A film of mist gently pressed against the dormitory windows, dulling the view and making everything look farther away than it really was.

The air was chilly, closer to warm now with the bite of morning, but beyond that cold lay an enormous anticipation.

The semester had officially begun.

Ruvian inspected his [Scholar’s Profile].

=====

| Scholar’s Profile |

Name: Ruvian Castelor

Class: E-1

Circles: Polaris

Class Rank: No Data

First-Year Rank: No Data

Academy Rank: No Data

SPR: No Data

Potential: No Data

=====

| Scholar’s Performances Records (SPR) |

Theory Records: No Data

Trials Records: [50 Pts]

Field Records: No Data

Assignments Records: No Data

Contribution Records: No Data

Overall: No Data

Rank: No Data

=====

’So, it’s still the same...’

’Fifty points for clearing the trials.’

30 Points for surviving more than 5 minutes.

And 0 for failing.

Then, he inspected his Runeheart.

==========

{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}

◇ Name: Ruvian Castelor

◇ Age: 17

◇ Spellcore: Tier 1

◇ Rank: Fourth-Class Magus

◇ Magic Affinity: None

◇ Relevance Tier: Stage I – Footnote of Fate

◇ Plot Points: 11600 (PPs)

◇ Current Arc: Arc 2 – Beneath the Banner of Enrollment

[Mana Resonance: (13/100)]

==[General Attributes]==

Strength: F+ → E-

Agility: F+ → E-

Endurance: F+ → E-

Vitality: E-

Perception: E

==[Mage Attributes]==

Mana Control: E-

Casting Speed: E-

Magic Power: F → F+

Mental Strength: S

Mana Sensitivity: E

Mana Essence: [235/235]

==[Innate Blessings]==

- [Blessing of Indomitable Will]

==[Affinity Mastery]==

- [Pure Mana (Basic)]

- [Wind (Basic)]

==========

Thanks to the weekend’s brutal training and sparring sessions, his attributes had increased significantly—transcending into the Fourth-Class Magus Rank.

He can say it proudly that every hour of getting beaten down and forcing his body to move again had paid off in numbers.

And also, thanks to Silvena’s help, he managed to learn two basic wind spells, adding more spells into his catalog.

[Wind Barrier]

[Wind Blast]

’I didn’t expect Irene to volunteer as my sparring partner too.’ he thought.

Honestly, that was the last thing he saw coming.

But more than that, what truly surprised Ruvian was seeing her standing beside Silvena. In the novel, that kind of scene never existed.

It couldn’t exist because of Irene’s fate.

But he had changed it.

With a faint, satisfactory smile, Ruvian stood up from his bed, already fully dressed.

Today was the first true academic day of the term... the day when the academy would, in theory, resume its full function.

However, Ruvian had little illusion that anything studious would happen.

The novel had been brutally clear, after all.

Class E was a dead end. Most instructors considered it a trash bin, a place where scholars lacked noble backing and talents were sent to waste away.

Thus, most instructors either skipped the class entirely or sent assistants in their place, handing out vague notes and dry, pre-written lectures. And that was only if they even bothered to show the slightest effort at all.

’...Anyway, that’s not something I need to worry about.’

Whether the instructors came or not made little difference to him. Because what he was truly looking forward to was the upcoming clash between Class E and Class A.

Collecting his belongings, Ruvian made his way to the lecture hall.

’Let’s see how it goes.’

*****

The corridor leading to Class E’s assigned building was half-empty, scholars trickling in at a pace that suggested they, too, did not expect much.

Some wore the same blank-eyed fatigue, like they were already tired before anything had even begun.

Others talked lazily in small groups.

And a few walked alone, clearly uninterested in socializing.

It didn’t feel like the start of a new term at all.

Ruvian entered his classroom. He took a seat near the middle, close enough to observe, and far enough to avoid attention.

The clock on the wall ticked on.

10 minutes in, a few scholars began whispering.

15 minutes in, one of them got up and peeked into the hallway, then returned with a shrug.

At 20 minutes, the class began to get louder with empty chatters.

"Huh, no instructor is coming."

"I guess the rumour was true, after all."

There was a ripple of cynical chuckles. One scholar in the back pulled out a snack. While some began sketching magic circles in their notes for amusement.

Ruvian, however, continued to refine his Mana Essence, unmoved by the predictable apathy that unfolded around him.

But sooner or later, someone will come.

After a while, the door of his classroom creaked open, and every idle conversation that existed... immediately stopped.

’There she is.’

The sound of a mana stylus clattering to a desk echoed as the scholars turned toward the entrance.

A woman stepped through the doorway.

The way she walked did not openly demand authority, yet it carried the quiet assumption that it would be acknowledged anyway. Her dark hair swayed lightly as she moved further into the room.

Ruvian knew who she was.

Delila Victoria, Assistant Instructor of Class A Division.

"Why is Instructor Delila here? She had no business being in our class."

"What’s going on?"

The scholars in front of Ruvian whispered.

Instructor Delila scanned through the classroom, assessing.

Then, she finally spoke:

"Instructor Halten, the one assigned to Class E, couldn’t make it today. In light of his absence, I have been instructed by Instructor Veliana to oversee this class temporarily. Which means, for today, I am responsible for your lesson. And you are responsible for your behavior."

A hush ran through the scholars like a passing current.

Delila continued.

"So today, meaning right now, you will be joining Class A for a joint session. This isn’t optional. It’s been arranged, and I expect you to move immediately."

"I won’t tolerate childish behavior."

"So, gather your things and head to the training hall. Now."

Ruvian allowed himself a small, contained smile.

He rose when the others did and blended with the motion of his classmates.

*****

The order to change into their training uniforms was given plainly, without any room for argument.

Delila wasted no time moving them out of the lecture hall and toward the changing rooms beside the training wing.

Half of Class E shuffled forward like a scattered flock, trying their best not to look completely out of place. Even the usual lazy chatter had vanished somewhere along the corridor.

The moment the word "combat attire" was uttered, the reality of the session began to press down on them.

Why wouldn’t it be? No one had to say it aloud, but the difference between Class A and Class E had been drawn long ago.

So in an institution built on hierarchy, it was only natural that one class would be elevated as the ideal, while another would be defined by its shortcomings.

By the time they emerged into the corridor again, Class E looked unified in appearance, but the nervous energy hadn’t vanished from them.

Delila led them without glancing back.

[Training Hall - 1.1]

Since there were 80 scholars from each class, they needed to be divided into two groups for this session.

Ruvian was in Group B.

Soon, they entered together, stepping into a space that seemed too large for a simple joint training session. The walls were tall, reinforced with layered stone and spell-laced steel.

Above, a skylight of reinforced crystal glass let in the soft morning light.

And across them...

Class A was already there.

40 of them stood scattered across the hall.

Their presence was very oppressive, to say the least. Their uniforms matched Class E’s, but somehow looked sharper and better fitted.

The moment Class E entered, the room was suffocating. Many Class E scholars slowed their steps, hesitated as if they had entered the wrong chamber.

Some of them even looked down, eyes dropped to the floor below.

Ruvian, however, didn’t. His eyes scanned the very hall, absorbing every single face of Class A’s scholars.

’So, they were here, as well...’

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 68: In the House of the Talented]