Blackmoor's POV
As I panickingly ask Ms. Angelica, the two decorated doors of the registration office swing open with a loud bang. As I look at the direction of the door, I see two people dressed in the standard red suit uniform of the school personnel, but with a slight modification of golden lapels, which signifies the importance and position of the two people in front of me.
"Mr. Blackmoor, I presume?" said the lady in uniform
"Yes, I am."
"Ok, please follow us and give your… Cargo to my mentee," said the professional and stoic lady with a hint of judgmental look in her eye, hinting that the amount of items I brought with me was too excessive.
Flinching from the "comment" said by the lady, I immediately gave all of my bags to her male mentee. After giving all of my bags to the male mentee, I followed the lady as she slowly and elegantly walked outside the registration room while her mentee struggled to properly carry all of the bags I had brought.
As I followed the lady leading me to the grandmaster's office, I looked around at the classical and yet modern hallway of the academy with priceless antiques like weapons, paintings, and more from both Valeria and Astrixion decorating the walls. After a little while, we finally stopped in front of a double door with intricate lines creating a circle together with the Valthera Academy sigil in the middle, and with 3 knocks from the lady, the doors opened.
Inside the room, an old and yet dignified-looking woman sat in front of a desk filled with stacks and stacks of paper, looking directly at me with eyes that could make any battle-hardened soldier, such as myself, relive the terror and fear felt from the battlefield. With a nod from the woman, the lady immediately moved to the side and made a gesture with her hands telling me to go inside.
As I went inside the room, a sense of dread started to grow larger and larger inside me as I slowly went closer to the woman at the desk. Fortunately, when the sound of the door closing reached my ear, the dreadful feeling had stopped. I quickly refocused myself and looked around the hexagon-shaped office, its walls lined with bookshelves filled with books and small antiques from around the world. A small tea table sat by the window to the left, while a couch and a table occupied the center of the room, directly facing the desk of the woman in front of me, the grandmaster of Valthara Academy, Lucia Treamain, a mage with the rare rank of Grand Sorcerer.
"Good Morning, Mr. Blackmoor, please have a seat on the couch," Grandmaster Treamain said with a smile that seemed inviting at first glance, but carried a subtle hint of danger beneath the surface.
As I sat in the coach, I smelled a fragrance of lavender that made me feel at ease, then Grandmaster Treamain sat across from me with her legs and arms crossed as if waiting for me to speak. I was just about to say something when a sharp, commanding voice interrupted me.
"So! Mr. Blackmoor, do you know why I called you here?"
"N- No Ma'am…" I said nervously while still trying to keep my composure
"Really?" She said with a questioning look on her face
"Y- cough, yes," I said, still not being able to fully be composed
"Well, the reason for why is simple, would you like to know?" she said with her eyebrows raised
"Yes, Ma'am," finally able to regain my composure
"If I am correct, you have served as a mercenary for 6 years now, starting from when you were 10 years old. Correct?"
"Yes…" I said, my composure faltering once again
"During your service, have you ever killed anyone? And if so, how many?"
"Uhh…"
"Please answer the question, Mr. Blackmoor," She said with a serious and dangerous tone
"I did… I don't know how many, but I know it's a lot…" I said with a voice that showed both regret and resolve. Although I am not proud of the things I have done, I also know that I wouldn't change my actions even if I had the chance, for those were what was right at that time.
"Well, would you like to know how many you have killed?"
"..."
"Six hundred… You have roughly six hundred confirmed kills in your six years of being a mercenary. Do you know how big that number is?!?" She said with a tone of reproach and seriousness
"No, Ma'am," I said while looking down at the floor and shaking my head
"Let me put it this way. A standard Astrixion soldier averages 13 to 15 confirmed kills over their entire career. Elite soldiers range between 100 and 800, depending on rank and region.
You hit those numbers in just six years. So, Mr. Blackmoor, what would you think of this? Do you think you should even be allowed in this school?".
"..."
Everything at that moment felt slowed, like what was about to happen next was something that I would remember until the end of my life. As I felt panic and anticipation for the impending decision, Grandmaster Treamain would choose my enrollment. Just as I was about to speak in my defence, the Grandmaster talked.
"Don't worry, student Caelum, I will not kick you out before you have even started," she said with a gentle smile
"But I thought…"
"I apologize for scaring you, but given your… record, I wanted to ensure that you were no danger to the academy and students before letting you into our school. It is also one of the reasons why I had your weapon teleported to me when you were at the front gate."
"So am I allowed to be a student of Valthara Academy, ma'am?"
"Well, given how the whole time you were talking to me, you had your head down and lacked the arrogance normal people would have in your position, I believe so," She said while slowly sliding my weapon to me across the table.
"Really!?!" I said with an enthusiastic shout
"Yes, really, from now on, you are a student of Valthara Academy. But be warned, I will be watching, so do hope you keep your capabilities in check."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Good! Now go on to your dorm room. I heard my assistant has already painstakingly placed all of your cargo in your room."
"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Ma'am," I said with a big smile on my face
Just as I was about to leave, the grandmaster said something
"Student Eliezer"
"Yes?"
"From now on, call me grandmaster," she said with a warm smirk
"..."
"Now, hurry on, your late"
CHAPTER 4