The entrance ceremony is pretty much the same whether it’s in the original world or this one.
Basically, everyone gathers, they hype up the new students with some “honored to have you” nonsense, then drone on about the academy’s history and greatness… In short, it was boring.
So boring that the most interesting part was when the Student Council President came out to give a speech.
Not that it was actually fun, but you know how it is when someone you know shows up—you just pay more attention. That kind of vibe.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Alkiné, currently serving as the Student Council President. Don’t think of me as too intimidating. I’m just a student like you all.”
Uh, with that tone, it’s kinda hard *not* to think of you as intimidating, President Alkiné.
I know it’s part of her act, but it’s so cringe I feel embarrassed for her. Got any blue pills? Please, make me forget this reality.
Of course, aside from the act, her speech was textbook perfect. She even had a knack for captivating the crowd.
Just when I thought she was wrapping it up…
“…And Seria. Rudion. I’d like the two of you to come forward.”
Huh? What’s this all of a sudden, President? No heads-up?
You said you’d come find us after the ceremony. Why are you calling us up in the middle of it?
I glanced at Seria next to me, and she looked just as confused. Guess she didn’t know about this either.
Totally baffled, but I couldn’t ignore the President, so I forced myself to act calm and walked forward.
At the front of the auditorium, under everyone’s gaze, Alkiné cautiously apologized.
“Sorry for calling you up so suddenly. But this is such a rare occasion, I thought it’d be something for everyone to be proud of.”
Hmm, she’s not wrong. But didn’t this just get glossed over in the original?
Then again, in the original, it was just Seria, so that makes sense.
Considering her status, they probably couldn’t just brag about her openly.
But now that I’m here, I guess it’s worth showing off? Should I take that as a compliment?
“Ahem. I believe everyone here already knows these two.”
Alkiné continued her speech, unfazed—or maybe unaware—of my internal crisis.
Wait, this wasn’t a speech anymore. It was a declaration.
“Starting today, these two will officially become members of the Student Council.”
The auditorium erupted in murmurs.
I mean, it’s a huge deal for first-years to join the Student Council, let alone two at once. No wonder everyone’s shocked.
Though, half the crowd seemed to take it in stride. Seria’s already famous, and I caused quite a stir yesterday, so…
“Perhaps I was a bit hasty. To be precise, they’ve earned the *qualification* to become members. It’s not finalized yet, and their own wishes matter most… If either of you wishes to decline, you may step down now.”
Most people are probably well aware of the dangers of the Student Council. That’s why some might hesitate.
It seemed like they were giving us a choice, taking that into account.
But… do you really think you can just step down after saying something like that in this position? They clearly called me here with a purpose.
Of course, considering all factors, there was no reason not to do it, so I was fully prepared to go through with it. But the fact that they set up this situation made me feel a bit resentful, so I couldn’t just accept it quietly.
So, I stepped down and then came back up.
Alkiné’s expression changed in real-time. I thought, “Wow, she’s quite expressive.”
“…What did you just do?”
It seemed like she hadn’t anticipated someone stepping down and then crawling back up, so her question was filled with genuine confusion.
“I was debating whether to do it or not.”
“…You could’ve just stood there and thought about it. Why did you have to do that in front of everyone?”
“Hmm… maybe to mess with the president who put me in a situation where I couldn’t refuse?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Probably.”
Alkiné sighed, clearly fed up with me, but she didn’t say anything more.
Given the situation, it seemed like she decided to just let it slide.
Just as I was thinking, “Can I step down now?” the microphone she was holding slid over to our side.
“Sorry, but could you say a few words?”
Oh… so you’re turning indirect embarrassment into direct embarrassment? Is this what they call a roundabout way of doing things?
“Since time is an issue, only one of you needs to do it. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Seria to handle this?”
Since no one volunteered, Alkiné just pointed directly at someone.
“Hey… even if you say that to Seria, she’s not really good at this kind of thing.”
Wait, no, she’s actually good at it, but she just doesn’t like doing it. She’s bad at refusing, so she’d end up doing it anyway.
“Ah, um, well…”
But for some reason, instead of saying she’d do it, she’s looking at me, isn’t she?
This was clearly a silent signal asking me to do it.
She’s not usually the type to push things onto others, so what’s going on?
I’m not exactly fond of stepping up in situations like this either, but when the Princess herself asks, what can you do?
Building up favors like this will come in handy later when I need to ask for something.
“I’ll do it. Of course, if this were a speech representing the Academy, Seria would be the right choice, but since this is something the Student Council is handling internally… The Student Council has a bit of a reputation for focusing on physical strength, right? And I just happened to do well in yesterday’s practical exam…”
“I saw you two exchanging looks, so skip the long explanation and get to the point.”
“Seria seems embarrassed, so I’ll do it instead.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Honestly, I could’ve just said I’d do it, but I ended up making unnecessary excuses and saying things I didn’t need to.
I did it all.
But I decided to do it, Seria! You owe me, so remember that.
“Wait a minute. Who said someone would be embarrassed? I just thought Rudion would fit this speech better…”
“Alright, let’s go with that.”
“Don’t just brush it off like you’re doing me a favor…”
Zing!
Wait, Alkiné gave me the nod, so why are you glaring at me? You’re remembering this debt, right?
Her eyes looked like they could kill someone, but that’s just her defense mechanism… She’s just acting tough.
Of course, with that face, acting tough usually works. That’s why she held the position of the cool beauty in the original story.
It’s just that I, who see through her true self, am outside that “usual” range.
“What’s up? The vibe seems off.”
“Is it a love fight?”
“Are you crazy?! Do you even know who those people are?”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Of course, I know. But at a glance, it kinda looks like that.”
Maybe our conversation went on too long. The freshmen gathered in the auditorium started losing focus and murmuring.
Deciding I couldn’t delay any longer, I grabbed the mic and stepped forward.
Pretending to test the mic, I cleared my throat to draw attention, and once everyone quieted down, I began.
“Hello. I’m Rudion, who’s entering with all of you. It’s nice to see familiar faces from yesterday. You all remember me, right?”
I wasn’t trying to tease. In situations like this, even a small connection can spark interest in the audience.
…Come to think of it, I didn’t need to spark interest. I just had to say one thing, but I guess I got a little carried away standing here.
I wasn’t trying to tease, so don’t look down on me, ladies. Even though I’m an experienced player who’s shamelessly bullied newbies, seeing two beauties look at me like that hurts.
“Ahem. First of all, I consider it an honor just to be admitted to Rubetia Academy, but I never imagined I’d join the Student Council so quickly. The prestige of the Student Council is well-known, so I won’t elaborate.”
After rambling on like that, I quickly wrapped it up when I ran out of things to say.
“It’ll get boring if I go on too long, so I’ll stop here… I’ll do my best not to tarnish the honor of the Student Council. Thank you.”
Clap clap clap!
“Not bad, better than I expected.”
“That’s what confidence does.”
“Wipe the sweat off your hands before you talk.”
“Oops.”
Busted. I was so nervous I don’t even remember what I said.
But judging by the reactions, I didn’t say anything weird.
“Well, you worked hard doing something unplanned.”
Alkiné said that and handed me something.
It was a badge symbolizing the Student Council.
“Originally, I planned to meet and hand it over separately after the entrance ceremony… but then I realized that after the ceremony, everyone would head to their assigned classes. It’s not like I can call just you guys out separately, so take it now.”
“Thank you.”
“And once today’s schedule is over… Rudion, you come back to the Student Council room.”
“Huh?”
“Alright, everyone. Let’s give a big round of applause to our new Student Council members!”
Wooah!
Clap clap clap!
The atmosphere made it impossible to argue, so I had no choice but to go along with it.
Seria was giggling beside me—what am I supposed to do with this cheeky girl?
“Ah… um… next… um…”
At that moment, the person in charge of the ceremony, who had been silent until now, started stammering. Wondering what was going on, I turned around and saw them staring right at me.
Wait, no. Not at me—they were staring at Seria, who was next to me.
Just as I was about to wonder why, the speaker, as if making up their mind, spoke up in their usual clear tone.
“Seria Rubetia. Please come forward.”
They were asking Seria, who had just stepped down, to come back up…
Oh right, that was a thing. Calling Seria out to praise the Empire.
Even in an academy that strives for equality, there’s no escaping the Princess.
If she goes up now, she’ll probably have to listen to some Empire-praising and maybe give her thoughts on the entrance ceremony.
All that effort I put in to step up for her just went to waste. Well, it’s better than doing it twice alone.
This time, even if you look at me, I can’t step in for you. Just give up.
Seria, who had just come down after receiving applause, now had to go back up, and the awkwardness was palpable.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.
“Pfft. Hmph. Heh.”
While everyone else was quiet and composed, my laughter echoed through the auditorium.
But listen, even though she’s not making a sound, Alkiné, the one who caused this mess, is laughing over there too.
I could see Seria muttering, “Don’t laugh…” but I just kept laughing. You laughed too, so we’re even.
With Seria’s slightly reddened ears, the enjoyable entrance ceremony came to an end.
///
At the academy, classes are divided based on skill level.
Lower class, middle class, upper class.
Having achieved a perfect victory in the entrance exam, I was naturally assigned to the upper class and moved there after the ceremony.
…But why did it turn out like this?
“Nice to meet you all? I’m Reina Trier, in charge of the upper class. I don’t need to introduce myself, right?”
Weren’t you originally in charge of the lower class? Who’s going to carry the protagonist in the early stages now?
