Astina was slowly making preparations to leave the student council room.
"Rie, do you know where the Saint is?" she asked.
"I heard she's in the central auditorium talking with others. But I don't need to stick around here any longer, right?" Rie responded with a hint of impatience.
"That's fine. Go enjoy yourself. There shouldn't be any significant problems."
"I'm not going to 'enjoy' myself. I'm going to work~."
With that, Rie was the first to leave the student council room.
Astina watched her leave, then tidied up the documents scattered across her desk and exited the room as well.
She strolled towards the central auditorium without any particular worries.
Today was a less demanding day compared to most.
The only tasks were to receive a mandate from the Saint and converse with the graduates.
There were no specific documents to deal with.
Receiving the mandate wasn't a complex matter either.
It merely involved obtaining a blessing from the Saint and communicating the contents of the mandate to the people.
And despite its name, it wasn't as though she was hearing the voice of God directly.
It was merely echoing the facts the Saint had informed her of.
Typically, it contained only ceremonial content.
Conveying that everyone in the academy was doing well and that the academy would continue to prosper shouldn't be problematic.
It had always been that way.
They hold this event annually; how could anything change?
It would be odd if the future changed every year.
As she mused about this, she reached the central auditorium.
Graduates and professors were already gathered near the auditorium, engaged in conversations.
The Saint was at the center of the largest group.
As Astina approached, the graduates greeted her. "Isn't that the Student Council President?" one remarked.
"Yes, I'm Astina Persia, this year's Student Council President," Astina responded with a smile.
The graduates laughed and approached her.
Their talk was simple—comments about the demanding job of the Student Council President and her hard work—but there was a deeper meaning to it.
Now that Astina had assumed the role of the heir, it was essential to make her presence known.
As they conversed, the Saint approached Astina. "Hello. I am the Saint, Haruna."
"Ah, I am Astina Persia, the heir to the Persia family and the current Student Council President."
Astina confidently introduced herself, making her presence known among the people surrounding her.
As she briefly greeted the Saint, a sound indicating the start of the event began to resonate.
The Saint, with a smile, gestured towards the back of the auditorium.
"Shall we go in now? It seems like it's about to start."
"Yes, let's do that."
Accepting the Saint's suggestion, Astina walked alongside her towards the back of the auditorium.
As they entered, the Saint handed Astina a note.
"It's a note about the future."
"A prophecy?"
"Most people refer to it that way."
She frowned at the Saint's cryptic words.
"So, should I look at it now?"
"Yes~. If you wish to read it, you can."
Astina was somewhat apprehensive but opened the note regardless.
The contents were mostly ordinary.
It noted there might be various hardships at the academy, but that everyone could overcome them—something anyone might say.
As Astina read, her eyes stopped at the last item.
"What is... this?"
The content was not something to be overlooked lightly.
"Are you saying this is going to happen?"
"I never specified what is going to happen, did I?"
The Saint playfully answered Astina's question.
Indeed, there was nothing specific mentioned in the note. Just a word of caution.
But, that cautionary note itself implied something was going to occur.
"So is this the will of the gods? Do you expect me to announce this to everyone?"
To utter such content in front of them all wouldn't go unnoticed.
The audience wasn't just academy students and professors, but also outsiders.
If she mentioned this, rumors could spread both within the academy and beyond.
Upon Astina's statement, the Saint tilted her head, seemingly puzzled.
"The will of the gods... I'm not certain about that. And I've never told you to announce the future I revealed to everyone, have I?"
".....What?"
What was she talking about?
The more Astina heard the Saint's words, the more doubts arose.
These doubts were fundamental to the ritual of receiving a prophecy from the Saint.
"I merely reveal the future I see to the student chosen by the academy."
"So... You're saying I don't have to mention the content in this note?"
"Whether or not you announce it is up to you, President."
Astina clenched the note tightly, staring at the Saint.
"Are you saying that handling this is my responsibility alone?"
It seemed an irresponsible thing to say, but Astina considered the possibility.
After all, she was the one who had been handed the choice so casually.
"Are you suggesting I go against the will of the gods..."
As Astina said this, the Saint regarded her with a smile.
She slightly lifted the veil that covered her eyes, revealing her right eye.
"......?"
Astina was met with a direct gaze from her right eye.
It was a vibrant eye that hadn't lost its color, unlike the eyes of the blind.
"Do you really believe this is the will of the gods? Or rather..."
The Saint posed a question to a puzzled Astina.
"Do you believe in God?"
After a moment, the announcer's voice resonated, marking the beginning of the ceremony.
The Saint covered her eyes again with the black veil she held and spoke.
"Now it's time for you to go up."
At the Saint's words, Astina moved to ascend the stage.
And she continued to contemplate.
Should she reveal this truth?
Or should she keep it hidden, bearing it alone?
Astina's mind turned these questions over and over as the event proceeded.
"Next, we have the baptism ceremony."
Was it really correct to choose to hide it?
"This baptism not only signifies a blessing for the student council president but also serves as a blessing for the entire academy."
Would it be better to reveal it to everyone?
Applause erupted!
Having received the baptism, Astina rose from her seat and moved forward.
"Next, we will proceed with the prophecy."
Now it was time to pass on the prophecy to the people.
Astina stood in her position and looked out at the crowd in front of her.
"I will now pass on the prophecy."
In front of her stood noble children, some of whom had already inherited their family's status.
There were researchers who specialized in specific fields and those who held professorships.
Knights, wizards, and alchemists alike were present.
People from all walks of life stood before Astina.
"Liberion Academy has faced many crises so far, but we have always overcome them."
Astina remembered the contents she had read and slowly began to recite them.
"There will always be dangers, but we will overcome them all."
The speech was formal, much like the prophecies that had come before.
As she recited what she had seen, her eyes met with someone in the crowd.
Rudy Astria.
He was watching her alongside Luna Railer.
"...that concludes my speech."
Internally, Astina sighed.
'Alright, you figure it out yourself this time.'
Astina swallowed hard, leaving the last prophecy unspoken.
She made her decision.
She chose not to reveal that final prophecy.
The content of that prophecy was...
"...that concludes the content of the prophecy."
It read, 'Be wary of Rudy Astria.'
---
Raei Translations
---
At that moment, carriages began to pull up at the academy's front gate.
The event was already underway, but it was not uncommon for some to arrive late due to pressing schedules.
Two guards rushed towards the arriving carriages.
One held a list of the academy's graduates, while the other approached a carriage, knocked on its door, and asked, “Who's there?”
There was a process in place to confirm identities, as impersonators could potentially pose a risk.
A man inside the carriage opened the door.
Presenting the invitation from the academy to the guard, the man announced, “I am Harpel Persia.”
The guard who had knocked accepted the invitation, while the other guard referred to the list.
Upon receiving a nod from the guard with the list, the guard at the door greeted the man in the carriage, “Welcome to Liberion Academy. Please, proceed.”
Harpel re-entered the carriage and proceeded into the academy grounds.
“The next one may proceed.”
Following the previous routine, the next carriage stopped in front of the guards.
And the door of the carriage swung open.
As soon as the door opened, the individual inside inquired of the guard, “Was the person who just entered Harpel Persia?”
“Uh...?”
Upon seeing the man's face, the guard who had knocked froze, momentarily unable to respond.
The guard clutching the list looked at the man before him with puzzlement.
Then, the man in the carriage reiterated his question.
“I asked if it was Harpel Persia.”
“Ye... Yes, it was!”
At the man's insistence, the guard standing before him responded loudly.
“Alright, got it.”
Subsequently, the man extended his invitation.
As the guard at the back was preparing to cross-reference the list, the guard in front halted him with his hand.
Then he exclaimed loudly.
“Welcome to Liberion Academy!!!”
With that, the man shut the carriage door, and the vehicle proceeded into the academy.
After observing the carriage enter the academy grounds, the guards returned to their posts.
Curiosity piqued, the guard holding the list asked the guard standing in front.
“Senior, why didn't we check? Don't we need to verify his identity?”
Then, the guard standing in front glared at him sharply.
“Have you lost your senses? Didn't you recognize him?”
“Who was he?”
“That was Ian Astria. We were instructed to remember the faces of such distinguished individuals.”
The senior guard explained, frustration evident in his tone.
“Ah... That person is...”
“Let's discuss this later.”
The junior guard checked the list; the face of the man who had just departed was depicted right above the name Ian Astria.
