A pleasant breeze and warm sunlight filled the air. It was spring, and the Academy gardens were awash with the colors of blooming flowers.
From her office, Chronoa Highland, the Academy’s director, gazed out at the world below during this season of new beginnings, watching as the incoming students arrived in their crisp, brand-new uniforms.
As she watched, her mind drifted back to years long past.
"How nostalgic..."
It had been several years since she had left the Imperial Capital around this time of year to visit Clausel to scout locations for the entrance exams. She had first crossed paths with Ren at the town’s Adventurer Guild, and their second meeting had followed shortly after in his village.
Back then, she never could have imagined that a future like this was waiting for them.
The feeling grew even stronger as she spotted Ren, Lithia, and Fiona walking together outside. It was impossible to predict where a connection might be forged or where those threads of fate would lead.
While Chronoa was gazing out the window with a faint smile, a knock sounded at her door. After she called out for them to enter, a female Academy clerk stepped inside.
"Director, I have the materials for the event approaching this summer."
The moment Chronoa took the files, reality came crashing back down. Her cheeks twitched, and the clerk—knowing exactly why the director was reacting that way—offered a wry smile.
"You'll have to do your best again this year," the clerk said.
"Ahaha... tell me about it..."
"Well then, I look forward to your review of these."
"Yeah, I’ve got it."
The clerk left the room immediately after receiving Chronoa’s reply.
With her lustrous golden hair swaying in the spring breeze, Chronoa glanced at the documents once more. There was no mistake; the mountain of work was real. She let out a heavy, resigned sigh.
Her peaceful time enjoying the scenery was officially over. She sat at her desk, set down the new files, and opened her drawer to begin preparing for the long day ahead. She started by clearing away the routine paperwork that required her signature.
Once she turned her attention to the main documents, however, her expression darkened.
"...I feel like the turnout is going to be poor again this year," she muttered to no one in particular, her words laced with a weary sigh.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
A few days later, an assembly was held for the entire student body in the Great Auditorium—the same place where they had welcomed Ren and the other freshmen just a short time ago.
There, Chronoa stood before the buzzing crowd of students and offered a gentle smile. She had come to announce the Lion King Festival, the massive event scheduled to take place in the Imperial Capital this summer.
The Lion King Festival was a grand event held once every few years, where representatives from every institution in the Imperial Capital vied for glory across a variety of disciplines. Here at the Imperial Military Academy, the selection process for those representatives would likely begin soon.
And that brought them to the most difficult part: appointing the student members of the Lion King Festival Executive Committee.
This was a daunting task. The students of the Imperial Military Academy, from the Special Merit Class on down, were all elites who had survived a rigorous entrance exam. Almost every student wanted to participate in the festival as a competitor, and even those who didn't were typical teenagers who simply wanted to enjoy the festivities as spectators. Very few were willing to spend their summer buried in the administrative nightmare of the committee.
However, an Executive Committee was mandatory.
This year, just like every other, there hadn't been a single volunteer—until, fortunately, Ren and Lithia agreed to take on the roles.
For Chronoa, having just those two was a godsend. But then, Ren had mentioned he would look for other people to join them.
It was now just past noon on the day applications for the committee were set to close. Chronoa was beginning to feel a sense of melancholy, as she hadn't heard a word about any volunteers other than Ren and Lithia.
Shortly before the end of the lunch break, she made her way toward the Academy Staff Room, harboring a faint, desperate hope that someone else might have signed up.
The moment she entered, the atmosphere was frantic.
"Di-Director!"
"Just what kind of methods did you use to pull this off!?"
Several teachers rushed toward her, their voices raised in excitement.
Wondering what on earth had caused such a stir, Chronoa stepped into the circle of gathered faculty members.
"What's wrong?" she asked, blinking.
"It's not a matter of 'what's wrong'! It's about the Executive Committee!"
"Ugh..."
Chronoa braced herself, assuming the commotion was because they still lacked members. But the teachers' reactions were the opposite of what she expected.
"What a magnificent lineup," one teacher marveled.
"Yes... the numbers are small, but they are truly the cream of the crop."
Another teacher spoke up, "Both of this year’s First-year Representatives, His Highness the Third Prince, the daughter of the Ignat house, and even Arkhayse—the girl who served as Student Council President until last year. There are only five of them, but this is more than enough, isn't it?"
"I should say so. With this group, there won't be a single problem."
"My, my, as expected of the Director. I've asked Ren Ashton to handle one more task just in case, but—Director?"
As Chronoa listened to the names, her eyes turned into blank dots.
With a dazed, hollow expression, she managed a single, faint word. "...Yeah."
Then, she turned on her heel. "Sorry. I just remembered some work I have to do."
Leaving the bewildered teachers behind, she hurried out of the staff room.
She floated back to her office in a trance. She stood by the window, her hair swaying as she stared blankly at the spring scenery, trying to process what she had just heard.
Finally, as her brain began to function again, a scream erupted from her throat.
"Wha—whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"
Thinking of the five names Ren had somehow brought together, Chronoa Highland cried out in absolute, unfiltered shock.