Chapter 25. The Freshman Welcome Party
8 PM. At the center of the central plaza.
Just like yesterday, the freshman welcome party was being held at the central plaza.
Colorful orbs of light lit up the sky over the academy, and tables filled with a variety of food and drinks were set up all around.
The food came from restaurants whose opening had been delayed, and compared to the cafeteria fare, it was almost embarrassingly luxurious and appetizing.
As the lively music of musicians filled the plaza, students danced to the rhythm or chatted leisurely, each enjoying the event in their own way.
Just like during the entrance ceremony, a podium had been set up in the center of the plaza, where performances and a congratulatory speech by the student council president were scheduled to take place.
The festival was so grand it could be mistaken for a national holiday celebration. However, since some students were still engaged in research or studying at this hour, the festivities were limited to the central plaza and the main building.
Ban, Reyna, and Lidifin had gathered beforehand and were heading toward the central plaza. Just as they reached their destination, Reyna and Lidifin suddenly hid behind Ban.
“What’s going on? Is someone scary here?”
“It’s not that. Do you remember the promise before you came?”
“You mean to escort you for the day?”
“Technically, it’s more like being a bodyguard. But either way, you must keep your promise!”
Her uncharacteristically shy demeanor made Ban find her cute, but he couldn’t help feeling curious.
“Well, I need to know what’s going on first to protect you properly.”
“Well… it’s just that…”
Reyna trailed off mid-sentence, blushing deeply.
Wondering what this was all about, Ban turned to Lidifin, but she avoided his gaze entirely.
At that moment, a student pointed at them and shouted.
“That’s Reyna Serenia and Lidifin Lightzurs!”
“What?!”
“Where! Where!”
In an instant, a crowd of students surrounded them, gasping and gawking with admiration.
Several students seemed ready to approach and speak to Reyna and Lidifin, but seeing Ban beside them made them hesitate.
Eventually, one bold student stepped forward and said,
“I’m Kane Downd! Teiral Cardrew wishes to speak with Miss Reyna Serenia and Miss Lidifin Lightzurs. It may be sudden, but please allow me to explain on the way—”
Another interrupted sharply.
“Hey! Miss Reyna and Miss Lidifin are from the Combat Division. What’s a Magic Division student doing here?”
Then, smiling cheerfully as if he hadn’t just snapped, he added,
“I’m Phisaine Arion. Reese Stane from the Combat Division would like to meet you both. If you’ll come with me, I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”
Those two kicked things off, and soon more students began to politely and persistently try to lead the girls away.
As they all got caught up bickering with each other, Ban, having assessed the situation, smirked.
“Let me guess. You didn’t explain anything because you were too embarrassed to admit you became stars overnight?”
“Ugh…! I like getting attention, but there’s a limit! I couldn’t even focus in class all day because of this!”
Even Lidifin, clearly overwhelmed by the situation, clung to Ban like a frightened kitten.
Ban pulled them forward, slinging an arm around their shoulders.
“Stand tall. You don’t want to live your whole life as outsiders, right? You know the saying: Those who wish to wear the crown must bear its weight.“
“We just wanted to stop being outsiders, not get this popular!”
Lidifin nodded emphatically in agreement.
“Well, too bad. It’s your own fault for being so talented. And it’s not like you plan to keep hiding your abilities from now on, right?”
“That’s true, but still…”
“And besides, who knows how long this kind of attention will even last.”
That made their expressions cloud over.
They had both experienced what it was like to fall from a position of high expectations, and it had been terrible.
“So just enjoy it. And if it really bothers you, I’ll chase them off for you.”
“…”
Reyna and Lidifin didn’t exactly like being in the spotlight. But if asked whether they hated it, they wouldn’t know how to answer.
This was the recognition they had longed for, but they couldn’t yet grasp how impressive their achievements really were—and they weren’t emotionally prepared.
The trauma of falling from grace once already made it hard to take a confident step forward again.
Ban, seeing their hesitation, didn’t pressure them. He simply waited.
Suddenly, the crowd parted, and a female student ran toward them with a bright smile.
“Baaan!”
It was Ban’s older sister, Seren Astrea.
Without hesitation, she dove into Ban’s arms, and the momentum sent him crashing to the ground.
While Ban sat groaning after landing on his rear, Seren happily rubbed her face into his chest.
“Mmmm~! Ban’s hugs are still the best!”
Having seen her absurd entrances so many times in the game, Ban wasn’t surprised and replied flatly.
“You’re heavy.”
“Oh, don’t be dramatic. I’m light as a feather.”
“Fifty kilos of feathers is still heavy.”
“Ugh. Why are you so annoyingly logical?”
While the two of them remained unfazed, the crowd around them froze in shock.
Everyone knew Seren was a notorious brocon, but seeing the tall, graceful Seren snuggled into Ban like a kitten was… bizarre.
She was a prodigy, the rumored next Tower Master of the Mage Tower, and the leader of one of the three major factions at Iris Academy.
A genius so accomplished she always carried the label “best in history” at whatever she did.
A figure so lofty that most students wouldn’t even dream of approaching her.
Reyna and Lidifin also tensed instinctively.
‘So this is Seren Astrea…!’
They knew they’d meet her eventually through Ban, but seeing her in person left them speechless.
After patting Ban’s chest a couple times, Seren stood up and looked at Reyna and Lidifin.
“You’re Ban’s friends?”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
Seren frowned slightly and strained her memory before finally speaking.
“Red hair… survivor of Serenia. Green hair… the weirdo from Lightzurs!”
Using vague, outsider nicknames to refer to them—that was how the world still saw Reyna and Lidifin. Their names hadn’t fully escaped the shadows of their family legacies.
Despite the attention they were getting, nothing had really changed. People wanted to use them. Realizing this, their faces fell.
Ban, his voice calm but tinged with anger, called out to Seren.
“Big sis.”
“What? Are you mad at me?”
“Not that. Don’t you think your words were a bit harsh?”
“What was harsh? I didn’t say anything false. I just called them what others do.”
“That’s not the point—”
As Ban tried to argue, Seren interrupted.
“I watched your fight during the initiation event. You two still have a long way to go. I wouldn’t call it a perfect battle.”
Reyna and Lidifin knew that, which was why they hadn’t fully accepted the sudden praise. But hearing it aloud still stung.
But Seren wasn’t finished.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you two are impressive. You just didn’t meet my standards yet. Compared to how I was in first year, you’re both stronger.”
The unexpected compliment left the two stunned.
“Especially Serenia—you got the highest score in history. So don’t hide. It’s disrespectful to those who aimed for your spot.”
Spoken by someone who had lived her whole life under the weight of expectations, her words carried weight.
Seren wasn’t tactful, but she wasn’t thoughtless either.
Her blunt encouragement sank in deeply. Reyna and Lidifin finally relaxed and smiled.
“Keep your shoulders back, chin a little higher, and smile like you deserve your place. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Thanks to her encouragement, the two resolved to move forward without hesitation.
And they would.
Meanwhile, the surrounding students realized something else—Seren hadn’t just encouraged them. She had raised their value.
As the head of one of the three factions, her endorsement was as good as proof of their strength.
The mid-tier factions grew even more eager to recruit them.
While everyone was mentally recalculating, Seren looked at Ban and grinned.
‘Such a doting little brother.’
She had already figured out Ban’s plan during the initiation and had predicted their hesitation. Her guidance had been deliberate.
With Seren Astrea, you didn’t ask “why” or “how.” That was just who she was.
There’s a reason they say genius and madness are two sides of the same coin.
Then Seren pointed at Reyna and Lidifin and declared,
“But! I won’t give up Ban! Ban is mine!”
“Huh…?”
While Reyna stood confused, another female student walked up behind Seren and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Seren.”
A sharp-eyed girl with sky-blue hair forced a smile. Seren began sweating bullets.
“Ka-Kamila…”
It was Kamila Spade, the second-in-command of Seren’s faction.
“I believe I told you repeatedly to behave yourself today, as it’s a significant event.”
“Ahaha… Well…”
“I was planning to rest after the schedule today, but since I failed to manage you properly, I’ll now stay by your side until curfew as punishment.”
Seren’s face turned pale.
“N-no! I’m fine! Don’t worry about me—go rest!”
“Please don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of everything here. Let’s move along.”
Kamila snapped her fingers, and two girls appeared to escort Seren away.
“Nooo! I just reunited with Ban after forever!”
She could easily escape if she wanted, but Seren obediently let herself be dragged off.
First-years were baffled to see a faction leader being taken away like that, but the upperclassmen didn’t even blink—this was routine.
Once Seren was gone, Kamila politely addressed the girls.
“Good evening, Miss Reyna Serenia, Miss Lidifin Lightzurs. I’m Kamila Spade, a second-year in the Magic Division. I’d like a word with you—”
But just then, the crowd parted again, revealing two male students.
One had reddish-brown hair and a stern expression. The other had orange hair and a gentle look.
“You’re breaking our agreement. We said we’d approach them together.”
“How cruel. I thought this time things would go peacefully.”
“We didn’t break it. We just happened to run into Seren here.”
“Right. Like you didn’t expect Seren Astrea to lead you to them.”
“Haha. Of course not.”
Kamila and the red-haired boy locked eyes in a tense standoff, and the orange-haired one stepped in to mediate.
“Now, now. Let’s all calm down. We haven’t officially made our proposals, so the agreement still stands. And Seren-senpai is so unpredictable that even Kamila couldn’t plan for this.”
The two still glared but eventually relaxed a little.
The orange-haired boy sighed in relief and politely addressed Reyna and Lidifin.
“Nice to meet you both. I’m Rayz Dowd from the Divine Division. And that scary-looking guy behind me is—”
“Kyle Raven, Magic Division.”
“Anyway, I assume you’ve heard of the three major factions?”
“Yes, more or less…”
“Great. We three are the right-hand men of the faction leaders. We’d like to invite you to join one of our factions.”
“Out of nowhere…?”
“I know it seems sudden, but we all have our reasons. Shall we move somewhere more private to talk?”
The sudden appearance of major figures left Lidifin dazed, and Reyna turned to Ban for guidance.
But Ban was nowhere to be seen.
“Ban?!”
Rayz answered in his place.
“He’s been running away since we got here.”
Reyna looked around and found Ban waving from outside the crowd.
“Baaan! You’re dead when I catch you!”
Even from this far away, Reina’s shout hit my eardrums hard.
I don’t know what will happen later, but for now, I’m enjoying it, so I don’t really care.
Would she really kill someone?
Besides, even if I wanted to help, there’s nothing I can do.
Of course, I’d be outmatched in a fight, and all three second-in-commands are from prestigious families, not direct descendants of Astrea, so their backgrounds don’t serve as a major threat.
If Ban hadn’t fallen out of favor with the head of the household, a war of nerves might’ve been possible—but that’s the limit.
Besides, they probably only want Reina and Ridipin, so even accompanying them would’ve been blocked.
Still, since it’s not like anyone’s going to die or get seriously hurt, I wasn’t too worried. At most, it’d be like signing a real estate contract on your own. Ridipin might struggle, but Reina seems strong-willed enough to handle it just fine.
I secretly hoped they’d make me a recruitment offer too, but it doesn’t really matter.
After all, when I was doing the “Save Reina” route, I didn’t join any faction.
If you join a faction, you get support like weapons and elixirs, but in return, you get quests that restrict your actions.
And in “Save Reina,” there’s no greater penalty than having your actions limited. You simply can’t save Reina by behaving normally.
Still, every time I avoided joining a faction, I’d catch myself yearning for the perks that came with it.
Elixirs and items were nice, but those could be replaced through hidden pieces or hidden events. What I really envied was how factions served as a shield against interference from rival factions.
Sometimes, overlapping events would cause multiple factions to interfere at once, and it got so messy I wanted to abandon that playthrough altogether.
And you couldn’t even create your own faction in the system.
If I could have created one, there would’ve been so many more options… Wait. Does that mean it’s possible now?
Right now, I’m inside the game. Which means, even if it wasn’t implemented in the system, I might be able to create a faction myself.
Come to think of it, this is an important moment to see whether I can succeed in a plan I failed at just before I got isekai’d.
Whether things still break when I go outside the system’s limits.
But simply creating a faction isn’t enough.
For a faction to be useful, it needs recognition from others and a central figure to rally around.
I obviously couldn’t be the central figure, Reina lacked family support, and Ridipin—while she has a family—has too unstable of a position. So I’d need to find a central figure from outside.
‘There’s someone perfect for this.’
Someone recognized by all as powerful, yet not aligned with any faction, and with a status that rivals the leaders of the three major factions—a completely absurd individual.
