Chapter 490: Winter Opening Ceremony

A crisp winter morning brushed softly against the academy grounds.

The sound of birds and sparrows chirping lightly across the snowy fields mixed with the quiet murmurs of excited students.

White powder still blanketed the world like a gentle curtain, untouched in some parts, trampled in others where footsteps had already disturbed the surface.

Freshmen stood in neat lines, their breath turning to mist as they faced the raised podium ahead of them.

The air held a biting chill, but no one complained—after all, the ceremony marked the official reopening of the academy after a short winter break.

“Good morning, my fellow students~ fufu… I hope you all had a wonderful vacation,”

A clear, elegant voice echoed through the open space, drawing every eye toward the source.

Standing proudly on the stage was none other than the academy’s senior and student council president—Princess Snow.

She wore her uniform like a crown, her long white hair fluttering softly in the wind, and her deep blue eyes sparkling under the pale sunlight.

As always, her beauty stirred the hearts of many.

“Princess Snow is such an angel…”

“I wonder what it would take to touch her hand…”

“Man, I’m so jealous of that scary senior who’s always with her…”

“She’s my first pick in the next council elections, hands down.”

Though most seniors weren’t required to attend the opening ceremony, Princess Snow made an exception—as always, drawing attention without even trying.

Only the freshmen and their chosen seniors were formally required to be present, but the presence of someone like Snow gave the ceremony an air of elegance and grandeur it wouldn’t have otherwise.

Even so, she wasn’t the only one whose presence drew attention.

Among the sea of students, there were four figures—first years—who stood out like stars against a pale sky.

They held an aura that almost matched, if not equaled, that of Princess Snow herself.

Stacia Alger Del Luna—another royal.

Her platinum blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight, making her stand out even amongst her own class.

Her crimson eyes quietly observed Snow, not with jealousy, but with a calm sort of curiosity.

Flamme, the mysterious summoner.

Known across the magic department for her unnatural affinity with elemental spirits, she leaned lazily against what looked like empty air—though it was clear to those who knew her that an invisible summoned creature supported her weight.

Her gray hair covered most of her face as she yawned softly, barely interested in the ceremony at all.

Uriel Elora, tall and proud, stood with perfect posture.

Her presence gave off the distinct impression of a knight—composed, focused, and sharp-eyed.

Even among her peers, her bearing was that of someone trained for higher things.

And then there was Reina Hell—the most surprising of the bunch.

Once considered the weakest in her class, a near-forgotten name on the early rankings, she had somehow risen in reputation almost overnight.

Now, whispers followed her name with curiosity, even awe.

She wasn’t just a dark horse anymore.

Especially once people remembered who her brother was.

They were all S-class students—even among the first years—so it was only natural that they’d draw quiet but constant attention.

Whether it was admiration, jealousy, or curiosity, eyes always found their way toward them.

“…I-It’s really crowded…”

Emilia let out a soft sigh as her fingers tightened around the edge of her uniform.

Surrounded on all sides, she glanced around at the sea of students stretching across the snowy field.

She already knew the academy had a massive student body—especially among the first years—but being here in the middle of it all was something else entirely.

Students from the general department, like her, were assigned to the very center of the field.

And even if the space was technically open, the pressure of so many bodies gathered in one place made the air feel a bit too tight… a bit too heavy.

“Fufu, just be glad the seniors weren’t required to attend,”

A calm voice spoke beside her.

Turning slightly, Emilia found Vanessa standing close—her figure mostly hidden under that usual oversized cloak and deep hood.

Half her face was covered as always, but the faint curve of a smile was still visible.

“If they had joined too, it’d be even more suffocating.”

“Hehe… yeah, I don’t think this field would survive the seniors squeezing in too,” Emilia chuckled weakly, still fidgeting. “But… are you really sure it’s okay for you to be here, Vanny? The mage department is supposed to line up behind us, right?”

Vanessa waved it off casually. “It’s fine. I already told my adviser. This whole thing’s just a formality anyway. They’re not going to punish me for standing next to a friend.”

“R-Really? Then maybe we can go see the others—”

“Yes, after the ceremony that is,” Vanessa cut in quickly, her voice light. She giggled a bit before gently leaning in and tapping the tip of Emilia’s nose. “I know you’re excited to meet everyone again, but that can wait. Just a little longer.”

Emilia puffed out her cheeks slightly, letting out a small grumble—but deep down, she understood. The ceremony might be boring, but it was still important.

“…Fine. But right after, okay?”

“Of course,”

Emilia glanced down at her left hand, her gaze softly falling on the golden ring wrapped neatly around her ring finger.

The way it glinted under the morning light made her heart skip just a little.

A small spark of excitement lit up inside her.

She was already looking forward to seeing her friends again, of course—but more than anything, what made her chest feel warm was the thought of seeing him.

That one person who never left her thoughts, no matter how busy the days had gotten.

’I wonder if Senior feels the same…’

She knew deep down it was unlikely.

Knowing him… he probably wasn’t thinking too much about her right now.

Maybe not at all.

But even so, a girl could dream.

That tiny hope—that maybe he remembered her too—was enough to make her heart flutter.

Ever since she started understanding the meaning behind the way her chest thumped whenever she was near him, a strange yet beautiful feeling began to bloom in her heart.

It wasn’t just admiration.

It wasn’t just curiosity. It was… something warmer. Something deeper.

The kind of feeling that made even a saintess feel unsure.

She had always been told that love, especially the pure kind, was something a saintess should offer to everyone equally.

And Emilia tried.

She really did.

She smiled for strangers.

She offered blessings even when she was exhausted.

But this kind of love—the one she felt for him—was different.

Special.

And it didn’t feel wrong.

Especially not when her grandfather, the Pope himself, had given her his quiet approval.

’S-So… it’s okay if I make a move… r-right?’

She clasped her hands together in front of her chest for a moment, as if trying to calm her own racing thoughts. Her face turned a light pink, but her expression stayed soft.

The idea of reaching out to him—even just a little—was scary.

But if she didn’t… then maybe nothing would ever change.

And she wasn’t sure she could accept that.

’Even the Mother Goddess has given me her permission… and her support, too…’

Emilia lightly touched the ring again, feeling the warmth, it gave off—not just from the metal, but from what it symbolized.

A quiet promise. A prayer answered.

They always said that forbidden love wasn’t something to chase after.

That a saintess should love all people equally, never favoring just one.

But… would it really be so wrong to try? Just a little?

Just as her thoughts began to float deeper into those daydreams again, the familiar sound of Princess Snow’s voice echoed clearly from the podium.

“Now, it’s time for the welcome recitation of the first year representative—Flamme.”

Emilia blinked, suddenly brought back to the cold reality in front of her.

The noise of the ceremony, the presence of thousands of students, and the fluttering banners of the academy—it all came crashing back at once.

Her gaze flicked up toward the podium.

Snow stood tall and confident, her white hair gently swaying as she smiled gracefully for the crowd. It was a perfect image.

One that felt almost impossible to reach.

“V-Vanny…” Emilia whispered, tugging slightly at her friend’s cloak.

“Yes?” Vanessa responded quietly, tilting her head.

“U-Uhm… are the rumors about President Snow and S-Senior Riley… true?”

Vanessa blinked, then narrowed one eye slightly beneath her hood. “What kind of rumors?”

“J-Just… in general…” Emilia mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers as her gaze lowered again.

“Hm…” Vanessa paused. “I can’t say for sure. But… some of them? Yeah. From what I’ve heard from my seniors, at least. Even Senior Rose kind of confirmed a few things when we were in the same class once.”

Emilia’s heart skipped a beat. “C-Confirmed?”

Vanessa nodded slowly. “Like the fact that Princess Snow once kissed Senior Riley publicly. In front of the student body, no less. And maybe… maybe even the rumor that they’re secretly dating. I mean, the way they act together… how close they are… Honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s all true.”

“I-I see…”

Emilia’s chest tightened.

There it was—that wall.

That distant, invisible wall that separated her from him.

One that was filled with names like Snow. Like Rose. Like Alice. Seo.

Maybe even more. Women who already had their place by his side, even if unofficially.

And here she was.

Just a saintess who had barely started understanding what it meant to love someone in a way that was hers alone.

Could she even start?

….

Flamme stood sluggishly in front of the podium, her posture as loose as ever, one hand lazily rubbing at her half-lidded eyes.

Her silver-gray hair, messy as usual, drooped over her shoulders and partially covered her face.

She looked like someone who had just rolled out of bed—or never went to sleep in the first place.

“Flamme~”

The gentle voice came from behind her, laced with a calm but unmistakable warning.

Princess Snow didn’t raise her tone, but somehow, Flamme felt the pressure all the same.

If not for that quiet push, she might’ve just yawned in front of the entire school and walked off without a word.

“…Sigh.”

’I want to sleep…’

Her thoughts wandered lazily, even as hundreds—maybe thousands—of eyes stared at her.

The wind tickled her face, but even that wasn’t enough to wake her up fully.

It felt like their winter vacation had lasted a single blink.

Two weeks wasn’t that short, but considering how she had spent most of it inside the academy—alone, as usual—it felt like a blur.

No real change, no excitement, and nothing new to distract her from her usual quiet boredom.

’This is so boring~’

She stared down at the sea of students, their neatly lined uniforms looking like rows of dolls, all staring up at her in anticipation.

Some with respect, others with confusion.

’…They’re all just as strong as before too,’ she thought, slightly pouting. ’Tch, and here I was hoping someone interesting would’ve caught up over break…’

Honestly, she should’ve just ignored her spirits’ warnings.

They told her not to wander.

Not to get involved.

Not to chase after her curiosity.

But maybe she should’ve gone out, done her usual sneaking around, and followed the one person her attention kept drifting back to.

Riley Hell.

The name flickered in her thoughts like an itch she couldn’t scratch.

Mysterious, unreadable, and different from the others.

Something about him pulled her in like a puzzle she wasn’t finished solving.

’I wonder where Senior is right now~’

Sighing inwardly, Flamme finally raised her hand and grabbed the microphone.

The students below were still watching in silence, waiting for her to speak.

Most expected something refined, intelligent, maybe even inspiring—she was the first-year valedictorian, after all.

Instead…

“Ahem—! Tes~! Test~! Okay—” her voice echoed slightly through the speakers. She blinked, not even hiding her lack of energy. “Good morngi— I mean, good morning everyone~”

Some students tilted their heads. Others chuckled lightly.

“I know you’re all excited coming back here… or maybe not,” she muttered, one eye lazily scanning the crowd. “But anyway, as your representative… uh, valedictorian or whatever… it’s my pleasure to welcome you all back to our beloved, cold, and probably cursed academy~”

A few of the professors visibly twitched.

“I hope you all had a fun winter break. I didn’t. I stayed here. It was quiet. Too quiet. Creepy ghosts in the west wing, by the way, avoid those.”

Students exchanged awkward glances. Was she joking?

Flamme continued without a care.

“And now that the break’s over, we’re expected to act like good students again. So let’s do our best to not die in the dungeons, not get expelled, and not cause any city-scale explosions, yeah~?”

There were muffled laughs here and there, and even a small clap from the back.

She blinked slowly, eyes half-closed as she scratched her cheek. “Uhm… anyway… good luck. That’s it. I’m going back to sleep now.”

And with that, she stepped back from the mic without even waiting for applause.

Snow was already sighing behind her.

“Flamme…” the princess said with a small, strained smile.

“I’m awake, I’m awake…” Flamme mumbled, walking off to the side of the stage, already yawning again.

As she walked past the crowd, a few students whispered among themselves.

“That was… the top of our year?”

“She’s weird.”

“She’s kind of cool though…”

Flamme didn’t care.

Her thoughts were already drifting elsewhere—back to her spirits, her bed, and maybe, just maybe… to a certain senior who kept showing up in her dreams.

She stretched her arms out above her head with a long sigh, her cloak fluttering slightly as the cold breeze brushed past her.

“Tsk—! If I knew it was gonna be this boring, I should’ve just stayed in my room…” she muttered, her eyes still half-lidded as she began walking off the stage without looking back.

She tilted her head toward the winter sky, gray clouds slowly shifting above like lazy waves.

A sigh escaped her lips again, fogging up in the chilly air.

“At least make my day interesting… oh dear goddess…”

She wasn’t exactly the most faithful follower.

Her relationship with the divine was more like a casual nod when things went well and a grumble when they didn’t.

But right now? She was bored out of her mind.

And in her current mood, she was willing to accept divine intervention if it meant something—anything—would happen.

Her thoughts briefly drifted to someone she always found mildly amusing to mess with.

A certain uptight, prickly knight who always got flustered whenever she popped up unannounced.

’Too bad the Knight Department’s all the way on the eastern side,’ she grumbled mentally, lazily glancing across the massive field.

The walk alone would be enough to knock her out.

She could have one of her spirits carry her, but…

“No spirit summoning for public use,” she muttered under her breath, mimicking the rules she’d heard a hundred times. “Unless it’s for essential minimal tasks,” she rolled her eyes. “Lame.”

With another sigh, she raised a hand and lazily flicked her fingers as if sending her thoughts into the wind.

“Maybe… make something happen—”

BOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

The world shook.

A massive explosion erupted from somewhere behind the field, cutting her words clean in half.

The ground trembled beneath her feet.

A shockwave of cold wind followed the blast.

GRROOOOAAGGHHHH!!!

A bone-rattling roar tore through the air, thick and guttural—deep like it came from under the earth, yet sharp like it had been frozen in ice for centuries.

Screams burst out across the crowd.

Panic rippled through the sea of students as countless shadows fell from the sky—huge, crashing into the ground with loud, echoing thuds.

CRASH!! THUD!! THOOM!!

One after another, hulking figures landed near the center of the field.

Each one stood over three meters tall, made of jagged ice and ancient stone, like giants molded from a frozen nightmare.

Ice golems. Dozens. No—hundreds.

The air turned colder in an instant, the kind of cold that bit through skin and bone.

Students scattered, some tripping over each other, others backing away with terrified gasps.

“…Oh.”

Flamme blinked once, staring at the chaos calmly, as if she had simply stumbled onto an inconvenient snowstorm.

Then she looked up at the sky again.

“…Maybe I should go to church more.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep