Chapter 20 : To The Academy – 4

Just before stepping out, after getting dressed,

I take a moment to look in the mirror.

What kind of expression am I making?

The thought suddenly crosses my mind.

Am I smiling at the thought of beginning my revenge?

Or am I nervous at the possibility of meeting them?

Or perhaps…

Am I angry?

The reflection in the mirror remains expressionless, giving me no answers.

But one thing is certain.

Today, everything begins.

Academy Entrance Ceremony.

Some have passed the academy’s entrance exams through rigorous training or the blossoming of exceptional talent.

Others have been admitted after receiving a letter of recommendation from a distinguished figure on the continent.

All of them sit in the vast auditorium, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Among them are individuals whose names are already well-known, and others who remain in obscurity.

Some are familiar with each other, while others are meeting for the first time.

Yet, despite their differences, one particular person is on everyone’s mind.

“…I heard there’s a student recommended by Lady Ophelia?”

“Rumor has it that a student recommended by Lady Ophelia is entering the academy this year…”

The Archmage Ophelia.

News had spread that a student personally recommended by her would be joining the academy’s freshman class.

But since the identity of this student remained undisclosed, speculation ran rampant.

Some claimed that Ophelia had recognized the potential for a future archmage and raised the child from a young age.

Others whispered that she had simply encountered a child in a remote village, witnessed their magic, and written a recommendation.

But these were nothing more than rumors.

No one knew for sure.

Even the academy had chosen not to reveal the student’s identity prematurely.

Thus, while pretending not to be interested, the students kept sneaking glances toward one particular place—

The very front row, where the recommended students sat.

Some had once dreamed of becoming Ophelia’s disciple, only to be rejected.

Others deeply respected her and followed her career closely.

And some had trained relentlessly, determined to surpass her.

This made the identity of Ophelia’s recommended student a hot topic among the new students.

And yet, as if to fuel their curiosity, the seat of Ophelia’s recommended student remained empty—

Even as the entrance ceremony was about to begin.

“Are they even going to show up?”

Muttering with a pout, Emil van Hockluke, a girl from a magical lineage who had barely secured her admission, stared at the front row.

She, too, was eager to know just who this student was.

That was to be expected—after all, even those with considerable talent were often deemed unworthy by the infamous Ophelia.

And if one were to build a relationship with someone she had personally recommended, it would undoubtedly bring immense benefits, not just to themselves but to their entire family.

Right now, everyone was waiting for and paying close attention to Ophelia’s recommended student, but that didn’t matter.

Ultimately, everything depended on that student’s choices, and there was no rule saying they couldn’t be befriended.

If it’s a boy…

It might not be too difficult to win his favor.

But if it were a girl, that wouldn’t be bad either—girls tended to have multiple friends.

However, Emil’s determination proved meaningless as the recommended student still did not appear.

“Are they not coming?”

The auditorium was now filled to capacity, and with the entrance ceremony on the verge of beginning, Emil muttered with a disgruntled expression.

Creak…

The unusually loud sound of the auditorium doors opening was probably not just her imagination.

By now, there were no empty seats left.

So the moment the door creaked open, every head instinctively turned in that direction.

Step.

The one entering now—surely, it must be them.

That was what everyone thought.

Hearing the steady footsteps, Emil quickly turned her head toward the entrance.

The sound of steps echoed through the auditorium.

Neither too heavy nor too light, yet distinct enough for all to hear.

Against the bright light spilling in from behind, a boy stepped into the hall, his gaze calm and composed.

Since every new student had already been assigned their seat before entering, his steps carried no hesitation.

As the wide-open auditorium doors slowly closed behind him, darkness once again settled inside the hal

—

And Emil, at last, got a clear look at the boy’s face.

So—

“Huh…?”

Without realizing it, Emil let out a dazed voice.

The boy standing before her looked… familiar.

No, to be precise—he was definitely the boy she knew.

He had matured significantly over the past three years, but not to the point where she wouldn’t recognize him.

Perhaps it was because his face had always been strikingly handsome.

His jet-black hair had grown slightly longer than before, though not to the extent of being cumbersome.

His dark eyes, once bright with life, now seemed sunken and dull.

His pale, flawless skin remained unchanged, but his once slightly rounded face had naturally sharpened with age.

But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

In the past, he had looked somewhat fragile—and his personality had reflected that, too.

Now, however, his expression carried a cold, sharp air of indifference.

“Luen…?”

Without thinking, Emil whispered his name.

And immediately, she scowled.

“Why is he here?”

Luen’s mana sensitivity was the lowest possible.

No matter how much support his family had given him in the past, there was simply no way he could have been admitted to the academy.

His mana sensitivity was so low that it was beneath even Emil’s—who had barely scraped by to get in.

Of course, Emil was aware that Luen might still be alive.

Calcento had spread word to the nearby territories that Luen could have survived.

So she had considered the possibility that they might cross paths again someday—

But here? At the academy?

That had never crossed her mind.

The academy was a place where those without talent couldn’t even step through the gates.

So Emil couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t comprehend how Luen had managed to attend the entrance ceremony.

And at the same time—

“Why is he sitting there…?”

—why was he taking a seat in the front row, among the recommended students?

Even as countless eyes fixated on him, Luen didn’t spare them a single glance.

He simply moved toward his designated seat.

“So, you’re the recommended student?”

As Luen reached the front row, a boy sitting there greeted him with a friendly smile.

Luen briefly shifted his gaze toward him—then immediately looked away and took his seat without a word.

“Huh. Not much of a talker, huh?”

The boy let out an awkward laugh but didn’t push further.

Luen sat down, exhaled softly, and fixed his gaze on the stage.

His cold, emotionless stare made the boy shrug and fall silent.

Despite his outward silence, Luen’s mind was filled with thoughts.

This was the official announcement of Luen Phil Kalbrandt’s survival.

His first public appearance under the influence of whoever was backing him now.

And honestly—he didn’t think it was such a bad move.

He had no intention of trusting anyone.

He had no need for friends.

Meanwhile, Emil maintained a smile outwardly, but her thoughts were racing.

How had Luen entered the academy?

And more importantly—why did he have Ophelia’s recommendation?

But no matter how much she wracked her brain, she couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer.

So all she could do was stare at Luen’s back, his black hair gleaming darkly under the light.

“…We will now begin the academy entrance ceremony.”

The voice that echoed through the auditorium snapped Emil out of her trance.

Luen hadn’t once looked at the students—not even when he knew she was there.

That irritated her.

But at the same time, she couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

She didn’t know how or why Luen had Ophelia’s recommendation—

But if he was Ophelia’s recommended student…

That meant she had a chance to form a connection with Ophelia through him.

Luen had genuinely liked her.

Their relationship had ended when his family was destroyed, but that didn’t erase his past feelings.

Which meant she had the best starting position.

At least—

That’s what Emil believed.

After all, she thought—

Luen didn’t know that her family had betrayed the Kalbrandt House.