CHAPTER 251: THE NEW SEATS [1]

Several students were already seated, chatting quietly or reviewing notes.

Alaric stepped through the doorway—

"Alaric!"

He turned, blinking in genuine surprise.

"Oliver?"

"Who else?" Oliver grinned, spreading his arms wide.

Alaric stared, genuinely baffled.

Someone like him? Here?

Oliver was good, competent, even talented in some areas. But from what Alaric remembered, he wasn’t great. Certainly not Silver Crown material. He’d been middle-of-the-pack in their shared classes, occasionally showing flashes of skill but nothing extraordinary.

And now the way he carried himself, confident, relaxed.

What happened to him?

Oliver hadn’t been like this before. He’d been the kind of person who stayed in the background, avoided drawing attention.

Oliver approached, giving Alaric’s arm a light smack.

Alaric’s mind raced. Did his crush reject him or something? Some kind of dramatic personal transformation over the break?

But he shrugged internally and smiled. "Yeah, how’ve you been? Though I have to say, it’s a bit surprising seeing you here."

Oliver chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, me too. Didn’t think I’d be selected for Silver Crown, but guess what? Here I am!" He gestured around the impressive classroom. "Still feels a bit surreal, honestly."

"The evaluation results can be... unexpected," Alaric said diplomatically.

"That’s one way to put it." Oliver leaned against a nearby desk. "But hey, I’m not complaining. This place is incredible. The resources alone are—"

As Oliver continued talking about the dormitory facilities, Alaric’s attention drifted slightly, scanning the room.

Elina wasn’t here. Different class, probably. Silver Crown likely split students by specialization or assessment scores for certain subjects. Or just randomly put the fitting in the rooms.

Then his eyes caught on a lone figure sitting in the front row, at the corner near the window.

Silver hair with distinctive blue streaks that caught the morning light. Blue eyes, cold and distant, focused intently on the book open before her. Her posture was perfect, her expression utterly neutral, completely uninterested in the conversations happening around her.

Verelia!

His fiancée.

She sat isolated by choice, an invisible barrier around her that no one dared cross. Even the other students gave her seat a wide berth, as if proximity alone might earn her disapproval.

Oliver smacked his arm again, lighter this time, a bit tentative, as if still testing boundaries.

"Hey, why aren’t you listening?"

Alaric’s gaze snapped back. "I am listening."

Oliver followed his previous line of sight, then grinned. "Really? Because it looked like you were staring at a certain someone and thinking some very interesting thoughts."

Alaric’s expression went flat. "No."

"Oh come on—"

The glare Alaric sent him could have frozen water.

Oliver immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! Message received. Shutting up now."

He mimed zipping his lips, though his eyes still gleamed with amusement.

Then suddenly the door at the front of the classroom opened.

And a man entered, wearing academy, and carried himself with the authority of someone who’d been teaching for decades.

Professor Aldric.

The room quieted immediately. Students who’d been standing quickly found seats. Conversations died mid-sentence.

Alaric and Oliver moved to take seats in the middle rows.

Professor Aldric set his materials on the desk at the front, then turned to face the class. His eyes swept over them, assessing, measuring.

"Although it has been more than a month since you arrived at this Academy," he began, his voice clear and commanding, "This is your first day as Silver Crown students. So I want to formally welcome you."

He paused, letting that sink in.

"You are here because you demonstrated exceptional ability during your evaluations. You outperformed your peers. You proved yourselves worthy of the resources, the instruction, and the expectations that come with this house."

His gaze moved slowly across the room, meeting eyes.

"Silver Crown is not merely a designation. It is a standard. A tradition. For over two centuries, this house has produced some of the kingdom’s finest mages, warriors, scholars, and leaders. You now carry that legacy."

Some students sat straighter. Others looked nervous.

"You will be held to higher expectations than students in other houses. Your performance reflects not only on yourselves but on Silver Crown as a whole. Failure is not tolerated. Mediocrity is not accepted."

Professor Aldric’s expression was stern but not unkind.

"That said, you will also receive opportunities unavailable to others. Advanced instruction. Access to restricted resources. Mentorship from accomplished alumni. This house invests heavily in its members and expects results in return."

He picked up a sheet of parchment from his desk.

"Now then. Before we begin today’s lesson, there is one matter to address." He looked up. "Your seats will be assigned based on your evaluation scores and specializations. This is to facilitate more effective group work and ensure proper balance during practical exercises."

A few groans rippled through the class.

Professor Aldric’s expression didn’t change. "Your seats will be assigned based on your evaluation scores and specializations. This is to facilitate more effective group work and ensure proper balance during practical exercises."

He began reading names.

"Verelia Rithvale, front row, far right, window seat."

Verelia closed her book with a soft snap and gathered her things.

She moved with perfect grace, settling into the assigned seat without a word.

"Cereline, front row, center-left."

A girl with sharp features and dark hair pulled back in a severe bun stood. She took her seat, back straight, eyes forward.

Professor Aldric continued down the list methodically.

"Kieran, third row, center."

"Elara Sunfield, fourth row, center-right."

More names. More shuffling. Students finding their places, some chatting quietly, others silent.

"Oliver, fourth row, center-left."

Oliver shot Alaric an apologetic shrug as he moved to his assigned seat, already striking up conversation with the student beside him.

Professor Aldric continued reading.

More students settled into place. The classroom was taking shape, the semicircle arrangement filling in row by row.

Then—

"Alaric Glimor, front row, center-right."

Alaric stood. He made his way to the front, aware of eyes tracking his movement.

He took his assigned seat.

"Lyria Lumious, front row, beside Alaric Glimor."

A girl rose from where she’d been sitting near the back.

Silver hair fell straight past her shoulders, perfectly maintained but without any particular style.

Striking purple eyes but lacking the sharpness expected from someone in Silver Crown. Instead, they were just... tired.

She walked to the seat beside Alaric with measured steps, neither rushed nor deliberately slow, set her bag down, settled into the chair, and folded her hands on the desk in front of her.

Her expression remained neutral. Not hostile, not friendly. Just... present.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Alaric saw nothing in those purple depths. No calculation, no interest, no judgment. Just acknowledgment that he existed in the same space as her, and that was fine.

Then she looked forward, focusing on Professor Aldric.

Alaric did the same.

Professor Aldric finished reading the remaining names. The last few students found their seats. The shuffling stopped. Silence settled over the classroom.

"Good," the professor said, setting down the parchment. "These will be your assigned seats for the remainder of the term. I expect you in these positions for every class."

He turned to the board behind him.

"Now then. Let us begin."