Last Gun Alchemist

Chapter 286: Orientation Week III

"The Grand First-Year Combat Festival."

Kent continued speaking in his calm, measured voice as his eyes slowly swept across the classroom.

The noisy lecture hall from earlier had become completely silent.

Every student’s attention rested upon him.

"This festival... will be a one-on-one combat tournament."

He paused briefly, allowing his words to settle before continuing.

"Every first-year student will participate. The results of this tournament will determine your overall rankings."

Several students immediately exchanged surprised looks.

Kent folded one hand behind his back.

"Which also means..."

He calmly looked across the room.

"A student who performs exceptionally well during the tournament... will rank among the academy’s best... even if that student doesn’t possess outstanding academic results. Since it’s the tournament results, we will be using it for the overall academic ranking."

A ripple of whispers spread across the classroom.

"So..."

Kent smiled faintly.

"I believe all of you already understand why I previously said your academic points still matter."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Does anyone wish to answer?"

Almost immediately...

A hand rose from the Galehart section.

Kent nodded toward the student.

"Go ahead."

The young noble girl stood gracefully.

She calmly adjusted her academy coat before speaking.

"I believe... that although the Combat Festival determines the strongest students... those who are eliminated during the earlier rounds will still need another method of determining their rankings."

She glanced around the classroom before continuing.

"So... The academy will most likely use the academic points accumulated throughout the semester to separate students with similar combat results."

Several students quietly nodded, because her explanation made perfect sense.

She wasn’t finished.

"And besides... This ranking only concerns the first semester."

She smiled politely.

"We still have the second semester... along with our remaining two years inside the academy. So, accumulating as many Academy Points as possible will continue benefiting us throughout our education."

She finished speaking before respectfully bowing toward Kent.

The instructor smiled.

"Correct."

He nodded once.

"That is exactly the reason."

Several students immediately began writing additional notes.

Others simply committed the explanation to memory.

Kent slowly stepped away from the podium.

His footsteps echoed softly across the polished wooden floor.

"At the end of the day... every one of you will choose your own path."

He calmly looked around the classroom.

"This academy will provide you all the opportunities. What you decide to pursue... and how you choose to earn your Academy Points... depends entirely upon yourselves."

His expression gradually became more serious.

"I sincerely hope... that each one of you grows into an Alchemist worthy of graduating from the Royal Academy."

Silence settled across the room.

For several moments...

Nobody spoke.

Kent quietly observed his students.

His gaze naturally drifted across several familiar marked faces.

Maxwell and Ravenor.

Then...

A short-haired brown-haired girl sitting with folded arms.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Only for a moment.

Then it disappeared.

"That concludes today’s lesson."

He returned to his usual calm expression.

"You are now to proceed toward the Administrative Office... to register for your Student Identification Cards. Class dismissed."

Without adding another word...

Kent calmly walked out of the lecture hall.

The moment the instructor disappeared...

The classroom immediately returned back to life.

Conversations exploded throughout the room.

Some students excitedly discussed the Combat Festival.

Others debated which academic courses they planned to specialize in.

Several noble heirs had already gathered into small circles.

Lower-ranking nobles cautiously approached students from influential families, hoping to establish connections before regular classes officially began.

Within only a few minutes...

Almost everyone had begun leaving the classroom.

Ezra quietly stood.

He naturally intended to head toward the Administrative Office.

However...

A hand suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

"Wait. Wait."

Veda smiled helplessly.

"You’re really leaving already?"

Ezra calmly looked toward him.

"The instructor told us to register for our Identification Cards, and we also have the academy tour afterward."

His tone remained completely flat.

Veda sighed dramatically.

"Come on. Can’t you stay for a little while? There are plenty of young nobles from other families who want to meet you."

He smiled innocently.

"I could introduce you."

Ezra stared at him for several seconds.

"I don’t know them. And... I currently have no desire to."

His answer came as straightforward as ever.

Veda looked genuinely disappointed.

"...Why?"

Before Ezra could answer...

Nickolas laughed.

"Because... he’s a loner."

He pointed directly at Ezra with an amused grin.

Ezra slowly narrowed his eyes.

"..."

Nickolas immediately looked away.

"...I didn’t say anything."

Veda couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

At that moment...

A calm voice came from Ezra’s right.

"I feel the same way."

The three boys turned together.

Nate had finally spoken.

His arms remained folded while his expression stayed as calm as usual.

"Oh."

Veda smiled warmly.

"Nate."

He gave a small wave.

"Good morning."

Nate respectfully bowed.

"Greetings, Young Lord."

Nickolas looked curiously toward him.

"By the way Nate... Why are you sitting over here? Aren’t you usually with Lady Priscilla?"

Nate calmly shook his head.

"I chose this seat. While Priscilla preferred sitting with her friends."

Nickolas followed Nate’s gaze.

His eyes landed upon Lyra...

Page...

Tracy...

And the other girls.

Although they had already begun walking toward the classroom exit...

They occasionally stopped to greet several Highline nobles from the other Duke Houses.

"Ah... Lyra and the others."

Nickolas nodded knowingly.

Veda chuckled.

"Seems everyone already has their own groups."

Ezra quietly removed Veda’s hand from his sleeve.

"Well... I’m leaving."

He calmly walked toward the exit.

Nate stood almost immediately afterward.

"I’ll be going as well."

Without another word...

He quietly followed behind Ezra.

Veda watched the two leave before sighing.

"...They’re both hopeless."

Nickolas laughed.

"No. They’re just born old."

Veda couldn’t help laughing again.

"I suppose that’s another way of putting it."

***

The registration process continued for several hours.

Considering the number of first-year students...

Nobody found the waiting time surprising.

The Administrative Building remained crowded throughout the morning.

Students patiently stood in long lines that slowly advanced one person at a time.

Eventually...

Ezra entered the registration hall.

The interior had been divided into numerous registration stations.

Each section operated independently to speed up the entire process.

Even so...

There were still many students waiting.

After several more minutes...

Ezra finally sat opposite one of the academy staff members.

The woman smiled professionally.

"Good morning, Sir."

She gently slid a Zphone Tablet across the table.

"Please fill in your personal information."

Ezra quietly accepted it.

The moment his finger touched the first blank field...

A holographic keyboard immediately materialized above the tablet.

Without hesitation...

He began entering each detail.

Name.

House.

Rank.

Personal information.

Everything required by the academy.

The staff carefully reviewed the information.

Satisfied...

She took a small blood sample from his fingertip.

The process barely lasted a second.

The blood sample...

Along with the completed registration data...

Was immediately transferred into a nearby card-printing device.

Soft mechanical sounds echoed from inside the machine.

Several seconds later...

A polished black identification card slowly emerged.

The academy crest gleamed beautifully across its surface.

The staff picked it up before handing it toward Ezra.

"Here is your Student Identification Card."

Ezra accepted it with both hands.

"Thank you."

He gave a polite bow.

The staff smiled.

"Welcome to the Royal Academy."

Ezra quietly stood before leaving the registration hall.

The identification process continued throughout the afternoon.

Only after every student had completed their registration...

Did the academy proceed to the next activity.

A young female Instructor Apprentice gathered the first-year students together.

She smiled brightly.

"Everyone...Please follow me. I’ll now begin today’s academy tour."

The students naturally followed behind her.

Their first destination...

Was the academic district.

One after another...

She introduced the different lecture halls assigned to each subject the students would eventually study.

From Alchemy Theory...

Advanced Chemistry...

Engineering...

History...

Advanced Physics...

Alchemy Circles...

Every department possessed its own dedicated building.

As they continued walking...

Many students couldn’t help imagining what their lives would soon become inside those classrooms.

After introducing the academic buildings...

The Instructor Apprentice led the students toward the academy’s main restaurant.

The moment they stepped inside...

Many of the first-years couldn’t hide their surprise.

The place looked less like a school restaurant and more like a luxurious five-star establishment.

Crystal chandeliers hung elegantly from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the spacious dining hall. Long polished wooden tables stretched neatly across the room, while smaller private dining sections occupied the quieter corners for students who preferred eating alone or in small groups.

The aroma drifting from the open kitchen instantly caught everyone’s attention.

Freshly baked bread.

Roasted meat.

Warm soup.

Sweet pastries.

Different scents mixed together, making several students unconsciously swallow.

Although students were free to leave the academy grounds and dine at restaurants in the nearby commercial district...

Very few could deny that the academy’s own restaurant was every bit as impressive.

"This doesn’t even look like a school cafeteria."

One student muttered in amazement.

Another quietly nodded.

"If the food tastes half as good as it smells... I’ll probably eat here every day."

Laughter quietly spread through the group.

The Instructor Apprentice simply smiled before leading everyone onward.

Their next destination...

Was the Royal Academy Training Compound.

The moment Ezra stepped through the entrance...

His eyes calmly swept across the enormous training grounds.

Several familiar faces from House Ashenlocke also paused.

A strange feeling washed over them.

"...Doesn’t this remind you of somewhere?"

Nickolas quietly muttered.

Veda looked around before smiling.

"The Trial Base."

The resemblance was undeniable.

The layout...

The atmosphere...

Even the smell of polished steel mixed with the cold winter air.

It all brought back memories of the Trial of Steel.

Of course...

The academy’s training compound completely surpassed the Trial Base in scale.

The enormous facility stretched farther than the eye could comfortably follow.

Numerous training sections had been divided according to purpose.

Some areas focused on physical conditioning.

Others specialized in speed training.

Several sections contained equipment designed to improve flexibility, endurance, reaction speed, and combat movement.

Students quietly wandered from one area to another while listening to the explanations.

Many couldn’t hide their excitement.

Ezra calmly observed everything.

His eyes carefully examined each piece of equipment.

Most of it met his expectations.

However...

One thing immediately stood out.

There was almost no equipment dedicated to balance training or center-of-gravity control.

Ezra wasn’t surprised.

He had already expected this.

After all...

Very few people in Britannia truly understood how important body balance was during combat.

Most Alchemists focused entirely on strength.

Speed.

Or Cognis output.

Very few considered balance to be a separate skill worth developing.

Only someone with memories from another world would naturally think otherwise.

Ezra quietly stored that observation away.

The tour continued.

Eventually...

The Instructor Apprentice stopped before a massive reinforced building.

Several layers of security surrounded it.

Heavy black-steel doors.

Multiple Alchemy formations engraved into the walls.

Even the windows had been specially reinforced.

"This..."

She smiled.

"...is the Seclusion Hall."

The students immediately became interested.

The Instructor Apprentice continued explaining.

"These rooms are specially prepared for students undergoing breakthroughs in Cognis growth or advancing to a higher Alchemist Rank."

She lightly tapped one of the reinforced walls.

"The rooms are built to withstand accidental energy surges while also protecting the student inside."

Several students quietly nodded.

That alone made the facility extremely valuable.

"But..."

She continued.

"The rooms also serve another important purpose. Since many students prefer training alone and some wish to keep their combat methods, Alchemy techniques, or personal improvements hidden from others. The Seclusion Rooms guarantee complete privacy."

Ezra quietly approved.

That was exactly how a proper academy should operate.

The Instructor Apprentice smiled warmly.

"Using these rooms doesn’t require Academy Points or money. They’re completely free."

Several surprised whispers spread through the students.

"Really?"

"So we can use them whenever we want?"

She nodded.

"Yes. However... Each room must be reserved beforehand, because if someone else has already booked a room... the next student must patiently wait until it becomes available."

The explanation immediately cleared everyone’s doubts.

Many students silently memorized the location of the building.

Quite a few Alchemists had already decided they would become regular visitors.

With that...

The first day’s tour officially came to an end.

The Instructor Apprentice gave one final bow.

"Tomorrow... we’ll continue exploring the remaining academy facilities. Until then... You’re free to return home."

The students gradually dispersed.

Some immediately formed small groups and continued discussing everything they had seen.

Others hurried toward nearby Steam Buses and Steam Carriages.

Excited conversations filled the academy grounds.

The lively atmosphere made the campus feel even more energetic than before.

Ezra quietly walked away from the crowd.

Lucy had already sent him a message saying she was waiting near the location where he had reserved a Noble Steam Carriage.

As he walked...

His calm black eyes naturally swept across the students around him.

Some laughed.

Some debated the Combat Festival.

Others had already begun making plans for tomorrow.

A few minutes later...

The number of people surrounding him gradually became smaller, with the bustling crowd slowly fading behind him.

Then...

"COMMONER!"

A loud voice suddenly shattered the quiet.

The shout echoed from the narrow passage beside one of the academy buildings Ezra was about to pass.

Ezra calmly stopped.

His head slowly turned toward the source of the voice.

"..."

His expression remained unchanged.

There...

Standing in the middle of a small open space...

Was Maxwell.

He had been cornered by five boys.

Three appeared to be children of wealthy non-nobles or lower-ranking nobles.

The remaining two were clearly young nobles based on their academy badges and family crests.

All five wore mocking smiles.

Their expressions carried open hostility.

Ezra quietly observed them from a distance.

At that moment...

One of the boys briefly glanced toward Ezra’s direction.

His brows knitted together.

"..."

He frowned slightly.

"What is it?"

Another boy asked.

The first student scratched the side of his head.

"I thought... something just passed behind us."

He looked around once.

Nothing.

"...Guess I imagined it."

Shrugging...

He quickly dismissed the strange feeling.

Whatever it had been...

It wasn’t nearly as important as the boy standing in front of them.

His attention immediately returned to Maxwell.

Maxwell looked around at the five students surrounding him.

Confusion was written plainly across his face.

"You guys told me... that the professor wanted to see me."

He scratched the back of his head.

"So... why did you bring me all the way over here?"

His eyes slowly moved from one face to another.

"And now you’re surrounding me."

His brows furrowed.

"Genuinely... are you boys alright in the head?"

The concern in his voice sounded completely sincere.

For a brief second...

Even the boys surrounding him seemed caught off guard.

Then...

"Shut up!"

One of them suddenly slammed his foot against the wall beside Maxwell.

BANG!

The loud impact echoed through the narrow passage.

Dust fell from the stone wall.

The boy stepped closer.

Hatred burned openly in his eyes.

"Do you even understand the situation you’re in?"

His voice carried open contempt.

Maxwell blinked.

"...Not really."

The answer only made the others even more irritated.

One boy laughed mockingly.

"The commoner really is as stupid as the rest of his kind."

Another folded his arms.

"Seriously... How does a brainless animal like you end up inside our glorious academy?"

A third student looked Maxwell up and down with obvious disgust.

"The Royal Academy... has been stained by the presence of a filthy peasant."

The five boys stood together with smug smiles spread across their faces.

Their mockery echoed through the quiet passage.