"You can't seriously plan to take all these back with you."

Aester stared at the mountain-like stack of folders in Lin Zhong's hands.

"Too few?"

Lin Zhong looked at her in confusion, the precariously piled files seeming ready to topple and crush him any second.

"Too many!"

Aester couldn't help but reach over and pull out a stack.

"This one is enough. Take the rest back."

She shook the files at Lin Zhong, feeling dizzy as she glanced at the half-empty bookshelf. She really couldn't understand him—why had he taken everything out? She even doubted if he knew what was inside these files.

"I think—"

"Put them back!!!"

Aester shouted, waving the folder.

"Honestly."

She gently pressed her forehead. This guy was impossible to read—sometimes assertive, sometimes adorably clueless, and now just plain troublesome.

"Are you sure a single roster can find the right person? This is Fool Academy, not some ordinary school. The Magic Division alone has countless students."

Su Han eyed the stack in Aester's hand. She didn't believe finding their target would be easy. In the twenty-two academies, you never graduated unless you died. Students could leave freely, but once registered, their home was only their academy. This created a wild age range—from eighty-year-olds to five-year-olds. It was less a school and more a city where every resident was either student or teacher. How many Magic Division students lived here? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Finding one suitable mage in a tiny roster was nearly impossible.

Lin Zhong hadn't grabbed those files randomly. He needed a mage for their team. Picking the wrong person would only cause trouble. Strength mattered less than personality and talent. Lin Zhong was already in the spotlight—Virgil's visit today proved Fool's Court had drawn attention. Club rivalries here weren't like normal school hobbies. Big clubs planted spies everywhere. Though Fool's Court wasn't a major player yet, having two Apostles and one quasi-Apostle made them noticeable. Relying on a roster to ask around would only attract unwanted eyes.

"Ha, I've thought of that too. But right now, we can't dig deep."

They were being watched. Yesterday's duel had partly tested how many Apostles the "White Reaper" name could lure. The number eight had shocked her then and haunted her now.

"What about training one?"

Lin Zhong spoke, the mountain of files long gone from his hands.

"Train?"

Aester couldn't believe he'd suggest training a mage.

"Yes, train."

Lin Zhong nodded. Hunting for a strong, well-tempered mage was pointless. Better to find raw talent—even among freshmen. Weak strength could be built; talent was key. He didn't believe in effort, not like Charlotte's sole redeeming trait. Here, talent ruled. Effort was just a weakling's comfort. Only the gifted entered the twenty-two academies. Outside, the powerless lived dull lives, praying academies wouldn't disrupt them. In this world, effort was the least impressive thing—basic, universal, utterly insignificant. Lin Zhong needed a talented mage. Current strength? Irrelevant. He wouldn't waste time vetting spies, analyzing personalities, or seeking "hard workers." Fool's Court was just a new, tiny club. Would anyone even accept their invite?

Freshmen were the answer. They knew little about clubs. Every year, talented newcomers got lured into groups.

"Freshmen? I can't guarantee the gifted ones haven't been noticed already."

All clubs—big Apostle ones or small—scouted freshmen yearly. Snatching them was the hottest game besides orientation. Last year's exception, Su Han rejecting every club, was rare. For freshmen, joining an organization was irresistible. Entering the academy meant rebirth into a strange world—like an online game without a main quest. Clubs were that quest. Lin Zhong and Su Han didn't need it; hiding themselves was their mission. Aester and Sebastian had quit previous clubs for the student council. Charlotte's weak talent left her ignored, making her a bottom-tier student before Fool's Court formed. Now, Lin Zhong had to race every club to snatch a gifted Magic Division freshman and train them himself.

"So what if they're noticed? Do you need a reason to snatch someone?"

Lin Zhong smiled. Exactly—no reason needed. Joining was their choice. No club could force anyone. Plus, it was still freshman orientation week. Newcomers were deciding whether to stay. No one would be stupid enough to snatch them before they'd chosen. This was the perfect scouting window. Everyone started equal—who moved first was anyone's guess.

"Alright, as you wish."