Colt headed back to the inn after they spent some time roaming the merchant district and enjoying themselves.
For some reason, he'd been asked more than a few times that day, "Are you secretly a noble?" followed by, "Are you sure?" whenever he said no.
Still, it had been a good day.
Eventually, everyone returned to their homes, and Colt made his way back to the inn.
He had five days left before the academy began, but nothing else to occupy his time aside from checking the black market each day.
So, the week passed without incident.
***
Colt put on his student uniform and headed for the academy district.
Students weren't allowed to leave the district unless it was for a vacation or an emergency.
But everything they might need was available inside, and the academy itself was just a small part of the larger district.
He climbed the familiar hill and passed through the iron gates set between the walls that separated the academy district from the rest of the city.
Beyond that point lay the same path he'd taken on the day of the entrance exam.
This time, though, there were no magical barriers or walls—there was no need for a test anymore.
The academy stood tall at the center, surrounded by the twelve towers.
Colt half-expected an arrow to appear over his head again, guiding him to orientation, but nothing happened.
Instead, two students in different-colored uniforms were directing first-years down a specific path.
Judging by the color of their uniforms, they were third-years.
The basic design of the uniform stayed the same, but a different section changed color each year, making it easy to tell a student's grade at a glance.
Colt followed the signs and joined the flow of first-years heading toward their destination.
They soon arrived at the smallest of the twelve towers.
Each tower served a different purpose—the headmaster's office, for instance, was at the top of the tallest one.
The problem was that a lot of students had brought luggage with them, and most were clearly struggling.
Without inventories and with maids or guards barred from entering the academy grounds, they had no easy way to carry their things.
Even the second prince, who'd been allowed to bring two guards for the entrance exam, had to come alone now that the school year had officially started.
So, the same question was echoing among the students:
Why weren't we sent to the dormitories first to drop off our luggage?
There was a reason for it. A simple one, actually.
But they didn't know that yet.
When Colt entered the tower, he found a large hall designed like a concert venue.
There were no chairs—just small squares marked on the floor, each with a number ranging from 11 to 1250.
Clearly, these were their student numbers. Colt made his way to number 11.
He'd be standing at the very front, next to number 12, Seila, and number 13, Antoine.
A perfect opportunity.
As the room slowly filled, his friends arrived one by one, all lugging bags of various sizes.
Colt was probably the only one without anything in his hands.
So naturally, after a brief greeting, Hei asked, "Where's your stuff?"
Colt just smiled. "Don't worry. It's with me."
Only one spot remained empty now: number 13.
As a prince, Antoine had been raised with the belief that royals should always be the last to enter a room. Attending before everyone else would be beneath his status.
Of course, that sort of thinking didn't quite apply inside the academy. But still, he clung to it, determined to make his entrance last to remind everyone of who he was.
What he didn't know was how that decision would turn out today when he entered the tower.
"Antoine!" someone called out in a loud, friendly voice.
The entire hall went silent.
"Antoine! Your spot's here, I was saving it for you!"
All heads turned toward the voice. Antoine looked and saw Colt, smiling and pointing at the square labeled 13.
Murmurs spread through the crowd as Antoine approached, his face growing red with anger.
"Welcome, Antoine. Since we are equals in this academy, you don't mind me calling you by your name, right?"
Antoine was already fuming, but the word equals made his jaw clench even harder.
While he stood there gritting his teeth, Colt continued, "Did you bring the badge? I couldn't sleep all week waiting to get mine."
The badge was proof of the royal promise. Anyone with it could walk into the palace in the capital and receive something.
Antoine took out a circular object from inside his pocket and gave it to Colt before silently saying, "We will see the equal soon."
Technically, they were equal in the academy. But no one else would've dared do what Colt just did.
After all, there was life after graduation—and influence still mattered outside these walls.
Also, they had households and families that weren't in the academy.
Especially nobles couldn't dare to commit such an insult to the royal family, while the commoners didn't even talk to any of the nobles unless spoken to first, just in case.
But in the end, Antoine couldn't do anything now. Red-faced and seething, he walked to the square marked 13 and stood in silence.
***
Once the commotion had settled and a bit of time passed, a few teachers stepped onto the raised platform at the front of the hall.
"Welcome to Lofpus Academy, the finest academy in all of Arte!" Cecilia Rutherford began, her voice clear and commanding.
"I want you to understand exactly where you are. You are among the top 250 who earned the right to step into this institution.
Don't waste that chance. Carry yourselves in a way that honors the name Lofpus Academy.
Now, let me explain how this academy operates."
Lofpus Academy was unlike any ordinary school. Here, your strength determined the quality of your life on campus.
And the first place this became obvious was in the dormitory assignments.
As student number 11, Colt would receive the best room in the dormitory.
That privilege, however, wasn't permanent—anyone strong enough to claim his rank could take his place, and his room with it.
Only the top 100 students had fixed rooms.
And even those weren't luxurious.
Students ranked 111 to 150 were assigned shared rooms, two to a room.
Those from 151 to 199 were crammed in threes.
But the worst fate awaited the bottom 150.
They didn't even have designated rooms.
Instead, they'd draw lots to determine their dorms. Some would land in four-person rooms, while others might be packed into rooms with as many as ten.
This, of course, was why no one had been sent to the dorms yet.