As the students slowly stepped into the hall, the attention of the rest of the students quickly shifted towards them.
From the raven black table, a man with black hair and black eyes stepped towards the podium at the front of the hall.
"Welcome, students." The man said in an intimidating voice. "I hope your journey was that of a thrilling adventure. Because don't expect any other form of 'fun', this is one of the most prestigious academies in the world. So be grateful you even passed the exam."
He looked back at the rest of the teachers sitting at the raven black table.
He looked back at the students and said,
"I will now invite Mrs. Nemona Valor, the headmistress of the Academy, to come and address the gathering."
A burst of applause broke out as the white-haired haired woman who was sitting at the middle of the raven black table stood up.
The headmistress wore a beautiful long dress, which was the colour of the night sky. She walked towards the podium as the other man slowly stepped back.
The headmistress drew her mouth closer to the sound amplifier and began speaking in a calm and soothing voice.
"Good evening, dear students. A very warm welcome to all our wonderful students, both new and returning. Although we've never met before, it seems to me that the students of this year are very promising as well.
Though I must remind all of you that your placing in the academy depends on your rank. The reason we do this is to make all of you prepared for jobs such as adventuring, hunting & serving the army.
The lowest rank is G, and it goes all the way up to SSS-rank. Although no one has reached it for the past one thousand years, give your best efforts to reach that rank and good luck with your studies. Thank you," she then bowed her head and walked back to her seat.
A round of applause was heard from both the students and teachers. The same black-haired teacher stepped towards the podium, holding a file.He opened it and, after a while, spoke.
"We will now commence the Summoning ritual. Although it is not a guarantee that you will be a Summoner, it is always helpful to have a partner, one that will help in both life & death."
He looked back at the orange-haired short man who was sitting at the table and nodded.
The man rose his hand and clapped two times. The floor in front of the podium split into two, and a new floor appeared from beneath the ground. On it, a magic circle had been drawn.
"Once your name has been called, please step towards the magic circle and insert your Mana into it. Shortly after, the magical beast or monster that matches you the most will appear before you. If you're lucky, you might even be able to state a blood contract."
The teacher yet again spoke.
Adrenaline rushed through most as they heard these words. Will they be the strong or the weak?