The gently blowing night wind carried the fragrant scent of night flowers and fresh foliage from the Royal Astra Magic Academy's eastern garden.
Beneath the open sky adorned with scattered silvery stars, the garden courtyard area looked dazzlingly festive.
Dozens of softly glowing crystal balls hung from ancient tree branches, emitting golden and bluish glows illuminating the neat green grass gathering spot for class 101 first-year students.
The familiarity night atmosphere was filled with soothing acoustic plucked music tones, harmoniously blending with laughter and joyful chats of teenagers enjoying freedom after weeks of rigorous magic training schedules.
In one garden corner, a long table arranged neatly was filled with various delicious dishes and steaming hot tea cups specially prepared by students working together with the academy kitchen staff.
Leon Arven looked busy pacing around ensuring every group got their food portion, while Serena Rose and Kai Renford sat together with several other students around a round wooden table, discussing light matters far from thick notebooks or complex spell formulas.
Not far from that crowd, Erin stood beneath the warm crystal ball light shelter.
She wore a dark blue outer robe with thin silver embroidery decoration on its collar, showing an elegant yet modest impression.
Her blue hair was left flowing freely tonight, moving softly blown by the academy night wind, while her yellow eyes radiated warmth as she watched her students' joy from afar.
"You are not joining them at the middle table, Professor Erin?" a calm baritone voice greeted from her side.
Erin turned and found Professor Adrian standing holding a cup of hot tea in his right hand, wearing casual clothes without official combat attributes for the first time in a long time.
Erin smiled faintly, shaking her head slowly.
"Let them enjoy tonight without the presence of a teacher figure watching their every move every second, Professor Adrian," Erin replied in a relaxed tone.
"Seeing them laugh freely like that... feels much more satisfying than seeing perfect exam scores on paper."
Adrian snorted softly, sipping his tea briefly before also directing his gaze toward the student crowd.
"You're right," Adrian admitted with a softened voice.
"After what they went through in Black Rock Valley and the northern border, those kids truly deserve a quiet night. And honestly... this academy owes you a lot, Erin. Without your courage, we might not be standing here tonight."
Erin glanced briefly, looking at her colleague with a sincere gaze.
"We all did our respective parts, Adrian. I only did what an educator is supposed to do."
Before Adrian could reply, suddenly a boisterous sound from the middle table group grew louder.
Leon Arven stood from his seat, lifting his tea cup high into the air, and calling all his classmates' attention.
"Hey, everyone! Attention for a moment!" Leon exclaimed in a loud voice that immediately made the plucked music tones slowly fade.
All class 101 students turned simultaneously toward Leon, while some of them smiled meaningfully as if knowing what the blonde-haired youth was about to say.
Leon stepped forward a few steps, looking around his group before finally directing his gaze straight toward where Erin and Adrian stood.
"Tonight, beneath the stars and crystal light of this academy garden," Leon's voice sounded trembling slightly with emotion, yet full of profound sincerity.
"We gather no longer as awkward or arrogant individuals like when we first stepped foot into the academy gates a few months ago. We gather as one family—class 101."
Several female students in the front row wiped the slightly wet corners of their eyes.
"And amidst our journey," Leon continued raising his cup higher.
"There is someone who never gave up guiding us, someone teaching us that true power lies not in arrogance, but in the courage to protect each other. For our beloved Professor Erin... thank you for bringing us through the storm."
"For Professor Erin!" shouted all class 101 students simultaneously, raising their cups high into the air with joyful cheers filling every corner of the eastern garden.
Erin stood frozen in place.
Her heart beat fast, not due to magic tension or danger threat, but because a massive wave of warmth struck the depths of her heart.
Tears of emotion pooled in the corners of her yellow eyes, but she quickly held them back with the sincerest smile she had ever shown.
She never expected that an office worker's soul from another world stranded in this body would find the meaning of family and love so real in this magic world.
Professor Adrian glanced at Erin, smiling slightly while patting his colleague's shoulder gently.
"It looks like you have successfully stolen the heart of the entire first batch, Professor," Adrian teased softly.
Erin took a long breath to stabilize her voice, then stepped forward slowly out from the tree shadow toward the middle of the crystal ball light, approaching her students now looking at her with smiles full of hope and respect.
She raised one hand, giving a sincere sign of gratitude.
"Thank you," Erin's voice sounded clear, sinking softly into the heart of everyone listening on that calm night.
"You don't need to thank me. Because in the end, I am the luckiest one here—for being given the opportunity to know, accompany, and watch you grow into great, proud wizards."
The familiarity night atmosphere then continued with joyful cheers, festive applause, and laughter echoing late into the night.
Beneath the shelter of royal stars and warm crystal ball light, Erin felt perfect peace.
The past had been resolved, the future stretched wide full of hope, and within the walls of the Royal Astra Magic Academy, her new life chapter as a true professor continued walking toward a glorious tomorrow.