correct those mistakes."
The little monk calmed his voice after his master's gentle reaction. After another deep bow, he prepared to step back but couldn't help asking one more thing.
"By the way, Master, you've always been up in these rocky pillars. How did you even hear a rumor like that, which is obviously a lie?"
"Oh, a cricket told me." For the first time, the bald monk responded with a witty remark, and his words soon mixed with the wind blowing across the rocky pillars, vanishing into the air.
When the moon disappeared and the sun rose, the sound of a horn echoed from the academy, resonating throughout the whole of Pira City.
In the Hyra family household, within his own room, a young man was immersed in a book that morning. Hearing the sound of the horn, the young man put the book down and gazed in the direction of the academy.
"At last, the day is here. With the Horns of Awakening, the academy gates will open tomorrow, and new students will be accepted through the affinity test.
That will be the moment the TTRPG truly begins. I've been waiting for this day."
The boy once again read through the book he held in his hands. After making sure he had memorized everything written upon its pages, he proceeded to burn it.
"It would have been really helpful to keep the book as a reference. But it's too dangerous. If someone else managed to get hold of it—this book that contains everything I remember about the game and the plans I've prepared for the future—it would be disastrous.
So burn… burn and disappear."
With a trail of smoke, the book turned to ashes. After making sure even the tiniest scraps of paper were gone, the boy gathered the ashes and threw them out the window.
The ashes scattered, carried away by the wind—never again to be seen as a book full of pages.