Chapter 59 Welcoming New Life

In the days that followed, the teacher and student, separated by a single wall, spent their time quietly pursuing their own interests, interacting only with a brief chat before the evening classes ended.

Every day, morning, noon, and evening, Xazo dined with Anruer, exchanging insights into alchemy. The academy was filled with Dim's surveillance guards, making any displays of intimacy impossible; at most, they could manage a brief embrace before meeting and parting.

Day after day passed, as if this peaceful routine would last forever.

It was a Sunday morning, about three weeks later.

The weather was fine—bright and clear, with warm sunlight.

It was an ideal time to lean against a loved one while seated at a table on the edge of the restaurant's terrace, gazing out at the shimmering, rippling lake.

Xazo sat with his back to the restaurant entrance, facing the lake, with Anruer beside him, head bowed over a book.

A murmur of noise arose from behind.

He turned his head, poking it out from behind the chair to survey the other end of the dining hall.

A group of students was clustered around a large square table, loudly discussing matters related to repeating their courses.

It seemed the make-up exam results had been posted.

Judging by the grading of the poison alchemy exam papers, out of more than a hundred students, only two or three had managed to pass all of their make-up subjects on the first try. The rest were all required to repeat the courses.

Actually, repeating wasn't entirely a bad thing.

It allowed students to exchange study hours for Warriors' Guild points and enjoy sumptuous meals within the academy free of charge.

Yet sometimes, human nature was hard to predict.

Who could remember the successful candidates from the first examination? There had been six in total.

In poison alchemy, only a single student passed, and with a perfect score.

In arcane alchemy—divided into its three least populated branches: intricate artifacts, elemental manifestation, and—there were three students and one student respectively.

They were Green Finn, Grey Finn, Lucas, and Fane.

All four of these individuals had also passed their exams.

In the most heavily populated discipline—potion alchemy—only Anruer had passed the examination.

She was Xazo's companion.

Was there any reason to suspect, then, that the students in the smaller disciplines had received special treatment?

Could such preferential treatment involve the leakage of exam questions?

Otherwise, how else to explain Anruer passing the exam? After all, she was the only person in potion alchemy to pass on the first attempt.

As Xazo listened, his eyebrows rose. He hadn't expected the rumors to wind back around to the two of them.

Silently, he cast a perception spell on the ringleaders, comparing their current template data with the records from when they had first enrolled.

Their mental attributes hadn't grown much—only by 11 points. They hadn't studied properly, and their minds weren't on their coursework.

Often, idle gossip carried no accountability yet caused considerable damage, so he needed to prepare a countermeasure in advance.

Just as Xazo was resting his chin in his hand in thought, a tall, sturdy figure appeared in the dining hall.

Dim, the castle manager, stepped through the stone doorway with a gloomy expression. Walking with firm, heavy strides, he reached the large square table in just a few steps.

The boisterous students shrank their necks like startled chicks, not daring to meet the eyes hidden beneath that thick mop of hair.

In a deep voice, Dim called out several names, ordering the students to follow him.

Those who had been making the most noise seemed paralyzed by some unseen force, their bodies stiff as they moved their arms and legs, following the castle manager out of the dining hall.

Xazo withdrew his gaze and flipped through the "Castle Regulations" in his mind.

[Rule 1: Do not question the dean's authority.]

[Rule 2: Do not spread rumors.]

So, spreading rumors was indeed prohibited by the "Castle Regulations." He hadn't browsed through this booklet in so long that he had pushed these contents to the back of his mind.

He would need to read it thoroughly again to deepen his impression, lest Dim drag him away to solitary confinement.

With the commotion behind him subsided, the group of students scattered like birds and beasts.

Having finished reviewing the "Castle Regulations" in his mind, Xazo opened the codex beside him and began to read.

...

At noon, three days later.

The Poison Alchemy District.

There were still four days until the arrival of the new students.

Carrying a glass bottle, Xazo walked out of the advanced alchemy room and saw his mentor standing before a stone wall. The shelves there had been emptied in advance and moved elsewhere.

A faint, rumbling sound echoed from behind the wall, as if some heavy object was being dragged far away into the depths of the masonry.

A piece of parchment drifted from the doorway and landed in Kurov's hand.

Glancing briefly at the contents, Kurov reached out and pulled a mechanical lever beside him.

The stone wall slid aside smoothly, revealing three brand-new, basic alchemy benches.

"In a few days, those three new students will arrive."

Kurov looked at his student:

"At that time, you will teach from the basic alchemy bench beside my desk. Each of the three new students will have one of these new basic alchemy benches, and you will be responsible for assigning them."

"Understood, Professor." Xazo stood respectfully to the side with his hands at his sides.

Kurov pulled a manual from his desk. "Here is their course schedule."

Xazo picked it up to inspect it; it was similar to his own from the previous semester.

General alchemy classes in the morning, followed by specialized alchemy branch classes in the afternoon and evening.

The only change was that the number of alchemy linguistics classes had been reduced to two per session per week, with those hours redistributed to other general courses.

Xazo exchanged a few words with his mentor regarding the upcoming schedule before taking his leave.

...

Four days later.

2:00 PM.

The new students would arrive at the academy in half an hour.

Xazo and Anruer returned to their dormitory ahead of time to change into clean robes before heading to the castle's main hall.

Dim, the castle manager, stood before a row of nine junior students.

His brown eyes scrutinized each student as he crossed his arms, his muscles bulging beneath his black sleeves:

"Your performance over the past semester has been quite good. I am satisfied. The senior students in the academy are all about to become mage apprentices, and the intermediate students are at a critical stage of delving into alchemy."

Dim swept a finger across the nine students:

"You are the senior students whom this incoming batch of newcomers will interact with the most. Perform well, lead by example, and if necessary, you may discipline them in my name."

Xazo and the others nodded in unison.

The junior classmates beside him were Anruer, Keli, Fane, Lucas, the Finn brothers, and a pair of twin sisters.

These nine individuals were those who had passed the final exams or make-up exams at the end of the previous semester.

Xazo cast a perception spell on each of them, utilizing the wait for the new students to compare their templates in his mind.

Aside from himself, the mental attributes of the remaining eight individuals had all reached 15 points. To his recollection, Anruer had reached this figure several months ago and had remained stagnant ever since.

A mental score of 15 seemed to be a threshold that was not easily broken through.

One person was worth noting.

Fane, from the elemental manifestation discipline.

His final exam score was 24,888 points—falling just 112 points short of a perfect score. He was undoubtedly a powerhouse of academic excellence.

When Fane had first enrolled, his mental attribute was 13 points, the highest among the incoming freshmen. It could be inferred that his initial mental attribute at birth was at least 8 points or higher.

Perhaps Fane would independently comprehend elemental traits.

Xazo covertly glanced at the other's chocolate-brown short hair and wire-rimmed glasses, committing the ordinary face to memory.

Chatting idly with Anruer, he looked toward the main entrance of the castle hall.

A group of elemental servants drifted beneath the five-meter-tall doors, pressing flush against the panels to slowly pull them open. Sunlight streamed through the massive gateway as a dozen three-section carriages appeared in view, rolling to a stop in the plaza outside the castle.

Members of the Warriors' Guild were responsible for escorting the new students this time, and they had alighted outside the academy's walls in advance.

Filled with boundless wonder for the academy, the newcomers stepped down from the carriages and bustled noisily into the castle hall, casting darting glances about and crying out in amazement at the giant ball of light suspended in mid-air.

With a gloomy expression, Dim beckoned to them, signaling for the group of newcomers to halt and stand before him. Whenever manpower was short, he had no choice but to step in personally to maintain order.

Fortunately, his physique and appearance possessed an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Standing over two meters tall, with biceps thicker than a thigh and a hairy, swarthy face, he successfully suppressed the restless crowd.

"I am Dim Karl, order manager of Starry Night Castle."

Staring expressionlessly at the newcomers, Dim's resonant, booming voice sounded like a struck bronze gong:

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

He produced a manual, lifted it high above his head, and paced slowly back and forth before the newcomers, admonishing them solemnly in a heavy tone:

"This is the 'Castle Regulations' I wrote.

"It is waiting for you on your bedside table.

"Before becoming a mage, I was merely a crude man who brandished swords and blades.

"Therefore, the 'Castle Manual' contains no flowery modifiers—only the simplest and most vernacular regulations.

"Every new student must memorize it before stepping out of their dormitory tomorrow morning!"

Dim's opening routine was identical to the one from the previous semester.

Watching the man's back, Xazo felt a momentary sense of déjà vu, realizing only then just how fast time was passing.

Dim returned to stand before the crowd, facing the quiet newcomers with the nine junior students arrayed behind him.

"We will now begin assigning your mentors, who will arrange your schedules."

Dim resumed his crossed-arm posture.

Although the number of new students had doubled, he still reeled off everyone's names purely from memory:

"Eileen, your mentor is Professor Bentley of the elemental manifestation discipline. Follow Fane to find him."

Another student for elemental manifestation.

The entry threshold for this discipline was exceedingly high.

As far as Xazo knew, the discipline's members were limited to Senior Mars, classmate Fane, and the newly arrived Eileen.

He cast a perception spell on Eileen.

[Mental]: 14 points

Impressive.

This quiet girl with pale golden hair was just one point away from meeting the minimum requirement for practicing meditation techniques.

Xazo could already foresee the rise of an academic prodigy.

"Olivia, Kyle, your mentor is Professor Barry of the intricate artifacts discipline. Lucas, beside me, is your teaching assistant; follow him to find your mentor."

Dim rattled off a dozen or more names. The designated freshmen followed Green Finn and Grey Finn through the stone doorways flanking the hall.

In the final and make-up exams of the previous semester, the students in the colossal creations discipline had been utterly wiped out, with not a single person passing the test.

Dim skipped over the freshmen for that discipline, intending to lead them to their mentor shortly afterward.

Casting a sideways glance at Xazo behind him, Dim turned back to the new students:

"Hodge, Bisange, Yolanda, your mentor is Professor Kurov of the poison alchemy discipline. Xazo, beside me, is your teaching assistant. Follow him to find your mentor."

"The three of you, come with me." Smiling warmly, Xazo looked at his junior schoolmates and cast perception spells on each of them in turn.

Extending his arm to lead the three toward the purple stone door by the wall, he introduced himself as they walked:

"I am Xazo of Rosac, honored to be your teaching assistant. You may simply call me Xazo or Senior."

"Good afternoon, Senior Xazo." After exchanging brief greetings, Yolanda and the other two stated their names.

Leading them through the gateway, Xazo guided them past a series of glowing orbs suspended in mid-air:

"These are elemental servants arranged by castle manager Dim. To be precise, they are called surveillance guards. They serve only one purpose: surveillance of their designated zones."

The four of them arrived at the shower room.

This area had been remodeled by Dim, partitioned into separate male and female shower rooms. Left for men, right for women, with a surveillance guard posted at the entrance of each.

Xazo had inspected the area when it was empty. Neither of the surveillance guards could see the conditions inside the shower stalls.

Fingering three keys from his pocket, he handed them to the three newcomers:

"These are your locker keys.

"You must remember that every time you enter or leave the Poison Alchemy District, you are required to shower here for five minutes and change your clothes.

"The Poison Alchemy District is completely isolated from the rest of the castle. This is the only entry and exit route. Dim has deployed twice as many surveillance guards here as in any other alchemy district.

"Do you know why that is?"

These were words Dim had spoken before. Altering the phrasing slightly, Xazo repeated them verbatim.

"Is it because there are many poisonous things in the Poison Alchemy District?"

Yolanda raised her right forearm, looking straight at the teaching assistant as she replied. Having served as a garrison soldier on Midland Island for two years, she had yet to completely shake off certain habits.

Her beige hair was only slightly longer than a boy's, and it would take some time before it reached her shoulders. Standing upright with a robust presence when she spoke, she appeared even more rugged than Hodge and Bisange beside her.

Traces of wind and sun weathered Yolanda's face. Her skin was somewhat rough, and the tip of her nose was peeling slightly.

However, it was no matter. The academy's food was nourishing; within a few months, she would look just as fair and pretty as any other girl.

"Correct answer." Xazo nodded, then smiled:

"There's no need to be so formal; relax. In the academy, you only need to raise your hand to speak during class."

"Understood, Senior Xazo." Realizing her tone might still be overly stern, Yolanda smiled at the other two beside her after finishing her sentence.

Producing his own locker key, Xazo said, "Go change your clothes, and then gather back here."

About five or six minutes later.

Dressed in his specialized leather robes, Xazo stood before the three newcomers, helping each of them adjust their collars, cuffs, and trouser legs in turn.

He led the new students through the mist-shrouded corridor designed to purge toxins, entering the Poison Alchemy District.

The rows of toxin cabinets lining both sides of the passageway shocked everyone who came here for the first time. The three newcomers instantly understood why the previous steps of showering, changing clothes, and purification had been so essential.

"Senior, why are there no... surveillance guards here?" Hodge, with his short, choppy hair, asked after pondering the term the teaching assistant had mentioned earlier.

Xazo stopped walking to look at the curious newcomer, blinking his right eye as he said, "You'll understand the reason once you begin practicing meditation techniques."