###Chapter 10: A different hope

The next morning, Arie awoke beneath the tree where he had fallen asleep after his enrollment at the academy the previous day. Stretching, he took in the fresh morning air, his mind racing with thoughts of the day ahead.

Feeling both anxious and excited, he made his way home, grabbed a quick breakfast, and changed into the academy's white uniform for commoners.

Pausing to glance at himself in the mirror, he adjusted the collar and tried to calm his nerves. Today was the beginning of a new journey—a chance to start fresh.

When he arrived at the academy gates, a guard handed him a student ID, explaining that it was essential for entry. The guard spoke in a practiced tone, explaining the ID system: royalty received a royal ID, regular students a standard one, and transfers like him were marked differently.

There was also a distinction in uniforms—purple for royalty and white for commoners. Arie nodded as he took the ID and a student handbook, flipping through the pages as he walked. He wanted to avoid any blunders on his first day, and a quick scan of the rules seemed prudent.

Following the map in the handbook, he wound his way through the academy corridors until he found Class A. The hallway was bustling with students, all dressed in various shades of white and purple, and the sounds of chatter filled the air.

Entering the classroom, he was met with curious glances, but he kept his gaze forward, determined not to appear nervous.

Meanwhile, inside the classroom, students' attention was drawn to a young woman who had just entered. Her presence seemed to command an aura of elegance that set her apart from the others.

Whispers of admiration and awe could be heard among her classmates, though no one dared to sit beside her, leaving the seat next to her conspicuously empty.

Just as the class settled, the teacher entered and called for everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone, please take your seats," the teacher said in a firm voice.

The students quickly found their places, but that seat remained untouched.

"We have a new transfer student today," the teacher announced.

The young woman turned her head slightly, her gaze distant and uninterested—until Arie introduced himself.

"My name is Arie. It's a pleasure to meet all of you," he said, his voice steady, though his heart was racing.

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The girl's gaze sharpened, her eyes focusing on him with sudden intensity. That voice…

Arie was directed to the empty seat beside her. As he settled into the seat, he turned, offering her a polite smile. "Hi, I'm Arie. I hope we can be frien—" His words stumbled as he recognized her. "P-Princess!" he managed, startled.

The princess looked at him, a slight smile playing at her lips. "Oh… you're the boy from the gate. You're here to join the academy?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Arie replied, bowing his head out of respect, his surprise giving way to cautious respect.

"We haven't properly introduced ourselves, have we?" she said, her tone softening.

"My name is Arie. It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," he replied, bowing again. He couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed; not only was she royalty, but she also carried an air of confidence that was both intimidating and captivating.

"And I am Princess Lea, daughter of King Aldric," she said with a graceful nod. With the formalities over, they turned back to the lesson, although Arie found his thoughts drifting back to his strange luck in meeting the princess.

As the lesson progressed, the teacher called on Arie to answer a question. "Arie, could you explain the purpose of Creation magic?"

Gathering his thoughts, he answered, "Creation magic allows one to alter the form of a spell and even combine different elements." The teacher nodded approvingly, and a murmur of interest passed through the class.

"Thank you, Arie. That's correct," the teacher replied. "For today's activity, we'll be assessing your mastery of Creation magic—its usage and limits."

The class followed the teacher to the training grounds, a vast, open space lined with targets and practice dummies. As the students gathered, the teacher asked if anyone was unfamiliar with Creation magic. A few hands went up, and a representative stepped forward to offer guidance, while the teacher prepared to assess each student's abilities.

First up was Eldren, a confident young man with a reputation for his skill. Eldren combined fire, water, earth, and Creation magic, manipulating stones to form sharp projectiles and launching them with remarkable precision.

Next was Cedric, who performed an elegant display of water magic, transforming it into a fierce water dragon that swirled around him before dispersing in a fine mist. The crowd watched in awe.

Then it was Princess Lea's turn. With calm concentration, she combined fire and earth magic, conjuring a stone-armored warrior imbued with fire. The warrior moved with surprising agility, sparks of flame trailing its movements. The teacher's eyes widened with surprise. "Only a few can manipulate two elements at once," he remarked as the class applauded, admiration in their eyes.

Finally, it was Arie's turn. Stepping into the center of the training grounds, he could feel all eyes on him. Taking a deep breath, he began to channel his magic, drawing on fire, water, and earth simultaneously.

As his energy coalesced, he summoned his unique technique, "Weaponer," a skill that allowed him to form weapons from a magical substance resembling slime.

The class murmured in curiosity as he demonstrated, crafting the slime into a large, razor-sharp blade. With a fluid motion, he swung the weapon, the edge slicing cleanly through the air.

Then, with a flick of his hand, he reformed the weapon into smaller projectiles, each one hitting its target with unerring accuracy.

The teacher's brow furrowed in wonder. "Who taught you this technique, Arie?" he asked, clearly impressed.

Arie paused, glancing down with a small smile. "It's a secret," he replied, his voice holding a hint of mystery.

With that, the assessment continued, until everyone has shown their creation magic abilities.

As Arie walked back to his seat, he felt the weight of curious eyes on him. Among them, Princess Lea's gaze was the most intense. There was no denying it—she was impressed, though her expression remained composed.

Once the class settled back in, Princess Lea leaned slightly toward Arie. "I didn't expect you to wield such unique magic, Arie," she whispered, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Arie glanced at her, surprised she was speaking to him. "I suppose I have a few tricks up my sleeve," he replied, offering a small smile.

"Weaponer, was it?" She tilted her head, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I've read about it, but seeing it in action is different. You must have trained a lot."

Arie nodded, a flicker of pride crossing his face. "I have. It's something I've developed myself over the years."

Princess Lea's eyes softened, a genuine curiosity replacing her usual guarded look. "Impressive. I hope we get a chance to see more of it."

"Maybe in the next practice," Arie said, his confidence growing with each word.

The small exchange left Arie with an unfamiliar warmth in his chest. For the first time, it felt like he wasn't just another face in the academy—he was someone worth noticing.