Chapter 74: The Banquet

Wang Yu had directly demonstrated to Barrett that body-strengthening potions were ineffective for him—though the precious ingredients in those potions could serve as excellent nutritional supplements.

These potions proved useful in a different way. They could provide an additional surge of stamina in combat or even boost training effectiveness.

At any rate, it was a new discovery for Wang Yu. Considering that he dabbled in herbalism, Wang Yu noted down the possibility of crafting a few body-strengthening potions for himself—though for him, they would be nothing more than supplements.

"You're a real anomaly, kid. Not only can you overpower Wendy in strength, but even body-strengthening potions have no effect on you. If they did, I can't imagine how far you'd be able to go.

"But..." Barrett patted Wang Yu's back, clearly satisfied with the sound of his hand striking solid muscle.

"You're my kind of guy. Knights tend to emphasize fighting spirit too much and neglect the body. Remember, the true foundation of knighthood is the body, our most reliable ally. Keep up your training. I have high hopes for you.

"Keep this potion of Heart of Molten Fire, too. It may not help with body strengthening, but it seems to have some other uses for you. It's a precious potion that gets snapped up on the market even for exorbitant prices, but for someone like me with savings and connections, it's not that big of a deal."

"Tha—"

"Master, didn't you say this stuff was so valuable you barely had enough and wouldn't give me any? How could you just give away a whole bottle now?" Wendy interrupted before Wang Yu could finish thanking Barrett. As Weber's granddaughter, she was hardly strapped for gold, but she still wanted to poke fun at her teacher.

"Well, why don't you ask Wang Yu to share some with you and find out?" Barrett gave Wendy a sidelong glance.

"Wang Yu~" Wendy gave Wang Yu a pleading look. It was clear she genuinely wanted to try the potion for herself.

Wang Yu blinked. Then, he sighed and scooped out a little for Wendy. He watched as she carelessly smeared it on herself.

She had barely applied a small amount when her expression changed. Something felt... off.

"Oh, oh! It's so hot—I'm burning! It's burning me alive! What is this stuff? Master, Master, I'm sorry! Help me!" Wendy yelled as the area where she applied the potion turned red and started to burn. The pain made her cry out uncontrollably.

"Splat!" Avia walked over, conjured a water ball with water magic, and splashed it on Wendy's head. Wendy was instantly soaked from head to toe, but the potion was also washed away.

"Phew... I'm saved! Avia, you're the best." Wendy sighed in relief as the fiery sensation faded.

Then, she suddenly turned back to Wang Yu. He had applied it all over himself without batting an eye and had even eaten it. How horrifying had the burning pain been for him? He really was a frightening fellow.

She shuddered and shrank behind Avia.

Edward glanced at Charles, who was squatting nearby, exhausted. He kicked him lightly and signaled toward Wendy with his eyes.

Charles rolled his eyes. "What's with you? Do you like her or something?"

Then, he yelped. "Ow! Why'd you kick me?"

Wang Yu and his three companions walked down the main stretch of the knights' academy. Wang Yu now held two plain tomes titled Penetration and Defense. Barrett had given him the two tomes on fighting spirit before he left.

According to Barrett, Wang Yu lacked sufficient fighting spirit for a knight of his rank, and would have to compensate via these techniques. While they weren't advanced, they could be refined and studied in-depth to provide immense benefits given sufficient mastery.

"Wang Yu, there's a welcoming banquet for new students at the Magic Academy tonight. I'm my mentor's only new student, so I can bring a few people with me. Would you like to come?" Avia asked.

"Alright." Wang Yu nodded. The setting sun marked the end of another day's training. He didn't know what he would do at the banquet, but he had no reason to refuse Avia's request.

"A welcoming banquet? Isn't that just an excuse for the Magic Academy to form factions and fight over funding and resources?" Charles chimed in.

"Really?" Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, clueless about such matters. After all, he had never attended a prestigious academy in this world.

"Pretty much," Edward confirmed. "The banquet is nominally a welcoming event, but it's all about politicking based on connections. Various factions will form, then compete in various challenges to determine resource allocation to the mentors for the year. It's not particularly fair, but it is accepted practice."

Wang Yu and Avia exchanged glances with each other.

While Avia was a noble, she was still a newcomer to the academy, and Wang Yu, with his humble background, was even more out of his depth. If Edward and Charles hadn't pointed this out, they might have had a very troublesome evening.

"Perhaps we should just skip it?" Wang Yu scratched his head. He never cared much for social maneuvering and infighting. Furthermore, given Avia's talent, she didn't need those so-called connections either.

Avia grimaced. "The circumstances are a bit tricky. My mentor said tonight's banquet might involve discussions about the eligibility to access the Grand Library. Unless there's a compelling reason, it's best to attend. But if you find it too troublesome, Wang Yu, you don't have to come."

"It's fine, I'll—" Wang Yu began, only to be interrupted.

"The Grand Library? Then we definitely can't miss it. Let's all go together!" Charles said, giving Wang Yu a shove from behind.

"But my mentor only gave me two slots. Wang Yu can go as my squire," Avia explained, shaking her head.

"Wang Yu, tell her who Sieg is." Charles smirked.

"Well, Sieg is also a professor at the Stevenson Academy. If mentors can bring students to this banquet, Sieg can too. But what would you even do there, Charles?" Wang Yu asked, puzzled.

"I'll let Sieg know. Don't worry, we'll be able to make our way in. Avia's business is our business. As for what we'll do..." Charles pointed to himself and Edward, grinning smugly.

"We'll back you up, of course! Don't you know who we are?"

"Right, the son of the Grand Duke of Lionheart! In that case, thanks for the help."

"What, you're ignoring my identity?" Charles huffed. "Whatever. I'll forgive you since you're thanking us so sincerely."

Wang Yu knew that Charles had to be influential in his own right, but he wasn't about to inflate Charles' ego by saying so. He didn't want Charles to get too much of a big head, after all.

With these two backers in tow, the evening had just gotten far simpler.

"Thank you!" Avia gave Edward and Charles a deep bow.

"Uh... Now I feel kind of embarrassed."

"You're welcome."

Even Charles seemed a bit flustered by Avia's earnest gesture.

Melodious music echoed through the grand hall. Ornate rugs covered the floors, and well-dressed students in academy uniforms moved about, engaging in conversations with smiles—genuine and feigned alike.

Elaborate tables held a sumptuous array of delicacies. Sweet confections with tantalizing aromas, roasted meats glistening with juices, exotic fruits gleaming invitingly... It was a lavish display of status and wealth.

"Clink!" Unfortunately, the food was largely ignored. Most people seemed to be focused on the expensive wine instead.

Students gathered in groups, smiling as they talked, their glasses clinking together.

Yet, despite the laughter and lively chatter, the amount of wine in the glasses never seemed to diminish. Their drinks served more as props than sustenance.

"It's the same atmosphere as always—such fine wine, and they're barely drinking it. What a waste. Well, cheers to me!" Charles downed the contents of his glass in one gulp.

"You're having juice, aren't you?"

"Don't ruin my moment. I'm not the one who slumps under the table after just one drink, after all."

In a corner of the banquet hall sat four individuals who seemed entirely out of place: Wang Yu, Avia, Edward, and Charles.

They didn't join the cliques forming alliances. Neither did they head to the dance floor, where a gaggle of commoners were trying to cozy up to the elegant and confident nobles.

Instead, they quietly occupied a table at their corner, watching and eating.

Wang Yu's plate was already stacked several layers tall. The food here was exquisite, far superior to what he'd tasted on his first visit to the tavern. While the portions were small and delicately presented to suit the banquet's ambiance, there was more than enough for the four of them.

Edward rarely spoke, while Charles, ever vocal, started a running commentary, mostly mocking the banquet or complaining about the students. When he went too far, Edward would step in to refute him.

Wang Yu glanced at the two of them as he chewed. He genuinely appreciated working with colleagues like these—people with grounded attitudes and unpretentious behavior, regardless of their status as high-ranking nobles.

Despite the fact that they had only known each other for a few days, Wang Yu already felt like he was good friends with them.

Avia, too, was influenced by her three companions. She nibbled on a dessert while fetching more roast meat and other dishes for the group. Clearly, she preferred their company to mingling with the other students.

Wang Yu shrugged. This wasn't a bad setup. Attending the banquet was worthwhile, if only for the great meal.

Still, when would the qualifications to enter this supposed Grand Library be given out? He didn't understand why it was such a big deal, but Avia clearly valued the opportunity. Wang Yu was certain she knew better than he did.

They ate at a leisurely pace as they waited patiently for news.

About half an hour later, the doors to the banquet hall slowly creaked shut, signaling that everyone of importance had arrived. The grand hall was now sealed off from the outside world.

"Greetings, students of Stevenson Academy! I am your principal, Weston Stevenson. You can call me Wes—I won't mind."

A youthful, playful voice echoed from all directions. As the principal spoke, the music, chatter, and the crisp clinking of glasses came to a halt.

Clap, clap. A round of applause and a few polite, almost obligatory laughs followed.

"What a showoff," Charles muttered.

"You're just jealous you never get this kind of reception," Edward replied.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Hmph, as if."

Wang Yu and Avia exchanged exasperated looks. These two really had a knack for ruining the atmosphere.

"Now, allow me a little speech," the principal continued. "You are all outstanding students who were handpicked by your mentors. You are some of the finest talents at our academy—so I am sorry to say that I have important and regrettable news to share with you all."

He deliberately drew out his words, pausing as the students murmured expectantly.

"It is with great regret that I announce that the Grand Library is about to close. Our academy will no longer have access to this treasure trove of knowledge."

"What? How is that possible?"

"No way! Isn't the Grand Library one of Stevenson Academy's greatest assets?"

"My mentor didn't mention anything about this."

"Neither did mine."

"Nor mine!"

"What's going on?"

The students' surprise was clearly genuine this time around. Their disbelief and confusion were evident.

"Ah? The Grand Library closing down—now that's big news," Charles frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. For once, he seemed serious.

"My father and the Nightblades haven't mentioned anything either. Is this related to the recent unrest? It doesn't make sense—it shouldn't have affected the Grand Library," Edward added, equally serious.

Wang Yu, entirely out of the loop, simply listened patiently. He could tell this was a significant development.

"The Grand Library is a unique space within Stevenson Academy," Avia quietly explained, noticing Wang Yu's confusion. "It contains a vast collection of books. Each academic year, it's opened to exceptional students, allowing them to access virtually any knowledge they seek—rare spells, ancient texts, and more."

"It's a highly coveted privilege," she continued. "Even for mentors and professors, access is difficult to gain. Yet the academy allocates 90% of the available slots to students to foster new talent. This is one of the primary reasons that Stevenson Academy is so renowned."

Wang Yu nodded in understanding. This was indeed a big deal. For the moment, however, he was distracted by Avia's description of the Grand Library, which seemed somehow familiar to him.

"Please calm down, everyone. We will have one final chance to access the Grand Library. Ten students will be permitted to enter, and one exceptional individual among them will be granted the privilege of removing a single physical item from the library. The selection process will take place over the next four months, and tonight's banquet marks the start of the selection."

The banquet hall erupted in shocked murmurs and excitement.