233 Chapter 233
The number of students who come along would inevitably increase.
Many of the other students laughed as the boy with the long nose boasted about how powerful his family was and how his ancestors were the best.
Zavier noticed immediately that the school auditorium had been divided in half.
While the majority of the novice mage trainees were conversing in small groups of two or three with ones they already knew, a small group of more experienced mages had gathered near the exit on the central podium.
Zavier deduced that these people were neither newcomers nor teachers, or so he thought.
They could be advanced students or members of the president's administration.
"My grandfather was the most accomplished mage in Caesar University's history. Nonetheless, I plan to outperform him and become the school's most well-known student in the coming century."
As the youngster with the long nose continued to brag, two who appeared to be of advanced age walked right past them.
The older of the two had a calm expression on his face while the younger one was fidgeting nervously. The old man had long grey hair tied up into a neat bun and wore an old fashioned black robe. The younger one's appearance seemed around thirty years old. He also carried a bow slung over his shoulder with several arrows sticking out from it.
However, as soon as they passed by Zavier's sightline and vanished behind the exit stage doors, the youth's expression changed to a little changes.
The air became filled with the glow of magic, and all of the newcomers felt an immediate pull toward the magical arts.
Everyone in the auditorium began whispering among themselves, wondering what exactly happened.
Some even speculated that someone must have used a spell to make their mana flow faster.
But just as many questions remained unanswered, especially since nobody knew when it had happened, much less how it was done.
It was like a mystery.
"Did you see that?"
"What was that? It looks familiar…"
"Who are that two?"
"I don't know. They didn't look very friendly…"
"Hey! Who do you think taught them how to cast spells? He look really old… And their robes!"
The professor who got old wrote words that nobody could understand with a magical pen while wearing a gold-rimmed monocle over his left eye and holding a long roll of parchment in his right hand.
Zavier had no reason to believe the professor was wearing a monocle to improve his vision.
The blue inscription on his left eye was actually a magical artificial eye.
The magical device quickly searched the room and found nothing suspicious.
The professor looked at his pupil before looking at the floor once again and then turned around with a smile.
Zavier watched quietly as the professor put away his magical tool and walked back to the center podium with his hands folded neatly together.
He spoke with a slightly high pitched voice.
"...Good day, everyone."
When the professor gave him a disapproving look, Zavier realized he needed to put an end to what he was doing.
But as soon as he locked eyes with the professor, the professor smiled and turned to the other freshmen.
"Now then... Let me introduce myself properly. I'm' Professor Alder, and today I will explain some concepts to you." Before beginning his remarks, the professor smiled warmly, "I'm glad everyone arrived on time; punctuality is a commendable quality. At the same time, I want everyone to have the opportunity to be a good person, regardless of where they are in life."
"If we're going to talk about class, there should be no need for names. But not today."
Professor Alder paused for a brief moment before continuing.
"Today, I'm not just going to tell you that you've been accepted. It's also your last chance to get your affairs in order before enrolling at Caesar University, so make the most of it."
The vast majority of those in attendance appeared nervous as they listened to him.
"Many of you may already be aware from your elders that the ceremony is the Freshman Welcome Ceremony, but none of you have a clear on what it truly represents," the professor said in an authoritative tone.
"I want you to know something important: it will not be the only factor in determining which school you will attend in the future."
"It is intended to give students who did not meet the admission standards a second chance to succeed; I am confident that each of you will be able to demonstrate that you are capable of enrolling in Caesar University by using your full strength."
The freshman students murmured among themselves as a result of the professor's words. They were powerless to stop themselves
"To prove your worthiness, you will be judged against the entire school, including the faculty members. This is not the kind of competition I normally condone, but I'll let the students decide whether they're prepared to fight."
Zavier looked at the professor who stared straight ahead. He wondered if he understood what the professor meant. Did he really expect the freshmen to take part in this examination again? Wouldn't that look repetitive?
"As far as my intentions are concerned, I'd rather not worry about it. However, if a few of you fail this exam because you cannot stand being challenged, I'll have no choice but to reconsider my opinion." The professor's gaze was steady, giving off the impression that he wasn't joking "There are certain things in the world that you can never overcome if you keep running from them."
"And the first of these is the fear of failure."
After a short silence, Professor Alder nodded in response to the sound of applause from the upperclassmen.
"Well then, it seems you have made your decision..."
Zavier turned to the freshmen. Although the atmosphere was a bit tense due to the pressure of the upcoming examinations, the young students were smiling cheerfully. Such a game was mainly for previously unselected eliminated students. He didn't care much about such things and prefered to stay out of it.
Everyone would benefit from taking advantage of this last opportunity before the list is made public.
Even Zavier had no idea what was going on. He was aware that Caesar University would be holding an orientation competition, but no one knew what that meant because all of the seniors remained silent.
He was concentrating on some experienced mages.
Just based on their ages, these contestants should have been old enough to graduate. Maybe they had something to do with this orientation contest There was a possibility they were the students attending the college for the same reasons he was, but he couldn't confirm it.
A couple of times, Zavier caught his own classmates staring at him. Their curiosity was palpable, but they were hesitant.
In addition to the obvious difference between himself and the others, he was also known to have a strong dislike for authority figures. If the situation turned out bad, Zavier wouldn't hesitate to turn the tables.
This wasn't the sort of thing he enjoyed doing. It was the kind of thing that earned him an enemy's hatred. That wasn't the kind of feeling he wanted to experience in his life.
While he was thinking about what had just happened, he witnessed a massive amount of magical light spread outward and engulf the entire Caesar University school district, with the professor at its center.
The older mages gave off a bright red magical glow, while Zavier was suddenly surrounded by a bright blue magical light.
He felt the magic on his body and quickly deduced that it had to be a defensive magic formation, and that the level of the formation was most emphatically not low.
When he activated his protective magical light shield, a tenuous link was established to the mana source of the mana shield that encircled the entire school district. This shield protected the entire school district.
In other words, the caster could figure out whose magical shield had been broken and, if necessary, respond by letting out more mana.
"Guys, the graduating seniors are in front of you, and perhaps you will make more contributions to the magical world with them after you graduate," the old man said loudly.
"But for the time being, you will compete as temporary adversaries. Eventually, the entire school district will be the battleground for your entrance ceremony competition."
"Fight with any spells you know, but if your magical shields are broken, you must leave the arena immediately."
"It's a second chance for students who weren't chosen the first time, so I'm hoping you can take advantage of this difficult task. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Okay, fight to your heart's content from now on "The elderly man stated.
The old man, who had just finished making the announcement, turned around and left without waiting for anyone. As a senior mage, his position allowed him to pass through the crowd in no time.
Only until he left did a group of youngsters finally react to what the professor had said.
They began shouting, "Wait! Professor! We aren't ready yet!"
"Yeah, sir! Please wait!" The people who shouted followed the professor closely behind.
"I'm sure everyone knows what happens after a duel. You must be prepared to lose."
Those who were talking stopped in their tracks and stared blankly in the direction of where the professor disappeared.
"You won't be able to leave the arena once a duel is over. In fact, I can guarantee the academy won't allow any student to leave the campus unless they've completed half the tests listed. It's a great opportunity for both of you."
The old man's reminder rang true. If they continued with their current arrangeme, it'd be better for both parties if they lost this battle.
One of the new students was the first to find his voice and shout at his colleagues.
"How does this even make sense? How does anything even make sense here?!"
Several other participants started shouting at different levels, all expressing their frustration.
The man, who stood by Aleder just now, tried to calm them down with gentle gestures.
However, it didn't seem like any of his attempts succeeded at all.
Zavier was uninterested in what the professor had to say because he never named the students who had done well, which would have encouraged everyone in the audience to do their best.
He interpreted it as an older student keeping an eye out for newer students. It was easy to understand why the cadets in the higher classes were unconcerned.
The unspoken rule was unnecessary because freshmen would always become seniors one day.
It appeared to be a foreboding circle. What he didn't understand was how something of this magnitude could have been kept secret for so long.
The auditorium was too small for everyone to fit inside at once, so the newcomers fled screaming.
They might succeed, but only if they have a large enough numerical advantage over the other students.