### 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.
One thing was certain: the heartfelt admiration of the women around him couldn’t easily be swayed by just one fiancée.
“If the fiancée shows up, there’s bound to be chaos. For better or worse, Lahern Academy won’t stay quiet.”
Moreover, there were whispers about arrangements made by the Empire for a marriage alliance with the Balheim family.
That target was none other than Kraush Balheim and Sizelry Ephania.
The news of their engagement caused quite a stir at Lahern Academy.
Not only was it shocking that the Empire and Balheim were putting together a marriage deal,
but also, Kraush was already committed elsewhere.
But more importantly, by this time, Kraush had already gone into seclusion for intense training.
As for Sizelry Ephania, there weren’t many bold enough to approach her.
There were rumors that the Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania, had gone to visit Sizelry over this matter, but the students didn’t have a handle on what transpired afterward.
Regardless, given how peculiar the rumors had become, it was inevitable that the appearance of this new fiancée would create quite the commotion.
The questioning professor now fully understood everything and sadly hung his head in defeat.
“This means once again, there will be a lot of trouble ahead.”
Not a single associate professor could offer him consolation.
Because it was a fate they would all experience together.
As the associate professors’ anxiety continued to rise, the entrance exam for Lahern Academy kicked off.
The entrance exam of Lahern Academy had commenced once more with great success.
This time, countless talented individuals gathered.
Among those talented individuals, one girl with a particularly noticeable appearance was making her way forward.
At 15 years of age, she had outgrown her childish look and started to bloom into a young lady.
Her white hair, as pure as snow, danced in the wind as it fluttered gently.
The other candidates couldn’t help but gawk at her beauty, as her presence captivated those around her.
She was like a white rose blossoming amidst the snow.
And her name was…
Bianca Hardenhartz.
She was the one who had become well-known as Kraush’s fiancée.
With her captivating blue eyes, Bianca raised her gaze to admire the building of Lahern Academy.
Looking at it stirred an overwhelming rush of emotions within her.
Bianca had undergone countless training sessions to finally make her way here.
Watching her, her mentor, the famed Beastmaster from the North, Jenna Edelsia, once said to her,
“Bianca, in just a few years, you’ll surpass me.”
Her talent was truly something born of nature.
From her ability to master Beast Magic to various other areas, she showed remarkable growth.
And today was the day she would showcase the results of her training.
While Bianca headed toward the arena for the exams, she heard a voice.
“Wow, you’re really pretty.”
She turned her head to the source of the voice.
There stood a girl with striking blonde hair.
As soon as their eyes met, the girl broke into a bright smile.
“Hi there!”
“Hello.”
Bianca returned a greeting in kind with no hesitation.
Seeing Bianca respond so cheerfully, the girl moved even closer to her.
“I’m Dalia Junon.”
At the introduction, Bianca blinked her large eyes in surprise.
She recognized the Junon name very well.
From the Sanctuary of Stars, the Emperor Dalfion Junon led the greatest Blade House of the Empire.
The girl standing before her was undoubtedly Dalfion’s first granddaughter.
“I’m Bianca Hardenhartz.”
But Bianca introduced herself without a trace of panic.
Although she tended to show her emotions when with Kraush, she remained composed in front of others.
That aspect only seemed to heighten Dalia’s curiosity.
Dalia’s eyes shone even brighter.
“Bianca, what a beautiful name! You’re Kraush Balheim’s fiancée, right?”
Bianca quickly realized that Dalia was already aware of her identity.
“That’s right.”
“Hehe, once my grandfather mentioned Kraush Balheim to me. He said among those my age, he was the biggest deal. So I looked into him a bit more.”
“You did great research.”
Hearing praise for Kraush made Bianca feel inexplicably proud and she straightened her back just a little bit.
Just getting a high evaluation from her fiancée made her happy.
“I want to try to beat him.”
Dalia’s eyes shone with a fiery eagerness.
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.
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