Ivan was currently in his third year of elementary school and was about to head to middle school.
Headmaster Naur could only help his student by getting him into a middle school that was focused on nurturing the students themselves, and not their ability to wield powerful magic.
"Even though I've failed you as a teacher...I shouldn't fail you as a parent. Since you aren't able to wield magic like other children, or aspire to be a wizard like your friends, I've decided to send you to Jumper Academy, a B-rank educational institution that covers both middle school and high school syllabuses."
Headmaster Naur paused for a moment before he continued, "Although Basic Elementary School is only a C-rank elementary school, Jumper Academy accepts students from all walks of life."
It was then that Headmaster Naur handed Ivan a brochure about Jumper Academy.
"Jumper Academy? How come I've never heard about this school?" Ivan flipped through the brochure and asked.
Although Ivan was a crippled and couldn't wield magic, he still did his research on the middle schools that he could apply to after he graduated from Basic Elementary School.
Among them were Normal Middle School and Gepard Vocational School.
As for Jumper Academy, Ivan had never heard of this supposedly B-ranked educational institution.
But it was his own Headmaster Naur that was recommending this school.
It had to be legit, right?
"Jumper Academy, where the growth of one's heart and morals are more important than the ability to wield powerful magic? Don't you think this sounds fishy?" [Ivan]
"Fishy? Why would I think it's fishy?" Headmaster Naur cocked his head and wondered aloud.
"I mean, it seems like this Jumper Academy was founded with good morals in mind. In this modern age of wizardry, good morals and justice are merely tools of propaganda for the Wizard Lords and Magic Empresses to preach to the common folk.
In the world of true sorcery, the supreme might triumphs over everything else! The country would undoubtedly crown someone King or Lord if they had the ability to wield incredibly powerful magic!"
After blabbering on and on for a good minute, Ivan clenched his fist and did a pose only a child would dare to do.
Headmaster Naur saw this and couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
"Son, this is why I want you to attend the academy. Although I myself admit that having good morals and a righteous heart is rather ephemeral to the modern wizardry world, just because you couldn't use magic and decided to practice martial arts instead, you became a wuxia addict."
Listening to the blabbering of a 10 yr old may not be pleasant, the old man couldn't help but cringe slightly when he heard his 10 yr old student used the law of the jungle as a reference to the modern world of magic.
Although modern society no longer functions under the law of the jungle, wizards would undoubtedly feel superior when comparing themselves to people like the young boy.
"Practicing martial arts to replace your inability to use magic is fine and all but, if you were to meet a real wizard and they kept their distance from you at all times...run, son. Run as fast and far as you can." Headmaster Naur solemnly warned.
"Even if I'm crippled and can't use magic?" Hearing the solemn tone of his guardian, Ivan lifted up his head and asked.
"Yes, even if you're crippled and can't use magic. They will still consider you as a potential threat to them and will try to eliminate you quickly. So when I say run, you better pray your movement technique can allow you to outrun them." [Headmaster Naur]
After being deployed onto countless battlefields before retiring and becoming an educator, he understood the thoughts of wizards like the back of his hand.
"The world is a scary place…" The young boy muttered to himself.
"It's not the world that is scary, but the inhabitants, humans specifically, that makes it scary…You'll understand all of this once you're older." Headmaster Naur let out a long sigh before giving a pat on his student's back, hoping his student wouldn't think too much about it right now.
On his way home from the school's gymnasium, Ivan took the brochure out again before staring at the big, bold words on its cover: "Jumper Academy, we emphasize good morals more than one's talents!".
While he stared at the brochure in his hands, Ivan began to think about the current world and its issues over the past century.
It was currently the era of modern wizardry and scientific application of magic.
With the arrival of chantless magic and advanced enchanted weapons that increased the combat effectiveness of wizards, countries and kingdoms around the world felt annoyed at the current era of peace.
What's the use of technological advancements if we can't use them against our enemies?
Emperors and tyrants alike started to plan for wars that could take hundreds of years to end.
To the rulers of these kingdoms and countries, they didn't mind spending millions and millions of gold to build up their armies and burn bridges with their allies.
As long as they get to test out the effectiveness of their new weapons, they wouldn't mind losing some territories and men as long as they had daughters or maids to marry off afterwards.
Even though Ivan's country, Ishgar, was only a medium sized country to begin with, all other powers avoided Ishgar like it was some holy ground they would never touch.
Thanks to this, Ishgar remained as a neutral force whenever a new war erupts around them.
If they don't involve Ishgar, Ishgar won't interfere with their childish plays either.
Besides, Ishgar also benefits greatly every time some bored rulers start a war for their entertainment.
Being the only neutral country, Ishgar wanted to take advantage of their neighbors and decided to expand their weapons' industry as well as its tourism industry.
Kingdoms would first aggressively purchase weapons from Ishgar every time war was about to start.
And after the wars ended, Ishgar would purchase those broken battlefields from the winning countries for cheap before turning it into theme parks and secret lands.
Tourists would then flock to these remodeled battlefields to sight see and find treasures.