Divided Dormitories
Clap clap clap clap—!!
"So cute!!"
Amid the seniors' applause, another kid stepped forward. Through the selection ceremony, the assigned dorms for all the new students were announced one by one.
"Hoho! Well then, shall we properly enjoy the feast now?"
"Astrafluat!"
With a grand swing of his staff as if it were the most natural thing, Headmaster Albrecht Yustil conjured a beautiful Milky Way that showered soft starlight down over the students' heads. Just like it had always been there.
The gray blazers the freshmen wore began to shift into colors symbolizing their dorms. As waves of mana rippled over the rough fabric, color flooded in like the tide receding to reveal the shore—the monochromatic blazers slowly revealed their fates.
"Woooow!!"
"So pretty…."
In the midst of the boisterous cheers, the freshmen gathered in clusters, peering curiously at their new uniforms.
"Jayden's in Orben, you're in Gratia. I'm in Durantes… Ugh, seriously disappointing. I thought we'd all stick together."
Rupert, draped in a blazing red blazer that perfectly matched his lively personality, whined with clear disappointment.
"Too bad. Would've been nice if we were in the same dorm."
Jayden, Seojun, and I were all wearing different colored blazers. Rupert's gaze drifted to the flags scattered throughout the hall.
Unlike the other tables packed from first-years to eighth-years and buzzing with energy, the Orben section in one corner of the hall was eerily desolate. Not a single senior in sight—just the thirteen or so freshly assigned freshmen. That was it.
Jayden now had to head to that quiet spot off to the side. Rupert, who must've assumed we'd end up together based on prior info, seemed caught off guard and unprepared.
"Well, can't be helped."
In that short time, we'd grown a bit attached, so I felt the same lingering regret. Parting from familiar faces was never fun.
Truth be told, we should've been in the same dorm originally. Cabin assignments on the Asphodel Ship for freshmen were traditionally based on eventual dorm placements.
But the empty seats we had to fill were scattered under different flags. If not for this sudden revival of the selection ceremony, we'd naturally be listed together by now.
"Classes are mostly together anyway. Plenty of free time after lectures, so no need to make a fuss."
A brief flicker crossed Jayden's eyes, but he shrugged it off lightly, promising next time, and turned away without hesitation.
Rupert and I watched his retreating back, then exchanged glances and shrugged.
"That big lug's no good at being honest."
"Guys like that usually have a lot of pride."
"Tsundere…."
"Yeah, pretty much."
Jayden's neck twitched faintly as he walked away.
"Huh? Did his neck vein just pop?"
"Oops. He probably heard us."
"Ears like a fox, that one."
Rupert scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin.
Looking around, other students were starting to disperse to their dorm tables. Caught up in the bustling energy filling the hall, Rupert geared up to move.
"Ahaha… Guess I should head out too. See ya later!"
With a bold wave, Rupert vanished into the crowd, his red blazer fluttering.
The noisy clamor continued, but with my friends gone, the surroundings suddenly felt a bit quieter.
…Hmm, my spot's over there, right?
I glanced around briefly, then slowly made my way to Gratia's table, where frosty silver and pure white blended harmoniously.
The five dorms upholding Eldmier Academy weren't mere residences. They were fragments of the five divine beasts that once guarded the castle, inheriting their noble values.
Durantes, Veilran, Eleuta, Gratia. And Orben.
The five dorms, awakened after over a millennium of slumber.
First was Durantes, blessed by the fire divine beast Leonart. True to its name "those who endure," they embraced the red lion's pride, valuing unyielding perseverance through any adversity.
Next, Veilran, carrying the will of the wind divine beast Aquilos. With the blue eagle's wings, they pursued unbound freedom and burning passion, like wind flowing through valleys.
Then Eleuta, the dorm of the night divine beast Cortis, symbolizing the thirst for truth. Those who peered into darkness with the eye of wisdom were seekers chasing the world's hidden secrets and truths.
Added more recently as diverse cultures grew, Gratia embraced all like winter snow, symbolizing grace and benevolence, becoming the academy's new direction.
And Orben, dorm of the earth divine beast Orbus, the mightiest. Combining "orbis" (world) and "vener" (reverence), it accepted only those with ironclad self-conviction.
As uncompromising as its fierce pride, it was the first to vanish. Today, with the five divine beasts returned, the black dragon flag—deeper than pitch—fluttered once more under Eldmier's sky.
The moment the academy's millennium-stalled history was poised to surge again.
"Hahaha! Fun, right?"
"Yes! I've never heard these stories before!"
Oh, nice. Having an explainer next to me made things convenient.
As the first-years awkwardly gathered to eat, a Gratia upperclassman had come over to liven things up.
"Haha! That's just the lore, though. Up till now, we've basically sorted kids by cultural background. English speakers vs. non-English, you know? Gotta communicate first to teach anything, right? And everyone's English levels vary."
Gratia's students did give off a world expo vibe. The mix of races and nationalities created a strangely heterogeneous yet vibrant atmosphere—like splashing paints on a white canvas.
"Early in the year, communication was a real chore. Some kids resorted to charades by default, mixing every language under the sun until they hit a common word. Transmitting one sentence was brutal."
The senior scratched his head sheepishly and added,
"But classes provide translation artifacts, so that's a relief. Without 'em, we'd probably just stare blankly at the profs."
That convenient artifact was banned outside class to encourage language learning—a ruthless school policy of "learn the hard way." So students still relied on gestures off-hours.
"But with the divine beasts back, things might change now. Or maybe not?"
The old practice of grouping by culture had made dorms manageable, but with new criteria, Durantes, Eleuta, and Orben might now suffer like Veilran and Gratia once did.
This was 21st-century equality.
As the mood heated up, a steaming new platter arrived: golden roast chicken, thick steaks, and herb-coated veggies.
I dunked a perfectly seared steak chunk into thick sauce and shoved it in.
"Mmm—delicious!"
Rich juices and sweet-savory sauce danced on my tongue. Whether others struggled with gestures or not—that was tomorrow's problem. This meat was spot-on perfect.
Solid choice. It instantly erased my earlier hunger pangs from the auditorium.
Screw appearances—who cared? Right now, appetite ruled.
Chow down! Chow down!
I wasn't big on chatting with kids anyway, but if push came to shove, I'd gesture too. Games like "use your body to communicate" were old hat—I'd played plenty back in the day.
What did they think the elementary group at Somang First Church was?
Battle-hardened veteran specialist here. No worries.
Carefree, I scooped a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes onto my plate. The smooth spuds slid down effortlessly.
While the freshman next to me hung on the senior's tales, I was prepping to clear my fourth plate.
Poke poke—
"Hm…."
Why's she digging at the ground alone?
Lily, picking at sauce bits like she had no appetite, bugged me a little. Not a stranger—we'd exchanged names and chocolate. Seeing her like that halved my steak enjoyment.
"What? Disappointed 'cause you're not with Jane?"
Lily jolted at my sudden words, head snapping up. Her wide eyes trembled like a hamster caught stealing.
"N-No… It's not that…."
"Bull. It's all over your face."
Lily's lips quivered before her shoulders slumped in defeat. Bingo.
"Heard dorms don't matter much—classes together, shared buildings, bumping into each other all the time. Dorms just mean separate meals and beds. Big deal."
It was a big deal at that age—world-ending stuff.
"At least we're in the same dorm. Let's get along."
I sliced the tastiest-looking bit and plopped it on her plate.
"Uh, yeah. Looking forward to it…."
Her reluctant thanks lightened the mood a step.
"Yum—"