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"AND HERE WE ARE." President Justin Thorndyke walked Max to the far end of the campus. If Max didn't know any better, he would have assumed that this was an old building that the school decided to abandon. Who would have thought that actual students lived here?

     "The dorms were originally called rectories, but the priests in the school changed the name because they got confused. So if you're asking, yes, most of the professors are priests. And they live on campus too," Justin shares.

     "I don't want to sound rude, but this looks terrible," Max then blurts out, making Justin laugh.

     "It was actually a livable house a few years back, but the higher ranks ended up pulling nasty pranks. They'd vandalize the walls, throw rocks at the windows, and would even leave their trash here. It's basically a large garbage bin at this point," Justin explains, almost making Max gag.

     "And the Saints did nothing?"

     "Oh, Sinclaire, you should know better, right? We can't do anything regarding such petty pranks. Well, unless someone does something about it and initiates a plan. I think we can do something about it then," Justice says with a smirk, making Max chuckle.

     "How wicked..."

     "Anyway, let me show you to your room."

     President Justice walks inside Hell Sanctum first as Max follows behind him. As soon as Max entered the dormitory, he immediately covered his nose because of the terrible smell. When they passed by the restroom, he saw that the toilets were clogged and even flooded. That's probably where the stench is coming from.

     "There's no way this place is livable," Max says in disbelief as he looks around the hall. The walls were vandalized, the mahogany floor tiles were sticky, the lights flickered, and there was just dust everywhere he looked.

      Max wasn't the one to complain, but this was just too much. He couldn't believe that he'll be living here for a whole month if he didn't rank up.

     "The white uniforms are required to clean their own dormitories. At first, we did clean, but the higher ranks kept making a mess. The other serfs also didn't care because they assumed they'd rank up and leave eventually. So we eventually gave up, and now it's like this," Justice explains, making Max stop walking when he realizes something he just said.

     "We? You just said we," Max points out, and Justice grins before turning his head to the curious new student.

     "That's right. Like everyone else, I was also a serf. Actually, I was a serf for one and a half years. It was only last year when I became a gaffer, and then during my third year, I ranked up and became the Saints' president," Justice answered, making Max look back at him with shock. He wasn't expecting Justice to be a serf for that long. Max was only a serf for a couple of months before turning into a dweller and eventually a gaffer.

     How did Justice Thorndyke become the president in such a short period? How did he suddenly become a gaffer after being a serf for so long?

     "Now, let's head to the top floor. That's where your room is."

      Max and Justice continued walking up to the third floor. There were still no white uniforms in sight, and the Saints' president explained that most of the students were still asleep at this hour. He just has to prepare for lunch break because that's when things get crazy.

      "Here we are. Room 307. This will be your room," Justice says as he stops right outside a vandalized door before pulling a key out of his pocket and handing it over to Max.

     Max looks at the room and realizes that there are shoes and slippers scattered outside. He then turns to Justice again and asks him, "Wait, is someone already inside?"

     "Oh yeah. I totally forgot the most important part. There are four students living in one room. So congratulations, Sinclaire, you have roommates," Justice reveals, and Max's jaw just drops.

     "You got to be kidding me."

     "Here in Hell Sanctum, serfs share with three other serfs. At Purgatory Refuge, two dwellers share one room. And at Paradise Cove, each student has one room for themselves. Don't worry. Having a roommate can actually be fun. You might enjoy it," Justice explains further, and all Max can do is sigh and massage his temple in frustration.

     "Looks like that's it. I hope you get settled in, and I'll see you later," Justice says, and Max takes another deep breath before touching his chest and bowing in front of the council president.

     Justice wasn't expecting Max to actually bow to him because, like everyone else, Justice already has an assumption about Max, who single-handedly conquered four brotherhoods in a span of seven months. He thought he'd be prideful and narcissistic, so this simple gesture was surprising. But when Max looks back at him again, Justice smiles and tells him, "We don't bow here like what you do in the House of Kings. Just touch your chest as a sign of respect for those in higher authority. I hope you remember that so others don't end up laughing at you."

     "Oh, t-thank you," Max says, surprised to have been given advice by the president. If it were someone else, they would probably just let Max embarrass himself.

     "Alright then." Justice nods his head and finally leaves. As soon as he was gone, Max grips on the strap of his bag before looking down at the key that was given to him.

     "This is for J.S High. This is for J.S High..." Max mumbles to himself before finally opening the door so he can head inside.

     The door creaked open, and Max couldn't really see anything because of how dark the room was, especially since the broken windows were actually covered with plywood. 

     Max didn't want to disturb anyone, so he pulled his phone out of his pocket and used his flashlight to see better. The room was surprisingly bigger than he expected, and there were two bunk beds. But the room was unsurprisingly a mess. There were clothes scattered everywhere. There were boxes of who knows what and empty energy drinks. But apart from the mess, the room didn't stink. At least Max doesn't have to endure the smell.

     "Where on earth do I put my things?" Max whispers under his breath, trying to look for an empty bed to use, but it seems like all the beds are occupied.

     Max continues to look around the room. But while he's walking, he accidentally steps on a button. As soon as he did so, an alarm suddenly blares, and bright red light starts flashing, startling Max and the other person who was in the room with him.

     "AHH!! Intruder!" A voice shouts, and before Max can even react, someone pepper sprays his eyes, immediately making Max stumble back while his eyes burn.

     "W-What the fuck?! My name is Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire! I'm your new roommate!" Max tries to explain as he reaches out for his handkerchief so he can wipe his eyes with it.

     The person who attacked him with the pepper spray quickly turned the lights on. When he saw that it was actually Max, his mouth opened in shock, and he immediately grabbed a bottle of water so he could help Max wash his eyes.

     "Oh my god, I am so sorry. I completely forgot that you're arriving today. I forgot to turn the alarm off," the man explained while he splashed the water on Max's eyes.

     Max continued to wipe his eyes. But when it wasn't stinging anymore, he slowly opened his eyes back to finally see the person standing in front of him. His vision was a bit blurry, but a couple of seconds later, he finally saw a tall and dark-skinned man standing in front of him. He was wearing yellow pajamas that were too big for him. Apart from his glasses, his hair blocked his eyes too, which was why Max couldn't really tell what he looked like. He was also wearing retainers and pimple patches. He was definitely an interesting character.

     "S-Sorry...I'm really sorry," he explains.

     Max looks down at the bottle he's holding and asks him, "That was clean, right?"

     His new roommate looks at the bottle and chuckles. "Of course it's clean...I think."

     Max sighs and quickly grabs the wet wipes in his bag to clean his eyes again. But while he's doing so, his roommate approaches him and says, "I know we're off to a bad start, but my name is Alexander McLurkin, or Xander for short. I'm a second-year, ranked 422, and a member of the robotics club. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sinclaire. And again, sorry for pepper spraying you. My body just moved out of instinct."

     "No, it's fine," Max replies, turning to look at Xander so he can show him his hand. "It seems you already know me, but let me introduce myself as well. My name is Maximilian Sinclaire, but you can call me Max. I'm also a second-year, and I'm ranked...actually, I don't know what my rank is yet."

     As soon as Max turned to him, Xander immediately saw the brooches on his collar. He instantly felt the amount of power it held, so Xander couldn't help but swallow the lump in his throat before snapping out of it and looking at Max again.

     "Y-yeah, they'll probably announce it later, as well as hand you your black stole," Xander answers before reaching out to shake Max's hand.

     After pulling away, Max looks around the room again and says, "By the way, Xander, is there an available bed here? Or do I sleep on the floor?"

     "Oh, of course. My apologies. You can take the top bunk. I was originally alone in this room, so I'm not used to having roommates," Xander says as he starts removing the boxes on the bed so Max can have space. "I'm sorry about the mess too. I was working on something the entire night, so I wasn't able to clean."

     "Don't worry about it. We can tidy things up later," Max says before turning to the other empty beds. His eyes were still red, but thankfully it didn't hurt much anymore. And now that the lights are turned on, Max notices the number of miniature robots scattered in the room. Looks like Xander has been busy.

     " President Justice told me that there are four of us here. Where are the other two?"

     "The other one probably left early like he always does. He moved here just a month ago. He was originally a gaffer, but after getting deliberated and suspended two times, he became a serf and moved here," Xander explains, instantly making Max look back at him with shock.

     "Wait, what?"

     "And the other one just moved very recently. He's actually from—"

     "Max!" A familiar voice suddenly shouts when the door to their swung open.

      "Keigo!" Max shouted back, and Kawanishi Keigo, Max's dear friend who was also wearing his pajamas, immediately ran to him to give him a tight hug. "I missed you so much! You don't know what I've been through the past week. This place is a literal hell! Hell, I tell ya!"

     "I missed you too, Keigo," Max answers before pulling away from him. 

     "Look at how red your eyes are. Xander pepper sprayed you too, huh?" Keigo then asks, and Xander just awkwardly laughs before turning away from them

     "It's fine. I'm okay. But how are you? Looks like you became a serf again too."

     "I know. I got surprised when the council told me about it. Apparently, when a white uniform transfers schools, their previous rank gets wiped out. This rule doesn't apply to white uniforms who are already members of the council, though. That's why I got confused when they said you're gonna be staying in our dorms. You're part of the exchange program, right? And you're now ranked—"

     "Keigo! L-Let me talk to you privately for a second," Max says before glancing back at Xander, who is busy picking up his things on the floor. "We'll be right back," Max then says, grabbing Keigo's arm and pulling him out of the room. When they got out, Keigo led Max to a place they could safely converse. He explained he usually goes there when he needs to take a call from PHD. And as you might expect, it's another janitor's closet.

     "We have to stop hiding in the janitor's closet," Max complains, and Keigo chuckles in response. "Anyway, you can't tell anyone my new rank. No one knows I'm Rank 5 now," Max then explains, surprising Keigo.

     "Wait, what? What do you mean no one knows that you're Rank 5? You're the representative, right? You wouldn't be here if you weren't," Keigo points out, and Max couldn't help but sigh and nod his head in agreement.

     "That's true. But for some reason, the Elites wanted me to keep it a secret. They announced that for the exchange program, I was chosen instead because I was more suitable. Heaven J. Carter is still in J.S High pretending to be Rank 5. I bet he's pissed off by that, but it's President Ian's orders, so we can't really go against it," Max explains, making Keigo furrow his brows while massaging his chin.

     "So you're saying no one can know you're a member of the Elites?"

     "Yes."

     "But why?"

     "I don't know yet."

     The two of them became quiet again, but after a while, the gears on Keigo's magnificent brain started turning, and Keigo immediately grabbed Max by the shoulder before saying, "Wait...I think I know why."

     "What is it?"

     "I think the reason for that is the very reason why you're stationed here," Keigo then explains, making Max look back at his friend confusingly.

     "What do you mean?"

     "I mean, if it were publicly declared that you're now a member of the Elites, you would definitely be treated differently. And you wouldn't be a serf either, which means you would have stayed with the Saints the entire time you were here. The Elites were probably worried that the Saints would hold you back and restrict you from your investigation. And I think President Justice Thorndyke is in on this, considering how he's friends with President Ian," Keigo explains, making Max's eyes widen in shock because of realization too.

     "Keigo, you're a fucking genius!"

     "Wait, I am?"

     "What if the very thing I have to investigate...isn't among the council at all? The only way I can know the actual truth is if I become like the rest of the white uniforms here," Max says, and Keigo finally connects it too.

     "So the person who bombed the greenhouse, sent that cryptic message about the storm coming, defiled the brotherhood flags at the Great Hall, and targeted the Royals during the reranking...is among the white uniforms here? And not from the Saints?" Keigo asks, and Max touches his brooches and nods his head.

     "Well, probably not the mastermind themselves. But I think someone here is connected to that," Max corrects.

      "Anyway, everything seems to connect. It might be difficult to find a clue that will help us start the investigation, but if we—"

     "I actually have a lead," Max suddenly cuts off, making Keigo stop midsentence to hear what Max has to say. "After the Reranking, I talked to Payton. Well, to be more specific, she called me."

     "Wait. She did?" Keigo asks in shock.

     "It seems like she's working with Paradox. I haven't told the other brotherhoods yet because Payton can be clever. She might be lying and expecting a reaction from Krist and the others, so I haven't told anyone about it yet. I have to observe the situation first," Max reveals, and Keigo touches his chest and suddenly holds onto a mop so he doesn't fall in shock.

     "P-Paradox? Payton Wolfe? It makes fucking sense. Why haven't we connected it yet?" Keigo asks, still in disbelief. "But you're right. She might be bluffing. We can't go on claiming that she is connected to them without further proof. It might make it harder on our part."

     Max nods his head in agreement, but he won't ignore the fact that someone in the House of Bishops might also be connected to Paradox. In a worst-case scenario, a previous member might actually already be here.

     "Anyway, we should head back to our room before our roommate starts getting suspicious," Max says, and the two of them finally walk out of the janitor's closet.

     The hallway was still empty, and the campus itself was quiet. It was very different from J.S High. And despite not wanting to admit it, Max is already feeling a little homesick. Now Max is more determined to finish his task here so he can return to the House of Kings as soon as possible.

     "By the way, have you seen our other roommate?" Max asks while the two of them are walking back to their room.

     "Oh, the other one? Yeah, I've seen that guy. I actually haven't talked to him yet because he only comes to our room to sleep, and then he leaves right after," Keigo explains, and Max immediately remembers what Xander said about him earlier.

     "What's his name?" Max asks next, and that harmless question immediately makes Keigo stop walking so he can look at Max with a serious expression.

     "Max, I know you're fond of making friends, but that one is bad news. I checked Xander's background, and he's clean and pretty chill. But that guy? He's someone you shouldn't get associated with. I'm telling you, he's trouble," Keigo suddenly warns, intriguing Max even more.

     Keigo then moves close to Max and lowers his voice so no one would be able to hear them. "I looked him up, and I found out his father is a chairman who did shady things in the past. You don't even wanna know what they were."

      "Keigo, I think you shouldn't just be looking through random people's personal backgrounds like that," Max says, and Keigo shakes his head, insisting that this case was different.

      "Max, apart from his shady family background, I asked around and found out that he beat up a leader of a brotherhood and won. And then, when the brotherhood took their revenge for what happened to their leader, he fought back and won that battle too! It's fucking insane! Heard some of the members are still in the hospital," Keigo explains further, and this time, Max was genuinely surprised.

     How can you defeat a brotherhood leader in a fight and then defeat his entire brotherhood? Is that even possible?

     "What brotherhood are we talking about here?"

     "It was the previous Rank 12, Blue Ravens. They lost during the Brotherhood Reranking and got demoted to the House of Knights, but that still doesn't change the fact that our roommate defeated a freaking brotherhood on his own," Keigo explains, and Max ends up looking at a distance, probably thinking of another plan that will definitely rock the happy halls of St. George Academy.

     "Max, your silence is scaring me," Keigo says, and as he fears, Max looks back at him with a grin, instantly making the hair on Keigo's skin stand.

     "Keigo, I know you just warned me about him—"

     "No, Max. I'm being serious here. Why do you never listen?!" Keigo complains, and Max continues to smile excitedly as he drapes his arms around his friend.

     While the two of them continue walking to their room, Max looks at Keigo and tells him, "Since we're already in this situation, we might as well make the most of it. That's why we're recruiting him. As well as our other roommate Xander. That guy is definitely talented. He might be willing to help us."

     "I knew it. You always do this," Keigo says before sighing in defeat. "Since I can't really stop you, what's your plan then? What are we gonna do first?"

     Max pauses and looks around their beaten-down dorm. The way the serfs were living in this condition somehow sparked something inside of him. It was the same feeling he had when he was a serf in J.S High.

     Justice wants to know how Max is gonna climb to the top in a span of a month. Well then, they better take some notes because he's definitely gonna turn their entire school upside down.

     "What time is lunch break?"

- END -