As for Senior Kurs and Ilana, they are friends he met on the road. Because he is diligent in his work, taking on all dirty and tedious tasks without any pretentiousness or ambition of "becoming a Sage written on his face," he is quite likable.
Who would dislike a harmless little bee?
Ilana, sitting across from him, is also a newly admitted preparatory student, but her demeanor is much more practical. Perhaps due to her noble background, she leisurely stirs the porridge in her bowl with a spoon, ignoring the surrounding noise and refraining from any comment.
As for Kurs, he is probably a sycophant to this Ilana lady, with his eagerness written all over his face.
He is indeed an Official Apprentice at the Tower of Great Sage, but once inside this tower, what does a senior responsible for admissions matter?
Moreover, he is not even in charge of admissions; he is just assisting the assistants responsible for admissions.
