Year 997 of the Continental Calendar.
Comparing it to the founding date of Esdinas Academy, this marks the 497th year since the Academy’s establishment.
In other words, Coincidentally, the 1,000th year of the Continental Calendar is also the 500th year since the Academy’s founding.
Some argue that three more years should be added to this.
They claim that the ‘three years of trial schooling’, where the first batch of students were produced by several instructors including the four saints, should be included.
However, going into that much detail seemed unnecessary, and above all, the convenience of having a neat “00” year was something many found administratively useful.
Thus, the date is March 1st, Year 997 of the Continental Calendar.
For some, this day is known as the one marking the beginning of Esdinas Academy’s 500th anniversary.
It is also the day when new students officially join the existing students in the Hall of Courage, where everyone gathers to welcome the newcomers.
“Huh.”
In the waiting room of the Hall of Courage, where the new student welcome ceremony was to be held, Ederson Lionheart, the Dean of Academic Affairs, who had already been assigned to oversee various events, couldn’t help but chuckle at the news he received.
“Men… wiped out?”
“The term ‘wiped out’ is not accurate, Dean Ederson.”
Ederson swallowed at the words of the female secretary who had reported the situation.
“Because about 10 of them were supposed to attend.”
“Out of 400 male students, including both new and current ones, only 10 are attending. Isn’t that practically a wipeout? In the military, they say if 30% die, it’s essentially a defeat.”
“…”
“…Hah.”
Ederson scanned the list of those who had hoped to attend the new student welcome ceremony.
“These eunuchs.”
“Dean, they’re students.”
“They’re 18-year-olds! When I was that age…! Ahem.”
Grumbling with dissatisfaction, Ederson cleared his throat.
“Even in these uncertain times, when people are being cautious, how can there be only 10 men attending the welcome ceremony?”
“It’s not mandatory.”
“Miss Gwendolyn, you’re speaking calmly, but do you know that there’s only been one time when neither the current nor new students participated in a welcome ceremony?”
Ederson patted his stomach as he spoke to his secretary, Gwendolyn.
“When they were too ill with stomachaches to make a good impression!”
“…”
“The first meeting! It’s the moment when everyone shows their best side to each other. So why would no one want to attend?”
“Well… They’re probably worried about being judged by everyone’s eyes.”
“Hmph!”
Ederson roared at Gwendolyn’s blunt words.
“They’re students!”
“It feels like you’re repeating back what I told you earlier, but… this is also part of the reason.”
Secretary Gwendolyn reached out to her eyes.
Slip.
With her middle finger, she pressed on her eyeball, and soon a very thin film slipped out from her eye.
“Magic lenses. Made by spreading magic stones very thinly, these serve as a vision aid for some people.”
“Ugh…!”
At the mention of magic lenses, Ederson’s discomfort was evident, but Gwendolyn handed the lens placed on her middle finger to him.
“Do you know what function is embedded in this lens?”
“S*xual magic, aura detection.”
“Yes, you’re precisely correct.”
It may seem outrageous that s*xual magic would be discussed in the Academy, a place of learning, but there are adults among the Academy’s students – especially among the current students.
“From a personal standpoint, I think these magic lenses have made it possible for new male and female students to assess each other’s potential the moment they enroll.”
“What do you mean, Gwendolyn?”
“What have the welcome ceremonies been like until now?”
Gwendolyn fiddled with the lens and placed her hand over her chest.
“Due to the snug nature of the uniforms, male students used to assess the mana of the new students with their eyes. Some female students took pride in that…”
“Female students who barely made it to C-rank would get a certain type of look. But… that’s inevitable.”
Dean Ederson asserted.
“Even if they enter at 17, they could be different by the time they graduate at 20! The academy is meant to cultivate that!”
“However, sensitive young men and women at around 18 years old often struggle to accept that reality.”
“Ugh…!”
“Now it’s just the other way around. Dean Ederson, you… wouldn’t understand.”
Gwendolyn subtly pointed downward with her gaze.
“You have the pride of a lion. You can’t understand the feelings of small animals like rabbits or mice.”
“…”
“Neither can the students. If you look at the names on the list, you might find it a bit strange. You might expect it from the Student Council President, but there are some names you wouldn’t recognize.”
“So, these people…”
“Yes.”
Gwendolyn smirked while putting the magic lenses back in her eyes.
“…They are commoners, forcibly pushed forward by others.”
“…”
“It would be good if the student council president could draw attention, but at this rate—”
“No.”
Ederson grabbed her wrist firmly.
“If we’re going to draw attention, we need to do it in a more definitive way.”
* * *
Old School Building.
March 1st, morning.
“Congratulations on your admission to the academy.”
In a classroom of the old school building, Instructor Esta personally hosted the event, welcoming the four of us new students as their instructor.
“There’s no need for any special ceremonies. By now, you all should already be familiar with each other to some extent.”
There were four of us in total: me, Yunia, Ludmila, and Evangeline.
We each sat forming a square inside the classroom.
While the room felt a bit empty, those vacant seats were meant for the future comrades who would join us.
‘Who was it that said classrooms are like Pokeymon storage boxes?’
In top-tier collection RPGs like Pocket Monsters, there comes a time when you have to use the ‘box’.
You put various companions in the box, but you always keep the ‘elite team’ separately managed.
That’s what the classroom is like.
If the six members sent to the frontlines—though in reality, there are more—are the main force, then the companions filling these empty seats are those who can be deployed at any time or required for specific tasks.
They haven’t arrived yet, but they will.
“The name of the special class, which I missed the opportunity to announce earlier, will be the [Vermilion Bird] class.”
“Yes?”
(TLN: I have no idea how to make it more ‘readable’ but that’s the literally translation in real life of the same symbolic bird… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermilion_Bird, it’s very similar to a phoenix.)
At Instructor Esta’s words, the other three tilted their heads in confusion.
“Red… what?”
“The Vermillion Bird class. It’s named after the [Vermillion Bird], the guardian deity of the southern skies.”
A phoenix, a divine bird… well, not exactly that.
“Why? Does using the name of one of the guardian deities, the very spirit that bestowed its blessing on one of the four saints of this world, make you feel uneasy about naming the class after it?”
“T-That’s not it…”
Yunia glanced around nervously, while Ludmila silently watched her, and Evangeline kept shaking her head from side to side.
“If we’re the Vermillion Bird class… does that mean the other classes will be called Azure Dragon class, Black Tortoise class, or White Tiger class?”
“Precisely.”
If you’re wondering why a medieval fantasy setting has the Eastern Four Divine Beasts… well, it’s because the creators of this game weren’t from the West.
“Then let’s make the Vermillion Bird class president… Miss Yunia.”
With Instructor Esta’s unilateral declaration—
“Wait a minute!”
Evangeline stood up from her chair, raising her hand.
“Isn’t the class president supposed to be decided two weeks after the class begins, through a proper election for class officers?!”
“It seems you’ve thoroughly studied the Academy’s academic calendar. A commendable attitude. However, special admission students and special classes have different rules.”
“But, still…!”
“Elections are determined through one vote per person, right? How about we have a quick vote now?”
Instructor Esta extended her hand toward us.
“Let’s move fast, starting with nominations.”
“I nominate Yunia.”
Ludmila raised her hand without hesitation.
“Good. Candidate number one, Yunia.”
“I-Is it okay to do this so suddenly…!”
“Any other candidates?”
“Second candidate!! Evangeline!!”
Evangeline raised her own hand toward herself.
“I nominate myself!”
“Alright. Candidate number two, Evangeline. Any more?”
“Uh…”
Yunia nervously raised her hand.
“P-Phoenix, I nominate Phoenix.”
She nominated me.
“Hmm.”
Instructor Esta looked at me briefly, then nodded.
“Alright. Candidate number three, Phoenix.”
And with that, she wrote our names on the board.
“Then, if there are no other… Why are you raising your hand again?”
“I nominate Miss Ludmila.”
“…This is chaos.”
I could feel a sharp glare from behind, directed squarely at me, but I simply waved my hand nonchalantly and watched as the fourth candidate’s name was written on the board.
If we consider the logic behind it, there’s reasoning too.
Ludmila is a well-known name and a skilled individual.
“We’ll go straight to the voting process.”
Instructor Esta, seemingly indifferent to whoever won, skipped the speeches and immediately started the voting.
“You can vote for yourself, by the way… but since procedure is procedure, we’ll conduct it by secret ballot.”
Instructor Esta handed us each a piece of paper, divided into four sections.
“Write down the name of the candidate you choose…”
[Ah, sorry to interrupt the class. This is an urgent situation, so I’m calling in.]
“…?”
A voice, made from mana, echoed from the ceiling of the old school building.
“L-Lion King Ederson…?!”
“Grandfather…?”
[This is Ederson, Dean of Academic Affairs. There’s been an emergency, and I had no choice but to contact the old school building. Is that alright?]
Asking if it’s alright, but saying it’s urgent… well, there’s no way we can ignore it now.
“What is the matter?”
[At the freshmen welcome ceremony in the Hall of Courage, fewer than ten male students showed up.]
“…Why is that?”
[Because of the magic lenses that can ‘see through’ men’s pride.]
“…”
No way.
I didn’t expect an episode that happens in the second semester of the third year to start all the way back in the first semester of the first year.
[Phoenix.]
“It can’t be helped, can it?”
I stood up from my seat.
“Honestly, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Whether large or small.
“This Academy is a place where we grow, so why are they so embarrassed, afraid to even show themselves?”
With confidence, anyone could step forward.
“Instructor Esta, may I go?”
“Um… Just don’t cause any trouble.”
“There will be no problems.”
After all…
“This is the perfect opportunity to let everyone know about the special class.”
It would be a prime chance to observe the new and returning students, all while excluding the men.
“Let’s show them who the real big shots are.”
