### Chapter: 267
Who’s the center of attention at the entrance ceremony of Rahern Academy?
Even though Rahern Academy has just celebrated its third anniversary, the standout figure had already been set as a tradition.
The star students of the Unnamed Academy.
The first batch’s top student, Charlotte Balheim.
The second batch’s top student, Kraush Balheim.
These two were so legendary that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them icons of Rahern Academy, boasting dazzling stories since their admission.
Because of that, it was only natural that the foremost figure of Rahern Academy would be the top student of the Unnamed Academy.
As this tradition took shape, of course, students were keenly aware of who the new top student would be.
There were two candidates for the top student of the Unnamed Academy.
They were the two who had taken down an associate professor during the final exam of the entrance exam.
One was Dalia Junon, the granddaughter of the Sanctuary of Stars Emperor.
Using the sword technique known as the Moonlight Divine Sword, she showcased explosive power and an innate combat sense, demonstrating overwhelming skill during the entrance exam.
Countless swordsmen who faced her realized they couldn’t break through the wall of talent she represented and gave up on reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Dalia Junon was undoubtedly a figure of remarkable talent.
The other candidate was none other than Bianca Hardenhartz, the fiancée of the legendary Kraush Balheim, who was recognized as the top student of the second batch.
With beauty so stunning it could leave anyone spellbound, her mastery over summoning magic wielded an unfathomable power.
Witnessing her summoning dragon, Klima’s breath, called Glycis Radius from up close, everyone agreed that her mastery was undoubtedly among the strongest of the third batch of students at Rahern Academy.
Now, with two formidable candidates vying for the position of top student, all the freshmen buzzed with curiosity over who would emerge victorious.
Though Bianca had previously bested Dalia, it was Dalia who ultimately defeated the associate professor during the final exam, creating a tense atmosphere.
As the entrance ceremony began, Dalia Junon, who was supposed to greet Kraush as a friend of his fiancée, wore a sour expression, having no time to stress about the top student position.
Entering the ceremony with Bianca, Dalia glanced her way.
Once Kraush stepped away, Bianca’s face quickly returned to its usual cheerful state.
“…You really like him, huh?”
As Dalia muttered to herself, Bianca’s eyes darted her way.
“Yes.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Bianca confessed her feelings for Kraush.
Dalia found this incredibly fascinating.
In upper-class families, love usually drowned in a sea of intertwined connections, making genuine love almost impossible.
Typically, prominent heirs had their fiancées already predetermined for the sake of family benefits, marrying those of equal or greater status.
Hence, Dalia had thought Bianca belonged to the same category.
But seeing how deeply Bianca was genuinely in love with Kraush felt almost magical to Dalia.
“What is it about Kraush Balheim that you like so much?”
As she spoke, her thoughts burst forth.
Despite the rumors of Kraush being a dimwit in the past, his achievements had flipped that perspective entirely, casting him in a much more positive light.
His looks, sharp yet refined, were typical of the Balheim family, and he was a prominent leader who stood at the center of Rahern Academy, boasting both charisma and exceptional ability.
Barring his quirky personality, it would be easy for any girl to crush on him at least once.
But Bianca seemed unconcerned about any of that.
To her, Kraush’s accomplishments didn’t matter at all.
“Because it’s Kraush.”
Before accomplishments, it was a pure affection for the person himself.
Bianca had liked Kraush ever since his dimwit days, which was a hard fact for Dalia to believe.
“I think that’s enough for now.”
Just then, Durandal finished his opening speech and stepped down.
Following him was a man of significantly weaker physique, the vice-president, Eraodin Judith.
“Now, I will announce the representative students who excelled in their respective departments during the entrance exams.”
As he said this, excitement surged through the eyes of the students.
The names called would be those steering Rahern Academy into the future.
“Literature Department, Verita.”
The first name called was the top student of the Literature Department.
A skinny boy wearing glasses walked up to the podium.
To everyone’s surprise, a commoner had snagged the top spot—unheard of in that environment.
The murmurs of disbelief echoed throughout the auditorium.
All the noble students, having been bred and educated as geniuses, bowed their heads in embarrassment.
After all, being outperformed by a commoner was more than a little shameful.
“Magic Department, Temarin Jeblam.”
But soon after, all attention shifted to the next name announced.
He was the son of the Sorcerer King, Terasius Jeblam, hailing from the Kingdom of Jeblam, one of the four kingdoms.
The boy with silver hair gracefully made his way to the podium under everyone’s gaze.
With a face to match his impressive lineage, he captivated the attention of the crowd.
“The Sorcerer King has a son?”
“I had no idea.”
“The top student of the Magic Department. Impressive.”
The dormitory quickly filled with whispers at this surprising revelation since nobody had ever heard of the Sorcerer King having a son.
“Theology Department, Arjela Irizum.”
The representative of the Theology Department came from a famous paladin family.
“Special Class, Boa Croc.”
Next up was a name from a renowned family in the Special Class.
Yet none of these could compare to the sensational spotlight that Temarin from the Magic Department radiated.
Just as the next department was about to be announced, everyone’s expressions sharpened.
The top student of the Unnamed Academy.
Historically a position held by heroes in Rahern Academy.
The hot topic for the all-day debate: who would fill that celebrated role?
As the bell rang for the vice-president to announce the results, all eyes were glued to him in anticipation.
In a tense silence that gripped the crowd, he spoke.
“The top student of the Unnamed Academy is Bianca Hardenhartz.”
As that name rang out, every gaze in the auditorium converged on a single point.
Inside the auditorium, all the freshmen set their sights on one shimmering figure.
Amidst the crowd, there stood a girl who resembled a white flower blossoming in the snow.
Her nonchalant eyes blinked once.
In that moment, she silently captivated everyone’s admiration—her beauty was utterly overwhelming.
“It’s like a doll…”
One stunned student murmured, and others unconsciously nodded in agreement.
“Go on out there.”
At that moment, Dalia, who had slightly adjusted to Bianca’s looks, urged her forward.
Nodding, Bianca stood up and headed toward the podium.
As she moved, all eyes remained fixed on her without faltering.
As she finally reached the front, the vice-president smiled.
“The five before you achieved top honors in the entrance exams.”
This was the pivotal moment where the five representatives of the third batch of Rahern Academy were established.
—
While Bianca thrived amid the ongoing entrance ceremony,
Kraush found himself at the Lion’s Order.
The reason was simple.
“The third batch of Special Class members needs you to gather them, Kraush.”
That was Charlotte’s order.
The Special Class was run differently from regular students. Instead of going through standard training for the first batch, they were thrown straight into practical experiences.
Just as Charlotte had previously selected members to form a group as their student leader, this time it was Kraush’s turn to undertake that role.
After the entrance ceremony for the third batch ended, while waiting at the Lion’s Order to gather Special Class members…
“Who are you planning to pick up?”
Kraush unexpectedly found himself being interrogated.
“Well, isn’t that already decided? Since Kraush has a fiancée,” a voice chimed in.
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
To his left were former Holy Maiden, Astra Stigma Freeman; Princess Karandis of Poseus Kingdom; and the daughter of the Poison King, Haring Lagrain.
“…”
Kraush stayed silent, observing the people before him.
“Why are you all so worked up?”
In the far corner, the Fourth Princess of Ephania, Sigrid Ephania, was calmly sipping tea, completely unfazed.
Last but not least.
“Here’s your tea, Kraush.”
“…Thanks.”
Ririna, Aslan’s dedicated maid, had come to serve tea in the Lion’s Order.
Everyone gathered at the Lion’s Order shot sharp gazes at Kraush.
As Kraush lifted the cup, he noticed, for some reason, the tea was hotter than usual today.
This wasn’t something Ririna, who usually didn’t make mistakes, would do.
Ririna quietly watched Kraush, urging him to drink.
“Looks like it’s brewed a bit too hot.”
As he attempted to sip, Ririna whisked the cup away.
Turns out, she was just being mischievous.
“Well, if you keep this up, soon enough, everyone here will be feeling the sting.”
Once inside the classroom of the Lion’s Order, Kraush had received attention all day, deciding enough was enough for mingling around.
Now he fully understood why they were reacting this way.
“I already told everyone countless times that I have a fiancée,” he said.
Honestly, it felt absurd that they were still sneaking glances and pushing boundaries.
Kraush frequently stated he was engaged, after all.
“That’s not it,” one of them retorted.
“What?”
Contrary to Kraush’s thoughts, their frustration stemmed from a different issue.
While Kraush looked puzzled, Astra shot daggers at his hand.
At his glance, he realized a ring adorned his left hand’s ring finger.
The problem was, they all had seen Bianca wear a similar ring on her left ring finger.
“That’s why we’re envious.”
Sigrid grinned lazily after finishing her tea.
The ring on his finger caused bitterness to blossom in the hearts of those around him.
Seeing Kraush’s flabbergasted reaction, Astra suddenly stretched out her hand.
“Give me one too.”
She even took the initiative, red as a tomato, exposing her audacity.
Although her face was ablaze with embarrassment, Astra realized she couldn’t run forever from reality.
The stakes had risen alarmingly high for her now.
“Astra…”
“You promised you’d take responsibility! Do it!”
As Kraush stared at her in shock, Haring beside him started fiddling with her hands.
While Haring didn’t want to put Kraush in a bind, her burgeoning feelings were getting the better of her.
The sympathetic gaze fixed on Kraush made it so he couldn’t voice any harsh words.
Having been entwined with Bianca before, Kraush found himself unusually susceptible to Haring’s charms.
“Me too! Me too! I wouldn’t even need a ring! Just give me something!”
Seizing the opportunity, Karandis raised her hand in a bid to get attention.
“Must be nice to have that ring.”
Meanwhile, Ririna was polishing a teacup while smiling mischievously.
“I wouldn’t mind if you gave me one too.”
On top of that, Sigrid playfully wiggled her left ring finger while flashing a cheeky grin.
What a complete mess.
It was the perfect description of the situation.
[ You rascal, trouble is brewing. ]
The voice of Crimson Garden echoed in Kraush’s ears.
[ The Sorcerer King personally came to Rahern Academy. ]
Kraush’s expression stiffened.
The next words he heard were undeniably shocking.
The Sorcerer King, Terasius Jeblam, had come here himself, determined to seek him out.
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