Ch.270265 – Joint Training Camp

The Academy Competition is structured over a total of two weeks.

The main matches shown on broadcast take place during the second week.

During the first week, participants from both academies go through joint training sessions to gauge each other’s capabilities.

They check whether students are using any dangerous magic, conduct practice battles, and work with teachers to strategize against their opponents’ weaknesses.

This year’s competition will be held at the Altair Foundation’s arena.

To catch the bus heading north, students from elementary to high school gathered one by one in the foundation headquarters’ main hall.

“Look over there! Those 2nd graders are just talking among themselves without even greeting us. I couldn’t have imagined this in my day!”

One 6th grade elementary student complained with a frown.

“Shouldn’t the 4th and 5th graders be managing the 2nd and 3rd graders?”

A girl next to him sighed softly and said.

“Leave them be. Let’s see how long they keep this up.”

“We weren’t like that in our day…”

“Then would you seniors please come over here and stand properly in line?”

“Huh?”

The 12-year-olds simultaneously turned their heads toward me after my careful suggestion.

[Cephiron Academy Elementary Division]

I tried to maintain a calm expression while carrying the heavy guidance sign on my shoulder.

Unlike the cute, silly chick drawing on the sign, the material itself was stainless steel, making it extremely heavy.

“Wow, it’s NoName!”

“Name, so you’re participating in the competition too!”

“Sweet! The 2nd graders have victory in the bag. So jealous!”

“Oh, that must be heavy to carry all the way here. Let me hold it for you, sis. Heave-ho!”

“Ah, thanks.”

Why are kids these days so tall?

While 2nd to 5th graders were gathered together in their groups, I had been searching the gym for a while trying to find the 6th grade participants.

I had passed by a group thinking they were middle schoolers, but they turned out to be 6th graders.

With heights over 160cm for both boys and girls, it’s no wonder I was confused.

Ironically, these 1st year middle schoolers looked more like elementary students.

“Name, what’s that badge you’re wearing?”

One boy pointed at my badge necklace.

Unlike the yellow chick badges of the elementary division, mine had the middle school division’s green lizard on it.

“This? It means I’ll be your senior from today’s training camp until the end of the competition.”

That’s when it happened.

BANG-!

The door next to the platform opened forcefully.

Three students wearing neat Cephiron Academy uniforms walked out.

All the children froze in place.

“It’s the high school student council…”

A boy gulped nervously.

The young know-it-all boy from earlier had turned into a young deer facing a fierce predator.

“Ah. Cephiron Academy students.”

The murmuring began to subside.

However, there were still pockets of chatter here and there.

The student holding the microphone finally frowned and scanned us carefully.

“Quiet.”

“…”

“Are we going on a field trip here? Hmm?”

A low, stern voice echoed through the hall, mimicking a training camp instructor.

“I want each and every student here to remember deeply that you represent our academy. Please remain quiet indoors and move in an orderly fashion following the student council’s guidance. That is all.”

“Elementary 2nd graders, please follow me first!”

After the dignified instructions from the graduating students, everyone boarded the buses waiting outside the gym in order.

Excluding alternates, there were 50 participants in the competition.

Events gathering all students from elementary 2nd grade to high school 2nd grade were rare, happening only a few times a year.

Gazes crossed between young students looking up to their seniors with admiration and older students scanning their juniors with curiosity.

“Huh?”

Just before boarding the bus, I noticed some students waving at me.

It was Yuna and Haru, my 2nd grade elementary friends.

“Naaame! Aren’t you getting on?”

“They said the bus is leaving soon!”

“Kids, hurry up and get on. People are waiting.”

Following the student council seniors’ instructions, they boarded the elementary bus without hearing my answer.

Vrooom-

As the bus carrying the elementary students departed, all the chattering little ones left.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed the cool autumn breeze while watching them disappear into the distance.

They’re all such energetic kids. I hope that energy continues all the way to the competition.

“Ah.”

While scratching my head, my hair pin decoration fell to the ground in the wind.

“Hey friend, you dropped this. Here.”

I faintly heard a voice from behind.

It seemed to be the high school student council president who had held the microphone earlier.

When I turned around, sure enough… a fairly handsome young man with neat pomade hair was extending his hand.

He’s a bit taller than me. Looking up at him was making my neck hurt.

“Thank you. You’re Senior Shin Jin-ho, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You know me?”

I smiled slightly at the man who tilted his head in surprise and answered.

Of course I do.

Last April, a top 16 finalist in the National Martial Arts Competition. The current top fighter of Cephiron Academy and a noble of the Raon Clan. And…

“You’re the younger brother of Shin Yeon-ho from Korea University’s Theoretical Magic Department, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

What? That’s it?

I was hoping to chat a bit through this connection, but his short answer abruptly ended the conversation.

“The bus is leaving soon. Name, I just set up your seat.”

“Oh, okay.”

The stoic man guided me to the middle and high school bus.

It’s interesting that while his brother is from Altair, he’s at Cephiron.

I kept my lips sealed, thinking it might be inappropriate to ask if they fought a lot growing up.

“Wait… what do you mean you set up my seat?”

My legs stiffened with a sudden sense of unease.

Shin Jin-ho walked a few steps forward before answering my question nonchalantly.

“Car seat.”

* * *

Peeking through the curtain slightly, I could see the vast Han River spread out beyond the window.

The water flowing like the Milky Way, sparkling in the sunlight, was truly beautiful.

With the curtains blocking the sunlight for our academy’s sleep-deprived teenagers, I leaned back in my child-sized car seat.

I should never ride a chartered bus again.

“What kind of law is this? If they’re going to apply it, they should either apply it consistently by age or classify it by type of transportation. There’s no consistency.”

“Hehe, are you uncomfortable? We’re almost there, so our brave Name just needs to hang in there a little longer!”

“I’m not complaining because it’s uncomfortable. Haa… never mind.”

I couldn’t help but sigh.

I had no idea that someone my age would need a car seat in Korea.

Apparently, chartered buses using highways require car seats for anyone under 130cm in height.

Anyway, since that’s what the Road Traffic Act and Passenger Transport Service Act mandate, all I could do was demonstrate my utmost respect for the law.

All safety regulations are written in blood, so I can only assume there must have been similar fatal accidents in the past.

No wonder the seated heights of my classmates waving earlier seemed quite tall.

I guess their bus was also equipped with car seats for the 2nd graders in advance.

“When I heard from the middle school division that you were participating as their candidate, I was really surprised. I heard you were selected through an informal selection process?”

Shin Jin-ho, who had apparently woken up, unfolded his arms and joined our conversation.

“You startled me! When did you wake up? And what do you mean ‘participating’? It’s not like we’re going to war.”

“War? You’re right, this is war. Take a look at the kids in front.”

Sitting in the very back with the student council, I looked where he was pointing.

While some kids were comfortably sleeping against the windows, others were pulling their hair, shaking their legs, or biting their nails—a diverse range of behaviors visible at a glance.

“What do you think?”

“Overall, they seem gloomy. They look intimidated.”

“I think so too.”

“So what are you trying to say?”

After my direct question, Shin Jin-ho hesitated briefly before speaking.

“For us, last year, 2050, was our final participation.”

That makes sense. The student council president and vice president are both high school 3rd years, so they’re preparing for college entrance exams.

“Both I and Vice President Eun-byeol here have experienced all ten competitions.”

“You’ve really been at the academy for a long time.”

Ten years—counting from elementary 1st grade to their current high school 3rd year, they’ve spent a total of 12 years at the academy.

They’ve literally invested their entire lives in the academy.

“Out of those ten times, how many times do you think we won? Do you know the historical record of the competitions?”

“No. I haven’t really looked into the old ones.”

“Our grade won 7 out of 10 times. But the overall record is 2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 losses. Miserable, isn’t it?”

“Seems like you had some bad luck with your seniors and juniors.”

“Many thought that way. Some still do. But having lost three times ourselves, we don’t have the right to say such things.”

“Indeed, since we’re one family bound by the academy, blaming each other doesn’t seem right. Still, isn’t the process more important than the result?”

“Right. But this is the result. The last time we won was 8 years ago. Almost none of the current students remember that.”

“Ah…”

My eyes widened at his words.

If it was 8 years ago, doesn’t that mean the current elementary and middle school students have never experienced a win?

“Hey, Shin Jin-ho. Why are you being so serious with the kid?”

“NoName. You’re a genius, right?”

“Excuse me?”

This student council president looks similar to Shin Yeon-ho but his personality is completely fourth-dimensional like Ban So-wol.

I couldn’t predict what would come out of his mouth next, so I tensed up unconsciously.

“I think there’s hardly any difference in student quality between Cephiron and Altair. So why have we been consistently losing? I’ve been thinking about this a lot.”

“What’s your conclusion, senior?”

“I’ve concluded that it’s due to the negligence of the student council and the operating committee. That’s why I became student council president—to win this damn competition at least once before I graduate.”

“I wonder… Can such a big gap really develop with just a week of practice?”

“…”

I get the general idea.

Unable to find an answer, he’s trying to identify a reason to change something, anything.

“Please continue.”

“Once defeatism starts to spread, it eats away at the entire academy. It’s important to have a culture where seniors pull juniors up and juniors support seniors, but that’s completely absent at our Cephiron Academy.”

“So you’re saying there’s a strong individualistic tendency too.”

“Exactly. So, NoName, I have an earnest request for you in this competition.”

“What is it?”

“Come closer.”

Shin Jin-ho explained his plan in a whisper.

Meanwhile, Vice Student Council President Choi Eun-jeong was shaking her head beside us.

“Of course.”

“What do you think? Can you do it?”

“Beating people up has always been my specialty.”

“What?! Shin Jin-ho! What did you say to Name?!”

“No, I didn’t ask her to beat anyone up! That wasn’t my request!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll thoroughly educate the Cephiron Academy kids.”

I had a strong feeling this competition was going to be interesting.