Entrance Ceremony
“Kesera, Miss Kesera.”
“Just five more minutes~ Don't be a pain... I really can't anymore~☆”
What's this eyesore waking me up now?
“You need to get up and get ready soon. You're going to be late, Miss Kesera.”
“Mmph... du... dummy.... I can handle myself...”
“You can't be late for the entrance ceremony, Miss Kesera.”
I snapped to my senses and there was the dorm supervisor right in front of me, clock showing 8 a.m. Ceremony starts at 10, so with makeup and prep, it's cutting it close—but doable. Normally I'd be up at 7, all sorted and primped by now...
“Why'd you wake me so late, you spinster dorm mom?”
“Because you slept in till all hours.”
“...Fine. I'll get up, granny.”
Yeah, not her fault. Blame last night—I barely slept. Some total loser kept popping into my head, but who the hell was it? Can't for the life of me remember.
I hauled myself up, cast Cleanse on my bedhead, and blinked awake. Faint traces from last night still lingered in the air—golden specks of time particles drifting like they symbolized the year that just slipped by. Lucky her... she didn't notice. What a clueless spinster, not even a grand mage like her~☆
Cleaning magic
“Want me to dress you today?”
“Knock yourself out~☆”
She dragged me to the mirror and suited me up in academy uniform. I was so groggy I just lifted arms and legs on cue. Not bad having a spinster☆ fuss over you.
While she did, my foggy brain kept chasing that mystery guy from last night... nada. That's why my crap memory needs a diary updated daily. Who's the idiot torturing me like this?
Grabbing her hand, I headed to the dressing room. Second-place was already there, makeup done, peering down from her tall chair. Name was Naru, right?
“Fine, I'll admit your skills are decent.”
Didn't expect her to speak first. After yesterday's ass-kicking, she still picking fights?
Playing dumb☆, I greeted her. “Hey, Naru.”
“Naru?! My name is Eluna Le Cromi Essentramium!”
Naru or Luna? Du~mb☆, who cares about names like that. Careful, your makeup's gonna run. Sure enough, as Luna fumed, academy staff swarmed to separate us. Surprising she'd admit she's a scrub—thought she was just a clueless ego balloon, but she knows her place? Amateur☆
Staff handling entrance ceremony prep for me gathered round. Time crunch meant they all piled on with primping. Kinda nice being pampered like that—back in my past life, big presentations got me basic makeup too.
Half-asleep, half-dazed from drowsiness, I nodded off mid-treatment. Near the end, mirror showed some cute little missy staring back. Smirked like usual... but yesterday's gremlin grin looked more like a proper brat now?
“……”
Wanna smash that mirror, but I need to ration mana for the ceremony show. All 'cause that pathetic Naru tried to start a fire outta nowhere. Does she even know I covered for her crime, future grand mage of House Ascentrius?
Bam-ba-bam—!
“Eek?!”
Fanfare for the ceremony jolted me. Basement rat life makes me jumpy at loud noises. Time to face the crowd soon.
Held by staff hands, I left the dressing room down the hall. Today, you'll feel the gap, you clueless idiots. Behold true magic, you morons.
Today was the day the great Imperial Academy president grants entrance. From this moment, we become part of the academy.
Luca, a lowly alley rat freshman, had always viewed the world cynically. Hunger was his friend, rags his clothes, begging his trade. Only thing holding him up: meager magic talent from superior mental math.
One day while begging, an academy staffer approached, urging him to take this year's exam. Even alley trash could test for the Imperial Academy? Truly a benevolent empire.
He took the bottom-tier Black exam—slim odds—but Luca dreamed big. Assigned number 1340, his acceptance letter felt miraculous. Trash like him passed on merit? Academy even gave rags-to-riches gear, bed, everything. Assigned early to the 4-man Black dorm, he heard from dorm prof yesterday: White, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Black. Six ranks by score, hierarchies by year too. But all based purely on skill, not blood.
Yet the world runs on bloodlines.
The rep freshman on stage? Newspaper fame: 7-year-old eldest daughter of House Ascentrius, one of empire's five rulers, beloved prodigy. Luca smirked—bloodline top-seat? How skilled could a kid be?
“Do you wish to enter the Imperial Academy?”
“Sure~”
Casual sass to the grand mage president? Bloodline pride or what?
“A confident face suits you. Can you prove your worth?”
“Obviously.”
Kesera thrust her wand. Faint mana threads wove elegant, butterfly-like embroidery in a field, aurora lights blooming from tiny power. Luca's legs buckled—he nearly knelt.
Top seat lives up to it. Kid half his age outshines 13 years of his grinding with overwhelming beauty. President's stern but hearty laugh, profs stunned, top seat smirking down like they were ants. This is Imperial Academy...
Luca was awestruck.
“Haha, very well. I permit your entrance to the 1000th class!”
Bell tolled with cheers. Newbies filed in, guided by student council to seats. All seated, president eyed the second-place girl.
“Permission granted, but as reps, state your academy resolve.”
Taller than top-seat kid, Luca's age—Luca knew her: Eluna Le Cromi Essentramium, could've been top herself.
“I pledge.”
But tense second-place vs. breezy top-seat. Kesera led the oath.
“...Grant our entrance, got it~?”
Her cocky snark flew under radar. President burst laughing.
“Haha, congratulations, children of the empire, future of the empire.”
Handed entrance medal to Essentramium girl amid fanfare.
“Enjoy the feast!”
First semester banquet: dishes flipped, food appeared. Luca marveled at table magic, reaching—then Kesera passed.
“I'm out, du~mb Naru.”
“Not Naru! Luna! Know when to quit improv—matching you today was exhausting!”
“Figure it out~☆”
They seemed buddy-rival. Could Luca ever reach their ankles? He shoveled food, pondering.
My turn done, student council seniors greeted me. Impressed by a peek at my skills? Mixing Void Magic into spatial coordinates—profs' shocked faces were gold. Newbies do basic fire/ice arithmetic; Void Magic's a first.
But heading to special banquet seat, second-place whined again. Geez, sore loser since her turn skipped~☆
“Sit here, all set.”
Council reps chatted as I took my reserved spot. Academy drops surnames/middles—years rule, no honorifics. Just “Sera” name tag on cape, White Badge proving top-five of 1000 newbies.
“Sera, what was that?”
“Kinda risky. Lucky it worked.”
“I loved it—profs were floored!”
“Incredible freshman~”
Scanning faces... who? No androgynous mystery, no president, no house staff. Sigh... poked at food halfheartedly till banquet ended. No more formal stuff—avoid 'em anyway. Hit library for growth books later.