CHAPTER 41: THE BANQUET

The upperclassman began the academy tour, leading our small group of about twenty-five students with the ease of someone who’d done this a dozen times before.

We followed him through marble halls and towering archways, nodding along as he pointed out key buildings and historical landmarks.

But my eyes weren’t on the scenery.

They were on him.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not gay. But the guy in front of me? He wasn’t just some charming upperclassman.

He was the first villain from the novel.

The head of the so-called Noble Etiquette Club. A self-righteous snake with a perfect smile and a brain permanently stuck below the belt.

One of the main cast members eventually joined his little club, which, unsurprisingly, led to a whole lot of chaos.

So I watched him closely.

Not because I admired him.

But because I knew exactly what kind of man he really was.

A wolf in silk robes.

A lustful bastard who thought with his nuts instead of his brain.

He was the real creep here—the one these girls should be avoiding.

Not me.

But I guess life isn’t fair when your name sounds like a crime report headline.

Our group slowed as we reached the floating islands—massive landmasses suspended in the sky, each drifting with quiet, magical grace.

They were an iconic part of the academy.

Each island served a specific purpose, home to specialized fields and high-level research conducted by elite scholars.

From advanced alchemy labs to forbidden magic archives, these islands were where the real magic happened, far above the reach of ordinary students.

But one island, in particular, caught my eye.

It wasn’t the island itself, but what stood on it.

A tower.

It wasn’t just tall, it was colossal.

It pierced the clouds like a spear aimed at the heavens, vanishing into the mist above as if it had no end.

Even from this distance, I could feel something ancient about it.

The Tower of Challenges.

That was its name, and it had ninety-nine floors.

Nobody knew where it came from. It had been sitting on the floating island of Mount Olympus since forever—probably before the Pendragon Empire even figured out how doors work.

Each floor of the tower was harder than the last. But the rewards? They were worth it.

Artifacts, skills, power, fame—you name it.

Of course, there was a catch. There’s always a catch.

Only people who were twenty or younger could enter. After that, the tower basically gave you the middle finger.

The highest floor anyone had ever reached was the 94th.

That was the record.

Some of these floating islands were accessible to North Stars and Supernovas like me. But that didn’t mean we could just go wherever we wanted and start touching ancient relics.

For example, the student council had its own island.

And stepping on it without permission?

Instant execution. Probably.

If this academy were a kingdom, the student council would be its royalty.

And me?

I was the confused nepo baby of the academy who somehow got adopted into the royal bloodline without knowing how or why.

Till now, I had no clue how I got first rank.

But hey, I wasn’t going to complain.

The tour went on for four to five hours. And by the time it finally ended, I was half-dead.

Actually, the whole group looked like they were on the verge of collapse.

And who wouldn’t be? We were asked to report here at exactly 6 in the morning.

And now? The sun was already setting.

Even Nyx, who usually acted like he was above mortal suffering, was grumbling on my shoulder.

"Remind me why we didn’t fake an injury and skip this torture," he muttered.

"Because I’m trying to act like a model student for once," I replied, dragging my feet forward.

Nyx flicked his tail. "Right. And where exactly was that model student when you gave that disaster of a speech?"

"He hadn’t been born then."

"Figures."

We both fell silent for a while, the sound of twenty-five dragging pairs of feet echoing through the academy grounds like a funeral march.

I yawned as my stomach growled in protest — a long, dramatic noise that could’ve been mistaken for a dying beast. Fitting, considering the state I was in.

But the next part? That was what I’d been living for.

The Academy had promised a full-blown buffet for us on the very first day.

An all-you-can-eat buffet.

And I? I was emotionally, spiritually, and physically invested in it.

And so our group finally started walking towards the banquet hall.

The second we turned the corner and the smell hit my nose, I felt reborn.

There it was — a massive hall glowing with warm lights and the hum of chatter.

Students from other groups were already gathering inside, some gasping at the size of the room, others already sitting in neat cliques.

Plates clinked. Laughter rang out. People exchanged names and empty pleasantries.

I did none of those things.

Because in the middle of it all stood several long tables stacked with food. Piles of bread rolls. Sizzling meats. Steaming rice. Dishes I couldn’t even name but was definitely going to eat anyway.

My pace, which had previously been a slow zombie crawl, suddenly became Olympic-level speedwalking.

I snatched a plate like it owed me money and immediately started stacking food like I was building a defensive wall.

The other students were busy socializing. Making friends and doing politics.

But who needed such things when you could have such food?

I didn’t care about politics. I didn’t care about their strawberry world. I cared about food.

"Get the spiced roast," Nyx hissed from my shoulder. "Left table. Three trays down. No, not that one, the juicy one—yeah, that!"

"Copy that," I muttered, scooping it on like a man on a mission.

"Ooh, and the golden dumplings! They’ve got some weird magic filling in them that tastes like happiness!"

"Don’t need to tell me twice."

My plate was already full, but I had transcended shame. I grabbed another plate with my other hand.

"What are you going to do, dual-wield them?" Nyx asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Obviously."

He gave a proud nod. "Good. I’ve taught you well."