Chapter 14: The Student Council’s Welcome
A Grand Reception
The auditorium after the entrance ceremony.
As I and the other students exited, we couldn’t help but stop.
Dozens of students stood in formation at the entrance, lined up in perfect order.
“All together, clap!”
Clap clap clap clap!
At the command of the student at the front, those behind applauded.
Their disciplined, orderly demeanor left the freshmen bewildered.
I noticed the golden armband on the leader and quickly realized who they were.
‘The Student Council.’
A third force at the academy, neither of the kingdom nor the empire.
Supported by both nations but under no one’s control, they’re the only group managing the academy’s internal affairs.
Created as a desperate measure to govern students who disregard staff, they’re essentially an autonomous police force.
Granted significant authority and privileges, they’re even guaranteed academy jobs in the future—a staff-endorsed enforcer group.
Both nations are happy to let the council curb the pointless antics of their hostages.
Most members are talented commoners or knights recommended to the academy, with humble origins.
Some mages from the magic towers, less bound by their secretive and specialized nature, join due to the staff’s active recruitment.
So why were they lined up before us?
“From now on, mentors and mentees will pair up to tour the academy! Called freshmen, step forward to join your mentor!”
A freshman campus tour—classic.
Reminds me of college orientation.
That night at the bar, drinking without knowing my limit, vomiting while sitting…
I shook my head to dispel the embarrassing memory.
My name is Isidora, a radiant 20-year-old academy freshman!
Drinking until I puke? Unacceptable for a saintess!
Right!
Running away can be helpful sometimes.
The past world, which I might never return to, should stay buried there.
As the proverb says, new wine belongs in new wineskins.
Looking forward again, many freshmen had already left with their mentors.
Even those of noble blood hesitate to challenge a group with such overwhelming presence.
“Hey, you. Who are you?”
“Uh, freshman, calm down, okay?”
“What? I’m Patricia Portia Arkis, youngest daughter of the Arkis family, one of the five shields guarding the empire! How dare you speak to me like that?!”
Her audacity shattered my expectations.
The mentor, clearly a senior, was flustered by the young lady’s bold attack.
Patricia, huh? Definitely not a heroine from the novel.
Probably one of the many passing minor characters.
Still, she was quite striking.
Her soft pink hair, neatly gathered, added a lovely charm.
Her dress, obviously made of fine fabric, exuded a noble aura.
And those golden eyes, brimming with confidence.
Anyone would nod in approval—a perfect noble lady, straight out of a painting.
Except her chest was smaller than mine.
…Not another bandage trick, right?
“Now, now, Lady Arkis. Calm down…”
“Who are you to interrupt me? So bold!”
“Sanguinua Dolor. Surely you’ve heard of the Dolor Magic Tower, Lady?”
Sanguinua, the older twin from the freshman welcome surprise, appeared.
He’s in the student council too?
Makes sense, since he was guiding freshmen last time.
From what I heard, the Dolor family is a magic tower clan and one of the five border counts guarding the empire.
No idea why he’d join something as trivial as the student council, but he’s certainly a match for Lady Arkis.
Realizing this, Patricia stopped her tirade.
“My, it’s my first time meeting the empire’s Blood Shield in person. You rarely appear in social circles.”
With that, she lifted her dress’s hem and curtsied lightly.
“My apologies. I’m Patricia Portia Arkis, the ninth knight of the Arkis family.”
“Haha, no worries, Lady Arkis. Most freshmen react like you. Let me formally introduce myself: Sanguinua Dolor, senior mage of the Dolor Magic Tower.”
He also introduced Pelos, a third-year senior, who greeted Patricia awkwardly, and she returned a curt acknowledgment.
‘Wow, she’s a whirlwind.’
Please don’t let her be in my group.
But my hopes were crushed as Sanguinua waved at me.
“Hey, Saintess! Over here!”
Ugh, f*ck. My life’s a mess.
I trudged toward Sanguinua, still waving.
“Nice to see you again, Senior Dolor.”
‘Better than your chatterbox sister, Ledel, at least.’
“Haha, yeah. Must be fate.”
[The God of Affection says a red-haired, frail, pretty-boy mage isn’t bad, right?]
Sure, you enjoy him.
Fate? Why do all the annoying things happen to me?
Is my dorm’s feng shui bad?
Come to think of it, the academy was built on a fierce battlefield.
A ghost or two wouldn’t be surprising.
Should I hold an exorcism?
[The God of Jealousy says a saintess talking about exorcisms is absurd.]
You’re just a bunch of lowlife spirits yourselves.
Praying and offering to you is basically an exorcism, isn’t it?
[The God of Entertainment says don’t even think that.]
[The God of Hunting is shocked by your words.]
Whining about chicken offerings while acting dramatic.
Ignoring the gods’ heated reactions, I followed my mentor, Sanguinua.
The Tour Begins
“Any place you want to visit?”
Mentors: second-year Sanguinua and third-year Pelos.
Mentees: me, Patricia, and three other freshmen whose names I forgot.
We introduced ourselves, but my memory’s failing me.
Maybe this silver-white hair is a sign of aging.
Unless I’ve got dementia, this memory loss is ridiculous.
“….”
A terrifying silence.
After witnessing Patricia’s outburst, no one seemed eager to speak before her.
She, perhaps feeling she overdid it, stayed quiet too.
Guess I’m the one to break the ice.
“It’s a bit early, but how about stopping by the cafeteria for a bite? We’ve all been up since early this morning.”
‘It’s 11 a.m., peak hunger time… I could devour a double portion of jajangmyeon.’
Food’s the fastest way to bond, right?
No big reactions, but no objections either.
Nobles with so little assertiveness?
Only Sanguinua seemed pleased.
“Sounds good! Better than fighting over food later.”
Fighting… over food?
What’s there to compete for?
The Cafeteria Chaos
I understood Sanguinua’s words halfway through my meal.
The seemingly quiet cafeteria turned into a sea of people as soon as noon hit.
Upperclassmen stormed in, grabbing plates and sweeping up the food.
The serving trays emptied in no time.
I stared, appalled.
“How vulgar… Don’t students here know dining etiquette?”
Patricia must’ve felt the same.
As a proper noble lady, she’s probably even more shocked.
Sanguinua smiled and responded.
“They may look it, but they’re from prestigious families. See that guy piling up roasted lamb ribs?”
At his words, our group’s eyes turned to the serving counter.
A nearly 2-meter-tall giant frantically grabbing meat with tongs.
Muscles peeking through his armor hinted at his strength as a warrior.
Sanguinua, eyes fixed on him, continued.
“The third son of Duke Adeia, the kingdom’s most famous swordsman. A top-tier swordsman here too.”
“Hmph, aren’t kingdom nobles just upstarts with barely a century of lineage? Seems their crude habits linger in their blood.”
One freshman frowned at Patricia’s words.
From the kingdom, I bet.
But judging by their silence, they’re outranked by her.
Sanguinua, smiling, pointed elsewhere.
A female swordsman greedily piling roasted chicken legs onto her plate.
Despite her refined appearance, she looked like a starving beggar.
“White Cloud Sword, Lady Lydia. You’ve heard of her, Lady Arkis?”
Patricia gasped in shock.
“The third daughter of the northern archduke…?”
“Yes, the empire’s hero who single-handedly defeated dozens of barbarians at sixteen. Even she’s just another student here.”
“My goodness…”
Patricia sat stunned, her expression blank.
I was a bit surprised too.
The novel didn’t mention these details.
Noble hierarchies persist, but before food, everyone’s equal.
Write more of this instead of just the protagonist’s exploits…
Oh no, that gaze again.
A piercing stare dripping with hostility.
It had stopped after leaving the auditorium, but now my neck was burning again.
With so many people around, I couldn’t even guess who it was.
Ugh, I’m losing my appetite.
I picked at my food and finished halfheartedly.
Our next stop was the library.