Chapter 41: Entrance Ceremony [2]

Elise Valor, the student council president of Golden Dawn Academy, was having a terrible day.

It was all because of a request she had received from the principal the previous day.

—Please keep an eye on Lorenzo Riina. Make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble at the academy.

Elise had wanted to refuse immediately.

Why should she be responsible for watching over a single student? She already had enough work as student council president, and the new students’ entrance ceremony was just around the corner.

Unfortunately, before she could voice her objections, the principal showed her footage of the terrorist attack at Appetite of Heaven the previous week.

The footage had left a lasting impression on her.

She watched Lorenzo Riina brutally slaughter the terrorists who had threatened the hostages, then torture their leader without the slightest hesitation.

Surprisingly, aside from the unnecessary torture, Elise couldn’t find much fault with his actions.

The terrorists had threatened innocent lives, and Lorenzo had responded with overwhelming violence. However brutal his methods had been, he had protected the hostages.

If anything, the footage showed that he was willing to do whatever it took to protect those he cared about.

Of course, that didn’t mean she approved of everything he had done.

Still, she couldn’t understand why the principal was so concerned about him.

The World Government had suppressed nearly all information regarding Lorenzo’s involvement in the incident. Only a select group of people, aside from the victims, knew what had truly happened that day.

Yet the government was clearly worried about him.

From the footage, Elise could understand why. His behavior had been disturbing, to say the least.

But the boy was also the son of Aldric Riina, an SS-rank Overlord.

Very few people could afford to provoke someone like Aldric. Even the World Government had to tread carefully around his family.

And that was precisely where the problem lay.

The world had changed drastically since the Fall of Earth. People had awakened strange abilities, monsters had emerged from portals, and humanity had been forced to adapt to a reality that would once have seemed unimaginable.

Under such circumstances, it wasn’t surprising that some people had developed unusual personalities.

Whether someone was unstable or had a few screws loose wasn’t what mattered to Elise. As long as they used their abilities to protect humanity and fight the monsters threatening their world, she saw no reason to judge them solely for their personalities.

After thinking it over, she finally understood what had truly bothered the principal.

It wasn’t simply Lorenzo’s behavior.

It was his family.

Despite being an Overlord, Aldric Riina continued to maintain his mafia syndicate and expand its influence throughout the world. His criminal activities clashed with the image of an ideal Overlord, someone who should devote their strength to protecting humanity rather than pursuing the interests of an underworld organization.

However, Aldric wasn’t entirely neglecting his responsibilities. He used his powers to suppress the number of Gates appearing across the world, helping humanity contain the threat of monsters.

That only made the situation more complicated.

Aldric was both a valuable asset to humanity and a powerful figure in organized crime. Now, his son was showing signs of possessing similarly dangerous tendencies.

The World Government feared that Lorenzo might eventually become an even greater threat than his father. With the Riina family’s influence behind him, stopping him could prove difficult.

That was why the principal wanted someone at the academy to keep an eye on Lorenzo.

Unfortunately, that someone was Elise.

She had initially refused, but the principal had looked at her with such a pitiful expression that she almost felt as though she were bullying an old man.

He had sighed repeatedly, rubbed his temples, and complained about how difficult his position had become.

In the end, Elise had reluctantly agreed.

She still wasn’t sure whether the principal had genuinely been suffering or had simply been putting on an act to persuade her.

Knowing him, either possibility was equally plausible.

Regardless, she had somehow ended up with another responsibility.

And now, she was beginning to regret accepting it.

Lorenzo Riina was already late for the entrance ceremony.

Elise glanced across the orientation hall, where the first-year students had gathered. The ceremony was about to begin, yet the very person she had been asked to watch over was nowhere to be seen.

’He’s already giving me trouble before I’ve even met him.’

As student council president, Elise held considerable authority within Golden Dawn Academy. Apart from the professors and the principal, few people could challenge her decisions.

The student council maintained order and handled the academy’s day-to-day operations. Organizing the entrance ceremony was one of its annual duties, and everything had been arranged in advance.

The schedule was finalized, the students had gathered, and the professors were waiting to begin their lessons once the ceremony concluded.

’Does he think the entire academy should wait for him?’

Elise let out a quiet sigh.

There was no point wasting any more time on someone who couldn’t even arrive punctually for his own entrance ceremony.

She approached the microphone stand.

The conversations gradually faded as the students noticed her movement. Within moments, nearly every pair of eyes in the hall was fixed on her.

Elise Valor was difficult to ignore.

Her long platinum-blonde hair fell gracefully over her shoulders, while her violet eyes drew people in the moment they met her gaze.

She possessed the kind of beauty that could make even the most confident person forget what they had intended to say.

Several boys stared at her, completely captivated. A few even forgot they were standing in the middle of a formal entrance ceremony.

Elise noticed their reactions, but her expression remained unchanged.

She had seen this countless times before.

Taking the microphone, she swept her gaze across the hall.

"I won’t tolerate any disrespect."

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the room.

The effect was immediate.

The boys snapped out of their daze and hurriedly straightened themselves. A few lowered their heads in embarrassment, while others suddenly became very interested in the floor.

Elise waited until the hall had fallen completely silent before continuing.

"You’re students of Golden Dawn Academy now. Your abilities and achievements may have earned you a place here, but that doesn’t give you the right to behave however you please."

Her violet eyes swept across the crowd.

"This academy exists to train Awakeners who can protect humanity. If you want to prove yourselves, do it through your actions, not by making fools of yourselves during the entrance ceremony."

She paused, allowing her words to sink in.

"My name is Elise Valor, and I’m the Student Council President of this Academy. I’m currently in my third year, and standing behind me are the other members of the student council. I want you to remember the face of each and everyone standing on this stage. All the members of the student council hold the authority to decide everything in the academy. They are excellent talents in their respective fields.

"And most important of all... they are the strongest students in the academy."

Awe spread across the faces of the new students.

Standing before the student council, especially its talented president, they struggled to maintain their composure.

"Our Academy is the strongest Academy on Earth, and it is thanks to the effort of all our predecessors and seniors. You all must have heard already, our Academy has the highest fatality rate among every academy in the world. The reason for that is, from your second year onwards, you will be sent on missions and trials to hunt monsters beyond the portals, in the Spirit Realm."

She paused, studying their expressions before continuing.

"So, I want every one of you to understand something before you begin your journey here."

Elise let her gaze travel across the first-year students.

"You will face monsters whose strength may exceed your own, explore territories that humanity has yet to understand, and encounter dangers that cannot always be predicted."

She paused briefly.

"Some of you will return from those missions with greater strength and experience. Others may return with injuries that never fully heal."

Her violet eyes narrowed slightly.

"And some may never return at all."

A chill ran through the orientation hall.

Most students had heard rumors about the academy’s high fatality rate, but hearing it directly from the student council president made the danger feel far more real.

"However, don’t misunderstand me. The academy will provide you with the training and resources necessary to survive. You will have access to experienced instructors, specialized facilities, and opportunities that ordinary Awakeners can only dream of."

She placed one hand on the podium.

"But none of those things can guarantee your survival."

Her expression softened slightly.

"Make use of your time here. Learn from your instructors, cooperate with your classmates, and never underestimate your opponents."

"Now then, let me introduce the first ranker—"

Click!

The doors at the back of the orientation hall opened, cutting her speech off mid-sentence.

The sound wasn’t particularly loud, but it was enough to draw the attention of several students nearby.

A young man in a perfectly fitted black academy uniform walked inside.

His dark hair was neatly arranged, and his expression was calm, almost indifferent.

At first glance, he looked like an ordinary noble heir who had arrived late to an important event.

"Who is he?"

"Coming this late on the first day? How arrogant!"

"Maybe I should teach him a lesson!"

"He disrespected my president!"

"Your president? Are you insane? She’s mine! I was going to ask her out after the entrance ceremony!"

"What?! Screw you!"

Lorenzo seemed completely unconcerned by the attention.

He glanced around the orientation hall, briefly examining the stage before locating an empty space toward the back.

He had intended to slip inside quietly and wait for the ceremony to finish.

Unfortunately, hundreds of curious eyes had already settled on him.

Well, this is annoying.

He had expected some attention because he was late, but he hadn’t anticipated becoming the center of attention before he had even taken his seat.

Then his gaze landed on the platinum-blonde woman standing near the podium.

Elise Valor.

The student council president.

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

Elise’s expression remained composed, but a vein nearly popped in her forehead.

’You’re late.’

Although she didn’t say the words aloud, Lorenzo could practically read them from her face.

He raised an eyebrow.

’And?’

For a moment, Elise stared at him in disbelief.

Was he seriously acting as though nothing was wrong?