A man with dark, disheveled hair entered nonchalantly, barely sparing a glance at the gathered scholars as he walked toward the front of the room.
His long, dark navy coat moved slightly behind him, revealing the refined attire of a Velthia Academy instructor.
Though he looked like the dignity of an educator, his manner showed he was uninterested in coming to this class.
He reached the podium and exhaled out of the sheer lack of expectations. He twisted his wrist, and the manaboard beeped to life.
But instead of displaying anything grand, the instructor simply leaned against the podium, crossing his arms as he surveyed the room and said....
"Morning. I assu all of you can hear , but if you can’t, that’s not my problem."
He gave the class a long, unreadable stare before continuing further.
"My na is Edvoss Sirion. You may refer to as Instructor Edvoss, Instructor Ed, or simply ’Instructor’, whatever suits your liking. Anyway, I’m the one who’s responsible for overseeing your academic progress in this class, though I highly doubt I’ll need to do much for this year’s batch."
His gray eyes swept over the students with vague indifference.
"Since today is the first day of orientation, you won’t be learning anything. My job right now is to make sure you understand how this academy operates, what’s expected of you, and why most of you will likely fall behind if you don’t start taking things seriously."
"Let’s start with the basics. Velthia Academy functions on a ritocratic system. What does that an? Simple. Your status outside these walls: noble, commoner, rchant, beggar—they all an nothing. The only thing that matters here is your ability, your effort, and your result."
He tapped the manaboard, and a series of floating texts materialized behind him.
*——————*
{Scholar Ranking & Class System}
Edvoss waited until the floating text finished appearing itself behind him, then continued to address the class.
"Now that you can see it, let us go through the scholar ranking and class system. This is the foundation of how this academy evaluates you, so pay attention."
His fingertip glided across the manaboard, and the headings expanded.
"Scholars are divided into five classes. Class A through Class E. There is no mystery behind the letters. Class A contains the highest-performing scholars. Class E contains the lowest. You may infer where this room currently stands."
Everyone silently glanced at each other, completely understanding what Edvoss ant by that.
"Yeah, this room is full of losers."
"Before anyone starts panicking, let clarify sothing. These classes are not permanent. Yes, promotion is possible, and yes, it’s not sothing to be surprised about. The academy allows movent between classes based entirely on performance."
The whole class listened attentively to him.
"For example, if a scholar in Class E consistently outperforms those in Class D or C, whether in theory, practical assessnts, or contribution to research projects, they may be transferred upward at the end of an evaluation cycle."
"Conversely, a scholar in Class B who believes they can coast on early success will find themselves demoted rather quickly."
He tapped again, and a list of criteria appeared.
"Your ranking depends on your grades, your combat evaluations, your magical aptitude, your attendance, and your discipline record. So of you may excel in one area and fail miserably in another. Regardless of that, the academy only cares about the overall result, not the singular aspect."
"If you want a concrete example, well, consider this hypothetical. A scholar in Class E demonstrates good academic results and shows outstanding practical evaluation skills. If that progress continues, they can climb to Class D within the first sester."
"However, a scholar in Class A who refuses to improve their overall aspect will drop to Class B, or even C, depending on how quickly others surpass them."
Another slide opened behind him, illustrating the point.
"In short, you rise because your results rise. You fall because your effort falls. The academy will not hold your hand, nor will it protect you from the consequences of your own decisions."
"Any question? No? Good. This is very simple, if I hear any of you give a foolish question or soone forgets everything that I said, I’ll give you a derit point."
Ruvian saw a scholar raise his hand, but imdiately pulled it down.
Edvoss let the silence extend for a mont, as if waiting to see how many students understood the gravity of his words.
"Alright. I was just teasing you all. But it can happen. Anyway, onto the next one."
After listening to the thorough briefing from that stoic instructor, Ruvian felt a small smile form on his lips.
It slipped out naturally, mostly due to the sense of familiarity that the others in the room could not possibly understand.
Edvoss Sirion.
Anyone who had read the novel would rember him.
He held a certain reputation for the way he spoke, always concise, always straightforward, and never bothered with unnecessary explanations.
Most scholars found him intimidating, convinced he was the type to hand out punishnts with enthusiasm.
But Ruvian knew it better.
Edvoss was not that cruel. He was simply professional, almost excessively so. He treated instruction like a task to be completed cleanly, without embellishnt or wasted motion.
If his tone felt cold, it was only because he preferred making himself clear.
And strangely, that was exactly why Ruvian liked him.
There was sothing refreshing about an instructor who did not pretend to be warm or overly inspiring.
Seeing him in person, behaving exactly as the novel described, gave Ruvian a small sense of reassurance.
Edvoss shifted the display of the manaboard once more.
{Points Accumulation System}
"Next is the points accumulation system. Every scholar gathers two types of points. rit Points and Derit Points. rit Points reflect what you contribute. Derit Points reflect what you damage, neglect, ignore, or fail to accomplish. The academy tracks both with great enthusiasm."
A few students straightened their backs, looking faintly alard.
"rit Points are earned through exams, combat evaluations, mission assignnts, expeditions, research contributions, and anything else the academy considers useful."
"Derit Points are given for violations of conduct, repeated underperformance, reckless behavior, or any action that wastes the academy’s ti."
He gestured toward the insignia badges pinned to their uniforms.
"Your personal standing can be viewed through your Scholar’s Profile. Channel a small stream of mana into your insignia badge, and it will show your current points, class status, your developnt, and faculty remarks. So, use it wisely."
For the first ti, a hand rose from among the rows. A scholar in the middle row, trying to appear confident, spoke carefully.
"Instructor Edvoss, h-how are the points determined? I an... like how many rit or Derit Points are given for sothing? Is there a fixed amount?"
Edvoss looked at him with an intimidating stare.
"Did I ever tell you to ask a question?"
"Ah..."
The boy’s face went pale, and for a mont, he looked as if he might faint on the spot.
For a brief mont, the tension held between them.
Then Edvoss broke it dismissively.
"Sit down. That was a good question."
The shift was so abrupt that the poor boy nearly collapsed into his seat. Ruvian observed the scene with a crooked smile.
’...If he keeps that up, surely, everyone here will be too terrified to speak.’
Instructor Edvoss continued.
"Listen well, so values are fixed. Failing an exam, for instance, grants a set amount of Derit Points. Outstanding performance in a practical trial grants a set amount of rit Points, too. These do not change."
"However, many situations are judged individually. Missions, expeditions, collaborative projects, disciplinary cases. These are evaluated by a review council composed of senior instructors and administrative officers. They determine how much your actions helped or hard the academy."
"To put it simply, so points are predetermined, and others depend on the assessnt of your superiors. And before anyone asks, the council is known for being strict. Do not expect generosity. There, you have it."
Edvoss allowed them a mont to absorb it before continuing.
"Next."
{Examinations & Evaluations}
"All right."
He suddenly yawned, as if unbothered to explain sothing painfully obvious.
"I think this part should be fairly self-explanatory."
"However..."
──────── ✦ ────────
[Chapter 37: First Day of Orientation (2)]
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