Elydes-Chapter 361 - Choices Part (part 1)
Chapter 361 - Choices (Part 1)
A thin folder appeared in the dean’s hand, columns of precise writing and numbers, sharp black on crisp white.
Kai caught his arms raising. Too high to hide the gesture, he laced his fingers on the rim of the desk as if that had been his intention from the start. The thick papers hovered on the polished desk, just out of his reach.
I can wait. Patiently.
Lilac eyes watched him —not betraying a flicker of the thoughts drifting beneath their idle calm. The dean appeared pleasant enough,
pleased
with his results in the Trials. Kai couldn’t deny enjoying the recognition. Probably what happened when you spent too long underselling himself.
Get a grip. You’re not a kid starved for praise. That same guy has no problem seeing students dying each year.
He couldn’t forget where he sat because the man waved shiny baubles and merits at him. Beyond the veneer of impartiality, politics swamped Raelion with roots far beyond the academy grounds. And the dean sat at the center of it all. If a snubbed student from Winter Intake could see that, what things could he not see? How many students truly died?
With the Trials' irregularities yet unexplained, he wanted nothing to do with the Houses’ games.
As Valela said, nothing good comes from meddling with the patricians. Keep a low profile and focus on your studies. Too bad she didn’t say what to do when you rank first in the Trials… A problem for Future-Kai.
His hands reached for the folder. Calm and unhurried. His composed persona crumbled once his eyes fell on the first page of the merits and treasures.
Joint Mid-Term Trials (First Year) with Mana, Martial, and Artisan Studies. Rewards List (ranks 1-100):
Rank 1:
1000 Credits of Merit
–
High Affinity Treasure
(custom) &
Wellspring Amulet
(custom)
Rank 2:
900 Credits of Merit – Unattuned Arcanite Wand (Pea
k-Yellow, custom) &
Blinking Amulet
(ten charges)
Rank 3
: 800 Credits of Merit – Spirit Tears
(High-Yellow Elixir, one vial) &
Safeguard Amulet
(custom)
Rank 4:
700 Credits of Merit – Four-Leaved Elemental Clover
(Fire, Water, Wind, Earth) &
Unbound Request at the Hall of Artisans
(Peak-Yellow, materials covered up to 500 mesars)
Rank 5:
600 Credits of Merit – Lucenti Kit
(C-rank) &
Armband of Silent Reflection
(Peak-Yellow)
Rank 6:
500 Credits of Merit – Limited Access to the Raelion’s Vaults
(One week, Arcane rank or below) &
Alchemy Request at the Hall of Artisans
(Peak-Yellow, materials covered up to 300 Gold mesars)
Rank 7:
500 Credits of Merit – Body Enhancement Ritual
(Three sessions) &
Martial Weapon Request at the Hall of Artisans
(Peak-Yellow, materials covered up to 300 mersar)
Rank 8:
500 Credits of Merit – Medium Affinity Treasure
(custom) &
Crystal
(Peak-Yellow)
Rank 9:
500 Credits of Merit – Ring of the Moonlight Mind
(Peak-Yellow) &
Ring of Sylvan Tears
(Peak-Yellow)
Rank 10:
500 Credits of Merit – Thunderbird Egg
(C-rank) &
Astares Purse of Holding
(1 Cubic Meter, 10% weight)
Rank 11:
400 Credits of Merit – …
Quite the shiny baubles.
Ten pages of them. Double the usual merits for these Trials, to say nothing of the
additional
rewards. Combining the courses of Study meant a stiffer competition, though that mattered little for the first ranking. These prizes rarely showed up even in the Moon Trials in previous years.
“I see the rewards are to your liking.” The shadow of a smile quirked the dean’s lips. “I must ask that these papers not leave my office. It would set a bad precedent if students saw them before the official results.”
“I— yes.” Kai wrenched his gaze from the papers, clearing his throat and schooling his expression. “I mean… Yes, Dean Astares.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to NovelFire for the genuine story.
Aware of the man waiting for him, he skimmed the ranking rewards. Merits and treasures decreased through the pages, though never unappealing.
Why did he show me all this?
The dean seemed to read his confusion with faint amusement. “Aside from merits, you may select any reward beneath your ranking. I reckoned you wouldn’t care to pick below the top one hundred. In the past, there have been
disagreements
when participants found lower prizes more appealing than their own. Resources hold different values to different students. Especially in the joint Trials among the courses.” His gaze turned far away, lost in thought. “Before my tenure, custom prizes were assigned after the final ranking was decided. As you can imagine, that led to greater… complications.”
Personally setting rewards for each student? How could that ever be abused?
“I understand.” Kai nodded primly, his attention on the pages. The sooner he decided, the sooner he could leave the office. A sigh escaped his lips. He hated few things more than having to pick a single prize from a list. “Is it possible to pick from two different rankings since the top ten has double rewards?”
“The prizes were weighed together.”
Figures… Worth a shot.
Only the top ten ranking had earned double prizes—nine other pages easily set aside. If only he had a detailed description of the items… No way he’d ask the dean to explain so many. Affable or not, Kai wasn’t oblivious enough to test a Blue mage’s patience(—Virya had taught him better).
Mnemonic Memory quickly saved the columns for later research. “Will the full rewards also be displayed for everyone?” he asked, buying time.
“They aren’t secret, but students can only view those at or below their ranking when they redeem their rewards.”
Hmm… Flynn and Lys will pay for the exclusive.
His stomach grumbled at the thought of his friends stuffing their mouths at the restaurant.
I’m so damn late. I should have sent a message… First, finish here.
He could largely guess what the prizes did. The Arcanite wand and Spirit Tears sounded quite useful, but ultimately, mesars and connections could buy
most
resources and equipment—all but one treasure that he’d never seen put on sale.
With one last look at the list, Kai closed the folder, every line clear in his mind. “How do you categorize a High Affinity Treasure, exactly? I assume ‘custom’ means I can choose the element that suits me?”
“Just so. Any element stored within the academy vaults, along with the ideal measures for
you
to consume or receive it. The stronger one’s kinship with an element, the harder it is to raise. A
high
enhancement is most effective for affinities between fifty and seventy. Below that, it’s considered wasteful to use. Above that, the gain is too small to be meaningful. Is that your decision?” The dean produced a thinner folder—a second list of elements.
“Yes,” Kai read the papers. Much shorter, much more detailed, and
much
harder to decide. No self-respecting elemental mage would refuse an affinity treasure. The question was what to pick?
Another choice. Do they ever end? If Water wasn't already at 71, it would have been easy…
Available High Elemental Enhancement:
Stone Crystal (Earth) Expected Improvement: +3-6
Aquamarine Tears (Water) Expected Improvement: +3-6
Distilled Fire Essence (Fire) Expected Improvement: +3-6
Whispergale Feather (Air) Expected Improvement: +3-6
Frostblood Ritual (Ice) Expected Improvement: +2-6
Umbral Pearl (Shadow) Expected Improvement: +2-6
…
Refined Pressure Core (Gravity) Expected Improvement: +1-4
Mirage Incense (Illusion) Expected Improvement: +1-4
Clearthought Glass (Mind) Expected Improvement: +1-4
Somnial Bloom (Dream) Expected Improvement: +1-3
The list was
extensive
. Dozens of entries covered nearly every natural element and a few conceptual affinities. If the Trial’s rewards had left him gaping, these redefined his sense of Raelion’s wealth.
No Poison affinity. Though I doubt Alden needs it. His family probably has a monopoly on them.
More importantly, the treasures promised different increases beyond natural variation. From common elements on the first page, the numbers steadily decreased toward the last entries.
Parallax Eye
(Space) Expected Improvement: +1-4
As far as he knew, rare affinities weren’t inherently harder to grow, so…
They skim the quantity on the pricey ones. Damned cheapskates.
“Were you looking for any element not on the list?” The dean’s voice intruded on his thoughts—no more time for dallying.
“N—no, sorry. I was comparing the expected increase…”
“And you noticed them decrease,” the man said with a dry chuckle. “The academy can’t entirely ignore the rarity and value of each resource. Don’t think you’re being cheated. The Trial rewards are an exception. Normally, the cheapest Mind treasure would cost ten times more merits than the Aquamarine Tears. As well as many others.”
“Such as Parallax Eye?” He mused, deliberately glancing at the last page, an idea forming in his mind. What was one more gamble?
“Such as that,” the dean said tersely. “Though affinity enhancements must be consumed by the student who earned them.”
“Then, I’ve decided.” Kai stared at the last entries and licked his lips. Boosting Nature, Earth and Shadow Magic would be nice, but he didn’t truly need them. “I have some affinity for Space. I’ve always wanted to learn, and it’s the most valuable treasure…”
He looked on with poorly concealed hope as the Fifth Circle Space mage regarded him with a deadpan stare.
“Twee.”
Who knew? Even demonic birds have their uses.
The office chilled with the dean’s disappointment. “Rewards can’t be redeemed until tomorrow. You needn’t commit yet. You’ve shown a promising measure of skill, but don’t take these opportunities for granted. Raelion’s Trials purposely place students in unpredictable circumstances. Luck and chance always play a part.”
Hmm… My status says I’m quite Lucky.
Ironically, his goal
was
not to squander the opportunity and get his hand on the prize he wanted without revealing himself.
“I am certain,” Kai said, chest puffed, eyes gleaming with naïve dreams and a touch of greed. Would the dean be swayed by his iron determination and take him under his wing? Hopefully not. The act came easily, hinging on a simple misunderstanding.
Just an impressionable teenager standing before Raelion’s greatest mage. A renowned Space Warper, no less! How could a poor commoner resist? Especially when he does have
some
affinity for Space.
Chapter 361 - Choices Part (part 1)
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