Chapter 101
The kids are excitedly talking about the new student welcome party.
Ji-hyun, who is carrying the attendance book as usual, comes in with a very tired look in her eyes and slaps the table with the attendance book.
“I’m glad I don’t have to take attendance for my class.”
She glances at the class, smiles, and slams the attendance book down on the table.
“We’ve got about an hour until the new student welcome party, so pay attention, because I’m going to tell you what to expect.”
The kids start to pay attention, and Ji-hyun is pleased to see that they’re paying attention to her because she’s talking about the freshman welcome party.
“It’s probably going to be pretty intense because of what happened yesterday, and because today is the day when people from the outside are coming to check on the new students. So you guys just need to be careful about a few things.”
First: Avoid unnecessary contact with outsiders during the event.
Two: Refrain from being loud and boisterous since there will be guests and seniors present.
Three: Don’t leave the ballroom for the post-event luncheon.
“Well, that’s it, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle yourself, but…… there are a lot of people who seem to be nervous, so let me give you some advice.”
After taking a moment to catch her breath, Ji-hyun wiped the mischievous look from her eyes and opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“──Don’t be intimidated. Today is the day that all of Korea’s heroes will be watching over you and doing their best to protect you, so all you have to do is stay calm and enjoy the ceremony while being welcomed by your seniors. Do you understand?”
She was right.
Because right now, it looked like dozens of heroes who had graduated from the Seoul Hero Academy were voluntarily standing guard for their juniors.
At the current strength of the academy, it was probably enough security to wipe out every villain in the Villain Alliance.
“Then stay on standby, and when the broadcast starts, everyone comes out to the auditorium. By the way, Eugene Han, have you practiced your oath?”
Suddenly realizing that I would be reading the oath today, Ji-hyun looked in my direction and opened her mouth.
“Yes. I had to.”
“Really? Don’t make a mistake and pretend that you’re going to stamp your feet in front of a higher authority. I don’t know if I should kick you in the eye.”
Knowing my family history, that would be a natural reaction for Ji-hyun to have, but…….
She left the room halfway through to see if there was anything she needed to prepare for.
Is it because I can feel that it’s really close now?
The atmosphere in the class is strangely subdued.
[Announcement from the broadcast room. Announcement from the broadcast room. All freshmen, please report to the auditorium at this time. Just a reminder. Freshmen, please assemble in the great hall at…….]
“Wow, I’m nervous about this. Did they say that the high and mighty of the Association and representatives from each guild are coming today?”
Jin-woo, who had seemed so calm until now, stood up from his seat and swallowed nervously.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. I mean, our mentors are pretty awesome in the first place, right?”
“……That’s why. That crazy bitch is coming to the academy! We need to evacuate the kids now!”
He was unusually quiet, but was it for some reason other than tension?
Apparently there’s room for jokes.
Jin-woo’s right, the auditorium is probably filled with heroes we’ve only seen in games, gathered to check out these new students and I would be making my first public appearance.
This would be my official debut into CS society and my mind is already made up.
“Let’s go.”
With me in the lead, Class A begins to move toward the auditorium and the hallway is crowded with children heading in the same direction.
As we step out into the hallway and begin to move, the noisy hallway instantly becomes quiet.
At the same time, the fear around us is felt through our vascular system.
Perhaps it’s because word has spread that we managed to subdue the villain in the midst of yesterday’s terror.
Certainly, yesterday’s commotion was too much for the average student to bear.
And that’s true even for a would-be hero.
Not that I didn’t understand their reaction.
“Eugene.”
In the midst of the silence, someone raised a hand toward us and called my name.
“……Choi Yeon.”
“Hi.”
The other kids look surprised.
Judging by the fact that there was Jung-hoon in the middle, it seemed to be C class, where Choi Yeon belonged.
“Eugene, are you going to the auditorium?”
“You just heard the broadcast.”
“Are you taking the oath today?”
“Yes, thanks to someone who said she wouldn’t do it.”
“Who? Oh. Me?”
She hadn’t even realized she’d said no to the oath in the first place.
Or maybe she didn’t even realize she’d done anything wrong.
“Come with me.”
“……really? I could go with your class.”
“Why?”
She leaves me speechless again.
Finally giving up trying to argue with her, I sighed and said.
“Whatever.”
“Yeah.”
The Academy’s Auditorium was about three minutes away from the main school building. It was a huge building that could comfortably accommodate thousands of people.
The last time I’d been here was during the entrance exams, so if it had been a long time, it had been a very long time.
I’m sure it’s only been a short time, but what makes it seem so long?
“Wow, look at all the reporters at the entrance. Is this a real academy?”
At the entrance of the auditorium, reporters with large cameras were camped out, eagerly snapping photos of the students entering.
“There she is!”
“The youngest granddaughter of Sword Saint!”
Spotting Choi Yeon walking beside me, the reporters stopped taking pictures of the students entering and turned their cameras toward her.
Something is about to become troublesome──
“It’s Eugene Han, the boss of……Academy!”
“What?! Eugene Han, the vice president? He’s taking the oath this time?”
“Student Eugene Han, please look over here!”
The attention that suddenly flocked towards me.
The boss of the academy……?
“Who the hell gave me that nickname──.”
“After all, I was good at passing out materials to reporters, wasn’t I, boss?”
“Was it you……?”
Crazy.
“Boss, aren’t you getting a little too emotional? I’m your right-hand man, this is the least you can do. Here, cheese. Cheese~”
Seriously, if it wasn’t for the reporters, I would have punched him in the head.
I decided to hold it in for now and head inside the auditorium…….
“Excuse me, reporters, you’re not allowed to interview first-year students yet!”
Fortunately, the staff guarding the front of the auditorium intervened and the reporters hesitated for a while, and we quickly entered the auditorium.
“Wow, I didn’t realize it was so hard to be bothered by reporters, is this why celebrities hate paparazzi?”
Jin-woo said, sounding like he was having fun.
“Jin-woo.”
“Yeah. Boss?”
“Shut up.”
“Hmph.”
After giving Jin-woo a word, I looked around the auditorium.
Apparently, the first-year students are lined up in front of the podium by class, and the rest of the seniors and outsiders are seated on the sides and back of the auditorium.
“Wow, the scale of this thing is amazing. I heard they used to livestream it online, but I guess they didn’t do that because of the terrorist attacks yesterday.”
Se-ah looks around as she says this, as if she’s been researching the freshman welcome ceremony as well.
Apparently, in the original, there was a lot of hype during the welcome party, with broadcasters coming and going.
Of course, it ended up doing the Villainous Alliance nothing but good by broadcasting their terrorism live, but that’s not something we need to worry about now.
[A reminder from the Student Council, all new students, please take your assigned seats.]
Over the auditorium’s speakers, the voice of Julie Rodman, the vice president of the Student Council, comes through.
Since this is an academy-wide event, the entire student council is present.
As if sensing my gaze, Julie, who had turned off her microphone, looks over and smiles.
What is she saying?
I read her lips as she moved her mouth to say something.
‘Good luck.’
She was expecting the same from me.
I’m not sure what I’m going to say, even though I know it’s going to be nothing more than…….
And so, as more and more people come in, the empty auditorium starts to get noisy.
The sheer size of the facility was evident in the fact that there was still room for hundreds of people.
It was clear that there were a lot of events going on here.
When the commotion died down as everyone settled into their seats.
[This is the annual event of the Seoul Hero Academy, and we are about to begin the New Student Welcome Ceremony].
The sound of applause echoed through the auditorium as the voice announced the start of the event, and I looked up from my chair to see the order of events.
1. Greetings and Discipline by the Dean of Seoul Academy.
2. Greetings and salute from the president of the Korea Association of External Relations.
3. Congratulatory remarks by Seoul Academy alumni representative Lee Won-ho.
4. Oath of the Academy’s new students.
5. Congratulatory Banquet and Lunch.
6. Closing ceremony.
“This is long.”
I realized that steps 1 through 3 were the oath and congratulatory speech, and if I made a mistake, the whole freshman class would fall asleep.
Even though I was sitting in the front because of the pledge I don’t want to think about being the subject of an awful speech.
It’s best to hold on to my sanity.
“Jin-woo, what are you doing?”
Just as I’m steeling myself, I hear Young-jae’s voice behind me.
I turn my head slightly to look behind me and see Jin-woo sitting on a chair and half lying down.
“What? You’re preparing well.”
“……What if I get caught by the instructor during the event?”
“Hey, don’t worry. You won’t get caught. Just clench your jaw and lower your head slightly.”
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought he looked sleepy…….
Still, it’s probably not a good idea to sleep like that, because…….
“Mr. Jin-woo, is that pretty lady behind you looking at you?”
“Huh? A pretty person is looking at me, where── hehe!”
I followed his line of sight as he broke out in a cold sweat and saw a woman glaring at Jin-woo.
“She’s here too.”
The head of the Artemis Guild, one of the largest guilds in Korea, Han Yeo-eun.
In addition to her, the heroes who were mentoring the other children were all present at the welcome party.
Of course, among them was Kwak Chun-sik, who was looking over and smiling.
And,
A man wearing a black suit and sunglasses who stood out among the heroes, sitting silently.
“Mmm…….”
It was Dominic Adanvanto, the Consigliere of Corleone.
I thought it would be difficult for my father, whose face is widely recognized, to come here as he did in the original, but I never expected the Consigliere himself…….
It was a situation where we had a group of people who could make the country buzz in the best way possible.
[From now on, there will be a greeting from the Dean to mark the beginning of the new student welcome ceremony, and I would like to ask the guests and students to stop their conversations and look at the podium.]
And in front of them, a man stepped up to the podium with a regal gait.
“Well, it seems we have a lot of distinguished guests today, so it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Heo Seok-ki, Dean of the Seoul Hero Academy.”
With this greeting from the man once known as Silent, the welcome party for the new students finally began.
