I Ended Up in a Magic Academy

Chapter 5: Dungeon Trial: The First Exam Part 1

Eilram Magic Academy

Founded over three centuries ago, Eilram Magic Academy stands as one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the empire, a legacy born from the end of a war that nearly shattered the world.

Three hundred years ago, in the final days of the Demon War, when the world was already on the verge of collapse, one man stood above the rest.

His name was Aetherion Eilram.

Even now, people spoke it with a certain weight.

Not just because of what he did, but because of what it cost.

When armies had fallen and even the strongest mages began to lose hope, Aetherion walked alone into the heart of the battlefield. No witnesses ever truly confirmed what happened that day, only the aftermath remained.

The Tyrant Demon was gone.

The war ended.

And the man who made it happen never spoke of it again.

Some say he erased parts of his own legacy. Others believe history was altered to protect something far greater than the truth.

But one thing remained certain.

Aetherion Eilram was the one who ended an age of chaos, and the very same man who would go on to found the academy that still bears his name.

In the aftermath of that victory, when the world was still scarred and unstable, the archmage chose not to rule, but to teach.

He founded Eilram Magic Academy.

Not as a symbol of power, but as a sanctuary, a place where knowledge would be preserved, where magic could grow without fear, and where future generations would be guided so that such a war would never happen again.

Then one day, the founder vanished.

No trace, and no farewell. Yet, the academy remained. For three hundred years, Eilram had continued to stand as both a sanctuary and a battlefield of talent.

A place where nobles and commoners are equal only in one thing, their worth is measured solely by power.

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The instructor's voice echoed through the training hall, cutting through the restless murmurs of the students as the group assignments were finally announced.

The current instructor was an old, sly-looking man with a long white beard. He was the homeroom instructor managing this first exam, temporarily replacing James Moore for fairness purposes.

The first exam had been given.

"Now forming parties for the exam," the instructor continued, his tone steady. "you will rely on each other whether you like it or not."

A quiet tension spread through the room.

"Emil Remington. Shayna DeRose. Seiren Silvius. Team 4."

Shayna DeRose was the first to react, flinching slightly as if trying to make herself smaller. Her blonde hair was tied into a loose low ponytail with a pink ribbon, while long bangs and a few stray strands framed her delicate face. Soft pink eyes looked around with quiet uncertainty. Petite and slender with fair skin, she carried herself with a timid grace, as though she naturally avoided being the center of attention. Despite being born into a prestigious ducal family, there was nothing intimidating about her.

Unlike her older sister, the student council president, Shayna had always preferred solitude over the spotlight.

Beside her stood Seiren Silvius. She wore her long dark blue hair loose, its layered strands flowing past her shoulders, while side-swept bangs framed her face. Her light golden eyes were calm yet distant, carrying a quiet sharpness that discouraged anyone from approaching. 

A daughter of the Silvius ducal family, long-standing rivals of House Lozano, Seiren excelled in water and ice magic, renowned for its precision and explosive burst power.

And between them stood Emil Remington.

The old instructor's voice cut through the lecture hall as he continued speaking, announcing, "Elira Frostborne, Sol Whitlock, Lucia Lozano. Team 3."

Elira Frostborne was the first to move. Her long, straight white hair fell in a loose, slightly messy flow, as though she hadn’t bothered to comb it before putting on her oversized witch hat. Beneath its brim, fierce blue eyes surveyed the surroundings with quiet confidence. Though slim in build, there was nothing fragile about her.

Even after everything the Frostborne family had gone through, she still carried herself with quiet pride, refusing to let the word fallen define her. A faint smirk curved her lips as she glanced at her teammates, her confidence never once wavering.

Sol Whitlock followed right after.

He had medium-length dark brown hair parted near the center, with soft, layered strands framing his face and the longer sides swept back naturally. Gray eyes and an athletic build completed his composed appearance. His expression remained as serious as ever, though being partnered with Elira, the very person he had challenged on the first day, and Lucia, someone he already knew, made the situation feel slightly awkward. As the heir of a marquis, he had been trained primarily in pure flame magic. Without a word, he stepped into position as though he had always belonged there.

Lucia Lozano stepped forward last.

Her hair was styled in an elegant side braid, loose layered strands falling naturally, a blue ribbon woven neatly through them. Golden eyes met the room with an easy brightness, and a cheerful expression rarely left her face, as though smiling had long since become second nature.

A ducal genius of the Lozano family, she was known for her mastery of water magic and her talent in mana circuit research for ships and large-scale infrastructure. Trained from birth to shoulder responsibility, she carried the expectations of her house without visible strain. Yet beneath that polished image, she held a quiet secret she never shared with anyone: she enjoyed reading novels, especially the kind she would definitely never admit out loud.

She turned to her teammates and smiled brightly. “Let’s work together, okay?”

Sol nodded.

Elira’s gaze lingered on Lucia a moment longer than necessary before she looked away first. Lucia didn’t react, but her ever present smile seemed to follow Elira just a little too closely before she finally turned her attention forward.

The old instructor watched them quietly, clearly entertained as he simply stared at the female students before announcing, "Alex McElfresh, Cassandra Langston, Ealric Griffin. Team 2."

The instructor’s voice faded, and Alex stepped forward as if he had been waiting for his name just to get it over with.

He had short, tousled brown hair with soft layers that added natural volume, and a slightly uneven fringe falling across his forehead, giving him a relaxed, approachable look. He was of average build and didn’t stand out much at first glance.

He was a count’s heir, trained in pure wind magic as a support-type mage, though he didn’t seem particularly interested in the title as he took his place.

"Alright," Alex said with a small sigh, "Let's just finish this and then go back."

Behind him, Ealric Griffin gave a quiet hum of agreement.

He had reddish-brown hair, styled in loose, messy strands that fell across his forehead, and amber eyes. He had an above-average build, shaped by his focus on earth magic and steel reinforcement, favoring endurance over speed. The same as Alex, he is a count in a neighboring territory, which is why he and Alex are almost always together. He didn’t say much, but he naturally stayed close to Alex, as if it had always been that way.

“Focus on not getting us killed first,” Ealric said calmly.

“I am,” Alex replied, then added jokingly in a slightly lowered voice so the others wouldn’t hear, “I’m focusing on not getting scolded by her.” Then he pursed his lips and subtly gestured toward their last teammate.

Ealric almost burst out laughing but quickly composed himself. Instead, he changed the topic and continued, “Did you already meet Aria?”

Alex was taken aback by the sudden question, then replied, “Yes, I did. Did you not yet? She’s in Class A. We should go visit her soon.”

But their chatting was abruptly cut off when their last teammate approached them. Cassandra Langston stepped in front of them and the atmosphere shifted slightly.

She was a ducal heir with long flowing black hair styled in soft layers that fell with natural volume. Slightly wavy and loose, it framed her face with a mix of elegance and untamed grace. A few strands rested around her cheeks, enhancing her mage-like presence. Her eyes were a striking glowing violet-purple, vivid and luminous. Tall and elegant, she carried herself like someone born expecting the world to listen whenever she spoke.

She looked at the two of them and said, “You two are already acting so carefree.”

Alex blinked and said, "Yeah, just chill out, okay? I know we can do this," as he flexed his skinny arm, prompting Ealric to scratch the side of his neck and reply, "We do, just… different kinds."

Cassandra clicked her tongue, muttering, "That's not reassuring," while her two teammates just looked at her and tilted their heads.

She shook her head slightly without any real anger, looking more like she had already accepted working with them as she stated, "Fine, just don't slow me down," prompting Alex and Ealric to exchange a look before replying "Yeah" almost at the same time.

As the instructor continued the group announcements by calling out, "Zinnia Elrod, Pavel Godfrey, Caen Damaris. Team 1," his voice echoed through the hall, causing the room to freeze in an unusual, sudden silence.

Because this time, everyone was watching the new transfer student who had been directly assigned to Class S, Zinnia Elrod stepped forward quietly.

She had long purple hair with black undertones flowing in soft slightly wavy strands that moved lightly with each step, giving her an almost ethereal presence. The darker tones blended beneath the purple sheen catching the light as it fell and enhancing her mysterious aura.

Her eyes were a glowing violet purple calm at first glance but carrying a sharp unsettling intensity. Despite her petite frame she moved almost without sound as if she hadn’t fully adjusted to the space around her yet. A rare user of shadow magic and poison affinity she naturally drew attention without needing to say a word.

Most importantly, a lingering question about her true capabilities had been circulating since the day she arrived, with some non-Class S students doubting her outright, others feeling curious, and a few simply waiting to see her fail.

Then Pavel Godfrey stepped forward, a muscular marquis heir known for fire magic and physical enhancement. He had short, tousled black hair with soft, uneven layers that framed his face naturally, giving him a slightly messy but intentional look. His cool blue-gray eyes were sharp and steady, carrying a quiet confidence that made his presence feel naturally commanding.

He cracked his shoulder once, as if this were just another regular training session.

Then Caen Damaris stepped forward, a tall, lean youth with silver hair that fell in soft, tousled layers, long bangs framing his sharp features and partially veiling his piercing blue eyes. Though slightly unkempt, every strand only added to his quiet elegance, giving him the composed aura of someone both noble and dangerous. Born into a ducal household where nearly every child inherited the rare gravity affinity, he immediately drew the instructors' attention.

The instructor finally spoke again as his eyes lingered on them a moment longer than the others while he licked his lips and muttered, "…Let's see what the transfer student is really made of."

Zinnia didn't respond, simply shifting her gaze for a brief moment so that she was looking not at the instructor, but at her lord, Emil.

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The process continued until all twelve of us were assigned, and by the time we were walking to the academy's magic hall, the crowd had swelled into a full-blown audience of students who I suspected had skipped class just to see the supposed S-class freshmen.

I tossed the joke in Shayna’s direction, but she just lowered her head shyly, not even blinking in response. I tried Seiren next, only to be met with a blank, hollow stare that gave me nothing to work with.

With that, I let out a quiet sigh. The silence between us stretched uncomfortably wide, and for a moment I found myself missing Elira—at least she always had something to say, even if it was the wrong thing at the right time.

"The exam will be based on how many minutes it takes you to defeat the monster," the instructor added.

I leaned back in my chair, half-listening as the teacher explained further details about the academy's history.

Honestly, it was interesting… but my mind wasn't there.

I needed to speak with Lucia later about my mother and sibling. I also needed to talk to Elira and offer her a contract.

A few minutes later, the instructor clapped his hands and announced, "Enough explanation. Move to the training grounds."

The class started moving to the training ground and began the dungeon exam. It was a constructed dungeon, where the instructor had placed captured monsters for the examination.