The Opening Act
The grand plaza in front of Arcadia Academy's main gate was packed. Three days had passed since the entrance exam, and today was the day the results would be announced. From early morning, the square overflowed with people—examinees, their families, and curious onlookers all mixed together.
Beside the main gate stood a massive stone tablet. A huge white sheet of paper had already been affixed to it. It read: Arcadia Academy Freshman Acceptance List.
Someone must have spotted it first, because the area around the board was already jammed with people.
“I passed!”
“Move over!”
“Where’s my name?”
People shoved and jostled one another as they scanned the list. I watched from a distance for a moment before slowly walking forward. My heart was beating a little faster than usual. The tension felt even stronger than it had during the actual exam.
When I reached the tablet, I looked up at the list. The names of those who had passed were neatly arranged by rank. I started from the top and worked my way down, searching for my own name. After several lines, a familiar set of characters caught my eye.
My name. Accepted.
My rank was a bit higher than I had expected—mid-to-upper tier. My written test scores had been average, so the sparring evaluation must have carried more weight. I let out a short breath.
“Hoo…”
The tension eased slightly.
Arcadia Academy. The continent’s premier educational institution. And now—I was about to become one of its students.
That was when the crowd near the top of the board began to murmur.
“Hey, did you see who got first place?”
“Never seen that name before.”
“No family name. A commoner?”
I unconsciously lifted my gaze higher. At the very top of the list, written in bold and set apart, was the name for first place.
First Place — Aurelia
I stared at the name for a moment.
…As expected.
Given the speed I had witnessed in the exam hall, this result wasn’t surprising at all.
At that moment, a flash of golden hair caught the corner of my eye. Through the crowd, a small blonde girl stood in front of the board.
Aurelia.
She quietly checked the list. Her expression showed almost no change. After glancing briefly at the top, she lowered her eyes as if confirming her own name, then turned away without a word. There was no sign of joy or surprise on her face—only the calm certainty that this was only natural. A moment later, she disappeared into the crowd.
I looked at the list once more. My name. And above it, countless others. From now on, I would be living alongside these people at the academy. Some might become rivals. Others, allies.
I quietly turned my gaze away from the board. The plaza was still noisy. People rejoicing over their acceptance. Others hanging their heads in defeat. A chaotic mix of emotions filled the air.
I glanced up at the sky. Clear blue stretched overhead. And before me stood the massive gates of the academy.
Now it begins.
A short while later, I turned around. There was no reason to linger here any longer. The entrance ceremony was still a few days away. But there was one thing I needed to do.
A hidden piece.
Arcadia Academy had several locations that were not officially known to the public. Places most people didn’t even know existed. Hidden rewards, essentially. In the original story, Aurelia had stumbled upon one of them by chance while returning home late at night after training.
I began walking slowly. The path that branched off beside the academy’s main gate led in a direction few people used. Although the original work had only mentioned it briefly, I remembered the location clearly.
“West… from the main gate.”
I scanned my surroundings carefully. The noisy clamor of the plaza I had just left gradually faded into the distance. Hardly any footsteps could be seen now.
After a few minutes, a small structure came into view ahead. An old stone statue. And beneath it, a stone pedestal.
I stopped walking.
This was the place.
The location that had been mentioned in only a single line in the original story.
I approached the statue slowly and raised my hand. At that moment—
A faint tremor brushed against my fingertips.
“…This is it.”
The item in the original story hadn’t played a major role. I pressed down gently on the groove beneath the statue.
Click.
A small sound rang out. Then the stone slab beneath the statue shifted ever so slightly.
I paused for a moment before murmuring,
“It’s starting now.”
Grade: Rare (Hidden)
Effect: Stabilizes mana flow. Slightly reduces mana consumption during spellcasting. Prevents minor mana turbulence.
Note: Ancient relic. Further enhancement possible.
Beneath the slab was a small hollow, just deep enough to fit two palms. Inside lay an object wrapped in black cloth.
I stared down at it for a moment. In the original story, the scene had been described like this:
‘A new student who happened to touch the statue discovered a hidden space. From within, they retrieved a small relic.’
It had been nothing more than a short, passing episode. But that item would play an important role for me.
I slowly peeled back the cloth. The object inside was revealed.
A bracelet.
Its overall shape was a simple circle, but upon closer inspection, its structure was quite unique. The base frame was made of dark black leather with the rough, firm texture typical of aged hide. Yet it didn’t feel worn. If anything, it seemed to have grown tougher with time.
Thin lines were etched across the leather’s surface. They looked like stitching at first glance, but they formed a deliberate, consistent pattern.
Runes. Ancient magical characters whose tradition had long been lost. They were probably what kept the leather from decaying and the metal from corroding.
On one side of the bracelet was a small metal ornament. A dark, dull metal that looked almost black. It reflected almost no light, like old iron or black gold. The ornament was a simple sphere. A single small bead. But its surface wasn’t perfectly smooth. A thin line was engraved down the center, and delicate patterns followed that line in a circular motif.
And within it—
A very faint glow pulsed. Not a strong light. Just—slow, like breathing. A weak, rhythmic pulse of light.
I stared at it for a moment before murmuring,
“…An artifact.”
The original story hadn’t given it an exact name. It had only been referred to as an ancient relic. But I remembered its ability clearly.
I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.
Click.
It fit perfectly, as if it had always belonged to me. And at that moment—
I felt the mana flowing through my body stabilize ever so slightly.
“…So this was it.”
The artifact’s ability was simple. It didn’t grant immense power or allow the use of powerful magic. It simply stabilized the flow of mana. It prevented mana from fluctuating during spellcasting and slightly reduced consumption.
The effect itself was minor. But abilities like this often proved surprisingly important. In situations where multiple spells had to be cast in succession or during prolonged battles, the difference would slowly accumulate.
And above all, this artifact wasn’t just simple equipment. It was an ancient relic—crafted with techniques from an era that had almost completely vanished. Since the base was high quality, it could later be enhanced or granted additional abilities by an artifact specialist.
In the original story, Aurelia had used it briefly in the early stages before passing it on to another student. That person later rose to a fairly important position.
But now, the bracelet rested on my wrist.
I lightly moved my wrist. The bracelet shifted silently, as naturally as if it had always been there. I smiled faintly.
“…Better than I expected.”
It was only a small help for now. But—it was a meaningful enough beginning for surviving in this world.
At that moment, a faint sound reached my ears.
Rustle.
I lifted my head. It sounded like leaves brushing in the wind.
…No. That wasn’t it.
It was the sound of someone’s footsteps.
I slowly turned around. On the path behind the statue, someone was standing there.
Golden hair. Small frame. And an indifferent expression.
A short silence stretched between us for several seconds. Then I spoke first.
“…This place.”
It was a short statement.
“Not many people come here.”
I looked at her for a moment.
“That’s why I came.”
Aurelia stared at me quietly before answering in a low voice.
“…To train.”
She offered no further explanation. After a moment, she walked past me toward the statue. She scanned the area around it once, then slowly walked back. But she stopped when she reached my side.
Her gaze lingered briefly on my wrist. Then, without a word, she turned her head away. As if she had changed her mind.
“…Never mind.”
She said.
“I’ll go somewhere else.”
I looked at her with a slightly surprised expression.
“Weren’t you planning to train here?”
Aurelia shook her head.
“…Anywhere is fine.”
She didn’t explain any further. After a brief silence, she turned away. Her golden hair sparkled for a moment in the sunlight. She took a few steps, then stopped. Without even looking back, she said,
“…The entrance ceremony.”
“It’s soon.”
I nodded.
“It is.”
She said nothing more. A moment later, Aurelia continued down the path. Her golden hair grew smaller in the distance.
I watched her retreating figure for a while, then looked back at the statue. The stone slab that had been open just moments ago was now closed again.
I let out a quiet breath.
“…What a coincidence.”
It really had been nothing more than a chance encounter.
I turned around. The academy’s main gate was visible in the distance. The massive iron doors. And the story that would unfold beyond them.
There was still one day left until the entrance ceremony. But—
I gazed slowly at the academy. The place where countless events had taken place in the original story. And this time—I stood at its center.
The next morning. In front of Arcadia Academy’s main gate.
Accepted students were passing through the gates one by one. I joined the line. Until yesterday I had been an examinee here to take the test, but from today onward, things were different.
Now, I was a student of this place.
When my turn came, I passed through the gate. The moment I did, my view opened up dramatically. Beyond the gate stretched a vast plaza. In the center stood a colossal building—the main hall of Arcadia Academy. Around it were lecture halls, training grounds, and dormitory buildings.
Countless new students had gathered in the plaza. I glanced around. Most of them wore nervous expressions. The atmosphere was different from when they had checked the acceptance list yesterday. Because now, it was truly beginning.
That was when a small murmur rose from somewhere.
“Look over there.”
“Isn’t that the top student?”
“Aurelia…”
All eyes turned in one direction. I turned my head as well.
Golden hair. Small frame. It was Aurelia. She stood quietly on one side of the plaza. She showed no particular reaction to the surrounding gazes, simply staring straight ahead.
A moment later, a man ascended the stairs at the front of the plaza. He wore a black uniform and a cloak embroidered with the academy’s emblem.
Knight Faculty Professor Valterion Cruel.
The murmurs across the plaza gradually died down.
“Silence.”
It wasn’t a loud voice. Yet somehow, it rang clearly throughout the entire square. The students fell quiet one by one.
The professor gazed at the new students for a moment, then spoke.
“Welcome to Arcadia Academy.”
It was a short greeting.
“You are the ones who have passed the continent’s most brutal examination.”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“But from today, you will once again begin from the very bottom.”
The plaza grew completely still.
“Surviving here will not be easy.”
“Many students drop out midway.”
“And some choose to leave on their own.”
Finally, he said,
“But if you remain until the end—”
A brief silence.
“You will become talents counted among the finest on the continent.”
With those words, the professor raised his hand. At that moment, a massive magic circle rose from the plaza floor.
Wooong—
A low hum accompanied the spreading light. Shocked voices burst out among the students.
“A magic circle?”
“What is this?”
I looked down at the ground.
…Just as I thought.
This scene had appeared in the original story as well. The first test that began immediately after the entrance ceremony.
I murmured quietly to myself.
“…It’s starting already.”
Arcadia Academy. And its very first trial.
It was about to begin right now.