Chapter 26: The Castle Steward

Chapter 26: The Castle Proctor

"I am Dim Karl, the Order Proctor of Starry Night Castle."

Dim crossed his arms, his thick sleeves framing muscular biceps, his face covered in dense stubble and wearing an expressionless mask. His voice was exceptionally resonant, echoing through the cavernous hall and reaching everyone's ears with clarity.

"Senior students call me 'that guy,' 'the beard,' or 'the busybody.'"

Mars lowered his head, offering an awkward smile. Dim, seemingly ignoring the expressions on the senior students' faces, continued in a steady tone:

"My elemental servants are scattered throughout the entire castle. Whoever breaks the rules will find me standing right behind them."

He produced a manual, held it high above his head, and began to pace slowly back and forth before the freshmen, instructing them with a grave and heavy tone:

"This is the 'Castle Code' I have written. It is already waiting on your bedside tables. Before I became a mage, I was just a brute who handled blades. There are no flowery embellishments in this manual, only the simplest and most straightforward regulations. Every freshman must memorize it before leaving their dormitory tomorrow morning!"

The freshmen, rattled by Dim's stern demeanor, nodded in unison.

"Now, we shall begin assigning your mentors to arrange your curriculum."

Dim returned to the front of the formation and stood still, resuming his crossed-arm posture. Relying solely on his memory, he began to call out the names of the freshmen present:

"Little Murben, Bridge... your mentor is Professor Burton of the Giant Creations discipline, under the school of Artifact Alchemy."

"Green Finn, Gray Finn, Lucas... your mentors are under Professor Barry of the Ingenious Objects discipline."

"Fane, your mentor is Professor Bethel of the Elemental Manifestation discipline."

Dim extended his right arm, pointing toward a wall that slid open to both sides, revealing a corridor illuminated by alchemical lamps. He turned to the tall, thin student at the far left of the line and said, "Paul, take those whose names I just called inside. My elemental servants have already delivered their luggage to the dormitories."

Paul’s fingers were long and slender, making them particularly noticeable as he raised his arm. He announced loudly, "Little Murben, Bridge... follow me."

Little Murben nodded slightly to Mars and Xazo, then stepped out from the back of the line. Once Paul led the Artifact Alchemy freshmen into the corridor, the wall slid shut, sealing it off as before. Batch after batch of freshmen followed senior students into corridors leading in different directions.

Xazo looked around with an air of feigned curiosity, seizing the chance to cast his Detection spell, scanning everyone who left the hall. He didn't have time to examine them one by one, so he simply recorded the data, intending to retrieve it from his [Knowledge Reserve] whenever the need arose.

Among the four alchemy departments, the Pharmaceutical Alchemy department had the largest enrollment, exceeding sixty students. It was divided into two branches: The department of Supplements and Wound Salves, led by Madam Morton—who appeared to be related to Mars and had been assigned as Keli Muller's mentor—and the department of Functional Potions, led by the Head of the Academy, Beatrice. Beatrice was also the professor of Alchemical Linguistics, a course required for all students.

The Oil Alchemy department had the second-highest enrollment. It had no specialized branches and was led solely by Professor Droland. The artist Anjou became his student.

Ten minutes later, the once-crowded group of freshmen had dwindled to just a few individuals. Even Mars had led a group of freshmen away. Xazo cast his Detection spell on those remaining. Their Willpower stats were all at 7 points, and their Spirit stats were also at 7, just hitting the minimum threshold for elemental resistance.

Xazo checked his own character template:
[Vitality]: 14
[Willpower]: 3
[Spirit]: 2.8

He used his Vitality to compensate for his low Willpower. As for Spirit, based on his reading experience over the past two months, one would not undergo a qualitative change or perceive the light within elemental vials without reaching at least 9 points. Overall, the probability of his stats being flagged as insufficient was low.

"Mason, Brandon, Xazo."

Dim waved a hand and walked toward a doorway that had appeared in the depths of the hall. "The three of you, follow me. Professor Kulov of the Poison Alchemy department is your mentor."

Xazo cast Detection on Dim’s retreating back, recording the feedback to review when he had a moment of leisure.

Mason and Brandon were two unremarkable-looking boys. They appeared to be about Xazo's age and similar in build. The three followed Dim into the corridor, walking about twenty meters under orange lighting until they reached a room equipped with iron lockers and a shower area.

Dim took a key from his pocket and detached three, distributing them to the boys. "Keep these keys safe. You are Kulov’s students. I will be paying extra attention to you."

Dim stood before the three boys and said in a deep voice:

"The Poison Alchemy Zone is completely independent from the rest of the castle. This is the only entrance and exit. Do you know why?"

Xazo exchanged glances with Mason and Brandon, and the three nodded at Dim. Mars had mentioned at the Rosack City testing station that the products of Poison Alchemy were all highly toxic. Starry Night Castle had isolated the Poison Alchemy Zone specifically to prevent the spread of lethal substances to other areas.

"Very good. No need for me to explain further."

Dim pointed to the lockers and the shower area. "Remember, every time you leave the Poison Alchemy Zone, you must shower here for five minutes and change your clothes. Go now and put on the robes, gloves, and boots from your lockers."

Xazo found the locker with his name on it, opened it with his new key, and took the basket of clothes inside to the shower area.

A few minutes later, he emerged wearing a black leather robe. The cuffs and collar were tied tightly with cords, a hood covered his hair and ears, leather gloves extended up to his forearms, and his pant legs were tucked into boots and secured with straps. Only his face was visible.

Dim nodded almost imperceptibly, appearing satisfied with Xazo's performance. His gaze then shifted past Xazo's shoulder toward the shower area, and his expression suddenly turned sharp.

"You two!"

A growl-like voice echoed through the room, startling Xazo. Mason and Brandon faced Dim’s wide, glaring eyes, the malevolence in his gaze making them shiver involuntarily. Dim pointed at Xazo and said with a dark face:

"Do as he did and wrap yourselves up tight. I don't want to see a single strand of hair exposed!"

"Yes, sir," Mason and Brandon replied in unison, their eyes trembling slightly, though they quickly recovered from their shock.

Xazo faced them and raised his arms slightly, allowing them to copy his attire. About five minutes later, Dim inspected the three boys' clothing and led them to a heavy, closed metal door.

The smooth door panel was crafted from a single, massive slab of an unknown alloy. Engraved on the door were the words "Poison Alchemy Zone," with no other decorative patterns.