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Simon has heard of the name being associated with many adjectives and nouns: well-decorated, steeped in a historical flavor since its conception hundreds of years ago, a final cradle for inventions and knowledge that will transcend the world and where talents in many fields gathered.

Dusting himself, the young teenager sits up, his dark hair unkempt and his clothes wrinkled from the long journey he has taken. His appearance is not beautiful nor ugly, it is just normal in the fashion eyes of the majority of the population. His black eyes, normally ominous, now are even more so due to the dark bags under them. He is tired from the long travel

From his position inside a travelling merchant caravan, he gives the academy with its grand entrance, its marbled tiles, its intricate constructions and many more, a meek glance before absorbing himself to the pendant on his chest. The cheap brass pendant is made with a simple mechanism to open and close the hatch, revealing a small, cut-out photo of him and his mother. The scene depicts a norming hike in the snow with the two chatting when his father captured the scene and printed it out. The image now sits neatly inside the clamped space of the pendant, a reminder of his promise with his mother after his dad passed away from a sudden disease. He brings the pendant up to his lips, giving a little whisper of a prayer to the thing before letting it falls to its equilibrium position. He continues his final stretch of a walk to the place he has finally got in.

He was confused with the news when it first arrived. Delivered in an envelop and written on high-quality paper as soft as a maiden's skin, the letter has welcomed him to Rhea Academy, claiming that the academy needed people like him. Before he could wrestle out more information in regards to his admission, the letter burned up in a violet flame, it danced around on the desk, emptily threatening to burn down the shack Simon had before fizzling out in an anticlimactic manner. The burned ash started to reform into a list of material and a pen linked to the piece of parchment, telling him what he needed to bring alongside with him and how he could have gotten there. 

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He has been a little boy, eyes shining with innocent sheen, all the years ago. 

"Rhea Academy..."

His mother told him in one of their bedtime stories sessions after a tale of a faraway knight slaying Nidhogg the evil dragon. Her gaze distant and filled with the bittersweet taste of nostalgia, she continued. 

"it is the heaven for us, impossible to reach to yet we yearn for so desperately. Its light shines our path at night, its geniuses better the world with their minds. "

She said, her voice trembling and whispery as if about to shed tears. On her face was a forlorn expression. The story seemed to remind her of something horrific that still eating her to this very day.

"When you grow up, you will face your challenges there, you must face your challenges there."

She remarked, her hand ruffling the short white hair of a younger Simon. He was making an incredulous expression, his mind confused. 

"You will understand when you grow older"

His mother finally said, her face brightened up a little bit. He had always hated seeing his mother cried. She was his pillar and when she cried, he did not know anything to do to sooth her. 

" I promise you I will get into that school. "

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" Mother, I am finally setting foot inside the academy you have always dreamt off. Bless me from the heaven!"

Simon said to himself, his rationality barely holding back his excitement and curiosity. He starts walking up the granite stairs, his feet the same rhythm as his exhilarating heart. He cannot wait to see his life at this place.

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Deep beneath the reinforced earth, a lone room can be found. The furniture is all old and the odor can lower one's regeneration, a single red spear impaled to the wall through something, no, it is the left eye and the lower section of the head of a coiling mass of wires and mana streams taking over the body. If anyone could look closely, the mana pathway inside the destroyed corpse had been forcefully twisted and bent, leaving an inhuman body where an experiment had finally ended.

"System activates, checking body's integrity 56%, body soul-body compatibility 92% ... Welcome back, J109Y53. How is the dream? " 

A voice can only by heard from the machine's audio system. The thing is already on the verge of complete destruction from the gaze of the Traumekels. 

"Not any bit more resultful than the last. The data cannot be taken from the sleep despite the many attempts of accessing the place through input modules A145 and Z90. Maybe changing the configuration of the network itself will prove to be more fruitful. "

"Wonderful, wonderful! Another step toward success. Remember this every clearly, a failed experiment is but another step toward something greater, and you are taking on a grand journey, so do not be afraid of. "

" Yes yes, I heard you. Now let me out of here. "

The machine's light turns on brightly, the electric supply is too much for the thing as a few seconds later, the bulb hair burns into dust, leaving the room in the hand of darkness and isolation. Silence regains its throne, the soundless sleeps tightly.

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"How may I help you?"

A fair lady with purple hair reaching her waist and an alloy monocle on her left eyes greets Simon. The lady was well-proportioned, her maid outfit only pronounces the maturity and dependability associated with her profession. She is the head maid of this place, her mission aside from cleaning and attending to the top students is to stand here, welcoming any freshman that seems lost and guiding them to the main hall. With the sudden approach of a beautiful woman in the reserved maid clothing, Simon is lost in his journey of finding a response, leading to him gawking the lady out. An "ahem" from her brings him back, his eyes dart around to see if there is other maids in this area. 

"My name is Belle, Belle Krath, the head maid of the Alytho Dormitory. You seems to be lost so I will point you toward your destination."

"Ah Ms Krath, thank you so much for the offer."

Simon replies, scratching his cheek while his face reddens from the embarrassment. Truth to be told, he has spent half an hour walking around different corridors and pathways to get to the main hall, the place where a welcome ceremony will be held for freshmen to familiarize them with the academy's environment. He was growing tired from the mocking stares of those deeming themselves above a commoner like him. As they are the majority seeing that only with enough wealth and connections can one undergo the path of mana and afford the ridiculous pricing of mana stone imported from the mana-dense dungeons they own. The monopoly on the resource has hindered the development of more institutions.

In the midst of all that, he met a kind maid. He is thankful for the chief maid, Ms Belle Krath, for giving him the correct direction to the auditorium. Taking a left onto a floating passage, Simon can hear countless chatters inside the building in front of him, solidifying his confidence and gratitude. He has arrived not too late and therefore can blend into the crowd and not raise any attention to him. He sits down in a corner, his eyes scanning the auditorium and he estimating the total number of people, Simon could not help but be overwhelmed at the figure. Around 300 students as fresh year, with the other grade's combining only coming out to an approximation of 800 students in the school (Simon could not wrap his mind about this large quantity of people, outcompeting the annual festivals at his village).

The lighting turned off, leaving behind only a circular area on the stage to focus all the attention span of teenagers to the spot. From the back stage, an alluring lady with well-proportioned body shape, with her teal long straight hair and an outfit unbefitting of an academy and more of a brothel, goes on the stage, she is spending the last few minutes to prepare herself.

" is the audio enhancing spells on? I am not seeing anything like that breaking down mid speech. Ah, here it is ... "

The principal whispers to the staff in the backstage, on her face a confident smile to the point of viral. Seeing the appearance of the principal, many students are filled with reverence for the being in front of them: one of the twelve Demigods, the strongest beings across the entire world. Her name is etched in the statues dedicating to these Demigods, standing at rank 5th, Shuron The Great Mage.

" As many of you know, I am Shuron, the principal of this academy naming itself after the Mother Earth. I am not the fan of long talk going on with students too bored to appreciate the time here. So I will wrap up the whole thing with a simple wish. Just like the name if the Primordial Earth, I wish you lot can remain firm like the Begromel Range, tall as Mount Houchber and reserved as the soil beneath us. "

Shuron ends her speech in less than two minutes in the surprised faces of the freshmen, unrefined and unfilled jewels awaiting for a chance to shine brightly. Seeing that scene, her secretary could feel veins popping onto her head and know that the one standing up there would need some reprimand. Later on, the secretary who cover almost everything inside the academy, scolds the powerful Demigod like a mother scolding her naughty daughter, leaving a crying Shuron apologizing. Of course that happens in the confine of the principal office after the welcoming ceremony, away from the public eyes to maintain the dignity of the Demigod discussed here.

The head of the teaching faculty, a bald man comparable to a gray bear, steps up onto the podium and silences the auditorium with a display of Second Circle magic: Flame Spray. Different from the usual Flame Spray covering a distance of a few meters in a cone shape in front of the user's vision, this Flame Spray is injected with thrice the amount of mana, reaching up to the ceiling lighting fixtures and charred the gold layer off the copper.

After getting everyone 's undivided attention, the head of teachers introduce himself with loud shouting akin to the barking of orders during war time.

" My name is Daniel Mathwelt. Your principal has some business with the Emperor so I will take over the session and introduce the class division test. The test will be held tomorrow in batches of 10, starting from 8 in the morning and ending at 6 in the evening. Anyone who misses the test will be moved to a special group ...

" What is this special group?"

One noble student with periwinkle hair and a buttstock chin asked, his tone condescending as if his parents have made the heavens.

" You, what your name? "

" This noble's Dreun Calmarlo and my father is ... "

" Thank you Mr Calmarlo for setting up a fine example for this special group here.

Sensing something wrong, the nobleman is perplexed and is going to ask for further clarification when the bald man on the stage says.

" The Expelled. "

Silence covers the entire auditorium, as the shock travels at visible speed. "Expulsion is possible!!!" , every working brain in the place screams internally. Simon is the same, his face drains faster than light. The nobleman Calmarlo is fear-strucken with the image of his father stripping him of his wealth and disowned him. He quickly bows down to Daniel, his face only looking at the decorated tiles below. He belatedly asks for a lighter sentence as his future is on the line. He apologies for the haughty altitude before and wishes to fix it. Sensing the boy's somewhat conflicted emotions yet still wholeheartedly feeling apologetic of his previous behaviors (Daniel knows he has the upper hand here), Daniel decides to be lenient this first time. He is a teacher, not the harsh disciplinary committee member or the stringent finance department.

" This only happens if you breaks the rules inside the guide book severely. Of course, you can still attend this place, go to the "

Daniel says, sending the boy away into the pit of hell. The latter is oblivious to the fact and he breathes a sigh of relief.

" Now you lot can return to your temporarily classes. A supervisor there will explain the details of the upcoming

Daniel ends the welcoming properly this time, sending the students away. Simon can hear his heart thumping at the premise of a class with talented individuals. He walks with the flow, reaching the designated classroom in no time. He sits down beside a blonde dude, his hair glistening with herbal oils from the smell. Simon politely introduces himself to the guy, his face brimming with friendliness. The recipients is the same kind, quickly introduces himself back to the black boy. The two quickly befriends one another, shaking hands to commemorate the new friendship. The golden is Janus, Simon remembers his first friend in the academy.

The pair is discussing what their expectations here at the academy are when suddenly, the classroom door opens violently and its frame creaks under the immense impact. A young woman walks in, her white hair tied together and neatly arranged inside a bush behind her head. Her face is beautiful, akin to carved marble statues in museum and churches. Her cold blue eyes scan the faces of every students inside the room while gauging the mana core development of each individual. Her eyes observe carefully the turbulence at the edge of each student's mana emission to provide the best recommendations for each of them.

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Selene is having a terrible hangover. Her colleagues have invited her to a drinking party celebrating something she doesn't care for much but the offer and the confident promise from her friend attracted her.

" I will pay"

Her friend, a teacher in summoning magic and spirits, promised with her signature cheeky smile. With her reputation as a promise keeper, the friend has managed to do the impossible, pulling Selene The Ice Queen to the blind date. The former even asked Selene to wear stylish garments to the event, tricking her into joining the friend's side.

The blind date ... to her surprise was not that bad after all. Aside from drinking wine and eating grilled meat, she managed to survive and even meet an old friend there. The merchant she used to work within the mercenary days, Donald McClause, was sitting opposite of her, his eyes the same two slits hiding golden pupils akin to snakes that she remembered. Both of them were surprise at seeing one another's presence there and the two began their session of secreta digging and chatting in the awe of everyone inside the restaurant. A pair of handsome man and a beautiful woman drew the attention of every customers at how matching the two were. At the end of the night, Donald brought her back to the academy's teacher dorm, leaving her to the hands of the head maid there. In the morning, she read a piece of IOU from the sly merchant, charging money for courier service of a heavy package.

Now sobering up after a drink of ginger ale, she enters the assigned classroom. Facing another batch of freshmen, Selene can not help but to lament the schedule maker. Now she wishes she could continue her research on They are unfamiliar with almost everything in the academy and will need a lot of explanation from the specific rules in place, teacher-students cooperation, electives, clubs, etc. Just introducing the various buildings and their usages would have taken an an hour long (she likes to add information about the heads and some achievements in tandem with history lesson).

However, the most important thing that needs to get out of the way first is electives choosing. She will have to observe each student's mana cores and physique to preemptively give suggestions to them. Of course they can ignore her suggestions but most of the times, they will come crawling back to the electives she suggested.

How magnificent, she thinks, seeing the lively and vibrant mana cores of those in front of her. She thinks, the "Golden Generation", what a fititng name. The number of geniuses concentrating here is unprecedented. Losing herself in the brilliance of a new generation, she gets a boy slips through her check, his void masked by the nearby stars.

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After a long introduction to the various rules, courses and many more things that Simon let entering in one ear and out another, the class is dismissed, leaving him and Janus to fend for themselves at the canteen. The place is packed to the brim with students, filled with countless groups claiming tables. The two decided to take their meals elsewhere, can be at one of the desolate and left-alone places in the academy.

" Janus, the room is not locked, please enter. "

The place they choose is an abandoned classroom cleared of almost anything except for the two desks facing one another. Janus questions why Simon know this place, expressing his suspicion of the classroom, especially the clock stopping at the point of 12:00 AM. The latter answers truthfully, explaining the finding as coincidence and that the room was not locked so he faked the locking to prevent the janitors trom locking.

Despite some doubts about the janitors his friend is refering to, Janus's famished stomach drives his brain blind and he begins eating his serving of fried sky-salmon with poached potatoes. Simon follows, enjoying his lime-sauced porkchop and risotto. They enjoys the time, chatting a few times in the process. Simom decides to ask a question bugging him since the beginning.

" Why are you so willing to befriend me? Aside from my unnoticeable appearance, I have nothing good shown. And are you really fine with being friends with me and not the Seven Stars? "

" Maybe it's just a hunch but I feel that you will achieve much more than them. So I place my bet on you. Beside that, I enjoy this peaceful atmosphere with you rather than the competition for the Seven Stars' attention. "

" Thanks ... for being honest with me. You are my first ever friend, so I am a bit doubtful. "

" Good, and lunch is almost over, wanna rum back. "

Janus stands up and opens the door, his left hand inviting Simon for a running competition. The latter complies, chasing behind the golden silhouette. The run is the most fun both have ever had for a long time, smiles plastered onto their faces.