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Chapter 146

A beautiful melody resounded through the grand auditorium, accompanied by a magnificent orchestral sound. Following this, a lovely soprano sang praises of nature.

It was the school anthem of Evergreen Academy. As most of the new enrollees were elves, Evergreen, by its nature, had fewer students.

With a hundred representatives, it was clear that this year’s intake would not likely exceed three hundred. Essentially, it meant the representatives made up nearly half of the total student body.

However, this did not imply that the quality of the students was lacking. In fact, with fewer numbers, one could argue that the average quality was even higher.

Above all, the standout talent was magic. Those gifted in Spirit Magic were the first to knock on Evergreen’s grand doors, making it the stronghold of overwhelming Spirit Masters. That is Evergreen.

The doors of the grand auditorium opened. Just as it was time for the students to enter, the audience remained puzzled at the lack of response, until a clear, cheerful laugh broke the silence and echoed in the space.

Colorful fairies fluttered about in the skies and burst forth from the entrance. The sudden spectacle left the onlookers flabbergasted, especially those who were there to witness the competition for the first time.

Flowers bloomed. Grass sprouted. The floor of the desolate auditorium was decorated with the path of Evergreen. As if in place of a red carpet, green plants sprang up in an instant, forming a tree-lined avenue.

Beneath this, Evergreen’s students entered the grand auditorium in a line, each step exuding grace. With clattering shoes, their confident strides seemed to boast of their prowess.

Above them, flowers of various colors burst into bloom once more. As the tree-lined path blossomed beautifully like a bouquet, gasps of awe erupted from the audience.

Only then did the crowd realize that this was all part of the ‘performance.’ It was a work to engrave in their minds what Evergreen did best and what kind of academy it was.

– Ah, Evergreen is splendid this year too! Can they possibly make a grander entrance than this!? Of course, while it’s important to express individuality, this entrance deserves full marks in every aspect!

– It seems at least half have formed contracts with spirits. With this stone floor, there’s barely a seed of plant life, making it difficult for forest spirits to exert their power. Truly impressive, Evergreen.

As Ji Sung-jae’s evaluation followed, Kim Jung-hwan lightly explained just how remarkable the current spectacle was, causing the audience’s eyes to sparkle even more.

Evergreen’s dazzling performance made everyone anticipate which academy would follow next.

The ‘performance’ upon entering may seem trivial, but it was crucial in a competition. Such productions had to be conducted solely by the power of the current students.

To put it plainly, a path like that could easily be created by Evergreen’s guiding teacher, the ‘Forest Maker’ Delhain, with a mere gesture.

However, what was more valuable was the effort put in by the students, who grudged and collaborated to achieve such grandeur.

After Evergreen, other academies began their entries.

Oceanic Academy’s entrance brought with it crashing waves. A salty and wild sea breeze swept through the auditorium.

The grand auditorium of Harmony Academy, located in the center of the peninsula, instantly transformed into a sea.

As if one could reel in a fish by merely casting a line, students stepped out in perfect formation, giving off more the impression of soldiers than scholars, unlike the unfettered Evergreen.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the students of Oceanic Academy who created the rising seawater and gusty winds. It was said to be the ‘Wave Elixir’ developed by the alchemists affiliated with Oceanic. The quality was beyond what one could believe for students, earning applause from the crowd.

Wisdom Academy resulted in a grand display of magic as their entrance sparked forth fiery explosions. As the students walked slowly, just when the audience began to feel underwhelmed, a dragon made of flames burst forth overhead with a thunderous boom.

Though not a real dragon, it was a grand spell created with the combined magic of five realms. Kim Jung-hwan praised the high-quality collaboration of the prideful mages who presented such an exquisite magic display.

Perhaps due to the excessive difficulty, one of the dragons unexpectedly exploded into a firework mid-performance, but the students of Wisdom held their heads high and concluded their entrance with smiles. The audience surely appreciated such a display.

For Freedom Academy’s entrance, darkness suddenly enveloped the space, accompanied by solemn music. The melody of an acoustic guitar resonated, woven with the upbeat notes of a ukulele, interspersed with dazzling whistling.

While the utterly skilled whistling was amusing, the scene that followed triggered suppressed laughter among the crowd.

A tiny hand suddenly popped out from the brightly lit entrance and rolled a wheel in the auditorium. Then, the lights flickered on.

With a patter of footsteps, a boy and girl dressed as cowboys faced each other. With arms stretched wide at their waists, in the moment when the music quieted, they swiftly drew revolvers and fired.

Bang!! The two noticeably distinct gunshots overlapped several times, causing a few people to scream. However, no one was injured, and no screams echoed out from the audience.

Ting!! A sharp sound rang out, and with the lively cowboy music kicking back in, the two blew away the gun muzzles.

– …Oh, oh!! I was wondering what they were up to, but they perfectly nullified each other’s bullets!! Upon closer look, it seems those two are the top students of Freedom’s first year! ‘Rogue’ Bailey and ‘Marksman’ Liza! Both are renowned for their incredible shooting skills, right?

– That was quite an entertaining performance. It feels like they aimed to showcase individuality rather than just grandeur. It was almost like watching an old western film.

– Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm round of applause to welcome Freedom Academy’s entrance!

With a “Heh,” the duo tipped their hats, and horses galloped out behind them. Following the lead of two who hopped onto an unmounted white horse, a hundred cowboys charged out to stand in the auditorium.

Naturally, the last entry was Harmony.

The only Korean Academy among the five, both Ji Sung-jae and Kim Jung-hwan gulped in anticipation. Though the previous performances weren’t of legendary status, they were certainly splendid and brimming with character.

What kind of grand entrance would the pride of Korea, Harmony, present?

Many Korean audience members clenched their fists. Even those who typically displayed no patriotism felt their spirits swell at times like this, yearning for a stunning performance.

Since Harmony emphasized sturdiness over flamboyance, expectations shouldn’t soar too high, yet people began to hope. The owner of Harmony City and the home ground of this competition, the school anthem started to resonate.

*

“Is everyone ready?”

“Uhuh. But can we really do it like that?”

Seeing Yeon-woo’s playful smile made a diligent student of the magic department uneasy, questioning back. It was a look standing between wanting to attempt it and wondering if it was permissible.

“Hey, hey, why do you think Professor Hyun-soo is keeping quiet even after hearing it? He’s telling you to give it a shot,” said one of their friends.

“Re-really, Professor!?”

In response to the children who seemed to wish for an ‘I’d rather you didn’t’ answer, Kim Hyun-soo chuckled with a troubled expression.

He understood their concern. It was an absurd suggestion. If such antics were attempted, it might turn the academy competition into a market brawl.

But it was fun. More than anything, he appreciated that everyone contributed their thoughts. The academy’s opening ceremony was the moment where students could engage freely within the event’s entirety. Wasting such a moment would be a pity.

And above all.

‘If I can, I’d like to outshine other academies too.’

Kim Hyun-soo was also just another individual seeking a sense of belonging.

*

Every Korean held their breath, eagerly awaiting their entrance. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they carried the pride of Korea on their shoulders.

Yeon-woo was well aware of this. However, making a more splendid entrance than the previous academies was honestly challenging.

Of course, with the help of Shar or Tae-oh, they could pull it off, but doing so would undoubtedly overshadow their classmates’ individuality. While it was good to showcase one’s capabilities, it was equally crucial for friends to shine through as well.

Yet, simply presenting the strengths and weaknesses of a hundred individuals during the entrance was impossible. If there was no one to acknowledge that, they couldn’t proceed.

With an uplifting melody in the air, proud lyrics swore allegiance to humanity, filling the space.

While the school anthem might invoke a bit of embarrassment for the current students, the audience generally enjoyed the tune. However, streaming through the gaping doors was not the form of students destined for the future, but a dark liquid.

– Uh, what’s that? Is this finally an accident waiting to happen?

– Ah, well… we should probably watch and see.

The black liquid, resembling oil, gradually morphed into a human shape. A shadow, somewhat human-like, aimed a stick toward the entrance Harmony was set to emerge from.

Just a scarecrow. Even if it was merely scarecrows, the sight of dozens of them aiming sticks appeared rather intimidating.

The peaceful school anthem and the threatening gathering of shadows. The dissonance of this balance was soon shattered by something that stretched out like taffy from the wide-open doorway.

Leading the charge with giant wings spread wide was Namgung Seong, closely followed by Jung Yu-jin, Darius, and others. Those who ranked among the top in speed among first years soared forth like bullets. Behind them, Seong-ryong unfurled a fan.

Amidst the shadows, the ‘Fighting Sky Blade’ launched forth, alongside Jung Yu-jin’s swift shield charge, followed by spells unleashed by the students of the magic department.

It resembled a battle of reality. Though the opponent was merely a scarecrow created by Yeon-woo’s magic, the students were earnest in their fight.

At first, the audience watched bemusedly, wondering why they were battling a bizarre scarecrow when they’d requested a performance, but as the intensity grew, the atmosphere began to shift.

Seriously, fiercely. They devoted themselves to the combat, disregarding anyone’s gaze.

With each shadow that fell one after another, the audience clenched their fists tighter.

Fancy performances? The sense to unveil students’ personalities? Who cared about that?

People naturally directed their attention toward the raw power unfolding before their eyes, rather than the grandeur which wouldn’t make sense unless it’s explained.

With just a single spell, revealing Shar to the crowd was unnecessary; one could portray the academy’s individuality while overshadowing previous performances.

As Yeon-woo gathered the shattered shadows and rejoined the ranks, he flashed a smile at the other academy students, who were watching with scrunched faces.

Everything concluded. The Harmony delegation showcased everything possible. The only thing remaining was the time for self-promotion.

Walking toward the light, Yeon-woo clapped his hands together, as the gathered shadows similarly clumped round and soared skyward.

He felt the audience’s surprise but paid it no mind.

Upon pulling his hands apart, the clustered shadows morphed into colorful magical flames, adorning the grand auditorium beautifully.

The students of Wisdom had their jaws dropped at the sight.

*

A man was watching. The boy revealing himself beyond the screen.

(To be continued)

 

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