Chapter 14
“Wow… this place is freaking huge?”
I entered the grand auditorium where the entrance ceremony was being held with my mouth hanging open.
It had looked big from outside, but once I entered, it was on an entirely different level.
The enormous dome-shaped ceiling rose so high its end was impossible to see, and a spacious hall that could easily hold thousands unfolded before me.
At the front was a stage large enough for even an idol to perform on, and above it, flags bearing the imperial crest hung in majestic rows.
…Wait.
No way… am I really supposed to go up there and give a speech?
Reality suddenly hit me all at once.
Even though it was early morning, the auditorium was already packed with people.
Despite what seemed to be cooling magical devices running, the air was hot from the students' excitement.
I craned my neck and looked around.
The incoming freshmen sat on the first floor, while students who appeared to be current students occupied the second and third floors.
Up above, the seniors who had come mainly to watch their juniors were chattering animatedly.
"Hmm…… I guess I can sit anywhere."
I chose an empty seat three or four rows behind the front and plopped down.
The very front is dangerous.
If Isabel spotted me first, the whole surprise would be ruined.
The original story said that the freshman representative speech was heard from the front row, too.
Looking around, I could already hear people everywhere making friends.
“Hey! How did you get in?”
“You think I'm like you? Do you know how much I got put through at home to get admitted?”
“Long time no see, Young Lady Velorian.”
“This is the first time I've seen you since the social gathering.”
As befitted noble children, they seemed to know a lot of people.
They naturally shook hands here and there, laughing and chatting.
"……Jealous."
I propped my chin on my hand for no particular reason and watched them.
I seemed to be the only person here without even a single friend.
“Yaaawn…….”
Watching them made me yawn involuntarily.
In fact, I'd spent almost the entire night awake.
I'd lain down in bed intending to go to sleep early, but I kept thinking about the speech.
So, did I prepare one?
No?
I did try to recall a speech our team leader had given in my original world.
'You can gain nothing unless you put your life on the line.'
Hmm.
If I said something like that in front of the freshmen, the professors would drag me off the stage first.
In the end, I wasted the night without deciding on anything at all.
It was while I was staring blankly at the stage like that.
“Over there!”
A lively voice rang out from above my head.
“Is the seat next to you open?”
When I looked up, a female student was looking down at me with a bright smile.
She was a cute girl with golden hair that seemed to hold the sunlight itself and orange eyes resembling a sunset.
Maybe it was because of her fresh, vibrant air?
She felt different from Isabel, but at a glance, she gave off the impression of a sunshine heroine.
“Huh? Yeah. It's empty.”
“Thank goodness!”
The girl beamed, then carefully sat down beside me.
The moment she sat, a faintly pleasant scent—was it shampoo?—drifted over.
…No, it wasn't because I was a pervert; it really did smell nice.
I should ask her what shampoo she uses later.
“By the way….”
The girl stared at me.
“You look really young.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry! Are you thirteen?”
……
What?
“The academy admits students starting at fifteen, remember.”
“Ah!”
The girl covered her mouth with both hands.
“That's right! How did I forget that?”
This girl.
Is she a bit of an airhead?
“We're the same age.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry! You look so much like my little brother that I thought you were younger than me!”
Then she suddenly broke into a wide smile and started patting my head.
“You're cute!”
“…….”
No, why are you patting the head of someone you just met?
Isabel was my older sister, so I could let it slide with her, but my mental age was far too high to have some girl I'd never seen before pat my head.
My hair got all mussed up for no reason.
I gently moved her hand aside and asked,
“More importantly, what's your name?”
“Oh! Right!”
The girl flashed a grin.
“I'm Lucia Lumenhardt!”
She boldly shouted it while making V signs with both hands.
“I'm Lucia of the Lumenhardt family, one of the great magical houses!”
Sorry, but I'd never heard of her.
Since the original story was a romance-fantasy novel aimed at women, I only remembered the male leads.
“And you?”
“Lee Rowoon.”
A brief silence passed.
Soon, Lucia's eyes went round.
“Whoa! Lee Rowoon?? That's the same name as the top student!”
This girl really was innocent.
Or was she just stupid?
I started to genuinely worry about her, though I felt sorry for Lucia.
“I guess so.”
Hiding those thoughts, I calmly played along.
“I was surprised too when I saw the list this morning.”
“Right? Isn't it amazing?”
“Yeah.”
“There are so many people in the world with the same name!”
That was technically true.
It was me.
Unaware of even that, Lucia kept nodding and marveling, while I watched her and chuckled quietly to myself.
Just then.
Hum──.
The auditorium lights slowly dimmed.
The students who had been chattering until a moment ago began to fall silent one by one, and every gaze turned toward the stage at the front.
Soon, an old man with white hair streaked throughout slowly walked up onto the podium.
He was the dean of Astell Imperial Academy.
“Welcome. To all the freshmen and returning students of Astell Imperial Academy.
I am the academy dean. The weather outside is quite warm, isn't it? Of all the seasons, I like spring the mos—”
Ah. I remember now.
I think the entrance ceremony speech was incredibly long in the original story too.
I remember the protagonist, Isabel, even fell asleep while listening to it.
…All right.
I could take a little nap too.
I'd been up for almost the whole night, so my eyelids were unbearably heavy.
***
“Heh heh heh…….”
The dean stroked his beard and smiled kindly.
“I suppose I should shorten my speech. They don't say old men tend to ramble for nothing.”
Small bursts of laughter drifted through the auditorium.
“Freshmen, let me congratulate you once again on your admission. May blessings accompany you on the road ahead…… I shall conclude my remarks here.”
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause filled the auditorium.
………
……
…
Ah.
Is it over?
I raised my head with bleary eyes and saw the dean slowly coming down from the podium.
Whew, thank goodness.
I woke up at exactly the right time.
If I'd been even a little later, I might have slept soundly until the entrance ceremony was over.
I discreetly wiped the corner of my mouth.
……
Drool.
I'd drooled a little.
Fortunately, it seemed no one had noticed.
Looking around, I saw that most of the students were applauding, while Lucia, sitting beside me, was….
“Zzz…….”
……asleep.
No way, you slept too?
And more deeply than I did?
The girl who had been so cheerful until just now was leaning back in her chair, breathing softly with the most peaceful expression in the world.
As expected, this long speech wasn't made to be endured.
I felt relieved for no reason and looked toward the front again.
At that moment.
“Next.”
The professor serving as MC's voice rang out through the auditorium.
“Combat Department freshman representative.”
A brief silence.
“The top entrant in the Combat Department will now give the representative speech.”
Oh.
Finally.
“Student Lee Rowoon, the Combat Department's top entrant, please come up to the podium.”
The auditorium stirred briefly.
-Lee Rowoon?
-Ah~ Is that the 0.1-second guy you were talking about??
-Is that the little brat?
-He's finally coming out.
Whispers rose from here and there.
I took a deep breath.
Phew.
Don't be nervous.
It's only a speech.
I'm someone who stood before tens of thousands of monsters in the tower.
There's no reason to get nervous in front of a few tens of thousands of people….
……
That's a lot.
Really, a lot.
I stood up, doing my best to keep my expression calm.
The auditorium, which had been buzzing moments ago, had fallen quiet before I knew it.
I could feel negative and curious gazes.
Shock, suspicion, anticipation, curiosity, and all sorts of other emotions came along for the ride.
And then.
'That little brat, really?'
'He's the one from the 0.1-second record?'
'It was true?'
The students who had seen me at the examination hall had already begun whispering.
I made my way through them, climbed onto the podium, and stood in the very center.
Then I naturally looked down at the audience.
Tens of thousands of gazes all turned toward me at once.
But among all those gazes, there was one I felt more intensely than any other.
The front row.
In the special-admission students' section, there was….
'……?'
'……????'
'……???????'
It was Isabel, staring at me with her mouth hanging open as though her jaw were about to drop off.
Isabel's eyes were as wide as they could possibly be, and her expression had frozen solid. She didn't even notice the admission guidebook in her hand slipping to the floor with a thud.
'That's Rowoon……?'
'Why……?'
'Why is he going up there……?'
'Our Rowoon?'
'The top student?'
'When?'
'How?'
‘Ten-year-old Rowoon…?’
'Was I the only one who didn't know?'
The moment I saw that expression, I nearly burst out laughing.
Kehahahaha!
Yes!!! This is it!!! This is the feeling!!!
All that waiting had been worth it!!!
I barely managed to restrain the corners of my mouth as I stood in the middle of the podium.
The magical amplifier orb began to glow softly, and the auditorium grew so quiet that even breathing could be heard.
I slowly looked straight ahead.
I could see tens of thousands of students and professors. And even the honored guests.
Ah, and my sister, who still hadn't recovered from the shock, too.
"……."
Good. Shall I begin?
I stepped forward once toward the magical amplifier orb and opened my mouth.
“Good morning.”
The brief greeting echoed throughout the auditorium.
“I'm Lee Rowoon, the Combat Department freshman representative and this year's top entrant.”
Keeping my eyes on Isabel, I closed one eye and winked.
Isabel's mental state has completely collapsed.