The magical journey of a countryside boy

For a long time, silence settles over the classroom as every single student gazes at the portraits of the five grand heroes of the Empire—and of all humanity.

​Not a single person dares to break the quiet. Without saying a word, Mark quietly pulls a fresh stack of papers from his satchel, places it neatly on his desk, and walks out of the room without making a sound.

​Slowly snapping out of his awe, William steps forward toward the teacher’s desk, followed closely by a few other students snapping back to reality. He reaches out and picks up the top sheet.

‘​Is this today’s assignment...?’

​His eyes drift to the heavy title printed across the header: Record of the War of Existence.

‘​This must be the historical account of the war thirty-eight hundred years ago…’

​Holding the document tightly in his hands, William looks back up at the board, his eyes tracing the portraits of the five legendary figures who carved out humanity’s place in the world.

​These are the legends whose epics have been passed down from generation to generation... William thinks, a quiet warmth kindling in his chest. ‘I wonder if, one day, someone will tell my story too...

​He lets out a faint breath, looking down at his worn hands.

​Well... maybe that’s just a pipe dream’

Later that evening, as William sits at his desk reading through the Record of the War of Existence, a solemn thought crosses his mind.

​Those people really were legendary...

​According to the ancient texts, the sixty-year war finally came to an end when Emperor Sethgareus slew the King of Magic Beasts—a terrifying monster equivalent to a Tier 8 Mage that ruled the entire continent before the empire’s founding. Sethgareus secured humanity’s future by ripping the beast’s heart out with his hands.

​However, reaching that final triumph came at a devastating cost.

​During the brutal campaign, the Duke of North lost both of his younger brothers and his eldest son on the battlefield. The Duke of South watched his own son perish in the bloody skirmishes. The Duchess of West permanently sacrificed her sight, burning out her eyes to weave a high-tier binding spell that pinned the Beast King in place long enough for Sethgareus to deliver the killing blow. Meanwhile, the Duke of East lost his left leg while fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the First Emperor against the horde.After letting out a soft sigh, William carefully stores the assignment documents on his desk. He stretches his stiff back, steps out of his room, and heads toward the training field for his evening workout.

​As he reaches the open grounds, he notices three students from the North already out exercising. William jogged over to join them.

​Seeing him approach, one of them slows his pace and offers a warm nod. “Hello, I’m Parth. And these two are Maya and Tye.” He gestures toward his companions, who offer polite nods in return.

​“I’m William. I come from Arindale in the West,” William replies, falling into step beside them. He looks over at them curiously. “Are you guys adjusting to the weather out here alright?”

​Parth smiles faintly, wiping a glint of sweat from his forehead. “Well, the daylight is still a little harsh on us, but we can’t just lounge indoors all day while everyone else is out here pushing themselves.”

​William gestures for them to keep moving, and the four of them begin running laps in rhythm.

​“Is it really that cold up in the North?” William asks.

​“It is,” Parth answers, his breath evening out as they run. “We probably only see the sun once a week, and even then, it offers brightness rather than warmth. Snowstorms are constant, so travelling anywhere requires serious courage. And I’m not even from the deep North like Tye is.”

​Parth gestures toward the pale, muscular boy running silently beside them, who simply gives a subtle nod.

​“Tye’s father is a stationed soldier at the White Fort,” Parth adds.

​William looks at Tye in genuine surprise. “Your father is a soldier along the Aegis mountain range?”

​Tye nods again, his expression calm and stoic.

​“He’s stationed at the White Fort,” Tye explains quietly, his voice low. “It sits behind Barth Fort—the first wall located at the highest peak of the Aegis mountains. His unit’s job is usually to clean up the beasts that slip past the peak.”

“Is he a Knight or a Mage?” William asks.

​Tye shakes his head. “No, he’s just a regular soldier. According to the escort who brought us here, most men stationed along the Aegis mountains—my father included—are Apprentice Knights. That’s essentially a Tier 2 status. He can never reach Tier 3 on his own; if he had that kind of potential, the Royal Family or House Bassivier would have recruited him into their personal ranks long ago.”

​William nods silently as they keep their steady pace.

​After finishing his laps, William bids farewell to the northern group and starts walking back toward the dorms. On his way, he notices Caleb getting thoroughly chewed out by Arya nearby.

​The second Caleb spots him, hope flares in his eyes. “William! Over here!” he calls out desperately.

​However, a single sharp glare from Arya stops Caleb dead in his tracks. Seeing the danger, William simply turns on his heel and heads upstairs toward his room, ignoring Caleb’s faint cries of betrayal.

‘​I’m sorry, my friend... but you’re on your own for this one.’