Last Gun Alchemist

Chapter 299: Orientation Week XVI

"Yes, they are!"

The girls answered almost at the same time.

Bright laughter spread through the gathering as several of them enthusiastically raised their hands into the air, responding to Sasha’s question without the slightest hesitation.

"That’s the spirit, girls."

Sasha beamed with satisfaction.

She nodded several times as though she were an instructor pleased with her students’ enthusiasm.

Spreading both hands dramatically before the crowd, she announced,

"So... I’ll be holding an interview for everyone interested in dancing with my dear brother, Ravenor."

A wave of excitement immediately swept through the girls.

Sasha continued before anyone could interrupt.

"I’ll personally select the ten best candidates."

She held up all ten fingers while smiling innocently.

"As for everyone who doesn’t make it into the top ten..."

Her smile widened.

"You’ll dance with the rest of the Burnwick family."

She lightly pointed behind herself.

"Especially my other handsome brother, Cyrus."

The moment those words left her mouth, the crowd became even livelier than before.

"Thank you, Lady Sasha!"

The girls shouted together, their voices echoing throughout the nearby park.

Several even bowed gratefully.

"Well... It’s still better to dance with a member of House Burnwick."

One girl said excitedly while clasping both hands together.

"I’ll definitely earn one of those ten spots."

Another girl clenched her fist with determination.

"Sir Cyrus is handsome too."

"That’s true."

"But he doesn’t hold a candle to Sir Ravenor."

The surrounding girls quickly agreed, making Ravenor the center of attention once again.

Watching the growing excitement...

Sasha slowly folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh..."

She smiled as though she had just remembered something important.

"There’s one small condition."

The girls immediately became quiet.

Every pair of eyes settled upon her once again.

"To enter the interview..."

Sasha raised one finger.

"You’ll each need to pay one silver coin."

She pointed toward the crowd with complete confidence.

Silence lingered for only a brief moment.

Surprisingly...

Not a single girl complained.

Nor did anyone question the fee.

No one even argued that it was unreasonable.

Instead...

Many of them simply nodded.

Some immediately reached for the small purses hanging from their waists, clearly prepared to pay without hesitation.

After all...

The opportunity to dance with a direct member of House Burnwick...especially Ravenor...was worth far more than a single silver coin in their eyes.

"...Are you kidding me, Sasha?"

Ravenor finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

He stared at his step-sister with an annoyed expression.

His brows slowly drew together as he pointed toward the excited crowd.

"You’re the daughter of a Duke. You have more money than most people could ever dream of."

He looked at her with a serious expression.

"So, what exactly are you doing?"

"My dear brother..."

Sasha looked back at him with a simple smirk.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of embarrassment on her face.

Instead...

She looked rather proud of herself.

"It’s called adding to your blessings."

She nodded as though those words perfectly explained everything.

Then she turned toward the people standing quietly behind her.

"Isn’t that, right?"

Behind the siblings stood several members of House Burnwick.

Sasha’s personal maid.

And Ravenor’s butler.

As well as the two Highline members accompanying Ravenor today.

The group had remained silent from the very beginning, merely observing the entire spectacle unfold.

Now that Sasha had suddenly dragged them into the conversation...

Everyone immediately straightened their posture.

"Yes, Lady Sasha."

They answered together with respectful expressions.

Outwardly...

None of them showed the slightest hesitation.

Inwardly...

The thoughts running through their minds were almost identical.

Lady Sasha...

You’re simply just being greedy.

Even so...

None dared to voice those thoughts aloud.

Instead, they quietly lowered their heads, hiding their helpless smiles.

Sasha’s personal maid stepped forward.

She leaned closer before softly whispering something into Sasha’s ear.

Sasha’s eyes immediately brightened.

"Perfect."

She clapped both hands together.

"Let’s go prepare."

Without wasting another moment, everyone accompanying her immediately began moving.

The two Highline members calmly walked toward Ravenor.

"Sir Ravenor."

One of the boys called with a helpless smile.

Ravenor looked at him before letting out a quiet sigh.

He already knew resistance was pointless.

After all...

The source of this entire troublesome situation wasn’t anyone standing before him.

It was Sasha.

And from years of personal experience...

He had learned something very important.

Whenever Sasha caused him trouble...

Fighting back only made things worse.

If he argued...

She would think of something even more troublesome.

If he ignored her...

She would simply become more creative.

"...Ah."

A tired sigh escaped his lips.

"Let’s go."

Without another complaint, Ravenor followed the two Highline members.

Although annoyance was clearly written across his face...

His calm cooperation only caused the girls to admire him even more.

"So cool..."

"Even when he’s annoyed, Sir Ravenor still looks handsome."

"I knew it...My choice was right."

Several girls clasped their hands together, their eyes sparkling as they watched him walk away.

Not far behind...

Sasha watched the scene unfold with a pleased smile.

Everything was progressing exactly as she wanted.

As the Burnwick group gradually disappeared into another section of the park...

The academy grounds remained just as lively.

Ravenor wasn’t the only student attracting attention today.

Near another section of the park, another crowd had gathered around a different group of first-year students.

Meanwhile, over at the cafeteria plaza...

Several tables had been pushed together.

A group of boys sat behind them as though conducting an official interview.

At the center of it all sat Veda.

Nickolas occupied the chair directly opposite him, while Cole stood quietly behind Veda with his usual composed posture.

Nickolas couldn’t help scratching the back of his head nervously.

His gaze occasionally drifted toward the group of female first-years sitting several meters away.

Each one had been personally invited here by Veda.

Every one of them was a potential dance partner.

"...Veda."

Nickolas finally spoke.

His voice carried obvious embarrassment.

"Do we really have to go this far just to find me a dance partner?"

"Obviously."

Veda looked at Nickolas with a serious expression, as though the answer should have been obvious from the beginning.

"You can’t attend the Welcome Party without a dance partner."

The serious look on his face quickly changed into a teasing smile.

"If you don’t find one..."

He shrugged casually.

"I’ll avoid you, Nick."

Nickolas opened his mouth, ready to argue.

Nothing came out.

A second later, he quietly closed it again.

His shoulders slumped.

"It’s not my fault I’m not popular with girls."

He replied with a frown, sounding completely wronged by the situation.

Cole, who had been standing quietly behind Veda the entire time, stepped forward.

He respectfully placed one hand over his chest before speaking.

"Master Nickolas..."

His voice remained polite and composed.

"You are a handsome noble. I’m certain that among the young ladies the Young Lord has invited here today..."

He gestured toward the nearby group of girls patiently waiting for their turn.

"...there will definitely be someone willing to become your dance partner."

Nickolas slowly turned his head toward him.

His narrowed eyes remained fixed on Cole for several seconds.

"...Ahhh..."

He let out a long, tired sigh before rubbing his forehead.

"You make it sound so easy."

He shook his head helplessly.

"Meanwhile..."

He raised one finger as he began counting.

"Veda already has Linda."

He raised a second finger.

"Tracy."

Then a third.

"That one girl he agreed to dance with because she kept pleading with him."

His expression became increasingly bitter the longer the list grew.

He wasn’t finished yet.

"Even Lady Sasha is one of the ladies he’ll be dancing with."

His eyes widened with obvious frustration.

"How is that even fair?"

Veda looked at him calmly.

"And..."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Don’t forget Priscilla."

Nickolas blinked.

Once.

Then twice.

His eyes slowly widened in disbelief.

"...Since when?"

He stared directly at Veda.

Veda answered as though it were nothing important.

"She came to me this morning, asking me to be her partner."

Nickolas froze.

For a brief moment, he simply stared at his young lord.

Then...

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

He whined loudly, feeling completely overwhelmed by the amount of attention Veda naturally attracted.

They were both first-year students.

Both nobles.

Yet somehow...

Finding dance partners seemed effortless for Veda while he had to sit through what looked like an official interview just to secure one.

The comparison left Nickolas feeling thoroughly defeated.

Although, Veda did have the status to boost his reputation with the girls, but to anyone with eyes...

That wasn’t the only reason for his popularity with the ladies.

The surrounding girls couldn’t help covering their mouths as quiet laughter escaped them after seeing his exaggerated reaction.

Even Cole allowed himself a faint smile before quickly returning to his usual composed expression.

***

While different events continued unfolding across the Royal Academy...

Ezra quietly remained inside the academy’s grand library.

Compared to the lively academy grounds outside, the atmosphere here was completely different.

Peaceful and Quiet.

Only the occasional sound of turning pages disturbed the silence.

Because Orientation Week had not yet officially ended, very few first-year students had any reason to visit the library.

Most were busy searching for dance partners, visiting friends, or enjoying one of the last free days before classes officially began.

As a result...

The enormous library felt unusually spacious.

Long rows of bookshelves stretched across the hall, each neatly arranged with books covering countless subjects. Warm sunlight filtered through the tall windows, illuminating floating specks of dust drifting lazily through the air.

Apart from Ezra and Lucy...

Only a handful of students occupied the reading area.

Even they remained focused on their own books.

Near the entrance...

The librarian quietly sat behind her desk.

Rather than organizing books or helping students...

She was comfortably reading a novel of her own.

Every so often, she calmly turned another page before continuing without the slightest concern for the peaceful silence surrounding her.

Lucy sat opposite Ezra.

Unlike him...

She wasn’t studying academy materials.

Instead, she had borrowed a romance novel to pass the time while waiting for her master to finish reading.

Occasionally, a small smile appeared on her face before disappearing again as she became immersed in the story.

Time quietly slipped by.

Hours passed without either of them noticing.

Finally...

Ezra closed the book resting before him.

The cover read:

Summaries of First-Year Courses.

The soft sound of the book closing briefly echoed through the quiet reading hall.

Everything he needed from it had already been memorized.

More importantly...

He used the information from what he read to finally decide which additional courses would best complement his current strengths while allowing him to earn more academic points throughout the semester.

Satisfied with today’s progress...

Ezra quietly rose from his seat.

The movement immediately caught Lucy’s attention.

She gently closed her own novel before standing as well.

Without exchanging unnecessary words, the two gathered the books they had borrowed and calmly returned each one to its proper shelf.

After making sure everything had been placed back correctly...

They walked toward the librarian’s desk to complete the sign-out process.

A thin tablet-like Zphone rested neatly upon the polished wooden counter.

Ezra removed his Student Identification Card.

Holding it above the glowing surface...

Click.

A soft electronic sound echoed through the quiet library.

Immediately afterward...

A small holographic screen appeared above the tablet.

A bright green check mark materialized beside Ezra’s name, confirming that his attendance status had successfully changed from Signed In to Signed Out.

Lucy stepped forward next.

She raised her own attendant student identification card above the device.

Click.

Another green check mark appeared almost instantly.

The librarian briefly lifted her eyes from the novel she had been reading.

She quietly glanced at the pair for only a moment before calmly flipping to the next page of her book.

Her attention soon returned entirely to her novel.

"Ezra."

A familiar voice quietly called out from the entrance.

Since they were still inside the library...

The voice remained naturally low.

Ezra turned his head.

Standing near the doorway was Cyrus.

Judging from the place he stood, he appeared to have just finished his own visit as well.

"Cyrus..."

Ezra greeted him just as quietly, mindful of the peaceful atmosphere surrounding them.

"Master... Master... Master..."

Lucy shook her head several times in disappointment.

She looked at Ezra as though she were a strict teacher correcting a student who had made an obvious mistake.

"I know you figured out his name without asking because the people we met yesterday mentioned it."

She folded her hands behind her back as she walked beside him.

"But that’s not a proper way to make a friend."

Her expression became unusually serious.

"If you already know someone’s name, you should still ask him for his name. Otherwise..."

She lightly nodded to herself.

"It won’t leave a good impression."

Ezra remained silent.

He didn’t even glance in her direction.

He simply continued walking toward the entrance as though he hadn’t heard a single word she had said.

Lucy pouted slightly.

"...Master."

She sighed under her breath.

He’s ignoring me again...

By then, the two had already reached Cyrus.

"Since when did you two get here?"

Cyrus asked calmly after seeing them approach.

The three naturally began walking out of the library together.

Their footsteps remained light against the polished wooden floor before they stepped into the long stone corridor outside.

"Five hours ago."

Ezra answered flatly.

Cyrus blinked.

"...Five hours?"

His eyes widened slightly.

He looked at Ezra as though trying to determine whether he was joking.

"...Wow."

He let out a quiet breath.

"You really like books."

Lucy spoke first knowing that her master was going to ignore Cyrus’ words.

"Learning new information is fun."

She smiled brightly.

"Master says knowledge is never wasted. So reading isn’t boring at all."

Cyrus scratched the side of his face.

"I... see."

He honestly wasn’t sure how to respond.

Five hours inside a library sounded more exhausting than enjoyable to him.

Still...

Looking at Ezra’s completely calm expression, it didn’t seem like those five hours had bothered him in the slightest.

Changing the subject, Cyrus looked ahead as they continued walking through the academy.

"So... Where are you heading now? I’m going to the cafeteria."

He placed his hands into his pocket while matching Ezra’s steady pace.

"We’re going there as well."

Ezra replied as plain as usual.

Like that...

The three continued walking side by side through the broad academy hallways.

Although the library district remained quiet...

The rest of the academy was just as lively as it had been since morning.

Students filled nearly every pathway.

Some hurried toward the academy center.

Others wandered through the gardens while chatting happily with their newly chosen dance partners.

Occasionally, laughter echoed from nearby courtyards where groups of first-years gathered together.

As they passed one of the stone paths overlooking the central park...

They could still see Sasha’s interview taking place.

The pavilion remained surrounded by an energetic crowd of girls waiting patiently for their turn.

Several Burnwick attendants stood nearby, maintaining order while Sasha happily questioned each candidate with remarkable enthusiasm.

Not far from there...

Another courtyard had become an improvised dance practice area.

Groups of first-year students practiced basic ballroom steps beneath the guidance of older students and personal attendants.

Some couples moved gracefully across the stone pavement.

Others repeatedly stepped on each other’s feet, causing embarrassed laughter to spread throughout the courtyard.

One unfortunate boy accidentally spun in the wrong direction before nearly colliding with another pair.

His partner couldn’t help laughing as she steadied herself.

The lively atmosphere perfectly reflected the excitement surrounding tomorrow’s Welcome Party.

Without stopping to watch...

Ezra continued walking.

After several more minutes...

The three finally arrived at the academy cafeteria.

Compared to the library...

The cafeteria was almost overflowing with students.

Conversations filled every corner of the spacious hall.

The scent of freshly prepared meals drifted through the air while waiters continuously moved between tables carrying trays of food.

Fortunately...

By the time Ezra arrived, Veda and Nickolas had already finished their plan of finding Nickolas a dance partner.

As a result...

The cafeteria looked busy, but neither of them was anywhere to be seen.

The three walked toward the ordering counter.

After choosing their lunches, they each collected a numbered token before finding an empty table near one of the large windows overlooking the academy grounds.

Only a short while later...

A waiter arrived carrying three trays.

He carefully placed each meal before them before giving a polite bow, then collected the numbered token and returned to his duties.

The three quietly began eating.

The atmosphere at the table remained peaceful.

Occasionally, Cyrus commented on something happening elsewhere in the cafeteria, while Lucy happily enjoyed her meal.

Ezra simply ate in silence.

Then...

A familiar ringtone suddenly echoed from inside his Space Bag.

Ezra’s hand paused halfway toward his plate.

His eyes slowly lowered.

The ringing continued.

Without saying anything, he picked up one of the napkins beside his tray and calmly wiped his hands clean before reaching into his bag.

A moment later...

He pulled out his Starlix 11.

The screen lit up immediately.

His already calm eyes became even more expressionless after seeing the caller’s name.

Jewel_of_Ash.

Ezra quietly stared at the screen.

For a brief moment...

He genuinely considered ending the call before answering.

However...

Knowing exactly who the caller was...

He hesitated.

Lucy immediately noticed the subtle change in her master’s eyes.

She didn’t need to look at the screen.

She already knew who was calling.

Across the table...

Cyrus remained completely relaxed, continuing to eat as though nothing unusual had happened.

Ezra finally accepted the call.

He placed the Starlix on the center of the table.

A soft blue light spread across its surface.

Immediately afterward...

A translucent holographic screen materialized above the device.

Vera’s figure appeared.

She looked directly at Ezra through the projection.

"What do you want, Vera?"

Ezra asked without wasting time on unnecessary greetings.

He simply went straight to the point.

Vera’s dry eyes remained fixed on him.

"Is that how you greet your partner?"

She replied sharply.

Her voice remained as calm and emotionless as ever, yet there was a faint trace of dissatisfaction hidden beneath it.

She slowly folded her arms across her chest.

Then...

She deliberately looked away for a brief second before looking back at him again.

"I won’t say anything until you greet me properly, Ezra."

Her tone remained perfectly flat.

Even so...

The slight pout she wore made it obvious she was intentionally acting offended.

Ezra narrowed his eyes.

"Do you want me to cut the call?"

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his voice.

Vera answered immediately.

"Then I’ll call you back."

Her expression remained unchanged.

"And if you cut it again..."

She spoke in her usual quick, matter-of-fact tone, sounding completely confident that Ezra wouldn’t be able to avoid her forever.