There Is No World For ■■

***

The entrance ceremony of the Lord Howe Academy was grand.

Even though the schedule was delayed due to a recent terror attack, and many visitors were turned away for security reasons, the ceremony still drew an enormous crowd.

Although the academy's pride, the auditorium, wasn’t filled to its capacity, the people in attendance were enough to fill a soccer field and more.

And perhaps because there were no mere spectators, the average quality of the people attending the ceremony was much higher than the previous years.

Influential politicians and diplomats, active Superhumans and Mages, major players in the education sector, and self-proclaimed celebrities with a penchant for attracting attention were all in attendance.

The sight of so many famous personalities gathered together in one place, something no one would ever expect to see, was truly a spectacle.

Even though the event hadn’t started yet, reporters constantly flashed their cameras.

Of course, the event wasn’t perfect. Due to the overly heated atmosphere, most of the students, who were supposed to be the stars of the ceremony, were left feeling unusually intimidated.

But it was somewhat expected. Even if they were Superhumans, most of them were still children who hadn’t even reached adulthood. The blinding flashes of cameras and the deafening noise of the event was all very unfamiliar to them.

And among them, a few new students in particular, who despite being Superhumans, hung their heads low or broke into a cold sweat under the overwhelming attention.

For instance, Miridith sitting beside Seti… or rather, Soe Miri was one of those new students.

She had her head lowered with a near-tearful expression.

Although part of it was due to her introverted personality, mostly because of the overwhelming attention directed at her.

Not only was she brought to the academy by the renowned Holy Sword herself, but she was also a stunning beauty.

Where else would the reporters come across such prey?

As a consequence, she had to endure a barrage of flashes the moment she took her seat. Despite lowering her head due to the discomfort caused by all the lights, her sharp elven senses were able to detect all the gazes scrutinizing her body.

Eventually, with only a short time left for the entrance ceremony to start, Soe Miri couldn’t hold it in any longer and ended up retching.

“Are you okay?”

What prevented her from vomiting was Seti, who was sitting next to her. Seti gently patted Soe Miri’s back and handed her a handkerchief and a bottle of water.

Due to the kindness amidst her anxiety, tears welled up in Soe Miri’s eyes, and a sip of water helped her regain composure.

After dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief, Soe Miri bowed her head slightly to her kind human roommate.

“Thank you, Miss Seti.”

“It’s no big deal.”

Seti shrugged as if it really wasn’t a big deal to her. And even though she, too, was bathed in the constant flashes alongside Soe Miri, she didn’t utter a complaint.

Instead, she cheekily stretched and looked around as if searching for something.

Seti was a remarkably bold roommate. While enduring the flood of attention, Soe Miri glanced at Seti.

After a while, a bright smile appeared on Seti’s face. She straightened herself and waved toward the other side of the auditorium.

Following her gaze, Soe Miri saw three students waving back at Seti.

Friends? No, they didn’t seem to be her friends. They all shared a subtle, similar aura with Seti, suggesting they were either family or relatives.

“Who are they…?”

As soon as Seti finished greeting her acquaintances, Soe Miri quietly asked her a question, and Seti responded casually.

“They’re my sisters.”

“All three of them?”

“Yes, all four sisters somehow ended up starting at the academy on the same day, same time.”

A wistful smile appeared at the corners of Seti’s mouth. Soe Miri, who had recently lost her family members, could sense the nostalgia in that smile—The longing for family she could no longer meet.

She kept her mouth shut and gave Seti the space to collect her emotions.

A short while later, the auditorium lights dimmed, and finally, the entrance ceremony began.

Figures who had finished their preparations started appearing on the stage which had been empty just moments before.

Most of them were people Soe Miri didn’t know, but among them, there were a few well-known figures even she could recognize.

Jose Aginaldo...

The most prominent figure was a well-dressed middle-aged man.

Apart from his smooth mustache and bronzed skin, he was otherwise unremarkable, but at the end of the day,  Superhumans were judged by their accomplishments, not their appearance.

In that sense, Jose Aginaldo was the most outstanding figure here.

After all, he was the Earthian who had managed to survive after facing her father’s sword personally.

Why is such a big shot attending the entrance ceremony?

Soe Miri squinted and observed the others as well. A man in military uniform, which seemed rather out of place, and a familiar woman wearing an eyepatch.

Lieutenant General McFarlane and Freya Cahn… Isn’t it a bit too much for such prominent people to gather here?

Even though she wasn’t an Earthian, she could tell that having three out of the ten strongest Earthians gathered in one place was definitely not normal.

Of course, she couldn’t understand more than that. Being an outsider from beyond the Dimensional Portal, she had no way of knowing why Earthians had gathered such a formidable force just for the entrance ceremony.

Is this just for some counter-terrorism purpose? Or are they preparing something major?

While Soe Miri observed and speculated about the people gathered onstage, her eyes met those of a stern-looking elderly man of East Asian descent on the stage.

It wasn’t a coincidence. The old man, indeed, had fixed an intense gaze on her, as if trying to pierce through her.

…Who is he?

Just as Soe Miri tilted her head in confusion, Seti spoke up.

“Don’t make eye contact with that lowlife. You’ll only be dirtying your eyes for no reason.”

Seti’s tone was sharper than usual.

That lowlife? Didn’t Koreans value respect for the elderly? Soe Miri unconsciously asked.

“…Is he a bad person?”

“It would be nice if he were just bad. That old man is an absolute piece of trash. As soon as he heard the rumors about your Korean origins, he has been looking for a way to try to exploit you.”

“…”

“Here’s my advice, if anyone from the Korean government approaches you, do not acknowledge them. It won’t be of any help to you.”

Seti’s face was expressionless as she made this assertion, but the hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.

Seeing that, Soe Miri chose not to ask further and silently nodded.

She was also someone who had personally witnessed the monstrous pig-headed figures that the Korean government controlled.

While the two stopped talking, the various government officials and Superhumans came forward to start their speeches.

The speeches were dull. They were all the same cliché about becoming future heroes, using Superhuman powers for the good of society, and so on.

Nevertheless, the most impressive speech came from Freya Cahn.

She came up to the podium, glanced at the new students, and then said just one thing before stepping down.

- Nunya stand out this year. Step up ya game, mates!

Known for her eccentricity, the Holy Sword’s remarks didn’t spark any adverse reactions.

Soe Miri gave a wry smile while Seti also nodded with a peculiar expression for some reason.

In any case, once they were freed from the boring speeches, it was time for the new students’ oath.

When the time for the new students’ oath arrived, the reporters, who had been lethargic, and all the Superhumans and Mages, except for Freya Cahn, were now paying attention.

- New student representatives, please come up to the podium when your names are called.

As the host said those words, the atmosphere immediately changed.

Not understanding the situation, Soe Miri cautiously looked at Seti. Seeing her expression, Seti began to explain.

“At Lord Howe Academy, the new student oath can only be taken by students who are recognized by the faculty from each field.”

“…Is that really a big deal?”

“Of course, it is. It means you’ve been recognized by active Superhumans even as a new student. And in years when no one meets the criteria, the new student oath isn’t held at all.”

“Ah…”

“But this year, representatives were chosen from every field—martial arts, magic, and religion. It’s the first time this has happened since the academy’s founding, so the expectations are high.”

Did she also want to stand up there? Seti looked at the stage with a somewhat wistful gaze.

Then, the host on stage called out loudly.

- New student martial arts representative. Jeon Yunseong!

Jeon Yunseong. Soe Miri watched the young man with an unfamiliar name go up on stage.

The martial arts representative was a handsome boy, but that was all.

Having grown up watching elf martial artists who were thousands of years old, the boy’s presence did not impress Soe Miri at all.

Instead, Seti’s expression as she observed Jeon Yunseong caught her attention more.

Anger, jealousy, and a somewhat ambiguous smile.

What kind of relationship did the two of them have to warrant such a reaction?

Curious, Soe Miri was about to say something when the host called the next representative.

- New student magic representative, Salome!

This time, it was a name Soe Miri also knew of. In the past, the Magic Tower's rising star was prophesied to become the Vessel capable of holding anything, according to the last archmage.

Although she was often simply called a Vessel rather than by her name, she had another famous title.

The hope of Asha.

The rising star destined to restore the Magic Tower to its former glory and put the arrogant Earthians in their place.

Of course, the elves did not believe something like that was possible, as the Magic Tower had long declined.

Salome-ssi?

Anyway, after the host called her name one more time, a black figure rose from among the new students.

The figure was a woman with a black veil that covered her face, a black robe that enveloped her entire body, and gloves on her hands.

Wrapped completely from head to toe, it was difficult to tell if she could even see what was in front of her, but it was Salome.

It turns out she still goes around looking like that…

Soe Miri watched her with a sense of pity. Fortunately, it appeared that she could see well enough, as she managed to climb the stage without any trouble.

Some reporters grumbled about how thoroughly she was wrapped up, but that was it. After all, mages were often difficult to understand.

And finally… it was time for the last representative to arrive.

The representative from the religious sector was someone who needed no additional introduction—a person of mixed bloodline who had become the symbol of peace connecting Earth and the realms Beyond the Dimensional Portal.

The Saintess.

- The new student religious representative is… none other than the Saintess herself. Saintess, please come up to the podium.

Soe Miri slightly turned to the side and asked Seti.

“What kind of person is the Saintess of this generation?”

It was a light question to start a conversation, but the response was anything but that.

“A nutcase.”

“…Pardon?”

“She’s like an incarnation of appearance-focused elitism. That bitch’s mentality is inversely proportional to her looks. I can't tell you how disgusted I feel whenever she puts on a fake persona every time she's on TV.”

“Ah… um, are you personally acquainted with the Saintess?”

Was it a joke between friends? Soe Miri tilted her head at Seti’s extreme evaluation.

“Acquaintance, feh?! Actually, I really dislike her. She’s the reason I avoid visiting the temple.”

“…”

As Soe Miri was at a loss for words as her mouth went shut, murmurs could be heard from the stage.

Shortly after, the host picked up the microphone and spoke in a flustered voice.

- The Saintess is unable to participate in today’s entrance ceremony due to health issues. Unfortunately, Mr. Jeon Yunseong and Miss Salome will be the only ones to conduct the new student oath.

As soon as the announcement ended, the corners of Seti’s mouth twisted.

“Health issues, my foot… She probably ran away again. …That bitch.”

“…Miss Seti? What did you just say?”

“Don’t mind me. I’m just talking to myself.”

Soe Miri struggled to keep her head facing forward as she was about to turn it to the side again. For some reason, she felt that she shouldn’t make eye contact with Seti at that moment.

“We, the students, pledge…”

With Jeon Yunseong's booming voice, the official new student oath ceremony began.

As everyone was focused on the stage, Soe Miri pondered if she should revise her evaluation of her /genesisforsaken