The central area of Protos Royal Magic Academy was likewise home to a cluster of dark stone buildings.
Their steep, heavy outer walls cast the silhouettes of ancient art beneath the sunlight.
After walking to the end of the courtyard of the tallest building, one would find a magnificent gate towering ahead. Beyond it, past the long stretches of lavish decoration and winding corridors, a vast conference hall came into view.
It was a hall that reflected profound power and the weight of history, rebuilt from the ruins of the old parliament. Above it, a huge glass dome was carved with exquisite murals, scattering natural light in all directions like the Milky Way descending into the mortal world.
At that moment, this Conference Room belonged to the students who held Chief Student rankings at the academy.
Some had arrived early and were waiting, while others had been somewhat tardy and had only just taken their seats. A huge round table stretched across the center of the Council Hall. Transparent magic circles were drawn across its pitch-black steel surface, and projections of the Examination Zone were displayed above it.
Apart from Gloria, who ranked tenth, all the other senior Chief Students had come here today as usual, following the academy's rules.
For them, this was also a chance to earn credits once a month. It was a game of power, an opportunity to discover promising newcomers, and a way to spot potential rivals.
The screen usually cycled through footage of certain students and examination rooms who had attracted particular attention.
But from just now, the backstage feed had been fixed on a certain classroom.
Or rather, after Lanchi and Zestira chose the location for their first examination, the camera locked directly onto the two of them.
The Chief Students wore various