Chapter 102
The first order of business, the Dean greetings and admonitions, were as expected.
The usual tropes and regrets about what happened yesterday, and how the academy should move forward.
Some students seemed to be deeply moved by the dean’s words, but for me, as someone who used to hit skip incessantly during my gaming days, it was just too bad there was no skip button in real life.
“So, I want to remind you that you are the heroes of our country and the world…….That’s it.”
As the dean finishes, a large number of people start clapping but the loudspeaker cuts through the clapping.
[Next up, the president of the Korean branch of the Heroes Association]
“Mr. Young-jae, Mr. Young-jae. This is Kang Man-seok from the Korean branch of the Hero Association, right?”
“It’s a bit of a stretch to call him the pinnacle……but he is the highest person, right?”
As Se-ah and Young-jae said, the man walking out onto the podium right now could be said to be a man who could make the entire country buzz with his position alone.
He had a sweeping gait and a strong body, a neatly swept back pomade and black horn-rimmed glasses.
“Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m Kang Man-seok, the president of the Korean branch of the Hero Association.”
As he introduces himself, a series of clicks of shutters begin to sound from the back of the room, and a few of the seated students look up at the podium with longing in their eyes.
Kang Man-seok glances at us and smiles.
His speech to the first-year students was not much different from the dean’s: formal and skippable.
…… If it weren’t for what he said at the end.
“Yesterday, I understand that the Academy was attacked by terrorists calling themselves the Villains Alliance. This is the place where we train the heroes of tomorrow, the people who will be responsible for the future of our country.”
‘What’s this……?’
Was this something that changed as the date of the attack was modified?
I’m intrigued by the way his voice rises and fills the room.
“It shouldn’t have happened and it’s the fault of us, the adults, for not being prepared and not dealing with it properly!”
Roughly translated, that’s “What the hell did the Academy do to deserve an unannounced terrorist attack? You know this is all your fault, right? Oh, us? We don’t know. What do you think?”
In other words, he was making a public attack on the Academy.
“For this, I and the Hero Association accept great responsibility. We feel deeply guilty for failing to create a safe environment!”
He goes on to say that the responsibility lies with the Association, not just the Academy.
If you listen to it without thinking, it might sound like he’s saying that we’re also at fault, so let’s share the blame, but…… the reality was completely different.
It was basically a way of saying that we would interfere with the academy.
In fact, the dean’s expression, who had been listening to Kang Man-seok with a smile on his face, was hardening in real time.
“I promise you that our Association will do everything in our power to ensure that this never happens again!”
A rough picture begins to form.
This must be the kind of checks and balances that Mr. Kwak Chun-sik had talked about in the past.
Especially since the Academy has a weaker presence than others, it could be that the Association is trying to use this as an opportunity to nibble away at their weaknesses.
The Academy was an independent organization that the Association couldn’t deal with.
The only problem was that the attack was made at the Academy’s new student welcome party.
As he watched the expressions on the faces of the dean and the student council harden, Kang Man-seok didn’t even think about continuing, so he finally finished with a smile.
“Please, let me conclude by wishing you all a healthy start to your time at the Academy, and thank you.”
With a clap of his hands, Kang Man-seok exited the podium.
It’s not until he’s completely gone that the clapping stops and Julie’s voice is heard.
[This is……representing the graduating class of the Seoul Academy of Heroes]
The next person to appear was Hero, an S-class hero in the Korean Hero Association and one of the most famous heroes in Korea.
“Greetings, classmates, I’m Won-ho Lee, a graduate of the Seoul Hero Academy and a member of the ‘Metal’ guild.”
And…….
“I, too, have many worries and concerns about yesterday’s events, and I greatly sympathize with your thoughts.”
Also from the Hero Association.
“Yesterday’s events have taught us many lessons. That the freshmen in the Academy are not weak, and that the security of…..Academy is very lax. As a senior, I cannot tolerate this environment, it’s beyond deplorable!”
This was kind of expected.
After all, he had been treated like a junior by the current student council president, Ray Pendragon, since he was a student at the academy.
As he continued to rant, the faces of the dean and faculty could be seen hardening to the point of coldness.
“……and. I never thought you’d turn this place into a battlefield.”
Young-jae, who is a smart guy, also realized what was going on.
Of course, he had an incredulous look on his face, as if he hadn’t expected this situation to unfold.
Jin-woo, who had looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment, was also wide-eyed and eagerly eating a bowl of popcorn that he had found between his thighs.
“Mr. Jin-woo let’s eat together.”
“Huh? Sure.”
My gaze flicked to one side of the staging area.
There, a man with the faintest hint of a smile on his face, even in this situation.
The man who had planned this whole thing, the accomplice who had gone over the script with Lee Won-ho beforehand.
Ray Pendragon.
He’s the only one smiling among the student council members, who are all wearing sullen faces.
“……You were going to eat the academy from the start, weren’t you?”
If so, I can only defend myself.
“……As always, I hope you’ll seek me out if you need help. Thank you.”
Much less applause than before.
One by one, the other kids start to notice that something is off.
This was no longer just a freshman welcome, but a political battleground.
[The following is the freshman oath by Eugene Han, the freshman representative…….]
Finally, my turn came.
I stood up and walked to the podium, holding the script of the speech that the Academy had given me in advance.
At the same time, I felt the gazes of many people around me.
For me, who had been trained by the strict Parnello and Alessia, this situation was very familiar.
‘I never thought I’d be sworn in as freshman representative and have to practice in front of the entire organization…….’
When I finally stepped up to the podium, the scene in front of me was overwhelming.
The people who filled most of this large auditorium were all watching me, listening to my words and watching my actions.
I glance at the speech in my hand and slowly recite it.
[Greetings, I am Eugene Han, the freshman representative of the Seoul Hero Academy. Before I make my declaration, I’d like to thank the president of the association and senior Lee Won-ho for coming here today and…….]
A really, really bland and uninspiring declaration.
‘Boring.’
In front of me, I’ve chewed, torn, tasted, and enjoyed the Academy to the fullest, and I’m supposed to thank them without being able to respond?
‘Boring.’
That was not Corleone’s way.
-Tsk!
The flowing words stopped, and the large room was instantly buried in silence.
I immediately raised the speech in my hand above my head for all to see.
“What are you doing?”
“Performing,” I said.
‘Student council are you sure that’s all been said beforehand?’
People start to giggle at the sight of me like this.
Yeah, if it’s a performance, it’s a performance.
Tearing the manifesto in half for all to see, I tore it in half again, and then in half again, until it was a complete piece of trash, scattering it on the ground and opening my mouth.
“──You ──shame on you.”
I didn’t know what else to do.
If I didn’t possess the body of Eugene Han, I wouldn’t care but…
How dare they──eye the Academy I was working on?
“You should be ashamed of yourselves for coming to a new student’s welcome party and fighting over your own bowl.”
This was my pride as the heir to Corleone, and as a gamer.
Since I was admitted to the Academy──I have claimed this Academy as my territory and I would not tolerate any bullshit here.
“You were supposed to be speaking for the instructors who protected the new students from the villains, for the students who defeated them and for the new students who should feel inspired to join the Academy in the future.”
But they didn’t.
They were too busy looking out for their benefits.
“If I had been the president of the Association, if I had been a proud graduate of the Seoul Hero Academy, I would have stood up and spoken confidently to the students, and to the guests of honor who have come here.”
Well done.
Well done.
Well done.
“But you said, in the end, that the Academy was wrong, and that you were going to fix it.”
Pause here.
I decided to pull out the best quote to say at this point.
I’ll probably be the first to say it, since there’s no one else on this side of the world.
“Freshman Representative Eugene Han. I will say it here and now.”
It’s a declaration not unlike the one in the Declaration, but I’ve added to it the “history” of my former world, transformed it, and solemnly declared.
“We do not need your help.”
“We will not be weak or fail.”
“We will fight to the end.”
“We will fight in our country, on land, and at sea.”
“We will fight in our country, on land, and at sea.”
“We will defend the people from the villains at all costs.”
Then I looked out over the crowd of new students.
“We have a painful test ahead of us. We have many years ahead of us that will be filled with struggle and suffering. If anyone asks me what our purpose is, this is what I will tell them: to use the power we have been given to fight back against the most heinous of atrocities, unprecedented in the long list of crimes that mankind has ever committed. That is heroism. If you ask me what our purpose is, I’ll answer in one word.”
-Victory.
“Whatever the cost, victory. No matter what horrors come our way, victory. No matter how long and difficult the road, victory. Because without victory, there is no peace.”
In the end, thanks to greedy adults, I ended up giving the freshmen a pep talk, but I have no regrets.
Because these were the words that every heroic prospective student sitting in front of me needed to hear.
“Never give up. Never, never, never, never give up, no matter how big or small or big the task, unless you have a strong sense of honor and discernment.”
And, having spoken to children before me, I had to say this.
“Success is not eternal and failure is not the end, what matters is the courage to keep going without succumbing. I’m Eugene Han, freshman class representative.”
After the final words, I bowed my head and looked at the window in front of me as I finished.
[Achievement earned!]
[Achievement: Freshman Representative!]
[You have successfully passed the Academy’s Freshman Oath above the threshold!]
[The majority of the people in the auditorium were deeply inspired by your speech!]
[You will receive a special reward!]
Bingo.
