Chapter 113: Chapter 113 Orientation
The next morning, all the students gathered inside the Hall of Damian, the place where academy assemblies were usually held.
The hall was enormous, easily capable of accommodating hundreds of students at once. Rows upon rows of seats filled the interior, with students arranged according to their respective years.
The first-years sat at the leftmost, followed by the second-years, third-years, and finally the fourth-years at the rightmost.
Right now, the hall was filled with chatter as students talked among themselves while waiting for the assembly to begin.
At the front stage, most of the Grandmasters and Vice-Grandmasters were already present, seated in their designated chairs.
Oliver stretched his neck slightly and looked around. However, he could not find Grandmaster Irmelia anywhere as her seat was empty.
Even more surprising, the Headmaster’s seat was also vacant. Oliver had been curious about the Headmaster ever since arriving at the academy.
Who exactly was the person leading the most prestigious academy in the kingdom? And what could possibly be so important that they would miss even the first assembly of the academic year?
It was not just Oliver who was wondering. Many of the first-year students were also stealing glances toward the empty seat with similar thought.
Soon, the assembly officially began, and everyone inside the hall stood up to sing the academy anthem. The powerful melody echoed throughout the Hall of Damian, creating a solemn atmosphere.
After that, several Grandmasters took turns giving speeches and sharing their hopes and expectations for the students in the coming year.
Most of the students listened attentively, although some were already struggling to stay awake.
Finally, before the assembly ended, the speaker invited the student representative to come forward and give a speech.
Suddenly, all eyes turned toward a student seated in the fourth-year section. He stood up and calmly walked toward the stage.
The young man had long dark-blue hair and was wearing a golden uniform similar to Oliver’s.
’I didn’t see him in the lounge yesterday.’ Oliver thought as he frowned slightly.
"Hey, that’s the number one student in the entire academy! Did you talk to him in your dorm?" Max suddenly whispered excitedly.
"No. This is the first time I’ve seen him. Wait a minute. How do you know about him? You’re only a first-year student like me." Oliver asked suspiciously.
"Knowledge is power, my friend." Max replied proudly while tapping his forehead.
"Shhh! Quiet, you two!" a female student sitting beside them suddenly hissed.
Both Oliver and Max immediately stopped talking.
Meanwhile, the representative student had already reached the front of the stage. The entire hall fell silent as everyone waited for him to speak.
"Good morning to all the Grandmasters, Vice-Grandmasters, fellow lecturers, and beloved colleagues. My name is Noah Lyle Gratien, and I will be giving a speech on behalf of the students." Noah’s voice was calm and clear, allowing every person inside the hall to hear him effortlessly.
As he continued his speech, Oliver noticed something strange. For most powerful individuals, their presence naturally emitted a strong and suppressive aura.
Even when they tried to hide it, traces of their strength could still be felt. However, Noah was completely different. Oliver could not sense anything from him at all. No pressure, intimidation, or overwhelming aura.
Nothing.
And somehow, that made Oliver even more uncomfortable. It was as if Noah’s calmness was concealing something far more terrifying beneath the surface. Like a perfectly still lake hiding an unfathomable depth below.
Oliver narrowed his eyes slightly. Oliver could instinctively tell that Noah was on an entirely different level from the students around him.
At that moment, Noah continued speaking calmly on the stage while maintaining a calm face.
"I hope all of the students, including myself, will continue to uphold the prestige and honor of this academy. Thank you."
The moment Noah finished his speech, the entire hall erupted into applause. Students from all years clapped their hands as Noah gave a small nod before calmly walking down from the stage.
Oliver could clearly see that many of the female students were looking at him with admiration and charm in their eyes. Some were even whispering excitedly among themselves.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Gloria let out a silent sigh.
’He is totally beyond my grasp. There are too many competitors. I should just focus on someone I actually have a chance with.’ Gloria thought while looking at Noah’s departing figure.
Although she found him handsome, she was realistic enough to understand that someone like Noah was likely the dream of countless girls throughout the academy. The competition was simply too fierce.
Soon after, the assembly came to an end. The lecturers began directing students toward the exits as the hall gradually emptied.
The second, third, and fourth-year students immediately returned to their respective classes to continue their academic lessons.
Meanwhile, all first-year students were instructed to remain where they were. Today, they would be receiving an orientation tour of the academy.
Excited whispers immediately spread among the freshmen. For many of them, this would be their first opportunity to properly explore the legendary Royal Academy of Cyden.
This naturally included Oliver as well.
"Alright everyone! My name is Mika, one of the academy staff members. Today, I will be guiding you through the orientation tour of the academy. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
The woman shouted loudly enough for all the first-year students to hear. She was tall, with brown hair tied neatly behind her back, and wore a standard academy staff uniform.
The first destination of the tour was the Grand Archive.
It was a gigantic library that contained nearly one hundred million manuscripts collected over thousands of years. It was considered one of the greatest libraries in the entire kingdom.
Even academy alumni frequently returned here to research and seek knowledge.
The moment they entered, many students gasped in amazement. Towering bookshelves stretched endlessly into the distance, while countless stairways and balconies connected the upper sections of the archive.
"It’s so huge..." Oliver muttered.
After that, they were brought to the Arena Dome.
The structure resembled a massive stadium covered by a giant dome. Surrounding it were multiple layers of seats, while dozens of battle platforms were arranged neatly at the center.
"This will be the place for practical examinations as well as major academy events. You will definitely be visiting this place frequently in the future." Mika explained.
Many students immediately became excited. Just imagining themselves battling powerful opponents in such an arena was enough to make their blood boil.
Next, they were brought to the auditorium halls.
There were around ten large halls, all possessing similar designs. Each hall was spacious enough to accommodate two hundred to three hundred students at once. This was primarily where theoretical lessons would be conducted.
Afterward, they visited many other important facilities throughout the academy. Reaching the end of the tour, many students were already exhausted.
"Urgh... my legs are sore now. We’ve been walking for two hours already. This academy is ridiculously huge!" Max complained while massaging his calves.
Oliver could only nod in agreement. The academy was practically a small city on its own.
"Alright everyone! This is the last place I want to show you. And trust me, you will all be very interested in it. I saved the best for last." Mika said with a mysterious smile.
Immediately, the exhausted students became interested again as heir curiosity was completely reignited.
The group eventually arrived in front of a massive magical door. Countless streams of light moved across its surface creating a mesmerizing sight.
Several heavily armed guards stood watch beside the entrance. The moment they saw Mika approaching with the first-year students, they nodded respectfully.
Mika returned the gesture.
The two guards then stepped forward and activated the magical locking mechanism.
A series of glowing runes lit up across the door before the enormous door slowly began to open.
A brilliant light spilled out from within. All of the first-year students instinctively widened their eyes.
Even Oliver was no exception. The moment the door fully opened, everyone froze in place. Many students could not even believe what they were seeing.
"It is... really what I’m seeing?!" Oliver muttered in disbelief.

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