### Chapter: 256
Lahern Academy Entrance Exam Round 3.
It was already nearing three years since Lahern Academy was established.
New recruits.
The idea of having juniors excited the current students strangely.
Especially, the second-year students were particularly enthusiastic about it.
Having experienced all sorts of humiliation as underclassmen at Lahern Academy, they couldn’t help but feel happy about having someone below them.
“Who’s going to cause trouble this time?”“I hear there are still outstanding candidates everywhere.”
On the flip side, there were those filled with worries.
Most of them were the associate professors.
The associate professors, stuck in the middle, had to handle everything from university professors to caring for the students.
They were the ones who were completely overwhelmed, getting trampled by the professors and the students, suffering every conceivable hardship.
Perhaps that’s why, once again, their faces looked incredibly tense during this entrance exam.
Last year and the year before, the Lahern Academy always stirred enormous noise during the entrance ceremonies.
The loudest troublemakers were none other than the siblings of the Holy Royal Family.
Charlotte Balheim and Kraush Balheim.
These two had made sure that Lahern Academy rarely had a moment of peace.
But thankfully, it was fortunate that no direct descendants of the Balheim family were enrolling this time.
All direct heirs were already engaged in their own activities.
However...
“Did you hear the rumor?”“What rumor?”
This time, there was a certain person related to the Balheim family who was set to enroll at Lahern Academy.
“I heard Kraush Balheim’s fiancée is taking the entrance exam.”
A rumor spread among the associate professors. It was about Kraush Balheim’s fiancée showing up to take the entrance exam at Lahern Academy.
Kraush Balheim, the one and only.
He had never lost the top seat in the Unnamed Department and was one of the prominent pillars of Lahern Academy.
The accomplishments he had achieved while attending Lahern even shocked the professors themselves.
And now, his fiancée was enrolling.
This was bound to cause another uproar.
“An uproar? It’s just his fiancée, isn’t it?”
An associate professor questioned, wondering what kind of issue could arise from someone who wasn’t even Kraush himself.
But that was easy for him to say because he had no idea just how many people were tangled around Kraush.
“They say it’s true, Professor Kairan.”“Haha...”
In response to the associate’s call, Kairan let out a strenuous laugh.
She was the Pirate Empress who had faced defeat at Kraush last year during the exam.
Somehow, after that day, she’d been assigned as Kraush’s overseer among the associate professors and was now one of the few who knew about Kraush’s surrounding predicament well.
“Right, it’s going to get chaotic.”
Kairan wore a bitter smile as she thought of the people around Kraush.
The questioning associate professor was still puzzled.
“What do you mean by chaos? Is there going to be some sort of rivalry over his fiancée?”
“Well, that could happen too.”
Kairan agreed.
However, there was even more serious concern.
“There are quite a few female students in Lahern Academy who admire Kraush.”
The questioned associate professor blinked his eyes in surprise.
Of course, with Kraush’s skills, it was inevitable that people would flock around him.
It was only rational that he attracted quite a bit of attention.
While he understood that part, he still questioned, “But if he has a fiancée, doesn’t that mean there’s not much of a point?”
“Yes, under normal circumstances, that should be the case, but the positions of the women surrounding him complicate things.”
“Their positions...?”
Kairan slowly began to list out the names of those who had shown interest in Kraush.
With each name mentioned, the questioning professor’s face grew more serious.
The names of those mentioned were all notable figures.
“...What on earth did he do to earn the admiration of such students?”“Perhaps it’s that he treats everyone sincerely.”
Kairan herself wasn’t entirely sure.
As a member of the famed Junon clan, it was no surprise she showed a desire to compete with Kraush.
“That’s impossible.”
However, Bianca immediately dismissed her words.
Dalia, not expecting such a firm statement, raised an eyebrow as she looked back at Bianca.
“I won’t go easy on you.”
That next sentence made Dalia’s eyes widen, followed by a broad smile appearing on her face.
“True. Because it is the entrance exam right now.”
With those words, she waved her hand and headed off.
“See you later.”
Watching Dalia’s departing figure, Bianca finally stepped into the arena.
There stood numerous hopefuls aiming for the Unnamed Department.
They all were students hoping to enter Lahern Academy.
Some were filled with confidence, while others were steeped in worry.
In this mixing pot of different emotions, Bianca slyly glanced around the arena audience.
However, there wasn’t a face she recognized.
Bianca’s lips unconsciously pouted slightly.
‘I’ve heard he’s in seclusion for training...’
The absence of the one she was most looking forward to, Kraush, cast a shadow over her excitement.
Was he still meditating deep in training?
Though she felt some disappointment, she didn’t show it on her face.
At that moment, all eyes suddenly turned toward the audience seating area.
An unexpected figure emerged.
The one responsible for last year’s enormous stir and now laid down the title of Holy Maiden.
It was none other than Astria Stigma Freeman.
With her imposing presence standing out in the audience, she had drawn everyone’s attention.
“Holy cow, it’s the Holy Maiden!”“She’s not a ‘Holy Maiden’ anymore. We should call her Astria now.”“Wow, she’s beautiful.”
Gasps and praises erupted among the students.
Her divine beauty was far beyond that of any typical peer, mesmerizing everyone around.
Astria, having arrived, quietly took her seat in the audience.Then, she scanned the surroundings, eventually settling her gaze on one person.
The moment their eyes met, Bianca subtly widened her gaze.
She had heard quite a few stories about the connection between Kraush and Astria.
Soon after, more figures began to emerge consecutively.
Each person who appeared was renowned within the walls of Lahern Academy.
The Poison King’s daughter, Haring Lagrain.The grandson of the Fire King, Aslan Igrit.And Princess Karandis Poseus of the Poseus Kingdom.
Many prominent figures were arriving one after another.
They all came to the entrance exam to see one particular person.
At that moment, the murmurs among the students grew louder than usual.
A man was striding forward in the center of it all.
His strikingly dark blue hair fluttered gently beneath the Unnamed Department’s symbolic robe.
The moment he stepped into the arena, even the previously expressionless Bianca’s eyes shot wide open.
Kraush Balheim.
He had made his presence known at the examination venue.
“Kraush Balheim!”“It’s really him!”“Did he come to take the entrance exam?”
When asked who had made the biggest name in the last year, everyone would undoubtedly say the same name.
Kraush Balheim.
And as he entered, the atmosphere around him lifted dramatically.
Strolling over gracefully, Kraush locked eyes with Bianca and lightly raised his hand.
“Bianca.”
Though the voice was quiet, it echoed clearly across the examination ground.
“Win.”
Just a short encouragement, reminiscent of a brotherly nudge.
Hearing those words, Bianca beamed brightly.
“Yes.”
It was truly a couple-like exchange.