Unlike Greg, who was wallowing in distress back in his tent, the academy roads in the early morning were perpetually filled with vitality and noise.
And the young students were undoubtedly the most restless part of that energy.
They were vigorous, brimming with curiosity, and always on the front lines of gossip and news.
"Hey! Have you guys heard? Yesterday, at the Golden Crucible—you know, that incredibly expensive, high-end restaurant—five stunningly beautiful girls appeared all at once! And every single one of them had a completely different style!"
"Heard? I got the full, detailed version from my cousin last night! He said the scene was just... unbelievable! And do you know what the kicker is? Word is that out of those five beauties, four of them are involved with the same guy!"
"What the hell?! For real?! Who is this guy? That's way too... enviable... No, I mean, that's infuriating! Where's the justice in this world!"
"Tch, what's there to be envious of?"
A student wearing glasses, who looked quite rational, pushed up his frames and spoke with a hint of dismissiveness:
"This is all hearsay—rumors without a shred of factual evidence. Even if it were true, I doubt those five girls are as attractive as the rumors claim. It's probably just some unrefined people exaggerating. There's no way they compare to the top beauties of our academy!"
Someone immediately chimed in:
"Exactly! Our academy is where the future elite of the Kingdom gather; it's practically overflowing with beauties! Speaking of which... Heh heh, who are you guys planning to vote for in this year's Full Moon Festival?"
The Full Moon Festival was an ancient and grand tradition among the human factions.
Legend had it that the festival was established to commemorate a certain deity associated with the dark night.
On the night of the festival, the city would hold grand parades and celebrations. The most anticipated part was the public vote to select the most beloved young woman to serve as that year's One-Night Goddess—acting as the divine avatar during the parade and receiving the people's blessings.
For the boys of the academy, this wasn't just a festival; it was a silent war involving aesthetics, personal preferences, and even honor.
As soon as the topic was raised, the boys instantly forgot the previous gossip. Their eyes lit up as if they were knights about to charge onto a battlefield, ready to cheer for their chosen goddesses.
"Duh! Is that even a question? I'm obviously voting for Lady Vivian! She's noble, powerful, calm, and disciplined! She's the perfect template for a future Queen! Who else would I vote for?"
"You're full of it! Lady Lilith is the one everyone wants! Her magic talent is breathtaking! And don't you think her aura is more captivating? Lady Vivian is just too cold!"
"Heh, you youngsters are still too shallow. You don't understand the charm of a wealthy woman at all! If you ask me, Senior Catherine Roman is the one with the most potential! A prominent family, an invincible business mind, and a steady personality! Marrying her means you're set for life!"
"I don't care what you guys say. Among the freshmen, I'm backing Silvia Lorraine! She's gentle and cute—that pink hair really hits the spot! Plus, I heard she has some kind of connection to a powerhouse like the Holy Church of Light!"
"Tch, I used to be as shallow as you, but after yesterday's undead incident, I've become a total fan of Lady Victoria!"
A burly student spoke with great excitement:
"Those moves! That aura! She dared to charge straight at an army of Necromancers! It was so cool! And... cough, seriously, don't you think being stepped on by those long, powerful, beautiful legs... uh, I mean, being led by her, would give you a real sense of security?"
The surrounding boys were stunned for a moment before they all wore subtle "I get you" expressions. The atmosphere briefly turned strangely heated.
"Ah, right, speaking of yesterday's undead incident."
Another student seemed to suddenly remember something and lowered his voice. "I heard that in the end, it was that Greg Sass who..."
The moment the name "Greg" was mentioned, it was like pouring cold water into boiling oil. The boys, who had been in a heated discussion, fell into a collective silence.
The air seemed to freeze for several seconds.
Everyone's expression became complicated, awkward, and even incredulous.
After all, the events that had taken place yesterday in the catacombs on the outskirts of the city had fermented overnight into various versions.
But the core fact remained: Greg Sass—the former noble trash who had been despised by everyone until recently—had single-handedly defeated a powerful Undead Knight in a head-on duel!
This news had already spread through the academy's various circles like wildfire.
And unlike the previous incident with the Demon King Cult executive, this time many students had witnessed the scene with their own eyes.
Because of this, the impact and the way it overturned their perceptions were so intense that they didn't know how to comment on it for a moment.
While this eerie silence loomed, one of the boys happened to look up and catch sight of a figure walking toward the academy gates not far away. He immediately let out a panicked greeting as if someone were squeezing his throat:
"P-President! G-Good morning!"
The other boys hurriedly looked up at his words.
They saw a tall, cold figure walking past them.
It was Vivian Kahn, the Student Council President and the Second-year Representative.
Her waist-length ice-blue hair fluttered gently in the morning breeze. Her doll-like, exquisite face, however, bore a look of exhaustion that was completely uncharacteristic of her.
Beneath those ice-blue eyes that were usually calm and piercing, there were shadows that she couldn't hide.
Her entire state seemed quite poor. Though her steps remained steady, they lacked her usual poise, replaced by a sort of distracted heaviness.
The boys were clearly shocked to run into Vivian at this time.
The entire faculty and student body knew that Vivian was a person disciplined to the point of being harsh on herself.
Her daily schedule was extremely regular.
By around seven in the morning, she was always in the Student Council office, starting her work for the day; it had practically become a landmark of the academy.
But now, it was nearly nine o'clock, and she was only just reaching the academy gates?
Moreover, she looked... as if she had pulled a complete all-nighter?
Faced with the boys' flustered and surprised greetings, Vivian merely turned her head slightly. She gave an extremely cold nod with her bloodshot ice-blue eyes as a response.
She didn't stop her pace, nor did she even give them a second look, as she walked straight past them into the academy.
All of her energy was currently occupied by another matter, leaving her no room for anything else.
"Greg Sass... defeated an Undead Knight alone... How... did he do it? Why has he... suddenly become so strong?"
...
Rate on N.U.
