Chapter 71: Grand Hall

We all saw the grand hall from afar before venturing within. It was a tall and wide building, comparable to the colosseum we had our tests. Though, I had to admit that this was smaller. Its elegance made it superior to the one we had seen previously, though.

Brimming brightly in the sun stood the castle-like Ainzlark Academy Grand Hall where the general assembly would be held.

Hurrying in our footsteps, we made it to the hall's entrance. It was designed as a two-door entrance, and upon arriving, Klaus and the other woman— whose name I finally found out to be Isabelle, opened both sides of the door and granted us entry.

"Whoah...!" Escaped from the mouths of many.

I maintained my poker face, but being honest, excitement welled up within me as well.

'Ohh, nicee!' My mind rang.

The hall had a very large interior. Designed elegantly, the shiny white paint that covered the surface of everything made the large place look brighter than it actually was. Several chandeliers hung on the ceiling, and from both sides of the walls we walked past— flags of multiple colors were spread.

I recognized the insignia of some of them. The Royal Family, Ainzlark's Original, The Magic Society, predecessors of Ainzlark who revolutionized the world— some of which I knew personally. There were a few flags I didn't recognize, most likely due to my incomplete knowledge of the modern world of Magic.

My eyes finally caught something close to the end of the line of flags... it felt oddly familiar and resonated with me for a second.

Finally, my eyes bulged when my recollection caught up to me.

'T-this is!'

Looking at the elegantly sewn flag that had the designs of a pair of goggles, books, and a pen, I instantly knew. The logo belonged to me!

'Ah, I see... so those bastards really did as they said they would...' I smirked smugly.

Before I died, the head of Ainzlark was beside me— among the king and other notable members of society. The younger man, considering my age back then, had told me that he would immortalize me by making sure my flag was among the legends in Ainzlark's history.

'Looking at it now... this feels weird...'

I didn't have the time to revel in the past, though, since we were on a move. My eyes finally descended and I noticed the hall was already nearly full. Eight rows were arranged in an orderly fashion, and standing in their designated positions were the students.

'Looks like we're late...' I mused.

The students all had uniforms on them, though of different colors. We already learned about it in our orientation. First years wore white-colored uniforms. Blue was designated for the second years while red was given to third years.

All uniforms were exquisitely sewn, having no flaws whatsoever. Since nobles and the highest members of society had children here, it was to be expected.

Of course, we all had our uniforms on— it was given to us on the first day and hung in all our wardrobes. The uniform remained there just for this moment.

Yes, I was donning my pure white uniform, as though expressing the core I possessed. It was pretty cool since golden threads were laced around it to form designs.

I had a cool blazer on, with a waistcoat to cover the pure white shirt underneath. The golden designs on my uniform made it look beautiful, extending to many areas in lines. Even the tie worn around my collar had golden designs on it. I had a school badge on the left breast pocket of my blazer, showing the same insignia as the Ainzlark logo on one of the flags.

The other uniforms had golden designs on them too, similar to one another. The only change in uniforms was the color— I supposed.

Now navigating our way around the hall, some of the eyes of our seniors glanced back— while others didn't seem interested. Of the eight rows lined up in an orderly fashion, counting from the left side, three had red-colored uniforms. They were followed by three with blue colored uniforms.

Looking to the far right, I saw the last two straight lines. They were dressed in white— the same as ours.

'So that must be them, uh?' My thoughts trailed and a slight smile formed on my face.

We were already informed of the three major departments in Ainzlark Academy. There were three courses one could offer at this institute.

Magic Arts. Martial Arts. Scholar Innovative Arts.

The other two departments had fewer members than us, but were still legitimately first-year students. They held different exams from us— having only a total of 30 passing from both their departments.

'Looks like things are pretty cutthroat no matter the department...'

In the first place, the bulk of examinees applying to the other two departments were those who had been rejected for Magic. Thinking they had better try their luck in other departments, the fools who took the exams ended up being unsuitable for neither. In the end, only the few who actually had talent in either Martial Arts or were extremely gifted in 'Scholarhood' would be accepted.

"Looks like I'll be having some fun times with them as well..." I grinned in slight satisfaction.

Klaus and Isabelle directed us to the row of white-dressed students. They were separated into male and female rows— unlike our seniors who were most likely lined up according to their class. Upper Class, Middle Class, Lower Class... I knew that could be the only explanation.

'Oh well... let's join the line first...'

With the help of the supervisors already present with the thirty white-clad students and our own, we were able to orderly merge with them. Our numbers were a total of 130. We had a total of eighty-nine boys and forty-one girls— a pretty funny contrast, in my opinion.

Suddenly, the hall that was brimming with life and energy died down. In a flash everyone stood, motionless. Their faces were all directed to the elevated stage in front of us.

Someone was entering the stage, or rather, appearing before all of us.

I recognized the man well... he was-