As I walked through the academy corridors, the shift in energy was palpable.
Students huddled in tight groups, whispering, theorizing, panicking. Notices were being pinned to boards with official seals, and one glance was all it took to confirm the truth:
[Midterm Exams Scheduled – Practical & Theory Sessions Begin This Month]
Underneath were smaller notes—class reshuffles, instructor swaps, emergency seminar listings.
The whole place was buzzing. Confused. Tense.
"Midterms already?"
"I thought we had another month!"
"Are they throwing us into live dungeons again?!"
"I heard the Royal Knights are attending the evaluations!"
Wait—what?
That last one made me pause.
Students always speculated, sure—but that wasn't just noise.
If outside forces were being invited to observe…
Then this wasn't just an exam anymore.
This was recruitment season.