Chapter 353: The Award Ceremony (1)

[Yerin’s POV]

Chime!

A clear chime reverberated through the Grand Magisterial Hall, slicing through the relentless chatter surrounding Yerin. Conversations dwindled one after another as every gaze shifted toward the stage.

The host had returned to the center of the platform, holding a small voice-amplifying crystal. Once the hall had fallen silent, he offered the scholars a relaxed smile.

"Test, test... ahem! Alright, I trust everyone has enjoyed the buffet, but our dining period has now drawn to a close. Please return to your assigned tables so we can begin the award ceremony."

A few scholars hastily reached for one final dish, drawing subdued laughter from the nearby tables. The host noticed them but merely shook his head with a faintly amused smile.

"You may continue enjoying whatever food is already on your plates. However, once the ceremony begins, please remain at your tables and refrain from moving about the hall."

At once, the servants began sealing the silver lids over the remaining dishes. Academy officials moved between the buffet stations, extinguishing the heating runes and ushering the last few lingering scholars back toward their seats.

No one protested since they had already been informed of this arrangement beforehand. Before long, the paths between the tables had cleared, and every squad was back in its assigned place.

Yerin settled into her seat and smoothed the front of her dress beneath the table. Beside her, Arlok was still tearing through the last of a thick roasted lamb chop, seemingly determined not to leave behind even a scrap of meat.

He swallowed the final mouthful before dropping the bare bone onto his plate.

"Looks like it’s about to start."

Yerin merely nodded, her gaze drifting toward the empty seat where Ruvian was supposed to be.

Then, she quietly sighed.

’I know we’ll place high in the rankings, so our squad will surely receive a good reward. But without Ruvian here to receive it with us...it would feel incomplete.’

Soon after, the lights above her table began to dim, and the rest of the hall followed until even the upper galleries fell under a soft veil of shadow.

A single beam of light remained on the stage, illuminating the host.

Yerin found herself sitting a little straighter, her gaze fixed on him as a flutter of anticipation stirred in her chest.

It was finally time.

"We will begin by announcing the ten highest-ranked squads and presenting their respective awards," the host declared.

"Afterward, we will conclude tonight’s ceremony with the Individual Excellence Awards, honoring ten scholars who distinguished themselves through exceptional performance during the test."

The host went on to explain how the rankings had been decided.

For the squad rankings, the academy had simply used the final point totals recorded before the test was suspended. Every point gained or lost had already been checked before the results were approved.

The individual awards were more complicated.

Points still mattered, but they were only one part of the decision. Observers had been stationed across the island to watch each squad and report how every scholar performed throughout the test.

The bracelets around their wrists had also tracked their movements, battles, and confirmed eliminations. By comparing those records with the observers’ reports, the academy could judge each scholar more fairly.

Yerin glanced down at her bare wrist, remembering the bracelet she had worn throughout the entire test.

She had known it was tracking their points and location, but learning just how much it had recorded felt a little unsettling.

She pushed the thought aside and returned her attention to the stage.

The rewards were not limited to the top ten squads either; those who ranked between eleventh and fiftieth would also receive reward packages, divided into different tiers based on their final placement.

These packages included training supplies, coin grants, and vouchers for the academy store. The higher-ranked squads would also receive priority when booking academy facilities for the following month.

The complete details would be included with their results later, which spared everyone from having to remember it all tonight.

Even so, a low murmur quickly spread between the tables. Yerin noticed several scholars exchanging eager glances, clearly pleased by what they had heard.

She could hardly blame them.

Training supplies were expensive, and scholars had to replace them throughout the year. If the academy covered even part of that cost, they would have more money left for other necessities.

The vouchers and coin grants would help even more.

Yerin glanced thoughtfully at the remains on her plate.

’Haha, I suppose this is why the seniors kept telling us to take the island test seriously,’ she mused.

She had always known that performing well would earn them rewards. She simply had not expected the academy to be quite this generous.

The host allowed the rising excitement to settle before continuing.

"As for the top ten squads, their rewards will not end with medals and reward packages. Every member will also receive an invitation to an educational visit to the Magus Spire, where its researchers will guide you through selected workshops and facilities that outsiders are rarely permitted to enter."

"The visit will cover artifact development, runic engineering, and the application of magic in modern machinery. Ahem...put simply, you’ll get to see how an idea is turned into a working magical device. Interesting, wouldn’t you agree?"

At the mention of the Magus Spire, Yerin’s brows rose slightly.

’A visit to the Magus Spire?’ she muttered inwardly.

’Seriously?’

Honestly, magical research and technology had never held much appeal for her. She preferred knowing how to use an artifact over learning how someone had spent years forcing the damned thing to work.

Still, even she knew how important the Magus Spire was.

Over the centuries, the Magus Spire had grown from a modest institution of researchers into one of the foremost authorities on magical practice.

Its influence stretched across every region of Averenthia, with the kingdom adopting many of its standards and consulting its experts when drafting laws concerning magic.

Any artifact intended for public use throughout the kingdom required the Magus Spire’s approval, while dangerous experiments were bound by the restrictions it imposed.

A discovery acknowledged by the Spire could grant a researcher lifelong renown. Conversely, if the Spire formally prohibited something, it could shut down an entire project overnight, no matter how many years had gone into it.

It was an immense responsibility.

After all, people relied upon magical devices every day, rarely sparing a thought for whether those devices might malfunction and kill them. Someone had to make sure those devices were actually safe to use.

Yerin respected the work behind it, even if she had no desire to become a researcher herself.

Besides, visiting the place where such decisions were made did sound rather interesting. A field trip was still a field trip, especially when it came with an invitation most people would never receive.

"Well then," the host continued, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I believe I have kept you all waiting long enough."

He looked down at the results in his hand. Around Yerin, the hall fell completely silent, and she instinctively leaned forward.

"Let us begin—"

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[Chapter 353: The Award Ceremony (1)]