...
Ander stared blankly at her. At that moment, he suddenly realized just how narrow his and his classmates' horizons had been...
Their limited understanding gave them no idea what the upper limits of their peers could actually be. Having been showered with praise for so long, he had unconsciously grown conceited.
The result of that was this: a total and utter defeat. From beginning to end, he hadn't even clearly seen a single one of her movements before being defeated. The gap between them could no longer be described as merely vast.
“I lost...” Ander said, thoroughly dejected. His self-confidence was completely shattered in an instant.
The training ground fell dead silent.
Everyone stared at the center of the training ground, dumbfounded. They had all expected a fierce battle that would far surpass the previous match, yet in just a split second—
Before they could even see what had happened, Ander was already flat on the ground, with Shulim's sword pointed right at his throat...
“In the final match, Shulim is the victor! I declare that this practical combat assessment has officially concluded!”
Surprisingly, Kunon was the first to stand up and break the silence. His expression was completely calm, as if this outcome didn't surprise him in the least.
This reaction made even Collette secretly admire him.
As expected of a military veteran who had seen the world...
Even she had been a little shocked just now. Although she knew far more about Shulim's true strength than anyone else, seeing her end the battle so decisively was still surprising.
At this point, the other teachers finally snapped out of their daze.
“So that's what Instructor Kunon meant when he said it was obvious...”
“Instructor Kunon was being way too distant. He should have told us sooner. Our arguing earlier makes us look like a complete joke...”
“Hey, speak for yourselves. Don't drag the rest of us down. I knew Shulim would win from the very start.”
“What nonsense, you were just guessing! What are you acting so smug about...”
While the teachers were bickering over this, the students had exploded into a frenzy.
“No way! Was I seeing things just now??”
“You didn't see wrong, because I saw it too.”
“Huh?! Can someone tell me what just happened? Why was Ander already defeated when I only blinked once?!”
“Wait, that's not the point! It's Shulim! What is up with her? She's ridiculously strong! That was a complete curb-stomp!”
“Damn it, I had absolutely no idea she was this strong...”
Hearing her classmates clamoring around her, Fran unconsciously raised her chin.
“Hmph! What a bunch of idiots. Didn't I tell you guys a long time ago that Shulim is the strongest? Do you believe me now?”
“Why are you acting so proud? You couldn't even beat Ander...”
“Ah?! What did you say?!”
“Wind Blade—!”
“Whoa! Are you crazy?!”
Because of a certain someone's rampage, the students instantly fell into chaos, and any semblance of order vanished.
It wasn't until Kunon stepped in forcefully that peace was finally restored.
And so, the practical combat assessment concluded with Shulim claiming first place in jaw-dropping fashion. Not only did she win the individual tournament, but because her team had also won the team battle, she took first place in overall performance.
In addition, Shulim had also placed first in all other subjects, including magic courses and general classes.
In the end, by her own strength alone, she swept every single top spot in the preparatory school.
At the same time, the conclusion of the practical combat assessment marked the end of the four-year preparatory school life for Shulim and her peers...
...
“Instructor Collette, is there something you wanted to see me for?”
With graduation drawing near, the fourth-years had virtually no classes left. The main thing many students did when they came to school during the day was discuss their future with one another.
Collette looked up at Shulim, whose face was as expressionless as always, smiled slightly, stretched, and said:
“Shulim, without even realizing it, we've spent two years together. Now that you're about to leave, I'm really going to miss you!”
If you're lonely, you should hurry up and find a boyfriend or something...
Shulim thought to herself.
“Say, Shulim, do you have any plans for the future?”
Collette suddenly asked a very serious question.
Shulim looked at her, thought for a moment, and said:
“To train, to discipline myself, and then to become the strongest in the world.”
“Uh—”
This statement left Collette completely dumbfounded. Her smile froze on her face, and she was at a loss for words.
“Um... not such a distant goal. I mean in the near future. What are your plans after graduation?”
“Tra—”
“Wait, wait, wait! Be a little more specific. I wanted to ask... well, for example, where are you going to train?”
Shulim tilted her head, not quite understanding what Instructor Collette was getting at, so she shook her head.
“Do you have any suggestions, Instructor Collette?”
Hearing this, Collette's eyes lit up, as if she had been waiting for this exact response.
“Hehehe! It seems you don't have a concrete plan yet, Shulim. But since you asked, as your teacher, of course I'll help you!”
Shulim: “...”
“Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! What do we have here?!”
Collette took out a gorgeous, exquisite envelope. It was sealed with an unfamiliar material, and she could even sense faint traces of magical power emanating from it.
“Instructor Collette, what is this?”
“Hmph!”
Collette snorted proudly and crossed her legs.
“Shulim, have you ever heard of Manacos Magic Academy?”
Shulim thought for a moment. “I think I've heard of it. Isn't it one of the premier magic academies in the world? And it's located in the Royal Capital.”
“Exactly! That very Manacos Magic Academy! And this is a recommendation letter for that top-tier academy!”
Shulim's eyes widened slightly as she stared at the envelope in Collette's hand.
“A recommendation letter? Instructor Collette, why are you showing me this...”
“Exactly, it's just as you think!”
Collette nodded vigorously, then suddenly leaned in extremely close to Shulim, pressing the envelope right in front of her face.
“So, Shulim, go study at Manacos!”
...
New Divine Calendar, Year 787.
Shulim completed her four years of preparatory school. At the same time her status as a preparatory school student ended, she received an admission recommendation letter from Collette for the world's premier magical institution—Manacos Magic Academy.
When it came to Manacos Magic Academy, it was a source of pride for the entire empire. It was a gathering place for geniuses, the cradle of the world's top mages.
Rumors had it that this academy recruited students from every nation and race across the continent, and its admission requirements were extremely harsh. Only elite talents with at least a B-Class aptitude had any hope of passing through its gates.
Because of its wide range of recruitment and strict admission criteria, the academy utilized a recommendation-based entry system.
Many organizations and individuals possessed recommendation slots. If they discovered a young boy or girl with B-Class or higher talent, they could write a letter to the academy to recommend them for admission.
Collette happened to be a graduate of that school and held a recommendation slot. As for why she had run off to such a place to become a teacher, it seemed to be related to her family circumstances.
It seemed Collette's father was a prominent imperial merchant. For various reasons, he wanted to marry Collette off to some noble in exchange for a wider network of connections. Collette was adamantly opposed to this arrangement, which had led to a cold war between her and her father for several years.
Eventually, upon realizing that her father planned to force her to marry a noble she disliked, she used a few tricks to run away and came to this countryside school to work as a teacher...
Rate on N.U.
