Aurelian Academy.
Red brick pathways, arched cloisters, elegant fountains, pristine marble statues, and four three-story buildings painted in creamy white.
This was the most prestigious academy among the seven nations of the Corfu Continent. Countless nobles—whether wealthy earls, esteemed dukes, or even supreme kings—would send their second sons here.
To put it simply, gaining admission to this academy was itself a mark of high nobility.
For the children of minor and middle-ranking nobles, entering this institution required meeting stringent standards—be it in horsemanship, swordsmanship, linguistics, history, or philosophy.
Every student here was either extraordinarily privileged or exceptionally talented.
Today at Aurelian Academy marked the entrance examinations for the new season's applicants.
Many had already left the academy grounds, their faces etched with regret and bitter disappointment.
Some had failed the exams, while others were rejected outright by Aurelian Academy due to failing the background checks.
Upperclassmen stood along the corridors, watching these defeated candidates with a mix of disdain and amusement, relishing their dejected expressions.
One senior student sneered to his peers, "These lowborn nobles and commoners actually thought they could set foot in this academy."
"Delusional. Do they even have the thousands of gold coins needed for tuition each year?"
"As if Aurelian Academy would accept just any trash."
He deliberately spoke loud enough for the failed examinees to hear. Humiliation and fear flickered across their faces.
Everyone knew the academy's reputation—not a single one dared to retort.
Among the third-year students, Locke Augustine frowned at the scene.
Cohen Julian, noticing Locke's reaction, turned with a smirk. "Though it seems some dead rats have managed to sneak in among us."
"Locke Augustine, still clinging to your place here? I heard the Frankish Empire has already captured your capital, Anjou. Even your family's lands have fallen."
"Can you even afford this year's tuition?"
Cohen Julian and his two portly lackeys wore mocking grins.
"Your king died in battle. Your country is gone."
Locke hadn't expected this fool to suddenly target him. His brow arched.
Cohen Julian and his cronies were nobles of the Frankish Empire—the Julians being a count's family.
As for Locke—or rather, the original owner of this body—he was the youngest son of an Anjou count.
Naturally, Julian had always clashed with him, constantly provoking him.
Now that the Augustines were in dire straits, of course he'd seize the chance to mock him.
In the past, Locke would have argued back, only to be overpowered by Julian's taunts, given his country's weakened state.
But now, Locke was a transmigrator. He had no emotional attachment whatsoever to the Kingdom of Anjou or the Augustine territory, so naturally, he wouldn't be provoked.
Thus, Locke shrugged and looked at Julian and his lackeys. "So? What does that prove?"
Julian and his gang were taken aback when they didn't see the expected outburst or loss of composure from Locke.
They had been slightly thwarted.
This darkened Julian's mood for a moment, but soon he turned to Locke with malice, pointing at the minor nobles and commoners taking the academy's entrance exams. "You'll soon be just like them."
"The tuition at the Aurelian Academy starts at over a thousand gold coins just for the basics. A single additional course costs hundreds. If you don't take enough classes or fail to pay your fees, you'll be expelled."
"Locke, I can't wait to see the day you're kicked out of the academy like a stray dog."
"When that happens, don't come crawling to me begging for mercy. I've saved a guard position just for you."
"Hahaha..."
Julian left with his lackeys in tow.
Locke, meanwhile, stared after them with utter bewilderment, feeling no anger—just the impression that these three Franks were downright insane.
Their pointless harassment seemed to serve no purpose other than to amuse themselves. It was clear that most students at this academy had a few screws loose.
Indeed, after just two weeks in this world, Locke had already figured out the true nature of the Aurelian Academy.
At best, it was an institution that gathered the second sons of high nobility and exceptional youths from across the continent's seven nations. But in reality, it was just a finishing school for the elite.
Every year, nobles paid exorbitant fees to dump their underachieving, non-inheriting offspring here—merely to gild their reputations and keep them out of trouble.
As a result, the academy's curriculum was bizarre. On one hand, there were language courses costing a hundred gold coins per semester; on the other, the academic requirements were laughably lax.
Enrolling talented minor nobles and commoners was just a way to burnish the academy's prestige.
In truth, most students here were mediocre noble brats, so no teacher bothered to teach seriously.
Yet, in stark contrast to the shoddy education, the tuition and course fees were absurdly expensive.
Outrageously so!
Locke himself—or rather, the original owner of this body—had once been one of those mediocre noble scions.
But Locke took a deep breath. His luck was truly rotten.
He had initially thought transmigrating as a count's youngest son meant a carefree life of luxury. Who knew his homeland would fall, and his family would go bankrupt?
"No one from the family has contacted me yet," Locke mused. "But it's safe to assume no one will pay my tuition this semester. Without it, I'll definitely be expelled."
"And outside the academy, it's dangerous."
"The Franks are hunting Anjouans everywhere."
"I might be safe inside these walls, but the moment I step out, trouble will find me."
"Such expensive tuition fees couldn't possibly be earned through any kind of work-study program."
Rock rubbed his temples in frustration while gazing at the synthesis panel floating in the void before him—visible only to his eyes.
This Horadric Synthesis Cube was his golden finger after crossing over into this world.
In his previous life, while playing "Gods and Magic," he had won so much that he was struck by lightning, unexpectedly bringing this super-artifact from the game along during his transmigration.
The cube could synthesize different materials based on his character level, upgrading low-grade materials into higher-grade ones.
Originally, it was a supreme artifact for Alchemy, Herbalism, and Potionology in the game—who would have thought he'd bring it with him?
At this moment, the virtual cube emitted a luxurious glow, accompanied by a virtual hourglass. Judging by the speed of the falling sand, the three blue gemstone fragments he had placed inside would finish synthesizing in about an hour!
Rock stared at the synthesis cube and muttered, "Let's see what these three blue gemstone fragments turn into—that'll determine my next move."
"Also, according to the original host's memories, this academy has another peculiar aspect."
Since Aurelian Academy was essentially a gilding ground for second-generation elites, graduation and course completion standards were extremely lax, and the teachers hardly paid them any attention.
Students were free to do as they pleased. However, there was one thing in this academy with exceptionally high standards—one that no teacher would compromise on: the Outstanding Graduate title!
This Outstanding Graduate title seemed tied to some critically important benefits. Even the children of major nobles in the academy couldn't obtain it, no matter how much money they offered or how much pressure they applied.
Moreover, the academy awarded only a handful of Outstanding Graduate titles each year—often just single digits.
Rumor had it that only after passing the evaluation and approval of specific teachers and the dean could one earn this title.
Yet no one could clearly explain the exact conditions or criteria for obtaining it.
But Rock, a transmigrator from Blue Star now inhabiting the body of a spoiled heir, saw Aurelian Academy from a bird's-eye view. He suspected it wasn't just a finishing school for second-generation elites—perhaps the academy itself existed because of these Outstanding Graduate titles.
Searching through his memories, he realized that, for some reason, no information ever leaked about who received the Outstanding Graduate title each year at Aurelian Academy. No one knew the actual recipients.