The Entrance Ceremony

The Ringless Mage Is Actually the Strongest Chapter 5: The Entrance Ceremony

The air buzzed with anticipation as hundreds of new students stood in a long line outside the entrance ceremony hall. The headmaster's voice echoed from behind the walls, but the students could hardly make out what was being said.

Some students stood tall with pride, while others fidgeted nervously. After a few minutes, the voice of the Headmaster finally rang out, clear and commanding.

"Let us welcome our new students!"

The massive doors creaked open revealing a large ceremonial auditorium.

Orin stepped forward, taking in the magnificence of the sight.

"Wow…"

The auditorium was breathtaking, Rows upon rows of ascending seats filled the hall. Magic crystals embedded in the walls cast an almost surreal glow over the hall. Massive banners, bearing the Velkia Magic Academy crest, hung proudly. It was a hall built to house thousands.

Many of the country's nobles, scholars, and dignitaries were present for the entrance ceremony. This year's Grimoire receiving ceremony recorded the highest number of four-ring Grimoires ever received in a year. To many, it was an omen of misfortune, a warning of impending doom, while to others it was a blessing.

Murmurs rippled through the hall as the new students walked to their seats. Some of the older students whispered amongst themselves, casting glances towards the new students.

At the center of the stage stood a lone imposing figure wearing almost regal robes—Headmaster Aldritch Valto.

With a slow, deliberate motion, he raised his hand. The hall fell silent.

He cleared his throat, then continued.

"Moving on… We will now have our new student address."

He paused for a moment.

"This year's entrance exam top scorer—Miss Selene Ravencourt!"

Loud applause swept through the auditorium as Selene Ravencourt rose elegantly from her seat. Her expression was calm and unreadable. Her long dark hair with a hint of deep red, reminiscent of wine, swayed as she approached the stage.

On the stage stood a glowing crystal, surrounded by spherical rings attached to a stand—a magic microphone.

Selene stood in front of the magic microphone, exhaled and parted her lips to speak.

And then—

BAM!

The ground rumbled.

The chandeliers swayed wildly, with dust particles, raining from the ceiling. There were screams from some students as they gripped their seats tightly, while others instinctively reached for their Grimoires.

Panic spread through the auditorium like wildfire but the earthquake had ended just as quickly as it started.

A heavy silence followed as students exchanged glances, expecting another earthquake.

Near the faculty seating, a professor leaned toward another and whispered. "It's happening faster than we thought…"

A powerful voice cut through the tension. "Enough."

The commanding voice of Headmaster Valto rang across the auditorium, restoring order.

He calmly looked over the auditorium, "There is no cause for alarm, the situation is under control."

He turned his attention to Selene, who stood beside him, unfazed.

"You may return to your seat, Miss Ravencourt."

Selene nodded, "Thank you, Headmaster."

The headmaster turned back to the audience.

"We will now conclude the ceremony... In spite of today's disturbance, I expect each and every one of you to remember why you are here. You are not ordinary students, you are the future of this Kingdom, and as such, you must act accordingly."

Once again, his gaze swept over the auditorium.

"That will be all. You are dismissed."

The ceremony came to an abrupt end and the students stood up hesitantly from their seats.

With that, they exited the auditorium, though some of them were still visibly shaken. 

***

After the ceremony, the students were led to their classrooms.

Orin sat alone at his desk. He glanced around, observing the faces of his classmates. As he turned, he locked eyes with a girl—blue hair with a copper streak. She stared at him intently, as though calculating every square of his face.

Orin forced a nervous smile and turned back to face the teacher.

The teacher, a dark-haired, slender man, with a sword at his hip, stood at the front of the class facing the students.

"Congratulations on enrolling…I am the B-class homeroom teacher, William Walters" he paused, his gaze swept over the students. He crossed his arms, nodding slightly. "Hmm… forty-two students, not bad…"

A brief silence followed as he let his words sit.

"I will also be your Swordsmanship instructor"

Murmurs spread through the room, a few students exchanged glances.

"So today, I'll lay out your schedule… As luck would have it, some of you have Swordsmanship as your first class today."

William shot Orin a glance, a smile formed on his face.

"It will be a joint class! As you all know, this is a magic academy, not many students come to here to learn the sword." William continued, "But I believe as aspiring battle mages, basic weapon mastery is necessary."

Orin lit up. He hoped he'd get to have class with Rod.

William walked around handing out neatly rolled parchment to each student.

"These are your individual class schedules. Try not to lose them." 

When he finished, he returned to the front of the class, hands behind his back. He continued.

"Before I forget… In a few months, Velkia Academy will be hosting a tournament. I have been tasked with choosing three students from this class as additional representatives for the first years.

A bell rang.

"That's all for now. You may now proceed to your first class."

As Orin walked out the class, he was once again met with a sharp gaze on him.

The blue-haired girl.

Smiling nervously, he quickly walked out of the class.

***

A few minutes later, Orin arrived at the outdoor training field with a rack of wooden swords neatly lined up.

He was relieved to some familiar faces as Rod, Ray and Gunther along with most of the S-rank students, were present for the class.

William, the instructor for this class, did a quick role call, before speaking. "I am William Walters, your Swordsmanship instructor."

He let his words sit.

"I hope many of you have had time to settle in… To start today's lesson, I would like to gauge your abilities with individual duels."

Some of the students grumbled while others smirked confidently.

As though he had been planning it all along, he shouted. "Orin!"

Orin flinched, not expecting his name to be called. "Yes!"

William beckoned, pointing at the rack with wooden swords.

He continued. "Grab a sword. Would anyone here like to challenge him?"

A few hands went up including Richard Vaelmont and Liam Selrott, but William, who was more visibly excited for the duel than the students, decided, that Richard would be a greater challenge.

"Orin Valcrest vs Richard Vaelmont"

Orin and Richard took their stances, facing each other with their wooden swords in hand.

William raised his hand towards the sky, then swung it down. "Begin!"

Wasting no time Orin lunged towards Richard, swinging his sword. As his sword clashed against Richard's, a shockwave formed, sending Richard backwards.

The crowd gasped

Richard gritted his teeth, at the heaviness of Orin's strike. What Strength! Orin, leaving no room to breathe, landed consecutive stikes putting Richard on the defense.

Murmurs and gasps swept through the crowd.

"He's pushing him back!"

"How's he overpowering an S-Rank?"

A wide grin appeared on William's face as though he had found the apprentice he had long been searching for.

Orin continued pummeling Richard with a series of strikes.

The students thought it was over.

Just when Orin went for the finishing strike—

Richard inhaled and muttered under his breath.

"Lightning magic: Thunderclad" 

He vanished, leaving trails of electricity.

Orin's eyes widened, "Huh!" Before he could react— 

BAM!

A flurry of consecutive attacks hit Orin! Orin struggled to stand, his hand gripping his side. He's fast, I can barely keep up. He thought.

Richard continued his attacks, but came to a complete stop when his attack was surprisingly blocked by Orin. He's adapting… I better end this quickly.

Rod muttered, "A one-ring magic spell?"

Ray nodded. "That's self-enhancement magic, it's mostly used by one-ring mages… He's boosting himself with lightning."

A loud cry was heard from the battle. "Argh!"

Orin, who was barely able to keep up, received a kick to the chest. He lay curled up on the ground—his hands gripping his stomach, gasping for air. He must have broken a rib or two.

William raised his hand. "Winner—Richard Vaelmont!"

***

Orin awoke in the Velkia Academy infirmary, where he had spent most of the day. The scent of herbs and potions filled the air.

He glanced at the clock on the wall in front of him. He sighed, then muttered,

"First day, and I already missed most of my classes…" he groaned.

"I know, right!" a sudden voice startled him.

He turned immediately, and behold.

The blue-haired girl, sporting a pair of steampunk looking googles atop her head, sat at his bedside—a lollipop in her mouth— tinkering with a metallic glove like artifact. She smirked, not even looking at him.

"Who… are you?"