Chapter XXXIV

Summary

• The chapter begins with the protagonist hurting himself on purpose. He falls down some stairs and uses a knife to re-open a wound on his hand. His goal is to feign an accidental injury to distract from an actual injury he had sustained the previous night.
• In the mess hall, people notice his blood and injury, and a teacher, Praeceptor Ferrea, orders him to the infirmary. He's treated by Ulnius, who cleans and stitches up his wound. During the treatment, they discuss the protagonist's injury and a prior event during which he was disqualified from a challenge called the Labyrinth for using a forbidden language.
• Later, the protagonist talks with a friend and classmate, Callidus, over their meal, and they are approached by Emissa and Belli, two girls from the higher Class Three. Emissa confirms that the protagonist indeed beat the Labyrinth challenge before getting disqualified. Belli seems unimpressed and jealous, as the two of them had previously set the fastest time for the challenge.
• Callidus and the protagonist discuss Belli's missing finger, which she lost due to a snake bite. The protagonist also teases Callidus about his obvious crush on Belli. The two then discuss Callidus's demotion to Class Seven, revealed to be due to political tensions in Caten and an anticipated civil war. Callidus's father is a high-ranking official, and Military interests are suffering as Caten's expansion slows, leading to increased tension in the Senate and fears of a civil war. Callidus chose demotion to be of less interest as a bargaining chip to potential enemies and to avoid being forced into military service, which could be dangerous if a civil war breaks out.