Chapter 616: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: Award and Ending Ceremony III

Many of the First-Year students smiled proudly as Elder Godwin Fraser’s words settled over the arena.

For some of them, the Grand First-Year Combat Festival had ended far earlier than they had hoped.

Some had lost during the first round, others had managed to advance into the second round, only to find themselves facing opponents they could not overcome. As the rounds continued, more students were eliminated, and with every passing match, the number of First-Years still standing in the competition grew smaller.

Many had continued to lose.

A few had not even been given the chance to show the whole Kingdom the full extent of their abilities. They had entered the festival with expectations, hoping to demonstrate their strength and prove that the effort they had put into their Alchemy was worth something. Yet, before they could reveal everything they had prepared, their matches had already come to an end.

For some, the loss had been especially hard to accept.

They had entered the Royal Academy carrying the titles of geniuses from their respective families. Their parents, relatives, and even other Alchemists had expected them to perform well. Some had been praised for their talent since childhood, while others had spent years trying to live up to the names they had been given.

But the Combat Festival had placed them against thousands of other talented students.

And not everyone had been able to defend the title they had already been given.

A few had failed to show the strength their families expected from them, while others had discovered that there were students their age who had grown far beyond what they had imagined.

It was not easy to stand on the same platform as those people.

It was even harder to accept that some of them were now being praised throughout Britannia while their own names had appeared near the bottom of the rankings.

Still, when the First-Years heard the Vice Headmaster’s words, many of them found themselves smiling.

The expressions on their faces changed little by little.

Some raised their heads, while others glanced at their classmates, noticing that they were not the only ones who had struggled during the festival.

Because, at least...

There were people who were proud of their performance.

Their losses had not erased the effort they had put into the competition, nor had their present rankings decided everything they would become in the future.

For students who had spent the past weeks comparing themselves with their opponents, those words meant more than they might have expected.

Godwin Fraser looked over the assembled First-Years.

He had finished speaking about how far they had come, but there was still something he wanted them to understand before the ceremony moved on.

"But even with all of that..."

His voice grew louder as he held the microphone a little tighter.

"This is just the very beginning of your life in the Royal Academy."

He spoke with a serious expression.

The students listened.

Some of them straightened their backs, while others stopped exchanging glances and turned their attention fully toward the Vice Headmaster.

"Even though today, your rank might look very bad, don’t be saddened, because tomorrow, your rank can increase amazingly."

Godwin paused, allowing his words to settle into the minds of the First-Year students.

The ranking had not yet been fully revealed, but many already knew that not every name would appear where its owner wanted it to be. Some students would find themselves lower than they had expected, while others would discover that their results were better than they had imagined.

Godwin wanted them to remember that neither result had to be permanent.

"The battle has already begun, the battle to the top. You are all going to have to continue putting in your best, whether you want to remain at the top or reach those higher places."

He moved a few steps to the left, still holding the microphone as he looked across the platform.

The movement was unhurried, and his gaze passed over the different columns of students.

"The road is still pretty long and vast, just like how your journey as an Alchemist is also vast. So, don’t lose hope just yet. Try your best and keep pushing yourself beyond your limits. Always wake up the next day thinking to yourself that you have to be a better person than you were yesterday. The world will keep moving, and your fellow students will keep growing as well."

His voice echoed throughout the arena.

There was no need for him to shout every word. The speakers carried his voice clearly, allowing the students and spectators to hear him without difficulty.

Godwin paused again.

"The world will not stop moving just because you have reached a certain level of strength. Your opponents will continue to train, discover new ways to use their Alchemy, and find ways to overcome the limits they once believed they had."

He looked around at the First-Year students.

"Whether you let yourself be left behind is up to how you choose to push yourself."

A few students lowered their eyes, thinking about their recent losses. Others looked toward the students who had performed especially well during the festival, their expressions carrying a mixture of respect and determination.

Godwin did not ask them to become the strongest overnight.

He simply wanted them to understand that their future depended on what they chose to do after this day.

"I wish you all the best for your future time in this Academy."

He smiled warmly before turning to return to his seat.

The moment Godwin sat down, the First-Year students began clapping.

Their applause started from the platform, then spread toward the surrounding seats as the spectators joined in. The Third-Year and Second-Year students also clapped, and soon the whole arena erupted in another round of applause.

Some First-Years smiled at one another.

Others clapped while looking toward the Vice Headmaster, grateful for the words he had offered them before the ranking reveal.

The applause continued for several seconds before Professor Liliana Galehart’s voice came through the arena speakers.

"Thank you, our dearest Vice Headmaster, for the wonderful speech. I hope all you students learn from this, and don’t give up hope because you feel the others are miles ahead of you."

Her calm voice reached the entire gathering.

"If you ever feel like you are losing hope, just remember that there is no such thing as untalented. It doesn’t exist as an equation or mathematics. It can be a philosophy or an ideology, but a being that lacks talent doesn’t exist. All you have to do, as a person and as an Alchemist, is find that talent within you, utilize it to the best of your ability, and keep growing stronger."

The applause slowly faded as the students listened to her.

Some of them appeared thoughtful, while others nodded faintly.

Liliana continued.

"Of course, there will be those who keep growing better than you, but don’t let that stop your growth, because these people are just like you. They all grow stronger because they want to, and they work hard for it."

Her voice echoed through the arena speakers.

The words carried a different weight from Godwin’s speech, but the meaning behind them was much the same. The students had seen how much difference training, experience, and the way someone used their Alchemy could make during the Combat Festival.

They had watched classmates develop new techniques, adapt to their opponents, and continue fighting even when their original plans failed.

Some of them had also realized that talent alone would not always be enough.

The students who had won would need to keep improving if they wanted to hold on to their positions, while those who had lost would have to find ways to close the gap between themselves and the people ahead of them.

Liliana continued speaking.

"Now... revealing what everyone has been waiting for..."

She stopped speaking for a moment.

The anticipation began to build almost immediately as the spectators realized that the rankings were about to be revealed.

Conversations started up across the arena, though most remained brief as people leaned forward in their seats. Several First-Year students exchanged glances, while others stared at the Holographic Screens, waiting for the first names to appear.

The rankings were one of the main reasons so many people had remained for the Award and Ending Ceremony.

The Combat Festival had shown them what the students could do in battle, but the final ranking would place every First-Year in a position that could be compared with the others.

For the students, it would be a judgment of their current standing.

For the spectators, it would be another chance to argue about the strongest geniuses in the Academy.

And for those who had spent the entire festival wondering where their favorite students would place, the wait was almost over.

Liliana’s voice returned.

"Please, I would first like to welcome the Top Ten Second-Year students of the Royal Academy, Professor Greg Mayer, and Professor Kent Preacher to the stage."

She spoke softly.

The attention of the arena shifted toward the entrance.

Ten Second-Year students soon walked out, dressed in the full Royal Academy uniform with its Burgundy and Black color theme.

Their long coats moved as they crossed the floor, and the Academy crests on their uniforms caught the light from above. Their caps, gloves, long coat, shirts, and trousers were neatly arranged, giving the group a more mature appearance than the First-Years standing on the platform.

A few of the female students wore black straight-leg trousers instead of the usual black skirts and leggings worn by the other ladies.

Their appearance was elegant, mature, and strong enough that some of the First-Years felt slightly intimidated.

These were their seniors.

Some of the First-Years had already met them during faction gatherings or club activities, and a few had spoken to them on more casual occasions. Yet meeting them in this atmosphere felt more pressuring.

There was a difference between speaking with a senior during an ordinary gathering and seeing that same person walk onto the platform during a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of people.

The Second-Years had already passed through their own First-Year period. They had their rankings, their achievements, and their own reputations within the Academy.

To the younger students, they were a reminder of what awaited them in the years ahead.

Among the ten was Preston Sailor, ranked Number Three among the Second-Years.

When he noticed his little sister among the First-Years, he raised a hand and waved at her.

His younger sister immediately hid nervously after seeing her older brother’s warm smile.

Preston watched her reaction.

Then he laughed helplessly.

He had only waved at her, yet she had reacted as though he had caught her doing something embarrassing in front of the entire Kingdom.

The sight brought a faint smile to his face before he returned his attention to the ceremony.

The ten Second-Year students moved into position and stood in a horizontal line.

Each of them held a throw pillow, and a golden-and-black card was neatly placed inside a small glass box resting on the pillow.

Catherine Bergwyn, ranked Number Four among the Second-Years, looked toward her little sister, Diane Bergwyn.

She raised her hand and waved.

Diane, as usual, was already sleeping while standing straight.

Her posture remained upright, and her expression showed no sign that she was struggling to remain awake. The noise of the arena, the movement around her, and the anticipation of the ranking reveal did not seem to have made much difference.

Yet, even while sleeping, Diane somehow noticed her older sister.

She lazily raised one hand and waved back at Catherine.

Then her hand lowered again.

Catherine could only look at her little sister’s familiar behavior.

Matilda Burnwick, ranked Number Two among the Second-Years, smiled warmly as she looked toward Ravenor Burnwick and Sasha Burnwick.

Both of them lowered their heads when they saw her.

Matilda’s smile remained in place as she watched them, though she soon turned her face toward Cyrus Burnwick.

Cyrus calmly waved at her.

Matilda stared back at him with a faintly irritated expression on her face.

Cyrus did not seem to care.

He continued waving with a calm smile before finally lowering his hand.

The brief exchange ended without either of them saying anything, and the ceremony continued.

The two professors then walked toward the front of the Second-Year students.

Behind them, several servants entered the arena while pushing a trolley decorated in silver and gold. Exquisite patterns had been carved or arranged across its surface, and the Royal Academy crest was displayed prominently on the front.

A cover rested over the tray on top of the trolley, hiding whatever had been placed inside.

The servants guided it carefully across the floor, making sure that the wheels moved smoothly as they brought it into position near the stage.

The First-Year students watched the trolley with curiosity.

The glass boxes and cards held by the Second-Years had already attracted attention, and the covered tray only added to the questions forming in the minds of those who could see it.

Professor Greg Mayer stepped forward and looked toward the First-Years.

"I won’t waste time speaking."

He said it calmly.

"Let the ranking reveal begin."

Greg raised his right hand and snapped his fingers once.

Almost immediately, a large Holographic Screen materialized above the platform.

The light from the screen spread across the arena, drawing the eyes of the spectators toward it.

Everyone looked up.

A loading bar appeared on the screen.

For a moment, it moved slowly enough that several students began holding their breath, but then the bar advanced rapidly toward completion.

The ranking reveal began.

The names of the First-Year students started appearing in ascending order, beginning with the very last position and moving toward the higher sections of the ranking.

One name appeared.

Then another.

The list continued climbing.

Several First-Year students frowned when they saw their names appear among the lower rankings. Some wore awkward expressions, while others stared at the screen with tight lips, trying to keep their reactions under control.

They had already known that their performances might place them lower than they wanted.

Knowing something was one thing, however.

Seeing their names displayed before the entire Kingdom was another.

A few students lowered their heads before looking back at the screen, while others exchanged glances with their classmates, silently wondering whether their friends had received better positions.

The Holographic Screen continued updating.

The names kept appearing from the bottom toward the top, and the arena remained focused on the growing list.

For some students, the ranking was already a disappointment.

For others, it was a relief that their names had appeared higher than expected.

But even those who were unhappy with their results had something to hold on to.

The words spoken by Vice Headmaster Godwin Fraser and Professor Liliana Galehart still lingered in their minds.

Their present positions were not the end of their journey.

They could still grow.

They could still improve.

And tomorrow, they could begin working toward a better place than the one they held today.