Chapter 360 - The Sound of Truth (Patreon)

A/N: Greetings, humans. Look who's 'early'? :P

I did actually finish this chapter yesterday (as in at 9 am), though it still took 4 hours of editing today. But progress is progress. right? Hope you're all having a great weekend!
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“Please, wait here.” The stiff-backed man gestured toward a row of velvet chairs set beneath a tapestry depicting a battlefield. Threads of mana glimmered within the embroidery, tracing the hawk banners, drawn swords and armors. “The Dean will be ready to receive you shortly.”

With a formal bow, the attendant sat at a lacquered desk in the far corner of the waiting hall. The ruffling of papers and the scratch of a quill filled the brittle quiet.

Kai sat rigidly on the blue velvet seat, unwrapping his scarf and folding it with deliberate care, then loosened his collar.

Why did they heat the interiors so much?

The measured tick of a clock marked the wait. He dried his palms on his knees, aware of his hands and unable to rest them without feeling awkward. 

It’s probably nothing. Like… what reason would the dean of the most prestigious academy in the Republic have to suddenly summon a nobody? Maybe some bureaucratic nitpick. Or does he just enjoy unnerving random students?

Foresight steered his thoughts away from delving into darker scenarios and anxious spiraling with no concrete answers.

Why did he always feel guilty when an authority figure looked his way?

I did nothing wrong. They’re the ones who screwed up the Trials. Unless… are they finally addressing the accidents? But why directly to the top?

To the relief of his mental sanity, the engraved door on his left soon swung open. A familiar figure walked out—effortless imperious posture, uniform crisp and unwrinkled.

Alden paused long enough to glance at him, face composed with no hint of surprise.

Before Kai could speak, the clerk stood over his chair, obscuring the view of his roommate. “The Dean will receive you now, Mister Veernon.” The man motioned at the open doorway, each movement elegantly studied.

“Yes, alright.” Kai pushed himself to his feet. Remembering his scarf, he pivoted to grab it and crossed a pair of deep purple eyes.

Alden gave a slight blink, the gesture only noticeable against the impassive canvas of his features. Without a word or further twitch in his expression, he strode out of the waiting hall.

Hey, what does that mean? What did you talk about? Come on…

Under the attendant’s gaze, Kai stilled his fidgeting hands and stepped toward the waiting threshold.

The faint scent of parchment and wild grasses greeted him—a breath of untamed forest before the door shut behind him with a muted thud. Dark wood shelves lined the room. Tomes with weathered and cracked spines arrayed beside freshly bound covers, sealed scrolls and artifacts glittered like stars.

The air thrummed with mana—yet his gaze remained ahead.

Fading sunlight streamed through the arched windows, gleaming off the brass fittings of an imposing mahogany desk across the office. The man seated there idly drummed his fingers over a crystal scryer. A dull sheen played over his tight-fitting robes, dyed in shades of violet, from pale lilac to hues that verged on black. His presence hung like a whisper through the chamber—authority that needed no demonstration.

Blue.

Kai found himself holding his breath without meaning to. Everyone knew the dean’s alleged grade, yet that did nothing to blunt his awe.

The man turned his hand toward the empty chair. “Take a seat, Matthew.” His measured tone offered an illusion of choice. 

Alright, he’s just another guy. 

Kai took a step on the marble flooring before remembering the proper protocol. “At your permission, Dean Astares.” His waist bent a small degree, left arm loose at his side, right hand below his sternum, palm open in obeisance.

The gesture felt stiff and awkward—an actor performing the lines from the Students’ Codex he learned through Mnemonic Mastery. 

Caught up in his own nerves, Kai almost missed the aura pressing on him as he approached the desk and sat. Had Virya’s presence been stronger? He believed so, though too much time had passed to draw an accurate comparison. 

Is he waiting for me to speak first…?

The dean had set aside the dimming scryer to study him, lilac eyes nearly matching the paler shades of his robes. A neatly trimmed goatee framed his jawline; the dark blond hair, neatly combed back, reflected an almost metallic sheen where the light brushed it.

Up close, he looked younger than Kai had expected, barely thirty, though appearances meant little at Blue.

So… are we having a staring contest?

Kai blinked. When that failed to earn a response, he dredged up the chapters on uptight decorum. “May I inquire as to the reason for my summons, Dean Astares? Not that I’m ungrateful for the honor.”

Not like I should be enjoying fancy food with my friends right now.

“Te-whoo.” A bleak note cut through the study.

What—

Kai turned, frowning at a songbird of brass and blue enamel that perched atop a thick tome.

Did that bird just chirp at me? 

The dean observed him for a few seconds longer. A faint smile tugged at his lips, his gaze still unreadable. “I’m aware certain professors have a passion for formal protocol, though I confess I never shared it. Addressing me as dean or High Mage Astares is sufficient. As for the reason I called you here, I understand you’ve received the results of your Mid-Term Trials. Allow me to congratulate you on the exemplary showing. I look forward to watching your future at Raelion. Results merit fitting rewards, though there is one matter to address first.”

His fingers laced above the desk, thumbs pressed together. “The core matrices for the first-year Trials experienced certain irregularities during testing. We’re already investigating the arrays and the runesmiths involved. I must apologize, the interference hindered the assessment of some participants. Despite the supervising committee’s corrective measures, I saw it as my duty to verify the performance of the highest-ranking students.”

Kai nodded along. Saving the speech for later perusal, the words took a moment to catch up with his brain. 

Wait… does he think I cheated? 

Not only had the fizzled seals that unleashed the Pale Stalker nearly gotten him killed—now he had to prove what happened? How many other challenges had they botched? Why assign him the points at all? His inked certificate was already safely tucked in his ring. 

Questions spun through his mind, tangled with mounting indignation—none of which he could voice to the Blue mage at the head of Raelion.

Breathe and smile. Calm and pleasant.

Fairness wouldn’t save him if he snapped at the dean. On the bright side, the summon gave him hope the professors hadn’t seen his Spatial Shift.

Is this even about cheating? Or about covering up the accidents during the Trials? Dead students never make for good publicity…

“If it helps, I’m happy to answer any questions,” Kai said politely—why had he not spent more time getting his story straight with Alden?

“Te-whoo,” the bleak chirp repeated.

His smile strained, jaw clenching not to glare at the brass bird.

Why is that thing even here? Is this guy some weird bird enthusiast?

Sparing no glance for his squawking artifact, the dean withdrew a thick folder from a spatial storage. “If you can indulge a few questions, we’ll confirm the accuracy of your evaluation.” He cracked open the first page, though his eyes remained on him. “In the eleventh chamber of the Door Maze, you encountered a mana riddle based on Tylenna’s Balancing Paradox…”

Uh? What is he on about?

Brows furrowed, Kai took a moment to grasp what the man meant—and longer to come up with an answer that sounded smarter than: I poked things around till the runes cracked.

“I wasn’t aware of the specific paradox.” He picked his words. “When I traced the mana flow, I noticed the poor arrangement of the array to make it fit the doorframe. So I temporarily linked the poles to create a cycle that escalated the imbalance.”

“Twee.” The brass menace sang a merrier note.

The dean drew a thumb over his chin. “Quite an unorthodox approach. Resourceful.” He turned a page—his eyes still not lowering. “In the fourteenth chamber, you encountered…” 

Questions piled atop each other as Kai waited for a mention of the Pale Stalker. His answers focused on what he’d done rather than the specific skills he’d used to accomplish it. 

The brass bird’s chirping harassment remained the only constant. 

If the dean actually suspected cheating, he gave no sign, accepting his explanations with terse acknowledgement. “So you randomly selected twenty-nine passages through the Door Maze to reach the Spider’s Cave?” He deadpanned. 

“Yes.” 

“Te-whoo.” 

Can you shut— Wait… don’t tell me that thing…

Kai scratched his lobe, praying he was wrong. “Well, I did use a skill to help navigate doors, though the choice still looked random.” His ears keened in anticipation.

“Twee.” 

Shit… 

The smirk curving the man’s face severed any thread of hope. “A skill?” His voice remained deceivingly flat, though the follow-up stood out, as he’d not asked any till now.

Thousands of students and nothing better to do than torture me? Just why? What kind of maniac places a truth artifact on their desk? 

His hands tightened on the rim of his seat below the desk, suppressing his irritation. “I used a skill to improve our odds of finding an exit, but I had no idea where we’d end up.” 

“Twee.” 

I hate you. 

“Quite a remarkable skill.” The dean flipped a page with a passing glance. “Then you reached the Spider’s Cave. It must have been quite the shock. How did you approach the challenge when you found yourselves trapped?”

“I—we didn’t have long to discuss when the spiders quickly noticed us. Is there any part you’d like me to specifically explain? It took a while to clear it. The colony expanded through several caverns.”

“Start with a general overview. I’ll point out if I need details.”

“I see…” His lips pursed in a thin smile. “The monitoring wards must have been extensively damaged to affect so many chambers.”

“Unfortunately.” 

Yeah, sure… What’s your deal? 

Kai wished he could claim the fights had happened too quickly for him to remember. Alas, he had a memory skill—and a damned meddling bird eyeing his every move. After a brief staring contest, he began dryly recounting how they’d handled the spider infestation.

Did the guy think he’d coasted on Alden’s abilities? Confirming the irregularities increasingly sounded like a pretext. Unless Hobbes had severely misjudged the range of the peeping wards, the dean was more interested in fishing for information than confirming his score. 

Snoops truly are the scourge of mankind.

Details grew scant once they left the Spider’s Cave and descended deeper. Kai retraced their steps toward the broken gate, throat dry as he recalled the first scream. “…when we got there, she was already dead.”

“An unfortunate loss.”

“A girl died,” Kai repeated. Meeting the dean’s gaze, he caught a flicker of emotion, though he couldn’t identify what.

“Despite the academy’s best efforts, students die during the Trails every year,” he said, studying him. “That girl wasn’t the only one. With thousands of students attending Raelion, accidents are a matter of when, not if. You must be familiar with how the Guide rewards those who brush with death. Growth demands risk, and only danger can fuel true growth.”

“Twee!”

“Yes, but…” Kai bit his cheek. How far should he push it? “Is it really necessary? Raelion is a school. Dead people can’t learn.”

The dean’s keen eyes held no anger. “Do you think mages and warriors can grow in a greenhouse?”

“Well, no.”

“Would you then prefer your peers experience their first struggle when they get stranded in the wild, or drafted on a battlefield?”

“No, but—

“Actions can only be judged against their alternatives. The academy threads a careful balance between risk and reward. Perhaps imperfectly. Still, every student is made aware of the dangers of the Trials and can withdraw at any time. They all chose to be here as much as you did.” The dean regarded him steadily. “And how long do you think the Republic would last if we stopped training capable people? How many would die when we inevitably crumbled, crushed by threats from within and without? While your concern for your peers is admirable, sparing others from harshness is not always a kindness.”

Kai pulled his gaze away. In the Merian Republic, every student enrolled at Raelion was already an adult. He understood the man’s perspective, though he wasn’t sure he agreed.

How many students did die?

The question sank to the bottom of his mind as they moved on to the fight with the Pale Stalker. The peak Yellow creature seemed to warrant the dean’s sharper scrutiny.

“Alden’s venom finished it off.” His words slipped around how the poisoned dagger had found its mark, letting reasonable assumptions lay the blame on the Poison mage.

“Twee” 

If the dean caught the omission, he didn’t press the subject. An enchanted pen appeared in his hand as he drew a few lines in the folder and turned the page. Without straying into further tangents, they run through a dozen challenges in their odyssey toward the exit. 

“You backtracked several times,” the man tersely noted.

Kai shrugged. “We thought that was the best route.”

“Twee.” 

“Is there anything else? I hope I managed to clear up any missing details.”

“You have. Your account matches our records and Mr. Blackwoods’ report of the events. Frankly, I should raise your score by thirty-three points, though it seems rather superfluous.”

“What? Why?”

I want those points!

The folder and pen vanished as the dean watched him with faint amusement. “Because raising your score wouldn’t change your ranking or rewards.”

“How—uhm, do you mean…”

“Indeed. There’s no extra reward for widening the margin over second place. An oversight on my part, I admit.”

Kai still had to close his mouth when a notification blinked in his vision.

Huh? 

Ding

New Feat: Commoner’s Triumph – Despite your limited education and provincial upbringing, you’ve ranked first in the Raelion Academy’s Mid-Term Trials, outperforming peers with far better preparations and pedigree. You are awarded: +5 Favor!

His gaze lingered on the hanging scroll.

Thanks…? Though I’m not sure I appreciate your tone…

“Something interesting?” The dean gave a dry chuckle at his expression. “As I mentioned, the academy threads the line between risk and reward. The official rankings will be published soon. Though, considering the inconvenience our oversights have caused you, I could make an exception if you’d prefer to check the prizes now.”

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A/N: Any guesses on what reward Kai'll receive? Besides a pile the credits ofc.