The World Does Not Exist for ■■

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: ford53
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< Chapter 34: A Coincidence for the NPC (5) >

The entrance ceremony at Rhodes Howe Academy was a grand affair.

Despite the recent terrorist attack that delayed the schedule and forced many visitors to be turned away due to security concerns, a massive crowd still gathered at the academy.

The academy’s auditorium wasn’t filled to capacity, but it still hosted a crowd large enough to fill more than a soccer stadium.

Perhaps because there were no mere spectators, the overall quality of the attendees at the ceremony was much higher than in previous years.

Prominent politicians and diplomats, current superhumans and wizards, major figures in the education sector, and self-proclaimed celebrities who thrived on attention were all present.

It was a spectacle to see such diverse celebrities gathered in one place, one that was unusual and impressive.

The event hadn’t even started, yet the flash of cameras from the media was incessant.

Of course, it wasn’t a perfect event. The atmosphere was too charged, and most of the students, who were supposed to be the main focus of the entrance ceremony, were understandably intimidated.

After all, even though they were superhumans, most were not yet adults. For them, the harsh flashes of cameras and the loud noise of the venue were all too unfamiliar.

Some students, overwhelmed by the attention despite their superpowers, were either bowing their heads low or sweating profusely.

For instance, Meridis… no, Miri Soe, who was seated next to Seti, was one of those students.

She looked almost tearful, her head bowed.

It wasn’t just her introverted nature, but the overwhelming amount of attention directed at her was too much to handle.

It didn’t help that she was a beautiful newcomer who had been brought directly to the academy by the famous holy sword itself.

For the journalists, she was an irresistible subject.

As a result, since sitting down, she had endured an immense barrage of flashes. She bowed her head due to the pain in her eyes, but her sharp elven senses still picked up all the scrutinizing gazes around her.

Finally, not long before the ceremony was to begin, Miri Soe couldn’t hold back any longer and retched.

“Are you okay?”

The one who stopped the impending vomit was Seti, sitting next to her. She patted Miri Soe’s back and handed her a handkerchief and a water bottle.

The kindness amidst the tension almost brought her to tears, and a sip of water brought her back to her senses.

After wiping her eyes with the handkerchief, Miri Soe bowed deeply to her kind human roommate.

“Thank you, Miss Seti.”

“It’s nothing to thank me for.”

Seti shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal. She must have been inundated with flashes of attention standing next to Miri Soe, yet she did not utter a single complaint.

Instead, she stretched comfortably or looked around as if searching for something.

Her roommate was remarkably bold. As Miri Soe endured the pouring attention, she glanced at Seti.

Soon, a bright smile appeared on Seti’s face. She straightened her back and waved her hand towards the other side of the auditorium.

Following her gaze, there were three students waving back at Seti.

‘Friends? No, they didn’t seem to be friends.’

They had a subtly similar aura; they seemed more like family or relatives.

“Who are they…?”

As soon as Seti finished greeting, Miri Soe quietly asked. Seti responded lightly.

“They’re my sisters.”

“All three of them?”

“Yes, it just so happened that all four sisters enrolled at the same time.”

A bittersweet smile formed on Seti’s lips. Miri Soe, having recently lost her family, could read the longing in that smile.

A longing for the family she could no longer meet.

She closed her mouth, allowing Seti to sort through her emotions alone.

As time passed briefly, the lights in the auditorium went out, signaling the start of the entrance ceremony.

Suddenly, the previously empty stage began to fill with figures.

Most were strangers to Miri Soe, but among them were some well-known enough for her to recognize.

‘Jose Aguinaldo…’

The most noticeable was a neatly dressed middle-aged man.

Aside from his soft moustache and tawny skin, he was an ordinary-looking man; however, superhumans are judged not by their appearance but by their accomplishments.

In that sense, Jose Aguinaldo was the most conspicuous presence here.

He was none other than the Earthling who had faced her father in combat and survived.

‘Why such a big shot at an entrance ceremony?’

Miri Soe squinted her eyes and scanned the other attendees. A man in military uniform not fitting for the ceremony and a familiar woman with an eyepatch were also present.

‘General McFarlane and Freya Khan… Aren’t these people too prominent to gather here?’

Though she was not an Earthling, it was evident to her that gathering three of the strongest people on Earth in one place was an abnormal occurrence.

Of course, she could know no more. She was merely an outsider from beyond the Dimensional Gate, unaware of why Earthlings had assembled such a formidable force at a simple entrance ceremony.

‘Just a precaution against terror, or are they preparing for something much bigger?’

As Meridis let her imagination wander while observing the people around her, she suddenly locked eyes with a cantankerous-looking elderly Asian man sitting on the stage.

It was not a coincidence. The old man was staring at her with a piercing gaze that seemed to bore right through her.

‘…Who is he?’

As Miri Soe tilted her head in curiosity, Seti spoke up.

“Don’t make eye contact with that thing. It’ll only dirty your eyes.”

Seti’s tone was unusually sharp.

‘That thing? Didn’t Korean people value their long-established customs?’

Meridis couldn’t help but ask.

“…Is he a bad person?”

“It would be a relief if he were merely bad. That old man is trash. The moment he heard rumors that you were born in Korea, he started looking for ways to exploit you.”

“…”

“I’m giving you advice— if someone from the Korean government approaches you later, don’t acknowledge them at all. They won’t be of any help in your life.”

Seti’s face was expressionless as she asserted this, but the disgust in her eyes was unmistakable.

Miri Soe, too, nodded silently without further questions.

After all, she herself had clearly witnessed the Korean government controlling monstrous beings with pig heads.

As their conversation ended, various government officials and superhumans stepped forward to begin their speeches.

The speeches were tedious. Most of them were the same old stories about becoming the heroes of the future and using superhuman powers for the good of society.

The most memorable part was Freya Khan’s speech.

She stepped onto the podium, surveyed the new students, and simply said one thing before stepping down.

“There’s not a single promising one among you this year. Try harder.”

Known for her eccentricities, her blunt remark caused no controversy.

Miri Soe smirked bitterly, and Seti, for some reason, nodded thoughtfully with a strange expression.

The tedious speeches finally ended when it was time for the freshman oath.

As the oath approached, not only the journalists, who had been losing interest, but also the superhumans and wizards, except Freya Khan, focused their attention.

“Will the designated freshman representatives please come to the stage.”

With the announcer’s call, the atmosphere changed around them.

Unaware of the implications, Meridis cautiously looked at Seti. Seeing her puzzled face, Seti kindly started to explain.

“At Rhodes Howe Academy, only students who are recognized by the entire faculty in their respective fields can take the freshman oath.”

“…Is that such a big deal?”

“It is a big deal. It means that as a freshman, you’re recognized by active superhumans. In years when no one meets the criteria, they don’t even hold a freshman oath.”

“Ah…”

“But this year, martial arts, magic, religion—all fields have produced a freshman representative… It’s the first time since the opening ceremony, and expectations are naturally high.”

Did she also long to stand there? Seti gazed at the stage with a distant look in her eyes.

Then, in the next moment, the host on stage shouted.

“Freshman representative for martial arts, Jeon Yunseong!”

Jeon Yunseong. Miri Soe watched the unfamiliar young man ascend the stage.

The boy representing martial arts was handsome, but that was all.

To Miri Soe, who had grown up watching elves who were martial artists for thousands of years, the boy’s presence brought no special thrill.

Instead, her attention was drawn more to Seti’s expression as she looked at Jeon Yunseong.

Anger, jealousy, and a subtly complex smile.

‘What kind of relationship did they have to make such expressions?’

Curiosity rose suddenly, but before she could ask, the host called the next representative.

“Freshman representative for magic, Salome!”

This time, it was a name Miri Soe knew well. In the past, the last great wizard had prophesied that she would be a vessel capable of holding anything—a rising star of the Mage Tower.

Often referred to more as a vessel than by her name, she had another, more famous title.

Hope of Asha.

The hope to turn back the era of the Mage Tower and to flatten the noses of those arrogant Earthlings.

Of course, the elves did not believe such a thing was possible. The Mage Tower had long been in decline.

“Ms. Salome?”

After the host called her name again, a black mass rose among the new students.

She was a woman covered from head to toe in black, her face completely hidden by a black veil, and dressed in a black robe with gloves to match.

It seemed almost impossible to see through her disguise, yet that was Salome.

‘She still lives like that.’

Miri Soe looked at her with pity. Fortunately, it seemed she could see well enough, as she ascended to the stage without much difficulty.

While some reporters grumbled about her fully covered appearance, nothing more came of it. Wizards were, after all, an incomprehensible breed.

And finally… the last order arrived.

There was no need to see who the representative of the religious community was. She was a half-blood from Earth and beyond the Dimensional gate, a symbol of peace connecting the two worlds.

The Saintess.

“The freshman religious representative… has been personally taken care of by the Saintess herself. Saintess? Please come up to the podium.”

Miri Soe casually turned to Seti and asked,

“Who might the Saint be this time around?”

It was a question posed lightly, just to start a conversation, but the response she received was anything but light.

“She’s crazy.”

“…Excuse me?”

“She’s like the epitome of appearance-based superiority. Her mental state is inversely proportional to her looks. It’s disgusting how pretentious she is on TV.”

“Ah… so… do you have a personal acquaintance with the Saintess?”

Was it just a joke between friends? Startled by Seti’s harsh critique, Miri Soe tilted her head in confusion.

“Acquaintance? I really dislike that woman. I don’t even go to the temple because of her.”

“…”

While Miri Soe was at a loss for words, murmuring noises came from the stage.

Shortly thereafter, the host grabbed the microphone with a flustered voice.

“The Saintess could not attend the entrance ceremony today due to health issues. Regrettably, the freshman oath will be conducted by Jeon Yunseong and Salome.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Seti’s lips twisted.

“Health issues, my foot… she’s probably run off somewhere again. Bitch.”

“…Seti? What did you just say?”

“Just talking to myself. Don’t mind me.”

Miri Soe barely managed to keep her neck from turning away. For some reason, she felt she shouldn’t make eye contact with Seti right now.

“Oath! All freshmen…”

With Jeon Yunseong’s booming voice, the official freshman oath began.

As everyone’s attention turned to the stage, Miri Soe contemplated whether she needed to revise her opinion about her roommate.