Chapter 348: The Grand Hall Dinner (2)

After making their final preparations, Yerin and the others followed the elderly academy official through the Leviathan’s winding corridors.

Their squad was far from the only one being guided toward the ceremony.

As they made their way through the ship, Yerin occasionally caught sight of other squads moving in the same direction under the escort of academy staff.

The atmosphere differed from squad to squad. A few were still chatting with visible excitement, while others looked far too worn out to even bother speaking. Or perhaps hungry would have been the more accurate word.

Yerin did not pay them much attention.

Instead, as they passed one of the Leviathan’s large port windows, her gaze naturally drifted outside.

The Leviathan was moving.

The sun was still hanging brightly over the distant horizon, its golden light spilling across the clouds and glimmering over the vast sea below. Even so, judging by how low it had already sunk, it would probably begin setting within another hour or so.

For some reason, the sight of the calm evening sky slowly giving way to night reminded her of the unnatural darkness that had swallowed Vazrun Island whole.

Yerin gave a rueful smile at the thought. ’It truly feels as though we spent an entire month on that island... even though it has only been a week.’

She quietly let out a sigh.

’Haha... what a strange feeling. I never imagined I would ever feel grateful simply for being able to watch night arrive normally.’

Yerin soon turned her attention forward again as the elderly official continued leading them deeper into the Leviathan.

*****

Several minutes later, they reached the Grand Magisterial Hall.

Their pace slowed as the entrance came into view.

Two enormous double doors stood before them, easily several times taller than an ordinary person, their polished dark surface decorated with thin golden patterns that formed the academy crest across both sides.

The academy official approached first.

With a low mechanical rumble, perhaps driven by some kind of magical mechanism, the massive doors slowly swung inward.

And the moment Yerin stepped through them...

Her eyes widened slightly.

The same reaction appeared on Arlok, Shima, and Horren.

’Whoa...’

The Grand Magisterial Hall was enormous.

None of them had ever imagined that a chamber of this scale could exist somewhere within the Leviathan.

"Damn, this place is huge!"

Arlok blurted out, his voice carrying farther than he probably intended.

Horren looked around nervously.

"A-Are we really supposed to be in a place like this...?"

"Well, considering how many first year scholars there are, something of this size was probably necessary."

Shima replied, as she calmly assessed the hall.

The hall was divided into two levels. The lower floor, where Yerin and the others had entered, was clearly meant for the scholars.

Large circular tables stretched across both sides of the chamber, each one wide enough to seat an entire squad without feeling cramped. Small numbered plaques had already been placed at their centers, marking where each squad was supposed to sit.

There were so many tables that Yerin gave up trying to count them after a glance.

A broad aisle ran straight through the middle of the scholar seating, leading from the entrance all the way to the far end of the hall.

That was where the ceremonial platform stood.

It had been raised several steps above the floor, with more than enough space for a large group to stand upon it at once. An enormous academy crest hung behind the platform, flanked by long banners bearing the academy’s colors.

A few podiums and smaller tables had already been set up across the stage.

’So that’s where they’ll announce the rankings...’

Yerin could already picture scholars being called up there one after another once the ceremony began.

Though, what caught Yerin’s attention next was the upper level.

The gallery was much broader than she had expected. It looked almost like another banquet floor built above the first, with its own tables and several buffet counters lining the rear walls.

Many of the seats were already occupied, and Yerin quickly picked out several familiar figures among the crowd: academy instructors, exam supervisors, and senior officials. And of course, there were plenty of others she did not recognize at all.

After a moment, her gaze drifted back toward the lower floor.

More scholars were entering through the side doors now, gradually filling the circular tables as academy officials guided each squad toward their assigned seats.

*****

[Ruvian’s POV]

After Ruvian had finished dressing for the ceremony, Ophelia brought him along with her through [Warp].

After that, Ruvian found himself standing inside what appeared to be one of the Leviathan’s private reception rooms, located somewhere near the Grand Magisterial Hall.

The room was somewhat more modest in proportion, yet everything within it carried a subdued sense of luxury.

At the center stood a long dining table crafted from polished blackwood, already arranged for a private meal.

His gaze fell upon the spread arranged across the polished blackwood table. Fine silverware rested beside porcelain plates, with several covered dishes occupying the space between them on either side.

Their contents remained hidden beneath polished silver lids, while baskets of freshly baked bread and chilled fruit had been placed among them. Apart from those, several crystal bottles stood across the table, each filled with a different assortment of drinks.

Only enough seats had been arranged around it for a small gathering.

Ophelia walked farther into the room before turning slightly toward him.

"This is where you will be having your dinner tonight. Since you asked me about such an award earlier, I thought it would be more appropriate for you to remain here until the ceremony begins." (+2,000PP)

Her gaze shifted toward the prepared table before she added.

"At the very least, you should be able to eat in peace without everyone watching every bite you take."

After everything that had happened during the test, from his absurd point total to the battle involving Julian, Ruvian’s name had become the center of nearly every conversation among the scholars.

If he were to appear among hundreds of them before the ceremony had even begun, there would undoubtedly be endless stares, whispers, and questions thrown his way. There was no chance he would be able to enjoy his meal under that kind of scrutiny.

After giving it another moment of thought, Ruvian gave a small nod before looking back at Ophelia with a faint, grateful smile.

"Yeah, I think I’d rather stay here. Thanks for arranging all of this."

’How considerate of her.’

With that settled, Ruvian made his way toward the table and pulled out one of the chairs. He had assumed Ophelia would leave him there after bringing him to the room, perhaps returning once the ceremony was about to begin.

However, just as he was about to sit down, the sound of another chair being drawn back reached his ears.

’Hm?’

Ruvian paused and glanced over.

Ophelia had taken the seat across from him. She calmly adjusted the edge of her robe before settling into the chair, showing no indication that she intended to leave anytime soon.

Perhaps because of the ceremony, her long white hair had been styled more meticulously than usual, half-pinned behind her head while the rest cascaded smoothly down her back.

A slender silver hairpin rested among those pale strands, elegant without being overly ostentatious, while her cool violet eyes remained as striking as ever.

Looking at her now, Ruvian found it rather difficult to reconcile her appearance with her actual age. Despite being thirty-nine and already nearing her forties, Ophelia still looked surprisingly radiant.

Ruvian simply stared at her, dumbfounded, but he didn’t let that expression appear on his face. Then, without comment, he pulled out his chair and took a seat.

"...You’re eating here too?"

Ophelia raised her gaze toward him.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"No, I just thought you were going to drop me off and leave. Wait, aren’t you supposed to be having dinner with the senior faculty or the rest of the academy officials?"

"Fortunately, I can be in several places at once," she said, her gaze lingering almost longingly on the prepared dishes. "After all, I couldn’t very well leave you here to have dinner all by yourself, could I?"

Ruvian gave a helpless chuckle at that, clearly not having expected such an answer.

’Ah, yes... I almost forgot she could do that.’

"Furthermore, I still believe you owe me a proper explanation regarding... what Scholar Loden mentioned about the Ashway Bazaar incident.

Now, I’m genuinely curious. Because if you had already been planning to go there while knowing full well that demons would be involved... then you must have known about them far earlier than I did. Perhaps even before you enrolled at the academy?"

Ophelia immediately assailed him with a question.

Ruvian suddenly coughed, as though the unexpected line of questioning had caught in his throat.

’I knew she would ask about that eventually, but I wasn’t expecting it to be here and now. Geez, she really is inquisitorial... stubbornly tenacious, too.’

Ruvian paused for a while before replying.

"Well, remember when Morvayne mentioned the Necraz Factor? Yeah, I somehow inherited his ability to glimpse into the future. Though, it isn’t nearly as detailed as I would have expected, nor is it something I can fully control. It simply happens whenever it pleases." (+1,000PP)

Ophelia gave a slow nod at his answer, and although surprise flashed in her eyes, she concealed it almost immediately.

At the same time, she casually cast [Telekinesis] to lift the polished silver lids covering the various dishes across the table.

"I see... so that is what that spirit of yours meant by the Necraz Factor. A glimpse of the future — that’s really something. Though, I cannot help feeling as though I am still missing quite a few pieces."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"Since when have you been seeing these visions? How many have you seen so far, and did those events simply unfold as you witnessed them... or did you manage to change any of them? And more importantly, have you seen anything recently?"

’Oh boy...’

Ruvian stared at her for a moment before letting out a benevolent smile.

"That’s certainly a lot of questions, Chancellor... Should I answer them in order, or would you prefer it to be between bites?"

Ophelia merely smiled in return and made a small gesture with one hand, as though telling him there was no need to rush.

"Of course, you may answer them at your own pace."

She said calmly, reaching for her utensils.

"And preferably while eating. There is little point in having all of this prepared if you intend to let it grow cold. Though, this time, I would appreciate it if you refrained from being quite so... selective with what you choose to disclose."

There was something distinctly ominous about the way she delivered that final sentence, enough that Ruvian briefly wondered whether it had merely been a request or a threat.

Judging by the faint pressure behind her benign smile, he was inclined to believe she had meant it rather literally.

Was that why she arranged for him to have dinner in this room? So she could corner him in private and squeeze even more answers out of him?

’Ah, this reminds me... beautiful women are truly terrifying.’

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[Chapter 348: The Grand Hall Dinner (2)]

Plot Points = 282,000