[645] A Dead End (5)
When Seongeum's position fully shifted into the Hall of the Yellow Dragon, the crumpled space smoothed out and the scenery returned to normal.
Though it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for them, the guards—who'd been through this several times—gripped their sword hilts and shouted in unison.
"Your Highness the Princess! To be presented before His Majesty the Emperor, you must observe proper protocol!"
Seongeum didn't even blink.
"I'm only a daughter seeing her father."
Her Kar score read 89.2 percent.
"But if you do this, we—"
As the captain of the guard stepped forward with a look that said he didn't know what to do, Seongeum raised her hand.
Aether Wave — Nagok.
The space twisted; the captain's body contorted like a vortex and then vanished completely.
"Even Her Highness shouldn't be using sorcery in the Hall of the Yellow Dragon—!"
One after another, the guards were warped by the force of Nagok and disappeared.
A perfect sealed chamber.
Seongeum's power warped the very fabric of the plane where phenomena occurred.
With no space for sound to travel, no one could eavesdrop on the two of them.
"Father, are you afraid of me?"
"Hmm."
Jingang, Emperor of Jincheon, propped his chin on the throne and lifted one corner of his mouth.
He was as imposing in stature as the guards; thick hair and beard framed eyes that shone with a strong, world-containing will.
"Is there a father in this world who fears his daughter?"
"If that were the case, why station troops?"
"Seongeum."
His low voice shook the Hall of the Yellow Dragon.
"Yes, Father."
"The world is wide and people are many. To rule the realm you must make things simple. Whether you're my daughter or anything else, bowing to the Emperor is the natural thing to do."
Jingang looked down at Seongeum, who still held herself upright.
"Do you think Jincheon cannot hold the world you dream of?"
The Ivory Tower was a transnational institution; if Seongeum became one of its stars, Jincheon would be losing a talent far too valuable to waste.
"It's not the realm's issue. It's my own."
Jingang nodded.
"Giving you time may be wise. But don't forget. Always, in any situation—"
His eyes flashed.
"Simplicity defeats complexity."
With a crack the space split and two hundred guards surrounded Seongeum; the captain standing a pace in front of her pressed his blade to her throat.
"Your Highness the Princess, observe protocol. We cannot tolerate any further disrespect."
When the compulsion of the space snapped back, Seongeum leveled a fierce glare at Jingang.
"You may take the Ivory Tower's examinations. Give it your best."
"Hmph!"
The moment Seongeum spun, the captain's blade bent like a snake and turned toward his own groin.
"Ah—!"
Outraged at having been made a spectacle before the Emperor, the captain lunged after Seongeum, but Jingang spoke quietly.
"That's enough. Let her be."
"But Your Majesty! Her earlier conduct—"
"He's just immature. It'll be fine. The Ivory Tower is a thing Jincheon will one day break."
It was a tower Jincheon intended to crack in time.
"Go and amuse yourself, daughter of Jingang."
* * *
The day before graduation, Shirone and his friends ironed their uniforms.
They'd probably look ridiculous—like ghosts—but knowing it was one of the last hurdles before graduating made it easier to bear.
After finishing, they sat side by side and began writing the commencement speeches they'd read the next day.
About an hour in, Nade grumbled, "I hate writing speeches the most. We fought like hell—why do we have to do this too?"
Iruki said, "That's life. There's a saying: it isn't over until it's over."
"Hmm."
Shirone nodded and glanced at Iruki. "Isn't that for other situations?"
"Who cares? I don't put stock in sayings."
Curious what a guy like him would write, Shirone craned his neck to look.
"Let's see. If you're crazy and stupid, you're a lunatic; if you're normal and smart, you're a scholar. If you're crazy and smart, you're a genius… Hey, what is this? Are you really going to read that?"
"Puhahahaha!"
Nade stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Could be worse. We escaped hell. Whatever we say, the devils won't hear."
Wiping a single tear, Nade added, "Still, it's going in the archives, so put some thought into it."
"And you?" Iruki read Nade's draft aloud. "An angel named Liz. A sun rising like a miracle above the surface of despair—"
"Hey! Don't read someone else's!"
Shirone sighed. "It's not a love letter. Future students will keep reading this—"
"Exactly why I write it. An eternal love letter. Romantic, isn't it?"
A knock sounded and Amy came in. "Professor Colli says meet in the music room. Practice the school anthem chorus."
"Ugh, I really hate that."
The thought of singing in front of juniors already made their faces hot.
When they entered the music room, all the graduates were gathered.
Even if they chose different paths, they still had to receive diplomas, so Lycan and Maya were there too.
"Long time, Shirone." Maya waved as she approached.
"Yeah. I heard you passed. Congratulations."
Maya had declined countless offers from troupes to audition instead, and she'd ended up signing with the kingdom's most famous event agency.
Given that agency's track record for producing global stars, her life would likely be as turbulent—and exciting—as Shirone's.
"Thanks. I heard you came from the Ivory Tower. Ah, I should have known."
Maya joked, but her thoughts were different. She'd heard she'd been dating Amy, though they'd broken up again.
A crack appearing in the person you loved could still make your heart race, even if you'd already given up.
And the thought of becoming famous and touring kingdoms filled her with something close to joy.
'Maybe… I'll get my chance too?'
She couldn't say it aloud. If she let on, Amy sitting beside her would be torn apart.
"Yeah, let's do our best. One day we'll all be famous and meet again."
The school anthem chorus was the last part of the ceremony. Some seniors had broken down in tears during the anthem before, creating unforgettable memories.
It was only about three minutes of singing, but Colli had other plans.
"I want to include a solo for Maya. She's a singer and will become a public figure; it'll make a nice event."
No one objected.
Maya's voice was superb, and as long as it wasn't just an all-solo show, the anthem could be whatever.
After about an hour of rehearsal per the schedule, the students returned to their dorms and went to bed early.
On the long-awaited morning of graduation, parents, upperclassmen, and teachers gathered as the ten graduates stepped onto the stage.
When it was time for the commencement speeches, Iruki strode forward confidently.
"If you're crazy and stupid, you're a lunatic; if you're normal and smart, you're a scholar."
Cold sweat broke out on Shirone and Nade.
'He's actually doing it, that lunatic.'
The strange logic continued, and at the end Iruki spread his arms and shouted, "When everyone calls me mad, I will proudly cry out: I am mad, and the world that calls me mad is mad!"
Everyone answered in their heads.
'No, you're just mad.'
An awkward silence followed as Iruki folded his arms and stepped back.
"That's all."
Nade got up, passed Iruki, and took the podium.
"Do you know an angel named Liz? To me, drowned in despair, she rose like a miracle—"
The students didn't understand his speech; the embarrassment belonged entirely to Liz in the audience.
'If you don't want to write it, don't.'
She knew how much of a pain it was to write a speech.
"So I will become the greatest merchant!"
Nade shouted and spun around. "That's all."
As expected, there was no applause. Shiina rubbed his head.
"Ugh, those guys."
Etella covered her mouth and laughed. "Heh, I actually like it. At least the juniors perk up and listen."
"That's how tradition breeds idiots," someone muttered.
One by one the ten graduates finished—the banal speech, the overwrought speech, the boastful speech. Finally Shirone stepped forward.
It had been arranged on purpose, and the effect was perfect.
"Senior Shirone."
He'd broken the kingdom's records and was now one of the three candidates from the Ivory Tower. Whatever else, everyone wanted to hear Shirone's speech.
"I don't think I'm talented."
Shirone read evenly from his paper.
"I don't think I worked harder than others either."
Silence fell instantly.
"Words like talent or effort are probably inventions of people who've never truly yearned for something."
He had wanted to be a mage and loved learning magic.
"I loved it so much that even failure was enjoyable and effort didn't feel burdensome."
That, he felt, was what made a mage: someone who loved magic.
"Even if I'd had less talent, I would have ended up here. Even without inventing the word 'effort,' I'd have polished my magic every day. Even if I had nothing—if it was something I yearned for with all my heart, a person inevitably goes there."
Shirone set his speech down and looked at the juniors.
"Do what you truly love. No talent, no amount of effort can beat what you love. So fear nothing and listen to the sound of your heart. If it's still beating fast, you will eventually get there."
Shirone flashed a small, smiling wink.
"That's all."
"Thank you for everything, Senior!"
When Mark leapt up and shouted, the whole student body rose and applauded.
Seeing Shirone—who had once slipped past a wall as a twelve-year-old and now astonished the world as a mage—offer advice to the juniors made Alpheas smile softly.
"Shirone…"
Watching the boy who once sneaked past walls become a mage who amazed the world stirred a sense of ages passing.
"Finally, we will have the graduates' chorus."
'I hope it doesn't suddenly pour.'
The students, their uniforms fluttering, lined up and launched into the school anthem with the music corps' accompaniment.
The tune you first hear when you enter school lingers for years until you can't tell whether it's a song or an incantation.
Still, Maya's skill was unmatched, and when her solo began even the parents sat dazed, carried away by her voice.
'I thought it was childish at first.'
The more the anthem flowed, the more sorrow filled the students' eyes.
'When this song ends…'
They would truly go out into the world.
'I have become a mage.'
All the moments from his entrance to now passed through Shirone's mind without omission.
He had met good people, overcome countless trials, and matured.
"We are children of intellect. Alpheas School of Magic, shine forever."
Shirone couldn't hold back his tears, and because the competition this year had been fiercer than usual, other graduates' eyes filled as well.
"We are children of intellect."
All the students sang in one voice.
"Alpheas School of Magic, shine forever!"
The graduation ceremony ended.