Chapter 2979: Edge Academy Founding Ceremony Speech

———Speaker: Yao XiaoMi

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed professors of the First University, alongside other faculty members and students, and guests from both the Alliance and beyond, good afternoon.

I am delighted to stand here today, representing the North District of Beta Town, the Centaur Tribe of the Silent Forest, the Minotaur Tribe, the Giant Tribe, the Lake Lin Zhong Fishman Tribe, the Huiyin Tribe, the newly established Mouse Clan and the ancient Gypsy Witch Coven, and to voice the perspectives of the marginal communities of the Wizard World.

This is an occasion filled with multiple prides.

From today onwards, fringe wizards within the Alliance can proudly announce that they have their own academy within the First University; the First University can proudly declare that they will not abandon any part of the Alliance’s future; the Alliance can also boast that this is a united era, a great era, an era filled with hope.

Here, first of all, we must thank Lady Koroma De Gini.

A young witch, with a pure and determined belief, overcoming numerous difficulties, attempted to enable a group of children, nestled at the edges of the Wizard World, to truly master magic, and also sought to send them to the First University to receive the most orthodox magic education. This is a task that seems extraordinary and nearly impossible to accomplish.

Yet she ultimately succeeded.

Her belief spread like a seed among wizard communities, continuously growing and expanding, gradually gathering the faith of all fringe wizards, eventually flourishing into a towering tree, assisting all fringe wizards to ascend from the ground to the skies.

This is her victory.

It is also the victory of the First University.

We must understand, in our world, there are countless young wizards, not every young wizard possesses exceptional talent, outstanding intelligence, devout faith, or fearless courage, nor can every young wizard become a Big Wizard or even a Legend, but each young person will, like the sun, possess their own radiant moment of glory.

But when we gaze at the sky, we will see that every day’s sun rises from the edge of the world and sets at the edge of the world.

In relation to this world, each one of us wizards is a fringe person.

Big Wizard Nelson once said, education is the most potent magic that can be used to change the world. I very much appreciate this saying because it accurately describes the relationship between innate potential and acquired effort, much like the question posed by Sir Francis Bordeaux, a 19th-century Britannia philosopher of magic: Is magic controlling us, or are we controlling magic?

Today, we can loudly answer him, we are controlling magic. Magic is the gift we unexpectedly acquire in our quest for the world’s truth. We cannot choose our birth and lineage, nor can we decide our growth environment, but the pursuit of truth can be uniform.

This simple yet pure belief tightly connects each of us with this world, propelling the development of the world while leaving traces of our existence bit by bit in this world.

Each of us is a storyteller of our own lives, and each of us can decide whether or not to create a legend that belongs to us.

Just like our Miss Colma.

Additionally, what I greatly admire about the Edge Academy is that this newly established academy upholds the excellent tradition of inclusive education that the First University consistently practices.

It brings the most advanced magical knowledge to the fringe communities, achieving incredible accomplishments in promoting magical innovation and cross-racial collaboration mechanisms. It fully proves that education is indeed the cornerstone of the operation of our world; it truly changes the future of our world by shaping young minds. Its establishment is akin to erecting a high lighthouse on the vast sea, and its influence transcends merely providing magic education to specific fringe communities, as it also improves the entire wizard geopolitical landscape.

We hope that the establishment of the Edge Academy will continuously create endogenous motivation for the development of the fringe communities in the Wizard World; we hope that the support of the First University for the Edge Academy will extend beyond the students of the academy to broader fringe wizard groups; we also hope that outside of the First University, all wizards within and outside the Alliance will continue to provide more necessary tools and richer magical resources for the exploration and expansion of the Edge Academy.

Pioneering requires sacrifice.

Whether it’s the pioneering of new worlds or the pioneering of new magical realms.

Just like the wild grass at the edges of the Silent Forest spreading towards barrenness, they despair, they yearn; they are so ordinary, yet so extraordinary.

We have always believed that the prosperity of a collective is never assessed by the height of mainstream culture, but by whether fringe people also have the right to exist.

The birth of the Edge Academy can break the cultural barriers enclosing knowledge transmission in the Wizard World for long, dissolve the misunderstandings between different races, promote the further development of societal fairness and justice, and ensure the doors of opportunity open for more souls yearning for magic. ℴ

These visions align with the principles pursued by Jiuyou Academy and Alpha Academy.

I have no doubts that the emergence of the new academy will leave an indelible mark on the river of time and destiny.

I am equally sure that truly realizing our visions requires more effort and sacrifice.

To borrow words from a deceased wizard—we insist on establishing this academy not because it is easy, but precisely because it is fraught with difficulties.

Yet, we went ahead and did it.

Because we believe the following truths are self-evident: all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, which include the rights to life and liberty, and also the rights to the pursuit of knowledge and happiness.

Once the seeds of equality are planted, they are beyond anyone’s control.

Once the buds of freedom sprout, they will bloom with radiant vitality.

Faith’s gentle rain nurturing the saplings will make them grow robustly.

The courage to strive will prompt them to boldly stretch out their branches, embracing the lightning bolts descending from the sky.

Matthew’s gospel once said to the disciples, whatever you do for the least among you, you do for me. Each of us is one of the least in the Wizard World.

This serves as the best solace for the hearts of marginalized individuals unable to find a place for their future and hope.

Lastly, let us offer our enthusiastic applause in sincere welcome to the young wizards about to join the First University! We express heartfelt gratitude to the Nameless Principal, Vice Principal Ruoyu, Vice Principal Emma, and Lady Shi Hui who firmly support marginal groups! And we extend our best wishes to the soon-to-be-established Edge Academy.

Blessed by Heaven, safeguard our destiny!