The meeting at Zeverius Academy was finally held after two days of waiting. Those two days, the people had not been idle.
According to Alicia, the delay was caused by the logistical preparation.
The phrase sounded simple, but Baston had quickly learned that when the nobles used simple phrases, the meaning was never small.
There were nearly one hundred academies that had confirmed the attendance. That meant it was approximately three hundred student representatives around the academy.
He had imagined the chaos from the crowded corridors where many people pressed shoulder to shoulder and the nobles would be annoyed at the lack of space.
Instead, when he stepped into the grand assembly hall, he realized once again how limited his imagination was.
The hall was enormous. It was not large by common standards but large by the noble standards. The ceiling arched so high that the chandeliers floated like few distant constellations. The pillars carved with runic sigils that were lined within the hall in perfect symmetry. The marble floor shimmered under the layered enchantments that absorbed the sound, ensuring no echo disturbed the refined atmosphere.
Even with the hundreds of students present, the hall felt spacious. No one bumped into one another and no one stood uncomfortably close. There was room to breathe, to observe, and to learn.
This event was indeed how the prestige was manifested in the architecture.
Even in the gathering numbers that would overwhelm most academies, Zeverius Academy left generous space between the rows as if the cramped seating itself would insult their dignity.
Of course, the nobles did not like such narrow spaces. Instead, they liked big territory. The seating arrangement was equally deliberate to answer their needs.
The front rows were wide and luxurious, adorned with engraved crests and subtle defensive arrays. The middle rows were respectable but modest while the rear rows were narrower, less ornamented, and more practical.
Unfortunately, Prius Academy was seated at the back. This arrangement did not surprise him.
At the academy itself, he usually sat at the back of class. In here, he also sat at the back. He almost laughed of the same situation.
Was it fate or the hierarchy simply repeating itself?
Meanwhile, Alicia sat upright beside him with flawless posture and Anderson remained composed on his other side. Neither of them complained.
The procession soon began. Once all representatives were seated, Baston scanned the hall again. Even when the place was filled, the venue retained its elegance. The scale of noble institutions truly dwarfed his previous understanding.
By then, the host stepped forward.
"Everyone, thank you for your precious time in attending this meeting. We are honored to welcome all of you to our humble academy…"
Baston almost admired the audacity of that humble word.
The speech was polished, diplomatic, and long. It touched on the cooperation, the unity, and the shared responsibility.
The students listened with dignified expressions though many eyes wandered subtly. Most here were nobles and they had practiced to be appearing attentive since childhood.
He listened carefully, not to the words, but to the intention beneath the words. Eventually, the speaker transitioned.
"There are many matters to discuss. However, before we proceed, I would like to address the recent incidents that have occurred across multiple academies."
The hall subtly shifted and their attention sharpened. Surely, it must be a talk about the recent devastation. The explosion at Prius Academy was deemed as one of the incidents. The word had not been spoken yet, but it lingered in everyone's mind.
"Several institutions have suffered some attacks from them and some of you present here experienced them firsthand."
Prius Academy indeed had been attacked, but eventually, they were not alone. Even several prestigious academies had been struck whether by the same explosion or another incident. The implication was chilling.
"Yes, sir…" one student stood, "I believe this was a deliberate threat from an organized group."
"It should be a terrorist faction that despises the nobles…" another added.
"Actually, there were casualties at ours when the incident happened…"
"I heard the royalty has already begun the investigation…"
"They surely can't allow this to continue…"
Many worried voices overlapped. There were concern, anger, and fear. Most of them came from the nobles since they were not accustomed of being threatened.
Baston remained quiet and he was still observing. Zeverius Academy's host smiled faintly and he allowed the discussion to build. Before he could steer it toward new direction, a voice cut through the hall.
"Everyone, perhaps we should also hear some opinions from the other social classes."
The tone was smooth and it was quite calculated.
Baston's eyes shifted, staring at the one who suddenly spoke out of nowhere. Looking at the person, he had already expected it. Clark rose slowly with confident posture.
"Most of us here come from noble backgrounds. There are also a handful number from the merchant families. However, there is also a representative from the poor class at present."
For a brief second, Baston did not react. He had anticipated this move since the moment Clark saw him entering the hall. The boy never wasted an opportunity to take advantage of his status.
What he measured now was not the insult but the timing.
Clark chose this exact moment, right after the discussion of incidents to provoke the division. That meant he wanted the attention and not the truth.
"It's quite interesting and troublesome…"
If Clark had waited until the end of the meeting, the effect would be weaker. By striking early, he aimed to frame him as the illegitimate before any serious discourse began. In the end, this was not merely his jealousy. It was the strategy plus the dislike.
Unfortunately for Clark, he preferred performing on the stage rather than hiding behind the curtains.
"What?"
"A poor class?"
"Which academy would dare do it?"
"The requirement was clear. It was only the strongest representative may attend! By doing this, that academy never respects everyone here."
The voices rose sharply and their contempt could not be hidden. Their curiosity soon sharpened into disdain.
Baston felt hundreds of gazes sweeping across the hall. They were searching for this person who dared to taint the sacred meeting. Looking at the commotion, the host then raised a hand.
"Please maintain your decorum…"
The silence soon returned even though the tension remained. While no one talked openly, the whispers kept reverberating around.
"May the student in question stand?"
Alicia shifted and Anderson inhaled.
Soon, Baston gently raised his hand, signaling them to remain seated before he stood calmly and unhurriedly.
He felt the weight of the hall settle upon him. The whispers quickly intensified.
"So that's him?"
"He looks so ordinary..."
"He's just a fat boy…"
There was laughter but it was quickly suppressed. The host then examined Baston carefully.
"Zeverius Academy stated clearly that only the strongest representative from each institution may attend. If you are not qualified, I am afraid this hall has no seat for you."
Before Baston could reply, another voice interrupted, "I object!"
Alicia stood and her voice carried the authority. It was controlled yet firm.
"The academy sent him because he is our strongest representative. If there is a doubt, you may measure his magic."
Anderson stood as well, "I also confirm that. Despite being fat, he is the strongest among us."
Baston almost sighed because there was no relationship between his fat and his strength. He kept his expression neutral as much as possible. The host hesitated but Clark pressed forward.
"Then, I propose a simple test. Let the instrument decide whether he's indeed strong or not..."
He looked satisfied and he believed Baston would fail or barely pass. Alicia's eyes turned cold, but however, Baston smiled faintly.
This was better than being quietly expelled. Since the opponent provided a stage, he would perform to his best.
"I agree…" Baston said calmly, "But such fairness requires the proposer to also be measured."
Clark's expression tightened, "That is unnecessary..."
"Only you raised the accusation…" Baston replied lightly, "Only you revealed the information of my background. Supposedly, that suggests your early investigation."
The subtle murmurs rippled, thinking the words were quite correct. No one would know if Clark never sprouted such fact.
"Are you jealous?" Baston added gently.
The word struck and some nobles exchanged glances. Clark's reputation regarding Alicia was not entirely secret. Soon, the entertainment replaced their boredom.
Having a long discussion made everyone quite sleepy. Since there was a show, they demanded the exciting one. Clark had no retreat in this place
"Very well…"
*****
The testing instrument was brought forward. It was a polished crystalline pillar that was connected to the layered measurement arrays. Zeverius Academy's staff operated it personally.
Clark approached first. He placed his hand upon the surface, channeling mana confidently. The crystal flared and the numbers climbed steadily.
[100… 101… 102…]
The pace soon slowed down before it was finally stabilizing.
[400… 450…]
"Impressive..."
"He's from Junior class but he's already at 450?"
"He could become a senior-level before graduation."
Clark returned to his seat with a triumphant smirk that was directed at Baston. There was one time that Baston might have felt the tension. It was only once and it was before he obtained the flare element. Now, he simply stepped forward.
"It's your turn…" Clark sneered.
"Of course…"
Baston placed his hand on the crystal. He did not release everything. His mana surged slowly, and soon, the crystal responded. The numbers rose as intended.
[100… 101… 102…]
It wasn't slowing down and the numbers kept increasing.
[400…]
The murmurs began, pondering if Baston indeed was stronger than what they thought.
[500…]
There were gasps as soon as it passed the score. Everyone thought it would stop sooner but they were wrong. They were not ready for such numbers.
[600…]
The staff frowned. He checked the panel just to make sure the instrument worked fine. The result was the measurement was indeed correct.
[700…]
The hall fell silent, unable to believe such high numbers for Junior class.
[800…]
The staff recalibrated the panel but the same numbers were kept being displayed.
[900…]
Now, even the nobles leaned forward. They were curious over the score. The crystal flared violently before it slowed down.
[1000…]
It soon stabilized but the hall did not react immediately. There was a silence before an uproar commenced.
"What?"
"Impossible!"
"Is the instrument malfunctioning?"
The staff's face had gone pale. He checked twice to be sure, three times to be absolutely sure but nothing was wrong with the machine. It was fine after all this time.
"The score is confirmed…" he announced hoarsely, "The magic score is 1000."
The shock detonated more violently than any incident that had been discussed earlier. Even Zeverius Academy's students looked unsettled.
How could Prius Academy deemed as the average had Junior student with score of 1000?
That would place him near the senior threshold.
Clark's face was drained of color. He stared at the crystal as if the betrayal had occurred.
Alicia did not smile but she simply folded her arms since she had already expected the dominance, even though she had not expected this magnitude.
Anderson exhaled slowly, thinking how strong this classmate of him.
Baston withdrew his hand calmly. The host's expression transformed from skepticism into respect.
"It appears…" he said carefully, "That Prius Academy did not disrespect this gathering."
The subtle laughter followed while Clark remained rigid. However, Baston was not finished and he turned slightly toward everyone.
"If I may speak…"
The host gestured, "You can proceed…"
Baston faced the assembly, "I am indeed from the poor class but the explosion did not discriminate between noble and poor..."
That sentence silenced them since he was indeed correct. After all, death never saw who was their victim.
"Whoever orchestrated those attacks does not care about our lineage… If we divide ourselves by our status while our enemy acts without such division, then we are only assisting them."
The nobles shifted since it was uncomfortable but logical. The enemy likely only wanted to evoke the chaos.
"My academy may not be the most prestigious…" Baston continued evenly, "But we experienced the same threat. Therefore, our perspective is equally valid."
He did not raise his voice and he did not posture. He simply stood confidently. The host nodded slowly toward his opinion.
"Your point is acknowledged…"
Clark could no longer challenge without appearing petty since the direction had shifted.
In the meantime, Baston returned to his seat but the atmosphere had changed. The students were no longer looking at him with ridicule. They were measuring him, evaluating this new threat, and calculating the alliance potential.
The meeting resumed but their attention occasionally drifted back toward the back rows. Even from the rear seat, Baston had moved to the center of their awareness.
Alicia leaned slightly toward him, "You kind of held back…"
Baston's lips curved faintly, "Of course…"
Anderson blinked, "You held back?"
Baston did not reply and he stared toward the front rows. Clark quickly avoided his gaze.
Just with the score of 1000, it had become a dominance among everyone. Even though his strength could answer many doubts, but he understood something critical.
The displayed power once became the expectation, twice would become the pressure, and thrice would become the target. Today, he needed recognition, but for tomorrow, he would need a caution.
The meeting transitioned into strategic discussions about the investigation coordination, the defensive reinforcement, and the intelligence sharing.
However, beneath every topic lingered a new undercurrent.
If someone like Baston existed from the poor class and from the average academy, then perhaps the structure of power was not as rigid as the nobles believed.
That idea was more destabilizing than any explosion and Baston realized the effect of his performance. Inside, he quietly wondered what rating the old book would assign if this was on the quest.
His words were not for strength but for performance. The hall had witnessed and the nobles had reacted. Clark had been humiliated and his prestige had shifted.
While the stage had been conquered, he lowered his gaze slightly since this was only the beginning.