"...It is an honor to stand here today. From this moment on, I will take over the role of student council president and lead everyone through the upcoming campus life..."
A girl with shoulder-length black hair stood on the podium. She wore a simple frameless pair of glasses and a flat beret, dressed in the standard school uniform: a white blouse with an indigo silk tie, a blue vest, and a skirt with black trim. Her attire exuded a sense of elegance, neither too flashy nor too plain, earning the trust of many students at Edess Academy.
At the very least, she looked normal, unlike the previous president, Amorth, who always gave off an intimidating and calculating vibe.
In the auditorium, under the witness of all the teachers and students, the transfer of the student council presidency proceeded smoothly without any hiccups. However, some of the upperclassmen were unfamiliar with this first-year student.
It seemed like they were hearing her name for the first time, but since they were about to graduate, they didn't pay much attention.
"It's her again. The speech at the beginning of the semester must have been a hint. Was it decided back then?"
Many first-year students were quite familiar with Thilan.
"I thought she was just a figurehead pushed by the academy. I didn’t expect her to actually take on the role of student council president. But can she really command respect?"
Some students, who didn’t pay much attention to campus affairs, were curious whether this seemingly delicate girl could handle the position.
"I don’t think so. This is Edess Academy, after all. Everyone here is either a genius from somewhere or comes from an extraordinary background. It’s not easy to earn their respect."
Some second- and third-year students shook their heads. Not everyone was aware of the events that had transpired recently.
After Thilan finished her speech and stepped down, it was time for the handover ceremonies of the various campus clubs. Since many club presidents were fourth-years about to graduate, this was also the time to announce their successors.
First up was the Tikos Botanical Research Club. Although not large in number, this club's level of expertise rivaled that of mainstream corporate research teams, and they had won numerous awards.
The club president, Mavis, who had a charming appearance, took the stage and briefly introduced the club's achievements over the past three years before discussing future prospects and introducing her successor.
"The next president of the club is my junior, a familiar face to many of you—Alen Hanafil."
With that, a member familiar to Thilan stepped onto the stage. As an elf, Alen was a rare sight even at Edess Academy. Coming from a prestigious family with both parents being renowned botany professors, many had heard of him, making this outcome unsurprising.
Although Alen was usually associated with the Twilight Ensemble, he often spent time at the Tikos Botanical Research Club. Thilan had seen him conducting experiments there during her visit.
Warm applause erupted, and the students welcomed the decision.
Next was the Hat and Dagger club, known for its combat prowess and a well-known presence on campus. Many had heard of them and seen their performances in the first half of the year's competitions.
The former president, Woolay, took the stage. Unlike his previous bald look, he now sported short hair, which felt fresh and unfamiliar.
"Hey, I don’t need to introduce myself, right? Haha, our Hat and Dagger club is strong, honorable, and unbeatable!"
"So, the person taking over my position must also be a powerhouse."
"Please welcome the strongest member of our club besides me—Xiao Yicheng!"
A handsome young man with short, deep blue hair stepped onto the stage. His appearance carried an ancient Eastern charm, and he wore the latest uniform released in collaboration between Gothic Doll and the academy. With a sword in hand, he effortlessly swung it, creating a few sword flowers before beginning his speech.
"...Thank you very much, President Woolay, for your guidance and training over the past two years. I am also grateful to President Thilan for her mentorship, which has allowed me to stand here proudly today..."
During his speech, he mentioned the new president's name, which surprised many in the audience.
"Did the new president really guide him in swordsmanship? That can’t just be flattery, right? Thilan looks more like a literary girl."
"I don’t know, but the Hat and Dagger club was indeed impressive recently. Among the five who helped President Woolay, Xiao Yicheng was the strongest. Since he said so, it’s hard to argue. Winners aren’t questioned."
Someone in the audience shook their head.
After the brief speech, the next to take the stage was the Death Rose Club, a mysterious and low-profile club known for its Decay Sequence.
Both the new and former presidents wore black robes and masks, resembling social recluses. Their speeches were exceptionally brief, only mentioning at the end, "...We are very grateful to President Thilan for her support and guidance, which has elevated the strength of our club members."
"Why is it Thilan again? Did she really do that much?"
"Next up is the new president of the Opera Fan Club, Evony. Please welcome her to the stage."
"The Fiery Goldfish Princess, so it’s her taking over the Opera Fan Club. No wonder she represented the club during the last collaboration. That explains it."
After a short speech, several smaller clubs took their turns on stage. Finally, it was time for the handover ceremony of the largest club on campus, the Black Shirt Wanderers.
The former president's speech was somewhat bland, but when the new club president took the stage, the audience was surprised.
This was a very unique girl. She had silver-blue hair, overly pale skin, and an exquisite but expressionless face. She spoke very little, stepping onto the stage and simply saying, "My name is Ge Yin. I am the new club president." And with that, her speech ended.
"I think I’ve heard her name before. Apparently, she was already at Sequence 4 when she entered the academy. She’s a genius active on the Aijeka Network and spends most of her time in immersion pods, hardly ever attending classes."
"That reclusive? No wonder we’ve never seen her before."
"It seems this year’s first-years are full of hidden talents. There are quite a few impressive people."
Finally, after the handover ceremony for the Black Shirt Wanderers, the event came to an end. Students began to disperse, with some upperclassmen even starting to plan their vacation destinations.
As the crowd gradually thinned, Thilan, who had been sitting in the front row, stood up. What the other students hadn’t noticed was that many of the student representatives who had just taken the stage had also stayed behind.
"President Thilan," one member bowed to the bespectacled black-haired girl, which seemed to act as a signal among the group.
They lined up on either side of her, calling her name.
"President Thilan."
"President Thilan."
"President Thilan."
Then, as the girl walked past, they followed closely behind her, leaving the venue together.
This scene was captured on the projection screen, replaying until someone pressed the play button again, returning to the beginning when the black-haired girl had first stepped onto the stage to deliver her speech.
"Quite impressive," commented the handsome men and women sitting in the audience, all dressed in white uniforms with golden leaf patterns. In the center sat a man with elven blood.
"So, she’s the new president of Edess Academy, Amorth’s successor, right?"
He lightly tapped the armrest of his chair, his eyes slowly scanning the screen.
"Yes, according to information obtained through special channels by the academy’s board of directors, she is indeed Themisia’s younger sister, Hestia Thilan."
Hearing this name, the man in the center closed his eyes and then slowly opened them.
"This name... it’s both familiar and regretful, both admirable and hateful..."
As the current student council president of Saint Ingo Academy, he had witnessed the brilliance and glory of that genius girl during his first year and knew all too well the terror that the name Themisia represented.
"Although Themisia is no longer here, it’s surprising and disappointing that the academy’s higher-ups didn’t recruit her sister and instead let her go to Edess Academy."
"Perhaps Themisia’s actions back then angered and disgusted the academy’s higher-ups, leading them to overlook her sister as well," a member beside him explained.
"Regardless, Themisia’s talent is undeniable. If it weren’t for her, that year’s grand competition wouldn’t have ended so peacefully," the golden-haired man in the center shook his head.
"Now that Edess Academy has found her younger sister, it’s almost like a mockery and insult to us."
"President, don’t you think we’re placing too much importance on this Hestia Thilan? While she is Themisia’s sister, not everyone can reach the heights of Themisia. Even among siblings, such disparities are common."
The president of Saint Ingo Academy exhaled lightly and waved his hand, signaling the student council member beside him to stop talking. Then he spoke.
"You haven’t witnessed the terrifying dominance of Themisia back then. Even after all these years, if you ask the current fourth-year students who witnessed her performance at the Winter Festival competition, they’ll tell you that she was on a completely different level compared to the champions of the past two years."
"Back then, not just our academy, but even the upper echelons of the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region believed her future was limitless. It was predicted that she might reach the peak of Sequence 8 before the age of forty. This was an incredibly terrifying prediction and the reason why many students from influential families didn’t dare to offend her. Even established adults would feel envy and wariness in the face of such a rising star."
"Many people think that pride and arrogance are negative traits, but when they manifested in Themisia, it felt natural. She was supposed to be like that. If she had been humble, it would have been strange and out of place. Her powerful aura left everyone who encountered her in awe, willingly submitting to her."
The man described an image and presence that was hard for ordinary people to imagine.
"It’s safe to say that because of her existence, all the geniuses of her generation were overshadowed, becoming insignificant."
"If not for the subsequent accident, she might have been the most outstanding and proud student in the history of Saint Ingo Academy."
After saying this, he paused for a moment, closing his eyes to rest, before opening them again.
"Enough. Let’s leave the matter of Themisia in the past. There’s no point in discussing it further."
"Assign two people to liaise with the academy’s board of directors and keep an eye on Thilan’s movements and news. Since Edess Academy has chosen their new core, we need to start preparing as well."
"This year’s Winter Festival won’t be as easy as last year, haha."
"The Hive Dominion, the Thunder Edge, Edess—all of them have special talents emerging. Even the low-key Relisa Academy is quietly building up its strength. None of them are easy to deal with. This is the pressure and challenge of being in the top position."
After assigning tasks and goals to various departments, the student council president of Saint Ingo Academy stood up, dismissed the meeting, and let everyone leave. He then walked alone to a hidden elevator in the building.
The elevator descended for half a minute, entering a vast underground training ground. In the massive training area, only one figure stood quietly. She was tall, with pointed ears, flowing golden hair, and wore a light green and gold fitted dress. In one hand, she held a crimson sword, and in the other, a golden sword that shimmered like flames. Transparent wings faintly appeared on her back, allowing her to flash through the dark underground training ground at incredible speeds. In almost the same instant, twelve arcs of red and gold light appeared and then vanished.
As she gradually mastered high-speed swordplay and combat, five special blue beams of light converged on a crystal core placed on the ground, forming a figure similar in height to her. This figure also wielded dual swords, but with eerie butterfly wings on its back, and the swords seemed to sprout from rosebuds.
The two figures clashed rapidly in the underground training ground, their movements too fast to follow. Sparks of magic, fragments of crystals, and flashes of sword arcs filled the space. After several minutes, the crystal-formed figure shattered completely, marking the end of the battle.
Clap, clap, clap—
Applause echoed in the quiet underground.
"Very good, no, excellent, Savelia."
He approached the woman who was kneeling on the ground, catching her breath.
"That crystal-formed figure was modeled after Themisia’s combat style and abilities. The fact that you defeated it is truly impressive."
The woman stood up and reached out her hand. Soon, a hovering autonomous unit descended from the ceiling, handing her a clean towel.
After wiping her face, she turned to face the student council president.
"Don’t flatter me, senior. Although the crystal phantom was modeled after Themisia, it probably didn’t even have 30% of her actual combat power."
Although she had elven blood, it wasn’t pure. Her voice was slightly rough, and her eyebrows weren’t as delicate as those of full-blooded elves.
"You’re right, but you’re only a second-year. You have plenty of time to improve and surpass her."
"With time, you might even reach her level. As for me, I don’t hold such hopes."
He smiled and turned to look at a large painting on the wall of the training ground. It depicted a scene from the Winter Festival a few years ago, where a purple-eyed, wild girl soared through the night sky under the bright lights, her demeanor both arrogant and striking.
After quietly admiring the painting for a while, the man turned back.
"Savelia, are you ready to take over my position and bring new legends to Saint Ingo Academy?"