My physics masters couldn't possibly be grand mages.

Char found the Imperial College trio here because they were so conspicuous.

Everyone around him was waving or peeking at him, but these three people kept their heads down, constantly scooping up the thick soup with spoons and putting it into their mouths, as if they wanted to bury their faces in it.

It was as if they were afraid that Char would shift his attention to them.

That table must have been filled with people selected from secular countries that cooperate with the Tower of Truth.

There were quite a few people wearing glasses, and Xia saw the shadows of his former college classmates in their eyes.

That kind of clarity, untouched by the pollution of knowledge.

A typical small-town test-taker.

They don't seem to have experienced what Char went through, perhaps because Imperial Polytechnic is located in an occupied territory, a power vacuum.

From a rational perspective, those nobles could not tolerate having such a group of mages trampling on their heads for long, so naturally, only by selecting the best could they cultivate powerful mages.

Char ignored the surrounding noise and took a step in that direction.

You've gone to the wrong place.

A calm and unhurried voice came from the side.

Char turned his head and met a pair of light gray eyes. His platinum-gold hair was slicked back, his thin lips were slightly pursed, and he possessed a naturally superior air. His magic robe was a similar color to his own, but a delicate clan crest was pinned to the collar.

At that table, everyone had a different collar button.

"Char, right?" The man slightly raised his chin. "My name is Victor Vervia. You should have heard of this surname; it's one of the Twelve Golden Families."

His tone was not harsh, yet it sounded like he was stating an undeniable fact.

"I investigated you. You were originally a student at Imperial College London, and you ranked first in your class for two consecutive years. You were supposed to be one of the students to enter the Tower of Truth, but those three took your place."

But things are different now; you're a sixth-tier student. In this world, whoever is powerful can write the rules.

He paused, his light gray eyes devoid of any emotion.

"You just need to sit at this table. The rest will be taken care of. You don't even need to know who's handling it."

Char didn't speak.

He stood there, looking into Victor's light gray eyes. There was no malice in those eyes, even a hint of kindness, but there was a condescending sense of condescension.

To be honest, this person is similar to Allen in some ways.

However, Allen belongs to the Kshatriya caste, while he is a Brahmin.

"However, the Claulund family might take a little longer; their family is still somewhat useful."

"What for? To help you extract ether?" Xia's voice wasn't loud, even softer than usual. It was as if he were stating a fact he already knew the answer to.

Viktor slightly raised his chin.

"Isn't that their greatest use?"

Char remained silent. Knowing that ether was equivalent to magic, he had a rough idea that the war was not just a struggle between two secular nations.

Allen's mention of the Golden Family in the principal's office is actually a form of evidence.

Char didn't actually have much of an emotion about this, after all, this wasn't his world, and he had his own world to save.

but.....

He remembered the barefoot boy selling chestnuts at the airport.

Those feet, red from the cold; that wrist, marked with red welts from the bamboo handle; and that sentence—

"They're all dead."

Three words, light and airy, like a leaf falling on the surface of a lake.

In the eyes of these so-called important figures, that child and his family are probably less important than this leaf.

Char stood two steps away, the surrounding noise fading into the distance.

He ignored Viktor completely.

He simply took a very slow, very light breath.

He turned around and continued walking towards the table he had just been at.

Viktor's smile faltered slightly.

He watched Xia's retreating figure, tapped his finger on his wine glass, then looked away and picked up his glass.

He didn't say another word.

.....

Char sat down next to Eren.

Allen, who was drinking water, coughed twice, almost choking on the water in his nose.

Pete muttered softly, "Why did you sit here?" His voice wasn't loud, but Xia still heard him. Lia kicked him.

After wiping his face, Allen looked at Char with some confusion. "Why are you sitting here?"

He had actually caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that Victor had invited Char—though he didn't know what they discussed, a normal person would choose the Golden Family circle. That basically represents the most elite resources in the magical world.

"You're right." Xia picked up the water glass in front of him. "Compared to him, you at least still have a semblance of human form."

Allen's lips twitched. "I'll take that as a compliment."

He opened his mouth as if to ask something, but in the end he only whispered:

"The Vervia family wields considerable influence within the Tower of Truth, with many teachers and even professors being related to them. If you don't give them face, your days in the Tower of Truth won't be comfortable."

The professor who greeted you in the square is named Berne Wilvesen, from a branch of the Wilvea family.

Char did not answer.

Meredith stood up at that moment.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice was not loud, but it could be heard clearly throughout the entire hall, "Welcome to the Tower of Truth."

No one applauded. Everyone was watching him.

"Today is the first day of the new school year. As is customary, I have to say a few words to the new students."

"You should have already read the tower regulations before you came. I'll add three points."

"First, the forest to the west is off-limits if you don't want to die there."

The students from the Golden Family exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

"Secondly, the east wing of the library is off-limits after 8 p.m. The bookshelves there move on their own—after 8 p.m., it's like a maze."

He paused.

"And some books will start...talking. If you hear it, plug your ears and get out of there as soon as possible. Don't talk to them."

Meredith's voice was completely flat, like he was reciting a recipe.

"Third, the use of magic such as flying or teleportation is prohibited in schools."

"Finally..."

He glanced at Einstein sitting beside him.

"A new professor has arrived in the Tower, a sixth-order Archmage—Mr. Albert Einstein!" Meredith raised his hand and clapped.

Sparse applause rang out in the hall, then grew louder and echoed throughout the hall.

Meredith gestured for Einstein to stand up. Einstein stood up, nodded slightly to the applauding crowd, and his gray-blue eyes held a faint, indescribable expression.

"Well then—" Meredith raised her wand and lightly tapped the ground, "Let's eat."

"Thump—"

A deep hum echoed beneath the dome.

Food appeared out of thin air on the empty plate in front of me: roast suckling pig, lamb chops, potatoes, and thick soup, steaming hot and fragrant.

The freshmen, who had never experienced the magical world before, gasped in amazement. Some gasped, others whispered.

The auditorium began to get noisy. But the sound was automatically absorbed after reaching a certain decibel level, and remained at a lively but not noisy level.

Char silently ate the food on his plate, without speaking to Eren again.

His gaze passed through the flickering candlelight on the long table and landed on the high platform in the distance.

Einstein was talking to Meredith, the old man's face turned to the side, the candlelight casting a warm glow on his white hair.

Behind him, six throne-like chairs stood silently in the dark golden glow of the stained-glass windows.

The top is empty.

But he knew that some of the seats already had owners...

.....