Lucy closed her handbook for the third time and glanced toward the door.
Hurry up...
A soft knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Lucy? Lucy Waywrenn? Time for orientation."
"Coming!" Lucy hopped down from her bed and ran to the door.
"Good evening, Lucy. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the dining hall."
"Okay!" She skipped along excitedly after the staff.
Lucy followed the woman down the academy's main hall. The lanterns lining the walls brightened as she passed beneath them.
Lucy inspected one of the lanterns. "We don't even have these at home!"
The woman peered over her shoulder, already a dozen paces away. "Miss Lucy?"
"Oh!" Lucy sprinted after her. "Sorry!"
As they approached the dining hall, Lucy spotted a crowd gathering outside the doors.
The woman pointed down the hall. "Orientation is just through there."
"Okay!" Lucy joined the group of other new students waiting by the doors.
There are so many people here... Better get up front if I want a good seat.
Lucy squeezed past groups of chatting students, trying to get as close to the doors as possible. Satisfied with her spot, she glanced around the hall.
Beside her, a boy was clearly agonizing over his registration sheet.
Lucy tapped him on the shoulder. "Can't decide what to take?"
"Ahh!" The boy jumped and looked around frantically. "What? Who said that?"
"Classes?" She tapped on his sheet with a smile. "I'm Lucy, by the way."
"Caddem," he replied. "No..."
"I couldn't decide at first either."
"Really?" His eyes lit up. "Can you help me, then?"
Lucy smiled. "Sure! What kinds of things interest you?"
"I don't know... I've never really been good at school, but my parents forced me to go here anyway."
Lucy cocked her head. "You didn't want to come here?"
"No... I wanted to join the army like my older brother. But my parents said it was too dangerous and made me go to Tallis."
"Couldn't you just join after you finish school?"
"Yeah... but in my country, the army always makes academy graduates join as court mages. Those guys just get assigned to noble families as guards and spend their lives getting ordered around. They rarely get sent to the battlefield."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing, though?"
"Not at all. Being some noble's guard dog is the last thing I want. How could I protect my homeland like that?"
Lucy stared at him for a moment before looking back down at his registration form.
"There are a bunch of classes for combat magic. Why not pick some of those?"
"Because..." Caddem hung his head. "I'm terrible at magic. I just barely passed the entrance exam."
"Oh..."
Caddem quickly buried his nose into his registration sheet. "What did you pick?"
"Ancient Languages, Dungeon Mapping, Seal Breaking, and Beginner's Artificing."
Caddem blinked. "Dungeon Mapping?"
"Mhmm! I wanna be a researcher. I'll probably be spending a lot of time exploring ruins and stuff."
"Isn't that just looking at old stuff?"
"Yup!" Lucy nodded. "There are so many cool things I've read about in books. I wanna see them for myself."
"Since you wanted to be in the army, wouldn't this one be good?" She pointed to the sheet.
Caddem followed her finger. "Party Tactics?"
"Yeah! Adventuring parties have to fight together, right? Isn't that kinda like being in the army?"
Caddem raised an eyebrow. "I guess so."
"Then take it! You never know. It could come in handy."
"All right." He checked the box. "Three more to go."
"Mmm." Lucy tapped her forehead. "What about Magical Beast Biology and Anatomy?"
"Ugh..." Caddem grimaced. "How would dissecting monsters be useful?"
"Doesn't the army get sent out to handle monsters?"
"Sometimes, if there aren't any adventurers around."
"Then wouldn't it be helpful to know where their weak spots are?"
"You're right!" He checked another box.
"Oh! This might be useful." Caddem checked another box.
"Which one did you pick?"
"Beginner's Blacksmithing. My brother's always complaining about how expensive it is to get his equipment repaired."
Lucy nodded. "Makes sense."
Before Caddem could continue, the dining hall doors swung open. The waiting crowd surged forward.
"Well, good luck, Caddem!" Lucy smiled, then pushed through the crowd, determined to get a good seat.
"Oh, yeah, thanks!" He waved as the rush of students swallowed him.
————————————————————————————————————
The dining hall was filled with neat rows of small tables facing a raised platform at the far end of the room. A podium stood at its center.
Lucy's eyes scanned the room.
Perfect!
She spotted an empty table right in front of the podium and hurried toward it. Before long, nearly every table was filled with chatting students.
The dining hall lights dimmed, leaving only the platform illuminated. A woman in a high-collared black robe strode to the podium and cleared her throat.
As if on cue, the students fell silent.
Lucy stared at the woman. Lady Rhys?
"Good evening. I am Rhys Allwyn, Headmistress of Tallis Academy."
Lucy sank slightly in her chair. She's totally different from what I remember...
"First, let me congratulate you all on being accepted into Tallis. Each of you has proven that you have what it takes to be here."
A few students began to clap but quickly fell back into silence.
"However..." She raised her voice slightly. "Getting accepted is just the beginning. This academy expects the utmost from each and every student."
Her gaze swept the room.
"You will face many challenges here. Some of you will struggle. And some of you will fail."
"However, failure is fundamental to learning. What matters is that you understand your mistakes and grow from them."
Her expression hardened.
"What will not be tolerated is a student who refuses to try."
"Every student learns at a different pace. Those who struggle will receive additional instruction and practice. Those who excel will be given opportunities appropriate to their abilities."
"As such, Tallis maintains a ranking system for all students. Your rank reflects your academic performance, practical ability, and overall progress."
"Your rank will determine which academic opportunities are available to you. Students who demonstrate exceptional ability may receive access to advanced courses, specialized facilities, and resources normally restricted to upper levels. Those requiring additional support will be assigned supplementary lessons and lose access to extracurricular activities. Your rank can rise or fall based on your performance throughout the year."
A panicked murmur ran through the room. Rhys raised her hand, silencing the crowd.
"Let me be clear: your rank takes priority over seniority and social status. Likewise, your family lineage, wealth, and connections outside of Tallis have no bearing on your rank."
"I have already assigned preliminary ranks to each of you based on the results of your entrance exam." Rhys waved her hand across the room. A faint glow spread throughout the dining hall.
"Your student badge will now reflect your current rank."
"There are four ranks at Tallis. At the bottom is Bronze. Students at this rank will receive supplementary lessons. Above Bronze are Silver, Gold, and finally Platinum. As your rank increases, so will your access to certain classes, clubs, and facilities."
The dining hall was suddenly filled with rustling robes, quiet celebrations, and disappointed groans.
Lucy took a deep breath as she pulled out her badge. The dull grey surface was gone, replaced by gleaming gold.
Her eyes widened. Gold!
Rhys cleared her throat. The room immediately fell silent again.
"Remember, your rank is not permanent. Where you go from here will depend on the effort you put forth."
Lucy listened intently as Rhys spent the rest of her speech going over academy rules, class schedules, and safety procedures.
Rhys smiled warmly. "Let me once again welcome you to Tallis Academy. Dinner will be served shortly. Afterwards, please drop your registration forms off at the table by the door, then you are free to return to your rooms."
The lights brightened as Rhys stepped away from the podium. Staff immediately began wheeling carts of food around to each table.
The smell of food reminded Lucy that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. She eagerly took her first bite.
Oh...
Her excitement faded slightly.
Master Lia's cooking is so much better...
It may not have been as good as home, but Lucy finished eating and returned to her dorm.
————————————————————————————————————
Arita waved as Lucy entered. "Hey."
"Hi, Arita!" Lucy plopped down on her bed. "How was work?"
"Ehh, fine, I guess. So how'd orientation go?"
"Lady Rhys can be super scary..."
"Haha, that's mostly an act, keeps the troublemakers in check. She's actually really nice when it comes down to it."
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
"More importantly..." Arita hopped up from her seat. "What's your rank?"
Lucy proudly whipped out her badge. "Gold!"
"Impressive."
Lucy looked down at her badge. "Is it?"
"You're one rank below the top. Of course, it's good."
"I know, but Rhys never explained what that meant, aside from being able to take advanced classes and join clubs."
Arita dropped onto her bed. "Listen, rank means a lot more at Tallis than Rhys probably told you, and I'm not talking about the perks."
"How so?"
"Your rank is basically your social status around here. Where you can eat, who you can sit next to in class, even who you can talk to."
Lucy ran her fingers over her badge. "That doesn't seem fair..."
"It's stupid, but that's how it works."
"Why does the academy allow that?"
"Officially, they don't. But professors look the other way because 'it makes students strive for greater heights.'"
"Oh..."
"So what rank are you?"
"Same as you, Gold."
"That's great! Did you also get assigned Gold at your orientation?"
"No, I started at Bronze."
"Wow! You went up two ranks in a single year?"
"Mhmm."
"You must've worked really hard!"
"I didn't have much choice. I couldn't be stuck in remedial classes and keep my job."
"I've been wondering about that. Why do you have a job?"
"It's the only way I can afford to go to school. My folks pay for tuition, but I gotta cover everything else."
"Everything else?"
"Dorm fees, books, supplies. It adds up quick."
Lucy frowned. "Do you have to work every day?"
"Pretty much."
"And you still have time to study?"
"Yeah, the bookstore is rarely busy, so the owner lets me study when there aren't any customers."
"That's nice of them!"
Arita glanced over and checked the clock. "Hey, wanna go with me to meet some friends?"
"But... It's past curfew."
"They won't know. You just gotta know how to keep the door from locking behind you."
"I don't know..." Lucy glanced around nervously. "I don't wanna get in trouble..."
"You won't. Everyone sneaks out."
"They do?"
"Yeah, all the time. Besides, don't you wanna meet everyone?"
Lucy hesitated.
"O-okay."
"Awesome! I'll show you how to rig the door." Arita pointed to a narrow slot in the doorframe and wedged a folded scrap of paper inside. "Just jam something in here so the lock can't engage."
"That's it?" Lucy shook her head.
"Yup, Tallis's enchanted doors defeated by a scrap of paper. Now we don't have to use our badges to get back inside."
"Why can't we use them?"
"The door records it. Use your badge after curfew, and they'll know you were out."
Lucy examined the door. "Wouldn't they know if the door didn't lock?"
"Nah, it just records the badge use."
Arita peeked into the hallway. "Good. Follow me."
"Okay."
————————————————————————————————————
Arita led Lucy across campus, occasionally pulling her behind a pillar or into a bush whenever a roaming faculty member came too close.
"Here." Arita grabbed one of the weathered boards along the fence and pulled it aside, revealing a narrow opening.
Lucy paused at the fence. "We're leaving the grounds?"
"Of course. Otherwise they'd find us."
"I thought we were just going to someone else's dorm?"
Arita motioned for Lucy to follow as she stepped through the opening. "We aren't going that far. C'mon."
"O-okay..." Lucy nervously glanced back toward the academy before squeezing through the hole after her.
"This is the place."
"What is?" Lucy glanced around. All she could see was a pile of junk stacked against the wall of what looked like an abandoned building.
"I don't see anything."
"Exactly." Arita shoved an empty box aside, revealing a hatch in the ground, and knocked three times.
Lucy stared at the hatch. "This is where your friends hang out?"
"Mhmm."
Before Lucy could ask another question, a small panel on the hatch slid open.
"Password?"
Arita sighed. "Beryn... open the hatch..."
The person giggled. "That's not the password."
"You know this joke stopped being funny months ago. Just open up."
"Ugh, fine. You're no fun."
The panel slid shut.
Lucy glanced at Arita. "Was that the password?"
"There isn't one."
"Oh..."
A moment later, a latch clicked, and the hatch swung open.
"Hey, Ari."
"Hey. Brought a friend." Arita gently nudged Lucy forward.
"H-hello, my name's Lucy."
"Nice to meet ya!" Beryn smiled. "I'm Beryn. C'mon in."
She stepped aside, revealing a narrow staircase.
Beryn glanced around one last time and pulled the hatch shut.
Lucy followed Arita down a short hallway that opened into a large room. She fully expected to find a bunch of delinquent students drinking and causing trouble.
Instead, mismatched couches and chairs were scattered around battered tables. Magic lamps hung from the beams above, bathing the room in warm light. A few students sat in one corner playing a board game while others lounged in small groups, chatting.
Lucy blinked. This isn't what I expected at all.
"Well? Gonna stand there all night? Grab a seat." Beryn motioned to a nearby table where a few students were gathered.
In the light, Lucy finally got a good look at Beryn. She was a short girl with brown hair cut into a neat bob.
Arita pulled up a chair to the table. "Hey, guys. This is Lucy, my new roommate."
"Hey, Ari, Lucy." They all waved.
Arita went around the table introducing everyone.
She pointed to a lanky boy with black hair. "That's Herrin, third-year."
Then she gestured toward a blonde girl whose clothes were covered in colorful pins and charms. "Kaela, second-year."
"And you already met Beryn. She's a fifth-year."
"Hey!" Lucy smiled. "Nice to meet you!"
Kaela looked up from painting her nails. "So what year ya in?"
"First," Lucy replied.
"Oh, a newbie? Excited?"
"Mhmm!" Lucy nodded vigorously.
"The new ones always say that." Kaela glanced down at Lucy's badge. "Well, at least you won't get the bronze treatment."
Lucy tilted her head. "Bronze treatment?"
Kaela blew across her nails. "Ya know, people treating you like dirt."
"Arita told me about that. Is it really that bad?"
"Yeah, it can get pretty bad, especially from the Platinums. Always actin' like they're so great."
Lucy's gaze fell to Kaela's badge. "Wait, you're Bronze."
"Hehe, yeah. School's totally not my thing."
"Well, it could be. If you ever did your homework!" Beryn huffed.
"Boooringg!"
As Beryn leaned forward, the light caught the platinum badge hanging from her neck.
Lucy's eyes widened. "You're Platinum!"
"Mhmm! I worked my butt off to get it."
"And you hang out with everyone?"
"Not all of us are jerks..."
"Oh, sorry..."
"Yeah, you won't find many like her," Herrin said.
"Hey!" Beryn frowned. "There are plenty of nice Platinums."
"Name three."
"Well, there's me and..." Beryn fell silent for a few moments.
Kaela snickered. "Praise Beryn! The Platinum that deems us worthy of her attention!"
"I'm getting Platinum this year, for sure." Herrin raised his fist. "Then, there'll be two!"
"You said that last year..." Kaela teased.
"Well, I mean it this time."
Beryn turned to Lucy. "So what do you like to do for fun?"
"Oh, um, I like to read and study old maps. Especially maps of ruins and old dungeons."
Kaela raised an eyebrow. "You study... for fun?"
"Mhmm!"
"Beryn, I think this one is broken."
"Just because you've never opened a book doesn't mean everyone else hasn't either."
"Hey! I've read a book before!"
"Those fashion catalogs don't count."
Lucy tilted her head. "Why not? They still have words in them."
"See, Beryn, Lucy's on my side."
Beryn sighed. "Don't encourage her."
"C'mon, Ari, back me up here."
"Why? She's right."
Beryn hung her head. "Not you, too."
Lucy let out a small laugh. "What about you, Beryn? What do you like?"
"Plants!"
"Plants?"
"Anything that grows! Magical plants, regular plants, food plants, trees... I love all of it. I plan on starting an herb shop when I graduate."
"That is an understatement. Our room is basically a jungle."
"Well, if someone didn't have both closets full, I would keep them in there!"
Kaela gasped. "That's different! Clothes belong in closets!"
"But not in mine!"
"Please don't start this again..." Herrin dropped a few small packages of cookies on the table. "Here."
"Ooh!" Kaela quickly grabbed one and began eating. "Herrin's cookies, sho yummy!"
He turned to Lucy and smiled. "Works every single time. Please, try some."
"Okay!" Lucy took a bite. "Whoa, these are great! They almost taste like the cookies from Tora's Bakery."
Herrin's eyes lit up. "Really? I've been trying to figure out her recipe for months!"
"You're close! I think hers are a bit softer, though."
"Hmm, maybe..." Herrin trailed off, lost in thought.
Arita leaned toward Lucy. "And now you know what he does for fun."
"Does that mean free snacks?"
"Don't get too excited. The snacks aren't always tasty."
"Oh..."
Herrin snapped out of his thoughts. "My cooking isn't that bad."
Arita raised an eyebrow. "Spice cakes."
Herrin immediately shrank in his seat.
Kaela shuddered. "We agreed to never speak about that again."
Lucy looked around the table. "Huh? What was wrong with them?"
"He thought the 'spice' in spice cakes meant chili peppers. We couldn't taste anything for a week."
"So Beryn likes plants, Kaela likes fashion, and Herrin likes to cook."
Lucy turned back to Arita. "What about you?"
Arita blinked. "Me?"
"Yeah, what do you do for fun?"
"I don't know..."
"There's gotta be something."
"She won't admit it, but Ari is a great singer," Kaela answered.
"I-I'm not that good..." Arita's cheeks flushed red.
"You can? That's amazing! I'd love to hear it sometime."
"S-sure... Maybe sometime."
Kaela grinned. "C'mon, Ari. Just one song."
Arita suddenly pushed her chair back. "Would you look at the time! We should get back to the dorms, Lucy!"
Lucy jumped out of her chair. "Is it really that late?"
Beryn glanced at the clock. "It's only—"
"Yup! Really late. I gotta work tomorrow." Arita grabbed Lucy's arm.
"Nice meeting you all!" Lucy called, her voice fading as Arita pulled her toward the exit.
"Bye, Lucy!" The group waved.
————————————————————————————————————
Arita pulled the scrap of paper from the lock and opened the door.
"Thanks for taking me to meet your friends tonight, Arita."
"Mhmm, no problem. You can call me Ari, by the way. All my friends do."
"Okay, Ari!" Lucy flopped down on her bed.
"Night, Lucy."
"Goodnight!"
————————————————————————————————————
Lucy hopped out of bed and slipped into her robes. "Morning, Ari."
Arita opened one eye. "Why are you up? Classes don't start for another two hours."
"I know! I'm too excited to stay in bed." Lucy beamed.
Arita dragged herself out of bed. "Wanna grab some breakfast?"
"Sounds good."
The pair headed to the dining hall. Despite the early hour, the hall was already filling with students.
Lucy found an empty table and set her tray down. "There are a lot of people here already."
"Yeah. Most of them are fifth- and sixth-years taking dungeon exploration courses. They have to leave pretty early for field training."
Lucy's eyes lit up. "They get to explore actual dungeons?"
"Mhmm."
"That must be fun!"
Arita took a bite of her toast. "I guess."
"How do you sign up for that?"
"It's only available to the older students, plus you gotta take a bunch of prerequisite classes first."
Lucy stared at a group of older students checking their packs. "I'm definitely going to find out what those are."
Arita only nodded in return. "So what's your first class?"
Lucy spooned the last of her oatmeal into her mouth. "Beginner's Artificing. You?"
"Ancient Languages Two."
"Really? I'm taking the first one this year! Is it tough?"
"Nah, it's pretty easy. If you ever get stuck, I can help."
"Thanks, Ari!"
Lucy glanced up at the clock. "I'm gonna head to class. I wanna get a good seat."
"Kay. See ya later, Lucy."
"Bye!"
Lucy arrived at her classroom nearly half an hour early. She stood at the door, wondering whether she was even allowed to enter.
"My, my, don't see too many students this early for class."
"Wah!" Lucy started at the sudden voice behind her.
Lucy slowly turned around and found an impossibly old, short man in faculty robes.
The man gave her a warm smile. "Sorry if I scared you."
"Um... It's okay."
"Here for Beginner's Artificing?"
"Mhmm. It's my first class."
The man fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "Well, come on in."
"Okay!" Lucy skipped after him and found a desk at the front of the classroom.
"Are you the teacher?"
The man ran his fingers through his beard. "I hope so. Been teaching Artificing for fifty-seven years. Professor Gemlin Tagris, at your service."
"I'm Lucy Waywrenn!"
"Pleased to meet you, Lucy. Class doesn't start for a bit, so feel free to have a look around."
"Okay!" Lucy wandered to one side of the room. The wall was covered in tools she couldn't even begin to identify—tiny silver hammers, strange sets of pliers, glass instruments, and several things she wasn't entirely convinced were tools at all.
As she made her way down the side wall, her eyes drifted toward a nearby workbench. A small metal sphere sat partially disassembled on a stand, exposing a maze of tiny gears and faintly glowing crystals within.
Lucy leaned closer. This looks like Astra's...
"Careful with that one."
Lucy immediately straightened. "I wasn't touching it!"
Gemlin smiled. "Didn't say you were."
"I've never seen the insides of one of these before. What are the crystals for?"
"You've seen one of these? Intact?"
"Yeah, my mentor has one. She called it a..." Lucy scratched her head. "Pr-progutory...?"
"Progetry," Gemlin corrected.
Lucy nodded. "That's it!"
Gemlin stared at her for a moment. "And you say your mentor has one? That works?"
"Mhmm."
"Just who is this mentor of yours?"
"Astra!"
Gemlin froze. "Astra? You mean the researcher Astra?"
Lucy tilted her head. "Yeah?"
"Folven girl? Silver hair? Star-shaped pupils?"
"Mhmm! That's her."
Gemlin stroked his beard.
"...Your mentor is Astra?"
"Yup!"
"Well... that certainly explains a few things."
"What does?"
"A working Progetry isn't something people have lying around."
"Are they that rare?"
"I've only ever heard of functioning ones in Kasai."
Gemlin strode over to the workbench. "I've been working on this one for almost twenty years."
"What do they do?"
Gemlin's eyes lit up. "Oh, they are fascinating little things. Supposedly, they can be used to power golems, machines, all manner of things."
He pointed toward one of the crystals. "These crystals record instructions. The Progetry reads those instructions and carries them out."
"So that's how Astra makes her fan turn on and off every time she goes into her lab."
Gemlin's head snapped toward her. "She has one of these, and that's what she does with it?"
"Mhmm!" Lucy nodded innocently.
Gemlin could only stare at her.
"If you know what everything does, why doesn't yours work?"
Gemlin chuckled. "Knowing what something does and knowing how to make it do it are two very different things."
"Oh..."
He held up a crystal. "Remember that, Lucy. It'll save you a lot of frustration in this class."
Gemlin looked up at the clock. "Better take your seat. Class will be starting soon."
"Okay!"
Lucy hurried back to her seat as the first few students began filtering into the room. She opened her notebook and eagerly waited for the lesson to begin.