No Longer The Hero | TBATE

Chapter 17 | Orientation

{Arthur POV}

"Excuse me for my rudeness, but I do hate speaking up especially at my old age."

Looking down at the gray haired old woman on stage, I couldn't help but get a strange feeling as she continued to use her large-scale magic.

'Why was it so hard to disrupt?'

"Here today, I, Cynthia Goodsky, would like to formally welcome you all— the future leaders, scholars, and powerhouses to my humble, Xyrus Academy."

Following her greeting there was a short applause as the excitement in the room started to cap out, and I noticed that her magic had been dispelled without me noticing.

"While I considered presenting a rather long, boring, and drawn out speech— I decided against it, as this is a very special year."

She paused as her eyes quickly scanned the crowd of diverse students.

"I am proud to say that since the founding of this academy, we have never had so many elves and dwarfs in attendance as we do today!"

She signaled to someone behind the curtain and continued in a grandiose fashion.

"As such— who better to welcome you all than the very students who will be helping lead you all throughout your years here! Please give a warm welcome to the Xyrus Academy student council!"

Following her excitement filled statement, her body was dispersed into a gust of wind and a small group of students started to walk out from behind the curtains.

"I almost forgot that Lilia was on the student council."

I heard my sister comment next to me, her voice being barely audible through the booming applause as I continued to watch the entering students.

"Really? With her outgoing personality it really isn't that much of a surpri— !!!"

As I watched the last two students walk onto the stage, my thoughts froze and I turned my gaze down towards Sylvie who was watching from my lap.

'Papa, isn't that the elf you saved just after I was born?'

I gave the metal equivalent of a nod as I struggled to keep my expression.

'But wasn't the student council president supposed to be the elven princess...'

'...'

Although I had already expected her to be the daughter of a high ranking individual, the fact that she was not only a princess but also somehow in a light-yellow stage despite not being awakened when I saved her, really made me question if coming to the academy was worth the trouble.

Sigh...*

'Sylv, we're going hom—— god dammit.'

Lifting my gaze up from my daughter, I turned my eyes just in time to lock eyes with the silver haired elf at the podium who seemed to be sizing up the student body.

'I'm screwed.'

I then watched in annoyance, as her expression faltered in an almost unnoticeable way and she locked her emerald colored eyes onto my own, before turning them to Athena next to me with a complicated expression.

'Did she just sigh?'

I shrugged as I noticed the applause's calm down, while the princess turned her gaze back to the collective crowd and began her speech.

(A/n The first part of the speech is practically the same so if you don't want to reread it, feel free to skip it)

"Greetings, everyone. My name is Tessia Eralith, your student council president."