That was... rough.

Lancet tried his best not to think about it, but trying not to think about something just meant you were thinking about it.

"Fuck!"

Lancet raised his face to the sky, overwhelmed by guilt. "Making decisions is pretty hard, huh?"

Yes, it was. But still, decisions had to be made. All he could do now was push the guilt and hide it somewhere in his heart then move on with what had to be done.

Minutes later, he arrived in the Residential Department with his Student Card in his hand. The corridors had gradually grown quieter the farther he moved from the main academic halls, the noise of a few students fading behind him until only the soft echo of his shoes remained.

The room was like he remembered it, long and well lit, lined with high counters of high grade wood and crystal terminals.

The students here were silent and respectful, standing in neat lines with forms in hand, while workers in crisp academy uniforms moved behind the counters with efficiency.

Every so often a hand would tap a terminal, a seal would be stamped, or a soft instruction would be given from the workers.

Lancet stepped up to the nearest open counter.

A young official looked up, her eyes flicking over him briefly before settling on the card in his hand. "May I help you?" she asked.

Lancet placed his Student Card "I want to apply for a Dorm promotion."

She quickly tore off a form from a stacker and placed it on the table. "Fill this quickly."

While Lancet did that, she took the card, scanned it, and then glanced at the terminal. For the briefest moment her expression changed, the professionalism giving way to a flash of surprise that she did not bother to hide well enough.

"Gold already?" she murmured, looking back at him. Her eyes lingered on his face, then on the card again. "Ah, you had an upgrade last week?"

Lancet nodded then returned to writing. He finished up and gave her the form.

The official typed quickly at the terminal, checked his balance, and then let out a small breath as the numbers confirmed themselves on the screen.

"Gold Student Card," she said. "Profit Balance of one hundred and fifty thousand."

She looked at him again, more seriously now, and nodded once as if arriving at an internal conclusion.

"It seems you are perfectly eligible for a promotion."

Lancet’s shoulders loosened a little. It had been obvious he would qualify, but hearing it spoken aloud still gave the whole thing a sense of finality.

The official’s gaze softened further. "And thank you for your efforts in Hebthej."

Lancet froze, then found himself smiling. He still hadn’t gotten used to popularity. "Thank you," he said.

’Finally,’ he thought as he left the hall, ’some good PR.’

The official nodded toward the back of the hall. "You’ll need to see Moderick for your room assignment. He’s on duty now."

Lancet’s face flattened slightly at the name. ’That guy.’

He thanked her and moved away from the counter, following the direction she had indicated. The farther he walked, the more familiar the place became.

Moderick sat behind his desk like he was the president of his place. And just like Lancet remembered him, the rotund assigning agent was currently stuffing his face with a burger.

Grease glistened on the wrapper as he took a hearty bite and chewed with complete lack of dignity. He looked up only when Lancet stopped in front of him, his eyes narrowing at the boy’s face.

Lancet handed over the form.

Moderick glanced at it, then at Lancet, then back at the form again. A slow grin spread across his face, the sort that immediately made Lancet suspect he was about to be subjected to unnecessary commentary.

"Well, well, well," Moderick said, swallowing his food with visible reluctance before speaking again. "I remember you. The slum kid."

Lancet’s expression hardened at once.

Moderick, seemingly incapable of reading the atmosphere he was standing in, waved the form lightly and continued, his voice growing more amused by the second. "The one I stuffed into a Bronze Dorm because you had nothing. Hahaha! And now look at you."

He took another bite, chewed for a moment, then grinned around it.

"Seems you’ve really proven me wrong, haven’t you?"

Lancet’s eye twitched. ’Please just shut up. Please, for your own sake and mine.’

Moderick leaned back in his chair with all the satisfaction of a man who believed he had just delivered the peak of conversational wit. "Eh, I’ll let you get this one."

He rummaged beneath the desk, then tossed a key across to him.

"Room two-twenty-two."

Lancet caught the key and stared at him for a second with a look so irritated it could probably have been filed as a weapon.

Moderick, however, seemed completely unbothered and had already gone back to his burger as if Lancet’s glare had been nothing more than a passing breeze.

Lancet exhaled once through his nose and turned away before the urge to say something sharp could win out over his desire to leave.

He borrowed a paper towel and cleaned his hands and the key before leaving.

The Gold Dorm was not within walking distance in the ordinary sense so Lancet took one of the school riders stationed near the transfer corridors.

It was a quick transport system used for moving students efficiently through different parts of the academy without wasting time on long footpaths.

The cost was deducted from his Profits with a clean little transfer, and once the fee had been paid, the rider carried him onward through the academy’s internal routes.

Arriving, Lancet got down from the rider but took a moment to admire the beautiful Gold Dorms.

The building stood like a grand giant before him, separating Lancet from everything he had left behind.

Everything about it was better, like a castle and another castle, and yet another castle, all merged into one. The prestige made the Bronze Dorm look not merely older, but almost forgotten by comparison.

The structure rose with confidence, its walls clean and refined, its entrances broader, its windows polished and well kept. The white and gold paint glowed like it had just been redone yesterday.

Lancet looked at it for a moment longer than he meant to.

The Bronze Dorm had been worn, weathered, and slightly crumbling in places, with dull stone and tired banners hanging as if they had surrendered to time years ago.

This was different.

The Gold Dorm had proper maintenance, elegant architecture, better lighting, wider paths, stronger security, and a sense of order that made it clear that it was a building for the best of students to thrive.

Even the air around it seemed cleaner somehow, fresher, as though the building itself had more pride in being seen. And there was more ambient magic in the air, Lancet could just feel it.

He stepped closer and immediately began noticing the details.

The common areas inside, visible through some of the windows, looked larger and better arranged. The hallways were wider. The staircases were sturdier and better lit.

There was also less noise, as though the people living here were either more disciplined or simply more aware of how to behave.

Lancet had barely gotten used to the Bronze Dorm’s narrow corridors and rough, heavily used atmosphere. Here, everything felt smoother, sharper, and more dignified.

And the students.

That was the other thing.

The people moving through the Gold Dorm grounds were noticeably different from the ones he had been used to. They were still students, still young, still full of themselves in the way academy students often were, but there was a presentability to them that immediately stood out.

Their uniforms were cleaner, their posture straighter, and even those who were lounging around seemed more composed. They were more serious looking and well-mannered, which might have something to do with many of them coming from nobility.

Some of them glanced at him when he entered.

Their eyes lingered on him for just a second longer than normal before moving away again. A few whispered to each other, some stared, but it mostly came from curiosity than anything else.

’Was Lancet Leogardt being promoted to the Gold Dorm?’ was probably the question in their minds.

Lancet climbed the stairs slowly, glancing at the floor numbers as he went.

He passed one row, then another, until the numbers around him climbed into the two-hundreds. At that point he walked past doors, looking carefully until he found it.

222.

He stopped in front of the door, staring at it for a second. At first, he wanted to use his key, but he quickly changed his mind.

If there were people inside, they would be taken by surprise and might respond abrasively. With that in mind, he pocketed the key and knocked instead.

A moment later the door opened. A familiar face appeared in the narrow gap.

"Hello—" she began, then stopped abruptly as her eyes connected with his. "Oh! Lancet?"

Lancet lifted his brows in surprise.

"Amira?"

×××××××××

A/N: Had to create another priv tier to get more WN features/benefits. Hope everyone understands! If you’re enjoying this story, I really need your support to push us forward and help the novel reach more readers! Thank you for keeping up so far! (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠)