Chapter 234
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Lesson 46. Union Founding Festival - 1
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The Union Founding Festival was the once-a-year event when Union opened its doors to the outside world.
Even if "opening" just meant carefully selected guests transferring their consciousness into viewing dolls prepared by the Chancellor and floating around half the academy grounds, that alone drew more visitors than could be counted.
"Ah, here they come, here they come."
"Rica-senpai, stop slacking and get back to work."
And guiding those very guests through the academy interior was the job of the student council executives.
They had to finish the remaining paperwork as quickly as possible to head out, but Rica kept getting distracted at the slightest glance away, prompting Ban Yu-won to shoot her a sharp look, forgetting all courtesy toward his senior.
But she wasn't a fourth-year for nothing; she brushed off his glare effortlessly and beckoned him over.
"Don't just stand there complaining, junior—come here and look! These are big shots from outer dimensions we'd hardly ever get to meet, and they're pouring in like sardines!"
"Rica, don't hit on my man."
"Kyahahahaha! Perfect, Mira!"
"These people have lost their minds from pulling all-nighters..."
"The Founding Festival lasts five days starting today... All we can do is pray we don't lose our sanity by the end."
Ban Yu-won, unable to ignore Rica dangling from the massive window in the student council room, finally got up and headed over.
Peering out the window, he could see the academy entrance reachable via the long hallway stretching from the main building.
A warp gate normally reserved for students granted permission to leave for the outer city of Ronica was set up there (Ban Yu-won had never used it once, since he could teleport straight to Ronica via his Yu-won-gong), but now droves of external guests transferred into dolls were flooding in through it.
"Ha, their security really is top-notch."
Ban Yu-won gazed down at the floating dolls entering the academy one by one under the associate professors' guidance, letting out a sigh of admiration.
Of course, every single one was linked to the Chancellor, allowing constant 24-hour surveillance—and if he wished, he could sever the connection between guest and doll at any moment.
It was like walking around with a bomb and surveillance camera strapped to your body... What must these people be thinking to accept that and step foot in the academy?
'Come to think of it, did Mu-myeong and Nine control their dolls the same way? Theirs must've been far superior to these mass-produced cheap ones... But no matter how you slice it, how do you exert that kind of monstrous strength without moving your real body? What kind of drugs are they on?'
Lost in thought as he stared at the wave of guests, he suddenly felt slender fingers creeping up his arm.
"This is on a whole other scale compared to previous years. And even this is after weeding out from an overwhelming number of applicants."
"Mira."
Mira, having finished properly disciplining Rica, sidled up and started getting touchy.
Ban Yu-won took her hand, indulging her playfulness, but pondered her comment about the increased numbers before realizing the reason.
"Us."
"Hehe, exactly. It's because of you. With the Rebellion Channel letting so many experience Union Academy indirectly, more people are dying to see it with their own eyes."
"Not thrilled that those dolls are swarming to gawk at me..."
The flood of dolls, mostly identical despite some attempts at personalization, looked like they could pass for a horror movie set with a night backdrop and dim lighting.
"Enough slacking. Promotions Director, Planning Director! Take good care of the guests!"
"Shati, look at those dolls. You gonna let our Yu-won stare at those ugly mugs?"
"Don't sweat it, Promotions Director. The lumps of malice inside those dolls aren't even worth comparing to him."
Graham's "encouragement" wasn't encouraging at all.
Ban Yu-won stopped his reality-escape daydreaming, let out heavy sighs, and accepted his brutal assignment.
"Aaah, I never should've joined the student council..."
"Ignore those dolls, and it'd make for a pretty decent date spot."
"Sorry, not feeling cuddly with potential Ten Great Families reps mixed in..."
The two exchanged sighs and headed downstairs.
The main academy building was already packed with guests, and with no classes for the week-long festival, eager students were sneaking peeks at the floating dolls with curious expressions everywhere.
"We'll take over the guiding from here."
"Thanks for the handoff."
"Oh? Ahh!"
"It's Ban Yu-won!"
"Hoo, so that's..."
"Hard to get a good read through that doll. Still... impressive."
"Pfft, whatever. Cocky punk."
"His very existence is annoying."
Ban Yu-won and Mira took over from the associate professors via baton pass and led the dolls inside.
Those seeing his face for the first time appraised him head to toe like an object, spouting rude remarks—but recalling the looks other students had given him when he first enrolled, Ban Yu-won just gave a wry smile.
He had grown stronger over the past semester, but... most visitors this time hailed from S-, A-, or at least B-rank dimensions, wielding both power and might.
Plenty were ancient monsters who'd lived centuries, so rather than gawking at his current strength, they naturally focused on his growth potential and future.
Those rating him positively were the lucky ones; others openly scorned his lower-dimensional origins with vile words...
"You're the Fairy Princess of Fairy Tale, right?"
"Hoo, hooo."
"...That monster put real effort into guest reception."
"What an honor."
"I'm Mira. Please enjoy the Founding Festival."
Mira's presence at least soothed their dissatisfaction.
She represented the fairy race—a rare powerhouse species scarce even across countless dimensions centered on A-rank ones—as royalty.
Even if her personal strength lagged behind Ban Yu-won's, her political standing was one the guests couldn't easily challenge.
He hadn't realized it with her always by his side, but Mira was a talent drawing attention on a full-dimensional scale.
Provoke with Ban Yu-won's presence, suppress with Mira's.
There was a truly ingenious reason those two had been assigned to guest guidance.
"This Founding Festival features plenty of events you can join with students. Here's a booklet for details."
"If you'd like to sponsor something, check the last page."
As the one annual event opening the interior to outsiders, it allowed events by grade, class, or club units.
The inter-club grand tournament was limited to massive clubs capable of handling entire dimensions; mini-tournaments and student-run stalls were the real club event highlights.
"'Events,' huh? Only one looks worth our time."
"When's the masked ball start?"
――Unfortunately, most events appealed mainly to internal students, not external guests.
The one thing everyone eyed was the masked ball.
Ban Yu-won had always wondered why they called it a masked ball when masks meant nothing and it wasn't even a dance—but surprisingly, the guests didn't question it!
More precisely, they couldn't dare question it.
Everyone knew the Chancellor had named it himself!
"Getting to witness the masked ball in person."
"Prelims tournament starts tonight. But the special matches are what I'm hyped for."
"Every year, clueless fools reach for the stars and crash."
"Such a vicious, alluring event. Can't wait."
Ban Yu-won just smiled brightly despite the stares from the guests he was guiding.
Not surprising—his spot on the special match roster had already gone public via the Rebellion Channel.
Ban Yu-won & Dokgo Yeon's pair versus Ulrike Prominence & Lucein Ortima's pair.
It drew even more attention than he'd imagined.
Even as a comet-like rising star with brilliant feats, Ban Yu-won was still a human from an unranked lower dimension.
Same for Dokgo Yeon—while her strength was acknowledged, her origins led to underestimation by detractors.
Lucein Ortima, aggressively courting her, was somewhat better off.
Anyway, for such nobodies to challenge the Ten Great Families' most prestigious heirs? No way that looked good to the upper-dimensional powerhouses outside the academy.
That was one reason Ban Yu-won, despite his talents, drew poor looks from guests.
"Heard his teammate betrayed him."
"Ah, that lower-dimensional royalty?"
"That's what I came for. He's been riding luck so far, but now with internal strife..."
"My, aren't you mischievous, madam."
The dolls chattered loudly behind him for his ears.
Woman or not, they all looked alike, putting on social theater—Ban Yu-won, stuck guiding them, could only muster a rotten smirk.
Meanwhile, Mira gripped his hand fiercely, barely restraining the urge to shred the dolls.
"That jerk's making Yu-won take flak because of some girl...!"
"Ah, so that's why you're mad?"
"Let's wrap this up quick. I'm at my limit."
The Union Founding Festival centered on the academy main building.
Certain areas there were off-limits to guests, so they guided carefully for a full three hours.
And it still wasn't over.
Vegan and Rica waited in the afternoon to usher guests to major events.
"This concludes our guidance. Remember, academy access is 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you haven't booked lodging in Ronica, inquire with student council."
"Oh dear, I wanted tea with the princess."
"We'll take our leave."
Having finished without glaring at any guests, Mira yanked Ban Yu-won by both arms and bolted from the main building to the annex.
Events were main-building only.
Meaning the annex—with student amenities—was theirs alone.
Usually buzzing with off-class students and instructors, it was surprisingly quiet today as everyone focused on festival fun.
"Aaaah, seriously!"
Shedding her facade the moment they were alone—as she'd anticipated—she vented freely.
Ban Yu-won, however, was satisfied; he'd gotten a direct look at outsiders.
"They're clueless anyway. Once they see my skills in the special matches, they'll shut their arrogant traps."
"That's not the issue—it's that girl! Light!"
Ah, as expected?
Ban Yu-won, guessing what she meant, gave a bitter smile.
"You saw who she's paired with!"
He had.
Not revealed until recently—he'd wondered if she'd forfeited—but she'd dashed his expectations spectacularly.
Fueling Mira's rage: how could such trash stay on Yu-won's team?
"Mira, you're cute."
"Don't think flattery will work! Wait, it does, but I can't just let it slide! That girl—I'll smash her myself...!"
The guests' taunts had hit perfectly; Ban Yu-won soothed the raging Mira while pondering the special matches the day after tomorrow.
Well, he'd half-expected it.
As Light's male entrant was paired with, of all people, Ulrike Prominence.