Legris vanished into thin air shortly after Desmond Lawcroft left.
The remaining two staff who had judged us in both first and third tests remained, though. Apparently, they were in charge of assigning us our dorms.
“Girls, come over here.” The woman said.
I smiled at her, remembering our little conversation. Her head bobbed and turned to my location. For a moment, our eyes met and a small smile appeared on her face for reasons unknown to me. She looked away sharply and began coordinating the girls who were heading toward her.
The man, as expected, called the boys to his side.
After we had all gathered, I sharply counted the girls in their row, estimating their numbers to be 34. As expected, there were more males than females among those who passed.
The man, who introduced himself as Klaus Tallman, guided us through a door and we obediently followed. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the girls being guided through another door, so I assumed we would be staying in separate dorms.
The area the door led to shone so brilliantly that I couldn’t see a thing while drawing closer to it. I sensed mana surging from the severely bright sight, so I assumed it was some sort of teleportation magic that transferred us to our dorms.
I wasn’t wrong!
As we all entered the door and passed through the light, we vanished from the usual plane we existed. Once it was my turn, I felt my body feel lighter than a feather, as though I was being carried somewhere beyond my control.
These feelings only lasted for a few moments, though, as before I knew it, I was somewhere entirely different. Opening my eyes, I was met with a wonderful new sight that sent shivers of excitement down my spine.
From all around me, I could hear ‘wows’ of awe. Everyone was amazed by the sight unfolding before us.
The Skies were so clear, that you could see the blues that were already turning orange due to the evening sun setting. The fresh wind that blew on my face made me remember my home, and the lush gardens that surrounded everywhere were equally pleasant. It seemed we appeared on grassy plains, surrounded by beautiful flowers and the likes, and from a short length, probably a little over a hundred meters, we could see the rest of the Academy. Tall buildings made from exquisite materials stood erect from a short distance, and many other facilities that seemed foreign to me could be seen all around.
“There’s no time for sightseeing. You need to lodge into your dorms now.” Klaus Tallman said impatiently, guiding us away from the enchanting sight that had gotten all our attention.
Obeying immediately, we turned to our guide and he instantly snapped his fingers.
That very moment, something appeared behind him. It looked like space was distorting as the tall structure came into sight.
It was a tall building! Large wasn’t the right word to describe this structure. It was enormous, spreading so far that we had to turn our heads to see the end of it, raising our faces to see how high it went.
“This will be your temporary dorm until the final orientation where you’ll have to split into different classes based on your abilities. You’ll also come into contact with your seniors, so this is where you’ll be staying in the meantime.”
We all understood what he was saying. I also didn’t expect to be placed in the same living quarters as those deemed ‘talented’.
“Well, then… shall I show you to your respective rooms?”
****************************************
We were 66 boys and the building had a hundred rooms at the very least, so we were all entitled to our private space.
As he showed us around the facilities, Klaus explained a few things to everyone. Firstly, the building had an effect that shielded it from the perception of ordinary eyes. That was why we hadn’t noticed it until he snapped his fingers.
Secondly, we all had a schedule for the week we would be spending in orientation.
“Your rosters are placed on the beds in your respective rooms.” He had stated
Our rooms didn’t even need keys. Somehow, they had retrofitted it to match every single entrant.
‘Does it have to do with the magic print we gave on our form?’ I thought to myself.
Unfortunately, Klaus never addressed the issue, leaving this mystery unresolved.
It was exhausting, but I was finally shown my place of residence, albeit temporary.
“Haaa… Haaa….” I breathed hard, collapsing on the bed the moment I entered.
My entire body melted on the soft surface of the mattress and I could feel the exhaustion that I had been ignoring build up and begin evaporating.
“I’ve never exerted myself like this before…” I mumbled.
Of course, I didn’t mean this concerning magic. It was more like mental and emotional exhaustion. Being around so many people, comporting myself in a way befitting someone of my status, as well as avoiding the several gazes of people around.
It was truly a tough task.
Fortunately, they all avoided me and didn’t say a single word as we all trailed behind Klaus. My eyes caught Stefan giving me curious and competitive stares and I could tell that the brat wanted to talk to me, but he restrained himself.
‘Well, it’s a good thing he didn’t… I’ve had enough interaction for today.,..’ My thoughts trailed.
My social battery had hit rock bottom and I seriously needed a recharge.
After closing my eyes for a few seconds to relax, I opened them and glanced around my room for the first time.
It was plain, but neatly designed. Having only the most basic of furniture such as a study table and desk, a wardrobe, the bed I slept on, and a counter by my side. The bathroom door was situated toward my far right and I guessed all basic necessities had already been provided for.
‘That’s good…’ I heaved in relief.
The Academy had certainly gone through such great lengths to welcome us, but after this first week, not everyone would share the same treatment.
I had no idea where I would be going after this, but I could only brace myself for the worst.
“Ahh, enough thinking for now. Let’s enjoy this while it lasts!”