The Last Gentleman

Chapter 36

Under Chamberson’s guidance,

they navigated through several narrow streets in the district and arrived at a mostly industrial area with rail tracks laid down the center of the street known as 'Steel-Street'.

Here, many railway platforms facilitate the transport of various factory materials and finished products, but one platform stands out.

The platform’s entrance is adorned with arches decorated in cloverleaf patterns, and atop it stands a small metal sculpture resembling a newborn’s form.

“This is the train station that takes staff and students directly to the academy, allowing convenient travel between the academy and the street district.”

Soon,

a train with a blend of gold and wood arrived at the platform, consisting of only four carriages.

After a brief ten-minute journey,

the towering outer walls of the Alfarostik Academy came into view. Atop the lofty and sharp perimeter wall, a hemispherical black membrane shimmered with starlight, shrouding the academy and concealing its inner landscape from view.

At this moment,

the magical inscriptions etched on the carriages began to glow, resonating with the academy’s front gate, acting like a ‘key’ to a ‘lock’.

When the train’s engine collided with the iron gates of the campus,

Buzz!

With a ripple that spread outward,

the entire train entered the campus, and the view outside the windows immediately shifted to the academy’s own enchanting nightscape. Ethereal streams of starlight descended like thin veils, draping over the academy’s main buildings and imbuing them with a sense of mystery.

Between the towering Gothic spires, small points of warm light shone through the vertical windows, contrasting beautifully with the cool tones of the night and deepening the atmosphere of mystery.

The campus also has a distinctive layered topography, with a noticeable disparity in heights among the buildings. Some structures stand alone at elevated heights, their intricate designs giving them the appearance of dignified gentlemen guarding the academy during an eternal night.

“Wow!”

Not only Yi Chen but also Little Grape perched on his shoulder, its eyes wide open in admiration of the breathtaking view.

Before long,

Yi Chen and Little Grape’s attention was drawn to the academy’s center,

where two nearly 'pillar-like mountains' stood independently, connected at the top by a walkway.

Atop these pillar-like mountains were two distinct teaching buildings: on one side, a single-story cathedral-style structure covering a wide area, and on the other, a multi-story, enclosed building with almost no windows.

Just then,

Professor Chamberson’s voice sounded, giving a brief introduction:

“The academy does not offer a complex array of courses; you only need to study two subjects: Gentlemen’s Studies and Pathology.

And the locations for these courses are precisely those buildings atop the mountains.

The Swan Academy, where the unified and public Gentlemen’s Studies is taught,

and the Wester Mann Building, where the more discreet and group-oriented Pathology is held.

They are known as the Twin Towers, symbolizing the academy’s ‘lungs’ and ‘heart’.”

“Only two classes a week?

By the way, are all students here of equal gentlemanly status?”

“Yes, you only have two classes a week; the rest of your time is dedicated to self-improvement.

The new gentlemen studying at the academy all start at the lowest rank, simply Human... Any individual who surpasses this level will no longer need the protection or teaching provided by the academy.

The academy has only two requirements for you:

1. Using the free educational resources provided by the school, reach the Human’s Limit within two years. If you reach this limit early, you can leave immediately.

2. Complete at least one 'task' every month. Generally, you’ll need to go to the *Hall of Gentlemen* in Zion to accept a task of corresponding difficulty.”

At this point, Yi Chen recalled the team proposal from 'Jin.'

Professor Chamberson continued:

“Since you currently have no foundational knowledge,

I will fully manage your free time during your early days here... Only when I believe you are truly qualified to go out will you be permitted to take on gentleman tasks.”

“Understood.”

After spending some time exploring the academy by train,

Yi Chen quickly identified the distribution of important buildings across the academy grounds.

The architecture of Alfarostik Academy is organized according to the structure of the human body.

The Twin Towers, symbolizing the heart and lungs, are located at the center of the school.

In the far north stands the eerie, heavy, and massive Grand Library, which represents the brain.

Near the school entrance, a row of Dormitories and the Cafeteria represent the intestines and stomach.

Surrounding the dormitories is the Fetal Heart Chapel, which also serves as the teachers’ office building and the academy's decision-making hub, acting as the campus’s most crucial “connecting structure”—the umbilical cord.

The chapel itself is a gigantic Gothic structure,

and from its top extends a black, ribbon-like structure resembling an umbilical cord that stretches toward the sky… This very structure maintains the campus's "Eternal Night State."

Inside the chapel, there are three floors,

connected by a long staircase that gradually narrows as it ascends.

The ground floor houses the offices of general staff, like janitors, security personnel, and regular teachers.

The middle floor contains single offices for associate professors and professors. To hold a title here, teachers must not only reach a certain "persona" but also have made significant contributions to either Zion or the academy.

At the top floor,

there is only one room—the Fetal Heart Chamber, which is also the office of the headmaster.

Even Professor Chamberlain rarely has the opportunity to meet with the headmaster, except for highly important meetings; otherwise, the headmaster remains unseen.

…

*Fetal Heart Chapel - Middle Corridor*

A stone key made of white rock is dropped from the beak of an owl.

Click—the door opens.

A spacious, 150-square-meter office with a five-meter-high ceiling, decorated primarily in cool tones, appears before him.

Numerous potted plants decorate the room, with trees even growing in the corners. The dim wall lights create the impression of a nighttime forest.

The owl flutters its wings and lands on a tree branch in the corner.

“Take a seat… I’ll need some time to draft your training schedule.”

“Alright.”

Yi Chen breathes in the earthy scent of the plants, feeling the room’s lively energy as though he were returning home… he even begins to feel hungry.

He casually sits on a sofa, gently brushing the leaves of a potted plant beside him. The sensation feels like touching crispy roast chicken skin, though he restrains himself in the end.

He glances at Professor Chamberlain, who is engrossed in work, and estimates that he won’t be moving for another hour.

“I should walk around a bit; I might end up eating the professor’s meticulously kept plants if I sit here too long.”

After wandering around the office, he stops in front of a standard bookshelf.

One book catches his attention—World History.

Since arriving in this world, Yi Chen hasn’t had the chance to understand its layout, whether it’s identical to the world he came from or completely different in geographic distribution and structure.

He takes out World History,

leans against the bookshelf, and begins reading.

As he opens the book to the first page,

a foldable world map unfolds at the same time.

When he sees the map’s depiction of this world, Yi Chen’s eyes widen in shock, and his mind becomes instantly invigorated.

“This is an entirely new world system!”

In mere seconds, his thoughts immerse entirely in the book, tuning out everything around him.

As he reads further,

the emblem imprinted on the back of his head begins to writhe as though it, too, is flipping through pages.

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