Chapter 19
The students were confused when, after completing all the scheduled activities, they were suddenly given free time.
But soon, one by one, they rose from their seats and began heading off in different directions.
Some walked alone, some talked with friends they had known before, and some, who had only just exchanged greetings, remained awkward around each other. Everyone had their own pace and style.
Among them, the most noticeable person was Sylvia. As soon as free time began, a crowd of students flocked to her.
“Miss Hailers, it’s an honor to meet you here.”
“I had a feeling the student representative would be you, Miss Hailers.”
“If you don’t have other plans, would you spend some time with us?”
Students, both boys and girls, gathered around Sylvia, trying to speak to her even once.
Selina, who was sitting next to Sylvia, naturally got pushed to the back.
Holding the cage with Luna inside, she watched Sylvia, now hidden in the crowd.
Was it because she was the protagonist? The enthusiasm was comparable to a celebrity fan signing event.
Suddenly made a bystander, Selina scratched her head and moved farther from the crowd.
All the scheduled activities were over; there was no reason to linger here. She needed to go to the dorm and unpack her things.
“Ah, wait a moment. I’m with my friend—”
Normally, Sylvia would have effortlessly handled the constant attention, but today she seemed a bit flustered.
“By friend, do you mean the person who was next to you?”
A female student among the group around Sylvia asked.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a friend I just got close to this time.”
Sylvia stretched her neck like a meerkat, scanning the crowd for Selina, ensuring she wasn’t lost among the students.
“Um… haven’t you heard?”
“Huh?”
“There’s a rumor that a person named Selina is a very famous witch among commoners.”
Sylvia’s mouth fell open. As soon as the rumor that Selina was a witch spread, the people around her began whispering.
“Oh, right. I was going to mention that.”
“Is that why it was so noisy when she became student representative?”
“I heard she’s very famous. Rumor has it she lures people with strange magic and devours them before anyone notices.”
“Gah! Really? How did someone like that get in here?”
“Exactly. And she’s the student representative too.”
“Could it be that she twisted the election with her magic?”
Most students in Class 1 were nobles, so they had no way to verify rumors from among the commoners.
Consequently, the gossip inflated, and Selina being a witch became a “fact” within the class.
“Miss, be careful. What if that witch harms you?”
“Exactly. You must not get close to that witch.”
Sylvester rested his chin on his hand lazily, watching the noisy crowd.
They were pathetic, bothersome creatures. Like hyenas, they attached themselves to him and Sylvia just for scraps. It was embarrassing to even be called nobles alongside them.
But apart from that, the rumors about the girl bothered him.
“A witch…”
As Sylvester muttered quietly, the hyena-like students pounced.
“Isn’t it outrageous? Such a sinister witch daring to approach Miss Sylvia…”
“We cannot just ignore it.”
Even though Selina hadn’t done anything, the crowd treated her like a vicious witch.
Sylvester’s gaze darkened. Whether Selina truly was a witch didn’t matter. If she harmed his precious little sister, he would not forgive her.
“A witch…”
Amid the commotion caused by talk of Selina, Sylvia muttered quietly. She lowered her head so her face was barely visible.
Her previously kind eyes disappeared into a shadowed expression, and a chilling aura surrounded her.
Then, without anyone noticing, a small smile curved at the corner of her lips.
Found you.
“Hmm… is it here?”
After wandering around looking for the dorm, Selina finally located the building.
There was no one there. It seemed that none of the freshmen had received their free time yet.
Unlike before, when she had struggled to find the class assignments, this time she could calmly check the dorm assignment list.
‘If I remember correctly, the higher the floor, the better the room.’
According to the information Mie had provided, the first floor contained shared spaces like lounges, libraries, and dining halls, used by multiple grades. The dormitory rooms began on the second floor.
Floors 2 and 3 had sixty four-person rooms each, floors 4 and 5 had sixty two-person rooms each, with higher floors offering better amenities.
And on the sixth floor—the top floor—there were only about twenty single-person rooms.
When she first heard the information, she thought, “I’ll probably get a room somewhere around the third floor.”
But now, she could no longer imagine anything so ordinary.
“Please tell me they didn’t assign me the top floor like the student representative…”
Selina hunched her back and searched for her name, starting at the second floor and slowly moving upwards.
She tried to convince herself this time that nothing unusual would happen.
“No way… how could it happen again? If it’s the top floor, I’ll—”
Her finger stopped abruptly. On the sixth floor, in bold numbers, her name was listed.
Selina froze. Her eyes trembled uncontrollably.
“N-no way…”
Among the few names on the sixth floor, her name stood out more than any other.
Regardless of commoner or noble status, dormitory levels were divided by cost.
Commoners, with less money, were usually assigned to lower floors, while nobles resided on upper floors.
Among the nobles, the name “Selina” without a family name looked strikingly out of place.
Could it be a namesake? She hoped, but the student number listed below hers was 322001. There was no denying it.
“Are you a freshman?”
A voice spoke nearby, startling Selina. She stepped back in surprise.
Gripping her pounding heart, she looked to the side and saw a hunched old woman leaning on a cane.
She hadn’t sensed her presence at all—when had she arrived?
“You’re here to find your room, I assume? What’s your name?”
“Uh… Selina.”
“Selina, huh…”
The old woman slowly scanned the board, then looked at Selina after seeing her name at the very top.
“That must be the one?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Then why are you standing here instead of going?”
“I… I thought there might be a mistake. Why was I assigned to the sixth floor…?”
“A mistake…? Impossible. I’ve managed this dorm for over thirty years, and there has never been a misassignment.”
“Wait… you manage the dorm?”
“That’s right. My name is Frigiea. I oversee the dormitory. You’ll see me often from now on.”
Frigiea extended her hand. Selina lightly held her frail, wrinkled hand.
“Ah, so you’re unhappy with the room assignment? May I see your admission papers?”
Selina handed them over without suspicion. Frigiea examined them carefully.
“No issues, as expected.”
“Uh…?”
“You’re here as the freshman representative, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes, but I didn’t even know I was the student representative.”
“Even if you didn’t know, you were elected as the freshman representative. See this student number?”
Frigiea pointed to Selina’s student number: 322001.
“Y-yes, but why…?”
“That number isn’t given to just anyone. ‘32’ represents the year of enrollment, ‘2’ indicates you entered through a special admission, and ‘001’ means you’re the first among special admissions—i.e., the student representative.”
Selina hadn’t known the significance. She’d wondered about the 001 at the end, but not like this.
“So, you must be the girl of the rumors.”
“Rumors?”
She reacted again. Since arriving, some teachers and students had acted as if they already knew her.
“There was word that a child sponsored by the Cardinal of the Moon Temple would be coming. The Academy, usually unshakable, turned upside down for just this one child.”
Freeman! What have you done?! Selina screamed inwardly.
“Although the Sun Temple had smooth relations, the Moon Temple rarely cooperated with the Academy. But this time, they contacted us first, asking us to take good care of their sponsored child.”
“….”
“That’s you, kiddo.”
Frigiea lightly tapped the stunned Selina with her large cane.
“The Academy naturally welcomed you with open arms. As a condition of accepting you, we agreed to regular exchanges with the Moon Temple. This time, a Moon Temple priest will serve as a temporary professor—very beneficial, don’t you think?”
The magnitude of this left her speechless.
She’d imagined someone had bribed to admit her, but this was far beyond that.
“Don’t feel too pressured. You don’t know anything, so just consider it Freeman’s favor.”
“Uh… you… know Freeman?”
Frigiea, who had been silent, suddenly pretended not to hear her.
“Enough nonsense, stop bothering this old lady and go upstairs!”
She flicked her ear and stomped off in another direction.
“Hey! This freshman is lost!”
“Ah! Wait—!”
Selina tried to stop her, but another dorm administrator quickly intercepted her.
“You’re lost? Ah! You must be a freshman! Tell me your assigned room, and I’ll guide you immediately.”
“Uh, well…”
“Let’s hurry before more people arrive.”
A man with elegant features smiled brightly and gently pushed Selina forward.
She glanced back at Frigiea one last time, watching her disappear into the distance.
