Chapter 708: Celebrities of the Craft & Research Seekers

Inside the Craft & Research Seekers Club Building...

The reception hall was busy.

Club members were moving heavy objects from one part of the hall to another. Some worked together, carrying the items by hand, while others who had already reached the Alchemist rank that allowed the use of Alchemy Levitation, used the ability to move the heavier objects with greater ease.

The preparations were for the visiting students.

With no preparation for any club tournament, the club intended to display some of its achievements, and several items had already been brought into the reception hall.

There were trophies to arrange, exhibits to position, and other things that needed to be placed properly before the visitors arrived.

"Don’t you think it should be there?"

An upperclassman, a Second-Year Young Non-Noble man, asked thoughtfully.

He stood a short distance from the display area, positioning his hands as though he were trying to picture how the arrangement would look.

"The Golden Club Award should be placed somewhere the visiting students can see it as soon as they enter."

He added, directing his gaze towards the stand.

The four Non-Noble club members carrying the glass case with the trophy inside looked at him.

They had been waiting for his decision for some time.

At first, he had wanted the trophy placed near the center of the reception hall. Then he changed his mind and suggested moving it closer to the entrance. Now, he was considering another position.

The four members were beginning to grow tired of his constant changes.

One of them adjusted his grip on the glass case.

"Senior, are you sure about this position?"

He asked carefully.

The Second-Year young man looked towards the proposed location again.

"Hmm..."

He rubbed his chin.

"Perhaps a little farther to the left."

The four members exchanged glances.

They didn’t say anything, but their expressions made it clear that they were running out of patience.

Other members were also standing nearby, waiting for the stand to be placed in the best position for the trophy.

One of them had already prepared to help guide the glass case into place, but there was little he could do while the person in charge of the arrangement continued changing his mind.

"Could we at least put it down for a moment?"

One of the four carrying the case asked.

"Not yet. We need to make sure the position is right."

The Second-Year young man replied.

The four Non-Nobles looked at one another again.

They could only continue holding it.

On another side of the reception hall...

A few Second-Year and Third-Year club members were working together.

They had used Alchemy Levitation to suspend the Elder Ghost Crawler in the air.

Its massive exoskeleton was being moved towards a large display platform that had been prepared for it.

The creature’s body was far heavier than the other objects in the hall.

Even with several Alchemists working together, keeping it suspended required a considerable amount of Cognis.

The members had to maintain their concentration and coordinate their movements to prevent the massive exoskeleton from shifting in the wrong direction.

"We got these guys... Arghhhh!"

Latisha Grey gritted her teeth.

She had also joined the group, spreading her Cognis to help suspend the Elder Ghost Crawler.

Her arms were raised slightly, and her attention remained fixed on the creature’s body.

The others were doing the same, each maintaining their portion of the levitation.

"I can’t hold on much longer."

Jeremy Rowe said with a struggling tone.

His knees bent as he used all his strength and Cognis to keep the exoskeleton suspended.

The massive body had begun to feel heavier with every passing moment.

Jeremy’s arms trembled.

He tried to maintain the flow of Cognis, but his concentration was starting to slip.

The Elder Ghost Crawler shifted slightly in the air, causing the other members to adjust their positions.

"Hey, hey, Jeremy, you weakling! Hold on!"

Agnes Scarlet shouted.

She was clearly annoyed that Jeremy was the first one beginning to give way.

"I’m trying!"

Jeremy replied through gritted teeth.

"Then try harder!"

Agnes snapped back.

A few club members working nearby looked towards them with worry.

They had been maintaining their own portions of the lift, but Jeremy’s struggle was beginning to affect the balance of the group.

If one person lost control, the others would have to compensate quickly.

"Let’s help with that."

Cyrus Burnwick said calmly.

He spread his Cognis out and joined the lift of the Elder Ghost Crawler.

Ezra also joined in without making a fuss.

The two directed their Cognis towards the massive exoskeleton, adding their strength to the existing levitation.

The moment their support joined the group, the strain became much easier to manage.

The Elder Ghost Crawler stopped shifting.

The members who had been struggling to maintain the lift felt the difference almost immediately. Their movements became steadier, and they could focus on guiding the exoskeleton towards the platform instead of fighting against its weight.

With the two’s help...

The lifting became so much easier.

"Sir Cyrus Burnwick! Ezra Ashenlocke!"

Jeremy looked at the two as if they were his saviours.

His expression brightened despite the strain still showing on his face.

He had almost lost his grip on the levitation a moment ago.

Now, with their assistance, he could finally maintain his position without feeling as though his arms would give way.

"Focus, Jeremy!!!"

Agnes shouted loudly.

Jeremy immediately straightened himself.

He quickly returned his attention to the Elder Ghost Crawler and continued contributing his Cognis to the lift.

The group moved the exoskeleton forward.

A few members guided its position from the sides, while the others maintained the levitation. They adjusted its angle little by little until the massive body was directly above the display platform.

"Lower it slowly."

One of the members instructed.

The group followed his words.

The Elder Ghost Crawler descended.

Its shadow gradually covered the platform before the exoskeleton finally settled onto the prepared display.

At the end...

The group laid the Elder Ghost Crawler’s exoskeleton down on the platform.

The moment everyone confirmed that it was properly positioned, the members released their levitation.

"Yeah!!!"

The group shouted excitedly.

"We did it!"

Jeremy joined the celebration as though he hadn’t been the one who was about to ruin the entire operation.

He even raised one hand, looking pleased with their achievement.

Agnes stared at him from the side.

Her expression made Jeremy’s smile falter.

He lowered his raised hand slightly and glanced away.

"Agnes, you should take it easy on Jeremy. Hahaha."

Latisha laughed awkwardly, looking between the two.

She had seen how much trouble Jeremy had caused during the lifting.

Still, the group had managed to place the exoskeleton properly, and there was no reason to continue scolding him.

"Humph."

Agnes turned her face away from Jeremy.

She didn’t seem interested in accepting Latisha’s suggestion.

Latisha looked at her for a moment.

Seeing that there was nothing she could do, she gave up and turned her attention towards Ezra and Cyrus.

Her expression brightened.

"Our club’s very own stars are here!"

She said excitedly.

"Yeah, you guys are literally ranked in the Top Ten of your Year."

A Second-Year Non-Noble lady added.

She looked at Ezra and Cyrus with excitement.

The two had only recently arrived, yet their presence had already become a topic among the club members.

"This club has never had a student in the Top Ten, not to mention you, Ezra Ashenlocke, who is Number Three in your Year."

Another club member said.

There was admiration in his eyes.

He seemed particularly impressed by Ezra’s ranking.

"I was so right to join this club. Not only do we have Number Ten and Number Three, we even have Number Four and Number One, Lady Diane Bergwyn and Lady Vera Ashenlocke."

A First-Year Non-Noble girl nodded with a pleased smile.

She looked as though she had just remembered another reason to be proud of the club.

Many of the First-Year club members nodded in agreement.

Their club had several students who had achieved impressive positions in their respective years. It was something worth celebrating, especially when the members had spent so much time working together without having such highly ranked students among them.

"Are you guys forgetting we have Number Two too, and also Sir Kane Casper who ranks amongst the top fifty?"

A First-Year Non-Noble boy added to the conversation.

He extended his hand towards Kane Casper.

Kane was working nearby, cleaning the glass case of the trophy that had just been placed on the platform.

He had a cloth in his hand and was carefully wiping the surface, paying attention to the spots where fingerprints had been left.

Hearing his name, he glanced briefly towards the group before returning his attention to the glass case.

"That’s so true."

"We of the Craft & Research Seekers are so blessed."

"You guys might not have noticed it, but during the finals, it was the Battle of the Craft & Research Seekers club members."

"Oh, my Scholars! Wowww!"

"That’s so true!"

"How did I not notice it?!"

The discussion grew louder.

The excitement spread beyond the group around Latisha.

Club members working in other parts of the building began coming out to see what was happening.

Some had only wanted to find out why everyone was gathering, but after hearing the conversation, a few joined in as well.

The reception hall, which had been filled with the sounds of members moving displays and giving instructions, now carried the voices of excited students.

The club members were proud of their achievements.

It wasn’t every day that they could look around and find so many students who had ranked highly in the Combat Festival among their own members.

"Thank you, guys."

Cyrus laughed awkwardly.

He appreciated the club members who were congratulating him, although the growing excitement around them was making him a little uncomfortable.

He rubbed the back of his head.

The attention was rather unexpected.

"Latisha, shouldn’t we prepare a party for them?"

A Second-Year club member suggested.

He looked between the members who had gathered around Ezra and Cyrus.

"Yeah, we can use that to congratulate them while also preparing for the Third-Years’ own graduation party."

Another member replied.

The suggestion immediately attracted some attention.

A few members began discussing how the celebration could be arranged, while others seemed to agree that it would be a good opportunity to bring everyone together.

The Third-Years’ graduation party was also something they had to prepare for, so combining the preparations could make things easier.

While the discussions continued...

Maxwell and Cherry walked into the club.

"It’s Maxwell!"

A club member pointed at him excitedly.

A few members immediately rushed towards him.

The sudden movement caught Cherry’s attention.

She looked at the approaching crowd, then quickly moved behind Maxwell.

Her steps became faster as she tried to stay out of their way.

To her...

The crowd of her own club members felt like a rushing mob about to get her.

She held close to Maxwell’s back, leaving him to face the people approaching them.

"Congrats on ranking Number Two!"

Several members greeted him at almost the same time.

"Thank you."

Maxwell replied gratefully.

He received their congratulations with a polite smile.

"It pains me to lose the first rank, but the best winner took the spot. I will just have to fight harder to win it back."

He said with a sense of determination.

His expression was calm, but his words carried a clear resolve.

He had lost the first position, yet he wasn’t treating the result as something that would hold him back.

Instead, he intended to work harder and reclaim it.

"That’s the spirit, Maxwell boy."

Cyrus said in a playful tone.

Maxwell heard his voice and turned towards where he was standing.

"Cyrus Burnwick."

He called his name once.

His eyes remained on Cyrus for a moment.

"What? Why did you call my name like that?"

Cyrus asked, looking at Maxwell with confusion.

He hadn’t expected Maxwell to address him in that manner.

Maxwell didn’t reply immediately.

He simply looked at Cyrus.

The brief silence was enough to make the people nearby notice the exchange.

Cyrus waited for an answer, but Maxwell’s expression gave little away.

Then...

"It’s nothing. It doesn’t matter anymore."

Maxwell said calmly.

His gaze moved away from Cyrus and settled on Ezra.

Ezra looked back at him plainly.

Neither of them said anything.

However, the people nearby could feel a bit of tension.

It wasn’t particularly obvious from the expressions of Ezra or Cyrus. Both looked much the same as they always did, and neither seemed interested in making a scene.

Still, the exchange between Maxwell and Cyrus had caught the attention of several club members.

Some remembered the events of the Combat Festival.

"I forgot, all of them fought each other during the Combat Festival."

"Yeah, one ended with Sir Cyrus Burnwick forfeiting by himself, and the other ended with Maxwell almost losing to Ezra Ashenlocke."

Small whispers sounded within the crowd of club members.

A few people glanced between the three of them.

The Combat Festival had brought several of the club’s members into direct competition.

Their matches had become a topic of discussion among the students, and it was difficult for the others to forget that some of the people standing together now had once faced each other in the arena.

Cyrus didn’t seem particularly bothered by the whispers.

Ezra remained plain-faced.

Maxwell, however, had already stopped looking at Cyrus.

The brief exchange ended without either of them saying anything further.

Then, a Third-Year club member walked towards Ezra.

He approached from the side, waiting until he was close enough to get his attention.

"Ezra Ashenlocke, Senior Leofirc Hawthorne is at the club’s entrance."

He said calmly.

Ezra turned his gaze towards him and listened.

"He said he’s here to have a talk and to give you something."

The Third-Year upperclassman added.

Ezra looked at him for a moment.

"Okay. Thank you for informing me."

He replied calmly.

After that, he turned away from the group and began walking towards the entrance to meet Leofirc.