Chapter 18
[This concludes the 52nd entrance ceremony. Freshmen, please remain for a moment, as there are some announcements.]
The entrance ceremony, which had gone far over the scheduled time, finally ended after an hour and a half.
Selina, who was trying to straighten her drooping posture, sagged again when told to wait.
It wasn’t just the ceremony—having someone beside her drained all her energy.
“Could it be because of the dorm assignments? I wonder where we’ll be placed. Right, Selina?”
“Uh… yeah.”
Throughout the hour and a half of the ceremony, Sylvia had been talking nonstop. In other words, Selina had been tormented by her for the entire ceremony.
Just becoming a student representative and getting everyone’s attention had already ruined her plan for a quiet school life. Now, if she became close with Sylvia, there would be no escaping a grueling school life.
Would it just be grueling? She would probably get dragged into all sorts of troublesome situations. Absolutely not.
Even though she had no desire to be friends with the “main character,” Sylvia kept coming closer, almost as if they were already best friends—it was frustrating.
“But Selina…”
“Uh, yes?”
Sylvia wiped the smile from her face and stared at her intently. It felt like Selina’s reflection was in those deep blue eyes.
“Have we met somewhere before?”
Huh? What was that?
Wasn’t that the line a guy would normally use to flirt with a girl he liked?
Selina felt a little uneasy and awkwardly replied,
“No…? I’m seeing you for the first time today…”
“Really? Then why does your voice sound so familiar… hmm…”
Sylvia crossed her arms and furrowed her delicate nose in thought.
“Am I imagining it? It sounds like a voice I heard recently…”
“It must be your imagination. I’ve never seen you before.”
“Is that so…”
[Ah, ah. Can all freshmen hear me clearly?]
The principal’s voice echoed loudly through the auditorium again.
[Please follow your assigned professor to your class. Your professor will provide instructions for the schedule ahead. Do not leave, and make sure to follow your professor’s guidance carefully. Once again…]
While Selina was staring blankly at the stage and listening to the instructions, a shadow fell across them.
Startled, both Sylvia and Selina looked forward to see who had approached.
A man with messy hair, disheveled uniform, and a sword slung carelessly at his waist—he looked like a vagrant one might see on the street.
“Uh… so this is Class 1?”
His indifferent eyes rolled downward and met Sylvia and Selina.
“Do we need to go through formal introductions? Not here… hmm… right, you.”
Kallix pointed at Sylvia.
“You’re the class president. Lead the students and make sure they follow me.”
Beside the flustered Sylvia, Selina let out a relieved sigh. Thank goodness she wasn’t the president.
“And you’re the vice president.”
Kallix turned his long finger to Selina.
Her relief immediately vanished. Her face turned pale with despair.
“Follow me once you understand.”
Kallix’s robe, long enough to touch his ankles, swished as he strode away. Sylvia hurriedly stood up and gestured for the other students to follow.
“Hey, everyone! Follow the professor! Let’s move quickly!”
The students murmured but quickly got up and followed her.
“Selina, I’ll guide the students from the front. Can you check that no one falls behind at the back?”
“Got it.”
Sylvia led the group with Nox’s cage, while Selina trailed behind, making sure everyone followed, with Luna at her side.
It wasn’t only Class 1 that moved in an orderly fashion. All other classes also followed their respective professors.
Following Kallix, they arrived at a classroom with a sign that read “1st Year, Class 1.”
The room was spacious enough for about forty students.
But it was… overwhelmingly luxurious.
Chairs, desks, even flower vases—all were expensive furnishings, and just stepping inside felt intimidating.
Yet Selina was the only one visibly awed by the space. The other students calmly found their seats.
Selina’s seat had already been chosen for her.
“Selina! Over here!”
Though there were empty spots, Sylvia called her name. Ignoring her could lead to trouble, so she went to the spot next to Sylvia.
In front of her sat the boy she had seen on the bulletin board, and diagonally were Theodor and Chris.
She felt like quitting school just to avoid sitting there—it was the worst possible spot.
“Vice president, sit quickly.”
Kallix urged from the podium. Selina dragged her heavy feet, feeling countless eyes on her as she passed.
Curiosity, envy, jealousy—all swirled in those gazes. It was overwhelming.
“Now that everyone’s here, let me introduce myself again. My name is Kallix. I’ll be your professor for the year, so take care of yourselves.”
The students stirred at the name.
“Kallix… could it be the Kallix?”
“The one who rose to vice-captain of the Royal Second Knight Order as a commoner?”
“I heard he’s about to become a Sword Master… is that true?”
“To see a war hero here…!”
Apparently, he was a well-known figure.
“Oh! That’s him! I didn’t know!”
Even Sylvia recognized the name.
“Quiet! Silence!”
Kallix’s sharp charisma filled the room, instantly silencing everyone.
“You’ll be seeing each other every day for the next year. Treat each other well. Now, I’ll explain the class schedule.”
He wrote on the blackboard as he spoke.
The first two weeks would be an adaptation period: learning the school layout and building friendships.
Students could also try optional classes before officially enrolling, aside from required courses.
“These papers are your schedules and the list of classes you can choose.”
The first page had the timetable, with required courses already noted.
“As you can see, there are many classes. During the two-week trial period, explore them and choose wisely. Keep your credits in mind.”
Each semester required 20 credits, 8 of which were mandatory. That left 12 for electives.
“You can take more than required. Some students even graduate early by taking extra credits.”
Kallix glanced at Sylvia and Selina in the back with a lazy expression.
“And just to clarify: no animals are allowed at Perion Academy. But the class president and vice president brought theirs. Some of you might be curious.”
All students turned to look at the two cages on their desks.
“They aren’t animals—they’re familiars. Don’t report them to me. I hate unnecessary trouble.”
The class murmured at the mention of “familiars.”
“Also, you can bring your familiar anywhere on campus. But if anyone suffers because of your familiar, it will be expelled immediately, and you’ll be penalized. Manage them responsibly. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Yes…”
“For dorm assignments, you’ll find your names listed when you arrive. Your luggage will be there. Other rules you’ll learn as you go. I think I’ve covered most things. Questions?”
Hands went up immediately. Kallix, looking slightly annoyed, started with the front row.
“Can anyone take specific classes like magic or swordsmanship?”
“Good question. Some require talent, like magic. Most are open, but classes requiring innate ability will check if you’re qualified. If not, you can’t enroll.”
“And swordsmanship?”
“Anyone can enroll, but students are grouped by skill level: beginner, intermediate, advanced. Theology classes don’t require divine power, though courses needing it may be tricky.”
Another student asked, “The schedule says we must join a club. What if we don’t?”
“Oh, right. Clubs… You don’t have to join.”
The class murmured in surprise. The schedule clearly said it was mandatory.
“But if you don’t, you won’t advance to the second year. Stay a first-year forever if you like.”
The students groaned, and Kallix chuckled.
“What clubs are available?”
“Too many to list. Check the bulletin boards. Don’t worry—clubs will actively recruit members.”
After a few more simple questions, Kallix scanned the class.
“All questions answered? That’s it for today. You have free time now. Explore with friends or check out clubs. But go to your dorm first to find your room. It’ll be harder later.”
With that, Kallix exited down the hall.
