Morris slapped his palm hard against his hand. He knew it. He'd overdone it. No matter how you looked at that exam, nobody should've gotten a perfect score.
“Is student Morris here?” Max asked the class. “I'd very much like to meet him.”
“Hello, Dean of Academic Affairs,” Morris said, forcing himself to stand. “I'm Morris.”
“I see.” Max nodded. “Welcome. Before today, none of us imagined that Royal Arcanum Academy would one day welcome such a remarkable genius.”
At last, Max showed Morris a faint smile.
“An eighteen-year-old Law Aspect Sorcerer. A perfect score on the written exam. Just those two achievements alone already make me think you're qualified to compete for the Principal's Scholarship.”
The whole room erupted.
The Principal's Scholarship at Royal Arcanum Academy was itself an excellent letter of recommendation. Anyone who had received it could move through the Luna Duchy almost without obstruction. When applying for work, all you had to do was mention you'd won it, and the other party's attitude would change completely. Even if you wanted to continue your studies at another academy, the value of that achievement remained the same.
There was only one scholarship.
In other words, the entire Royal Arcanum Academy awarded only one per year. Its rarity spoke for itself.
It was said that in the past, people had even shed blood over it. The battle for the scholarship was far crueler than most imagined. Some students had even formed factions because of it... The academy's first Student Council had been born from exactly that kind of scheming and infighting. Then, to oppose the Student Council's dark-handed dominance, others in the academy formed another organization—the Order of the Cross.
The name was so chuuni it was hard to look at straight. But after years of growth, both the Order of the Cross and the Student Council had become giant powers within the academy. The clashes and friction between them were too many to count. Young people rarely stayed calm when dealing with conflict, so over time, both sides became more used to probing each other's weak spots. The ownership of the Principal's Scholarship was pushed to the back instead, until hardly anyone remembered it anymore.
But for the students in this classroom, all that was still far away.
Max let out a long breath and continued to Morris, “I hope you'll keep working hard. Don't grow slack the moment you enter the academy. Many students have shone brilliantly at admission, only to become background figures after enrolling.”
On the surface, Morris nodded again and again.
Inside, though, he was thinking, Please spare me, Dean. I'm really not interested in any of this. Even if you people smash your heads bloody fighting over that scholarship, it has nothing to do with me. It's not like I'm job hunting. Have you ever seen a Saint wiping tables in a tavern? Not to mention, once I get back to Macedon, I could become Pope Morris anytime I want!
He never wanted to stand out in the first place. This time was purely a slip in execution. If he could do it over, Morris would absolutely keep his score nailed right to the passing line, without a single extra point.
What Morris never realized while thinking all this was that he had already shattered three whole crystals. On that fact alone, there was no way he could stay unnoticed among the students. The title of Crystal Shatterer would probably spread through the entire academy at terrifying speed after school started, becoming perfect material for the news club to embellish however they pleased.
“Alright, then please sit down,” Max said.
He had noticed that this student named Morris seemed a little absent-minded whenever these matters came up. Though curious, he could only take it as a genius's pride. Since Max hadn't seen the earlier scenes, his impression and evaluation of Morris were both extremely high.
“Next, I'll read the list of everyone who passed the test.”
One unfamiliar name after another slid off the page. Each time he read a name, he would greet the student who stood up. His icy first impression hadn't fully faded, but looking at him now, Max was completely the image of a serious and responsible academic dean.
“Sherlock Pande.”
Max's pen tip crossed over the name and marked it off. He looked up at Sherlock and said with complete seriousness, “Although you don't possess Arcanum talent, humanity does not need only sorcerers. At its root, humanity is still humanity. You are hardworking and talented. You are a very precious child.”
Sherlock stood and bowed to Max. Max shook his head, signaling that it wasn't necessary.
After noticing that Morris and Sherlock seemed rather close, Max raised a brow. He thought to himself that this was quite a fresh combination. He wondered whether this young couple could last even a month in the academy. With Morris's talent, terrifying hardly even began to describe it. Most great noble houses would probably be tempted by a son-in-law like him.
“Next, Swiden...”
By the time all sixty names on the list had been read, the sky outside the window had already turned faintly dim. Evening had quietly arrived. Max put away the sheet of paper, using that as his signal that it was over.
After confirming again and again that their names were not on the list, some students immediately lowered their heads in pain. Some girls had already begun to sob softly. They were all geniuses from different places and different academies, yet they had fallen at the threshold of another world. The boys pressed their lips tight. Some had clenched their palms until they turned bruised, their index fingers gone pale.
The classroom was thick with unwillingness and disappointment, even denser than when Arcane Source Magic had been activated earlier.
Young Master Benny, however, merely shook his head in disdain and said softly, “Trash is trash. No matter where they go, that fact won't change.”
A wave of unrest rose at once.
“You should not speak that way,” Max said coldly to Young Master Benny. “Young master of House Igquintine, the first thing you need to learn is respect.”
Benny was instantly shut down. He couldn't say a word back. He could only lower his head in sullen defeat.
“What has already happened cannot be changed,” Max said to the students, clasping his hands behind his back. “But Royal Arcanum Academy can provide you with a letter of recommendation. When applying to other academies, you will receive certain preferential treatment.”
As his words fell, he raised a hand.
Dozens of finely decorated envelopes, carrying a faint scent of pine, scattered out from behind him with a gust of wind. Then they slowly drifted down before their owners.
Each envelope had its recipient's name written on the front.
“Once you've checked them and confirmed there are no mistakes, please leave as soon as possible,” Max said. “Those who passed, come with me. I'll take you to the place where you'll be staying tonight.”
“What's the point of having this...” someone said faintly.
He stared at the letter in his hand, but tears kept falling anyway.
“Other than Royal Arcanum Academy, where else could possibly change our situation?”
He was the boy who had been affected by The Emperor's New Clothes at the very beginning, the one who had muttered “little brother.”
Max said nothing, because Royal Arcanum Academy deserved exactly that kind of praise.
This place had always been the holy land students dreamed of.
“If you think you have the ability, you can go take a look at Macedon City.”
Just as the boy could no longer bear it and was about to tear the envelope apart, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
It was Morris, the top freshman, looking at him as he spoke softly.
“The Church of Lunhai also runs an academy. It's called Saint One Academy. It's not some famous place, but the tuition isn't high, and there are quite a few favorable policies too. As long as you're willing to work hard.”
Everyone's attention turned toward him.
The boy froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked, “Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?” Morris shrugged. “I swear by Lunhai, Saint One Academy is worth trying. The academy was founded on the principle of equality and universal love.”
Though the people inside might not be all that friendly.
Morris thought of the huge, broad-backed brute he'd met before, the one who claimed to be the health teacher. Ever since then, all of Morris's fantasies about health teachers had been completely shattered.
The students' gazes gradually went blank with shock. Hope, full and bright, rose in the boy's eyes. Morris smiled a little, and that handsome face of his looked quite sincere at that moment.
Alex, you complain all the time that barely any students apply to your academy. This time, you'd better thank me properly.
Morris thought with great enthusiasm, As long as you stop trying to force me to marry Lenna, that'll be the best thanks of all!
At this moment, Morris still didn't know that Lenna had already been placed on the scales between House Stuart and the prince of the Empire of Erthas, swaying like something adrift in wind and rain.
