The Return Of The Exiled Villain-Chapter 181 181: Before The Inter-Academy Exchange

Today, the classroom was unusually noisy that morning.
Whispers overlapped, chairs scraped softly against the floor, and more than a few students kept glancing at the blackboard where Professor Otto stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression stern but… faintly satisfied.
"Alright," he said, his voice cutting cleanly through the chatter.
"Settle down."
Silence slowly spread.
Otto nodded once, then turned toward the board and tapped it lightly with his knuckle.
"As some of you have already heard through rumors, yes, they are indeed true."
"This academy will be participating in an inter-academy exchange for the remainder of your first year."
Murmurs instantly erupted again.
"With that said, this will not be a normal exchange," Otto continued calmly, letting the noise die on its own.
He paused deliberately.
"The chosen strongest students of the first year: Cassandra, Gray, Maelis, Adrian, Leon, Lyra, Lira, Selene, Katia, Claire, Selina, and surprisingly... Ronan will be sent to another academy to spend the final semester there."
"Professor… strongest students only?"
Someone raised his hand and asked.
"Yes," Otto replied without hesitation.
"And the other academy? Who are we exchanging with?"
"Clarintine's Sword & Magic Academy." Otto's lips curled faintly.
That name alone caused the room to buzz again, as if Gloria's Academy, the Clarintine's Sword & Magic Academy, was one of the three main academies of the whole continent.
"...Then if we are sending our strongest students, what are they sending us?" A student suddenly asked in curiosity.
"Their weakest students." Otto turned his gaze toward him.
The room froze.
"…What?"
"Professor… are you saying this exchange isn't balanced?"
Otto looked at the student for a long moment, then nodded.
"That is correct."
"So this is a comparison."
"Exactly," Otto said.
"Clarintine will gather the strongest students from multiple academies, including ours, into one environment. Gloria Academy will receive those who failed to reach that level."
Hearing these words, Leon scoffed lightly.
"So whoever's students survive and outperform the rest gets to declare themselves the strongest academy."
"Yes," Otto nodded plainly.
"Reputation. Influence. Authority. All of it hinges on this."
He paused lightly and then finished his words:
"Soo... prepare yourselves."
Only then did the murmurs begin again.
A student from the middle rows raised his hand hesitantly.
"P-Professor… when you say 'strongest,' what exactly does that mean? Combat strength? Rankings? Talent?"
Otto nodded, as if expecting the question.
"All of it," he replied.
"Combat performance, growth rate, adaptability, mental resilience, and overall potential. This exchange is not a reward. It is an evaluation."
"So… if we're not chosen, does that mean we're considered weak?"
Otto's gaze shifted to him, and he explained calmly.
"It means you are not ready," he corrected.
"Strength is contextual. What Clarintine tests is not something every first-year student can endure, which is why even our academy has a different ranking for strength."
A low, uneasy hum spread through the room.
"Endure… as in… dangerous?"
Otto didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned and began writing on the blackboard.
[INTER-ACADEMY EVALUATION PROGRAM]
"The exchange," he said slowly, "will consist of joint classes, shared combat drills, mixed-environment survival training, and periodic evaluations where students are ranked publicly."
That last word hit harder than the rest.
"Publicly?" a girl whispered.
"Yes," Otto confirmed. "Your performance will be visible. Failure will be visible. Success will be visible."
A hand instantly shot up.
"What happens if someone… fails badly?"
Otto capped the chalk and turned back to them.
"They are removed from the program and returned to their home academy."
"So there's no permanent punishment?" A student frowned.
"The punishment is understanding your own limits," Otto met his eyes.
That answer didn't comfort anyone.
"Professor… Clarintine is known for its sword-focused doctrine. What about magic specialists? Summoners? Support mages?"
"A fair concern," Otto nodded lightly.
"Clarintine values combat above all, but that does not mean magic is disregarded. On the contrary, those who rely on spells without understanding close-quarters pressure tend to break fastest."
Several magic-oriented students stiffened.
"So… they're going to crush mages..."
Otto heard it.
"They are going to test you," he corrected.
"And you will test them in return."
A pause.
"Do not misunderstand," he continued.
"Clarintine is not doing this out of goodwill. They want to measure Gloria Academy's upper limit. They want to know how our strongest fare when stripped of familiar ground, familiar instructors, and familiar advantages."
"And what do we gain from this?"
"Proof."
Otto smiled faintly.
"If Gloria's students rise above all others in that environment, no academy will be able to challenge our authority for years. Funding, political backing, recruitment... all of it follows strength."
A ripple of understanding passed through the room.
"This is about dominance..."
"Exactly... It's all about academic dominance."
A hand rose again.
"Professor… will there be cooperation between academies, or is it purely competitive?"
"That depends on you. Clarintine encourages rivalry. Alliances may form. They may also shatter." Otto tilted his head.
The implication was clear.
Betrayal would not be punished.
"How long will the exchange last?"
"The remaining of the first year's second semester," Otto answered.
The room went quiet again.
Finally, a timid voice asked the question many had been avoiding.
"…What about death?"
Otto's eyes sharpened.
"Clarintine's academy operates under the same rules as Gloria during sanctioned evaluations."
Those words only meant one single thing.
Killing was absolutely allowed.
A collective chill ran through the class.
"This is not a place for hesitation. Those chosen will represent Gloria Academy not with words, but with results."
He looked around the classroom one last time.
"For those not selected, your role is no less important. You will train alongside Clarintine's weaker students here. You will observe, adapt, and prepare. When this exchange ends, the gap between the top and the bottom will be painfully clear."
No one spoke.
Otto stepped back from the board.
"That is all for today," he concluded.
"The class is dismissed for today, and the chosen students shall appear tomorrow by the Academy's main gates."
The room erupted as the students practically rushed out of the classroom.
At this moment, Gray silently stood up.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and slowly walked out of the classroom.
'Clarintine's Sword & Magic Academy...'
'Strongest students only.'
His thoughts overlapped.
"...Strongest."
Lost in thought, he barely noticed the familiar figures waiting just outside the classroom door until one of them moved.
"Gray!"
Lyra stepped forward first, relief flashing across her face the moment she saw him. Her shoulders relaxed, and she let out a breath she clearly hadn't realized she was holding.
"You're okay..." she said softly, then frowned.
"Why wouldn't you be… that was stupid."
"Heartfelt concern followed by self-criticism. How impressive." Gray raised an eyebrow.
She huffed and crossed her arms.
And then, from behind her....
"BROOOOOOOO!"
Ronan suddenly threw an arm around Gray's shoulders, nearly knocking him sideways.
"Did you hear that?! STRONGEST STUDENTS! That's US!" he laughed loudly, his chest puffing out like... huh... an animal that does that, maybe a peacock or smth.
"Clarintine's gonna cry when they see me," he smirked proudly.
Gray removed the arm from his shoulder.
"That just sounds annoying..." he added.
"Annoying?" Selene laughed lightly, spinning a dagger between her fingers before tucking it away.
"I think it sounds fun."
"You think everything sounds fun," Selina shot her a flat look.
"That's because everything is fun," Selene replied cheerfully.
Lira rolled her eyes at their bickering, and then suddenly spoke out:
"Isn't the First Princess attending that academy?"
For a single second, the corridor was silent.
"THE FIRST PRINCESS?!" Ronan shouted.
His voice echoed down the hallway, earning them several annoyed looks from passing students.
"I HEARD ABOUT HER!" he continued loudly, his eyes practically sparkling.
"They say she's gorgeous, bro! Like, silver hair, noble aura, eyes that could make a man kneel on the spot!"
"Lower your voice, you idiot!" Selina slapped the back of his head.
"Ow! I'm just stating facts!"
"…A princess?" Lyra stiffened slightly.
"Oh, you didn't know?" Selene raised an eyebrow.
Ronan puffed out his chest, clearly thrilled to be the center of attention.
"Of course I know. The First Princess of our Kingdom, Clarintine's pride. They say she entered the academy last year and crushed half her batch in the first month."
"That part is indeed true," Lira nodded lightly.
Ronan snapped his fingers.
"SEE? And get this, rumor says she was already stronger than most second-years during her first semester. Sword and magic combined. No hesitation. No mercy."
"You sound a little… too excited." Lyra frowned.
"What? Can't admire talent?" Ronan grinned. "Plus, imagine this... royalty, strength, beauty. It's like a legend walking around in a school uniform!"
Gray finally spoke.
"…You're drooling."
"I am not." Ronan wiped his mouth instinctively.
"You absolutely are!" Selene laughed.
Selina crossed her arms. "From what I've heard, she's not approachable. Cold, disciplined, and terrifyingly strict."
"That just makes it better," Ronan said without taking a breath.
The girls frowned at his words.
But Gray was a little interested in her. From the point Ronan had said she was a beauty, but it seems like she's pretty talented, too.
'Maybe another... Vessel?'
He was quite curious indeed.