Thanks to traveling on all fours the entire way, they managed to arrive at the plaza just in the nick of time before the opening ceremony officially began.
The plaza looked completely different from its usual appearance. Thousands of freshmen had gathered here in a vast, surging sea of students.
Beneath the three majestic witch statues, a solemn podium had already been set up.
In the center of the stage stood a pillar-like Voice Transmission Stone, powerful enough to carry the speaker’s voice clearly across the entire plaza and into every corner of Kantaier Academy.
The freshmen sat in the pre-arranged seats, chatting and murmuring among themselves, filling the plaza with lively noise.
The vibrant, youthful energy of hope infected everyone present, even seeming to breathe a bit of life into the three grand statues.
Because they had arrived so late, they could only run to the very end of the line, finding four consecutive empty seats to sit down.
On the surface, three people were seated. As for whether the “owner” of the remaining empty seat would actually sit down, that wasn’t Sevitis’s concern.
“Hey, who do you think the academy will send to give the opening speech? The dean of one of the eight major schools, or that legendary chairperson?” Su Ling asked curiously, poking her head forward.
“A bumpkin is a bumpkin. You don’t even know that.” Se Ge put on an air of exasperation, shaking her head. “Fine, fine, I’ll graciously enlighten you…”
“The eight school deans usually just show up to make an appearance, and that elusive chairperson doesn’t even bother to come. So, every time Kantaier holds its opening ceremony, it’s hosted by the current Student Council President.”
Sevitis finished answering in one breath, then felt the elf girl’s resentful gaze on her. She blinked helplessly.
“What’s wrong? You looked so troubled just now, so I kindly helped you answer. Or… were you actually…”
“Of course I was troubled! Thanks for taking that chore off my hands. Not having to waste words explaining it to this dumb cow is fantastic!”
Se Ge turned her head away. Though her facial expression was unclear, her strange tone and bright red pointed ears had already betrayed her.
“Pfft—”
Hearing the suppressed laughter beside her, Se Ge jerked her head around, her green eyes glaring at Sevitis, who maintained a calm expression, trying to find any crack.
Sevitis returned her gaze with an utterly sincere smile.
“What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
“…Maybe I misheard.” After a fruitless inspection, Se Ge had no choice but to puff out her cheeks and turn back around.
“How adorable~.”
This time, Se Ge spun her head instantly. She was one hundred percent certain she hadn’t misheard!
Sevitis tilted her head, seemingly puzzled as to why Se Ge was staring at her again. Then, she pointed beside her.
“Ah, you mean Su Ling, right?”
Se Ge froze for a moment, then followed her gaze to Su Ling, who was daydreaming.
“Huh? Were you talking about me just now?” Su Ling twisted her body, covering her face with a shy expression. “Oh, don’t stare at me like that, you’ll make me blush.”
Se Ge’s veins bulged immediately.
“So you finally admit that all those little noises came from you, you dumb cow!”
“Huh? Why?!”
…
Luckily, they were at the very back of the line, so this little farce didn’t attract the attention of those in front.
But after the commotion, there was one more empty chair than before.
“So, it’s not that the Student Council President has more power than the Chairperson,” Se Ge said animatedly, lecturing a rubbing-her-backside Su Ling, clearly having done her homework in advance.
“Although not many people know the true identity of the ‘Master of the Academy,’ it’s certain that they are a long-lived species. After all, they’ve been sitting in the academy for over a thousand years. That’s one of the reasons the Demon Race doesn’t dare invade Kantaier.”
Watching Se Ge’s proud look, Sevitis laughed softly to herself.
In the end, understanding and considerate as ever, she handed the duty of explanation back to the elf girl.
After all, if she kept stealing the answers, those big eyes of this noble elf girl, which kept glancing in her direction, would probably shed little pearls of tears.
Indeed, someone with that kind of attitude was also quite adorable.
And thanks to a certain kind-hearted black-haired girl subtly pulling the strings behind the scenes, everyone’s wishes were satisfied. Wasn’t that a win-win?
As time passed, the melodious school song drifted over the plaza, and the freshman admission ceremony of Kantaier Academy officially began.
Then, a black-haired girl stepped with composed grace onto the podium below the statues.
Though she wore the ordinary student uniform, the mere aura she exuded the moment she stood there silenced the entire crowd instantly.
Everyone unconsciously held their breath.
Her deep eyes slowly swept across the audience before she spoke into the Voice Transmission Stone.
“Freshmen, greetings. I am Vineis, Student Council President of Kantaier Academy…”
“Outside, you may have been praised as geniuses. But here, you are merely average. At Kantaier, to graduate successfully, relying solely on the title of ‘genius’ is far from enough. You must force yourselves to become true prodigies.”
“Today, let us welcome all of you with the warmest applause!”
Thunderous applause rang out across the plaza. A few seconds later, Vineis raised her hand slightly and pressed down. Instantly, the crowd fell silent. She continued.
“I won’t waste words. You’ll experience what life at Kantaier is really like for yourselves. May you all have a good start. Then, I hereby declare the first year of Kantaier’s 2153rd freshman class… now begins!”
“The rest of the time will be handed over to this year’s Freshman Chief Representative. Everyone, until we meet again.”
With that, the decisive and efficient president turned and left without hesitation.
“The Freshman Chief Representative?” Sevitis muttered quietly from below.
“Who could it be? Have you heard any inside scoop?” Su Ling sat back down in her chair, asking with great interest.
“Who knows? There wasn’t any leak before.” Se Ge thought for a moment. “But I did hear that there’s a monster in this year’s batch who scored over seven thousand points in the third assessment.”
“Heh heh, you don’t know this, but that monster is actually…” Su Ling opened her mouth, ready to brag about her boss’s glorious feat.
Meanwhile, Sevitis, the person in question, just stood to the side with her arms crossed, remaining silent.
If this were before, she would have bet that the position of Freshman Chief Representative was destined for a certain Saint Candidate.
But thanks to her, Sevitis, that woman hadn’t managed to dominate the third assessment.
Instead, she got tangled up with a pack of Demon Wolves. Her results were an absolute disaster!
“Want to be Chief Representative? First, find a way to get into the academy!”
Imagining the scene of Lalia ruthlessly kicked out of the academy, helplessly crouching outside the gate and crying, Sevitis felt an incredible sense of refreshment. She couldn’t help but let out a low laugh.
“Heh heh heh…”
“What’s wrong with her?” The elf girl, who had grown up in the deep mountains, had seen this kind of thing before and silently distanced herself a bit.
“No idea. Little Sevi sometimes suddenly laughs like that.”
“That’s so creepy! Do humans outside usually laugh like this?”
“Dunno. Maybe it’s her special constitution?”
Hearing the whispers beside her, Sevitis quickly stifled her laughter, cleared her throat, and forced her attention back to the podium.
She was staking her claim today! The person walking up there was absolutely not that scheming woman!
If she guessed wrong, she, Sevitis, would immediately eat the black bread from her Storage Space right there…
“Next, proceed to the second item of the opening ceremony. Let’s welcome with warm applause this year’s Freshman Chief Representative—Eulalia Olive—to the stage to give her speech!”
“…!”
A dazzling golden figure slowly ascended the stairs from the side of the podium.
As she walked, the girl smiled and waved to the crowd below.
Her smile was holy and elegant, yet exuded an undeniable approachability.
A faint golden holy light shimmered around her, dazzling but not blinding, like the radiance of the rising sun.
Instantly, it drew the attention of everyone present.
“Wow! It’s Her Highness the Holy Maiden!” Su Ling excitedly shook Sevitis beside her, afraid she might miss it. “Boss, look quickly!”
Sevitis was currently covering her face with both hands in pain, responding with silence.
“Boss, why do you look unhappy? Are you allergic to sunlight?”
“No, I’m allergic to golden fur.”
Sevitis lowered her hands, curling her lip in disgust.
Especially this kind of golden fur—the type that was best at putting on airs, but whose heart was completely black once you cut it open!
Just as she finished silently cursing in her heart, Eulalia, who had been scanning the audience, locked her gaze precisely onto her.
At the moment their eyes met, Eulalia glanced toward Sevitis and blinked playfully.
That smile, at that moment, lost some of its holiness, but it sent a jolt of fear through Sevitis.
Hastily, she turned her head away guiltily.
In her eyes, that originally saintly smile now looked like nothing but provocation!
Se Ge, who had observed the entire scene, glanced at the radiant golden-haired girl on stage, then at the black-haired little girl deliberately turning away.
“Oh~ I see now.” A subtle smile curled at the corner of the elf girl’s lips—the kind of smile that enjoys watching a good show.
“What are you talking about?” Su Ling blinked her big, clear eyes and leaned in to ask.
“Nothing.” Se Ge waved her hand. “This dumb cow with her limited worldview definitely can’t guess that there’s definitely some shady business going on between those two down there.”
“Adult matters. Kids should stay out of it.”
“Eh—come on, just tell me!”
“Watch more, and you’ll understand.”
And in the shadows not far behind them, a pair of small horns peeked out.
Pink eyes quietly watched this joyful scene, a hint of a smile also coloring their depths.