-666- Just below the first

On the following day, the headmaster of the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart, in an official announcement to all students and staff, revealed the following news.

"Felix Kingsfort, the chairman of the Discipline Committee, is suspected of murder under the guise of the 'Cannibal Candy.' He has been involved in numerous attacks on students, resulting in fatalities and damage to automata. His guilt has now been confirmed."

"I, Edward Rutherford, in my capacity as the headmaster of the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart, hereby expel Felix Kingsfort from the academy and hand him over to the British government for trial."

"Furthermore, Felix Kingsfort's eligibility for participation in the Night Party and his academy ranking have both been revoked. I hope that all students and staff take this as a lesson."

This news shook the entire academy as it spread throughout its halls.

"Felix is the 'Cannibal Candy'? Impossible!"

"How can this be!?"

"This must be a hoax!"

"I don't believe it!"

These were the initial reactions of the students. Felix had always appeared approachable, amiable, and popular at the academy, especially among the female students, thanks to his handsome appearance and friendly demeanor.

Therefore, most students found it hard to believe that he could be the 'Cannibal Candy.'

However, the academy authorities had confirmed Felix's guilt.

"Due to the headmaster's authorization, certain restricted areas within the academy were opened for security personnel to conduct searches. The security teams subsequently discovered concealed bodies in various important facilities, confirming Felix Kingsfort's involvement as 'Cannibal Candy' with records of frequent visits to these facilities."

"In light of this, the Department of Machinart Technology, responsible for the research and development of automata, retrieved Felix's automaton, disassembled it, and comprehensively analyzed the structure of its magic circuit. This analysis confirmed not only Eliza's ability to absorb the magic circuits of others but also identified over twenty recorded magic circuits within her, matching the magic circuits of the deceased students' registered automata. This substantiated the fact that Felix's automaton had consumed the magic circuits of these automata."

Consequently, Felix Kingsfort was officially convicted, expelled from the academy, and incarcerated while awaiting trial.

As a result of these events, Walter, the Chancellor and Felix's father, succumbed to the pressure exerted by the influential forces behind the students and had his parliamentary privileges revoked by the British government, leading to his formal resignation.

The Kingsfort family also bore the responsibility for their actions, enduring substantial financial compensation while suffering the consequences of considerable political pressure, leading to the decline of their family's power and reputation.

As for Felix himself, it was rumored that when he was discovered again, not only had his automaton been destroyed, but he had also sustained severe physical injuries, leaving his skin in a gruesome condition. His mental state had also deteriorated significantly, rendering him unstable and practically insane.

These revelations swiftly spread throughout the academy, leaving the students who had been unwilling to believe in Felix's guilt in collective silence. In particular, the members of the Discipline Committee were stunned to realize that they had been deceived by Felix all along.

With this, the students within the academy had no choice but to accept that Felix was indeed 'Cannibal Candy.'

However, during this time of sorrow among the students who had held positive feelings towards Felix, some individuals noticed another opportunity.

"Now that Felix's enrollment has been revoked, and his ranking stripped, doesn't that leave the 4th position vacant?"

Indeed, Felix's departure left a vacancy within the 'Thirteen,' which was a source of great joy for students who held a higher rank than him. This was not only because higher-ranked students received better treatment within the academy but also because an increased ranking brought a more significant advantage during the Night Party.

At this point, it's necessary to explain the format of the Night Party competition.

The Night Party was a competition involving one hundred participants, but it did not unfold as a chaotic brawl. Instead, it followed a unique format of sequential combat.

The term 'sequential combat' referred to a unique form of battle that had originated from magus who had historically viewed combat as a form of performance to captivate audiences.

It is not a competition where participants enter the field together. Instead, participants join the battle one by one based on a specific schedule. This is how the Night Party competition unfolds.

On the first night, the student ranked 100th enters the arena and fights against the student ranked 99th. The battle ends as soon as one participant captures the other's glove. Regardless of the outcome, on the following night, the student ranked 98th joins the competition. This pattern continues with one student participating every night.

In this way, the Night Party is a 99-day competition, with one participant entering the battle every night, regardless of win or loss. It keeps proceeding in this manner except for the interruption period.

In other words, the higher a student's ranking, the later they enter the competition. The later a student enters, the better they can conserve their strength and avoid unnecessary battles. This is especially advantageous for the academy's top-ranked student, who only needs to enter on the final night to defeat all the remaining survivors and become the Wiseman.

As for the 100th ranked student, they face the most challenging path. They must engage in 99 consecutive battles until the very end to have a chance at victory.

Considering this, the higher a student's ranking, the higher their chances of winning the Night Party. It also allows them to observe the strength of other students who enter the competition earlier, gather information, and keep their own abilities concealed, providing a significant advantage.

As a result, students keep a close watch on the rankings above them, and this is where ambition is awakened. Many students anticipate the opportunity to fill the vacant slot in the Night Party, even those who initially lacked the qualifications to participate.

Unfortunately, these students were destined to be disappointed. On the same day the academy was buzzing with discussions of Felix's situation, the headmaster made another announcement.

"By the collective decision of the Night Party Executive Committee, we have unanimously decided to grant Rorelai Arneet the qualification to participate in the Night Party."

"He is ranked 2nd."

"His registered code is 'Fimbulvetr's Winter.'"

"Now, the academy officially confers upon him a glove, recognizing him as one of the candidates for the position of Wiseman."

"Hopefully, Rozen Arneet can take pride in being a role model for other students and become an excellent puppeteer."

With this, Rozen went from being 101st in rank to second place, just below Magnus, and became one of the new members of the 'Thirteen.'

"Fimbulvetr's Winter."

In his room at Raphael's men's dormitory, Rozen lay on the bed, looking at the silk glove on his right hand, with the registered code embroidered in gold thread on it, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"They're treating me as if I'm the harbinger of the apocalypse, aren't they?"

At this point, it's not really about being a Wiseman or not, is it?

"Strictly speaking, I'm the one who saves the world, after all."

Rozen let out a sigh.