By Zephyria 
The Sierran Empire.
My new homeland, where I was born, was a country only slightly smaller than the Great Ming Empire.
The continent resembled a giant butterfly or a bird with its wings spread, and the Sierran Empire occupied its eastern wing.
To the north of the Empire, bordering a vast mountain range, lay the Magic Territory, where monsters and beasts were said to target villages in search of food.
To the west stretched a vast desert, akin to the Potala Palace (*a religious force of the Unaffiliated sect among external powers), which was also teeming with monsters and beasts.
Five kingdoms stood like a breakwater between the desert and the Empire, constantly eyeing it with covetous intent. In the area where the northern mountains and western desert met, several large oases dotted the land, where nomadic peoples of various clans roamed.
Just as the Great Ming Imperial Family held the greatest authority and power in the northern region of the Martial World, the Sierran Empire acted as the continent’s hegemon and ruler.
Within the Martial World, the vast lands were divided among various martial sects and noble families, who claimed them as their own. The land of Anhui was guarded by Namgung, and the land of Sichuan by the Tang family, for instance.
However, the lands of the Sierran Empire were granted as rewards by the Emperor to his vassals. Because these titles and lands were passed down through generations for governance, there was no room for noble families to establish themselves.
With all Knights subservient to noble houses and the Emperor, the situation was not merely one of inviolability between government and martial world; rather, the government embraced the martial world.
Therefore, for the Empire’s many noble families to recognize each other’s existence and pledge loyalty to the Imperial Palace, they studied their chosen subjects at the Sierun Academy, located near the Imperial Palace, from the age of fifteen, when they could enter society, to eighteen, when they were recognized as adults.
The ability to study swordsmanship, magic, management, administration, secretarial work, and Imperial Law—six major branches, along with over a hundred elective courses—and to compete with peers in academics offered a significant advantage.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Empire’s finest talents gathered either in the Imperial Palace or the Academy.
Early admission, early graduation, and deferred graduation were all possible. While heirs to families were required to graduate from the Academy, nobles who were not heirs were not obligated to attend.
However, the future is unpredictable, and everyone desires to fully enjoy the culture of their peers. Thus, most families sent their children to the Academy if their means allowed.
The annual tuition was comparable to the annual taxes of a typical territory, so families lacking in wealth would send their second sons and daughters into society early to form marriage alliances, rather than enrolling them in the Academy.
This expensive tuition was used to facilitate the Academy’s commoner scholarship program.
For every noble who enrolled, three commoners were admitted simultaneously.
How I marveled and was awestruck when I first learned of the Academy’s existence.
The fact that a state-run educational institution was open to outstanding citizens, rather than being confined within the Imperial family, was a system I had never imagined.
I was overjoyed to have earned the right to enroll in the Academy, as I had grown dissatisfied with merely practicing the swordsmanship I knew and sparring with familiar faces.
The Sierran Empire divides a year into twelve months, and the entrance ceremony was held on the first day of February each year.
It took seven days and nights by carriage from the Ernhardt family’s territory to the capital, so after celebrating the New Year, we prepared busily and arrived in the capital.
While the buildings in the Count Ernhardt’s territory were mostly two to three stories high, the sight of countless buildings reaching five to six stories greeted us immediately after crossing the capital’s walls, a truly magnificent spectacle.
I was particularly astonished by the Imperial Palace’s walls, which towered above all other buildings, and by the two impossibly tall towers standing proudly at the eastern and western ends of the capital, piercing the sky.
Wondering how such tall structures could exist, not like the stone pagodas of a temple, I asked Sir Ventus, the Knight who had accompanied me, and he told me they were the Wizards’ Towers, the Magic Towers.
“Magic… I’ve heard of it a few times, but I can hardly imagine it. What connection does using aura to create fire and water have with such tall towers?”
“Many say magic is a discipline that reaches truth… Well, you’ll understand when you experience it yourself. I only saw magic for the first time when I went to the Academy. I heard that tower has a door that lets you enter on the first floor and exit on the thirtieth.”
“Ah.”
“Yes? You understood with that explanation?”
Sir Ventus looked puzzled, but I nodded.
I could accept it, thinking it was similar to the formations of the Jegal Family, or their talismans, which were filled with things that induced illusions or caused mystical effects using the five elements and artifacts.
It was only the Jegal family who would erect wooden poles on the training grounds during the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering…
I thought that if there were skilled wizards, I would like to become friends with them.
Since I could not bring my attendants or Knights into the Academy, I disembarked near the entrance and entrusted the luggage to be moved to the dormitory to a counter set up right in front of me.
Seeing that personal belongings would be moved to the dormitory during the entrance ceremony, I was inwardly relieved, as it seemed the Academy had its own staff.
The last time I had done laundry myself, combining my past and present lives, was over thirty years ago.
Looking around, I saw boys and girls in similar circumstances, bidding farewell to their companions with worried or flushed faces.
Sir Ventus and a few other Knights who had escorted me looked into my eyes, smiled, and performed a fist-and-palm salute (*a martial arts-style greeting where one fist is cupped by the palm and the head is bowed).
It was a playful greeting from the Knights, which I had unconsciously mimicked a few times as a child, thinking it was a childish act.
“Then, young master. We will come to pick you up around the summer break.”
“Make sure you become a Sword Master during this semester.”
“As if that were easy. I will try my best. Travel safely, and take your time.”
“We were already traveling leisurely, so we will return leisurely. Take care of yourself.”
Perhaps it was the unfamiliar greeting, or the gazes of my peers glancing at me, that made my face flush. I stood tall, waved my hand broadly, and turned away.
Whether it was a Knight’s duty or the deep bond we had formed, the presence of the Knights lingered for a while even after I entered the Academy gates, causing me to let out an embarrassed chuckle.
❖ ❖ ❖
As I walked along the path through the school gates, a figure dressed in a persimmon-colored uniform cautiously approached me.
They held a file in one hand and wore eyeglasses (*eyewear), something I had never seen outside my territory, making me realize I had truly left home.
“Um… hello. Are you Michael Ernhardt, the new student…? I’m Hershey Milton, a senior by one year.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior Milton. What can I do for you?”
“Ah, I’m a work-study student this year and was assigned to guide new students. I’m here to escort you to the auditorium…”
Seeing them falter at the end of their sentences, I smiled, sensing they were unsure whether to use formal or informal speech.
Hershey Milton’s cheeks flushed a deep red, indicating they were quite embarrassed.
Even at first glance, the young man appeared at least four years older than me.
“Please, speak casually, Senior.”
“Ah, thank you! New students who have just arrived often dislike being spoken to informally. In principle, it’s forbidden for seniors to use informal speech towards juniors, so I was a bit worried. I apologize.”
“A principle that forbids informal speech? Could you explain that a bit more?”
“Hmm, well…”
Hershey glanced around again and then began to walk a step ahead. It seemed they wanted me to follow and listen, so I quietly walked beside them.
The young man continued speaking in a slightly rapid tone, glancing at me occasionally.
His gait was heavy and irregular, suggesting he wasn’t from the Swordsmanship Department. I listened to his words, thinking such thoughts.
“At Sierun Academy, for every noble who enrolls, three commoners do. So, naturally, commoners are the majority. Most commoners who pass the entrance exam and enroll have excellent grades, which often puts students from noble backgrounds at a disadvantage in terms of academic performance…”
“Hmm.”
“Therefore, to prevent noble students from pressuring commoner students, the primary rule is that peers use mutual formal speech unless they are close friends. The secondary rule is that seniors use informal speech towards juniors, and juniors use formal speech towards seniors… Even if it’s different after graduation, before graduation, you can receive demerit points without exception, both on and off campus.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“But every year, new students don’t know this, and they get offended when a stranger speaks to them informally. Ah, of course, I think that’s understandable! Normally, it’s natural to use polite language regardless of age or position when speaking to someone you meet outside. So… so I was worried. I apologize.”
“There is no reason to apologize when you are speaking the truth.”
“Th-thank you for saying that.”
Hershey smiled shyly and looked back at me.
Their cheeks kept flushing, suggesting they were someone who easily got heated. It was rare to see someone with such a lean body but a strong Yang constitution; I walked along, observing their complexion.
Perhaps to break the silence, Hershey suddenly spoke.
“I heard… but your hair color is really beautiful. It’s such a lovely, petal-like light pink that I was surprised.”
“Mm.”
“…Ah! I-I’m sorry if that was rude! I didn’t mean it that way—”
“I don’t mind at all. I was just surprised because I had never thought of it that way.”
The young man, whose earlobes and neck were now bright red, walked with a creaking gait.
The young man did not speak again until we reached the main hall, but thanks to him, the walk behind him was not boring.