Chapter 91

Adelaide Clarissa Novena Cascadia is the Student Council President of Aegis Awakened Specialized Academy. She is known as an outstanding student within the school.

-Hey, did you hear? Adelaide is top of her class again! The more I see her, the more amazing she seems!

-Impressive, Adelaide. The skills you showed during this long-term expedition left me in awe as well. Truly, a worthy descendant of an honorable family.

At school, she consistently achieved excellent grades in both practical and theoretical subjects. As Student Council President, she demonstrated remarkable leadership. Her unique blend of elegance and kindness left a deep impression on many.

However, there was a minor issue: fans sent letters and gifts to the Student Council expressing their affection, regardless of gender.

Meanwhile, she did not neglect her family’s affairs. Through numerous explorations of unexplored dungeons and incursions into eroded zones, Adelaide garnered attention from the elders of her family with her outstanding performance, paving her way as the next head of the Cascadia family.

In addition to her abilities and achievements, her beautiful appearance and the grace and decorum only the old nobility possess made her stand out even more. She was truly a paragon of beauty and talent.

However, as the saying goes, “nobody is perfect,” and she had a small flaw. That is…

“This girl is just too cute!”

She had a soft spot for cute things.

In her room at the family mansion, she had a collection of everything she found cute, including puppies, kittens, and dolls.

Her favorite cute things were children. Therefore, she was always kind to kids.

Today, she coincidentally encountered a group touring the school.

Usually, most of the visitors were adult tourists, but sometimes a group of young students could be seen. This might also be a group of prospective juniors aspiring to attend an Awakener Academy.

She wanted to personally explain the academy in detail to future juniors, so she took the time to show them around when she accidentally overheard a compliment.

“Wow, it’s so pretty…”

Compliments about her looks were common to her ears, and she casually turned her head. Then, her amethyst-like eyes widened. She was mesmerized by a girl.

Seeing the Violet, Adelaide couldn’t help but let her lips curl into a smile.

“I didn’t know there was such a cute girl!”

Even in her modest clothing, this girl was irresistibly adorable.

With her slightly dazed eyes, her tiny mouth opened in awe. Her cheeks seemed almost springy, like they would stretch if pulled, and her ruby-red eyes sparkled. A bit taller than preferable, but considering her age, that couldn’t be helped.

Adelaide felt an inexplicable excitement at the sight of this doll-like girl.

“Oh my, how cute…what’s your name?”

“Ah…Irene!”

The Violet hurriedly mentioned her friend’s name, a pseudonym. Unaware of this, Adelaide subconsciously muttered the girl’s name a few times and continued to smile as she asked further questions.

“Ah, I see. Irene. Excuse me, may I ask you a question? Are you an Awakened One?”

“Eh…? Yes! That’s right.”

When Violet answered in surprise, Adelaide felt a thrill. An Awakened One? She didn’t seem like she was enrolled in the academy yet, so then…

“I see! So, do you have a particular Awakener school in mind? What do you think of Aegis Specialized Academy?”

“Ah, well…that is, um…”

Adelaide momentarily got lost in thought. She imagined the cute girl wearing Aegis’ uniform. It might actually be nice to have such a junior.

‘If such a pretty girl were my junior… oh dear.’

Lost in her reverie, Adelaide suddenly snapped back to reality. She must have been too excited. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she quickly corrected her posture in front of the onlookers, seamlessly shifting back to her usual demeanor.

“Ah, pardon my behavior, everyone. I’m the Student Council President of Aegis Specialized Academy, Adela…”

*

A century ago, before the dimension invasion and the world united under a single world government called the Federation, various kingdoms, republics, and empires existed. Naturally, nobility and royalty were also present.

The dimensional monsters took down the nobility that had not lost its status even with the growth of capitalism and the rise of the bourgeoisie. Young noblemen who joined the military in the name of honor were all turned into monster food, resulting in the extinction of many esteemed families, and among the survivors, landholding landlords faced destitution as a significant portion of humanity’s territory was eroded by other dimensions.

Nevertheless, some noble families survived the turmoil. They were fortunate enough to become Awakened Ones.

Like their ancestors from centuries ago, they picked up swords and organized private soldiers to fight against the monsters. After the dimensional invasion, their efforts were rewarded. They successfully secured a seat in the new world order, using the power of Ether as their lifeline.

After the world united under the Federation, the social status of families of the old nobility was no longer recognized, yet their historical weight and representation of the traditions of a bygone era held significant value.

“…I’ll guide you myself. Is that okay?”

And there stood one of the descendants of the old noble families before me. I never expected to see such a genuine noble lady here. What a marvelous coincidence.

Those participating in the tour were initially surprised to see a student introducing herself as the Student Council President, but soon followed behind Adelaide joyfully. When the Student Council President herself offers a guided tour, what better opportunity could there be?

“I thought we might meet someday, but I never expected it to be here.”

“Right? She’s a real noble! Never thought we’d run into her on the street.”

If I had to compare, Adelaide’s family is at a similar or slightly lower level than the European royal families on Earth before my arrival. Though the class system has long since disappeared in this world, when considering historical positions, Adelaide’s social standing surpasses that of Irene.

Currently, she passionately explained the school’s geography, history, buildings, and education. Her lengthy descriptions were easy to understand and entertaining, making time fly by.

However, something felt odd. That noble lady kept glancing at me often. While she dutifully fulfilled her role as a guide, her gaze occasionally shifted toward me.

“Hey, I think we caught her eye. Adelaide keeps looking at room 200.”

“Why did you have to blurt out how pretty she is without thinking?”

Why was that? The Violets, huddled together in thought, soon found an answer but weren’t entirely convinced.

“Adelaide likes cute kids. Wait, could it be!”

“Could it be that she’s fallen for us?”

“Not that, but I think she finds us cute!”

Objectively speaking, our Violets were certainly enough to be called charming girls.

And from what I know of the character ‘Adelaide,’ she had a penchant for cute children. She was furious when countless witches took children as hostages.

Moments later, I got an opportunity to engage in a longer conversation with her.

As we passed by the cafeteria, Adelaide suggested we take a break, claiming the school was too vast to see everything in one go, and treated the students to some drinks. Once everyone had sat down and relaxed, while sipping on the sweet iced chocolate, she cautiously approached my side.

“Irene, what do you think of our school?”

“It’s very nice!”

I answered briefly and simply. She thinks I’m an Awakened girl preparing to enter the academy.

But my remark about the school being nice was genuine. Aegis was far superior to Polaris in many ways. The buildings, the atmosphere for studying, the facilities—everything!

“If you don’t have an academy in mind yet, consider joining Aegis. Our history might be shorter than other academies, but our professors are exceptional, and everyone here is a great student. Our facilities are the best in the academy city.”

“Oh… that does sound nice.”

As I chatted with Adelaide, before I knew it, break time was almost over. It was a brief conversation, but a very pleasant one.

Above all, Adelaide was beautiful! She had a generous heart, just like Daphne.

“Why can’t our student council president be someone like this?”

“Aegis is a good school, indeed!”

Adelaide, kind and generous, was a hundred times better than the sneaky and violent parasite-husband from Polaris.

That scoundrel deserves to die.

As time passed, the tour drew to a close. When it was time to part ways with the touring students, Adelaide greeted each one as they left.

“I hope this time has been a good experience for you.”

“Goodbye! You said you were aspiring to join Aegis, right? I hope we can meet again as seniors and juniors next time!”

When it was my turn, I felt Adelaide’s violet gaze warmly fixed on me.

“Irene, whatever academy you aim for, that is your choice. I respect your decision. But…”

“Yes. If possible, I’ll aim for Aegis!”

I received her farewell and headed toward the school’s main entrance. As I walked, she hurriedly approached me.

“If you wonder more about your studies, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!”

She gave me her contact details and stepped back. An Aegis Student Council President’s contact information isn’t too shabby.

*

A long time passed after saying goodbye to Adelaide.

As night fell, the academy was enveloped in darkness. Although some students were conducting self-training or professors were still in their offices while the central library still had lights on, they’re gradually dimming.

Soon, hidden Violets revealed themselves. As their personalities returned to their dormant bodies, the lifeless forms lying still sprang to life as if nothing had ever happened.

“I should thank Adelaide!”

“Thanks to her, I’ve gained a good understanding of the academy’s structure and facilities.”

Immediately, the Violets applied adhesive and camouflage cream to their faces, then pulled on thin masks. They topped it off with masks and goggles. Their faces felt tightly bound, but this was the best way to protect their identities.

Finally, they donned recognition-inhibiting necklaces and dispersed their magical powers. From now on, if others saw us, we would appear as mysterious dark figures clad in combat uniforms.

“Operation start!”

The Violets scattered to their respective zones.

The main personnel headed toward the garden and forest. Actually, despite being called a forest, Aegis Academy’s forest resembled a botanical garden more closely.

First, some of the Violets stealthily disrupted the boundaries near the garden and forest.

-Crack!

Immediately, lights in the garden and forest went out, plunging everything into darkness. Simultaneously, a Violet who had infiltrated the outskirts of the school doused a trash can with oil and set it ablaze. Flames erupted noisily. This was a distraction maneuver.

As the Violet got closer, she aimed a crossbow at the CCTV. For some reason, it didn’t shut down.

-Peeping!

One by one, the CCTVs were disabled. But that wasn’t the end. I recalled the words Adelaide said while guiding us through the garden and forest.

-The plants planted here are quite rare. That’s why security magic has been set up. You mustn’t touch them. Understood? If you even touch a single finger, an alarm will sound, and the barrier magic isolating the inside from the outside will activate. You’d be stuck there until the prefects and guards come to get you.

“Absolutely.”

“The security is dense. There’s no way we can unravel that with our skills!”

The security here was more than just surveillance cameras. Various magical formulas were in place.

“An amateur thief would get caught immediately.”

However, they weren’t scared. Those magical formulas couldn’t block their entry outright. They only hindered theft and escape.

The Violets had ways to slip past.

They spotted sparkling crystal flower clusters in the distance. They hastily dashed in to grab the blossoms and teleport, reversing their creation. If things got dire, they could take the risk of self-destruction.

“Get ready!”

Violets prepared to dart towards the crystal flowers. The mission’s success was just around the corner.

As I silently counted down, a cacophony of explosions erupted.

“That was too loud for a diversion!”

“Hey, we said to set a fire, who said to use bombs?”

The Violet on standby outside protested, who had set the fire.

“What are you talking about? We just used gasoline. And that sound? It’s coming from outside!”

“Then what is it? Is someone messing around out there?”

While the Violets surveyed their surroundings, a massive, glowing curtain appeared above Aegis Academy in the dark night sky.

“Isn’t that the school’s defense system?”

As quickly as it revealed itself, the curtain was torn away and vanished. Like glass shattering, it shattered and dissolved into the darkness.

As we turned to comprehend the situation, an indescribable-colored object plunged through the ruptured curtain, invading the school. That sight was—

A small explosion was heard, followed by sirens blaring throughout the campus.

Then security barriers activated over where the crystal flowers and herbs were planted. The garden and forest began to close off.

“Uh! The barrier! The barrier just manifested.”

Startled, the Violets raced inside before the barrier closed.

“What on earth is happening…?”

They frantically plucked flowers and stuffed them into their inventories.

In the interim, the commotion within Aegis Academy showed no signs of subsiding.

“Talk about bad timing—just as we decided to steal stuff.”

A barrier only breaks under one condition.

Somebody attacked the academy.