From simple deduction alone, considering the massive number of students, Solomon already had grand expectations of how large the dormitories would be. But now that he was standing in front of the gates, he realized he had underestimated them by a lot.
To the side, just under the wrought-gold gate, was a map of the entire dorm area. There were about twelve large buildings spread out evenly across four rows. Furthermore, there were also twelve smaller buildings, grouped in batches of four, extending all the way to the back. Unlike the larger buildings, the smaller ones seemed to have their own private yards and open land.
"That's..." Solomon's eye twitched as he stared at the four-story building in front of him. Apart from stretching beyond his field of vision due to how wide it was, it also had a strange, almost block-like design. Unlike the classic mansions he had seen earlier, its minimalist architecture made it look surprisingly futuristic.
"School of Magic: Spiritualist Branch." A horizontal sign stood firmly on the ground, built right by the front entrance.
"I'm in the Sorcerer branch? What's the difference between all these branches anyway?" he complained inwardly.
Remembering the map at the entrance, he recalled that the Sorcerer dormitory was the leftmost building in the first row. Considering just how wide a single building was, he knew he still had quite a walk ahead of him.
By the time he finally arrived in front of the Sorcerer dorms, his exhaustion had entirely eclipsed his earlier awkwardness.
Hoping to finally rest after an already long and draining day, he immediately tried to walk inside. However, the staff member sitting at the academy's reception desk stopped him in his tracks. "Please pin your tag to your shirt. You may not have uniforms yet, but I'm sure they mentioned back in the admission office that you needed to wear it."
"Oh right, I'm sorry." Now that he thought about it, she did mention something like that. He had simply been so distracted by all the gazes he was receiving that his mind had shut down completely.
Grabbing the white pin he had stored in his bag, he fastened it to his chest before looking back at the receptionist.
"Huh? A white pin." The staff member looked at him questioningly. "Can you please hand that here?"
"Uh, sure?" he replied in confusion.
'Didn't he just ask me to pin it to my clothes? ' He thought.
After receiving the pin, the staff member immediately started flipping through a thin booklet resting on his table.
"White pin… white pin," he muttered as he skimmed through the pages.
"White pin… WHITE PIN! Oh, wow…" In an almost cartoonishly comedic reaction, the staff member exclaimed in a mix of satisfaction and shock.
"I'm sorry, but this isn't where you'll be staying." Unlike his casual expression from earlier, the man now wore a friendly, welcoming smile as he politely returned the pin to Solomon.
"Uhhh, pardon?" Feeling a little weirded out by the sudden change in personality, Solomon quickly took the pin back.
"What you have is a unique tag. It's a tag given by Ars to influential organizations or families, such as the royal family, the Magic Tower, the Martial Palace, the Allflame family, and a few others. They are typically reserved for families that produce incredibly talented children or those who hold high authority," he explained carefully. "If you saw the map, you're slated to stay at one of the three royal dormitories. In your case, it would be the Royal Dormitory of Magic; it's the rightmost of the smaller buildings all the way at the back."
The moment the receptionist's words hung in the air, the little hope Solomon had of living a quiet, normal life started to dwindle.
"The Royal Dormitories?" he asked meekly, stuttering at the mere title of the building.
With heavy reluctance and hesitation, Solomon made his way toward his new destination. Though the shocking news about his housing had momentarily made him forget his exhaustion, his legs soon started to give out. Thankfully, there were a few benches along the path, giving him a moment to rest.
"Was I always this unfit?" he asked himself. Although he was considered above average back in Astaris, the sheer scale of the academy made him realize just how far behind he was compared to the cream of the crop of his generation.
Not long after, he forced himself back up. Night was falling, and he didn't want to waste another second outside of a room.
Thanks to his short rest, he arrived shortly after.
It was a mansion, similar to the ones he had seen back in Katharos. It was luxurious and highly stylized, a stark contrast to the futuristic and almost plain-looking regular dormitories. This place was undoubtedly meant for people of royal blood. Yet somehow, a child from the slums had found his way in, all because of one massive misunderstanding.
Unlike his walk over, there were almost no other students nearby. Instead, he saw a stark difference in staffing: if regular dorms had one servant per student, here, servants were everywhere. Gardeners tended to expansive yards filled with colorful flowers; maids cleaned a grand gazebo; guards marched on patrol, and various other staff members went about their respective duties around the estate.
If not for the sign indicating these were the royal dormitories, Solomon would have thought he had stumbled into the private estate of a high-ranking official of Ars.
Not wanting to delay any further, Solomon took a step inside. The moment he did, his path was blocked by a halberd held by one of the gate guards.
Wearing full-body blue armor, the guard didn't even turn his head toward Solomon as he muttered a heavy warning. "This is the Royal Dormitory of Magic. Step back."
However, in an unexpected display of baseless confidence, Solomon stared coldly at the knight—aiming right where his eyes would be behind the visor. "I know. That's why I'm here."
"Or are you saying I should leave because I don't fit the standard you have in your head?" he added, his face completely devoid of fear or shame. "How much do you want to bet on that assumption?"
Hearing this, the guard finally turned his head, his gaze dropping to the tag pinned to Solomon's chest.
"I... I apologize. I did not see the unique tag." The guard immediately retracted his halberd and bowed deeply.
"You're just doing your job. Just don't be so aggressive next time," Solomon replied, keeping his voice calm and icy.
Inside, however, he couldn't have been more flustered. Annoyed by all the mishaps since his arrival, he just wanted to collapse onto a bed without any additional trouble. Seeing the fierce-looking guard bowing to him, he knew he had to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Ahem, may I ask what year the young master is in?" asked the second guard nervously.
"I'm a first-year," Solomon replied, his exhaustion now prominent in his voice.
"Then it should be the mansion furthest back and to the right. Would you like us to escort you?"
"No, I just want to lie down once I get there," Solomon declined, worried that any further conversation would only delay his rest.
And so, he walked on.
Upon arriving at the patio, an elderly butler greeted him with a deep bow. "They informed me of your arrival, Mr. Solomon. Would you like to select your room first, or would you prefer a change of clothes?" In his right hand, the butler held a towel and comfortable indoor attire—a plain shirt and gray sweats. In his left hand, he held a map dotted with green markings.
Thinking about it, Solomon suddenly realized why he had been stopped at the gates. Not only was his only suit worn down, but he was also covered in dirt and dust. The simple fact that he was walking on foot was probably enough to raise suspicion, as he was certain everyone else living here had some form of transport.
Nonetheless, he decided to hold off on the clothes, as he could barely stand straight. "Let me choose a room first," Solomon told him.
"Alright. The entire second floor is reserved for the students, while the first floor houses the facilities and servant quarters. You may pick any room, apart from those marked in green, as they are currently occupied," the butler explained.
Although everything felt overwhelming, Solomon decided to make a quick choice. Judging from the green markings, there seemed to be four other students and ten rooms in the dormitory. There were three rooms on the northernmost side, two on each side wing, and three at the back. Two of the students were occupying the sides of the northernmost end, separated by one empty room. The other two were spread out—one in the middle-left and the other on the far right near the front of the building.
Wanting to minimize any potential interactions with his peers, he chose a room in the middle-back section of the dorms.
"Understood, Young Master. Let us proceed to your room."
The butler opened the front doors, revealing an amethyst-accented lobby illuminated by a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the two-story mansion. A sweeping, curved staircase led to the second floor, lined with railings painted a brilliant gold.
Every staff member in the lobby stopped to greet him respectfully by name, only resuming their work after he had passed.
He was led up the stairs to a majestic hallway decorated with golden candelabras and marble vases. Though it wasn't modern or futuristic like the academy buildings, this place clearly prioritized opulent aesthetics over simple functionality.
Shortly after, he finally arrived at his personal room. It was almost as wide as an entire tavern back in Astaris. It was furnished with the same luxurious pieces scattered throughout the mansion: golden candelabras, white-and-blue painted woodwork, and grand windows that stretched almost as high as the walls themselves. He even had a proper bed frame—a luxury he could never afford back home.
"Young Master Solomon... Dinner will be served tonight around 7:30. Breakfast is at 7:30 in the morning as well," the old man informed him, his gentle tone suggesting he had easily picked up on Solomon's sheer exhaustion.
Noticing this, Solomon offered the old butler a tired smile and waved him goodbye.
Staring at bedsheets that were as pristine and white as the marble walls, he decided it was finally time to rest—but only after changing into the fresh clothes the butler had provided.
The moment he lay down, the bed's incredible softness immediately consumed his consciousness, dragging him straight into a deep, dreamless sleep.