Chapter 47: The Dorm Mate

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Dorm Mate

Before dismissing the exhausted examinees into the Academy grounds for the night, Elder Vaelen raised his hand and signaled toward the logistics clerks waiting at the side of the dais.

?Six attendants dressed in silver robes stepped forward, carrying velvet-lined trays stacked with glowing pouches and intricately carved tokens.

?"Before the official Opening Ceremony begins tomorrow morning, all one thousand successful applicants will receive their student badges and dormitory keys tonight.

Furthermore, as a reward for taking the top three positions in the entrance trial, Aegon Noiré Delacroix, Aria Everlight, and Veera will receive the Academy’s Special Merit Package!"

?The head clerk stopped directly in front of Aegon first, bowing politely as he offered the top tray.

?Resting on the red velvet was a heavy leather pouch radiating a refreshing wave of energy, alongside a gleaming black-and-gold badge etched with the crest of a crowned griffin.

?"For claiming first place across all three stages, Student Aegon is awarded 50 High-Grade Mana Crystals and the Golden Griffin Badge. With this badge, all meals, medicinal cuisine, and spirit teas across every dining hall in the Imperial Academy will be completely free of charge for your entire first year!"

?At this, everyone seemed envious.

?In the Imperial Academy, ordinary students had to pay hefty sums of gold or spend hard-earned academic credits just to eat spirit-beast meat in the dining halls. Having unlimited free meals meant Aegon could consume peak-grade alchemical food three times a day without spending a single copper coin.

?More importantly, when Aegon weighed the leather pouch in his palm, he could feel the pure mana pulsing inside the fifty crystals.

Those crystals would save him weeks of meditation to push his mana Reserve.

?Beside him, Aria received 30 Mana Crystals and a silver-trimmed meal badge, while Veera received twenty.

Although twenty Mana Crystals was a fortune for an orphan from the slums, Veera barely looked at the pouch in his bleeding hand, his dark eyes still fixed resentfully on the fifty-crystal bag hanging from Aegon’s belt.

?"Lastly, your living quarters inside the Academy are determined strictly by your final examination rank. Those ranked from one hundred and one to one thousand will reside in the Grey Stone Dormitories. Those in the top 100 will stay in the Silver Leaf Quarters. And those who broke past the 480 point record today will be granted access to the Prime Suites at the peak of Starlight Hill!

Follow your badge wisps to your assigned quarters and get some rest!"

?As the crowd began to disperse toward the towering gates of the Academy, Aegon walked back over to his three cousins, who were staring down at the iron keys in their hands with comical grimaces.

?"What did the three of you get?" Aegon asked.

Zane groaned, "Room 408 in the Grey Stone East Wing, ahh. And according to the runic note on the back, Marcus and I have to share a single bunk room with four other noble boys from the southern kingdoms. And argh, there is only one washbasin for six people!"

?"Sigh mine isn’t any better. I’m in the girls’ dormitory with five roommates." Clara grumbled.

?Marcus, however, quickly shook his head and patted Zane’s shoulder.

"Don’t complain, Zane! 7,000 people just got thrown out of the capital gates tonight. Even if I have to sleep on the floor with ten roommates, it’s better than facing those wooden assassins in the forest again!"

?Looking at the gleaming golden key resting in Aegon’s palm, Clara smiled warmly.

"Still, I’m glad at least one of us gets to live like royalty. Go enjoy your Prime Suite, Aegon. After carrying the three of us through the exam today, you earned every bit of it. We’ll meet you at the main plaza tomorrow morning."

Aegon nodded.

?"You too should get some rest. And If anyone in the Grey Stone dormitories tries to give you trouble over your beds, just mention my name."

?Watching his three cousins limping happily toward their dormitories, Aegon turned and followed the small golden wisp floating ahead of his badge.

?After ten minutes, Aegon arrived before a wrought-iron gate guarding a magnificent two-story white marble villa overlooking the entire Academy campus.

?"So this is the Prime Suite," Aegon murmured, tapping his golden badge against the gate’s runic lock.

?Click.

?The gates swung open silently.

Walking across a private courtyard complete with a personal training ground and a steaming hot-spring fountain, Aegon pushed open the double oak doors of the villa.

?The interior was more luxurious than the Noiré family’s main mansion back home.

A grand chandelier of floating light crystals illuminated a spacious common hall furnished with velvet sofas, a private library wall, an alchemical refining room, and a personal mana-gathering array carved directly into the polished marble floor.

?"I must say it is quite spacious, and plenty of room to use ATUM without prying eyes. But do I really get to enjoy this villa alone?"

?Creak.

?Just as Aegon reached to loosen the red scarf around his neck, one of the carved wooden doors on the second-floor balcony opened, and the soft, familiar scent of winter jasmine drifted down the staircase.

?His hand had frozen on his scarf as he looked up toward the main door.

Stepping out onto the marble stairs above was Aria Everlight.

?She had already unpinned her formal outer cloak, wearing a simple, elegant white night-robe over her dress, her long silver-blonde hair cascading loosely over her shoulders like liquid moonlight.

In her slender hand, she held a golden dormitory key identical to the one in Aegon’s pocket.

?For few seconds, both younger prodigies stared at each other in silence across the grand hall.

?Even with the [ Ring of the Focused Mind ] keeping his emotions in check, Aegon’s eyebrow twitched in genuine surprise.

?"Lady Everlight? Why are you in my dormitory?"

Aria didn’t look surprised in the slightest... On the opposite, she was smiling.

?"I believe you have misunderstood something, Aegon Noiré. Chief Instructor Wane said that anyone who broke past the 480-point record today would be granted access to the Prime Suite on Starlight Hill. But, there is only one Prime Villa on the peak. Which means, we will sharing this house for the next 4 years."

Aegon: "...."