The entrance ceremony is pretty much the same, whether in the original world or this one.
Well, it starts with some flattering speeches about welcoming new students, followed by preaching about the academy’s history and greatness… In short, it’s dull.
It was so boring that the most interesting part was when the Student Council President came out to give a speech.
Not that it was actually entertaining, but you know, when someone you know is speaking, you tend to pay more attention. That kind of vibe.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Alkiné, the current Student Council President. I hope you don’t think too hard about the title. I’m just a student like you all.”
Uh… with that tone, I can’t help but think of it as something serious, President Alkiné?
Am I the only one feeling embarrassed knowing that this is her concept? Is there no blue potion around? Please make me forget this reality.
Of course, aside from that concept, her speech was perfectly scripted. She had a knack for captivating the crowd.
Just when I thought she was wrapping it up nicely…
“And now, Seria and Rudion, I would like you two to come forward.”
Huh? What’s the meaning of this, President? You said you’d call us after the entrance ceremony. Why are we being called out in the middle of it?
I glanced at Seria beside me, and she looked just as confused as I was.
Although we were both bewildered, I couldn’t ignore the President’s request and stepped forward, trying to appear calm.
In front of the auditorium, feeling all the eyes on us, Alkiné cautiously apologized.
“I’m sorry for summoning you suddenly. But this is such a rare occasion, I thought it would be something to boast about.”
Hmm, that’s a fair point. But didn’t this just pass by in the original story?
True, since Seria was alone in the original story, it made sense not to draw attention.
But somehow, my presence made it worth boasting about? Should I take this positively or negatively?
“Ahem. I believe everyone knows these two.”
As if sensing my dilemma, Alkiné resumed her speech nonchalantly.
No, wait, it shifted from a speech to a declaration.
“From today’s entrance ceremony, these two will become members of the Student Council.”
The auditorium buzzed in an instant.
I mean, just the fact that a first-year is joining the Student Council is already a huge deal, and now two of us? It’s understandable that everyone is shocked.
But a lot of them seemed indifferent, too. With Seria being so famous, and me causing a ruckus just yesterday, it wasn’t completely surprising.
“Perhaps it was a bit hasty. To be accurate, you have the qualifications to be members. So it’s not final yet, and your willingness is important… If you have any intention of declining, you can leave now.”
Most of the students knew the risks that came with the Student Council. So it made sense that some might hesitate.
Considering all the angles, there was no reason for me not to join, so I was going to say yes, but it felt a bit unfair that this situation had been created.
So, I went down for a moment and climbed back up.
Alkiné’s expression was amusing to watch as it changed in real time; she really has a lot of expressions.
“…What did you just do?”
It seemed she didn’t expect me to come down and climb back up again, as she shot a genuinely puzzled question my way.
“I thought about it for a moment. Whether to join or not.”
“…You could’ve just stood there and thought, why do it in front of everyone?”
“Hmm… Just trying to mess with the President who put me in this situation?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Probably.”
Alkiné sighed as if she was tired of me, but she didn’t say much more. I guess, given the circumstances, she decided to let it slide.
Just as I was about to go down again, the microphone she was holding nudged toward us.
“Sorry, could you say a word?”
Oh… I asked for a blue potion, and she’s turning my indirect shame into direct shame? Is this some sort of reverse humiliation?
“We’re short on time, so only one of you has to speak. Isn’t it fitting for Seria to do this?”
Since nobody volunteered, Alkiné just called out with a direct hit.
Uh, you do know that if you say that to Seria, she’ll probably shy away from it, right?
Actually, she’s great at it, but she might not want to do it. She’ll get stuck refusing and end up having to.
“Uh. I, um…”
But for some reason, she seemed to be looking at me instead of saying she would do it.
This is definitely a silent signal asking me to do it.
She’s normally not the type to push things off on others, what’s gotten into her?
I’m not a fan of stepping up in these situations either, but since the Princess asked, I have no choice.
It’ll be nice to stack up favors for later when I might need to ask her for something.
“I’ll do it. Of course, if it’s a speech representing the academy, Seria should do it. But since this is a Student Council thing, you know? The Council has this image of being heavily focused on strength, right? And just yesterday during the practical exam…”
“You two exchanging glances is evident, so spare us the long-winded explanation and get to the point.”
“Seria seems embarrassed, so I’ll take her place.”
“Alright, let’s go with that.”
In fact, all I needed was to say that I would do it, but I ended up rambling unnecessarily and saying more than I should have.
But I decided to do it, Seria! You owe me one, so make sure to remember that.
“Wait a minute! Who says I’m embarrassed? I just thought Rudion suited this speech better…”
“Okay, let’s leave it at that.”
“Don’t just brush it off as if you’re okay with it…”
Crack!
Why is Alkiné glaring at me when I just translated her words? She remembers this favor, right?
Her eyes were burning with a look that could kill, but that was just her defense mechanism… trying to act tough.
Of course, with that appearance, her attempt at acting tough would usually work. That’s why she always held the position of the cool beauty in the original story.
I was just someone who saw through that façade and found myself outside that ordinary spectrum.
“What’s wrong? The atmosphere seems off.”
“Is it a love rivalry?”
“Are you insane?! Do you have any idea who they are?”
“Just joking, just joking. Of course, I know. But it does look like that from a distance.”
I guess our conversation had dragged on for too long. The focus of the new students sitting in the auditorium began to wane, and they started murmuring.
Deciding I could no longer delay, I grabbed the microphone and stepped forward.
I made some noise to test if the mic worked and cleared my throat to draw attention, confirming everyone quieted down before I spoke.
“Hello. I’m Rudion, a newcomer like all of you. It’s nice to see familiar faces here, most of whom I met just yesterday. You all remember my face, right?”
I didn’t mean to tease them with that remark. In situations like this, you always need a little connection to spark the audience’s interest, so I just threw it out there.
…But thinking it over, there’s actually no need to spark interest. I’ve suddenly found myself standing here and feeling a bit cocky.
Please don’t hate me for trying to talk down to you two gorgeous ladies, even though I’m just a veteran who’s giving new players a hard time.
“Ahem. Just getting into Rubetia Academy has already felt like a huge honor, and I never imagined I would be joining the Student Council so soon. The Council’s reputation is well known, so I won’t bother explaining.”
Having broken the ice, I rambled a bit until I ran out of things to say and quickly wrapped up.
“If it drags on too long, it’ll get boring, so I’ll keep it brief… I promise to give my best to honor the Council’s name. Thank you.”
Clap clap clap!
“Hey, not bad!”
“Confidence is key.”
“Wipe the sweat off your palms before you speak.”
“Oops.”
Caught red-handed. Honestly, I couldn’t remember what I just rambled about from nerves.
But judging from their reactions, it seems I didn’t say anything too weird.
“Well, you managed well despite the unexpected challenge.”
Alkiné said as she handed me something.
It was a badge symbolizing the Student Council.
“Originally, I planned to give this to you after the ceremony, but then it hit me that once it’s over, everyone would move to their assigned classes. I can’t just call you out separately, so take it now.”
“Thank you.”
“And once today’s schedule is over… Rudion, make sure you come to the Student Council room again.”
“Wait, what?”
“Alright, everyone. Let’s give a big round of applause to our new Student Council members!”
Woooh!
Clap clap clap!
With the atmosphere now shifting toward leaving, I had no choice but to step down without asking any further.
Seria giggled beside me, and I didn’t know how to react to this irritating tease.
“Ah… um… next up… um…”
At that moment, the person in charge of the entrance ceremony faltered for the first time, unable to get the words out. Curious about why, I turned to see the person staring straight at me.
Ah, no. They weren’t looking at me; they were looking at Seria next to me.
Just as I started to wonder why, the announcer resolved herself and spoke clearly.
“Seria Rubetia, please come forward.”
Seriously? After I just stepped down, you’re calling Seria back up?
Now that I think about it, there was supposed to be a time for calling Seria to praise the Empire.
No matter how much the academy promotes equality, a princess is still a princess.
If she steps up, I guess we’ll hear some praise for the Empire and maybe some questions about her thoughts on joining.
After I went out of my way to help, it turned out to be pointless. No, wait, isn’t it better than doing it solo twice?
If you’re going to look at me again, I can’t take her place, so don’t count on me.
Having just received applause, the awkward atmosphere between Seria and me was palpable.
And with that air, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Pfft. Hah. Hm.
As everyone was being quiet and respectful, only my laughter echoed in the auditorium.
But listen, the genuine ringleader of this situation, Alkiné, was laughing over there, too.
I saw Seria whispering, “Please don’t laugh…” but I kept laughing. You laughed first, so it’s even.
With Seria’s slightly flushed earlobes, the delightful entrance ceremony came to an end.
*
At the academy, classes are divided based on skill levels.
Lower, middle, and upper classes.
Having achieved total victories against all the newcomers in the entrance exam, I was naturally assigned to the upper class and moved there after the entrance ceremony.
…But why did it end up like this?
“Nice to meet you all! I’m Reina Trier, the head of the upper class. I guess I don’t need to introduce myself, right?”
You were originally in charge of the lower class. Who’s going to raise the main character in the early stages now?
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