Award Ceremony [III]

The award ceremony resumed smoothly.

The Grandmaster called each of the top ten Cadets forward, one by one, and handed them a set of prizes.

Each Cadet received a white robe adorned with intricate golden embroidery, two [C-rank] Cards, a special Golden Badge with the academy's grand insignia engraved on it, and a handful of small Essence Stones.

The Cards and Essence Stones were the true rewards for their performance in the Evaluation Exam, while the robe and Badge were standard items for top-ranking Cadets.

The robe was mostly symbolic, setting them apart from the rest of the Cadets in their year. It was a symbol of status.

But the Golden Badge? Now that was the real prize.

With it, you could access nearly any part of the Ascent Isles — even VIP areas that were off-limits to regular Cadets. Nearly was the keyword, of course.

The Badge also worked as a credit card. When used for purchases, it gave discounts on both tuition and personal expenses.

The scale of the discount depended on how high the Badge holder ranked in the top ten.

For instance, the tenth-ranked Cadet would receive a 10% reduction on tuition and a 10% discount on purchases.

Meanwhile, the second-ranked Cadet would enjoy a whopping 90% discount on all their monetary transactions. This meant they would only have to pay 10% of what they bought out of their own pocket.

Best part? The Badge worked outside the academy, too.

Yes! We could spend this money anywhere in the world, and the Academy would pick up the tab on the discount.

Aside from that, the Badge would also allow us to get into exclusive training facilities and gyms that regular Cadets couldn't access.

And, yes, it would even let us bend a few rules, like skipping classes or leaving the Ascent Isles on very short notice without needing to inform the Academy of where we'd be going.

There were even more perks to being one of the top Cadets, but listing them all would take up the whole day.

Anyway, after the Grandmaster finished handing out the rewards, badges, robes, and medals, he invited each honoree to say a few words.

By now, the sun had climbed high, and the crowd's patience with speeches was wearing thin, so the Cadets kept it short.

Finally, it was my turn.

The Grandmaster extended his hand to me, and I shook it with just the right level of enthusiasm, smiling calmly as he put a medal around my neck.

He then handed me my robe, a cloak — something no one else had received — and finally, my Golden Badge.

I had to resist the urge to drool over that thing right then and there.

As the Ace of the first years, my discount on all transactions was going to be a complete 100%.

Yes, I could spend all the money I wanted without actually spending my own money by the courtesy of the Academy!

Okay, there was still a spending cap, so it wasn't literally infinite wealth — but still!

I could once again live in luxury now!

No more living in that tiny excuse of a dorm room on Zephyros Street, no more eating food meant for lowly peasants!

"Mr. Theosbane, would you care to address a few words to your peers?"

I allowed a smug grin to spread across my face.

"Mr. Theosbane? Mr.…"

Oh yes, my luxurious life in a fantasy world was about to begin!

"Samael Theosbane!"

The Grandmaster's booming call dragged me out of my daydream, and I snapped to attention. He watched me expectantly, his golden mask catching the light of the sun while his eyes remained shrouded in dark shadows.

"Ah—y-yes?" I stammered.

"Your speech," he said. "Would you like to say a few words to your peers?"

"...Right!" I nodded, handing my new treasures to Juliana for safekeeping.

Then I stepped to the mic, cleared my throat, and pulled out a folded slip of paper from my pocket.

Originally, I'd planned to give a cocky speech full of phrases like, "You're all so weak!" or "In your face, you suckers!"

I didn't have a reason for it, really. I just wanted some chaos.

Well, that and maybe because I wanted to offend a few people so they'd train harder and not end up dead by the first arc's finale.

…But mostly because I wanted chaos.

Unfortunately, Juliana — forever the killjoy — asked me to rethink making the entire academy my enemy. She then wrote a 'better' speech for me.

I looked down at the slip of paper in my grip. It read:

"Fellow Cadets,

Today, we've proven that hard work and grit pay off. This badge isn't just an achievement — it's a reminder of our strength and a key to greater opportunities. Let's all do our best, push our limits, rise together, and make the most of this year.

Thank you. From one future hero to another."

I cringed inwardly.

What was this, a speech for some naive, goody-two-shoes, wannabe shonen protagonist?

Rolling my eyes, I clutched the paper tighter, preparing to recite what was written in it word for word.

But then I looked up at the crowd and saw a sea of faces gazing back at me with a mix of boredom, anticipation, and scrutiny.

I paused, took a deep breath, and crumpled the paper in my hand, tossing it aside.

I could practically hear Juliana sighing from behind me as she realized I was about to go off-script and make my speech a bit more… memorable… for our batch.

I grinned, leaning into the mic.

"…I was going to talk about myself at first, but today, I'd rather acknowledge the hard work of everyone standing here!" I gestured broadly toward everyone standing in front of me.

A murmur rippled through the crowd. A few raised their eyebrows, others blankly stared, all waiting to see where this was going.

One Cadet tried to give a supportive thumbs-up but ended up looking like he was signaling a plane for takeoff.

"You've all done your best, really — stumbling, struggling, and finally arriving here… right below me." I smiled as sympathetically as possible. "And that's no small feat! It takes true dedication to aim high and still end up landing… well, somewhere underfoot. But you all kept going, and for that, I respect you."

A few Cadets exchanged glances, uncertain whether they'd just been insulted or praised.

One of them tried to clap but awkwardly stopped mid-way when he realized no one else was joining him.

I let out a soft chuckle, my voice smooth as silk. "Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking, 'How can I get to where Samael is?' And that's really admirable. I mean, reaching my level takes… something special."

Some tilted their heads in confusion, others were starting to catch up that I was trashtalking them, but more than half the Cadets still weren't sure if they were being insulted.

"And while I can't say everyone here has that spark," I continued, letting the words hang in the air, "I'm sure a few of you might someday become... almost impressive."

Silence thickened, punctuated by an awkward cough or two.

It was clear now — I was berating them.

Not everyone had still fully caught on. Others, however, were staring at me with expressions that ranged from horrified disbelief to murderous wrath. 

I heard Juliana mutter something darkly under her breath. From the corner of my eye, I saw her pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Don't give up," I said sweetly, as though imparting some encouraging wisdom. "Keep trying. Keep giving it everything you've got, knowing that, no matter how hard you try, you might always be just one step behind me. And that's okay! Not everyone can be at the top. Most of you are here to support the rest of us. Like the foundation of a great building — solid, reliable… and completely invisible."

Some Cadets actually beamed back at me, pride swelling in their faces, blissfully unaware that they were the punchline of the joke.

Everyone else looked ready to combust from anger but didn't know how to react because my tone sounded sweet like honey.

"Remember, I believe in you." I clasped my hands, wearing a smile as close to affectionate as I could muster. "I believe in your ability to keep pushing to the brink, only to rise again, dust yourselves off, and fall back in line where you belong."

A ripple of nervous chuckles spread, mixed with more than a few clenched jaws.

One Cadet whispered to his friend, "Is… is he insulting us? Or is this supposed to be some kind of pep talk?"

Ignoring them, I raised my voice. "So, here's to all of you — the dreamers, the hard workers, the ones who never give up, even when the odds, reality, and plain common sense are stacked against you. Thank you for letting the rest of us step on you to reach the top! My heart goes to every single one of you present here!"

Silence.

Dead silence.

Unlike when the rest of the top ten Cadets delivered their speeches, there was not a single clap, not a single cheer when I was finished.

I could practically hear the crickets chirping in the background.

Just pure, unbroken stillness as I turned around and walked off the stage, smirking so smugly that my face was twisted out of proportion.

The other top ten Cadets watched me dumbstruck, looking somewhere caught between aghast and stupefied.

Only Alexia was giggling in her hands.

Juliana trailed behind me wordlessly, her hand gently palming her face as if she were trying to hide her association with me.