46 speeches

"The ceremony is about to begin, so please line up," said one of the teachers.

As soon as his voice faded, we all arranged ourselves in a line while chatting in hushed voices. After a few minutes, we started making our way to the hall where all our family members were applauding as we appeared.

On the second floor of the classroom, my grandparents were watching everything. Alongside them were Uncle Diss and other important people.

Time passed, and as soon as the principal and the student council president finished their speeches, the announcer's voice returned:

"Next up is the welcoming speech from the new students. This year, we have the honor of receiving two exceptional individuals who scored the highest marks. Let's give a big round of applause to Shin Walford and Ryu Walford, who are coming forward to share their enthusiasm and dreams for this new chapter."

"Sure..." We both responded simultaneously, noticing that everyone around us was observing and discussing us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the girls beside me had changed their gaze. They could never have imagined I was the grandson of their greatest idols, but I just smiled at them.

Shin advanced to the stage by walking, but I had a different plan. Regular entrances were not my thing, so I smiled and pulled off an interesting trick.

My whole body transformed into a small, beautiful phoenix that flew through the room towards the stage. As I got closer, several black feathers appeared around me, and then I returned to my normal appearance. Still floating at a nearby distance from the stage, I took a small step in the air and finally landed.

When I turned to face the audience, I saw them all looking at me with surprise. Many of the girls had stars in their eyes, while my girlfriends were still trying to process the fact that I was the grandson of the sages. Seeing me perform this trick, they couldn't help but furrow their brows when they noticed some girls looking at them.

Uncle Diss and my grandfather were laughing heartily at my grand entrance, while my grandmother gave me a look that said she would scold me when I got back home.

Shin, on the other hand, seemed a bit lost after witnessing my entrance. He decided to perform a trick of his own and used his propulsion boots to make a spectacular leap with some acrobatics in the air before landing on the stage. It was incredible, but he couldn't outdo me.

As he came to my side, I decided to let him speak first. He approached the front and began the speech:

{Allow me to introduce myself. I am the representative of the new students, Shin Walford. Today, on this auspicious day, I am truly delighted to be observed by mentors and distinguished guests, welcomed by teachers and classmates, and enrolled in Earlshide's Advanced Magic Academy...}

(I had planned to present the entire speech to save some words, but I decided not to do it as it would be quite boring for you, so I'll make the effort instead...)

Shin's speech was really good as he began by sharing his story and how he came to be a peasant, the reasons for enrolling, and so on. I won't lie, it was a pleasant speech, filled with laughter as he recounted his anecdotes, lightening the atmosphere. Eventually, he concluded, receiving a great deal of applause, and then it was my turn to introduce myself.

{My name is Ryu Wolford, and as you may know, just like my younger brother, I am the representative for the first-year students. When I was informed that I had to give a speech, I honestly didn't know what to say as I had no idea what to talk about.

So, I decided to share the most important lessons I've learned during this journey, both good and bad.

Unlike my younger brother, I didn't spend my entire childhood in the forest. At the age of 10, I decided to explore the world to become stronger because I felt like I couldn't progress any further with my magic.

So, one night, without anyone knowing, I left the mountains behind. Perhaps it wasn't the right thing to do, but I felt it was the best way to proceed.

Instead of taking the easy path, I deliberately chose the more challenging one to prepare for the challenges ahead. That's when I discovered that hard work can overcome anything.}

As I recounted some of the small incidents and things I witnessed during my five years of travel, I saw the audience reacting with surprise and sometimes sadness. I won't lie; my speech wasn't overly poetic. I simply spoke about those typical self-help advice you find on social media. It was like copying a speech from one of those motivational speakers who stand on stage in front of a large audience. I just adapted it to fit this world based on my writing experience.

While delivering the speech, I didn't notice that my grandparents and acquaintances were looking at me with mixed emotions.

"Ha... Little Ryu, sometimes I feel like it might not have been good for you to mature so quickly. It seems this journey exposed you to things you shouldn't have encountered at such a young age," commented Grandfather Merlin.

"Though we may regret it, there's nothing we can do now," added Grandma Melinda, letting out a sigh."

While they continued creating the most dramatic and tragic story in their minds about what I might have experienced during that time, I kept reading that motivational speech I had stolen from someone I had heard in my past life.

{...

In the clutches of life, when it grabs you by the throat and suffocates you, you stay calm as you try to understand it. You don't panic, you don't give up, and you don't throw in the towel, because you know very well that there is a way to avoid it. And when you finally discover how to escape the trap life has set for you, that's when you triumph.

...

In conclusion, I truly hope we can enjoy these years at the magical school.}

When I finished my speech, there was a great deal of applause, and many people were excited because my speech had really touched them.

"Snif... Snif... I'm sorry, family, from now on I'll try harder."

Various murmurs could be heard around, gradually subsiding. Everyone could tell that, although we were siblings, our speeches were completely different. Shin's speech was funnier, filled with anecdotes that amused the audience. On the other hand, mine was more focused on the effort each one should make to move forward, about not giving up, and a few other messages.

As I returned to my seat, the three girls looked at me with a strange expression. They were excited about my speech but also surprised.

"What's going on? Did you fall even more in love with me?" I asked teasingly.

"Don't be silly, why didn't you tell us you were the grandson of the wise one and the guru?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah, why didn't you?" Maria chimed in.

"I was really surprised to find out, Ryu," Secily commented.

"I didn't tell you for two main reasons. Firstly, I don't want people to approach me just because of my grandparents' identity. I want to be surrounded by people who value me for who I am, not my background. Secondly, none of you would have believed me," I replied calmly.

Upon hearing my explanation, they all nodded, as my reasons made sense. They didn't comment much about it after that.

"Now you're just missing saying that you're that famous writer," August whispered in disbelief.

I remained silent while all the girls around me stared with wide eyes, waiting for my response. I simply nodded calmly, leaving them speechless.

They needed time to process and accept all this new information that had suddenly come their way.

After my speech, it was the King's turn to speak, and Uncle Diss took the platform and began his speech.

Later, we headed to the classroom, but it was challenging to reach our classroom because there were many people ahead of us, blocking our path.

"Young Ryu, can you sign my book?"

"Me too, please."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Young Ryu, let's have a child..."

...

There was a big crowd in the middle of the school hallway, and I could only sign a few things while politely declining some propositions. I could also sense that the girls were not very happy about this. No one said anything, but I knew them well enough to notice their subtle reactions.

Although I can see their discomfort, there isn't much I can do. It's normal for this to happen when you're known in some aspect. They will understand when their own super group forms in the future. So, I decided not to dwell on it for now.

Returning to the topic, the courses are divided from level S, the highest, to level C, the lowest. In our class, we have 11 students. In the normal history, there would be 10, but with my addition, we make it 11.

1st Place: Ryu Walford and Shin Walford

2nd Place: August Von Earlhyde

3rd Place: Maria Von Messiana

4th Place: Yuri Carlton

5th Place: Secily Von Claude

6th Place: Alice Corner

7th Place: Thor Von Flegel

8th Place: Rin Hughes

9th Place: Tony Freid

10th Place: Julius von Rittenheim