“We shall now begin your orientation.”

Clayton’s [Secretary] approached me, producing a sheet of folded paper. I accepted it as she adjusted her glasses.

“Ms Salvos, if you will follow me, I shall give you a brief tour of the academy.”

“Oh, alright.”

I glanced over at the Headmaster if he had anything else to add. But after welcoming me as a student and shaking my hand, he had gone off to the side to speak with a handful of older men and women. They spoke in hushed voices, about things I probably couldn’t care about. So, I simply nodded and followed the [Secretary].

“What’s your name?”

I asked her as we left the Tower of Truth. Apparently this large structure held the offices of many of the school faculty. I saw the runes inscribed on the walls and felt the strands of mana contorting around the entire building. I couldn’t study it in detail, since there was some other spell overlaid on top of it to obfuscate its detailed makeup.

“I am Marie Schofen. You may simply address me as [Secretary] Marie. More than that is not necessary.”

“Sure!”

I followed her down the steep white steps leading up to the Tower of Truth. Marie unfolded her own sheet of paper, unveiling a map, and gestured at the courtyard before us.

“This is the Central Square of Mavos Academy. It is, as you can surmise from the map, at the very center of the institution.”

“I see, I see.”

I nodded along as she listed the names of the various buildings located around Central Square.

“And that is the Thundercage. It is where [Aeromancers] practice their Flight spells and their lightning magic. There’s no need to worry about stray lightning bolts, since the four poles in each corner are effective conductors placed to draw the electricity. Next to it is the House of Amber, a building donated by the Amber family..”

It wasn’t like a city where all the buildings were uniform. But they weren’t haphazardly built structures either. They were all enhanced by magic. There was a thin tower, almost like a minaret, that reached up to a cloud. There was a dome-like building, holding in it what seemed like a small lake. I saw fish and sea creatures with long and undulating bodies floating through its glass panel walls. There were people swimming alongside them, much to my surprise.

There was a floating stadium; a crooked, spiral building; and what looked like a castle all in the Central Square.

“Moving on, we shall head to the west wing of the academy.”

“Wait, just how large is this place?”

I found my eyes glazing over the scenery. It was colorful, vibrant— full of life. It wasn’t crowded, since students were busy with classes and lessons. However, when I first came through the Central Square, I remembered that it was very much teeming with people rushing to the different buildings, some of them using magic to quicken their pace, only to be stopped by what looked like guards dressed in robes.

“Mavos Academy is a large institution. There is an estimated population of over 20,000 people living here.”

“That many students? I thought Platinum Ranks were rare!”

“They are. But not everyone living here is a student. And not student graduates. Furthermore, the curriculum is rigorous, and intended to be so. There is a drop-out rate of 73% over the course of all four years. The death rate is 2%, higher than any other academy in the world. In fact, this is the only academy in the world which regularly produces individuals equivalent to Platinum Rank. That is why we are sought out by every nation in the Human lands.”

“Huh.”

It was, honestly, like a small city.

Except, magical.

“You guys are pretty awesome, aren’t you?”

I heard a sigh from Marie, for whatever reason.

—--

We didn’t hold much small talk. Marie seemed quite brusque, to be honest. I knew when people didn’t like me— most of the time. And she clearly disliked me.

It was probably because she was lower-leveled than me.

[Secretary - Lvl 87]

I was surprised that her Class even reached that high of a level. But whatever the case was, she showed me around dutifully. I saw the vibrant botanical gardens in the east wing, and a dull, small desert enclosure in the south wing. There was a small rain forest with its own biome and natural environment on one side, while a fully artificial edifice rose up right next to it, made out of metal as a laboratory.

There were multiple libraries located throughout Mavos Academy. Each of them had their own unique design. One was built like a temple, reminiscent of the ostentatious designs the Sanctum of Elements had. Another was more sleek— neat. Not a lot of decorations. It showed just where books were, and that was that.

Marie gave me a detailed history of each location and their uses, before the orientation finally came to an end. When it did, she handed me a folder full of documents.

“What’s this?”

I cocked my head, and she replied.

“This is for you to fill out, Ms Salvos. To determine your schedule. Do try to submit this as soon as possible, as classes have already begun, so you are far behind your peers in terms of your education.”

“Oh, um, what do you recommend?”

I had no idea what I was looking at. I saw boxes— tables. There were checklists and names. I didn’t understand it at all. Marie shook her head.

“That is for you to decide.”

She turned around, about to leave me alone.

“Wait—”

I raised a hand, blinking.

“What about my.. dormitory?”

That was what Saffron called it. Marie answered simply as per usual.

“Unfortunately, students in the School of Aspiring Elites typically find their own housing. The dormitories are reserved solely for those attending the College of Aspirations— those in the four year program.”

“Where am I supposed to stay?”

“There are other housing situations across the campus. However, they will not be partially reimbursed as student housing dormitories are. I suggest finding one now too.”

I watched as she left. I crossed my arms, frowning.

“As if! I’ll just stay with Saffron!”