Selection Ceremony

Life is not fair.

There are people born with talent, possessing the most superior bloodline while tasting nothing but the sweet nectar of privilege their whole lives.

And then, there are the unlucky ones who possess none of these benefits.

As the Apprentice Students of the Akashic Magus Academy lined up in two rows, the truth of reality could not be any clearer.

Within the massive hall, painted in pure white and decorated with gold linings that glimmered with radiant light akin to the brilliance of the sun, about a hundred students stood and shifted impatiently—their gaze resting on the Supervising Instructor before them.

On one end, there were twenty-five students, all of whom seemed to be perfectly calm. 

They had confident smiles on their faces, their eyes glimmering with anticipation and hope, a sharp contrast to the seventy-five who appeared nervous.

"It's finally time…" One of them whispered, his voice shaky.

"I wonder what kind of Familiar I will end up with." Another murmured. 

"Please let it be a Medium Grade, at least!" Yet one more whimpered, clasping his hands in prayer.

These three students—and the many more who muttered similar things—had one thing in common.

They belonged to the group of seventy-five.

In essence, Beta Students.

The Alpha Students, albeit fewer in number, had an air of certainty as they stood a small but meaningful distance away from the Betas. None of them were lacking in confidence, and the reason for that was simple.

They were the best!

Obtaining High Grade Familiars, at the very least, was a given, so why would they worry?

And so, they all waited patiently—as well as impatiently—for the Supervisor to officially begin the Selection Ceremony.

"Apprentices of the Akashic Magus Academy…" The man began, his deep voice instantly filling up the massive hall.

All the students immediately ceased their words as soon as they heard him.

"... Welcome to the Selection Ceremony, where you will end up bonding with a Familiar that will most likely accompany you for the rest of your journey as a Mage."

Every student nodded, and some gulped.

They all understood the implications of the man's words.

The Akashic Magus Academy was a place where students with potential entered with the hopes of becoming Mages and serving the Desgarron Empire. 

To become a Mage, one had to contract with a Spirit and make it a Familiar. That was what the Selection Ceremony was all about, which would explain why a lot of the students were impatient and anxious about it.

Unfortunately… things weren't as simple as just that.

"As you all know, Spirits are divided into Grades: Lesser, Low, Medium, High, Higher, and Supreme. The higher the Grade, the rarer and more unlikely it is to see—not to mention contract with—such a Spirit." The Instructor continued. "Most Mages have Medium Grade Spirits, and that is the standard for graduation from this Academy."

Anything less, and students could either choose to save themselves time and drop out, or go through the rigorous and nearly impossible process of evolving their Familiar into a higher Grade.

Either way, it was obvious the kind of Spirit most students were hoping to contract.

"You have all been students in this Academy for six months, which means you must have learned the basics at this point. So, why doesn't one of you tell me what it takes for a Spirit to agree to become a Familiar."

"...."

Many students glanced at each other in silence.

It wasn't because they didn't know the answer, but because they were too nervous to speak.

However, even among the nervous ones, there were a few who raised their hands to answer the Instructor's questions.

Obviously, they were all from Alpha Class.

"Yes, Elma… tell me." The Instructor pointed at the only girl among the four who raised their hands.

"Spirits look at the Souls of those who desire to contract with them. The Soul reflects a Mage's potential, and it also serves as the home of the Spirit who becomes a Familiar. Spirits, just as any living entity, seek the best accommodation and security to dwell in. This is why—depending on the Grade of Spirits—they are very picky about choosing a Soul that will most likely be their permanent residence."

"Correct." The Instructor nodded. "Does anyone want to add anything else?"

At this point, even the hands that were previously raised fell.

And a new one slowly rose up.

Everyone instantly looked in the direction of the person whose hands had ascended above everyone's, and their eyes reflected a myriad of emotion—the most common one being absolute respect.

The student who raised his hand was regarded by nearly everyone as the one with the most potential out of every student present; and for good reason.

With raven black hair and ocean blue eyes, his handsome face reflected nobility in its purest form. His impeccably ironed school uniform—a long dark coat with golden linings, a white shirt and black trousers, with a dark blue tie—could not hide the perfectly toned body that lay underneath.

He was the epitome of perfection, and when he raised his hand to speak, everyone wanted to listen.

"Yes, Master Seth? Tell us what you have to add."

The student—Seth Zephyr—smiled as his eyes met the Instructor and the spotlight fell on him.

"Spirits are also concerned about the affinity of the potential Host's Soul. Which is why powerful Spirits go for powerful Souls, since lower-quality Souls won't be able to contain them. Likewise, weaker Spirits do not go for powerful Souls, since the Soul's energy would overwhelm them."

"Correct!"

"Also, elemental affinity is also taken into consideration. Fire Spirits tend to go for Souls that have their affinity, and so on. The most important thing when it comes to Bonding is the compatibility between a Host's Soul and a Spirit… which is why we spent six months in the Academy learning about all the basics—including our Soul's affinity—before this Selection Ceremony."

"That is also correct!" At this point, the Supervising Instructor—a man who hardly ever smiled—was beaming.

"That is all I have to say…" 

Seth Zephyr humbly bowed his head and fell silent afterward.

"You've said plenty, Master Seth!" The Instructor responded, and everyone in the hall had to agree with him.

With the explanations out of the way, and the atmosphere now having a more energetic ambiance thanks to Seth's presentation, the time finally came for the Selection Ceremony.

"We shall now begin…"

VWUUSH!

A bright light appeared behind the Supervising Instructor, almost akin to a tear in the very fabric of space itself. The inside of the light seemed distorted, like multiple ripples of energy were interweaving and clashing with one another.

"This is the [GATE]. It leads to 'The Garden,' where the Spirits dwell. One by one, you students will pass through the light and contract with your Spirit. Once you successfully have a Familiar, you will exit the space and the next student will do the same."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

"Now, as tradition demands… we will start with the Alpha Class." 

Everyone in Alpha Class lined up instantly, with Seth Zephyr taking the forefront. There were no objections made, though one or two Alpha Class students clearly seemed dissatisfied with the arrangement.

"Go in."

In response to the words of the Instructor, Seth entered into the light.

A few seconds later, he came out.

"W-WHOOOOAAHHH!!!"

Gasps filled the air the moment he appeared, with many even trembling as their knees nearly gave out.

Time flows differently in The Garden, so no one was surprised that he came out rather quickly.

No… they were stunned by what was perched on his shoulder.

"T-that is… isn't that—?!"

"It is! There's no other explanation!"

"T-that is a… a D-Dragon!"

And it wasn't just any Dragon. The Head Instructor could see beyond what mere students were capable of noticing, and he could tell…

'That is a Grand Dragon… one of a kind!'

That meant Seth Zephyr had managed to contract not just a High or a Higher Grade Familiar, but the one that stood above all else.

—The Supreme Grade!

"Just as expected, he got Storm Dragon Argo." A certain student whispered as he watched the event take place.

Both of his hands were in his pocket as he coolly observed the situation with his crimson eyes. He had ashen white hair, and his pale skin made him appear a little sickly. Most noticeably, he bore an uncanny resemblance to Seth Zephyr—the superstar of the Academy.

Despite this, he stood alone, and no one even bothered to look at him.

All eyes were on Seth instead, despite the fact that they were twin brothers that came from the same Noble Household.

'This is good.' Ash thought to himself with a silent nod. 'It looks like everything is right on track.'

He didn't care that no one paid him any attention.

In fact, he preferred it this way.

The main character of this event—and the rest of the events that would happen in this academy—was none other than his twin brother, Seth.

He was simply an Extra who had to make sure that remained the case.

'One down, several more to go!'

Ashfelt Zephyr stood amidst the crowd, silently congratulating the main character of the bestseller novel "Legend of the Lost Prince," on his achievement while maintaining a stoic expression on his pale face.

Why?

Because that was his role as the minor supporting character of this story.

"Don't worry, Seth…" Ash smiled.

'I will use all of my knowledge of this world to the fullest… and make sure you fulfill your destiny. No matter what!'