Time passed.
It was now the day of the end-of-month field training, the decisive moment.
As numerous students at Esdinas Academy formed groups and gathered information about the monsters they would target, the students of the special class from the Old School Building faced a unique challenge since the start of their training.
To be precise, it wasn’t that they lacked preparation or time to discuss the issue leisurely—it was that they were already fully prepared and confronting the challenge head-on.
Current time: 00:00.
Midnight—officially the day of the “training”.
At the entrance of the Old School Building, five of us gathered: Yunia, Ludmila Lionheart, Evangeline, Instructor Esta, and me.
In our pajamas? No.
Unlike facing angels in casual attire with a coat thrown over, we were fully equipped, dressed in Academy uniforms layered with robes, and carrying our weapons.
As soon as the magic clock struck midnight, we sprung into action.
“North Wind, protector of the South Wind.”
At precisely midnight, Yunia raised her magic staff, concentrating on an incantation.
Whooosh!
A strong wind began to blow towards the southeast, and Ludmila started stretching her ankles, preparing to run.
“Phoenix, ready?”
“Of course. Evangeline, how about you?”
“All set.”
Not only Ludmila but also Evangeline was prepared.
She had enlarged her quadrupedal wolf doll and mounted it.
Meanwhile, Instructor Esta sat atop her summoned unicorn, waiting.
[Everyone ready?]
Instructor Kadisha’s voice echoed from the main building of the Old School.
“Confirmed. Old School Suzaku Team, standing by for deployment.”
[Roger that. Prepare for ‘declaration of war.’]
I drew a large circle above my head to signal Kadisha.
A crackling sound followed, accompanied by the chime of an alarm that seemed to mark the hour.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-ding-dong.
Mana from the Old School Building’s magic panel began to ripple, spreading not only through the building but also to the forest and beyond.
[This is Kadisha, Alchemy Instructor of the Old School Building.]
Kadisha’s clear voice rang out, almost as if warning someone.
[As of now, the end-of-month field training for Old School students begins.]
As soon as Kadisha’s declaration ended—
“Wind Road—!”
Yunia’s completed spell activated, creating a magic “Wind Road”, and we raced southeast at full speed.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
We sprinted through the forest path, Ludmila leading with her robes billowing, followed closely by Evangeline and me.
Yunia, in my arms, maintained the Wind Road spell, propelling us forward with a tailwind.
“I’ll be observing from the rear but won’t assist.”
Instructor Esta stated, her tone a mix of seriousness and detachment.
Her unicorn galloped ahead, seemingly unbothered by the magical wind as it soared through the air.
“That’s fine, Instructor! This kind of danger is something we have to overcome on our own, right?”
“Exactly.”
Without lingering on Esta’s words, I carried Yunia princess-style and pushed forward.
“Phoenix! Evangeline! Follow me closely! Stick right behind me!”
Ludmila, her robe fluttering in the wind, took the lead.
“In three minutes, we’ll engage the ‘enemy’! I’ll clear the path!”
In her hand was a magical spear she rarely used. Its blade, adorned with a mana stone, gleamed with the color of Ludmila’s mana, radiating an intense glow as if ready to cut through anything.
“Phoenix, are you alright?!”
“Of course.”
Trailing behind Ludmila, Evangeline rode her quadrupedal wolf plushie at full speed. Her concern for me was evident as she glanced back, but I kept running with Yunia in my arms, focusing on the task ahead.
“We just need to reach the ‘Southern Terminal’. Once we’re there, we’ll follow the plan. But until then, we’ll give it everything we’ve got to ‘break through.'”
My words earned determined nods from the Vermilion Bird Team.
Whoever tried to obstruct us, we were ready to fight with everything we had.
We bit down, gritting our teeth, and sprinted through the wind path Yunia had created.
“The saboteurs around the Old School must’ve already heard Instructor Kadisha’s declaration of war.”
Before anything could completely block our way forward, before adversaries could fill our path, we pressed on.
“If we start the field training but fail to even reach the training ground, there’s no greater humiliation for Academy students.”
Some wouldn’t bother with the field training and instead block our progress.
“As long as we don’t break the Academy’s rules, and if it’s in the name of fostering holistic student growth… those two reasons combined are why we’re sprinting like this from midnight onward.”
The time was now 12:03 AM.
Why were we leaving the Old School at midnight instead of morning, as soon as training began?
There were multiple reasons, but the simplest was that it was the only way to catch them off guard.
“They’ll be surprised. Even if this is an annual event, even if some people loiter near the Old School late at night because of magical pants or angel incidents.”
Who are “they,” you ask?
Of course, it’s those who aren’t part of the field training.
– March’s field training is only for freshmen.
– So, what role do upperclassmen play in freshmen’s first Academy field training?
– Pranking newbies is practically a senior’s trademark, isn’t it? Pfehehe.
As Changyeom reminded me.
If not for incidents like the angel commotion or the magic pants chaos, this situation might’ve gone entirely unnoticed.
The Old School had been under attack so often that one might think its students would be used to it by now. However, this time was different. This was the main event—the true beginning of field training.
– Time for the [Freshman Initiation] to begin in earnest.
Outside the Old School, Esdinas Academy’s second- and third-year students were scattered throughout the area, determined to block the freshmen from leaving for their designated training grounds.
Some called it “a senior’s tough love”.
Others decried it as a malicious tradition meant to establish dominance over freshmen.
Still others argued it was a practice drill, a warning to freshmen that they might face unexpected ambushes in real-life scenarios and could be forced to retire early.
“…Engage.”
Ahead of us.
“St-stop! You’re not going anywhere!”
A group of female students holding magical staffs stood in the forest path, pointing the tips of their staves at us.
It wasn’t as if they had been waiting confidently for this moment. Rather, they seemed like they had been sneaking around the Old School area and hastily thrown up a defensive formation when they spotted us.
Their Academy uniforms, ribbons, shoulder epaulets, ties, and name tags clearly marked them as third-year graduates—seven of them in total.
“Alright then.”
I tightened my grip around Yunia, channeling mana into my legs, and kept running, closely following Ludmila.
“Time to break apart this midnight initiation ritual.”
The Academy’s twisted tradition was about to meet its end.
* * *
[At that same time, Esdinas Academy Student Affairs Building, Student Council Room]
Initiation ceremony.
In vulgar terms, “newbie crushing”.
An insidious prank by upperclassmen to sabotage freshmen’s first field training, it was an unofficial activity not endorsed by the Academy’s instructors.
Nor was it an approved activity by the Student Council.
As the Student Council President, Keyarnim had worked tirelessly to eradicate such harmful traditions. Yet, somehow, the initiation was already underway, with events aligning in unexpected ways.
The challenge to the Old School.
If the Old School had remained abandoned, these upperclassmen might have targeted students in the dorms instead. But now, all their efforts were focused on the Old School.
“Hey! The students in the Old School just declared the start of their ‘field training’!”
“What?! How underhanded of them! Exploiting the rule that says students must leave for the training grounds on training day!”
“Graduates! Are we just going to let them head to their training ground unchallenged?! They need to learn right from their first class that the world is built on P’s and F’s!”
Outside the Student Council room, near the dorms, ridiculous conversations floated through the open window.
“We can’t let this slide after what we went through!”
Though it seemed like something they could easily overlook, the enthusiasm of the graduating students was overwhelmingly intense.
“My apologies…”
The Student Council President clasped his hands in prayer.
“I was assured there wouldn’t be an initiation this year, but since they’re not acting as an organized group but forming impromptu alliances, I…”
There wasn’t supposed to be an initiation this year.
Given the ongoing chaos and various issues, there was no need to conduct such a tradition.
The students of the Old School were skilled enough that an initiation seemed unnecessary.
At least, that was the thought. Measures had been taken, and Julius had issued stern warnings.
But despite the President’s efforts, the third-year students insisted on perpetuating the initiation they had endured in their first year.
– You don’t have to worry. Haha.
Phoenix said.
– Even if a load of Golden Carriages comes for us, they won’t stop us.
“Phoenix, you…”
He groaned, clutching his head as he realized he hadn’t adequately communicated the gravity of the situation to the Old School special class.
“President!”
“What is it?”
“The defensive lines set up by the graduating seniors… their net is…!”
Gulp.
“The four members of the Old School Special Class are smashing through the seniors trying to hold the initiation. They’re currently en route to their training ground at the Marquisate of Ludvecia!”
“…!!”
