"This concludes today''s sses. Starting tomorrow, you''ll have your two months of spring holiday. In this one year, your batch has reached a height never before seen in the history of the Royal Academy.


    I hope you continue to believe in yourself. In the end, it had been your lofty goals, determination, and hard work that brought you to your current heights. So much so that aspirants hoping to undertake the entrance exams would be appraised from a renewed perspective. It''s going to be a tough journey for them, hahaha.


    Every aspirant would want to learn under the same roof as you. When your vacation ends, you’ll be their seniors. I expect you to be great examples for the younger students… Alright, it''s time to see off the third-years on their new journey."


    Godorfun announced the end of the first year''sst ss for the term, and we exited the chalk-white building.


    Today was the so-called graduation ceremony as it was called in my previous world, or ?Inception Ceremony? as they called it in this world. In their words, the ceremony wasn''t tomemorate them finishing their academic life, but it was a day when they departed for a new world, a metaphor for working society.


    We went to the spectator seats of Arena No. 1 of the Academy. After waiting for a moment, today''s stars made their gant entry.


    The Royal Academy was typically strict on who could or couldn''t enter the premises. However, limited only for today, people who were rted to the graduates like parents, siblings or guardians — in short, the students’ loved ones — were permitted to attend the ceremony.


    Additionally, various dignitaries and notable figures from different sectors were also invited.


    The graduates were met with a round of heartfelt apuse from these people.


    The chairwoman of the Royal Academy, Miharu Shutrene, delivered a congrattory speech. Afterward, each graduate was handed a matching ck gown, embroidered with the Yuglia Kingdom''s g and their graduation year, as a symbol of their graduation from the Royal Academy.


    This gown, which signified their graduation from the Royal Academy, was considered so prestigious that even ordinary nobles would frame it and hang it in their entrance halls. Or well, that was how Fey exined it to me of her own ord.


    "They''re all beaming."


    I muttered to myself as I watched the seniors’ proud faces while ignoring Fey. Many of them were seniors I knew through club activities.


    "Well then, the top performer, the ?Rock of permanence?, who shall represent his fellow students is—— Rondy von Margot."


    After Chairwoman Miharu made this announcement with dramatic ir, the hall erupted in apuse.


    "Rock of Permanence?"


    I was puzzled at the unknown words. ''Pfft,'' Fey, who heard me, broke intoughter, while Bester — who was sitting across from me — had an expression of disbelief.


    "Y-You must be joking, right, Allen?... How could you not know this?"


    "Well, I really don''t know. In fact, this is my first time hearing of it."


    I nodded while kicking Fey''s feet. Bester then took the trouble to exin it to me.


    "Rock of permanence, Daybreak Moon, and Seeker Flower— all three are special titles conferred to the top achievers of the Knight course, the Mage course, and the Civil course respectively. Though the origin was said toe from a custom poprized by themon people, at some point, the Royal Academy began to use these titles as well.


    It is the greatest, super-duper glorious title conferred only to the top performers of their respective courses, you know?! These titles are the objects of pursuit for everyone the instant they enter the Academy— scratch that, everyone just dreams of getting these titles for themselves even before joining the Academy!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Mm-mmm..."


    This was one quite a... chic custom, I guess?


    Moreover, it appeared that those who earned these titles were also conferred with some sort of special tie. In Rondy-san''s case, he had a silver cloth draped around his neck, which contrasted beautifully with his pitch-ck gown.


    I had known him since the Hill Road Club, and he was also the representative of the third years in the Rising Star Cup. I assumed that his results must have been ster to be able to step on that stage.


    "Ah, your reaction is just Mm-mmm......?"


    Bester remarked with an astonished expression. Meanwhile, Chairwoman Miharu continued with the announcement.


    "Now to our ?Seeker Flower?. It''s—— Riyad Gufus. It has been eighty years since a student of ss B has earned the title, a testament to his steady efforts and unmatchable will."


    The audience broke into murmurs when they heard Miharu-san''s statement.


    I promptly got on my feet and offered my Senpai my sincerest apuse as I pped as hard as I could.


    "Spectacr, Senpai! I knew all along you could do it! There’s just no way anyone is more worthy of the ?Seeker Flower? title than you!!!"


    By the way, I wasn''t lying!


    In the two-second gap between Bester''s exnation to Chairwoman''s preamble before she announced the name of the ?Seeker Flower? titleholder, I had promptly guessed that the only person fitting of that title would be Riyad-senpai!


    Bewildered by my sudden shout, Senpai turned around to check and made a wry smile when he saw me. He then turned back to face the chairwoman and raised his right hand in a reserved gesture.


    The audience erupted into enthusiastic apuse at this gesture.


    My ssmates, the ss 1-A students, were all petrified, astounded at my sudden flip from not even knowing the ''S'' of Seeker Flower to ''I knew it.'' Only when they heard the buzz did theye back to their senses and follow the suit.


    "Now,st but not least, ?Daybreak Moon?. At the same time, she''s also the Imperial—— Purim Testy!"


    In the end, it was the turn of the top performer of the mage course.


    Purim-senpai had been a member of the Emission Magic Research Club. Even when the club gained its notorious fame of being the ''Skirt Flipping Club'', and seniors left in session, she would be the one to throw a huff like ''Can you be more serious, Advisor, please!'' But she never gave up, and helped push the club forward.


    My word, she was such a stickler for proper etiquette. I even forgot how many times I told her, "You’re a senior, so you don’t need to use formalnguage with me," but never did she budge. When we finally returned from the Transport Mission, she appeared and then threw another fit, saying "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?! Gosh, I must be such a clown now in everyone''s eyes, after all my tantrums!"


    "......Imperial what?"


    I tilted my head once more at the mysterious term that came up.


    "...It basically refers to the top scorer of thebined courses results. In short, Imperial is the title for whoever earned the highest additive score of thebined three courses in the third year!"


    "Oh? Frankly, that sounds intriguing."


    Listening to Bester''s exnation, I sincerely apuded Purim-senpai. However, Bester looked crestfallen for some odd reason.


    ◆◆◆


    After the top students were announced and everyone apuded the graduating third-years for thest time, Miharu-san continued with the ceremony.


    "Now, let me introduce this year’s guest speaker."


    A guest speaker was someone invited from outside the school to give a speech during the "Inception Ceremony."


    The background of guest speakers often included high-ranking military officers or government officials from the kingdom, though it’s moremon for prominent figures from the arts, or the heads of majormercial guilds, musicians, or painters, to be chosen.


    As much as the Royal Academy was open for everyone, given that they''d passed the exam, the number of students from affluent families were often on the higher side due to various factors like finances or quality of tutors. Obviously, this meant that they had little to no information about the real world, so students appreciated being exposed to values that differed from their own.


    Okay, great. But the question now was how did I — who hadn''t even known about the titles of the top performers until a moment ago — suddenly be an information master, right? Well, to be blunt, the guest speaker happened to be someone I knew very well. Rather, I had been at the ce where the deal was made.


    "This year''s guest is that hidden dragon who had been quietly living in the depths of the Dragoon region, and the beholder of ever epassing thoughts. Please wee—"


    ...If you haven''t guessed it yet with that introduction, just like the audience, then the answer was— Schord.T/N - Happy new year guys! I seriously forgot the day of update and ended up being one dayte. Hope you all have st this year.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!