Chapter 354: The Award Ceremony (2)

After that, the ranking announcements proceeded naturally in ascending order.

For the squads ranked from 80th to 51st, the host merely called out their squad numbers and announced their final standings, as they were not eligible to receive any additional rewards.

It was only upon reaching the top50 that the proceedings became more formal.

From 50th place to 11th, the host announced each squad number before inviting its representative — who was naturally the squad leader — to step onto the stage and accept the corresponding tiered rewards on behalf of their squad.

The entire process went smoothly.

Throughout the presentations, the hall was filled with loud applause as everyone inside showed their support for every squad leader that stepped onto the stage.

However, once the ceremony reached the top10, the mood inside the hall changed. The applause grew louder.

Squad 80, led by Hector Bedira, took 10th place with 6,500 points.

Ardyn Renhart’s Squad 34 followed in 9th with the same number of points.

8th place went to Squad 3, led by Loden Armand, with 7,500 points.

However, Loden was not there to receive the award.

The host explained that Loden was facing a disciplinary issue after intentionally eliminating the other members of his own squad. The academy had placed him under investigation, so another member of Squad 3 rose from the table and walked to the podium in his place.

Whispers quickly spread across the hall. Many scholars turned toward Squad 3’s table, trying to understand what had happened.

"He eliminated his own squad? Why would he do that?"

"I heard they were already turning against each other before the test ended. Probably some serious conflict?"

"Then how did their squad still finish eighth?"

"Who knows? But if the academy is investigating him, it must be more serious than a simple betrayal."

Calyra and Silvena reacted differently from everyone else. They shared a brief, knowing look, then faced the stage again with quiet curiosity in their eyes.

Then, the ceremony moved on to seventh place. Squad 1, led by Julian Rozenberg, had accumulated 8,300 points.

Rising from his seat, Julian made his way toward the podium. However, his walk did not pass without scrutiny and judgment.

"Seventh place? Isn’t Julian Rozenberg supposed to be the top scholar among the first years?"

"I was certain his squad would take first place. The Rozenberg family is renowned for producing powerful mages, so was that reputation merely all bark and no bite?"

"Didn’t he confront that scholar from Class E near the end of the test? Could he have lost to him?"

"Who knows? The test ended while they were still fighting, remember? No one here knows how their battle truly concluded."

Julian gave no indication that he had heard them. He continued down the central aisle with his back straight and his expression composed.

Failing to live up to everyone’s expectations carried its own brutal weight. It left no wounds on the flesh, yet it ate away at a person from within, festering into pain, shame, and humiliation.

Julian, however, knew that torment well. He had spent nearly his entire life beneath the crushing weight of other people’s expectations.

More than anything, once he had stripped away the excuses and examined his actions, he had no choice but to admit that his approach to the test had been flawed. He had let his pride and fixation on Ruvian poison his judgment and steer too many of his decisions.

It was a bitter truth that scraped his throat on the way down, while the whispers around him only sharpened his irritation. Even so, the failure belonged to him, and Julian had no intention of turning his back on it.

Julian accepted the award on behalf of his squad, then returned to his seat. (+2,000PP)

Afterward, sixth place went to Irene and Squad 6, who had accumulated 8,800 points.

A mere one hundred points kept them from claiming fifth place — a position secured by Calyra Arcanis and Squad 2 with 8,900 points.

Once again, disbelief rippled through the hall. Much like Julian, everyone had expected Calyra to place far higher, and seeing her in fifth was a harsh blow to everything they had assumed.

Many were also curious about why she had allied herself with Ruvian during the battle on the seventh day. However, those questions quickly faded when Calyra rose from her seat and made her way toward the podium, her beauty effortlessly stealing their attention.

The murmurs and lingering stares did not disturb her in the slightest. If anything, she merely wished she did not have to walk all the way up there to accept the award.

After receiving the award for her squad, Calyra went to her seat.

The host nodded, then announced that Rosalin Varion and Squad 4 had scraped past them with 8,920 points.

A meager twenty points separated Rosalin’s squad from Calyra’s, sending another wave of murmurs crawling through the hall.

Rosalin looked genuinely stunned, though she should have seen it coming the moment Calyra’s squad was called before hers. When the host spoke her name, her entire body went rigid, and she hesitated to rise.

"Hey, just go."

Vanessa noticed and gently bumped her shoulder against Rosalin’s, offering her a small, encouraging smile.

"R-right..."

Only then did Rosalin draw a quiet breath, push herself to her feet, and stride toward the podium.

Then, the third place went to Squad 71, led by Natalia Crystavos, with 9,700 points.

Natalia accepted the reward with barely any change in her expression, then returned to her table as the hall applauded. No one had expected her squad to rank so highly — they were undoubtedly the dark horse of this test.

Then, finally, only two squads remained, and the hall, already thick with anticipation, grew even more restless.

*****

[Silvena’s POV]

With the rankings narrowed down to only two squads, an electrifying chaos swept through the hall. Every voice seemed to rise at once, because first place could now belong only to Silvena’s squad or Yerin’s.

Silvena remained seated as countless eyes moved between their two tables. Even the crowds in the upper galleries had leaned forward, waiting for the host to speak.

"Who do you think it will be?" one scholar asked. "Lady Silvena’s squad has been leading since the early days of the test. Will she retained that spot?"

"I don’t know, things changed after that Class E scholar stepped in on the seventh day." Another scholar lowered his voice before adding, "After everything he did, his squad might have taken first place."

"That would be insane. Are you saying Squad 69 actually surpassed Lady Silvena’s squad?"

Silvena heard every word, yet her expression remained calm. Her fingers rested against the edge of the table as she kept her gaze fixed on the stage.

Honestly, everyone had already assumed that his squad had taken first place after what he achieved during the seventh day. His performance had been dominant, fearless, and unforgettable.

He had overturned the entire test in a single day, yet no one wanted to say the obvious answer aloud. It was not because they doubted what they had witnessed.

They simply could not accept that it was real.

’Haa... these people truly are funny. They chase after the truth like children chasing a butterfly, only to pout when it lands somewhere they do not like.’

Silvena let out a soft, amused sigh.

’How utterly absurd.’

At the same moment, the host slowly raised the next card, and the noise inside the hall began to fade.

"Ahem, now... we have reached the final two squads."

The host’s gaze swept across the tables, yet he deliberately withheld the result. The entire hall fell deathly still as the silence dragged on.

"With a final score of 12,500 points, the squad that has claimed second place is—"

However, before the host could even finish revealing their identity, Silvena had already risen gracefully from her chair, a knowing smile resting upon her lips.

Casually, she swept a hand through her short emerald hair, allowing the soft strands to flutter back into place.

A wave of astonishment rippled across the hall. No one had expected her to rise with such brazen confidence — not when the host had yet to announce a single name.

Even the host stared at her for a moment, visibly stunned by her audacity, before hastily completing his sentence.

"—Squad 5, led by Silvena D’Elvoire!"

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[Chapter 354: The Award Ceremony (2)]

Plot Points = 284,000