Chapter 109

“Winnie, get up! If you don’t get up, you’ll be late for the opening ceremony!”

 

“…Huh? What ceremony?”

 

“The opening ceremony!”

 

“Oh… Don’t worry, it won’t start until I arrive. Relax.” With that, Winnie yawned and went back to sleep.

 

“Winnie, get up now! You’re really going to be late! If you’re late on the first day, the instructor will definitely punish you!” Hearing Winnie still talking in his sleep, Shikondell grew anxious.

 

The opening ceremony officially began, and Winnie, still not fully awake, was dragged up by Shikondell.

 

With sleepy eyes, he stood in the line of freshmen, dressed in a clean male academy uniform, listening to the speeches from the high-level instructors in front of the pure and holy goddess statue.

 

The seniors from other grades were also present, standing opposite the freshmen.

 

The grand square of Carillian Academy looked like a luxurious stage, with white stone steps on all sides, and tall arched white moonstone gates on both sides, resembling a silver crown surrounding the goddess statue.

 

“Brother Winnie, what’s wrong with you? Did you stay up all night studying card tricks?” Seeing Winnie nodding off like a chicken pecking at rice, Fred chuckled.

 

“Is that all you think about? Cards, cards, cards? Does it have to be cards?” Winnie raised an eyebrow.

 

“Then what? Could it be that you’ve fallen for some senior, thinking about her all night?” Fred teased. “Which senior has captured your heart so much?”

 

“By the way, I haven’t seen you these past few days. Did you really go looking for some senior?”

 

“Actually, I did go looking for a senior,” Winnie smiled.

 

“Which senior sister did you go looking for?”

 

“You might not believe me,” Winnie glanced at Fred.

 

“How could I not believe you? As long as you say it, I’ll believe it,” Fred laughed, grinning.

 

Before Winnie could answer, a dazzling golden figure caught the attention of everyone in the grand square, both seniors and freshmen.

 

As the student council president of Carillian Academy, Mirexia had to give a speech every year at the opening ceremony.

 

Behind her were the core members of the student council, and today she was wearing the standard uniform of Carillian Academy, a pure white sailor uniform with a blue tie, a gold-trimmed blue pleated skirt, and thick white knee-high socks revealing an alluring absolute territory, with her slender feet in brown loafers.

 

Mirexia’s uniform was oversized, but this “oversized” didn’t refer to her height.

 

As for why it was oversized…

 

Let’s just say it was something Aesphyra would never understand in her lifetime.

 

The dazzling golden figure instantly captured everyone’s attention, and the freshmen who were dozing off like Winnie suddenly woke up, their sleepiness gone.

 

“Who is that beautiful golden-haired senior?” someone immediately asked.

 

“That’s our current student council president, Mirexia Pavone.”

 

“Pavone? The princess of the Camela Kingdom??”

 

“Exactly, so don’t even think about it.”

 

Winnie didn’t listen to the surrounding chatter, glancing at Fred, who was also entranced, and smiled.

 

“See, no need for me to introduce her, you’ve already seen her.”

 

“Huh?? Brother Winnie, I always thought you were an honest man, never boasting, but I didn’t expect you, with those thick eyebrows, to start spouting nonsense too??” Fred looked disbelieving.

 

“See, you said you’d believe me if I told you, but now you don’t. Fine, don’t believe it then,” Winnie didn’t explain, letting Fred think what he wanted. It was just a joke anyway.

 

“No way? Did you really go meet the princess??”

 

“You guess?” Winnie left a mysterious smile, letting Fred figure it out himself.

 

Mirexia began her speech on stage, and although the content was somewhat rigid, her looks made up for it.

 

One couldn’t help but marvel, the same script, when delivered by a white-bearded old man versus a youthful and beautiful golden-haired girl, had completely different effects.

 

After the speech, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Everyone had listened intently, especially the male students, who were all praising how white and big the lines were, oh no, how inspiring the lines were.

 

Not finished yet, the next to take the stage was this year’s freshman representative.

 

Needless to say, the freshman representative could only be Aesphyra, who had the highest total score.

 

Winnie was also seeing Aesphyra in the academy uniform for the first time. Pretty people are born clothes hangers, they look good in anything.

 

Today, Aesphyra had a red ribbon tied to the side of her hair, her silver hair flowing like water. The female uniform, whether for autumn or winter, came with two different colors of knee-high socks: one was the thick white socks Mirexia had worn earlier, and the other was the black stockings Aesphyra was wearing now.

 

The hem of her skirt swayed with the movement of her black-stockinged legs, and as this stunning silver-haired girl walked onto the stage, a commotion broke out among the senior students.

 

“Is this the freshman who recently made waves with her fire element [Breaking Shackles] level? Tsk, who knew she was also a top-tier beauty??”

 

“Not just that, besides fire, her other elements are all Extraordinary.”

 

It seemed this news had already spread throughout the academy.

 

“Isn’t that terrifying?? Has there ever been such a prodigy in the history of the continent?”

 

“It’s hard to say.”

 

“Tsk, this junior is really beautiful. After seeing her, other girls seem bland. I wonder if she has a boyfriend, or if she’s easy to approach.”

 

“Don’t know, but I heard her family isn’t prominent, so getting close to her shouldn’t be hard.”

 

“Hehehe…”

 

Hearing the conversations of the senior students closest to them, Winnie smiled without saying a word.

 

He wasn’t laughing at the fact that these seniors had no chance at all, but rather at the thought of Aesphyra being bothered by annoying flies again.

 

Compared to Mirexia’s speech, Aesphyra’s was less rigid, with a touch of playfulness that hooked the hearts of the senior students.

 

Finally, the grand opening ceremony concluded with a speech from the dean of academics and a welcome address to the freshmen.

 

The tedious opening ceremony ended, and it was time for course selection.

 

At Carillian Academy, apart from the compulsory cultural courses, all other courses were elective.

 

After all, the differences among students were vast, some were mage, some were warriors, and others were support-oriented. Each required different courses.

 

Winnie looked at the course selection form, pondering which courses to choose.

 

Carillian Academy offered a wide range of courses with strong faculty. Basically, there were teachers for any type of soul armament, and his soul armament was armor-based, so the basic armor soul armament cultivation course was a must.

 

Then, since his soul armament was warrior-type, a warrior’s close combat skills couldn’t be weak. Normally, warrior soul armament would also choose a weapon skills course to enhance their close combat abilities.

 

But Winnie didn’t think it was necessary to learn weapon skills.

 

Speaking of weapons, what weapon didn’t Vanessa know? She was proficient in all kinds of weapons, perhaps even more skilled than the course instructors. Was it really necessary to learn?

 

So, he turned his attention to other elective courses.

 

In the end, he decided on armor soul armament cultivation, equestrian studies, alchemy and potion-making, and scroll drawing.

 

Armor soul armament cultivation goes without saying.

 

As for equestrian studies, Winnie wanted to learn horseback riding. The image of a fully armored cavalryman was incredibly cool, even if such cavalry weren’t very useful in a magical world.

 

Alchemy and potion-making, along with scroll drawing, were highly popular and practical subjects. They were a safety net, if he couldn’t find a job after graduation, he could always sell alchemical potions and magic scrolls under the banner of being a Carillian Academy graduate.

 

Having made up his mind, Winnie submitted his elective courses.

 

Back at the villa, Shikondell, who was cooking, saw Winnie return and cautiously approached, trying to act casual while asking some questions.

 

But her acting was poor, nowhere near as skilled as Aesphyra’s, and Winnie could see through her immediately.

 

“If you have something to say, just say it, Shikondell,” Winnie finally couldn’t hold back, seeing her hesitating.

 

“Um, Winnie, can I ask which elective courses you chose?”

 

“What, you want to use me as a reference?” Winnie glanced at Shikondell, whose intentions were written all over her face.

 

“Yes!” Shikondell nodded quickly, hands behind her back.

 

Winnie casually listed the courses he had chosen, adding, “You shouldn’t just follow what others choose. These subjects are based on your own needs. Don’t end up picking something you’ll never use.”

 

“No, no, I won’t,” Shikondell shook her head with a look of being seen through, then returned to the kitchen to cook.

 

The senior students had already started the academy, and after selecting their electives, the freshmen also officially began their studies.

 

On the first day of academy, wanting to make a good impression on his classmates, Winnie dressed in a formal academy uniform, tied his tie, combed his hair in front of the mirror, and after tidying up his appearance, left the dorm with his book bag.

 

“Good morning, Winnie!” At the dining table, Shikondell, dressed in a male academy uniform, greeted him.

 

“Morning,” Winnie glanced at Shikondell, who, in male attire, looked like a silver-haired elven pretty boy.

 

Well, Winnie admitted, Shikondell was indeed a bit more handsome than him, but in terms of handsomeness and masculinity, he was still far ahead.

 

After breakfast, the two walked out of the villa together.

 

Since they were in the same class, they could walk to the academy together without splitting up.

 

“Hmm…” Walking side by side with Winnie, Shikondell suddenly blushed, as if thinking of something, then quickly shook her head like a rattle, dismissing the embarrassing thought.

 

Winnie didn’t notice Shikondell’s change, his mind occupied with thoughts about who his classmates were and what to have for lunch.

 

Winnie and Shikondell were assigned to Class Seven. Arriving at the grand teaching hall, they entered the bright and splendid classroom one after the other.

 

Since it was the first day of academy, Winnie thought he shouldn’t be too casual, so he arrived ten minutes early.

 

Most of the class had already arrived, and Winnie quickly scanned the faces of his classmates.

 

Carillian Academy had a typical small class system, with a maximum of thirty students per class, so Winnie could quickly take in all the faces.

 

At a glance, he saw many familiar faces.

 

And as his gaze swept over them, these familiar faces also looked back at him.

 

There was Aesphyra, sitting in the front row with a faint smile, Isatia, sitting by the window quietly reading a book, and in the middle row, Millian, who made a face at him as soon as he entered.

 

? What is this?

 

Did I stumble into a protagonist’s nest??

 

With the shy Shikondell by his side, that makes four heroines in one class??

 

The Chosen Hero, the Imperial Princess, and a pair of Elven Princesses, invincible! Who could possibly beat this class in the class competitions??

 

The instructor who assigned the classes must be a genius, how did they manage to group so many heavyweight players together?

 

And most importantly, he was also in it.

 

Being in the same class as these heroines, Winnie had mixed feelings.

 

The good part was that it would be easier to reap rewards, but the bad part was worrying whether being too close to these heroines would expose him to their fateful AOE effects.

 

Being too close to them without a strong enough fate and destiny was dangerous.

 

“Shikon… Dell, I’m sorry about that day. Um, do you want to sit with me?” Before Winnie could think further, a certain golden-haired elf hopped over like a rabbit, trying to take Shikondell’s arm.

 

But Shikondell didn’t take kindly to it, instead distancing herself from Millian and hiding behind Winnie.

 

“Ugh!” Millian puffed her cheeks, her gaze at Winnie filled with resentment. “Your fiancée is over by the window, so stay away from Dell!”

 

“??” Winnie was shocked by this outspoken girl.

 

First, he didn’t know how she found out, as not many people knew about this yet. Second, was this something that could be said out loud??

 

So, how did Millian know about this?

 

Before he could figure it out, two familiar gazes turned towards him, one from Aesphyra, her eyes filled with amusement and something else he couldn’t quite decipher, and the other from Isatia by the window.

 

However, the Imperial Princess merely glanced in their direction before indifferently looking away, as if the person being discussed wasn’t her.

 

Winnie also breathed a sigh of relief. What he feared most was Isatia thinking too many people knew about this and deciding to make an example of him, which would make his life difficult.

 

But Shikondell behind him was different. Upon hearing this, she murmured to herself, her eyes blank.

 

And beside them, many classmates turned curious and gossipy eyes towards him, with some also looking towards the girl by the window, wondering who this so-called fiancée was.

 

“What fiancée? Are you sane, golden-haired elf? I’m a clean-living man, where would I have a fiancée? Or are you offering to introduce me to your elf sister? Hmm, that’s not impossible,” Winnie immediately distanced himself, also speaking for Isatia’s benefit, so she wouldn’t misunderstand him.

 

“Tsk, trash human, trash blue hair, bleh!” Seeing Shikondell completely unwilling to sit with her, Millian, at a loss, couldn’t expand on the topic and instead stuck out her little tongue, leaving behind what she thought was a devastating remark before slinking back to her seat.

 

Oh?

 

With his experience dealing with Aesphyra, Winnie’s green eyes radar immediately picked up on something.

 

This golden elf tsundere was probably jealous.

 

She knew she had misunderstood him that day, but matters of the heart had no right or wrong.

 

If Winnie had only been guessing before and couldn’t confirm his suspicions, now he was almost certain.

 

This golden elf princess also had green eyes, and her crush was Shikondell. That earlier remark was dripping with jealousy.

 

Unlike Aesphyra, who had the cunning and experience to hide her preferences, Millian, this brainless tsundere, had completely given herself away with just one sentence.

 

Winnie shook his head, walked past Aesphyra in the front row, and chose a seat in the back.

 

Shikondell followed like a little tail, sitting wherever Winnie sat.

 

“Ugh!” Seeing this, Millian’s delicate mouth pouted so much it could hang a hook.

 

Seeing this, Winnie remembered the golden tsundere’s previous antics and couldn’t resist teasing her, reaping some rewards, and exposing this big tsundere elf princess’s secrets, so he gave her a mocking smile.

 

“Wah!” Sure enough, the simple tsundere got angry, her beautiful green olive eyes wide, her chest heaving, clearly upset.

 

“Virtue +30.”

 

“Current Virtue: 164.”

 

Hmph, golden haired brat, that’s the price for calling me monkey, got it?

 

You can’t mess with me.

 

Winnie then wagged his finger at Millian, giving her a “you can’t handle this” look.

 

“Virtue +40.”

 

“Current Virtue: 204.”

 

Wow, this tsundere is really useful, wearing her emotions on her sleeve, easily provoked, and much easier to reap rewards from than Aesphyra.

 

“Winnie, about that fiancée Millian mentioned earlier…” After sitting down, Shikondell coughed lightly, pretending to be a curious passerby asking for gossip.

 

“What fiancée? Is my fiancée a radish that just pops out of the ground?” Winnie pouted. “Didn’t you say your friend always spouts nonsense like that? Why are you believing her now?”

 

“Ah, right,” Shikondell nodded slightly, relieved.