To be honest, Alex was feeling miserable. He wanted to continue living his life in the same ordinary and rule-abiding way as before, but what had just happened with Arina—the bumping into him on the way to school, just like in mangas, anime, and novels—was so cliché! In fact, there was no such event in the original novel he had read. But he couldn't help but wonder about the reason behind it. What if, without realizing it, he was becoming an important character? If he ever felt like that was the case, he reminded himself of his most important rule: do nothing. Yes, that's what he should do. A side character must remain ordinary.
Still, as he wandered through the school, its size genuinely surprised him. In his past life, Alex was just an average student at an average high school, with average grades. He was always careful to avoid clubs and anything that would involve too much social interaction. But in comparison to his old school, being in such a massive institution—wouldn't that make him stand out more? He shook his head firmly, rejecting the idea."Of course not," he thought. "The bigger and flashier the school, the easier it is to remain unseen."He smiled faintly, just as he used to at home.
He kept looking around. He was walking through a courtyard filled with grass everywhere. A few different types of trees stood scattered around."Just like in the book…" he murmured."I can't see any difference. Three orange buildings, each three stories tall. All three have large eagle emblems in front of them."The eagle emblem was the symbol of the "Great Eagle Nation," the country Alex had been reincarnated into. As the name suggests, their emblem was inspired by eagles—creatures people in this world viewed as partners, much like dragons. But Alex hadn't seen a single eagle in the sky yet—only dragons. In the novel, the sky of the Great Eagle Nation was supposed to be filled more with eagles than dragons. At first, he found it odd, but didn't dwell on it too much.
Right at that moment, Alex paused.He felt a chill run down his spine.The reason was obvious.The person who had just passed by him—gray hair, green eyes, medium height, and strikingly handsome—was none other than the main character of this fantasy novel.His name was Owen.
Normally in stories, the protagonist starts off weak and gradually becomes strong. In the end, they defeat the villain and become a hero.But this story… its beginning, middle, and end were just strange.The protagonist was already the only son of the king—essentially, a prince. It was clear from birth that he was destined to be powerful. He was one of the top students in the academy. Even his friends were children from the most noble families in the country.
"So where's the uniqueness or intrigue in this story, then?" Alex thought, unable to take his eyes off Owen.
Alex kept silently observing. Meanwhile, Owen's closest friend, Martin, the second son of the count of the Cold Lands Region, had already begun chatting with him. Martin had green hair and blue eyes, with pale skin. Unlike Owen, Martin had a more cheerful demeanor. At least, that's how Alex remembered him from the novel. Owen and Martin chatted as they walked through the school gates.
Seeing important characters from a novel up close felt strange to Alex.But since he had no intention of interacting with them, he decided not to worry.
The school bell rang.But there was a problem—The school was crowded, and Alex didn't even know which class he was in.
Just then, a middle-aged woman with pink hair and glasses approached him, smirking unpleasantly, almost mockingly."Still slacking off, Alex? Didn't you hear the bell?" she said.
Alex instantly recognized her. She was Mary, the teacher responsible for fire magic.When Alex didn't respond to her, Mary scolded him again."Alex! Are you even listening? Go to class. Your grades are already bad enough—you don't want to fail due to attendance too, do you?"
Alex had only one thought in his mind:"Ugh… How many more valuable characters will I run into on the first day? Do these characters ever end? And more importantly, why did I even start reading such an endless, ridiculous novel in the first place?"
Still, he tried to calm himself."Just stay calm. Stay unnoticed and remember your rules," he thought.
He then told Mary he was feeling sick and wanted to go to the infirmary. But she didn't believe him.Instead, she forcibly dragged him to class.It had worked just as Alex hoped—he had remembered that Mary never trusted "sick" students and always dragged them to class.
When Alex finally reached his classroom, he was at least relieved to find he was in an unremarkable class.He was assigned to the Healing Magic Class.That meant Alex could potentially use healing magic.Or maybe… was this just a formality by the academy to include even talentless students?Maybe he had no powers at all.That's what Alex was hoping for.For him, studying at this academy meant great responsibility. If it were up to him, he would've dropped out immediately—but he remembered the excitement in his mother's eyes when she talked about school.
Another aspect of this world was its magic categorization.A person could only master one type of magic.Unlike other novels, mastering multiple elements was impossible.The worldbuilding of this bizarre novel was truly incomprehensible.
As for the Royal Magic Academy's class system, it went like this:
Fire Magic ClassStudents have an affinity for fire. Initially, they can only produce small flames. Some weak students can't even create a spark in their first year. But by 4th or 5th year, they can cast powerful spells and are sent to the front lines during war. Their weakness is water magic.
Notable characters in this class:
Arina (Villainous girl in love with Owen, 3rd-year mage)
Martin (4th-year mage)
Thomas (2nd-year mage)
Elina (6th-year mage, one of the top students, and one of Owen's most trusted allies in the great war two years later)
Water Magic ClassStudents here have water affinity. Unlike the fire class, they quickly learn powerful spells early on. However, they usually stagnate after 4th year. Only a few have ever surpassed that limit in history.
Notable characters in this class:
Petkov (Arina's dearest friend; secretly in love with her, though he doesn't know it himself. He'll realize it during the great war. 4th-year mage)
Carol (Known for her compassion and gentleness. Her hair is ocean-blue. She doesn't form close relationships in the novel, but becomes one of Owen's trusted comrades in the war. 4th-year mage)
Healing Magic ClassStudents have an affinity for healing. Generally seen as the weakest in the academy. They stay in the back lines during battles, and the novel barely mentions any major character from this class.Note: This is Alex's class (Though he still isn't sure if he has any affinity at all.)
Earth Magic ClassStudents here have earth affinity. They get along best with Water Magic students. They're famous for being difficult to deal with when they team up. A 4th-year Earth Mage rises through the ranks faster than others.
Notable characters in this class:
Owen (The future king and the main protagonist of this novel. He is famous for using earth magic at incredible speed without chanting any incantations. Two years from now, he will find himself in the midst of a great war alongside his allies. A 4th-year mage.)
Tiffany (A rebellious girl who gets along with no one. Her chestnut hair resembles soil. According to the novel, she'll disappear during the war. 1st-year mage)
Stephen (Builds massive towers from earth and lives in them. One of Owen's trusted friends. Always cheerful like Martin, but sometimes even more mischievous. Still, he's seen as dangerous when serious. 4th-year mage)
Air Magic ClassStudents here have wind affinity and can control the air. The class has a bad reputation and is often called the "rebel class." They follow no rules, and despite Owen being the future king, they don't respect him. Even so, they perform impressively in the upcoming war.
Notable character in this class:
Daphne (The secret leader of the Air Magic Class. Quiet, calm, and an excellent observer. 5th-year mage)She controls the others so effectively that their names are rarely mentioned in the novel.
When Alex entered the Healing Magic Class, he noticed far fewer students than in the others.There were maybe ten at most.
"Remember the rules. Sit quietly," he told himself and took a seat at an empty desk.