Book 1 Chapter 649

649.

The central hall of the Clock Tower Dormitory.

As befits the enormous Clock Tower Dormitory, the central hall was large enough for all students to gather without any trouble.

Indeed, at present, all students were gathered there.

“It feels like we’ve gone back to our first year,” Chloe muttered quietly, reading a grimoire while sitting on a chair placed in the central hall.

At her murmur, Carl scratched his head and nodded.

“Yeah, it does.”

Currently, the entire student body was divided into three groups.

Knights Department, Magic Department, and Summoning Department.

For the third-year students, it brought back memories of the inter-departmental competition they experienced when they first enrolled.

Especially since last year they had lived in dormitories regardless of their departments, this atmosphere was a first in a year.

For the second-year students, this arrangement felt awkward.

For the second-year students, ever since their enrollment, the mentor system had fostered a stronger sense of individual competition rather than inter-departmental rivalry.

This tendency remained strong even in the second semester.

On the other hand, the fourth and fifth-year students were accustomed to this situation.

The first-year students were subtly observing the atmosphere of their seniors.

For the first-year students, merely being in the same place as the second-year students was overwhelming.

In such a situation, with all the upperclassmen gathered in one place, they couldn't help but hold their breath.

As this strange atmosphere continued.

Carl lightly clicked his tongue.

“By the way… I did wonder why it was so spacious.”

“Hmm? Ahh.”

Chloe, who had looked puzzled for a moment at Carl's murmur, nodded.

When they first saw the dormitory building, the third-year students had been excited, thinking they would have this vast dormitory all to themselves.

But upon entering, it turned out to be a dormitory used by all years.

It would be spacious if only third-years used it, but if all years used it, the size was understandable.

“Still, it’s good to have it spacious.”

Illiana interjected into their conversation.

“There were all sorts of amenities inside the dormitory building!”

“Yeah, right. There was a library too. There were many new grimoires.”

“Huh? There’s a library?”

“What on earth did you look at?”

“The entertainment facilities!”

Chloe shook her head, looking at Illiana who gave a thumbs-up.

“But why are you here?”

“Huh?”

Illiana's eyes widened at Carl’s question.

“You’re from the Knights Department. Why are you here?”

“What are you talking about! I take all the Magic Department major courses!”

“But your dormitory is for the Knights Department, isn't it?”

Chloe said, still not taking her eyes off the grimoire.

“Are you discriminating against me because I’m a magic swordsman? The blood of a Magic Department student flows in my veins!”

“Did such a person enter the Knights Department dormitory?”

“That’s so mean! Even your class president looks like he’s going to discriminate against me?! The class president is in three classes, for crying out loud!”

“Leo is different.”

“Yeah, Leo is different.”

Illiana pouted at Carl and Chloe's immediate replies.

“You’re so mean!”

“What? Why is it so noisy?”

“Chelsea! They’re ganging up on me.”

Illiana pouted and clung to Chelsea.

Looking at Illiana, Chelsea said to the second-year students.

“What are you doing? There’s a spy from the Knights Department here. Drag her out.”

“Don’t you have any blood or tears?!”

Illiana screamed at Chelsea's ruthless demeanor.

“Illiana senior. Um… Celia senior said it’s time and asked you to come.”

Just then, Luke approached and said cautiously.

Looking at Luke, Carl said.

“Luke, why did you go to the Knights Department? You could have easily come to the Magic Department, too, couldn’t you?”

“Huh? Well… magic is too difficult. I was worried if I could do it well.”

“What a waste. This idiot does just fine in magic classes.”

Chelsea crossed her arms and pointed at Illiana.

“I’m not an idiot?! And what’s with this sudden change in tone?!”

“Is this the first or second time you've spied?”

Chelsea squinted and said.

“Spy! I’ll say it again! The blood of the Magic Department flows in my veins…”

“Illiana senior. Sia senior told you to stop disgracing the department and hurry up and come. She said she didn’t expect anything anyway.”

“…”

Aina, who appeared behind Luke, said with an expressionless face.

“Tsk! I was almost done!”

“So you *were* trying to spy. And ‘almost done’ my foot.”

It was then, as Carl shook his head looking at the frustrated Illiana.

Thud-!

Chloe, who was reading a grimoire, closed the book.

Click-clack-

At the same time, Elena appeared from the back where the Magic Department students were gathered.

Instantly, everyone's gaze turned to Elena.

Chloe's eyes met Elena's for a moment as she passed by her.

Chloe smiled sweetly, twirled her hair, and stepped to the front of the Magic Department.

“Elena senior is still the same.”

Carl replied to Chloe's murmur.

“Where would that presence go?”

Literally, a presence that overwhelms the crowd.

Its impact multiplies as more people are present.

Especially if seen without immunity, one would literally be enchanted.

Third-year students and above were used to it, but second-year students showed a tense reaction to Elena's appearance.

Usually, seniors were like deities to first-year students.

As such, first-year students tended to avoid the activity areas of upperclassmen.

Among them, Elena held a high position in the school, making her relatively harder to see.

They had seen her face at external events, but she didn't overtly unleash her magic like this.

In a sense, the current Elena could be said to be her true self.

While the second-year students resisted the presence Elena radiated.

The freshmen stared at Elena, mesmerized.

“She, she’s beautiful…”

Someone murmured absently.

As the freshmen couldn't take their eyes off Elena.

Elena, who had come to the very front of the Magic Department, gently twirled her hair and said.

“It seems everyone who can represent their departments has gathered.”

At Elena's words, Lil, who was at the very front, raised her hand.

“Elena senior! Runebah senior is still in the back!”

At that, Elena looked at Lil as if to ask what nonsense she was saying.

“Aren’t you the representative for the Summoning Department?”

“Huh? Runebah senior, who is the 5th-year Summoning Department's top student, is here, how dare I…”

“You be the Summoning Department representative. I’m going to live quietly.”

From the back, Runebah shrugged his shoulders.

“Huh? I can’t do that…”

“Yes! Yes! You be the representative.”

“We trust you more, Lil, than Runebah.”

The 5th-year Summoning Department students pushed Lil forward.

“Our monster! You can do it!”

“I’m not a monster!”

Lil protested to her seniors with a pout, but of course, the 5th-year students paid no attention.

In the midst of this, Tarkon, who came out as the representative of the Knights Department, opened his mouth.

“First, let's figure out the situation.”

Currently, there were only students in the dormitory.

Beyond that, there was no information.

Listening to Tarkon's words, Elena said.

“As you can see, all years, all departments are using the same dormitory. And the areas are clearly divided.”

Elena's eyes curved slightly.

“It seems this year will be a competition between departments.”

“That’s right!”

As soon as Elena finished speaking, Sedgen’s voice was heard.

As everyone looked around.

Bang-!

The central hall door opened, and Sedgen and Tina appeared.

“This year, it's literally an inter-departmental competition! To win this competition, the entire department must unite!”

At Sedgen's declaration, all the students started murmuring.

At Sedgen’s words, Elena smiled faintly.

“What’s the prize for winning?”

“The winning prize is countless benefits!”

Sedgen said confidently.

“First! There will be no expulsions until the end of the second-semester final exams!”

Everyone looked surprised by such an unprecedented condition.

“For the winning department, everyone will advance to the next grade and graduate!”

“Ohhh…!”

Cheers erupted among the first and second-year students.

“What about the departments that don’t win?”

“Whether you’re expelled will be determined by your overall grades. However, this year, the evaluation method has changed from relative evaluation to absolute evaluation.”

Chloe raised her hand after hearing Sedgen's words.

“My favorite student! Chloe! What do you want to ask?”

“Will this dormitory system be maintained next year?”

“Elegant! My favorite student, indeed! Such keen insight!”

Sedgen clapped enthusiastically and approached Chloe.

“Hold out your hand!”

At Sedgen's words, Chloe, flustered, extended her palm.

Sedgen took a stamp from his pocket and pressed it onto Chloe’s palm.

[You did very well.]

Chloe looked bewildered, seeing the words written on the stamp.

The stamped mark soon disappeared.

“Students who do something praiseworthy will be given a praise stamp! A praise stamp is extra points for the dormitory!”

“Why a stamp instead of points?”

When Chloe asked with genuine curiosity, Sedgen quickly replied.

“It’s my personal preference!”

Having said that, Sedgen returned to his spot.

“How did you know this dormitory system would be maintained next year?”

“The winning department, the entire department advances without expulsion, right? I thought there might be a balance issue between departments in the next academic year. In such a situation, the advancement evaluation changed to absolute evaluation. That means giving as many students as possible the opportunity to advance to the next grade.”

Chloe calmly explained her deduction.

“The fact that there are no expulsions until the end of the academic year is a department system that inherits last year's mentor system. So I thought they would create a situation where seniors would somehow lead their juniors.”

That was the absolute evaluation.

Unlike relative evaluation, which determines expulsions based on ranking, absolute evaluation means that advancement is decided simply by exceeding the cut-off line.

To gain an advantageous position in next year’s inter-departmental competition, it was beneficial for many students to advance.

“The main benefits are related to advancement! There are other benefits too, but I’ll tell you those gradually!”

Sedgen grinned.

“First, I’m sure everyone is hungry and tired, so let’s head to the dormitory dining hall! The school has prepared a freshman welcoming party!”

It was when Sedgen was smiling and heading towards the central hall door.

Bang-! Thud-!

“Ugh!”

The central door burst open and hit Sedgen in the face.

Leo, who had opened the door and walked in at perfect timing, said.

“Professor Sedgen. Are you alright?”

“Is that Leo?”

Sedgen got up.

“You’re late. There should have been a gathering notice, shouldn’t there?”

“I didn’t receive one.”

Leo scratched his head.

Tina nodded at that.

“It seems the notices aren’t being delivered to the Clock Tower. There must be an error.”

Sedgen nodded at Tina’s words; Tina had designed the entire Clock Tower Dormitory.

“Hmm! I see! Be careful next time! Can I have your hand, Leo?”

As Leo extended his hand, Sedgen pressed a stamp onto it.

[Try harder.]

“Anyway, late is late!”

“…Aren’t I not even related to dormitory points anyway?”

“Isn’t it a matter of feeling?”

Sedgen burst out laughing.

Leo, who was staring at Sedgen, took something out of his pocket and stamped it on his own palm.

Sedgen’s face stiffened upon seeing it.

“Why do you have that?”

“Professor Harlind gave it to me. As the student council president, it’s my authority.”

Leo smiled and showed the [You did very well.] stamp on his palm.

“Annoying! Harlind is annoying, and you’re annoying too! Leo Ploveeee!”

Sedgen threw a fit.

Leo and Tina calmed Sedgen down.

Illiana, who was watching them, said.

“Chen Sia.”

“Yes.”

“Would it be possible to bribe the class president? Like with a honey trap or something.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“Tsk.”