Chapter 36: Rags to Riches

The three veiled figures conferred behind a temporary hush-ward, their whispered deliberations vibrating with faint magical static. When the ward snapped shut, Figure A gave a single, approving nod. "Your performance and tactical rationale are accepted, candidate Tristan. You have officially passed. For next steps please head over to the orientation office."

’Holy, thank god I was starting to get scared with all these questions.’

Tristan offered a polite, sharp incline of his head and exited the chamber without another word.

Following the polished stone corridors, he made his way down to the orientation office to complete his enrollment intake before moving into the residential sector.

On his way there he could see some of the candidates leaving with obvious disappointment etched into their face, most likely those who failed. Tristan could’ve sworn he also saw Ella and Lily but he continued walking.

The office was bright and warm, lined with mahogany counters and brass fixtures. Behind the front desk stood a young receptionist who offered him a professional smile as he approached.

She tapped the screen, her eyes flickering with brief surprise before she reached under the counter. "Ah, yes. Congratulations on your passing evaluation, Mr. Verneuil." She handed him a sleek, obsidian mobile device and a heavy brass key stamped with a room number. "This will be your primary student hub. And over there sits your assigned student advisor."

She gestured toward a tall, well-built young man sitting on a leather sofa nearby. He appeared to be of Western descent, possessing a broad frame dressed in crisp business-casual attire, complete with a pressed collared shirt, dark trousers, and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his bridge.

The upperclassman stood up, smoothing his cuffs, and offered a firm handshake. "Me llamo es Javier," he introduced himself with an easygoing smile. "Third-year student and your official guide through the onboarding bureaucracy." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Javier led Tristan toward a quiet seating area to give him the essential rundown. The mobile device, Javier explained, was a student’s lifeline within the Academy.

"The school operates on a strict meritocracy," Javier said, tapping his own identical device. "No physical cash is accepted on campus, everything is bought, sold, or rented using Points. You earn them through individual rankings, combat performance, and monthly assessments. The device serves as your electronic keycard, your bank account, and your rank tracker."

Javier gestured to the app interface. "Go ahead, pull up the leaderboard and check your starting position."

Tristan unlocked the obsidian phone and tapped the ranking portal. At the top of the freshman bracket, rendered in bold, glowing gold text, sat a single entry:

[Rank 1: Tristan Verneuil — Unlimited Points]

A slow, satisfied grin spread across Tristan’s face. He tilted the screen toward Javier, casually flexing his placement and points. As the top ranking student, everything at the academy was free for him.

’Gotta love it.’

Javier took an involuntary step back, his eyes widening behind his wire-rimmed glasses. "Caramba... First place right out of the gates? Impressive." Javier shook his head, offering a genuine nod of congratulations before his tone grew slightly serious. "Though, I should warn you, carrying that ’Rank 1’ title puts a massive target on your back. Keep in mind that these initial rankings only account for the entrance exam takers. The recommended noble students haven’t been factored in yet, they’re currently unranked. There’s a mandatory exam scheduled later this month where everyone, recommended or not, will fight to settle the hierarchy."

"Good," Tristan murmured, stowing the device. "Let them come."

"Although one good thing is that as rank 1 you not only get everything for free but also... the nicest dorm on campus!" Javier said, "And I must admit I’ve been in there once and it’s amazing."

"Not bad," Tristan grinned, stowing the device. "My previous quarters were a stone cell in the family dungeons. Going straight to the premier suite is quite the welcome upgrade."

Javier let out a hearty laugh, relaxing back into his chair. The two exchanged light conversation over the next ten minutes, the third-year offering a refreshingly candid perspective on campus life. As their meeting wrapped up, Javier stood and clapped a heavy hand onto Tristan’s shoulder.

"One final piece of advice before I let you go, Tristan," Javier chuckled. "Be exceptionally nice to the chief medical officer. With the way you fight, you’re going to be seeing him very often."

"Is that a threat?" Tristan replied with a dry laugh. ’Just kidding, I’ll keep that in mind."

Leaving the orientation office, Tristan walked back out to the main campus gates to retrieve the rest of his luggage from his family’s carriage. As he walked, he paused for a moment to truly take in his surroundings. Towering spires pierced the twilight sky, supported by sweeping flying buttresses, dramatic pointed arches, and menacing stone gargoyles perched high above the vaulted walkways. It carried an imposing, heavy Gothic look. In Flamecrest Legacy, he had stared at digital renders, fan art and more but none of it truly even came close to what it looked like in person. It’s like Harvard on steroids.

’It looks even cooler in person’, Tristan thought with a quiet grin.

His personal chauffeur was leaning against the polished wood wheel of the carriage, looking noticeably anxious. When the older man spotted Tristan, his face melted into an expression of gentle sympathy.

"Ah, Master Tristan..." the chauffeur began softly, preparing a comforting speech. "Please, don’t take it to heart. The Academy entrance exam is notoriously brutal, even for—"

"I passed," Tristan interrupted smoothly.

The chauffeur froze mid-sentence, his jaw dropping. "You... you passed? Master Tristan, that’s—that is incredible!" A genuine smile broke across the servant’s face as he scrambled to unlock the side storage compartment. "The artificers back at the estate prepared a few contingency gifts in case you succeeded."

He pulled out a small, velvet-lined wooden box and handed it over. Inside rested three distinct items: a brass circulation charm, a sleek pair of enchanted leather combat boots, and a small crystal jar of shimmering ointment.

Tristan smiled, he never said no gifts. Especially those from the prestigious Verneuil.