Chapter 649

The primary pavilion of the Clock Tower Dormitory.

Reflecting the immense scale of the Clock Tower Dormitory, this main hall possessed enough space to comfortably accommodate every single student without feeling cramped.

As it happened, the entire student populace had assembled inside at this very moment.

“It feels just like our first year all over again,” Chloe murmured softly, resting on a seat within the pavilion while keeping her eyes fixed on a grimoire.

Hearing her comment, Carl scratched the back of his neck and offered a nod of agreement.

“Yeah, no kidding.”

At present, the assembled crowd was partitioned into three distinct groups.

The Knights Department, the Magic Department, and the Summoning Department.

For those in their third year, the arrangement triggered memories of the inter-departmental tournament they had participated in during their initial enrollment.

Given that they had spent the previous year cohabitating in shared dormitories regardless of their specialization, this particular arrangement felt novel for the first time in twelve months.

Conversely, the second-year students found the setup rather uncomfortable.

Ever since they had entered the academy, the mentor system had conditioned the second-years to view their peers through the lens of individual rivalry rather than factional allegiance.

This mindset had carried over strongly into their second term.

On the other hand, the fourth- and fifth-year seniors were perfectly accustomed to such groupings.

Meanwhile, the first-year freshmen were quietly observing the demeanor of their upperclassmen.

For these newcomers, merely sharing a room with the second-year students was intimidating enough.

With every single older student gathered under one roof, the freshmen felt compelled to maintain absolute silence.

As this heavy mood lingered in the air, Carl let out a soft click of his tongue.

“Come to think of it… I used to wonder why this place was built so massively.”

“Hmm? Oh, right.”

Chloe, whose expression had briefly turned puzzled at Carl’s remark, nodded in understanding.

Upon first seeing the structure, the third-year class had excitedly assumed they would have the massive dormitory entirely to themselves.

Yet, upon entering, they discovered it was a shared space for all academic cohorts.

It would have been incredibly vacant had only the third-years occupied it, but considering it housed every single grade level, the sheer scale made perfect sense.

“Even so, having plenty of space is a good thing,” Illiana chimed in, entering their conversation.

“There are all kinds of convenient amenities built right into this dormitory!”

“True enough. They even included a library. I spotted quite a few unfamiliar grimoires in there.”

“Wait, really? There’s a library?”

“What exactly were you looking at when we arrived?”

“The recreation lounges, obviously!”

Chloe shook her head in exasperation as Illiana proudly flashed a thumbs-up.

“By the way, why are you standing over here?” Carl questioned.

“Huh?”

Illiana blinked in surprise at his inquiry.

“You belong to the Knights Department. Why are you hanging around our section?”

“What are you saying! I register for every single major class in the Magic Department!”

“But your assigned living quarters are over with the Knights Department, aren’t they?” Chloe pointed out, keeping her focus locked on her book.

“Are you ostracizing me just because I follow the path of a magic swordsman? The spirit of a Magic Department student runs deep within me!”

“And yet a person with such a spirit moved into the Knights Department quarters?”

“That is incredibly unkind! Don’t tell me even your class president is going to exclude me? The class president literally takes part in three separate tracks!”

“Leo is an exception.”

“Yeah, Leo doesn’t count.”

Illiana pouted when Carl and Chloe answered simultaneously without a second thought.

“You guys are terrible!”

“What’s all the racket over here?”

“Chen Xia! Look, they’re combining forces to bully me.”

Illiana whined, shifting over to lean on Chen Xia.

Glancing at her, Chen Xiaaddressed the nearby second-year students.

“What are you all waiting for? We have an infiltration agent from the Knights Department in our midst. Escort her out.”

“Do you even possess a shred of human empathy?!” Illiana shrieked at Chen Xiaa’s cold treatment.

“Senior Illiana. Um… Senior Celia mentioned that it’s time and requested your presence over there,” Luke spoke up cautiously as he walked over.

Turning his gaze to Luke, Carl remarked, “Luke, why did you choose the Knights Department anyway? You easily had the talent to join the Magic Department, didn’t you?”

“Oh? Well… spellcasting feels incredibly complicated. I wasn’t confident I could handle it properly.”

“What a waste of potential. Even this simpleton manages to get by in the magic tracks,” Chen Xia said, crossing her arms and gesturing toward Illiana.

“I am not a simpleton! And since when did you start speaking so bluntly to me?!”

“Is this your first time playing the role of an infiltrator?” Chen Xia retorted with narrowed eyes.

“An infiltrator! Let me repeat myself! The very essence of the Magic Department resides in my—”

“Senior Illiana. Senior Sia told me to convey that you should stop bringing shame to our department and get over there immediately. She added that she didn’t hold any expectations for you anyway.”

“…”

Aina, stepping out from behind Luke, delivered the message with a completely blank expression.

“Tsk! I was just about to succeed!”

“So you really were trying to gather intelligence. And you weren’t anywhere close to succeeding.”

Just as Carl shook his head at the disappointed Illiana, a sudden sound echoed.

Thud—!

Chloe slammed her grimoire shut.

Click-clack—

Simultaneously, Elena emerged from the rear section where the Magic Department students had massed.

In an instant, every eye in the room shifted toward Elena.

As Elena walked past, her gaze briefly locked with Chloe’s.

Chloe offered a pleasant smile, spun a lock of her hair, and advanced to the front of the Magic Department’s ranks.

“Senior Elena’s aura hasn’t changed a bit,” Chloe murmured.

Carl responded to her comment, “An authority like that doesn’t just vanish.”

It was, quite literally, a presence capable of dominating an entire crowd.

That impact only grew stronger the larger the audience became.

Anyone witnessing it without prior exposure would find themselves completely entranced.

While the third-year students and older cohorts were accustomed to it, the second-years reacted with visible tension at Elena’s arrival.

Typically, seniors were viewed as unapproachable figures by the freshmen.

Because of this, the first-years actively avoided places where the older students gathered.

Among them, Elena held an exceptionally prestigious status within the academy, making her a rare sight.

They had caught glimpses of her during public functions, but she had never openly radiated her magical energy in this manner before.

In a sense, this version of Elena could be considered her authentic self.

While the second-year students fought to withstand the pressure Elena emanated, the freshmen simply gaped at her, utterly spellbound.

“She… she is breathtaking…” someone whispered under their breath.

As the newcomers remained glued to her form, Elena arrived at the absolute forefront of the Magic Department, lightly twirling her hair as she spoke.

“It appears that the representatives from each department have finally assembled.”

Hearing Elena’s statement, Lil, standing at the very front of her group, lifted her hand.

“Senior Elena! Senior Runebah is still resting in the back row!”

Elena turned her gaze toward Lil, her expression suggesting she was listening to nonsense.

“Aren’t you acting as the spokesperson for the Summoning Department?”

“Huh? Senior Runebah is the top-ranked student of the fifth-year Summoning Department, so how could I possibly assume—”

“You go ahead and be the representative. I prefer to keep a low profile,” Runebah called out from the back, shrugging his shoulders.

“Wait? I can’t possibly do that…”

“Oh, yes you can! Go right ahead!”

“We place far more confidence in you, Lil, than we do in Runebah.”

The fifth-year Summoning Department students actively nudged Lil to the front.

“Go get ’em, our little prodigy!”

“I am not a prodigy!” Lil objected to her seniors with a frown, though the fifth-years naturally paid her no mind.

Amidst the commotion, Tarkon, stepping forward to represent the Knights Department, spoke up.

“Before anything else, let’s ascertain our current circumstances.”

As of right now, only the student body occupied the living quarters.

Beyond that, they lacked any concrete data.

Acknowledging Tarkon’s point, Elena noted, “As everyone can see, all academic years and specializations are sharing this single dormitory. Furthermore, the territories have been explicitly demarcated.”

Elena’s eyes crinkled slightly.

“It appears our evaluations this year will take the form of an inter-departmental rivalry.”

“Precisely!”

The moment Elena finished her thought, Sedgen’s voice rang through the air.

As everyone turned their attention toward the source, a loud sound followed.

Bang—!

The main hall doors swung wide, revealing Sedgen and Tina.

“This term is quite literally a clash between departments! To emerge victorious, every member of a department must band together as one!”

Following Sedgen’s pronouncement, murmurs rippled across the student body.

Reacting to Sedgen’s speech, Elena let out a soft smile.

“And what rewards await the victors?”

“The winning department will be granted an array of extraordinary privileges!” Sedgen declared proudly.

“First and foremost! Not a single individual from the winning group will face expulsion prior to the conclusion of the second-semester final examinations!”

An audible wave of surprise rippled through the crowd at such an unprecedented announcement.

“Every single student belonging to the victorious department will automatically promote to the subsequent grade or graduate!”

“Whoa…!”

Shouts of excitement burst from the first- and second-year ranks.

“What becomes of the departments that fail to secure the win?”

“Whether an individual faces academic dismissal will be determined by their cumulative performance. However, for this academic year, the grading metric has been shifted from a relative curve to an absolute threshold.”

Chloe raised her hand after digesting Sedgen’s explanation.

“Ah, my stellar student! Chloe! What is your inquiry?”

“Will this integrated housing system remain in place for the upcoming year?”

“Exquisite! Truly my favorite student! What remarkable foresight!”

Sedgen clapped his hands together fervently and strode over to Chloe.

“Present your palm!”

Though caught off guard by Sedgen’s instruction, Chloe extended her hand.

Sedgen pulled a stamping device from his attire and pressed it firmly against her palm.

[Superb Work.]

Chloe blinked in confusion at the phrase imprinted on her skin.

The marking faded away shortly after.

“Any student who performs an admirable deed will receive a commendation stamp! These commendation stamps translate directly into bonus points for your dormitory!”

“Why utilize a physical stamp rather than a direct points ledger?” Chloe inquired out of genuine curiosity.

Sedgen answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“Because it aligns with my personal tastes!”

With that statement, Sedgen marched back to his position.

“Chloe, how did you deduce that this housing arrangement would carry over into next year?” Carl whispered.

“The winning faction secures total immunity from expulsion for all its members, right? I realized that could lead to a massive imbalance in student numbers between the departments next term. Furthermore, the promotion criteria shifted to an absolute metric. That implies the academy intends to provide as many individuals as possible with the chance to advance.”

Chloe calmly outlined her logical progression.

“The suspension of academic dismissals until the end of the year creates a framework that builds upon the previous mentor initiative. Therefore, I concluded they designed a environment where the upperclassmen are forced to guide their underclassmen.”

That was the essence of the absolute grading system.

Unlike a relative curve that mandates dismissals based on bottom-tier placements, an absolute metric meant anyone who surpassed the baseline score would successfully advance.

To hold a competitive advantage in the following year’s departmental rivalry, it was vital to retain as many students as possible.

“The primary advantages pertain to your academic advancement! While there are various other perks, I shall unveil them as time goes on,” Sedgen said with a grin.

“For now, I am certain you all are famished and weary, so let us make our way to the dining hall! The academy has orchestrated a grand reception to welcome the freshmen!”

Just as Sedgen turned toward the main entrance with a smile, a sudden impact occurred.

Bang—! Thud—!

“Oof!”

The heavy doors flew open abruptly, striking Sedgen squarely in the face.

Leo, who had chosen that exact moment to push the doors open and enter, spoke up.

“Professor Sedgen. Are you unharmed?”

“Is that you, Leo?” Sedgen groaned, picking himself up.

“You are tardy. A general assembly notification was distributed to everyone, was it not?”

“I never received any such alert,” Leo replied, scratching his head.

Tina nodded in confirmation at his words.

“It appears the distribution system is failing to reach the Clock Tower. There seems to be a glitch in the network.”

Sedgen accepted Tina’s explanation, given that she was the architect behind the Clock Tower Dormitory’s design.

“Hmph! Very well! Exercise greater vigilance moving forward! Let me see your hand, Leo.”

When Leo complied, Sedgen pressed the device against his palm.

[Must Try Harder.]

“Regardless of the circumstances, lateness remains lateness!”

“…Aren’t I entirely exempt from the dormitory point system anyway?”

“Is it not the principle of the matter that counts?” Sedgen laughed loudly.

Fixing his gaze on the professor, Leo reached into his own pocket, pulled out an item, and stamped his opposite palm.

Sedgen’s expression instantly twisted upon witnessing the action.

“How do you possess that?”

“Professor Harlind granted it to me. It falls within my jurisdiction as the student council president.”

Leo offered a smirk, displaying the [Superb Work.] mark now etched on his hand.

“Unbelievable! Harlind is infuriating, and you are equally infuriating! Leo Ploveeee!” Sedgen threw a tantrum.

Leo and Tina worked together to pacify the raging instructor.

Observing the spectacle from the sidelines, Illiana spoke up.

“Chen Xia (Chelsea/Chen Sia).”

“Yes?”

“Do you think we could sway the class president? Perhaps with some sort of charm tactic or something similar?”

“Do you honestly believe that would work on him?”

“Tsk.”