Chapter 99: Year Two

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Year Two

The morning air at Sol-Aethel Academy hummed with nervous energy as students flooded into the central atrium of the Grand Hall. High above the polished marble floor, massive holographic leaderboards flickered to life, displaying the cumulative first-year academic and practical rankings across every specialized department.

Rowan walked alongside Squad 07, his Enchanted Straw Hat resting comfortably over his dark hair. The crowd parted slightly to give the exhibition champions room, whispering with anticipation as the squad approached the main display wall.

Rowan raised his eyes to the Herbology Department board. Pinned right at the very top, glowing in luminous golden script, was Rowan Vance – Rank 1, backed by an unprecedented perfect score on his Tower specimen acclimation research.

"Not that any of us had a single doubt about that one," Valen chuckled, clapping Rowan firmly on the shoulder.

Rowan smiled warmly, but his attention quickly shifted to his teammates as they scanned their own results. A series of triumphant grins broke out across the group. Barney and Seraphina both claimed Rank 1 at the absolute peak of their respective departmental rosters, their flawless scores cementing their status as unmatched prodigies in their fields.

Right beside them, Caelen and Mirei let out breathless laughs of excitement. Just six months ago, both had been floating around the top twenty—solid, but still striving to bridge the gap toward the academy elite. Now, after months of grueling squad training and fueling their bodies with high-vitality crops from Sunny Vale, both had surged into the Top 5 of their departments.

"Top five..." Mirei whispered, staring at her name listed among the academy’s absolute best. "We actually pulled it off!"

"All those brutal morning drills paid off," Caelen added, pumping his fist with a bright grin.

Surrounding students watched in sheer awe as Squad 07 stood together before the boards. It was one thing for a single prodigy to dominate a department, but for an entire five-person unit to hold three first-place ranks and two top-five placements was completely unprecedented in Sol-Aethel’s history. Rowan tipped the brim of his straw hat with a quiet sense of pride, knowing that their shared dedication had forged them into the standard by which the entire academy was now measured.

***

From the elevated balcony of the Grand Hall’s second floor, Rowan leaned against the polished marble balustrade, gazing down at the sea of newly admitted first-year cadets gathered on the main floor below. Dean Sterling stood at the central podium, her powerful, resonant voice echoing through the acoustic arrays of the hall as she delivered the opening convocation speech.

Watching the wide-eyed freshmen look up toward the faculty and upperclassmen, Rowan felt a quiet wave of nostalgia wash over him. It felt like just yesterday he was standing down in those exact ranks—wearing simple suburban clothes, clutching a civilian awakening tag, and listening to the dean’s speech while being brushed off for holding a humble farming class. Now, resting his arms on the railing while wearing his Enchanted Straw Hat, he was entering his second and final year at Sol-Aethel Academy.

"Look at them down there," Valen murmured beside him, crossing his arms with a light grin. "Half of them look like they’re about to pass out from sheer excitement."

The quality of this incoming class was noticeably higher than the year before. Flares of dense elemental mana, refined martial postures, and powerful baseline aura pulsed from the crowd below. Following Squad 07’s historic victory at the Imperial Exhibition Tournament, Sol-Aethel’s prestige had skyrocketed across the continent, drawing a record influx of high-tier prodigies, noble scions, and hidden talents eager to join the realm’s premier academy. Squad 07 hadn’t just elevated their own status; they had raised the bar for the entire institution.

Seraphina adjusted her glasses, looking over the admission statistics on her slate. "The baseline entry exam scores for this batch broke a ten-year academy record across three departments. They came here specifically to follow the path our squad set."

Rowan smiled warmly, his fingers lightly touching the Golden-Red Imperial Dragon Badge pinned to his chest. Time had flown by in the blink of an eye, but as he looked out over the crowded hall alongside his squad, a sharp, resolute focus settled over him. With this being their final year at the academy before stepping out into the wider empire, Squad 07 was determined to make every moment count.

***

Following the convocation ceremony, Dean Sterling dismissed the incoming freshmen to unveil the second-year curriculum to the remaining upperclassmen. The upcoming semester presented a major turning point in their development: cadets were given the choice to pursue specialized industry internships with premier corporate conglomerates and top-ranking adventurer guilds, or apply for elite academy exchange programs across the realm.

For the absolute peak of the second-year class, however, the decision was earned through sheer merit.

To foster imperial integration and test the realm’s premier talents against the continent’s best, the top three squads—a total of fifteen second-year cadets—were officially dispatched to the prestigious Imperial Academy in the capital for an exclusive, semester-long exchange program. As the undisputed Rank 1 team of Sol-Aethel, Squad 07 naturally stood at the very head of the fifteen-person delegation.

"The Imperial Academy..." Valen whispered, a sharp, competitive spark flashing in his eyes as the official assignment order updated on their slates. "That’s where the high lords, imperial guard cadets, and legendary guild heirs gather."

"The standard there is cutthroat," Seraphina added, adjusting her glasses with a keen smile. "The resource density, private trial towers, and advanced archives easily rival the imperial court itself."

Rowan tipped the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, resting his hand comfortably near the Golden-Red Imperial Dragon Badge gleaming on his chest. While his peers buzzed with excitement over the capital’s martial prestige, Rowan’s thoughts turned toward the vast opportunities awaiting him in the central province. The capital held rare seed auctions, historic botanical archives, and uncharted tower specimens that could further enrich the soil of Sunny Vale and push his Gardener of Eden class to even greater heights.

With their inventories fully stocked with high-vitality provisions from the farm, their foundations solidified at Level 10, and their squad chemistry sharper than ever, Rowan and Squad 07 stood ready to lead Sol-Aethel’s delegation into the heart of the empire.