Chapter 15 – The Academy Grounds
The morning sun slowly rose above the tall towers of the academy, spreading a warm golden light across the large stone courtyard. Aron stood near the entrance gate with a few other new students. He looked around quietly, observing everything with curiosity.
The academy was far larger than he had imagined.
Tall buildings made of white stone surrounded the courtyard. Large banners with the symbol of the academy hung from the walls, moving gently in the wind. In the distance, Aron could see a large training ground where some students were already practicing sword techniques.
The sound of metal clashing echoed faintly through the air.
Aron took a deep breath.
"So this is the place where I will spend the next few years…" he thought to himself.
Around him, many students were talking excitedly. Some were discussing their magic affinities while others were proudly mentioning their noble family names. Aron listened silently but did not join the conversations.
Just as he expected, most of the students here came from wealthy or noble families.
A tall boy with brown hair suddenly walked past him while speaking loudly to his friends.
"My affinity is fire. My father said I will easily reach the second stage of mana control within a year."
His friends immediately praised him.
"That's amazing!"
"Fire magic is one of the strongest elements."
The boy smiled proudly.
When his eyes briefly landed on Aron, he paused for a moment.
"Hey, what about you?" he asked casually.
Aron looked at him calmly.
"Wood affinity," he replied.
For a moment there was silence.
Then one of the boys laughed.
"Wood? That's not very useful for combat."
Another student shook his head slightly.
"You should have hoped for something like lightning or fire."
Aron did not react much to their words. He had already expected reactions like this.
"Maybe," Aron said simply.
The boys quickly lost interest and walked away while continuing their conversation.
Aron looked toward the training grounds again.
Inside his mind, however, he was thinking about something else.
Even if wood affinity was considered weak, his skill — Natural Wood Mastery — had already shown him that it had more potential than most people believed.
He just needed time to understand it.
While Aron was thinking, a loud bell suddenly rang through the academy.
DONG… DONG… DONG…
Many students immediately started moving toward one of the large buildings.
A girl standing nearby spoke.
"That must be the orientation bell."
Aron quietly followed the crowd.
After a few minutes, the students entered a large hall filled with rows of wooden seats. At the front of the hall stood a tall platform.
The room slowly filled with hundreds of new students.
Aron found an empty seat near the middle and sat down.
Not long after, an older man wearing dark blue robes walked onto the platform.
The hall slowly became silent.
The man had grey hair and sharp eyes that calmly looked across the room.
"My name is Professor Eldrin," he said in a steady voice.
"I welcome all of you to the Royal Academy."
His voice carried easily through the large hall.
"You are the students who passed the entrance examination. From today onward, you will begin your training as mages and knights."
Many students listened with excitement.
Professor Eldrin continued.
"However, let me make one thing clear."
His eyes became slightly sharper.
"Entering this academy does not mean you will automatically become powerful."
"Talent alone is not enough."
He paused briefly.
"Only those who work harder than others will rise above the rest."
Some students straightened their posture after hearing those words.
Professor Eldrin slowly walked across the platform.
"Over the next few years, you will learn how to control mana, develop techniques, and strengthen both your bodies and minds."
"There will be tests, competitions, and battles."
"Some of you will succeed."
"And some of you will fail."
The hall remained completely quiet.
Finally, the professor stopped walking.
"For today, you will simply familiarize yourselves with the academy grounds."
"You will receive your class assignments tomorrow."
After finishing his speech, Professor Eldrin left the platform.
The students immediately began talking excitedly again.
Aron slowly stood up from his seat and walked outside with the others.
The academy courtyard was even busier now.
Some students had already gone toward the training grounds while others explored different buildings.
Aron decided to walk toward the large training field he had seen earlier.
When he arrived, several students were already practicing sword swings while a few others were attempting basic magic control exercises.
A tall wooden dummy stood near the edge of the field.
Aron walked toward an empty area nearby.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Inside his body, he could feel the faint movement of mana circulating through his core.
He raised his hand slightly and focused.
A thin green strand of energy slowly appeared around his fingers.
It was weak, but it was there.
Aron concentrated harder.
The small strand of green energy stretched slightly toward the ground, almost like a tiny root searching for soil.
However, after a few seconds the energy flickered and disappeared.
Aron opened his eyes.
"Still unstable," he thought.
Controlling mana was clearly not easy.
But instead of feeling discouraged, Aron felt something different.
Excitement.
For the first time, he felt like he was truly stepping into a new world.
A world of magic, power, and endless possibilities.
Aron looked around the large academy grounds once more.
Students were training, arguing, laughing, and competing everywhere.
This place would shape his future.
And deep inside his heart, Aron made a quiet promise to himself.
"No matter how weak my affinity is…"
"I will become stronger."
The wind moved gently across the training field as the sun slowly climbed higher in the sky.
Aron's journey at the academy had only just begun.