A New Proposal

Afterward, the Magic Academy officially opened, and the crowd filed in like fish through a stream. Various registration stations had already been set up inside the academy, with senior students serving as guides. Thus, although there were many more people this year, the order was even better than in previous years.

Everyone who passed before the stone monument engraved with names pressed their palms together and bowed slowly.

"...I never thought you'd really carve all their names onto it."

Amid the bustling crowd, the president stopped before the monument, turned around, and spoke to Benjamin, who stood nearby.

"Isn't that only proper?" Benjamin shrugged and replied.

"But before this, no one had ever done such a thing."

Benjamin nodded. "There really doesn't seem to be a custom like this here... But I think remembering heroes is very important. No one wants to face death, yet someone has to bear the danger. If the students know that, should they fall, their names will be carved on the Heroes' Monument, perhaps it'll give them a little more courage to face The Church."

The president looked somewhat surprised. "Holding a memorial service was actually meant to temper the new students?"

Benjamin smiled faintly, said nothing, and turned to leave.

He could see that, beyond anticipation and bewilderment toward the unknown, reverence had also appeared on the new students' faces. And whenever the senior students looked at those familiar names on the monument, their eyes showed not only mourning, but determination as well.

To be honest, ever since the Magic Academy had been founded, Benjamin had emphasized the threat The Church posed to them. But most students had never even been near the Hori Kingdom. Empty talk alone could hardly give them much sense of crisis. This time, after personally witnessing the comrades who