Chapter 414: Giving Tests to Various Academy Departments to Join the RBM Club

"She is good," Luke couldn’t help but mutter. His voice came out a bit louder than necessary, pitched high enough for all of his friends to hear on purpose. "She is really, really good."

"Shut up!" Elena glared at him, though it was a fake, performative annoyance. She knew exactly why he was doing it.

If silent glances and subtle gestures weren’t enough to wake Cissel from her stupor, then perhaps words laced with heavy hints like these could do the trick. But as the seconds ticked by, it became clear that nothing was working against the wall Cissel had built.

Cissel had already turned the page on John, at least for now. In the future, when she would eventually return to her senses and the fog of manipulation lifted, she would likely recall this specific moment and blame herself heavily for not listening to her friends.

Even if she believed John had done something unforgivable to her, her friends hadn’t done anything wrong. They had no personal stake in the relationship other than wanting the best for both of them. She should have listened to their honest advice, a counsel freed from any personal interest, but her heart remained a fortress of ice.

"That is indeed a good presentation," John said, pausing to let the silence hang. "Yet I will need time to investigate you. I’ll also need to put you under a test. How about this..."

John intentionally drew out the pause. He took a longer, more deliberate glance toward Cissel this time. He didn’t move his eyes off her as he added:

"Recently, an accident happened—one that I was framed for. It ended up hurting someone who is... was... very close to me."

John carefully picked his words, measuring the weight of each syllable. Even with him making such a vulnerable, public move, Cissel still gave him the cold shoulder, her gaze fixed on the distance.

Seeing this, John felt the final string in his heart snap. He inwardly sighed and shifted his gaze away from her, swearing to himself that this would be the last attempt at reconciliation he would ever make. He was done trying to mend a bridge the other person was actively burning.

He landed his eyes back on Natalie, whose face grew brighter as she grasped the subtext of the situation. She realized she was witnessing the final death throes of a romance, and to a woman like her, that was an opening.

"Some ill-intentioned people have tried to spread misinformation and dirty rumors about me and my club throughout the academy," John continued, his voice hardening. "Your test is to change that. I want the narrative flipped. Can you do it?"

"Consider it done," Natalie said. She wanted to laugh; for someone with her connections and charisma, this was a piece of cake. She was about to offer a formal promise when another girl stepped forward from the crowd.

"Why don’t you make it an open test for the Media Department students?" the newcomer challenged, glaring at Natalie with clear rivalry. "She isn’t the only prodigy in the department, for your information. Some of us actually work for our grades."

"Sure, why not?" John shrugged, unfazed by the competitive spark. "I’ll let my friends follow your performance. The fastest to achieve tangible results will be invited to join the club. But be warned: I don’t intend to invite more than one student from the Media Department for now. Make it count."

It wasn’t just the two girls who got riled up; many of the other students around felt the same surge of competitive adrenaline. Without waiting any longer, around fifteen students broke away from the crowd and sprinted toward the Media Department, intending to start the challenge before the night was over.

"Elena," John said calmly, turning to her. "They are your responsibility. It’s late, but since there are still some department students here, go with them. Use their help to spread the news of the challenge across the entire Media wing."

"Sure," Elena nodded. She understood that picking her was the only logical option John had. Most of the students in that department were girls, and the group that had shown up tonight gave a clear image of the department’s demographic.

In John’s eyes, looking at the Media students was like walking into a high-end fashion show or a world-class beauty competition. They were all stunning, polished, and fiercely ambitious.

John needed a judge who wouldn’t be swayed by a pretty face, and he certainly couldn’t pick Cissel for personal reasons. Elena was the only choice left, and she accepted the task with a sharp, professional nod.

"Then what about the other departments?" one of the remaining students suddenly called out. "I’m from the Medic Department. Is there a test for us, or are you only looking for pretty faces?"

He wasn’t the only one curious. Several more students spoke up, each hailing from different corners of the academy.

Hearing the clamor, John realized he had stumbled upon a perfect solution. He could find the true gems of the academy without having to personally dig into each department or sending his friends on an impossible scouting mission. He would let the talent come to him.

"Let’s do it this way, then," John said, turning toward his friends and pointedly ignoring Cissel’s presence entirely. "For the Medic Department, we have a specific need. We need you to find a way to replicate or improve upon this."

John reached into his storage and pulled out a single bottle, raising it high so the moonlight caught the swirling liquid inside. It was the Black Fog Protection Potion—the rare, high-level concoction he currently had no way to mass-produce.

"Whoever manages to create a similar potion, or a drug that produces the same protective effects, will join our club at once," John declared. He tossed the bottle to Luke, who caught it with practiced ease. "Luke, divide the potion into enough vials so that each applicant has at least one drop to analyze. You’ll handle the Medic Department candidates."

"Roger that," Luke grinned. He wasn’t sure if John picked him because he was the one who visited the infirmary most often, but he didn’t mind. However, a small part of him felt he should have been the one handling the Media Department and its super hot models, a sentiment shared by every other male on John’s side the moment Elena was given the assignment.