I Ended Up in a Magic Academy

Chapter 2: Welcome to Eilram Magic Academy

The academy grounds were crowded with students gathered around the large bulletin boards, talking over one another in a mix of excitement and nervousness.

A few were even arguing about placements. The air felt heavy with anticipation, the kind that comes with the first day of school.

Names were posted neatly under four categories:

Class S. Class A. Class B. Class C.

I slipped my hands into my coat pockets and stared at the lists, deciding to get this over with, I wasn't here for prestige or ranks, and if anything the lower the class the better, but after scanning for "Remington" and finding nothing, a faint crease formed between my brows as I wondered if Father had forgotten, which would be inconvenient… or maybe even better.

"Oh… I should check on my customized staff," I muttered under my breath, glancing ahead with narrowed eyes, knowing it was already arranged and would arrive in time for the first practical exam, so there was no rush.

Then, someone was watching me, and without turning around, I already had a guess who it was, so I simply said, "...What do you want, Miss Lozano?" making her gasp behind me as I turned my head slightly.

Lucia stood there, her bright blue hair catching the morning light, composed at first glance but betrayed by her eyes, as she tried to sound calm while saying, "Call me by my name."

I studied her for a moment before saying, "...I don't know your name," making her freeze for a second.

"…Lucia," she said after a short pause. "Call me Lucia."

"Alright," I nodded once with a small bow, "Nice to meet you, Lucia Lozano. I'm Emil Remington," before turning back to the board as if the conversation had already ended, while from the corner of my eye I noticed her surprise at me giving my name, as if she had expected me to hide it.

"…Nice to meet you too," she said, giving a small bow.

We exchanged a few more words, though nothing important to me, while she remained careful and observant, clearly trying to figure something out. She knows; of course she does. She had been awake when I killed the thugs.

Before she could ask anything deeper, a group of nobles approached her, clearly trying to get close, and as she glanced back at me for a brief moment, I thought, Still curious, huh?

I ignored it and turned back to the board, scanning from Class C to B to A and finding nothing, and after staring a moment longer I straightened with a quiet, "That settles it," deciding there was no point in staying any longer.

"Hey, Emil!" She called as she jogged toward me and asked where I was going, pointing out that our classroom was over there.

I frowned slightly and said, "I'm not listed, I'll ask a supervisor."

She blinked, her expression clouding with confusion as she tilted her head and said I was listed, and without a word she pointed over my shoulder, making me turn to follow her gesture.

"...Where?" I asked, squinting at the boards, and she replied with a small knowing smile, "Class S, same as me," her voice carrying a hint of playfulness.

Silence stretched between us.

I closed my eyes briefly and sighed, thinking that of all places it had to be Class S, and though I was lazy, I couldn't afford to tarnish my family's reputation, so I sighed again.

She tilted her head slightly and smiled gently as she said, "Let's go together?"

__

As I walked through the hallway, I could feel countless eyes following not me, but the bright blue haired big shot beside me, the well known Lozano heir of a ducal house, far above my family's public standing as mere counts. Though things were very different in the Underworld, I simply ignored the whispers as they passed.

"...Who's that guy?" "Why is he with Lady Lucia?" "He looks so ordinary…" I resisted the urge to sigh, thinking this was exactly what I wanted to avoid as she walked beside me unfazed by the attention, and I finally asked, "...Are we there yet?"

"Second floor," she replied, and when we arrived, the room was already full of chatting students, so I stepped inside, instinctively scanning them, most of them strong.

I didn't stare for long, just enough to remember, before easily finding my seat, already marked with my name, and sitting down as I leaned back slightly.

__

The classroom door opened.

A man walked in, middle aged, plain, and utterly unremarkable at first glance.

I narrowed my eyes slightly at the instructor who was wearing a plain shirt and not even his teacher's uniform.

There was a quiet control in the way he moved, measured and deliberate. It was the kind of confidence that didn't need to announce itself, the kind that only came from years of experience.

"Good morning," the man said. "Welcome to Class S."

The room went quiet instantly.

"My name is James Moore, and I will be your homeroom teacher throughout the year," he said before continuing.

"This class is for students with high potential," he continued. "But don't misunderstand."

His gaze sharpened.

"If you fall behind, you will be transferred to Class A, B, or C. Or else... expulsion."

I scanned the classroom. Everyone practically radiated confidence; they didn't even blink at the threat of expulsion. It was exactly what I expected from the elite S-Class.

"Understood?" the instructor asked.

No one answered.

A slow smile crept onto the instructor's face as he noted the unyielding confidence of the room.

He clapped once.

"Opening ceremony first. After that, you're free to move around the campus."

As the students began to move, someone stepped in front of me.

The student had dark brown hair and steady gray eyes. He was well-built, athletic in a way that made him stand out from the other students.

Clearly curious.

"Yo," he said. "Do you know her?"

I blinked once. "…Her?"

"Lady Lucia," he said, "you and her were together when you entered the classroom, so I thought maybe you knew her?"

I looked at him. Are they acquainted? I wondered. "I met her in the hallway," I replied calmly. "We're in the same class, so I just walked with her. I don't really know her."

I paused. "Does that answer your question?"

"That was enough."

I walked past him without another word.

--

The ceremony was worse.

An old mage stood on stage, talking endlessly about the academy's history and achievements.

I rested my chin on my hand.

I could fall asleep.

My gaze drifted slightly.

I should do some laps later… just to sweat it out.

In this age of magic, where most people relied too heavily on spells and neglected physical discipline, I was different, using wind and ice magic consistently alongside strict physical training to enhance speed and close combat movement to the point of near unreadability, at least in my belief.

I knew there were still people who trained their bodies properly, but they were rare. Most relied entirely on magic.

Applause snapped me out of my thoughts, and as I looked up, movement on the stage caught my attention, a beautiful blonde woman with twin tails standing up.

Beside her was my sister Samantha, her usual red hair tied neatly back; she's the eldest, I'm the second, and Alice is the youngest, so you could say I'm the only male among my siblings.

It seems she is the student council president. I should remember her face.

"Good morning, everyone," she began with a polite smile. "My name is Catherine De Rose, your student council president. On behalf of the student council, welcome to your admission ceremony."

De Rose family, huh… I murmured.

She paused, letting the room settle.

"This academy is more than a place to learn magic. It is a place where you will grow, through effort, failure, and competition."

Her gaze moved across the hall, calm but firm.

"You will struggle here. Everyone will. But what matters is not how often you fall… it's whether you stand up again."

A small smile.

"So don't be afraid. Use this place well. Make it yours."

She gave a slight bow.

"Welcome to Eilram Magic Academy."

Applause filled the hall almost immediately, and my sister's eyes swept the crowd before landing on me, where she gave a wink, of course she did.

Around me, a few male students straightened up like idiots thinking the wink was for them, and I sighed under my breath wondering why I was related to her, before Lucia tilted her head and quietly asked if she was my sister, to which I glanced at her and replied, "Why are you asking?" and she simply said, "Just curious."

On stage, she spoke again, her tone lighter now.

"That concludes the ceremony. You are free to explore the academy today, visit clubs, tour the grounds, or rest. Please take your time."

As the hall's noise loosened and students began to scatter into chatter and movement, a brief silence formed before a flash of red suddenly rushed toward me with a shout of "Emiiil!", forcing me to step aside instinctively as she missed."…Too slow," I said calmly.

My sister stumbled to a stop, pouting as she said I was mean and that she missed me, to which I replied flatly, "Yeah, yeah. Sure," prompting her to cross her arms, laugh softly, say I'd gotten colder, and ignore my retort that she'd gotten louder.

"So," she continued, brushing a strand of red hair back, "how's home?"

"It's fine," I said. "Mother and Father are the same."

Samantha's expression softened slightly.

"We can go back together during vacation," I added, saying it would be easier, and she nodded, replying softly, "Yeah… that sounds like a good plan."

For a moment neither of us spoke before her expression shifted as she glanced down at the faintly glowing crystal device in her hand and said, "...Looks like I'm needed."

"A call already?" I muttered.

"Vice President duties," she said with a small shrug.

"On the first day?" I raised a brow. "Is it a fight?"

"Most likely," she said, turning slightly as she prepared to leave.

"I'll tag along," I said, making her pause and look back at me as I added that I was curious, while my sister watched me with a small smile tugging at her lips.

__

A crowd had already formed by the time my sister and I arrived, and at the center stood a noble male student facing a female student in a witch hat with snow white hair, as magic gathered between them and the tense air around them grew sharp and charged.

Flames flickered in her right hand, while ice formed in her left, both growing stronger with each passing second.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, noting that ice and flame magic being used together was rare since mages normally cast one element at a time or switch between them, but that student was using both simultaneously and then I recognized her, she's in my class.

My gaze shifted to the male student as well the same one who had confronted me earlier, and watching them in silence with my arms loosely at my sides, I wondered if they were really going to fight on the first day before a faint smirk formed and I murmured under my breath, ...Go on, that would at least make things interesting.

"Stop instigating, Emil," Samantha snapped immediately, and when I realized I hadn't even spoken aloud she continued as if reading my thoughts, making me smile faintly at the realization that she knew me too well.

Then, a student with bright blue hair approached us. She stepped forward beside me, gave a polite bow, and said, "Hello, Samantha senior. I'm Lucia from the Lozano family."

My sister looked between us, then grinned and said, "Oh? Emil's already making friends?" Lucia gestured lightly toward me.

"This gentleman helped me arrive safely, so I wanted to properly introduce myself," she said, making Samantha's grin widen.

"My brother helping a lady? And a noble at that? Looks like he's finally thinking about the family's future."

I let out a quiet sigh and said, "Focus, sister!" pointing toward the two students as I found myself wondering whether my sister actually intended to stop the fight or was simply enjoying the spectacle.

"They're about to start," I said, and as Samantha followed my gaze and stepped forward as if to stop them, the two students clashed at that exact moment.

A surge of pale fire erupted as he unleashed a wave of flame, only for the female student to respond with something far more unnatural that twisted and clashed with his magic midair.

Cold Flame.

A pale blue fire flickered into existence, beautiful at first glance, almost serene, like a quiet winter glow. But there was something wrong about it. The air around it warped, heat and cold clashing in a way that shouldn't have been possible.

It twisted unnaturally in the air, a fusion of searing heat and biting cold, two opposites forced into one. The ground beneath it cracked and frosted over, yet the air shimmered as if it were burning.

Anything caught in it wouldn't just burn; it would freeze and scorch at the same time, making my eyes narrow slightly as I watched it unfold. …Is she trying to kill him?

And just as quickly it was cut off as the homeroom instructor stepped between them, and I didn't even see him move.

One moment, the Cold Flame was surging forward, twisted and dangerous as it clashed with the noble male student fire, and the next second it vanished entirely in a way that shouldn't have been possible. Was that an artifact?

"...That's enough," the instructor said with a completely blank expression, his voice carrying across the crowd as he calmly and firmly warned both students from his class that they would receive minus points.

The male student stepped forward, clearly upset as he tried to speak, but the instructor cut him off with a simple "Silence," making him freeze immediately.

She then clenched her fists, Cold Flame flickering weakly before fading.

The crowd went dead silent. You could see it on their faces, that shaky line between being completely starstruck and absolutely terrified.

"He insulted my family," she spat through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with rage as she turned to the instructor who had just intervened to stop the fight.

I found myself studying her more closely, the way she stood, the quiet control in her movements, the split-second precision of her reactions, as I leaned slightly toward Samantha and asked in a low drawl, "That commoner student… do you know her?"

Samantha gave a small hum, like she had expected the question. "She's not exactly a commoner," she said. "Her family used to be nobles, a ducal house in fact. The Frostborne family," she continued. "They fell from grace. Her parents were accused of atrocities against their own people, and that was the end of their house."

I listened quietly. Frostborne, that family name sounded familiar. As someone who grew up around the Underworld side, I had heard bits and pieces about them before from Father and from others.

"…I see," I muttered, looking back at her, the wielder of the unique trait still angrily complaining to the instructor, before adding, "Thanks for the information, Sister."

Samantha gave a casual shrug. "No problem."

The Frostborne family, ice and flame user if I remember correctly, maybe I could ask her to help me improve my ice magic or even offer her a contract, a faint smile forming on my face as I thought, yeah, that might work.