The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 318: Implementation of the Elimination System

Fifteen minutes later...

"All right, that’s all I wanted to say. Sorry for making you listen to my speech."

Merlin took a step back and bowed his head to everyone below.

After that, he walked to the right side of the stage.

"Hiks! I didn’t expect him to be not only handsome and strong but also good at public speaking. Is this the blessed power?"

A girl sobbed as she wiped her tears, and the other girls did the same.

They were deeply moved by Merlin’s speech. The male students could only remain silent as they watched their exaggerated reactions.

To be fair, Merlin’s speech was indeed excellent and touching. But their reaction was a little too excessive, wasn’t it?

Then they remembered Merlin’s handsome face and could only grit their teeth in jealousy.

Just because he was handsome, everything he did seemed so special.

Was justice in this world nothing but nonsense?

Meanwhile, Catrine, Luna, Margaret, Liora, and Monica couldn’t help but admire Merlin.

Actually, Merlin’s speech wasn’t that special, but the way he delivered it made it feel unique and made those who heard it feel comfortable.

It felt as if the one standing there wasn’t a twelve-year-old boy but an adult who had lived for decades.

After Merlin’s speech, the ceremony continued with several other speeches, which were rather boring.

But the students didn’t seem to feel that way. They still looked enthusiastic until Linda finally stepped up to the podium and looked at them calmly.

Her presence was overwhelming and exuded a subtle pressure that made them feel afraid unconsciously.

"Perhaps many of you don’t know me, so I will introduce myself first. I am Linda Thalsis—the head of Saint Freya Academy. It’s nice to meet you all."

Upon hearing this, the students immediately became excited. Linda Thalsis was a name that could strike fear into the hearts of even the world’s top experts.

Her nickname, "The Nameless Mage," had spread throughout the land.

Her position as the head of the academy further strengthened her prestige in the eyes of others.

Who would have thought that this calm-looking woman was the head of their academy?

Although some had guessed it, hearing her introduction directly was still surprising.

"As with any other speech, I would like to welcome you to Saint Freya Academy. But I want to remind you that entering this academy is not the end of the journey, but the starting point. I hope you remember this."

Everyone nodded in agreement with her words. They still had three years before graduating from the academy, and no one knew what might happen during that time.

It was possible that one of them could run into trouble and be expelled before finishing their studies.

Therefore, they must not be arrogant and must continue strengthening themselves if they want to survive in this academy.

"By the way, I also want to tell you that the academy will implement a new system to motivate you to study," Linda said with a slight smile. "This system is called elimination. Those whose grades do not meet the requirements will be expelled from the academy. So I hope you study hard. Do you understand?"

Her words were like a bomb that fell right on top of them. Their happiness at becoming true students of the academy vanished instantly.

"Damn! Why is such a system being implemented? I remember it didn’t exist for the seniors, right?"

"I don’t know either. Damn it! Will I be expelled later? I’m really bad at theoretical subjects."

"Me too! Argh!"

A commotion broke out among the students, especially the boys. They thought that entering the academy would completely guarantee their safety.

They didn’t expect the elimination system to be implemented right after they enrolled.

For those who were geniuses and smart, this issue was not something to take seriously. But for those who were weak in theory, this was a serious and terrible issue.

"Why did the Academy Principal implement this system so suddenly?" Luna asked in confusion, furrowing her brow.

It was a bit strange for the academy to implement such a system when they had all just entered.

Margaret opened her hand fan and covered half of her face.

"This kind of thing had to be done. You already know that the number of students entering the academy has doubled. What should have been only one hundred and fifty has become three hundred people. Not to mention, there are over a hundred additional students from the first wave. Taking care of them and making them stronger requires a lot of resources," she explained calmly. "And the academy is not a charity that will give all that to those who are lazy and incompetent."

She came from a family of merchants. For them, profit was everything, and that principle had been passed down to all of Beethoven’s descendants.

So, she wasn’t surprised by Linda’s decision at all. On the contrary, she thought it was reasonable.

Only those who worked hard and wanted to grow deserved the academy’s resources. Those who were lazy did not deserve them.

Luna thought about her words and found them reasonable. As cruel as it sounded, the elimination system was the best incentive to make students work hard.

"Every six months, the academy will conduct an evaluation to assess your academic and practical abilities. If your results are below the standard, you will be expelled immediately. You will also be banned from entering the academy for the next five years. So..."

A thin, meaningful smile appeared on her face.

"I hope you don’t disappoint me."

After saying that, she turned and walked down from the stage, leaving the students in panic and fear.

The moment they thought would mark the beginning of their life’s journey had turned into something that filled them with anxiety.

***

Merlin was walking down from the stage when a voice stopped him.

"Merlin, can I have a moment of your time?"

Merlin stopped and turned around, only to see his beautiful master, Linda, walking toward him.

"What is it, Master?" Merlin asked softly.

Linda stopped in front of him. She looked at Merlin, who had grown much taller than she remembered, with a nostalgic gaze.

"I want to talk to you about something. Are you busy?"

Merlin was surprised. It was unusual for Linda to ask to speak with him privately unless it was something important.

"Of course, Master. But what do you want to talk about?"

Linda only smiled as she took his hand.

"It’s a secret. Let’s go."

If the students in the hall saw her gentle expression, they would surely wonder if the Linda who had radiated such a strong aura earlier was the same person.

Merlin didn’t resist and simply let Linda lead him out of the hall.

"Umm... Master, can you let go of my hand first? I’ll feel uncomfortable if anyone sees it," Merlin said shyly.

Linda was a little taken aback by his shyness and teased, "What’s wrong? It’s unusual for you to be so shy. Usually, you’re the one who’s most daring when acting insolently toward your own master, right?"

Remembering Merlin’s behavior in her study made Linda’s face redden.

She didn’t understand how this little bastard could have such skills. As an adult, she should have been the one controlling the situation.

Strangely, it was Merlin who controlled her, leaving her embarrassed and helpless.

If people found out that the Nameless Mage had been toyed with by a boy who had just reached the Fourth Spirit Core level, her reputation would be ruined instantly.

Fortunately, no one knew about it except her and Merlin.

"Ahem! I’m sorry about that, Master. But we’re outside now. I’m afraid someone might see us so close together," Merlin admitted honestly.

To be honest, he didn’t mind if the master–disciple relationship between him and Linda became known to the public.

In fact, he would be extremely happy. With that status, no one would dare to mess with him, including those seniors.

But on the other hand, he thought about Linda’s situation. This woman had never accepted any students.

Even members of the royal families of Arcadia, Batrum, and Aldoria who believed they were talented and wanted to become her students had been flatly rejected.

He was worried that if their relationship became known, it might cause trouble for Linda instead.

Noticing his intention from the expression on his face, Linda felt warmth in her heart.

She smiled and reassured him, "I understand your intentions. Thank you. But there’s no one around now, so you don’t need to worry."

Merlin looked left and right to confirm her words. Sure enough, there was no one around, which made him feel relieved.

"Then what do you want?" Merlin asked.

Linda didn’t answer right away. She pulled Merlin toward the building where her office was located.

Once they arrived, she led him into her office and released his hand.

She walked to a wardrobe at the end of the room and took out a very formal black robe.

Throwing it toward Merlin, she ordered, "Change your clothes now."

Three question marks appeared in Merlin’s head. He quickly asked, "Wait a minute, Master. What’s really going on? Where are we going?"

There was still a welcome party tomorrow night, so she couldn’t go anywhere. Otherwise, the three girls would be angry with her.

Linda let out a long sigh and glanced at him irritably.

"Can you just come with me?"

Merlin shook his head firmly. "I want to hear it directly."

Seeing his stubbornness, Linda finally gave in and admitted, "Come with me on a date."