My train of thought was interrupted by a commotion from the other side of the entrance. For a moment, other students paid attention to it, but then quickly returned to their usual conversation. After all, there was nothing unusual in the clatter of iron and loud cries when it came to Nordrune, the third country crowned with ice on our continent. A land of wild and unrestrained warriors, as it is often described by travelers. Despite the late summer heat and bright sun, all representatives of this country were dressed in armor. They were not the full plate armor of Veranian knights or the light shields of Leran janissaries since each northern warrior dressed at their own expense, the armors were quite diverse. Chainmails, breastplates, forged boots, and gloves. The only common feature was the mandatory presence of a helmet and a predisposition to battle axes or large two-handed claymores. Moreover, far from all of these students belonged to the military department; many wore the white uniform, not of light mages, but of ice mages. Still, they did not separate themselves from ordinary warriors, as strength was the only thing that mattered in this country. This was considered even more wild by Veranian nobles than the wealth distribution in Leran based on wealth.
The mansion in this group was a group of charming girls in distinctive attire. Although their clothing resembled the Academy's uniform, it had some slight differences. Their wide outer skirts were made entirely of reddish metal plate armor. Underneath the armor, they wore white silk skirts, and all of it was connected to a single cuirass that accentuated their forms beautifully. Neatly forged gloves and boots completed their armor. The final touch was the massive two-handed swords carried on their backs. I doubted I could easily handle such massive weaponry, but they seemed entirely confident, not even feeling the weight. I wasn't sure who this group was, but the other students treated them with respect, as if they were their commanders.
And although Nordrune had a portal to the world of the dead, no one had seen necromancers among their students for a long time; it seemed they were as forbidden a topic for northerners as demonology was for southerners.
Amidst all this colorful magnificence, the only thing missing was students from the distant Dragon Empire located on another continent. Once upon a time, they actively traded with our countries, and I even heard that there was once a class of theirs in the Academy. However, the demon invasion destroyed all connections. The archdemon's army not only devastated our countries but also invaded the neighboring continent. Without proper investigation, the Imperialists blamed the ruling mages for their negligent handling of this gift and held them responsible for the war. Since then, all connections were severed, and now only smugglers occasionally visit the Empire.
Regardless of national divisions, there was a group of students from the Faculty of Economics. For a merchant, there were no prejudices based on nationality or origin, so there were children of treasurers, prominent merchants, and owners of tiny shops among them. I heard they had to pass a special exam during admission to prove that they had no equals in persuading and negotiating. Strange people, but given the requirements for students, they were an important support for founding a young guild.
And here comes that lad with the short haircut; I know him. His father is the chief treasurer of Verania, and once a year, he travels to distant regions to collect taxes, occasionally taking his son along. I don't really know his name, but it seems he's been unsuccessfully trying to engage in conversation with a petite girl with golden locks for about half an hour. Either the lad lacked the gift of speech or the girl was of such high rank that he felt like he was addressing a celestial being. Though it's hard to imagine anyone of higher status than the treasurer's son.
I had already assessed everyone present, and there was still half an hour before the ceremony began. And then, another group of quite unpleasant individuals appeared. With white mantles over their uniforms and distinctive equilateral crosses, the young novices of the unified church marched in. In a world where magic and spirits exist, one would think that creating faith in some new omnipresent force would be pointless. But somehow, they developed and managed to spread their influence over a large part of Verania and partly Nordrune and Leran. The upper echelon of the church consisted mostly of high-ranking nobles and powerful mages who believed in a savior who defeated the archdemon a thousand years ago and who will return to this world to bring a new era to humanity. Surprisingly, their ideology gained traction among the masses: common folk started dreaming about the future when the savior comes, and nobles were convinced by the fact that many who joined the church gained magical power they didn't possess before. Such a seemingly small detail, but it led to the destruction of several noble houses because their heirs were born without any abilities. There wouldn't be anything wrong with it if the clergy didn't periodically hunt for witches to maintain their authority. Utilizing people's fear of demons, they sought out suspicious individuals in cities and declared them demon-worshippers. Swift trials, confessions, executions—the people rejoiced, the church defeated evil, everyone was content. But I don't like it when people are burnt at the stake in public squares for no reason. And these young novices, though young, are the children of church leaders, and when they grow up, they will do the same.
Observing this crowd soon bored me, and in the shade beneath the scorching sun, I began to slowly drift off to sleep.
"This world is ruled by magic." A strange whisper from the darkness, and something resembling a golden stream passed by.
"Huh? What is this... have I fallen asleep?" Surprisingly quiet around, although I was still in the same place on the bench in front of the auditorium: "And what time is it?" I turned to the clock tower towering over the Academy. 13:20. Glancing at the brochure, I saw a more concerning 13:00. I overslept everything!
Quickly getting up, I rushed towards the door, and no one even tried to wake me up; these people, I tell you. But as I sprinted up the stairs, I had to stop. The door to the hall was ajar, and something large and awkward was actively peering inside, swaying from side to side.
"Who put a stack of straw here? Or is it a giant overgrown hedgehog?" Rubbing my eyes, I finally made out what construction was blocking my path. Underneath the stack of golden needles, there were slender legs, clad in boots with expensive plates. It was merely a huge pile of hair that hadn't yet left its owner, but if she continued to neglect them, they would lead to a swift baldness. And it seemed this tangle of unruliness showed no intention of leaving its post. Oblivious to my presence, she was entirely absorbed in whatever was happening inside, swaying from side to side... fixing her hairstyle. And this irritated me even more; if there were a rake nearby, I wouldn't have resisted the temptation to start combing her hair right then and there.
Apparently, the lost sheep had overslept the beginning of the ceremony and hadn't had time to fix her hair, so she hesitated to enter. But that didn't mean I should miss the ceremony.
"Hey, miss, maybe you'll move if you don't plan on going inside?" I casually touched her shoulder, but her reaction to my action was quite unexpected.
The stranger slowly turned her gaze to the hand on her shoulder, froze for a couple of seconds, then jerked away as hard as possible. The leap was surprisingly powerful and graceful, except for the not-so-smooth landing.
"There's a curb there," that's all I managed to say to the girl who had fallen over the fence before she crashed into the bushes: "are you okay there?"
Out of basic politeness, I should have inquired about her condition; after all, I was somewhat at fault here... well, alright, I was entirely to blame, but how was I supposed to know she was so nervous?
The bushes didn't show any signs of life... Killing a fellow student on the first day wouldn't be the best start to my career, so I had no choice but to go down.
"I didn't mean to scare you," no one responded to my words, and the image of a corpse with a broken neck found in the bushes a few days later seemed increasingly realistic.
"Leave her, you weren't here,"—and my cheerful inner voice continued to astonish me with its positivity.
The bushes were quite dense, and I couldn't see the aspiring high-jumper from the sidewalk. But after a couple of seconds, there was some movement, and the stranger attempted to escape from me. The girl ran about ten more meters in pieces, but realizing that each step entangled more branches in her hair, she elegantly jumped back onto the sidewalk... where she encountered the eternal enemy of girls with poor peripheral vision—the curb. Getting entangled once again, she fell face down on the cobblestones.
"And that was painful," I couldn't leave such a pitiful creature to her fate.
The girl struggled to get up and sat in the middle of the sidewalk, rubbing her bruised forehead.
"Well, come on, get up, and let's go to the hall; otherwise, you'll miss the whole ceremony due to your disarray," I leaned towards the unlucky girl and extended my hand.
The girl timidly turned to me, looked at my hand, then at me, and suddenly jumped back, thank God, there was nothing there.
"Huh?" The girl's face started turning crimson, and she hesitantly retreated.
To my surprise, the girl turned out to be very beautiful. Despite the wild explosion dominating her head, from which now protruded broken branches, she had a delicate face, the kind you imagine when thinking of ideal noblewomen—sharp gaze of golden eyes slightly tinged with gathering tears, and delicate, soft lips. Her slender figure and delicate fingers that had never known hard labor were a rare sight in my region.
"So, you..." I didn't have a chance to finish the sentence as the girl, spinning on one heel, dashed away from me with unheard-of speed. "Hmm, lightning mages can seemingly accelerate instantly using magic."
Reaching the end of the building, the girl quickly hid behind the corner. Well, I wouldn't exactly call it hiding, as her conspicuous mane betrayed her efforts.
"I can still see you!" The golden bush twitched and tried to hide even further...
It's doubtful I'll get a coherent answer from her, and I don't want to miss the ceremony. I hope I'll have another chance to meet this beauty, but duty comes first; I don't want to end up paying fines for being late.
Leaving the disheveled girl behind, I slipped into the auditorium just in time to receive my blue mantle of the General Faculty of Mages.