“……”

  Ander stared blankly at his opponent.

  In that moment, it suddenly dawned on him how narrow his and his classmates’ vision had been……

  Their limited understanding left them completely unaware of how high a peer’s upper limit could reach. And having been praised and flattered for so long, he had unwittingly grown conceited.

  The result was plain to see: a total, utter defeat. He had not even caught a single one of her movements before he fell. The gap between them was beyond description.

  “I lost……”

  Ander muttered in complete dejection. His confidence lay shattered to pieces.

  The training ground fell deathly silent.

  Everyone gaped at the center of the field. They had expected a fierce battle, even more intense than the last one—but in a single instant—

  none of them had seen what had happened. Ander lay on the ground, Hulim Heyerar’s sword pointed at his vital point……

  “The final match goes to Hulim! I declare this Combat Practical Exam officially concluded!”

  Amazingly, Kuno was the first to stand and break the silence, his expression utterly calm—as if he had expected this outcome all along.

  Even Colette secretly admired his composure.

  Truly a man with the experience of a soldier……

  She herself had been shocked moments ago. Though she knew far more about Hulim’s strength than anyone else, the sheer sharpness of her finish had still caught her off guard.

  The other teachers snapped back to reality one by one.

  “So that’s what Teacher Kuno meant by ‘obvious’……”

  “Teacher Kuno, you should’ve told us earlier! All our arguing just now made us look like fools……”

  “Hey, speak for yourselves! I knew Hulim would win from the start.”

  “Please, you were just guessing. Don’t act so proud……”

  While the teachers bickered among themselves, the students erupted into an uproar.

  “No way—! Did I just imagine that!?”

  “You didn’t. I saw it too.”

  “What—someone explain what just happened! I blinked once, and Ander was already defeated?!”

  “That’s not even the point! It’s Hulim! What’s with her? She’s ridiculously strong—this was a complete one-sided crush!”

  “Ugh, I had no idea she was this powerful……”

  Hearing her classmates’ shouts and exclamations, Fran lifted her chin proudly.

  “Hmph~! All of you idiots! I told you already—Hulim is the strongest. Believe me now~?”

  “Why are you so smug? You can’t even beat Ander……”

  “Huh—!? What did you say!?”

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  “Wind Blade——!”

  “Waah, are you crazy——!”

  Chaos broke out among the students at the outburst, and order completely collapsed.

  It was only after Kuno stepped in forcefully to calm everyone that silence returned.

  And so, the Combat Practical Exam ended with Hulim claiming first place in a jaw-dropping fashion. Not only had she won the Individual Battle, but her team had also taken first in the Group Battle—making her the overall top scorer.

  On top of that, she had placed first in every single subject: magic courses, general academics, everything.

  Single-handedly, she had reached the pinnacle of every path at the Preparatory Academy.

  At the same time, the conclusion of the practical exam marked the end of the four-year Preparatory Academy career for Hulim and her classmates……

  ……

  ……

  “Teacher Colette, did you need me for something?”

  Graduation was near. Fourth-year students barely had any classes left. Most of them came to school during the day only to talk with one another about their futures.

  Colette looked up at Hulim, whose face remained as expressionless as ever. She smiled faintly, stretched lazily, and said:

  “Hulim, we’ve been together for two years now, believe it or not. I’ll…… honestly be a little sad to see you leave~!”

  If you’re lonely, just find a boyfriend or something…… Hulim thought to herself.

  “Say~, Hulim—do you have any plans for the future?”

  Colette suddenly asked a completely serious question.

  Hulim looked at her, thought for a moment, and said:

  “Train, grow stronger, and become the strongest in the world.”

  “Uh——”

  Colette was completely caught off guard. Her smile froze, and she had no idea how to reply.

  “Um…… not something that far away. More immediate plans—what will you do after graduation?”

  “Train—”

  “Stop, stop! Be more specific. What I mean is…… well, where will you go to train?”

  Hulim tilted her head, confused by what Teacher Colette was getting at, and shook her head.

  “Do you have a suggestion, Teacher Colette?”

  At those words, Colette’s eyes lit up—as if she had been waiting for exactly that line.

  “Ehehe~! So you haven’t made any concrete plans yet! But since you asked, as your teacher, I have to help you out~!”

  Hulim: “……”

  “Ta?da~! Ta?da~! Ta?da~! Take a look at this!?”

  Colette pulled out an ornate, elegant envelope, sealed with an unfamiliar material that still carried a faint trace of magic.

  “Teacher Colette, what is this?”

  “Hehmm~!”

  Colette huffed proudly and crossed her legs.

  “Hulim—have you ever heard of the Manacos Magic Academy?”

  Hulim thought for a moment. “I think so. It’s one of the greatest magic academies in the world, located in the Royal Capital.”

  “Exactly! That Manacos Magic Academy! And this is a letter of recommendation for that top-tier academy!”

  Hulim’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at the envelope in Colette’s hand.

  “A letter of recommendation? Teacher, why are you showing me this……”

  “Exactly what you’re thinking!”

  Colette nodded vigorously, then suddenly leaned close to Hulim, pressing the envelope right in front of her face.

  “So, Hulim—go study at Manacos——!”

  ……

  ……

  787 New Divine Calendar.

  Hulim finished her four-year Preparatory Academy education. And as she graduated, she received from Colette a letter of admission to Manacos Magic Academy—the world’s premier institute of magic.

  To the entire Empire, Manacos Magic Academy was a name that filled its people with pride. It was a gathering place for geniuses, the cradle of the world’s greatest mages.

  Rumor had it that the academy accepted students from all nations and races across the continent, with absurdly strict admission requirements: only those with B?Rank Aptitude or higher—elite talents—stood any chance of entering.

  Because of its wide reach and harsh standards, the academy operated on a recommendation?only admission system.

  Many organizations and individuals held recommendation quotas. Upon discovering a young person with B?Rank or higher talent, they could send a letter to the academy to request a recommendation for enrollment.

  Colette herself was a graduate of that academy, and she held one such recommendation quota. As for why she had become a teacher in such a rural area, it seemed tied to her family situation.

  Colette’s father was a top-tier merchant of the Empire. For various reasons, he had tried to marry her off to a noble in exchange for even greater connections and influence. Colette had firmly opposed the arrangement, even entering a years-long cold war with her father over it.

  When she finally learned he planned to force her into a marriage with a noble she despised, she used certain means to run away—and ended up teaching at a countryside academy……