Chapter 648
Chapter Title: The Entrance Ceremony and the Clock Tower Dorms
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648.
Evening, as the sun began to set.
The entire student body had gathered on the Erec Training Grounds for the entrance ceremony.
The current students were seated in designated areas around the perimeter of the grounds, organized by year.
In the center of the Erec Training Grounds stood 500 freshmen, lined up by their home regions.
Every upperclassman had once stood in that very spot as a freshman.
Because of this, the entrance ceremony always stirred a strange sense of nostalgia in everyone.
At least, it was supposed to.
"What in the world did you do to make all the freshmen look so demoralized?"
In the third-year section.
Chelsea asked reproachfully from her seat among the magic department students.
"My only crime was trying my best."
"You should know when to stop. How could you crush their spirits like that?"
Chelsea crossed her arms, her brow furrowed.
Normally, on the day of the entrance ceremony, the eyes of Lumerne's freshmen sparkled with excitement.
*They feel like they've conquered the world.*
Just being admitted to the Hero Academy, arguably the best educational institution in the world, was enough to fill anyone with pride.
Dreams and hope.
The freshmen should have been brimming with anticipation for their new school life.
But instead, a shadow hung over every one of their faces.
Karl, the one responsible for this atmosphere, wore an expression of feigned injustice.
"What happened?"
Chloe asked, looking just as puzzled.
"I just meticulously set traps and tricked the first-years. Since I helped prepare the entrance exam, I had a rough profile of all 500 of them in my head."
Karl pulled a potion vial from his coat and gently shook it.
"A Change Potion. It lets you take on the appearance of anyone you want for a short time."
"Isn't that the party toy you made?"
"It's a toy, all right."
Karl grinned triumphantly.
Its short duration made it perfect for parties—a literal surprise potion.
"I extended the transformation time a bit. Then I disguised myself and slipped in among the first-years. And I sowed chaos among them."
The effect was undeniable.
They didn't know each other well.
And it was a strategy that worked because they were all keenly aware that they were competitors.
"Later, I even transformed into someone and approached them while the real person was right there."
"You didn't get caught?"
"Hah. I'm quite the politician."
His knowledge of the entire first-year class became his greatest strength.
Framing the inexperienced real person as the imposter was hardly a difficult task for Karl.
"That's a bit cheap."
"When 500 people are trying to catch me, I have to be cheap."
Karl shrugged.
Divided and even fighting amongst themselves, the first-years literally self-destructed.
It was only natural for them to be intimidated after being so thoroughly outplayed by a single person.
Besides, to be frank, the only time Karl had fought seriously was during the first battle.
They had literally been played for fools by Karl alone.
Chelsea shook her head.
"If you ask me, you need to change your title."
"To what?"
"The King of Dirty Tricks."
"Hoh... For some reason, I like the sound of that."
Chelsea chuckled at Karl's sly grin.
"It must have been a good learning experience for the first-years."
Abad said with his characteristically gentle smile.
Strength isn't everything.
It was an obvious truth, but a difficult one for first-years to truly grasp.
Having learned it the hard way through Karl, it was a valuable experience for them.
No one was worried about them being crushed by hitting a wall.
*If they can't overcome something like this, they don't deserve to be Lumerne students.*
That was the shared sentiment among the upperclassmen.
-We will now have a speech from the freshman representative. Freshman representative, Perena Hergin. Please come forward.
At the mention of the student's name, the third-years' gazes all turned to Eliza, who was sitting at the very front of the summoning department's section.
Eliza, who had been sitting and filing her nails as if she had no interest in the ceremony, spread her manicured fingers and spoke.
"What are you all staring at?"
She blew on her nails—*hoo*—and looked at her classmates with a bored expression.
In response, Jureden, the third-ranked student in the summoning department sitting next to her, asked.
"Your sister started this year?"
"Yes."
"Is she as nasty as you are?"
"Pfft!"
"Khhh!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"He asked so bluntly!"
Sounds of suppressed laughter could be heard from all around.
Of course, some, like Chelsea and Iliana, were clutching their stomachs and laughing openly.
"Are you asking to die?"
Eliza stood up, yanking her whip taut—*thwack*!—just as...
-Third-years. All of you who were just laughing and talking, get down on the training grounds and put your heads to the ground.
Halind's icy voice rang out.
At his words, the third-years grimaced and went down to the training grounds, pressing their heads to the ground.
Everyone's resentful gazes turned to Jureden, who had made the unnecessary comment.
"Hey, I just asked a question."
Jureden looked aggrieved.
And so, the bizarre spectacle of numerous third-years being punished unfolded.
No one dared to sneak away.
Since Halind was the one giving the punishment, getting caught trying to avoid it would mean facing a literal hell later on.
"Pathetic."
Duran muttered, and Celia spoke as if in agreement.
"They really have no sense of tension."
After that small commotion.
Perena stepped onto the stage.
-Respected professors and upperclassmen of Lumerne. I offer my sincerest gratitude for welcoming us freshmen...
Perena shyly read her speech with a demure posture.
-...Freshman representative, Perena Hergin.
When her speech concluded and Perena was about to leave the stage, the announcer spoke.
-Student Perena. Do you have anything you'd like to say as the representative?
Perena paused, then smiled shyly and said.
-I will do my best to be a diligent student.
With that, she quickly descended from the stage, as if embarrassed.
Watching her, Chloe muttered.
"Eliza's sister is so timid. That's unexpected. Karl, what was she like during the test earlier?"
"..."
Karl recalled Perena.
The image of her attacking him with a murderous, life-or-death intensity came to mind.
*She's a total phony.*
"Well, just looking at her now, she seems like a young lady from a noble house... but she's not as innocent as you'd think for someone who got into Lumerne."
Karl shrugged.
There was no reason for him to expose her true nature when she was trying so hard to hide it from the public.
*I might be able to use this to my advantage later.*
-This concludes the entrance ceremony. Please follow your designated instructors to the dormitories by year. That is all.
***
"Professor Artian!"
"Wow! You're our instructor!"
The third-years greeted Artian with pleased expressions.
"Everyone, did you have a good break?"
Artian welcomed the third-years with a smile as warm as a spring day's sunshine.
Artian was one of the most popular teachers at Lumerne.
She was known for being benevolent, kind, and generally a generous grader.
Of course, while being a popular teacher, she was also an object of fear.
This was, naturally, because of the heroic spirits that would possess her if students misbehaved.
The Wailing Wall and the Iron Mace of Punishment—never defy Halind and Artian.
It was a story that had become common knowledge at Lumerne.
"This year, I! Will be in charge of the third-year Heroics and Combat Studies classes!"
"Combat... Studies?"
"Don't you only teach Heroics?"
The entire third-year class froze.
"Yes!"
Artian, who had been appointed around the same time the current third-years had entered the academy, was a professor in the summoning department who had only ever taught Heroics.
But starting from the second semester of last year, she had begun teaching Combat Studies as well.
This was because the headmaster, Liina, had decided that Artian, with her ability to channel the spirits of knight and mage heroes, would be a great asset to practical combat training.
Liina's judgment had been spot on.
The only problem was that Artian's Combat Studies class was a thorough conversation of fists.
Thanks to that, the second-years' Combat Studies class last year had been filled with endless screams.
Seeing the frozen third-years, Artian's closed eyes snapped open.
"Huh? Got a problem with that?"
"Wow! How exciting!"
"Haha! We love it!"
Faced with Artian's murderous glare, the third-years erupted in cheers of joy.
"Everyone... to see you all so happy."
Her eyes slid shut again—*sreuk*—and Artian wore a touched expression.
The third-years, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, followed Artian's lead toward the dormitories.
"Anyway. I wonder what kind of dorm we'll be staying in this year."
Last year, the third-years had been divided among three dormitories.
Instead of being divided by their original classes, they attended classes with their dorm mates and competed against the other dorms.
"I wonder if it'll be the same this year."
"Class Rep! Me! Me! Pick me again this time!"
Iliana stood next to Leo, dragging her suitcase, and pointed to herself.
"Hmm. Leo, Karl, do you know anything?"
Leo shook his head at Chloe's question.
"The student council doesn't know anything about the dorms either."
"Hmm. I wonder if the second-years will do the mentor system again like last year? That wasn't bad."
"Yeah, it wasn't."
Just as the third-years were putting their heads together, speculating about the dormitory and department systems.
"Everyone. Do you see that over there? That's the newly constructed dormitory building!"
Artian was pointing to a massive clock tower building.
"The entire third year is going to use that?"
"Awesome! It looks so luxurious!"
Cheers erupted from the third-years.
Watching them, Artian said.
"This year, you'll be using the dorms by department. As such, there are three dormitories in total."
"Ah. So that's why the building is triangular."
"I guess the towers at the corners are the dorm buildings."
"So the rest is all internal facilities? That's amazing."
The third-years exclaimed in admiration.
"Professor Tina was in charge of designing the dormitory building."
The elf professor, Tina Tingel, who had come as a guest professor for the magic department last year, had become a full-time professor this year.
"Professor Tina, the one with the rampant experimental spirit, was in charge of the design? I'm already getting a bad feeling about this."
Karl muttered with an uneasy expression at the news that Tina had designed the building.
"Professor! I have a question."
"Yes, Student Chelsea."
"Which department's dormitory will Leo be using?"
At her question, all the third-years looked curious.
Which dorm would Leo, an All-Class, go to?
This was certainly a point of contention.
"After a faculty meeting, it was decided that Student Leo would be unaffiliated and provided with a separate dorm room."
It was special treatment, but it made sense.
No one at Lumerne would complain or question Leo receiving special treatment.
"What? Class Rep. You're a loner?"
"Looks like it."
Iliana giggled, looking at Leo.
"I'll come visit often."
Iliana gave him a thumbs-up.
"Alright, everyone. I'll hand out the dorm room keys now."
Artian called out the students' names and distributed the keys.
The third-years who received their keys looked puzzled.
"Everyone, try turning your key in the air."
At her words, the students turned their keys without hesitation.
In that moment.
"Hoh?"
Leo let out a sound of admiration.
Suddenly, Leo found himself in a vast room.
A room so spacious it was hard to believe it was a dorm room.
Still marveling, Leo walked out to what he presumed was a terrace.
*Creak—*
*Whoooosh—!*
A strong wind blew in.
The entire view of Lumerne, and even Lake Lumeria and Lumeria City in the distance, could be seen at a glance.
"The top of the clock tower."
Admiring the scenery, Leo went back inside.
He then noticed a single door on one side of the room and tilted his head.
"Is there another room?"
This room alone was enormous.
But there was another room here?
With a puzzled expression, Leo opened the door and stepped inside.
And...
"Huh? Ah! President!"
"Young Master Leo?"
"Gasp! Class Rep! How did you get in here?"
Seeing the female students from the knight department, Leo narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Where is this?"
"Young Master Leo. This seems to be the knight department's girls' dormitory. But why did you come out of the storage room?"
At her words, Leo exited through the door he had entered.
The scene changed back to his own room.
Leo opened the same door one more time and went inside.
"Leo? Why are you coming out of the bathroom door?"
This time, a bewildered Karl was there to greet him.
"Is this by any chance the magic department's boys' dormitory?"
"Yeah. I think so. Hey. It seems like all the grades are using this one dorm building."
Leo clicked his tongue at Karl's words.
*It seems my room is connected to various places in each of the dormitory buildings.*