Chapter 226
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 226
Chapter Title: Lesson 45. Founding Festival Preparations - 1
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Union Academy's Monday lectures were generally quite laid-back.
The reason was simple.
Most students hadn't fully recovered from the fatigue accumulated during the tower explorations that ran through Sunday.
As a result, Mondays were filled mostly with liberal arts classes that didn't require intense physical activity or heavy mental exertion, while proper lectures kicked off from Tuesday through Thursday.
"Even so, I didn't expect them to skip the entire morning lecture."
Ban Yu-won muttered in disbelief as he glanced around.
The grand auditorium of the academy's main building, where the entrance ceremony had taken place, was packed with students from first-years all the way to fifth-years.
It was Monday morning.
Normally, this would be the time when professors in theoretical classes unleashed waves of drowsiness on students still dragging their weekend fatigue, but the sheer incongruity of the situation was overflowing.
"They've got the perfect excuse with the Founding Festival."
Mira, seated right next to Ban Yu-won, stated matter-of-factly.
Yes, the most jarring part was her presence beside him... or rather, his current position.
Ban Yu-won wasn't sitting with Class 11 of the first-years; he was up on the platform with the student council executives.
"It's rare to see all the professors absent from a gathering like this..."
"That's exactly why. It's a seat that demands respect for the student council's authority. It'd be a problem if a full professor showed up and stole the spotlight."
"Fair point."
This all-school assembly was hosted not by the faculty, but by the student council.
Usually, they were pitiful figures squeezed from all sides just to keep the academy running with their limited authority, but for the Union Founding Festival, they were granted substantial power, allowing for events like this.
"Heh."
As Ban Yu-won watched the back of Student Council President Shati, who was preparing her announcement at the front of the platform, Mira suddenly let out a chuckle.
"The ones who usually strut around as Special Class are looking up at me now. Feels pretty good."
"Watch your expression. You look seriously wicked right now."
Perhaps due to her noble birth, Mira occasionally made snide remarks about the Special Class.
She'd say they were cluelessly arrogant just for being born in a world with dense mana, sometimes even sounding pitying.
But if you thought about it that way, wasn't Mira herself just lucky to be born as the fairy tribe princess of Dimension A-1? Still, Ban Yu-won kept quiet since he wasn't in a position to judge others either.
'Come to think of it, every student here is basically competing on equal footing as golden spoons. Even Light and Lucelle from lower dimensions are royalty. Dokgo Yeon might be even more impressive than them...'
The only hope was that luck didn't play an absolute role in distinguishing the top students among them.
And proof of that was Shati, standing confidently on the platform right now.
"Students of the entire academy, I'm Student Council President Shati. First, thank you all for gathering here."
Shati gave a polite introduction and a slight bow.
Come to think of it, Ban Yu-won turned his gaze to the front seats reserved for each grade's Special Class.
As he half-expected, while the first, second, and third-year seats were somewhat filled, most of the fourth and fifth-year spots were empty.
No matter how influential Shati was even over the Special Class, those in higher years were clearly signaling their refusal to acknowledge her.
Those with morning lectures would be marked absent, but apparently Special Class students didn't care about a skip or two.
"Now, we'll begin the announcement of the second-semester student council executive appointments and details on the Union Founding Festival, which is 37 days away. Starting with the vice president."
Ban Yu-won was slightly impressed.
You couldn't normally summon the entire student body just to announce a change in executives other than the president.
But using the Founding Festival as an excuse to gather everyone and introduce the team—Shati's boldness was no joke.
Of course, it probably worked because of the person newly appointed as vice president this time: Aire.
"......"
Click, clack.
Aire, wearing transparent sky-blue shoes like her eyes, ascended the platform at Shati's call.
She looked the same as always, but just her walking forward drew the eyes of the entire assembly.
"Her charisma is already closing in on the president's."
"If she weren't Special Class, she'd be the perfect pick."
Secretary Graham nodded in satisfaction, while External Affairs Director Rica smacked her lips.
However, Treasurer Began Della Walker seemed to think differently.
"Being Special Class might make it even better. We can't keep biting at each other with the uncooperative Special Class forever."
"Mm, it might be tough with current students, but if we can shift the atmosphere bit by bit starting with the freshmen, that'd be ideal."
Rica nodded in agreement with Began.
"Hah."
Mira snorted at that, then lightly tugged Ban Yu-won's sleeve without caring who saw.
"That's already happening. Don't you get it?"
"Graham, Mira's revving up to brag about her boyfriend again. Handle it."
"Everyone, quiet down."
As the executives chattered, Aire took the mic and gave a brief self-introduction.
It was so curt you wondered if it was enough, but the applause that erupted starting from the first-years was so thunderous it didn't matter.
"Next, the planning director—I'm sure everyone already knows her."
But the real shock came right after Aire's turn, when Shati grabbed the mic again. The moment she spoke, the entire hall erupted in deafening cheers.
"See that...?"
For some reason, Mira—not the one receiving the cheers—grinned smugly with pride.
It was a moment that reaffirmed Rebellion's overwhelming recognition, not just on Union Net but across the academy's intranet.
Rica, the sole fourth-year among the executives, let her shoulders slump slightly.
"I used to be the student council's mascot..."
"Forget that channel with barely 100 subscribers. Your 'hakko' shack."
"Don't call it hakko!"
Ban Yu-won marveled at how subscriber counts bred derogatory terms everywhere, then stepped forward from his seat.
As he approached the platform, the cheers grew louder, making him re-realize just how massive Rebellion's success was.
'But... somehow, it's weird that academy students are this hyped about me. Outside, sure, but inside?'
What he originally wanted was a comfortable space inside the academy where they wouldn't get dirty looks just for being from lower dimensions.
The Rebellion channel was meant to raise awareness and blend them naturally into the academy... but it went further, turning them into star representatives of the school.
Even internal students embraced it willingly.
"The planning director really is special."
"Special, huh."
"Just this exploration, she cleared 30 rooms in one go? Kyahaha, and they were all chain rooms. Even I was blown away—imagine the others."
Shati handed him the mic as they stood together on stage.
"They've probably all noticed a little. That the planning director might be the one rewriting the academy's history with her explorations."
She added that it could be phrased negatively as losing competitive spirit, but it was more like cheering on someone climbing a peak they couldn't even dream of.
"Kyaha, third-years and up figure it out. That blindly climbing won't get you to the top."
The tower's cruelty was that climbing high didn't guarantee the summit.
Students who started full of passion eventually realized this sooner or later.
"But the upperclassmen are still climbing hard."
"Not saying the passion's gone. If the top's impossible, climbing as high as possible is honestly my mindset now."
But Ban Yu-won was different.
The Rebellion party had just reached 160 rooms, conquering multiple chain rooms, trick rooms, and one massive enough for an empire...
How would students who'd abandoned summit dreams react to that?
It wouldn't be strange if they now hoped they might actually reach it.
"But that means more enemies too."
Amid the endless cheers, Ban Yu-won and Shati exchanged wry smiles while glancing at the Special Class members still glaring at him.
"Go on, planning director."
Shati patted his shoulder.
"Turn the tower and the academy upside down."
Ban Yu-won stood at the podium without replying.
Now, hearing Shati's words, he finally understood the students' gazes.
He'd approached with full confidence of reaching Babel Tower's top, taking miracles inside for granted. But for students who'd vaguely given up on the unsolvable unknown, it was different.
Not mere rivalry, but expectation that he might achieve what they couldn't.
That was how the academy students saw him now.
These students were victims swept into a mythical pipe dream because their ancestors left Babel Tower as a carrot on a stick.
Initially, he and everyone lumped faculty and students as thieves... but shifting perspective, weren't they pitiful too?
'Now that things are settling, time to show some magnanimity as the homeowner.'
He gripped the mic from Shati, flashed a grin, and opened his mouth.
Cheers that could topple the main building responded.
For some reason, Aire looked a bit annoyed.
The Union Founding Festival featured several major events.
Special tournaments between clubs, and the academy-hosted masked ball.
Surprisingly, all were live-streamed via Union Net's authority. Even more shocking: external guests could enter the academy just for the festival.
Ignoring special caveats, it was no different from a high school or college festival.
And on this day, the masked ball tournament preliminaries were announced, along with the opening of 'special match' applications.
"Senior Ulrike Prominence, could I ask a favor?"
"Oh, my. Coming to me directly—what's up?"
Of course, Ban Yu-won moved immediately.
He hoped it wouldn't go as he imagined, but sadly, it did.
He wasn't the only one waiting for the masked ball special match.