Chapter 46
“Look at this! What did I tell you!”
A professor immediately pointed at me and shouted.
“I told you she’d be asleep and wouldn’t even know today was the Four Seasons Assembly!”
What? The Four Seasons Assembly?
What is that even supposed to be... no, more importantly, what kind of academy makes a first-year do this much?
“Head maid, did you not separately inform Student Lunaris that there was a Four Seasons Assembly schedule today?”
Another professor started needlessly taking poor Odette to task.
This is starting to irritate me a little. Harassing Ms. Odette is my exclusive privilege(?), after all.
“For the past three days, I’ve helped the young lady get ready every morning and repeatedly emphasized the importance of the Four Seasons Assembly...”
Odette’s gaze turned to me.
“But the young lady is terrible in the mornings, so it seems she took it in through one ear and let it out the other while half asleep.”
...Ah. Now that I think about it, I seem to remember hearing something about an important schedule at some point.
I think I heard some boring, pretentious explanation too, about fulfilling my duties as the top student, bearing the academy’s long history and tradition, and lighting the way to the future.
Of course, I’m only just now pulling that from the depths of my memory.
How am I supposed to remember something I heard half-asleep, especially when I wasn’t interested in it?
I just thought it was the usual nagging.
“Still, it’s a relief you made it in time. We can get you prepared properly and send you out right away.”
As I blinked blankly, Dean Raymond pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.
“Then do us a favor. We don’t have much time, so move quickly. And if you need anything, just say the word. We’ll provide whatever support you need.”
“Yes, Dean. I’ll get the young lady ready right away.”
Odette smiled gracefully and approached the bed with the maids.
“Now, young lady. It’s time to get up.”
“W-wait a second... That’s cheating before I’ve even fallen asleep... Gyaaah!!”
*
The place they dragged me to without me being able to put up even a proper resistance was none other than a place called Honors Hall.
Opening the worn door and going inside, I saw a corridor lined with countless portraits.
-William Nartelli
-5th graduating class
-14th Pope
-Nimu Belka
-9th graduating class
-10th Tower Master and Archmage
They were all former Elterion Academy graduates who had accomplished notable feats.
“It’s what you’d call a hall of fame.”
Worried I might run away, Dean Raymond, along with the other professors, stuck close behind me and said with a shrug.
“The glories of the past watching over the academy’s top students—the ones who will brighten the present and future—how wonderful is that? Hoho!”
“Ah... yes...”
Of course, none of it made any sense to me.
At the very back of Honors Hall was a spiral staircase leading upward.
Looking up, I saw a door leading to the attic room.
Did they really have to put a room up that high? What a pain to climb.
“This is as far as we can take you.”
Dean Raymond said as he stepped back.
“Above this is the space reserved solely for the honored student—the top student of each year.”
“Just asking in case, but if I ran away right now...”
“We’ll be watching from here until you open the door up there and go inside, so don’t even think about anything silly!”
“Ah... yes...”
As expected, there was no loophole.
I let out a deep sigh and used telekinesis to float straight to the door by the shortest route.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, a large room with windows open on all sides came into view.
Soft lamps scattered their light throughout the room.
My eyes met those of three people seated around a large square table in the center of the room.
On the left sat Miriel Adrian, the 2nd-year top student, with striking flaming red hair.
On the right sat Gaios Leonhardt, the 4th-year top student, with closely cropped white hair and bronze skin.
And seated directly across from me was
“You came just in time, Lunaris.”
The 3rd-year top student, student council president Seraphina Clarencia, was smiling softly, her mysterious aura and bright yellow eyes glinting.
“I was a little worried you might not come.”
For someone who was worried, her expression was bright and cheerful.
She must have figured I’d make it here somehow, whether by choice or by force.
“Hmm—normally, the youngest underclassman is supposed to be the first one here waiting, you know.”
Miriel Adrian rested her chin on her hand and giggled with a playful nasal laugh.
She wasn’t really being sarcastic.
It was just a relaxed voice, as if she were dealing with a newly acquired toy.
“What does age matter?”
At that moment, Gaios Leonhardt, who had been sitting with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, slowly spoke.
“It’s only natural for the strong to make their entrance last.”
“Ahaha! Well, that’s true too.”
Unlike the president, who admitted it so readily, Miriel raised her eyebrows.
“Sir Gaios, you’re quite modest. A man who’s already been guaranteed a spot in the Imperial Knights right after graduation shouldn’t be teasing a junior so much younger than him.”
“Hm?”
“Of course, it’s true that Lunaris is the greatest freshman in history, but even so, compared to Sir Gaios...”
“Flattery? If anything, I feel like I should be the one learning from him.”
“...Pardon? Learning? What do you mean by that?”
Gaios slowly lifted his eyelids and turned his head toward me.
“Well, swords and magic are different, so direct comparison is meaningless, but...”
His gaze toward me was full of fighting spirit.
I realized then that this guy, too, was a sword fanatic... no, a sword worshipper.
“If I were a rookie who’d only barely scraped my name onto the bottom rung of the Knights, that monster would be able to join the mage corps and perform at ace level right away.”
Before Gaios had even finished speaking, Miriel’s gaze shot toward me.
Her eyes seemed to say, So she’s that strong?
“Gaios’s seal of approval... heh, hehe, heh...”
In that instant, goosebumps ran down my spine.
Ah, that look. The most exhausting look in the world.
I couldn’t endure the fatigue, so I let out a long, drawn-out yawn and headed for the empty seat.
“So, I just sit here?”
“Yes. Hurry and sit. If you don’t sit, we can’t start the Four Seasons Assembly.”
The very moment my butt touched the hard chair.
In that instant, the air in the room, the mana, seemed to tremble subtly.
Suddenly, the world before my eyes was dyed in four brilliant colors.
Red, blue, gold, and even pure white light.
The mingled light spread out across the walls and windows on all sides.
Soon, a gigantic illusion conjured by magic rose up beyond the window.
Behind me, fresh and lovely pale-pink cherry blossom trees were blooming in full splendor.
Behind Miriel, there spread a lush dark-green forest steeped in the light of midsummer’s sun.
Behind President Seraphina, the vivid reds and golds of autumn leaves spread out in a blaze.
And behind Gaios, cold but noble white frost blossoms gathered on every branch.
The scenery of the four seasons gathered together to beautifully color the academy’s darkness.
As I looked at this mysterious and beautiful sight...
Ah, my eyes sting. My head’s throbbing too, and I’m getting dizzy.
Ugh, this insane eye-searing glare. I’m done for. Tonight, sleep is ruined.
“No matter how many times I see this scene, it’s beautiful.”
Miriel relaxed her crazed expression and let out a low murmur of admiration.
“Even a year later, it’s still a sight that makes my heart race.”
“It’s not called one of Elterion’s famous sights for nothing. It’ll look even more amazing from outside.”
Gaios said with a wry smile.
“Of course, Miriel, you’ve been top of the class ever since you enrolled, so you wouldn’t know, but—”
“Ah, come to think of it, Sir Gaios was also in his first Four Seasons Assembly with me last year, wasn’t he?”
“Right. I always looked up at that sea of light from outside, longing for it and dreaming of it. I swore I’d someday step into that sea of light. That’s the resolve with which I swung my sword.”
Gaios’s gaze drifted into the distance.
“Well, once I got in, it was a little underwhelming, though.”
Seraphina gave a small cough to break the mood.
The president looked at me and began her gentle explanation.
“Lunaris, did you know? The name Four Seasons Assembly apparently came from comparing each year at Elterion Academy to the four seasons.”
According to the president’s explanation.
The growing second-years are likened to lush summer.
The third-years, who bear fruit, are autumn with their leaves turned red and gold.
The fourth-years, complete and ready to go out into the world, represent winter with its snow.
“And...”
The president suddenly reached out toward me and smiled brightly.
“The first-years, where everything begins, are the academy’s flowers blooming in the spring sunlight.”
The president’s violet hair fluttered mysteriously, carried by mana.
Right at this moment.
I began to understand, just a little, why Kyle, the protagonist of the original story, admired the student council president so much.
Why he had tried so hard to follow in this person’s footsteps.
Just a little—only a very little—I felt like I understood.
She was definitely a cool person.
...Though the problem was that she was also an exhausting person whose inner thoughts I couldn’t read.
“Among them all, the brightest and freshest—the master of spring.”
The president’s fingertip pointed at me.
“First-year top student, Lunaris Evermoon. Welcome, truly, to Elterion Academy, and to our Four Seasons Assembly.”