Greatest Academy's Student: Magic and Money

Arriving at the ground floor in his uniform, worn with pride, and carrying a black leather bag embroidered with the academy's crest, Finn encountered the landlord as he entered with a brown paper bag in his left hand.

Mr. Bethlem, a middle-aged man with a brown beard, brown hair, dark eyes, and a chubby frame, wore a grey shirt and a white casual top.

"Finn, first day at the Academy?" he asked with a warm smile.

"Yes, sir. I'm a bit late…" Finn replied animatedly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, get going then! If you ever need anything, just call me or pop by my flat!"

Finn nodded in agreement as he sprinted away, taking a right turn and racing down a double staircase, divided by a single railing, that led to the expressway.

He reached the expressway, and paused at a bus stop, scanning the area for the bus.

This alternate London was truly unique, surrounded by a massive citadel that enveloped the city. In this world, every city operated independently, not part of a country, and each had its own defence mechanisms against others, now referred to as Kingdoms, governed by the Council of Elders—a total of six politicians who occupied the Council.

Finn opened his book, the first page detailed how to reach the Academy, which was taking the bus from the busstop - simple!

A special bus stop had been constructed for the school, with one dedicated bus servicing it. This was a recent development following the admission of less privileged students through scholarships.

He walked for ten minutes along the pedestrian walkway before arriving at the bus stop.

Upon reaching, he found around thirty-eight students, all dressed in the Academy's uniform like him, buzzing with excitement about their first day at such a luxurious institution.

The bus stop was elegantly designed with a curved glass canopy that provided shelter from the elements.

Beneath the canopy, wooden benches lined either side. The ground was tiled with flowery patterns, reflecting the academy's crest, and the air was fresh with the scent of blooms from the flowerbeds that flanked the stop.

A large digital display board hung overhead, flashing the schedule of arrivals, while the walls were inscribed with motivational quotes from notable alumni.

Twenty six of the students were female.

The girls' uniforms consisted of a crisp white blouse with a ruffle at the collar and the academy crest on the left side, a navy blue ribbon tie that could be worn in a bow, a tailored navy blue blazer with gold trim and the academy crest on the pocket, a knee-length pleated skirt in dark grey, and polished black low-heeled shoes.

Finn scoffed silently at their enthusiasm.

"Shouldn't they be a bit sad about going to school? I mean, it's always toxic," he thought inwardly while flipping through the book.

At that moment, the bus approached with a bright yellow exterior.

The academy's crest was prominently displayed on the side. The doors slowly swung open with a welcoming hiss.

The driver, a young man clad in crisp white uniforms and shoes, with a matching cap perched atop his head, greeted the students with a respectful nod.

The students filed in orderly with excitement.

Finn was the last to board, and by the time he stepped inside, most of the seats were already taken. Only a row of five cushioned seats at the back remained available. Two male students occupied two of those seats, engrossed in conversation.

He chose the window seat, settling in as he resumed reading the book.

The bus lurched forward and joined the road.

After driving about 200 metres, the bus approached an intersection where cars turned in various directions. In the centre of the turn stood a tall statue of a female knight, sword pointed forward—the Glorious Knight, Claire Fisher.

She had valiantly defended London against its enemies nearly 600 years ago. The statue, standing about 28 feet tall, was built in a knight's armour, the sword painted red.

The bus carefully manoeuvred through the intersection, it turned onto a new path, gliding past the statue as cars whizzed by, maintaining a moderate speed.

Ten minutes later, the bus came to a stop in front of an enormous gate, painted black with the crest at the centre.

No other building was present within a 0.5 kilometre from the academy's estate, which expanded in size and grandeur.

This was more aptly described as an estate rather than simply "a building."

The large gate suddenly opened automatically with the push of a button from the security house after the guard spotted the bus on the camera outside the gate. The students marched down from the bus and into the estate.

The grounds were expansive, covering over 50 hectares, decorated with manicured lawns and pink blossom trees. The estate featured several buildings, including the main academy structure, a library, and various sports facilities

A security man in a blue uniform and a white cap emerged from the security house, located 40 metres away from where the students stood. The large two-storey building was painted blue with white stripes. The man was in his late thirties, with deep brown eyes.

"Hello, I will be leading you to the main building, where your tour will begin," the security man said in a raspy voice as he guided them straight ahead to a five-level building with black-tinted glass structures.

Finn's eyes roamed over the beautiful surroundings; he couldn't keep his gaze off even the most trivial details.

This is large enough to be called a town... I can't even imagine how much was invested in all this!

In a rough calculation, this is over 70 football pitches and 100 standard-sized rugby pitches... He wondered.

After a five-minute walk, they arrived at the building's frontage.

Suddenly, the enormous gate, now distant, opened again.

Three cars drove in: a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a Rolls Royce Ghost, and a Cadillac Escalade.

Finn spotted the cars, assuming they might belong to some high officials visiting the academy. The vehicles drove in an orderly line towards them and then took a turn onto another route, heading towards a six-level building with the same glass structures, likely one of the teaching buildings.

Finn's eyes were fixed on them, curious to see who they were after noticing the exotic cars.

The doors on the passenger side of the three cars opened.

From the Mercedes, a female student stepped out; from the Rolls Royce, another female student emerged; and from the Cadillac, a male student got out.

His eyes widened in shock; so it was students in those cars. However, not only Finn was stunned, but the other students were also amazed by this and couldn't keep their mouths closed.

What in mama's kitchen am I looking at...?

This kids would surely worth a lot in the black market! Including ransom...

At that moment, the security man gestured towards the main building, while the glass doors automatically slid open.

They all entered, with the security guard returning to his post.

The interior was eye-catching: high ceilings beautified with multiple white circular LED downlights brightened the entire space—an enormous lobby that featured a tiled floor.

To one side, an empty reception desk stood, crafted from mahogany and L-shaped, offering a spacious front for students to make enquiries and a side area for administrative tasks, along with a smooth glass top.

Built-in cabinets provided hidden storage, keeping the surface clutter-free, while discreet drawers were located on another part of it. Integrated USB and power outlets were positioned for convenience, alongside a touchscreen monitor for additional information.

Beneath the desk, LED lights emmited a bright glow onto the floor. The academy's crest was etched into the wood, and a small, tasteful plant sat in one corner.

A trolley of new cleaning equipment beside it.

About five students, clearly from affluent backgrounds, sat on plush white executive armchairs, engrossed in their phones, typing and calling. None paid any attention to the new arrivals, leaving them standing there like fools.

Finn sighed, casting a glance towards the reception; no one was present. He decided to approach one of the students to inquire about the receptionist, while the other newcomers were too frightened to approach them.

"Hi, sorry for the disturbance I might temporarily cause, but I simply want to ask about the receptionist. We're new here, so we don't know much..." Finn asked politely.

The male student he approached scrutinised him from head to toe before returning to his phone, completely ignoring Finn.

"Imbeciles..." he cursed inwardly, then tilted his head to survey the other students, who were similarly standing and gazing around.

"...And these ones are no different!"

A few minutes later, the elevator beside the reception dinged open, and two male students emerged, laughing and chatting. They held a toilet brush and yellow gloves, as if they were serving a punishment.

A red badge on one of them uniform's crest bore the inscription, "Adhere to all matters temporarily!"

They approached the reception desk.

Finn strode over to the desk, clutching his bag tightly, while the other students slowly followed behind him.

Upon arrival, the two male students looked up as they cleaned the desk with sanitising wipes.

"Hello, we're new here and were wondering if..." the first boy, wearing a fashionable white jacket over his crisp white shirt, interrupted

"Newbies from the scholarship programme?"

Finn refrained from answering, as the question felt more like an insult due to the tone and delivery.

The mention of "the scholarship programme" was far from welcoming to Finn. It could have been easily phrased as, "How can I help you?" instead of that.

The boy grinned while the second continued cleaning the desk. He then added, "Sorry, that might have sounded rude. Frank here will show you around the school." He placed a hand on his colleague's back, who looked up, confused.

"Though not everywhere, as you might need to use the maps on the last page of the book in your hand. As you can see, the estate is quite large..."

"Welcome to Mixt, our favourite Magical Academy!"

Finn nodded slightly in agreement. The first boy pushed Frank—if that was indeed his name—out from behind the reception desk and gave him a slight wave.

"What? Nathan, have you started chainsmoking again? Weren't you the one in charge of their tour?" Frank protested.

"No, no! You do the tour while I clean! Classes begin in 20 minutes, you know. So let's be quick!" Nathan replied with a sly grin.

...

Moments later, Frank led the thirty-nine students around the expansive 50-hectare estate, but he only provided details about a small portion of the grounds, roughly three acres.

He began by pointing to a large six-level building directly in front of them. "This is the First Year building," he explained, gesturing towards the building that the three students had entered.

"Here, you'll attend all your classes with your peers. The classrooms are well-efficient, that I could vouch!"

Next, he directed their attention to another building adjacent to the First Year structure. "And that's the Second Year building. It's similar in design but tailored for more advanced studies. You'll see the differences in curriculum as you progress."

Frank then pointed to a three-level building that stood apart from the others with a white tinted glass facade.

"That's where the top students go for their Magic studies," he said with a hint of reverence. "It's reserved for those who are on the "billboard." For daily studies, they join everyone else in their respective classrooms, but this area is exclusive during special sessions."

They continued, Frank mentioned a prominent billboard inside the Main Building.

"The Top Ten billboard, introduced by the Student Council," he said proudly. "It showcases the ten richest students in the academy. It's a great demotivation for everyone, reminding you to know your place in terms of wealth."

Finn was intrigued by this and wished to learn more about the billboard and who the students on it were.

Frank gestured towards another two-level building nearby. "And over there is the Student Council building. They manage various activities and events throughout the academy. If you have ideas or concerns, that's the place to go if you want a shorter life in the academy, though."

Seems like this academy is a fun place to be... I would love to see and know more. In addition, how am I to access magic? I do suppose that would be taught in classes... Finn pondered.

Frank paused for a moment, observing the once eager faces of the students, now frightened, with Finn appearing different from the rest.

This one is odd... he doesn't look scared...

"You can find the complete map of the estate and buildings in the book given to you, right at the last page," he added quickly. "It'll help you know more about the rest of the academy."

With that, he turned on his heel and dashed back towards the Main building, leaving the thirty-nine students standing in front of the First Year study building.

Classes were set to begin in just five minutes!

The students slowly walked into the First Year building, now pressured by what they might have to face in the future, while Finn followed them from the back, staring at the book he had been holding for a while.

He skimmed to the last page and saw two additional pages, with a map of the academy's estate drawn on it, vividly and in great detail.

Now inside the building, they found themselves in another expansive lobby, designed similarly to the previous one but without a reception desk and larger than the Main building's.

Two majestic staircases, each with fifteen large tiled steps and glass railings, led to the second floor. It was divided by a large column, resembling a balcony with the railings from the stairs connecting there.

As they lifted their gaze to this presumed balcony, they saw a total of fifteen students standing there, staring down at them with a hint of disgust in their eyes. Other students were not near the column, but also stared at the newbies the same way.

However, four out of them wore different expressions; they simply looked down on the new students.

Among the four, were three who had been seen earlier in exotic cars.

The female student who descended from the Rolls Royce stood at the centre, her eyes was locked on Finn, who hadn't noticed them yet.

"Who's that one?" the male from the Cadillac asked rhetorically, his interest in Finn piqued as he raised a finger and swiped it, throwing the book from Finn's hand to the ground, in order to turn his attention to them.