The magical journey of a countryside boy

The next morning, every single student hurries toward the classroom, this time traveling on their own without an escort. The anticipation and excitement are clear in their eager faces and lighthearted chatter.

​However, as they step into the room, the noise abruptly dies. Drawn across the blackboard is a detailed chalk portrait of a man.

​’Who is this man? He looks so…’

​The words fail William as he stares at the drawing.

​The sketch captures a sharp-jawed man with long blonde hair falling over the shoulders of a heavy, high-collared mantle pinned by an intricate crest. His posture is broad and unyielding. Even drawn in simple chalk, his eyes are carved with striking precision—clear, intense, and carrying a quiet depth that seems to look straight through anyone standing before him.

​One by one, the students freeze in front of the board. The lingering chatter outside the classroom completely vanishes as a heavy awe settles over the room, anchored by the commanding gaze of the man in the portrait.

​A sudden, forceful cough snaps the students out of their stupor.

​They turn in unison to find Mark standing in the doorway.

​“Hurry up and take your seats,” Mark says, striding toward the front of the room.

​The class scrambles to their desks, though their eyes remain glued to the blackboard.

​Mark steps beside the drawing and taps the frame. “Today, we study the history of the Empire. And this man is the single most important figure in its entire 3,736-year existence.”

​He pauses, letting his gaze sweep over the silent room.

​“This is Sethgareus von Kast Krassius—the founder and first emperor of the Krassius Empire. He is famously known as the Crownless Emperor, a title stemming from his own words: ’I do not need a crown to have authority; the crown needs me to have authority.’ And he stands as the only confirmed Tier 8 mage in the recorded history of our great empire.”

​Mark stops, letting the gravity of his words settle over the students, who stare back at the board with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“​Nearly thirty-eight hundred years ago, he united dozens of scattered human settlements to wage war against the magic beasts that controlled most of the continent,” Mark continues, stepping across the front of the room. “He slaughtered and drove back the monsters, carving out a safe sanctuary where humanity could finally thrive.”

This text was taken from NovelPhoenix. Help the author by reading the original version there.

​Mark pauses, letting his eyes sweep over the spellbound class.

​“That war raged for more than sixty long years. When victory was finally secured, Emperor Sethgareus laid the first foundation stone of our glorious Krassius Empire—marking Year 1 of our imperial calendar, leading up to our current Year 3736.”

The entire room falls dead silent—so quiet that William can hear the frantic beat of Edward’s heart in the desk beside him.

​After a heavy pause, the silence is broken by the hesitant, fearful voice of a girl near the front. “So... was he really that strong?”

​Mark smiles faintly before answering. “I don’t know how much truth lies in the ancient records, but legend says that after driving the beasts into the frozen northern wastelands, Emperor Sethgareus raised an entire mountain range from the earth. He carved a permanent barrier along the empire’s northern border to shield humanity from the monsters beyond.”

‘A mountain range... is a human even capable of something like that? Is that....the true height of magic? If so, how could anyone ever reach it?’

​William stares back up at the portrait of the First Emperor. As he gazes into the drawn features and a ray of light shining coming from the window somehow makes the eyes of the portrait feel far more alive than when he first looked at them.

After waiting a moment for the gravity of his words to settle, Mark taps the board. The detailed drawing of the First Emperor suddenly vanishes, leaving the surface blank.

​“Now that we have covered the founding of the Empire, let us discuss the founding of the institution you stand in today,” Mark says, tapping the chalk against the board once more. “The Royal Academy was established 2,562 years ago in the year 1,174 by the sixth ruler of Krassius.”

​Moments later , the portrait of a woman takes shape on the board.

​She shares the same long, sweeping blonde hair as the First Emperor, but where his gaze radiated absolute, unyielding authority, hers is filled with warmth and quiet kindness. A soft smile rests on her lips—one so comforting that it instantly soothes William’s racing heart and mind.

​“This is the first empress of the Empire: Elizabeth von Kast Krassius,” Mark explains, stepping back. “She is famously remembered as the Kind Empress, renowned for sweeping social reforms. She abolished the slave trade, established disaster relief systems for commoners, opened civil service positions to non-nobles, and—most importantly—built this Academy to allow commoners the right to learn magic. She is widely remembered for her famous words: ’If you have the power to be anything, be kind.’ Even the Basileus Forest, where this entire campus rests, was created by her using magic.”

Suddenly, a cool breeze sweeps through the room. A sheaf of papers lifts smoothly out of Mark’s leather satchel, floating across the classroom to land neatly in front of each student.

​“That is all for today’s lecture,” Mark says, gathering his chalk. “These sheets contain everything you need to know regarding the line of emperors and empresses. You are expected to study them on your own time.”

​He turns toward the exit, pausing at the threshold.

​“You will have ample free time after classes, so I highly recommend using it to build up your physical strength. This world holds far greater challenges than you can currently imagine—you can never be overprepared.”

​Without another word, Mark turns and walks out of the classroom, leaving the students alone with their thoughts and their new study materials.