“Teacher Therese...” On the way to the exam hall, Litte cautiously asked, “Is Orson... really that famous?”
Even though she suspected the answer was obvious, Litte still wanted to hear how others perceived Orson.
“Mm, he’s very famous.” Therese nodded. “He’s the first student in the history of the Imperial Academy to display Tier 6 strength upon admission. How could he not be famous?”
“You need to understand, the academy’s minimum requirent for combat instructors is Tier 7. Once Orson reaches Tier 7, he could directly apply to be a teacher here.”
“On top of that, Orson scored perfect marks in all subjects. In the eyes of every teacher, he’s their pride and joy.”
“Wow, Orson is really that amazing...” Litte murmured, her eyes sparkling with admiration for Orson.
“But, Litte, Orson should already be Tier 7 by now, shouldn’t he?” Therese asked with a smile, glancing at Litte.
“Huh? Um... I... I don’t know...” Litte stamred, shaking her head nervously.
“I see.” Therese nodded.
The real reason she had hugged Orson earlier was to assess his progress over the past few months.
As a witch, Therese’s sensitivity to magical energy was extraordinarily acute.
She could tell with certainty that Orson’s magic had reached Tier 7.
However, she had never heard any news about Orson advancing to Tier 7. Why was he deliberately concealing it? Even Litte seed to be covering for him.
Litte’s face was an open book, and it was obvious to Therese that he was lying just now.
“Alright, your exam hall is here. Go on,” Therese said, leading Litte to the hall. After greeting the proctor, she turned and left.
Now, only Litte remained in the hall.
She entered, found a seat, and began waiting for the exam to start.
—
anwhile, Orson made his way to the headmaster’s office.
Standing outside the door, he adjusted his attire, knocked, and then pushed the door open.
Inside, an elderly man with graying hair and a slightly rotund figure sat at his desk. Upon seeing Orson, he greeted him with a warm smile.
This was Luca, the headmaster of the Imperial Academy, who had held the position for twenty years.
“Headmaster.” Orson bowed to Luca before stepping into the room.
“Well, well, isn’t this the Empire Academy’s famous genius? The pride of the academy? The idol of the male students and the heartthrob of the female students, Orson?” Luca joked as he stood up to pour Orson a cup of tea.
“How have you been these past few months at ho?”
“Thanks for asking, Headmaster. I’ve been doing quite well.” Orson smiled and sat on the sofa, taking a sip of tea.
Luca’s twenty-year tenure as headmaster was no accident. Despite being an accomplished Tier 8 mage, he lacked the arrogance often associated with powerful individuals. He maintained an approachable deanor, often joking with staff and students. When conflicts arose, he played the role of diator and had even delegated so of the academy council’s powers to the student governnt.
These practices earned him widespread approval, and he consistently secured overwhelming votes in both council and student elections.
“Good to hear. But as a student of the academy, the first thing you do upon returning is co to see . I’m guessing you have a favor to ask?”
“You’re as sharp as ever, Headmaster.” Orson placed his teacup down, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned slightly forward.
“My younger brother, Litte—you’re aware of him, correct?”
“Mm, I know.” Luca nodded, then looked at Orson with a hint of suspicion. “You’re not about to ask to bend the rules for his entrance exam, are you?”
“Let be clear—if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter that you’re a student here. Even if His Majesty himself ca to ask, the rules of the Imperial Academy cannot be changed.”
“Of course not, Headmaster. You’re overthinking it,” Orson said with a smile before explaining his purpose. “The reason I’m here is to discuss the dormitory assignnts after enrollnt.”
“You an...” Luca stroked his chin, a look of understanding dawning on his face. “You want Litte to share your dormitory?”
“Exactly.” Orson nodded. “I don’t currently have a roommate, and since Litte and I are family, it would be more convenient for us to look out for each other.”
Normally, the academy assigned dormitory roommates from the sa year. However, this rule wasn’t explicitly written into the academy’s regulations.
In Orson’s year, there had been 999 students instead of the usual 1,000. Among the male students, the odd number left Orson without a roommate. After consulting all the students in the year, the grade director had decided Orson would live alone.
The reason wasn’t that no one liked Orson—it was quite the opposite.
Living with Orson as a roommate brought significant challenges.
First, people outside the dormitory would constantly seek gossip about Orson from his roommate. Comparisons between the roommate and Orson would be inevitable.
Even if soone could endure all that, living alongside such a brilliant genius would inevitably lead to feelings of inadequacy. Instead of being inspired, they might spiral into self-doubt.
“Hmm, that’s not unreasonable,” Luca said with a nod. “I’ve heard about Litte’s situation. He had a tough childhood in the countryside. As his older brother, it’s only right for you to take extra care of him so he can enjoy a better life.”
“Alright, I’ll make the arrangents. I’ll inform the staff in charge of dormitory assignnts.”
“Speaking of which, Orson, your idea isn’t bad,” Luca added.
“Oh? How so?”
“Pairing younger students with upperclassn in the dorms would allow the older students to guide and ntor the younger ones. It sounds wonderful for mutual growth.”
“The only downside is that one group of students would inevitably have to spend a year without roommates or be separated from their initial roommates later on. That wouldn’t be very fair to them.”
“True.” Orson nodded.
“So, let’s consider this a pilot test with you and Litte. If he thrives under your guidance, I might propose this idea to the council in the future.”
“Well, that’s a discussion for much later,” Orson said as he stood. “Since the matter is settled, I won’t take up any more of your ti. I’ll head back and wait for Litte.”
“Not staying for another cup of tea? It’s rare to see you,” Luca said regretfully.
“No, thank you,” Orson replied before bidding Luca farewell and leaving the office.
In his previous life, he’d always been terrible at dealing with teachers and administrators. Having casual conversations with them? Forget it—he just wasn’t cut out for that.
Looking at the ti, Orson realized the written exam would take about an hour and a half. That left him so ti to wander around the academy.
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