"Is Lady Selia's situation similar to mine?" I asked Lady Selia as she entered the elevator.
"Regarding this wheelchair?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Lady Selia answered. "It took a long time for me to accept that I could no longer move my legs. I used to be a pilot for a military transport spellcraft."
I stood beside her as the elevator doors slowly slid shut.
"My craft was shot down by the enemy, and though I managed to survive, my legs were crushed under the wreckage of my own aircraft," Lady Selia said with a smile.
"So that is why you decided to hire veterans here? Veterans helping fellow veterans? Thank you," I said, returning her smile.
"Well, something like that. I know how difficult it is for veterans to find employment. Even though my family belongs to the nobility, I struggled quite a bit back then myself," Lady Selia replied.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, we walked toward my room, room 4009. My room was quite spacious, containing four bedrooms. Opening the front door revealed a common area already furnished with a television, a table, and a living room sofa. To the right was a bathroom. To the left was a kitchenette equipped with an electric stove, a medium-sized refrigerator, a sink, and a dishwasher. Connected directly behind the common area were the bedrooms.
"I suppose this is where I leave you. You are free to explore the academy on your own or get some rest first. I have already sent the academy map to your phone," Lady Selia said.
"Thank you. I will choose to rest first."
"Good. Tomorrow, make sure not to be late arriving at the western arena to recruit the mages you will be training," Lady Selia said with a smile.
"Understood!" I replied. "Ah, force of habit, excuse me, very well."
I began unpacking my belongings and arranged them neatly inside the room. By evening, after finishing setting everything up, I turned on the television and relaxed.
A new chapter of my life, huh...
"The government has announced... its intention to enter peace negotiations..."
Finally, this ten-year war was coming to an end. While listening to the news broadcast, I read through the instructor manual. After reviewing all the instructional materials provided by Lady Selia, I powered on my laptop and opened the link for the instructor examination.
Normally, I would have been required to complete this exam before being offered a contract. However, Lady Selia mentioned that an exception was made for me due to my military background. Having an outstanding service record meant I only needed to take this test as a mere formality.
After completing all the questions, I was surprised to see a score of 100.
"Whoa..."
The test material was surprisingly easy. However, there was a unique rule within the academy guidelines.
"Romantic relationships between instructors and students are not prohibited. However, please keep in mind that Trinity Academy is not a matchmaking service."
Perhaps there had been past incidents where a student's battle performance declined because of such distractions?
Since it was already ten in the evening, I decided to take a bath and soak in the bathtub. It felt like an immense relief to have a private bathroom. Throughout my time at the orphanage and in the military, communal bathrooms were the only option.
On top of that, there was hot water available, making the academy facilities truly top tier. I recalled something my teacher once said during a joint vacation trip to a hot spring.
"Once you reach my age, you will come to realise just how heavenly things like this truly are."
Hahaha...
Soaking alone really was pure bliss. Afterwards, I went straight to sleep after taking my prescribed dose of soothing medicine from the hospital. The next morning, my internal clock reflexively woke me up at 4 AM.
An excellent habit carried over from my military service. I grabbed my running shoes and changed into my athletic attire. Stepping out of my room, I noticed my nameplate already mounted on the wall beside the door.
"Instructor Yogiri Klausmann."
Looking outside, the dormitory surroundings were completely deserted. Most people were undoubtedly still asleep at this hour. I started jogging while opening the academy map on my phone, memorising key locations along the way.
Starting from the staff dormitory located in the far northwest section of the academy, I jogged in a clockwise direction. After passing the dormitories, I ran past a massive facility labelled as the Training Grounds. Across to my right stood the main academic building containing the classrooms.
Reaching the end of the road brought me to a T-junction and a large-scale stadium structure. I presumed this was the training arena where today's tryout matches were scheduled to take place. Several staff members were already bustling about, carrying equipment and supplies into the giant stadium.
The structure was so immense that even after running for thirty minutes, it remained prominently in view.
"Hah... Hah..."
Up ahead, I noticed a female student wearing student athletic wear running with improper posture. Her blonde ponytail swayed erratically to the side, matching her unsteady, stumbling stride.
I picked up my pace to pass her, intending to offer some advice on her running technique.
"Your form is off, you will tire yourself out quickly if you keep running like that," I said as I matched her pace beside her.
"!" The blonde female student flinched in surprise upon seeing me and came to a stop. I halted my steps and approached her.
"You do not happen to have flat feet, do you?" I asked her, handing her the water bottle I was carrying.
"Thank you," she answered, accepting the bottle. "What are flat feet?"
"May I inspect your feet?" I asked. "C-calm down, I am not a creep. I am a new instructor here, my name is Instructor Yogiri Klausmann."
"Sure..." The student removed her shoes and socks. Upon inspection, her feet appeared completely normal.
"Your feet are fine. If you had flat feet, running would make you tire out much faster. That means your issue lies purely in your running posture." I demonstrated my own running technique right then and there. The student observed my movements.
"Oh, I see, like this?" The blonde female student attempted to mimic my form as she ran.
"More or less like that," I replied, running alongside her. "Pace your breathing as well, use your mouth if you find it hard to breathe through your nose."
"Wow, you are right, that makes it quite a bit easier." The student came to a stop. "Um... my name is Tsukinose Chia. I am a new student and also an instructor assistant through the foreign exchange program."
"Nice to meet you. Do you have a tryout match today as well? Best of luck. I will take my leave to finish my run." I left her to complete the rest of my run.
Afterwards, I headed to the staff cafeteria to have breakfast. The meal was self-service. Remembering the habits of my teacher, who was a vegetarian, I loaded my plate with mostly vegetables along with a small portion of eggs and milk. It tasted like eating grass, and I genuinely wondered why my teacher enjoyed this kind of food so much. In the end, I added a small piece of meat just to give it some flavour.
After introducing myself to the staff members present, I decided I had done enough networking for the morning and left to watch the tryout matches and look for Princess Thelma. I intended to keep my promise to the Emperor.
Following a quick morning shower, I put on the instructor uniform, which fitted remarkably well. Did I really need to wear the suit jacket? I felt a simple collared shirt was sufficient. Upon stepping out of my room, I observed the other instructors. They were not wearing their suit jackets either, opting to simply wear their nameplates.
I pulled out my tablet, which contained information on every student participating in today's tryout matches. I searched for Princess Thelma's name. Her full name, if I recalled correctly...
Thelma Clara von Saxoburg.
There she was.
Her tryout match was scheduled to start in just thirty minutes?!
After locking my room door, I maintained a casual jog toward the massive stadium where the tryout matches were being hosted. Academy event staff directed me toward the spectator stands to observe the ongoing matches.
This tryout event was already in its fifth iteration. Under this system, every student was required to secure five consecutive victories to pass and become eligible for recruitment by instructors. A single loss meant immediate elimination, forcing them to start over from scratch next year due to expulsion.
Students who successfully achieved five consecutive wins could transition to the adjacent field where instructors conducted scouting. It seemed I had arrived a bit too early. Princess Thelma's match was still twenty minutes away, and her attendance confirmation box remained unchecked, indicating she had not checked in yet.
Had she given up?
I was reminded of how Viper 6 once advised me never to harbour hatred for abnormal type magic. Users of abnormal type magic cast spells quite differently from users of other magic types. While regular mages had to visualise and memorise complex elemental formulas to cast spells, abnormal types relied purely on creativity and imagination.
If I wanted my magical weapon to discharge fire rounds, I simply needed to picture flames bursting from my rifle. The same principle applied if I wished to create defensive barriers or other effects. Furthermore, the greatest advantage of abnormal type magic was its immunity to elemental counter-magic. The only magic capable of inflicting heavy damage on us was Omni type magic, an extremely rare and practically extinct affinity.
I decided to step out of the spectator stands and walk onto the balcony. Looking down, I spotted a girl with long silver hair and a large black ribbon behind her head, pacing back and forth in utter confusion.
When I noticed her halo matched mine, an abnormal type of halo, I wondered if she might be Princess Thelma. Seeing her holding The Sovereign sword, an iconic heirloom of the royal family, confirmed my suspicion beyond doubt.
Was she feeling nervous? This was her final tryout match, after all, and failing meant facing expulsion. Taking a leap of faith, I jumped down from the second-floor balcony of the spectator stands and approached her.
"Are you lost or confused?" I asked, attempting to sound friendly.
"Gasp!" She appeared visibly flustered and hesitant. "W-who are you?"
Glancing at her nameplate reading Thelma C. Saxoburg, I knew I had found the prospective student I was meant to train.
"Instructor Yogiri Klausmann," I displayed my nameplate. "If you have noticed, we share the same type of halo."
"..." Princess Thelma remained silent.
"My advice is to let your imagination and creativity run wild. Do not attempt to force yourself into using elemental magic. Possessing abnormal type magic is a true blessing," I said, demonstrating my ability using abnormal magic. "Do not fear failure, I am certain you have what it takes."
"Is that really true?" Princess Thelma asked, still harbouring a bit of doubt.
"Absolutely! True to the name of our magic type, abnormal magic users must think outside the box when casting spells. Right now, there are very few training manuals or records regarding abnormal magic because its secrets are still guarded by the military. However, if you pass this tryout match, I am confident I can train you to reach your full potential!"