"It seems the academy is forcing us to bond. Or maybe it's due to lack of space," thought Freya. Nonetheless, living with men didn't bother her much. It was the same for the others. After all, building houses was complicated, which meant families often lived under the same roof. People were used to sharing a room with individuals of the opposite sex.
The only ones vaguely troubled by this were Phaistos and Zara. They were both only children. As a result, they both felt a bit strange about living with others.
As they pondered the situation, their stomachs began to growl, signaling their great hunger. Phaistos realized that it had been almost a day since he last ate. Normally, a human body would feel hungry much sooner. "It must be due to the increase in my magical power. Unless it's because of the improvement in my combat power. I hope the academy will provide answers soon," Phaistos thought.
"I saw there was a cafeteria not far from our place; I think we should check it out," Miki said. The others agreed with this idea—they needed to eat, after all. But just as they were about to leave the room, their earrings sent them a notification.
[Attention, you are required to wear your school uniform when you go out. You will find your uniforms on the bed in your room. Failure to comply with this rule will result in immediate sanctions against you.]
"That's strange!" exclaimed Kibi. "Earlier, there was nothing in our rooms. I guess the uniforms only appeared when we decided to leave," he continued. Phaistos felt a chill run down his spine when Kibi said those words. He realized that their earrings allowed the academy to know everything they were doing. He feared that the academy might actually be doing this. Otherwise, he would rather lose the chance to become a magician. Freedom was essential for a sailor.
Upon entering their rooms, they discovered their uniforms. The male uniform consisted of a long tunic in midnight blue, adorned with silver embroidery representing runic symbols. This tunic extended down to the knees. The sleeves were not without ornamentation, as they ended with two circles embroidered in silver thread.
Underneath the tunic, the boys wore a white linen shirt. The pants were also in midnight blue. On the linen shirt, there was a badge representing the symbol of the academy Ætherion: the Crystal of Worlds. This crystal had ten faces, each representing one of the elements existing in this world. The crystal was set on a pedestal, and when observing the badge, it seemed to be alive.
Lastly, the shoes were made of black leather, which gave them robustness and elegance.
The female uniform, on the other hand, consisted of a midnight blue dress that extended down to the knees. The upper part of the dress also featured the same embroidery and badge found on the boys' uniforms. The sleeves were flared, allowing for a certain freedom of movement.
To complete the uniform, the girls wore black leather boots, comfortable and practical for moving around the academy.
The uniforms were designed to show the world the young people's affiliation with their academy. This was a notion of prestige established by the academy's founder: the mage Ætherion.
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After changing, they decided to head to the cafeteria. On the way, they discussed how they were not at all used to wearing such clothes back home. They even wondered if any people on their planet wore such outfits.
After a few minutes, they finally reached their destination. The cafeteria, located in a spacious and bright building, offered a wide variety of dishes. The large windows let in soft light, while the sturdy wooden tables and comfortable chairs created a welcoming atmosphere.
The buffet was impressive, with stations offering dishes from different cuisines. There were fresh fruits, grilled vegetables, savory meat dishes, as well as vegetarian and vegan options. The chefs used magical ingredients to create nourishing and delicious meals. The five of them observed dishes they could not have even dreamed of. After thousands of years of existence, the magical civilization had developed enormous cultural richness, which was evident even in their dishes. Energizing drinks and exquisite desserts completed the meal. Everyone could help themselves as much as they wanted, and the students seemed delighted by the quality and variety of the offered dishes.
While they ate, Freya and Zara discussed the specialties of their respective regions, while Miki and Kibi exchanged their views on the benefits of the energizing drinks they had just discovered. Phaistos, for his part, savored a spicy stew that reminded him of meals at sea.
After their meal, they decided to go back to bed, but none of them found sleep easily. The excitement of their new environment effectively blocked their desire to sleep. To counter this, Phaistos decided to meditate. Ever since seeing Kibi reach the mid-stage in his metal element, it awoke a feeling within him he didn't know he had: competition. He didn't want to lose, especially not to a brother-in-arms.
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Morning came quickly. Unfortunately for Adil, he had not managed to make a breakthrough during his training time. Nevertheless, he could feel his understanding becoming more refined. He sensed he was on the right path.
Thanks to a strange device the earring called an "alarm clock," Phaistos saw that it was 7 a.m. He decided to take a shower before heading to class.
He quickly had to thank the house architects for thinking to install several bathrooms, as it seemed all five of them had decided to wash up at the same time. Phaistos and the others decided to wait for each other before leaving together.
At 7:30, they all set off towards the classroom. They discovered that the distance between their house and the classroom was only 15 minutes, which was acceptable.
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Once again, as soon as the bell rang, Thalor appeared with a thick book in hand. Before even speaking, he distributed various sheets to the students using magic. "The first sheet is the most important. It outlines your schedule until the end of the month when the first exams will take place. Take note of it correctly," said Thalor.
[Monday]
[Morning class: Magical Ethics]
[Afternoon class: Specialization Hall]
[Tuesday]
[Morning class: History of Magic]
[Afternoon class: Specialization Hall]
[Wednesday]
[Morning class: Stellar Socialization]
[Afternoon class: Specialization Hall]
[Thursday]
[Morning class: Universal Geopolitics]
[Afternoon class: Specialization Hall]
[Friday]
[Morning class: Elemental Magical Manipulation]
[Afternoon class: Specialization Hall]
[Saturday]
[Free Workshops ==> to learn about the different paths of mages, inquire at the reception]
[Sunday]
[Free Workshops]
"As you can see, the academy is not very demanding. In reality, you are not even required to attend your specialization halls. We believe you are all responsible for yourselves. However, don't even think about skipping one of my classes if you want to get along well with me," Thalor said very seriously.
"We will now begin the course on magical ethics. In this class, we will study the basic principles you will need to acquire as future magicians for your own good and that of your people. We decided to give a course on magical ethics to young magicians after observing hundreds, even thousands of worlds being destroyed by the selfish nature of some magicians. We hope to protect peace by showing you the consequences of your actions," Thalor began. On his face, one could discern a certain sadness as if what he was talking about was personal. However, no student had the courage to raise their hand to ask the question that interested them all.
"You have surely noticed the first measure put in place by the Magic Council in your home worlds. We decided to limit your strength as well as what you could say to others. We do this because you have the potential to disrupt your world forever by revealing the truth. There are examples in our history of magicians who returned to their home world, causing massive technological revolutions. In the span of a hundred years, that world experienced the equivalent of 5,000 years of technological advancement. The natives were not ready for it, and it turned into a nightmare."
"Today, that planet is what we call a desolate planet because no life can thrive there," Thalor continued.
The class continued all morning. Thalor encouraged the students to ask as many questions as possible. He was convinced that this was the best way to instill what he was teaching into the students' norms. The class also covered other important topics such as the responsibility of magicians towards society, the respect of natural laws, and the importance of intention in the use of magic.
The class ended with a collective reflection on the importance of compassion and empathy in the practice of magic. "Remember," Thalor concluded, "magic is not just about power, but also about responsibility. Use it for good, and you will become great magicians."
As Thalor uttered his words, the bell rang.