novelraw Chapter 68 : Class 3 (3)
Chapter 68 : Class 3 (3)
Chapter 68: Class 3 (3)
We, who had been called by name, stepped up onto the podium.
In front of Hei and me stood Ever, and in front of Kiena stood Kanyu.
Russel’s teacher was also standing before him with a satisfied smile.
In the hands of the three teachers were new epaulets embroidered with the number 3.
“The epaulet conferment ceremony will now commence.”
Thus began the ceremony.
“Excellent work, Hei. If you keep doing as well as you have been, you’ll do just fine in Class 3.”
Ever said this as he removed Hei’s old epaulet and attached the new one.
‘No. He shouldn’t keep doing just as he’s been doing.’
Ever’s words were meant to be encouraging, but I had to think realistically.
From Class 3 onward, it was the intermediate level.
A class vastly different from Class 1.
“Yes, sir! Thank you!”
Hei, however, simply smiled brightly and bowed deeply to him.
Then Ever stood before me.
“Artel… I don’t think I need to worry about you.”
He didn’t say anything special to me and quietly replaced my epaulet.
“Thank you.”
I only returned the courtesy with a formal bow.
Once the epaulet ceremony was over, the teachers descended from the podium.
Nide opened a portal in the center of the stage.
“This is the portal to Class 3. Students below the podium, please greet them with applause.”
Watching that, I realized, ‘So this is how the graduation ceremony is conducted.’
It was different from the schools of my previous life.
“Now then. Students, shouldn’t you at least say farewell to your friends before you part ways?”
That was what Nide said to us.
We turned around.
The gazes of the students watching us—those directly advancing to Class 3 under the special admission—were filled only with envy.
Among them, many were shedding tears.
All of them were confirmed to be expelled.
And the three of us fixed our eyes on Banshi.
Then, she locked eyes particularly with me.
‘We’ll be apart for a bit, but don’t forget the promise we made. You’d better make it up here on your own. I won’t be waiting.’
That was what I thought as I looked at her.
To some, it might seem a bit cold-hearted, but she was a student I had high hopes for.
So, naturally, my way of showing it turned out a little harsh.
Though it was far too much to express such long words with just a single glance.
But Banshi slowly nodded, as if she understood it all.
As I finished that silent exchange and turned my gaze away, another student caught my attention.
Nohill Hapert—the one already confirmed for expulsion.
His face was filled with emotions like resentment and sorrow, all twisted together.
His shoulders trembled as though he was barely holding back his tears.
‘Good riddance.’
Normally, some faint attachment lingers even toward those you dislike, but that brat had none of that.
Now that his expulsion was certain, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
‘When did I become this childish… I must be disqualified as an Archmage.’
Feeling pleased over someone I disliked being expelled gave me a strange sense of discomfort.
Let’s just say I had briefly returned to a childlike state.
I fully turned around and placed my hands on the shoulders of Kiena and Hei standing beside me.
“Alright, let’s go. To Class 3.”
“I’m counting on you in Class 3 too, Artel!”
Kiena was as lively as ever.
She looked utterly delighted with the result of advancing directly to Class 3.
“…I still can’t believe it. Class 3…”
Hei still looked dazed.
With my arms around their shoulders, I stepped into the portal.
“The next students to be called—Banshi, Lamic Vir.”
Nide’s voice reached my ears just before the portal closed.
It seemed they were now beginning the graduation for those heading to Class 2.
We arrived at Class 3.
Before the portal stood a young woman with red eyes and long red hair, small in stature.
She was only slightly taller than Kiena.
Unlike her height, her expression was sharp—especially her eyes, which gave her a rather aggressive air.
Judging by her presence, she wasn’t a teacher.
Most likely, she was the professor in charge of Class 3.
“Welcome. I’ve been waiting.”
She spoke curtly the moment we stepped out of the portal.
“Who… are you?”
Kiena asked cautiously, with a wary tone.
“I’m Ed Cullem, professor of Class 3.”
A mage of the Ed Family, serving as a professor.
Could she be Etar’s daughter?
Whether she was a direct descendant, collateral, or adopted, I couldn’t tell.
But since she lacked the distinct features of the Ed Family, I guessed she was probably adopted.
Now Cullem fixed me with an almost burdensome stare.
“You’re Artel, right? I’ve heard plenty of rumors about you.”
“Yes, hello.”
“Hm?”
When I greeted her, she tilted her head as if surprised.
“What’s the matter?”
“From what I’ve heard, you were supposed to be a rather insolent student. Yet you seem to know how to greet someone politely?”
“……”
Did Etar tell her to pick a fight with me on purpose?
I couldn’t understand why someone of her position would bother provoking a new Class 3 entrant in such a childish way.
“Anyway, a special admission, huh? That’s unprecedented in the history of the Ed Branch. I was curious about the students who got in through it, so I came to see for myself. Professors don’t usually come to greet students like this, you know.”
“Ah, yes.”
Honestly, I wanted to ask, “So what do you expect me to do about that?” but I held my tongue.
Did she expect me to bow and thank her for the honor?
Words reflect the speaker’s manners, but Cullem was displaying conduct quite unbecoming of her title as professor.
“I’ve already taken care of the dormitory assignments. You can check them with Mob. Well then, enjoy your vacation.”
Leaving only those words, she disappeared somewhere.
For someone who was supposed to be a professor—a position usually associated with dignity and authority—Cullem seemed more like a student.
Whether she acted that way on purpose or if that was simply her true nature—
It was hard to tell.
“Let’s go, Artel.”
Perhaps wanting to escape the awkward atmosphere, Kiena quickly led us toward the dormitory.
As always, once Russel entered a new class, he ended up alone.
‘I’m not exactly thrilled to have been admitted through the special selection alongside that brat.’
Then, as he was walking by himself, Russel suddenly stopped and turned slightly to glance at me.
But only for a moment—he soon shook his head sharply, as if trying to clear his thoughts, and continued toward his dormitory.
After roughly organizing our things in the dorm, the three of us gathered at the cafeteria.
“It’s spacious… but when we came here earlier, it looked like there was no one else besides us.”
That was what Kiena said upon arriving at the cafeteria.
Now that I thought about it, seeing as Russel had disappeared too, he must have gone to the Underworld for the break.
Since the orphanage—the only place we could stay—was gone, our school life had started again.
“It’s vacation time. Everyone probably went to the Underworld.”
“We… can’t go anymore, can we…”
“Let’s just eat first.”
Trying to cheer up the downcast Kiena, I stood before the food to fill my stomach when—
“Wow! Meat! There’s meat!”
As expected, the one most excited by the sight of food was Hei.
Meals we’d never seen in Class 1 were now laid out in the Class 3 cafeteria, and his energy returned in an instant.
His dazed look from earlier and the confusion he’d shown about Cullem’s attitude were both completely gone.
‘Must be nice to be so simple-minded. To forget everything just because of some food.’
That wasn’t sarcasm.
I genuinely envied him for it.
Because thanks to Cullem’s behavior, my thoughts were tangled and restless.
While the three of us ate together, I checked Mob.
Upon entering Class 3, the previous announcement was still displayed.
[Revised Student Ability Evaluation Plan for the New Semester]
‘What’s this?’
I opened the notice.
There was nothing particularly new in the content.
At the start of the new semester, every Class 3 student would receive 100 points.
As long as a student had even 1 point, they could use the facilities freely. If their points dropped to 0, they wouldn’t be allowed to use anything.
It was the same system we’d used in Class 1.
Everything in this so-called “revision” was exactly the same as what had changed during the second term of Class 1.
Especially the rule that students of the same subject could freely challenge each other to duels, and that if even one of the Joint Admission Students was expelled, all would be expelled.
That meant this rule had been carried over when we moved up to Class 3.
‘It’s like they’re telling the Class 3 students to come after us.’
The upcoming two-month vacation—
Once it ended, it would mean another hectic schedule of duels, just like in Class 1.
‘I managed to get through Class 1 without issues, but Class 3 might be a problem…’
I had nothing to worry about, but Kiena and Hei were a different story.
At their current level, they might not even make it into the upper ranks of Class 3.
‘Even if I train them during vacation, I can only train Hei. Kiena’s a summoner—outside my area of expertise.’
I was seriously troubled over how to spend these two months.
The first day of vacation.
I went alone to the Class 3 library.
I wanted to see whether there was also an entrance to that secret room I’d discovered in the Class 1 library.
‘If there’s one in Class 3, that means there must be one in Class 2 as well. There were seven entrances total, which means they connect all the classes.’
The Class 3 library was slightly larger than the Class 1’s.
I walked along the walls, searching for the waypoint—the fireplace.
Even after spending quite some time, no visible fireplace could be found.
‘That means either it’s been sealed off from disuse, or it doesn’t exist here at all.’
The method to determine that was simple.
I just had to sweep the area again while using a detection spell.
Focusing all my senses on the wall, I slowly walked along.
‘Found it.’
I stopped in front of a section completely blocked off by tall bookshelves.
It looked no different from the others.
But my detection magic told me there was a waypoint hidden here.
The Flewd Element is a rare element that can manipulate all others.
Removing such a concealment barrier was an easy task.
I channeled a small amount of mana, intending to lightly reveal the waypoint.
But the bookshelf didn’t budge.
“Guess that spot’s more important than I thought. That’s quite an advanced concealment barrier.”
Though judging by the disordered state of the secret room, that seemed unlikely.
This time, I poured in slightly stronger mana and forced it open.
Rumble.
At last, the bookshelf slid aside like a massive gate.
Inside, the fireplace—waypoint of the Fire Elementalist I’d seen in the Class 1 library—revealed itself.
‘It’s at the same place as before.’
Using detection magic, I traced along the wall inside the fireplace. One section shifted aside, revealing a staircase descending underground.
A dark passageway—
Just like the one I’d seen before.
As I stepped inside, the door automatically closed, and torches along the walls lit up in sequence, matching my footsteps and illuminating the stairs.
With that, I was certain.
“It’s the same secret room.”
The staircase spiraled downward.
When I reached the bottom, I was greeted by scattered books and a few empty shelves lying haphazardly on the floor.
It was exactly the same secret room I’d seen in the Class 1 library.
“Why connect it to every class?”
That was the only question I couldn’t solve.
It must be an important place if it was connected across all classes—yet, could something that significant really be left in such neglect?