Inside the City of Apprentices, apprentices gathered outside a spacious classroom, waiting for its doors to open.
At the appointed time, the doors dissolved like mist, and the apprentices outside hurried in.
"So many people!"
Fran stared at the crowd in amazement.
"It's fine. This classroom was built with spatial expansion. It's much bigger inside than it looks, so there'll be enough seats."
"But there are so many people! Do they all have that many Contribution Points? I thought this class was normally limited to three hundred."
Lai answered Fran's question.
"You can buy Contribution Points from other people. They just need to exchange them for proof of enrollment at the Contribution Point Exchange Hall, then sell it to you."
"You can do that? I enrolled directly..."
Fran and Lai waited outside for a while, until the stream of people finally slowed.
"Let's go. We can get in now."
They joined the line and entered the classroom. The front rows were already full, so they had to look for seats in the back.
Fran had to admit, spatial expansion was impressive! Hardly anyone was left outside, yet half the seats inside were still empty.
"Hm?"
As Fran climbed the steps, she spotted someone she knew—someone who had no business being here.
She hesitated, then went up and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Elan!"
Elan turned around awkwardly. He had never expected this to happen.
He had been so focused on the task Celine had given him that it had never occurred to him someone he knew might see him.
He had come to this class because he could never find Harbos under normal circumstances. His only option was to attend and rush up to him the moment it ended.
"What are you doing here? Don't you already belong to a