"Yeah, right. I had enough of this bullsh*t back on Earth. 'You need to learn how to stand up for yourself', they said. 'A little bullying helps you build your character and prepare you to face real life' and all that cr*ap.
Then, all those as*holes of teachers would be the first to cry when one of the victims committed suicide, or even better if they took up a gun to settle their scores."
Seeing that Lith wasn't replying, Linjos continued.
"Very few students have picked a Ballot, and even those who did, usually returned it after some weeks. Isolation and ostracism are another form of violence I can do nothing about.
And for someone away from home for the first time, a bad friend is better than none at all. It could prevent you from socializing, keeping everyone away from you, even those who could actually become your true friends.
Please, have faith in me, I will stand by your side, no matter what. All the teachers I handpicked share my vision and will do all they can to help you."
Lith wanted to sarcastically laugh in the face of his groundless optimism and wishful thinking.
"Thank you very much for your concern, but as I can see it, it would be a thorny path with or without it. Besides, I decided to join your academy to quench my thirst for knowledge, not to make friends.
Without the Ballot, I would be in the hands of fate. With it, instead, if you are right, I will never need it, nor ever be forced to reveal I do possess one. If I am right, we both will have our backs covered, and you will have what you need to pursue your ideals.
It's a win-win situation."
Lith tried to be polite and accommodating, but in his mind, he could see several flaws in Linjos' pep talk.
"He admitted not being able to purge all the bad apples, this means that I need to be wary of both students and teachers. Not to mention that we barely knew each other. How can he possibly be so naïve to expect me to take his word at face value?
For all I know, he could as well be a strawman with no actual power, that a rotten system has put into this place just for marketing. Only time will tell me if this guy is just a frigging paintjob on a rust bucker or the real deal."
Linjos sighed, but insisted no more. It hurt his pride and spirit seeing such a young man being so cynical. When he had started as a Headmaster, he had always pictured himself as a charismatic figure, capable of instilling trust in his pupils.
But being a mage, he was more pragmatic than idealistic, and recognized the truth behind Lith's words.
"After Linnea destroyed his future, it's natural for him to be biased. I'll show to both him and the Queen that my methods work. The Ballot is a sad relic of the past, born because of the incompetence of my predecessors.
Nobles and commoners can and will go along!" Linjos thought.
After concluding that matter, Linjos summoned in his office a wardrobe clerk, that delivered a uniform way too big for Lith's size. It consisted of a white shirt, blazer, pants, a robe and black shoes. The embroideries instead were of a pitch-black colour.
"At the moment, the uniform is at its biggest available size. Our Forgemasters enchant them so that they are able to perfectly fit the wearer. As you grow over time, it will expand, so you will not have to change it.
The uniform has many other properties. They are all described in a note inside the chest pocket, with one exception."
Linjos took out his shirt's cuffs and an unused Ballot, bringing them close. The black sphere suddenly disappeared.
"You do not possess yet any dimensional object, and you cannot walk with a Ballot in your hand the whole time. So, our uniforms' cuffs possess a hidden function, a very small dimensional storage that only applies to Ballots.
As far as I know, aside from us and the Forgemasters, no one is aware of its existence."
Lith nodded, sending mana to the Guilty Ballot in his hand. The magical item absorbed greedily the energy, imprinting Lith's mana as its master. In many ways it was similar to Solus, yet the differences were like heaven and earth.
The Ballot needed Lith's mana to function, not to live, and it was incapable of absorbing it on its own. Through his mana flow, Lith was capable of making it start/stop recording, projecting the recorded images and sounds.
"This thing is dead as a doornail. Is just like some kind of CCTV and I'm the power plant. The uniform, thought, has some pretty sweet properties." Lith thought while skimming the instructions.
Before leaving the Headmaster office, Lith received even more booklets that described the academy's history, its forest, how the student point system worked, and so on. There was enough to fill a small library.
Thankfully, the Marchioness offered to carry them for him in one of her dimensional pockets.
"Dammit, if it wasn't for Soluspedia, it would take me months to read and memorize all this stuff. Between knowing the White Griffon rules and regulations inside out and the Guilty Ballot, I should have what I need to survive the next two years. Maybe."