Unlike Greg, who was lazing about in his tent worrying, the academy roads in the early morning were always filled with vitality and noise.
And the young students were undoubtedly the most restless part of that vitality.
High-spirited and full of curiosity, they were always on the front lines of every kind of gossip and news.
"Hey! Have you heard? Yesterday at the Golden Crucible—you know, that ridiculously expensive high-end restaurant—they say five insanely gorgeous girls showed up all at once! Every single one of them had a totally different vibe!"
"Heard of it? I got the full detailed version from my cousin last night! He said the scene was absolutely insane! And you know what the crazy part is? Word is that four of those five girls were all connected to the exact same guy!"
"Holy crap?! Really?! Just who was that guy? That's way too... envious... wait, no, infuriating! Where is the justice in this world!"
"Tch, what's there to be envious of?"
A boy wearing glasses who seemed rather rational pushed up his frames, his tone carrying a hint of disdain:
"That's all just hearsay and baseless rumors. Even if it were true, I bet those five girls aren't nearly as exaggeratedly good-looking as the rumors claim. It's definitely just ignorant people exaggerating. They couldn't possibly match up to the ladies in our academy!"
Someone beside him immediately chimed in:
"You're right! Our academy gathers the future elite of the Kingdom, and it's filled with beauties! Speaking of which... hehe, who are you guys planning to vote for in this year's Full Moon Festival?"
The 'Full Moon Festival' was an ancient and grand traditional holiday among human forces.
Legend had it that it was established to commemorate a deity associated with the dark night.
On the night of the festival, a grand parade and celebration would be held in the city. The most eye-catching part was the public vote to elect the most popular young woman of age to serve as that year's 'One-Night Goddess,' playing the avatar of the deity during the parade and receiving blessings.
For the male students of the academy, this was not merely a festival, but a silent war concerning aesthetic taste, personal preferences, and even honor.
The moment this topic was raised, the boys instantly forgot the gossip from earlier. Their eyes lit up one by one, looking as though they were knights about to march onto the battlefield, waving flags and cheering for their favored goddess.
"Nonsense! Does that even need to be asked? Of course I'm voting for Her Highness Vivian! Noble, powerful, calm, and disciplined! She's practically the perfect template for a future Queen! Who else would I vote for?"
"Bullshit! Her Highness Lilith is the popular choice! Her magic talent is utterly brilliant! And don't you think her aura is way more charming? Her Highness Vivian is way too cold!"
"Heh, you youngsters are still far too shallow; you don't understand the charm of a rich woman at all! If you ask me, Senior Catherine Roman has the most potential! A prominent family background, invincible business acumen, and a reliable personality! Marry her, and you'll save yourself three hundred years of struggle!"
"I don't care what you guys say! Among us freshmen, I favor Silvia Lorraine the most! She's gentle, cute, and pink hair hits right in the heart! Besides, I heard she even has ties to a juggernaut like the Church of Light!"
"Tch, I used to be as shallow as you guys, but after yesterday's Undead incident, I became a total fan of Lady Victoria!"
A burly male student said with an excited face:
"That skill! That presence! Charging head-on even when facing an army of Necromancers! So awesome! And... cough, seriously, don't you guys think that if you could be stepped on by those long, powerful, gorgeous legs... er, I mean, being led by her would feel incredibly secure!"
The surrounding boys blinked in surprise at first, then broke into subtle "I get you" expressions one after another, the atmosphere momentarily turning oddly excited.
"Ah, right, speaking of yesterday's Undead incident."
Another boy seemed to suddenly recall something and lowered his voice a bit. "I heard that in the end, it was that Greg Sass who..."
The moment the name 'Greg' was mentioned, it was like throwing cold water into boiling oil. The boys who had been heatedly discussing instantly fell silent as a group.
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Everyone's expression turned complex, awkward, and even full of disbelief.
After all, what happened in the catacombs on the outskirts of the city yesterday had fermented overnight into various versions.
Yet the core fact remained: Greg Sass, the trash former noble whom everyone had despised not long ago, had single-handedly defeated the powerful Undead Knight in a head-on duel!
This news had already spread like wildfire through the various circles of the academy.
Furthermore, unlike the previous matter with the Demon King Cult executive, this time many students had witnessed the scene with their own eyes.
Precisely because of this, the shock and disruptive nature of the event were far too intense, leaving them momentarily unsure of how to comment.
Just as this weird silence pervaded, one of the boys happened to look up and caught sight of a figure walking toward the academy gates not far ahead. He instantly squeaked out a panicked greeting, as if grabbed by the throat:
"P-President! G-Good morning!"
Hearing this, the other boys hurriedly raised their heads to look as well.
They saw a tall, cold figure walking past not far ahead to their side.
It was Vivian Kahn, Student Council President and Second-year Representative.
Her waist-length ice-blue hair gently blew in the morning breeze. On her delicate, doll-like face, however, was a tired expression completely different from her usual self.
Beneath those ice-blue eyes that were always calm and seemed capable of seeing through everything, there were even dark shadows that could hardly be concealed.
Her entire state looked quite poor. Though her steps remained steady, they lacked her usual composure, weighed down by a heavy absentmindedness.
The boys were clearly shocked to encounter Vivian at this time.
Because the entire faculty and student body knew that Vivian was disciplined to a near-rigorous extent.
Her daily schedule was extremely routine.
Around seven in the morning, she was bound to be in the Student Council office starting her work for the day, which had practically become a fixture of the academy.
Yet now, it was nearly nine o'clock, and she had only just reached the academy gates?
What's more, she looked... as if she had stayed up the entire night?
Faced with the boys' somewhat panicked and surprised greetings, Vivian merely turned her head slightly and gave an extremely cold nod as a response with those ice-blue eyes that were visibly bloodshot.
Without pausing her steps in the slightest or giving them a second glance, she walked straight past them toward the interior of the academy.
Because at this moment, all of her energy was occupied by another matter, leaving her no mind for anything else.
"Greg Sass... defeated the Undead Knight alone... How on earth... did he do it? Why did he... suddenly become so strong?"
Rate on N.U.
