The fresh air of the first breath of spring blows from the southern side of the Capital, dancing along the leaves of the tree saplings that the students of the Academy take care of.
There are still some remnants of the cold air of winter left.
You could still see people letting out frost breath from time to time.
Rina was no different.
She brought a leaf she held above her head, toward the warming light of the sun. Rina couldn't help but smile as she let out frost breath and traced the pattern of the leaf.
When she shifted her attention and looked behind the leaf she held, a sapling could be seen standing there, in front of her. This was the one she planted and grew, her Nature Partner, something she chose as her mediator to feel the flow of Nature Mana, a type of Mana she needs to train her Nature Magic.
Rina admired her Nature Partner for a while before shifting her attention toward the gate of the Academy.
Many students are entering the Academy from there, with their proud Academy uniform attached neatly to their figures.
Rina is not alone here in the front garden. There were also her comrades, the Commoner girls from the Mage group, who specialized in Nature Magic like her.
As Rina watched the students passing by, her green eyes spotted the figure of a silver-haired woman.
"Look! That was Lady Julimune!" One of Riana's comrades exclaimed excitedly as she looked at the silver-haired woman.
"As expected, the Ice Queen is so cool and beautiful!" Another stated as well.
Rina looked at the silver-haired woman more closely.
Silver silk is long hair that is akin to transparent ice instead of Human hair and light, blue eyes as clear as a mirror. With her plum white spotless skin as the catalyst, she looks like a winter fairy.
But her appearance betrayed the strength hidden beneath.
This Ice Queen, as the title implied, was a powerful Mage specialized in Ice Magic.
She was one of the three current Arcane Ladies of the Academy. She was someone comparable to the Golden Lava, Galmoria Hallmeavan.
"I wonder why we can't be as beautiful as her~." One of Rina's comrades sighed while throwing an envious gaze towards Julimune.
"Of course you can't, after all, you haven't lost your whole country like her!" Another Rina's comrades, the one who looked more mature than the former, retorted to her.
"I know, but..." The former girl sulked as she pouted.
Right after Julimune entered the front building of the Academy, other striking students showed up one after another.
The Aqua Sword, Galird Gonhavton. One of the three warlords of the Academy.
The Thousand Glasses, Tiroth. The Top student of the scholar group. The one who is said to be able to slay a Dragon without even needing to raise a finger.
The Conqueror, Fzandio Ghamar. The crown prince of the Ghamar Kingdom. The one who is said to be conquering Dungeons as his hobby.
There are a lot of young people who would rise to the supreme seats of the world here in the Academy.
But Rina's eyes only brightened when a certain black-haired man took steps on the stone road of the front garden.
"Lord Loryarc...!"
Loryarc Lapizburn.
He was a good person. Being born as a Noble, but didn't intimidate the commoners. For Rina and other commoner girls, his presence was like the prince showing up right from the fairy tale books, not to mention his unparalleled appearance.
But unfortunately, he was not worthy of the Academy.
He was weak, had no talent in Magic, and couldn't even properly follow the courses.
The Good-for-nothing, they called him.
His striking appearance, plus his odd behavior, results in him receiving unpleasant looks from the Nobles.
They often tried to trap him in some sort of scandalous situation and suppress him with their unstoppable strength. Their actions only worsened after he took the hand of Glamoria Hallmeavan, the second daughter of the Hallmeavan Family, in an engagement.
Someone even poisoned him, reducing him to a state of utter helplessness and incurability.
But months ago, he was back.
He returned with new smiles and new strengths.
He cleared Dungeon after Dungeon, visibly becoming stronger and stronger.
He rose at the speed of a falling star.
Rina recalls the time when Loryarc saved her from the gasp of a pervert noble upperclass student.
Her right hand reached towards his figure, mirroring her heart's whispers, but she held her hand back.
I do not deserve to stand beside him. Rina reprimanded herself.
Her green eyes looked at Loryarc's side, toward the golden-haired and golden-eyed woman.
But her fate turned out so unexpectedly for her.
"Only you two remained from the 3-E class, so just form a team together."
The professor said so towards her, but Rina's eyes locked right at her side, at the face of the man who stood there.
"Well... What do you think?" He asked her, smiled.
Rina couldn't believe what she saw.
For a moment, she stood there, speechless and motionless.
Strands of her dark brown hair swayed gently along the warm breeze of the spring.
The air seems to be coating her body, at least that's what she feels like, because her face feels so hot.
Rina slowly raises her hands upward above her head. She jumped and screamed internally.
Yaaaassssss!!