Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 711: Commoner [Castle Bonus - ]

Two more days passed, and the time for the announcement had finally arrived. During these two days, neither Finch nor William came to visit Asher, as they had stayed in their rooms cultivating nonstop, as though they could catch up within the span of merely two days. Asher himself did not go to find them; he simply let them be, as he knew he would still get to see them during the announcement, which was today.

Asher had already woken up. During his last discussion with Finch and William, he had been told that the time for the announcement was ten o’clock on the dot, and every student was expected to be there half an hour before then.

It was already five minutes past nine. Asher was dressed simply; he was sure that since every student would be meeting today, many would be dressed in their very best, but Asher could not be bothered. Yes, he still wore something worthy of a Ducal Noble Household, but nothing over the top, nothing that demanded attention.

With that, he simply walked to his bed and sat down. Since he did not know the location of the meeting, he decided to wait for the top ten who were on the same floor as him to start moving; then he would follow them without unnecessary effort.

A few minutes passed, and with that, he stepped out of his room. The moment he entered the hallway, his eyes fell on every single member of the top ten within his class: Vaelra Lux Vanthelmor, Vaelric Lux Vanthelmor, William Canestane, Caelan Stormveil, Beryon Ravencroft, Darissa Camber, Oliver Twist, Ryaen Silvershade, and Lucifer Morningstar.

They all stared at each other for a moment, then nodded with mutual respect, as strength recognized strength. Without exchanging many words, they began to walk forward, their steps measured and composed. Asher walked in the middle as he simply followed the group of nine.

"Good morning, Ryaen, it’s been a while," Asher greeted with a small smile.

"Morning, Asher, hope you are well," she replied as she walked, her long white hair swaying behind her gracefully with each step she took.

As they exchanged small talk, the Prince, Vaelric, slowed his pace until he reached Asher and Ryaen’s side.

"Fine morning, Tenth Sun, Lady Ryaen," he greeted, his tone polite yet composed.

Asher and Ryaen greeted him back, and with that, the three continued to exchange small talk, mostly speculating on what was going to happen in a few minutes, their curiosity evident despite their composed exteriors.

After a while of walking, they arrived at a building which possessed a single, enormous space, a grand hall, to be more precise. At this moment, the rest of the students within the Star Academy had already gathered. Murmurs filled the air as they all walked into the grand hall one after the other, excitement subtly filling the atmosphere and spreading like an unspoken current.

Within the expansive space, various lighted candles hung upon the walls, while a massive chandelier loomed from the ceiling, illuminating the entire hall with a refined glow. Seats were arranged in what seemed to be a deliberate and meticulous order, as the entire place exuded wealth, influence, and an unmistakable sense of grandeur.

Asher gazed at a random seat. He could see three stars imprinted on the headrest, with a double-digit number preceding the stars. His eyes moved across the hall, noting that every seat was labeled with either a star or more, no higher than three, with various numbers preceding them, forming a clear and structured pattern.

It did not take Asher more than a second to understand the seating arrangement, as anyone with even the slightest sense could decipher it.

"Let’s go find our seats then," Ryaen stated before walking forward. Asher followed beside her. They arrived at another section of the hall, where three seats were arranged together, with others following behind in sequence, extending deeper into the hall.

Asher’s eyes fell on his own seat, which was labeled 1★. His seat was positioned in the middle of two others, on his right was one labeled 1★★, and on his left was another labeled 1★★★.

’So basically, all first-rankers are sitting together,’ Asher thought to himself as he moved toward his seat. He sat down with indifferent calmness. Ryaen was seated directly behind him, her own seat labeled 2★, with William sitting behind her on a seat labeled 3★, and the sequence continued in that orderly format.

Asher simply crossed his legs, rested his elbow on the armrest, placed his chin on his palm, and stared ahead in silence. A few minutes later, the first-ranker of the second year arrived, his elder brother, Thalric Wargrave. He walked forward without hesitation and sat on the 1★★ seat to Asher’s right.

"Good morning, Thalric," Asher greeted as he turned his gaze toward him.

"Morning, how are you doing?" Thalric replied as he settled into his seat.

"Just fine," Asher responded with a calm expression.

Thalric nodded and fell silent, having nothing more to add. Asher’s eyes shifted toward the seat on his left. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke.

"Which Noble Household holds the first rank for the third year?" Asher asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

Thalric’s gaze shifted toward the empty seat before replying, "The ranker does not come from any Noble Household; he is a commoner from a Viscount territory," his voice flat and indifferent, as though the matter held no particular weight to him.

Asher arched an eyebrow in surprise. He had not even considered the possibility of a commoner holding such a rank. It was not that he looked down on commoners, but rather that nobles dominated these rankings so heavily that he had naturally assumed it would be another noble.

Seeing Asher’s reaction, Thalric spoke again, "Surprised, right?"

Asher snapped out of his thoughts and simply nodded in response.

Just as Asher was about to speak again, he felt a presence approaching from ahead. His purple eyes flickered toward the direction of the incoming figure. It was a boy who stood exactly seven feet tall, his blue eyes sharp, his black hair neatly kept, and his physique imposing in a way that demanded silent acknowledgment.

Asher, upon seeing him, did not need to guess to know that this was the first-ranker of the third year.

The boy’s eyes shifted briefly toward Asher and Thalric, as though assessing them both in a single glance. After a moment, he gave a slight nod in their direction before walking past them without a word and taking his seat with quiet authority.

Although he was a commoner, he possessed power and talent that most nobles could only envy and wish for even in their dreams... his name was Teo Swig.

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Bonus Chapter sponsored by Aura Nova