The instructor stood behind the podium, a relaxed smile on his face. Sunlight from the tall windows bathed the classroom, glinting off the golden badge of the Arcane Academy pinned to his coat.
"Good morning, everyone," he began, his voice firm yet cordial. "Welcome, students of Class E. I hope you're all excited for your first day at the Academy."
Some students exchanged glances, while others straightened in their seats, visibly nervous.
"My name is Ergen Rodbell, but you may simply call me Instructor," he said, adjusting the leather gloves on his hands. He paused briefly, studying the expressions of the young faces before him.
"I'll get straight to the point. There won't be any intense training or surprise exams today. Both body and mind need time to adapt to new surroundings, so the next few days will be relatively calm."
His tone softened, though it never lost its authority.
"But just because there's no training doesn't mean there's no work. From this moment on, you are cadets of the Arcane Academy, and every detail of your progress matters."
A faint murmur rippled through the class. The instructor's smile widened slightly.
"First things first, let's start with something simple — introductions. You know how it goes: state your name, your specialty, and if you'd like, what motivates you to be here."
A brief silence followed before a confident young man with golden-blond hair rose to his feet.
"Leonhardt Fischer, from the northern region," he said clearly. "My specialty is magical swordsmanship. I hope to perfect my reflexes and learn new combat techniques."
The instructor nodded approvingly. "Excellent, Fischer. I trust your discipline will match that enthusiasm."
A girl with chestnut hair and green eyes stood up next, hands clasped in front of her chest.
"My name is Elena Moreau. I specialize in support magic and enchantments. I'll do my best not to be a burden."
"I'm sure you won't be, Moreau," the instructor replied kindly.
As he smiled, his eyes remained sharp, assessing with professional precision — tone of voice, posture, mana control. Years of experience had taught him to tell the confident from the timid, the promising from the troublesome.
One by one, the students introduced themselves:
"Tobias Klein, archer. I want to improve my accuracy while in motion."
"Serena Vassili, third-circle summoner."
"Markus Engel, knight apprentice."
"Tailor Voss, spear user."
"Cecilia Novak, alchemist in training."
"Ronan Devereux, elemental fire mage."
The instructor carefully wrote down each name on his tablet, adding a few notes beside them to better remember each student. He wasn't a know-it-all, after all, and he understood that having the right information at hand would be useful when the time came to create a proper training plan for everyone.
At first, he would follow the general curriculum, but once that phase was over, he'd have to help each student improve individually. Preparing notes early would save him time later.
Then, a thin boy stood up reluctantly. His black hair fell over dull, tired eyes.
"Adrian Holt… I don't have a defined specialty yet."
The instructor watched him a few seconds longer than usual. He had seen that look before — he knew that cadet would be troublesome, though not in the typical way. Still, the fact that he had managed to enter the academy despite his apparent lack of motivation meant he possessed some degree of potential.
"Alright, Holt. You'll have time to find it here."
Finally, the instructor looked up at the two remaining students.
"Very well, the last two."
Kain rose calmly to his feet.
"Kain Varell. Specialty in tactical support and combat strategy."
Aiden followed, his posture firm and his expression confident.
"Aiden Valemont, frontline guardian. I hope to be my team's shield when the time comes."
The instructor nodded, satisfied.
"A guardian is always useful in a team," he said, glancing at Aiden. He already knew the boy and had kept an eye on him ever since he learned which class he'd be teaching, so he already had a rough plan of what to do with him.
When the last student took his seat, Ergen placed his pen on the podium and looked over the group.
"Good. I see we have quite a varied class this year — mages, swordsmen, summoners, alchemists… That's promising. And it means there'll be plenty of interesting teams. You'll need to get used to working with different kinds of people once you graduate, so this is a good start for you."
Many exchanged uneasy glances at that. As expected from a class of misfits, several of them had trouble socializing — or simply struggled to control their own abilities. It was predictable, considering which class they'd been placed in.
Ergen closed his notebook and adopted a livelier tone.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll begin evaluations. Don't worry, nothing deadly… probably."
A nervous murmur spread through the room at that "probably."
"But before that, there's something you should know," he continued. "At the Arcane Academy, it is strictly forbidden to use personal weapons or artifacts brought from outside. To ensure fairness and control, each of you will be assigned official weapons to use during your stay here."
"Assigned?" Tobias muttered, frowning. "We can't bring our own?"
"No," the instructor replied firmly. "Each weapon is linked to the Academy's magical registry system. If you try to use one from outside, it simply won't function within the premises."
Aiden rested his chin on his hand, intrigued. "So… are we getting one today?"
"Exactly." Ergen smiled, his voice carrying a hint of enthusiasm. "Today's activity will be the Main Weapon Selection. Your choice will define your training and will be your companion for the years to come. So think carefully before choosing."
The classroom filled with murmurs — some excited, others nervous.
Kain crossed his arms, thoughtful.
"A selection, huh?... sounds more serious than I expected."
Aiden grinned. "Or more fun, depending on how you see it."
"Yeah, sure," Kain replied with a faint smirk. "Until you end up with a rusty spear."
The instructor tapped his pen lightly against the podium, calling the class to order.
"Alright, cadets. Form up. The armory awaits. Let's see if your instincts are as sharp as your enthusiasm."
The students rose and followed the instructor into the hallway, the echo of their footsteps resonating against the stone as the air filled with a mix of curiosity, excitement, and a faint trace of fear.
And thus began the true first day at the Arcane Academy.