Morning sunlight bathed Aetherial Institute in gold.
The island seemed brighter than before.
More alive.
More vibrant.
Thousands of newly admitted students moved throughout the academy grounds.
Some wore nervous expressions.
Others looked excited.
Several noble students carried themselves proudly.
Many commoners looked overwhelmed.
Yet today—
Every one of them stood equal.
Because today was Orientation Day.
The official beginning of their lives as students of Aetherial Institute.
The academy bells echoed across the island.
Deep.
Ancient.
Powerful.
Their sound reverberated through mountains and forests alike.
Immediately.
Students began moving toward the Central Grounds.
The largest gathering area within the academy.
Pathways filled with people.
Thousands of students walked together.
Different backgrounds.
Different goals.
Different dreams.
Yet all heading toward the same destination.
Meanwhile—
Kel walked quietly among them.
His academy uniform was simple.
Dark academy coat.
White inner shirt.
Black trousers.
Practical boots.
Nothing extraordinary.
Exactly as he preferred.
Around him.
Students continued talking excitedly.
Some discussed classes.
Others talked about instructors.
Several still talked about examination results.
Unfortunately—
Many still talked about Divine Spoon Art.
Kel had already accepted that reality would never improve.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed.
"Look on the bright side."
"There is no bright side."
"At least they stopped talking about mermaids."
Kel considered that.
Then nodded.
"Reasonable."
The Central Grounds gradually appeared.
And immediately—
Every student became stunned.
The place was enormous.
Far larger than any noble gathering hall.
Far larger than military parade grounds.
The entire area resembled a natural valley transformed into a ceremonial plaza.
White stone platforms surrounded the field.
Ancient statues stood at regular intervals.
Towering banners fluttered in the wind.
The academy crest appeared everywhere.
Above everything—
A floating crystal platform hovered in the sky.
The stage.
Where the orientation speech would take place.
Thousands of students gathered.
Then thousands more.
Then thousands more.
The crowd continued growing.
By the time the bells rang again—
Nearly every first-year student had arrived.
An ocean of people.
Yet despite their numbers.
A strange silence gradually spread.
Because everyone knew.
Someone important would soon appear.
High above.
The floating platform illuminated.
Runes activated.
Ancient formations awakened.
The entire academy seemed to respond.
The air itself changed.
A pressure descended.
Not oppressive.
Not hostile.
Simply vast.
Like standing beneath the sky.
Then—
A figure appeared.
Silence instantly consumed the entire valley.
The Headmaster.
The man looked surprisingly ordinary.
That was everyone's first thought.
No magnificent armor.
No elaborate robes.
No crown.
No symbols of authority.
He wore simple gray mage robes.
His hair was entirely white.
His face carried wrinkles earned through age and experience.
Yet his eyes—
His eyes seemed deeper than the sea.
Older than mountains.
Calmer than eternity.
The moment students looked into those eyes—
They instinctively lowered their gazes.
Not from fear.
From instinct.
Because every living creature recognized something.
Power.
True power.
Not political influence.
Not wealth.
Not reputation.
Power.
The Headmaster of Aetherial Institute.
One of the strongest mages on the continent.
A man born as a commoner.
A man who had climbed to the peak through talent and effort alone.
A living legend.
The valley remained silent.
No one dared speak.
The old mage slowly stepped forward.
His movements were calm.
Unhurried.
Then—
He began speaking.
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet every student heard it clearly.
As though he stood directly beside them.
"Welcome."
One word.
Simple.
Yet it carried extraordinary weight.
His gaze swept across the gathered students.
Thousands stood below.
Future talents.
Future leaders.
Future failures.
Future legends.
The Headmaster continued.
"You have passed the entrance examinations."
A pause.
Many students smiled proudly.
Then—
The Headmaster shattered their pride.
"That achievement means nothing."
Silence.
Several students froze.
The old mage's expression remained calm.
"Passing an examination only proves one thing."
His eyes moved across the crowd.
"That you deserved the opportunity to begin."
The smiles vanished.
The lesson remained.
The Headmaster continued.
"Aetherial Institute does not exist to create greatness."
The valley listened carefully.
"We do not create geniuses."
"We do not create heroes."
"We do not create legends."
A pause.
Then—
"We reveal them."
Silence spread once more.
Those words struck deeply.
Because everyone understood.
The academy could teach.
Guide.
Support.
Yet ultimately—
The path belonged to them.
The responsibility belonged to them.
The future belonged to them.
The Headmaster's gaze moved toward the sky.
Ancient clouds drifted above.
Then he spoke again.
"When I first arrived here."
The valley became quieter.
Many students looked surprised.
The Headmaster rarely spoke about himself.
"I was poor."
Some noble students blinked.
"I owned one set of clothes."
More surprise.
"I could barely afford food."
Several commoners immediately became attentive.
The old mage smiled faintly.
"My talent was ordinary."
Now everyone looked shocked.
Nobody believed that.
The strongest mage on the continent?
Ordinary talent?
Impossible.
The Headmaster seemed to notice their disbelief.
A small smile appeared.
Then he said:
"Talent matters."
The students nodded.
Of course it did.
Then—
"Effort matters."
More nodding.
Then—
"Luck matters."
The crowd became confused.
The Headmaster chuckled.
A genuine chuckle.
"Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying."
Laughter spread through the valley.
Even instructors smiled.
The old mage raised a hand.
The laughter faded.
Then his expression became serious.
"However."
Silence returned.
"None of those things matter if you stop moving forward."
The words echoed across the valley.
Simple.
Yet profound.
The Headmaster continued.
"You will fail."
Many students frowned.
"You will lose."
More silence.
"You will doubt yourselves."
His eyes softened slightly.
"You will question whether you belong here."
Several students looked away.
Because those doubts already existed.
The old mage nodded knowingly.
Then he said:
"Continue anyway."
Silence followed.
Then more silence.
The kind of silence created when truth reached people's hearts.
Far below.
Kel listened quietly.
Inside his mind—
Seiren spoke softly.
"He's good."
"Very."
The Guardian sounded impressed.
"I understand why he became Headmaster."
Kel agreed.
The old mage wasn't inspiring students through power.
He was inspiring them through understanding.
That was far more difficult.
Eventually.
The speech neared its end.
The Headmaster looked across the gathered students one final time.
Then smiled.
A warm smile.
The smile of a teacher.
Not a legend.
Not a powerful mage.
A teacher.
And then he spoke the final words.
"Welcome."
The valley remained silent.
Then—
"To Aetherial Institute."
Thunderous applause erupted.
Thousands of students cheered.
The orientation officially ended.
Moments later.
Crystal devices activated throughout the grounds.
Information screens appeared.
Student schedules.
Class assignments.
Professor lists.
Training times.
Research sessions.
Everything.
Students immediately rushed toward them.
Chaos resumed.
Pure chaos.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly checked his schedule.
Then paused.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because his schedule looked nothing like a normal student's schedule.
Several classes were standard.
History.
Mana Theory.
Combat Foundations.
Academy Ethics.
Yet other classes—
Were marked differently.
Special Observation.
Independent Assessment.
Adaptive Combat Studies.
Personal Research Evaluation.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed.
"Looks like they noticed you."
Kel sighed.
Of course they did.
Nearby.
He spotted Seraphina checking her own schedule.
The silver-haired mermaid looked equally confused.
Apparently.
Her classes also contained numerous special designations.
Which meant—
The academy had plans.
For both of them.
And somehow—
Kel already suspected those plans would not remain peaceful.
The first semester had not even begun.
Yet trouble was already waiting.
Patiently.
Somewhere within the ancient halls of Aetherial Institute.