Croy still couldn't believe it. He had been a simple boy, then became an orphan, and finally a frontline soldier. He mastered military spells and had fought against the rebels. He had served the Empire and carried out missions that had nearly cost him his life multiple times. He had stood on the same battlefield with legends like the Chain Mistress and the Nutcracker.
And now he was being forced to go to school.
And not just any school, but the Imperial Academy! His comrades hadn't even given him a choice and had mercilessly cornered him, as only a well-practiced team of elite Spellcasters could.
"To the Imperial Academy!" he had scoffed.
"You want to send me to a school for Arcane Arts after I've been in the war for three years? My mana skills and spellcasting are almost on your level! And you're elites!"
Spider had just shaken his head and replied calmly, "You can't cast a single non-military spell. Do you want to use military spells in everyday life? Good luck with that. Besides, your skill as a Spellcaster is by no means refined - just deadly."
Croy hadn't understood the distinction but wasn't discouraged.
"The semester fees are way too high! Have you forgotten that I don't receive any pay as an unofficial member of the army?"
"Major Maddox has agreed to cover the costs," Cookoff responded matter-of-factly.
"That jerk!" Croy had cursed.
Still not ready to admit defeat, he hastily searched for another excuse.
"And what about another job? You just want me to find a new task, right? How about... becoming a baker! I'll become a baker instead!"
Sandman had patted him on the back, barely hiding his grin.
"You haven't baked a single cookie in your life. You'd probably use a flame spell as an oven. The Academy will offer you more opportunities for the future than you can imagine. Only the best of the best are admitted. And you've never even completed elementary school. Do you know how hard it is to get a place at the Imperial Academy?"
Croy couldn't suppress a skeptical look.
"And how did you all manage it?"
Bunny had stuck out her tongue at him, giggling.
"Oh, Cookoff made a few calls to her colleagues; it was no problem."
"So it wasn't hard at all!" Croy had crossed his arms in frustration.
"Not for you, no," Spider had said seriously. "But no one can claim that you haven't been through more in the past years than any other student admitted there. You've earned your place."
Croy had sighed, realizing he could hardly resist any longer.
"I... I don't belong there. I should be going with you guys. Am I not too old for something like that? No, wait, I'm sixteen, damn it."
Spider had given him a serious look and smiled slightly.
"And you don't belong here anymore, either. Not anymore. See it as an opportunity - at least one semester. By the time your first semester begins, the Empire will already be united, and we can handle the remaining rebels without you."
"I'm jealous! I always wanted to go to the Academy! There are sure to be super cute boys there... so helpless and weak..." Bunny had murmured.
Sandman had nodded in agreement.
"You'll surely become a ladies' man, Croy. Make me proud!"
"Besides, I'll be resuming my position at the Academy after we defeat the rebels," Cookoff assured him.
"Then I can look after you."
"Guys, you..." Croy had said quietly.
"We're all proud of you, Croy," Spider had added.
"You... You can't be serious! I don't want to go to school; I'm begging you!"
***
So now Croy was sitting in a military transport vehicle, on his way to the Imperial Academy and away from the front. His ribs were mostly healed, and Spider had been right: it would probably only take another day before the last city was fully under imperial control and the last rebels were defeated.
Throughout the Empire, celebrations had already begun. A grand speech by the Emperor - long live the Emperor - was to be held in two days, at the beginning of the Academy's new semester. Not only to proclaim the unification of the Empire but also to welcome the new faces at the Academy. This year, many well-known names were joining.
Children from great houses, prodigies who had been public figures for years. The Emperor's own twins. Sons and daughters of great heroes. And also a small group of exchange students from the neighboring kingdom.
"And me."
He sighed loudly and leaned his head against the rattling inner wall of the military transport.
The journey to the capital would take a day. After that, they would drop him off near the Academy, which was located within the imperial capital. From there, he would arrive a few hours before the opening ceremony, so he still had time to buy the necessities.
Spider had pressed a credit card into his hand and smiled. On the card was Croy's full name and the silver jagged star of Major Maddox's company.
"That should be enough for the first semester," Spider had said but hadn't revealed how much was really on it. Croy would have to check that himself later.
He took out the Academy's envelope again. The ride would last several more hours, and he really had nothing to do.
The letter read:
Imperial Magic Academy of the Arcane Arts
Unity of Knowledge, Power, and Honor
Imperial Capital, Academy Grounds
Dear Croy Belmont,
With the greatest pride and on behalf of the entire Academy staff, I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as a student at the Imperial Magic Academy of the Arcane Arts. Your exceptional merits, strength, and extraordinary talent have earned you a place among the most outstanding individuals of our realm. We warmly welcome you to our community, where members are trained to become the best and most advanced Spellcasters of the Empire.
Welcome Event and Orientation Ceremony:
Please arrive on September 14th at 12:00 PM for the opening ceremony at the central plaza of the Academy. His Majesty the Emperor - long live the Emperor - will personally greet you and inaugurate the new academic year. After his speech, there will be a campus tour to familiarize you with the Academy's facilities.
Accommodation and Materials:
The Academy will provide you with housing on campus. Additionally, all necessary materials and uniforms for classes are available at Academy Building 5. You will receive your personal identification card and campus access authorization at the registration area.
Behavioral Guidelines and Responsibilities:
All students are expected to be aware of the responsibilities and values of the Imperial Academy. Our institution stands for honor, discipline, and the readiness to use knowledge for the good of the realm. A comprehensive code of conduct will be handed to you upon arrival and must be adhered to at all times.
Pride and Honor:
You are entering the Imperial Academy in a time of change and victory. May your education grant you strength, wisdom, and the ability to be a guardian of peace and unity. May your path become an example for future generations, and may the Empire grow and flourish through your contributions.
Long live the Empire, long live the Emperor!
With the highest respect,
Rector Dragan Valerius
Croy looked over the other papers in the envelope with a mix of curiosity and unease. Besides the official welcome, the envelope contained a series of guidelines, rules of conduct, and forms he still had to sign. But one document particularly caught his attention - a detailed prohibition of standardized military equipment on Academy grounds.
He read the words twice, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Personal Spellweapons are allowed, but no standardized military equipment."
The explanation followed in plain language: the Academy wanted to fully realize the potential of young talents and provide students with an environment where they could develop their individual abilities in their own unique way. Military equipment suppressed the growth of unique spells that were crucial in the daily life of Imperial Spellcasters. One could not create Spellcasters with individuality and strength if they were bound to standardized weapons.
Croy frowned. A weapon like his rifle or Spell Pistol had become as familiar to him as his own hands. The weapons were practical - any soldier who could control mana could use them, regardless of how low or high-frequency their mana was.
And even with such high-frequency mana as Croy possessed, he could still unleash the penetrating power of a magician with green mana.
The Spells used with the military weapons were easy to handle, quick, and reliably deadly, and in the three years at the front, he had never needed anything else.
But that meant he had never acquired his own Spellweapon. Sandman, Cookoff, Spider, and even Bunny had their unique weapons - tools that reflected their abilities and personalities.
For the Spellcasters of the Empire, their personal weapons had a sort of life of their own, an almost intuitive connection to their owner. But Croy... he had always just used the rifle or pistol that was handed to him. He had never known a real connection, a bond like the others had with their weapons.
Maybe Spider was right. He could really only use military spells. He thought of the well-known words people said about the Academy - that talents were trained there who grew into "monsters of individuals."
There were rumors about their spells and those who were able to cast spells beyond human imagination. Reconnaissance and killing - the spells Croy knew - were just two possibilities among many.
But what other spells were there? What varieties had remained hidden from him until now?
He stared at the document, his thoughts drifting away for a moment until he frustratedly shoved the paper back into the envelope.
"But I'm still not happy about it!" he called defiantly into the interior of the transporter, his voice echoing slightly, as if for the first time in days he was alone with his own discontent.
He leaned back, his head resting against the cool metal wall of the transporter, and reviewed the last few weeks. His comrades hadn't allowed him to stay behind.
Instead, they sent him to this very place where he had to compete with others who weren't children of war but heirs, prodigies, and protégés of the greatest Spellcasters of the realm. Maybe he should actually see the time at the Academy as an opportunity, just as Spider had said.
A slight smile played on his lips.
"But still... I'm not happy about it!"
***
Inera Clayford drummed impatiently on the steering wheel as she sat in the driver's seat of her family's silver sports car. The vehicle gleamed like a jewel in the autumn sun, and the empty streets of the imperial capital had given her the perfect opportunity to test her car's speed - a freedom granted to her today as a newly enrolled student of the Imperial Academy.
But instead of letting the engine roar and flooring the accelerator, she was crawling along at a snail's pace behind a gigantic, matte military transporter that blocked her entire field of vision.
"How is it possible that a transporter is blocking the streets at this exact time?" Inera's voice dripped with impatience and frustration.
Beside her, her butler cleared his throat. He was a stoic man with impeccable manners who never failed to treat Inera with polite restraint, no matter how temperamental she became.
"Young lady, it seems we've simply had a bit of bad luck. The transporter can't go any faster, but we'll arrive at the opening ceremony without any problems. If you wish, I can take over the driving."
"I'm not interested in the opening ceremony," she growled, casting a venomous glance at the massive, slow vehicle ahead of her.
"And no, how often do you get the chance to floor it in the middle of the city?"
Her butler was silent for a moment, then replied with an almost humorous undertone in his otherwise serious voice:
"Well, apparently never."
"Exactly!" she exclaimed, slapping the steering wheel in frustration.
It seemed as if the military behemoth was deliberately moving even slower to get on her last nerve. An upcoming parade by the Emperor and the opening of the Academy had given her these wonderfully empty streets, but now she had no way to truly enjoy this day.
She snorted, looked to the side, and observed the empty streets that were usually so bustling and today were open only to her and the other future Academy students. The feeling of freedom was now nothing more than a mocking illusion, blocked by a transporter whose massive metal walls left little room to pass.
"It seems that the Empire has something against its own citizens' enjoyment today," she murmured, casting one last look at the bulky taillights ahead.
Her butler raised an eyebrow and remarked dryly, "Or it's an attempt to remind you that the path to the Academy often requires a bit of patience, young lady."
Inera rolled her eyes. Patience? That was the last thing on her mind today.
With all her family's expectations, she had actually been looking forward to some fun with the car before she would inevitably have to fulfill her duties at the Academy.
But that's how it was as the daughter of a noble family of the Empire. She didn't have the freedom to perform poorly at the Academy. It wasn't a matter of will; she simply couldn't afford to be overshadowed by all the great names.
With a resigned sigh, she let the sports car continue to roll and thought to herself, "This day can only get better."
They continued to follow the military transporter, which unperturbedly made its way through the empty streets. After some time, Inera frowned and cast a skeptical glance at the vehicle ahead.
"Is it just me, or is this transporter heading directly to the Academy?"
"It's still a bit of a way, but so far it seems so," her butler replied with a slight smile.
But just as they said that, the transporter suddenly braked abruptly. Inera, who had been impatiently tailgating, barely managed to bring the car to a halt in time. The hood of her vehicle came dangerously close to the massive rear of the transporter - only a hand's breadth away.
"Who the hell stops so suddenly on a street!" Inera exclaimed angrily.
"Well, besides us, there's actually no one else here," her butler replied calmly, nodding slightly toward the deserted streets.
At that moment, the rear door of the transporter swung open, and Inera's eyes widened in surprise. Standing in the transporter was a lone soldier - or rather, a boy in full Imperial Army gear.
The dark green Spellarmor gleamed dully in the sunlight, a Spellrifle casually slung over his shoulder. He had short-cropped black hair, brown eyes, and a noticeable scar running across his left cheek. He wasn't particularly tall or imposing, but the serious calm of his expression and the presence of the armor spoke volumes.
"He's my age!" Inera blurted out in shock.
The boy, no, the soldier, might have looked like a teenager, but he was undoubtedly wearing the armor of an Imperial soldier.
"Is that kid even allowed to be in the military?" she asked incredulously.
Her butler cleared his throat. "The enlistment age was lowered since the outbreak of the rebellion, but... even I've never seen such a young soldier."
Inera continued to watch the boy in astonishment, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.
Then, suddenly, he spoke in a calm, almost pleasant tone.
"Reverse gear."
"Excuse me?" she replied, confused.
"I can't get out," he said with a cool look. "Unless you allow me to step onto your car."
Inera blinked in surprise, then raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, of course, no problem—just step right onto the limited edition model. It only cost fifteen million credits."
With a sarcastic smile, she shifted into reverse and gave him an amused glance.
The soldier furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. Then he grinned.
"Thanks," the boy replied and, without a second's hesitation, stepped directly onto the hood of her silver sports car with his dirty military boots.