Chapter 43

"Sorry, would you mind joining the opening ceremony of the Academy Festival before we go sightseeing?"

On the viewing platform in the college square.

Xilan quietly sat in a chair, watching the speech of an old man in front of the festival stage.

This was already the third person to speak on stage, and he was said to be the Minister of Ceremonies of the capital.

Who he was didn't matter; what mattered was that he disliked such tedious and superfluous formalities.

But he could only sit there because Rachima was listening below.

Students at the academy could only gain their freedom after the opening ceremony, and they were no exception.

So, after receiving an apologetic request, he was brought to the viewing platform by them.

Until the opening ceremony ended.

Suddenly, applause broke out.

The old man walked off the stage, and another middle-aged man in splendid attire walked up.

He began to speak.

Xilan closed his eyes, wondering how long this spirit-draining act would continue. He started to feel bored.

"Hello!"

At his ear, a young voice caught his attention. He turned his head and saw a young noble boy smiling at him.

"Hello," Xilan nodded in response.

"Are you also bored with the opening ceremony of this Academy Festival?" the young noble boy asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"Me too." The noble boy shook his head and said, "I've always heard that the festival of the Royal Central Academy is extraordinary, but I'm a bit disappointed after seeing it for the first time."

"Disappointed?"

"Yes, disappointed." The noble boy said, "I thought the opening would be concise and straightforward."

"Why?"

"Because this is the Royal Central Academy." The noble boy said.

"Because of that, it's called the Royal Central Academy." Xilan said calmly.

"It seems we share the same view." The noble boy turned to him, his handsome face smiling, "I haven't introduced myself yet, Xabro Province, Drevor Sil."

"Xilan."

"I think I've heard that name before."

Hearing this, Sil frowned and glanced at the young man beside him.

This was Sil's first time in the capital, and he had a reason for coming.

He had already been guaranteed admission to the Royal Central Academy, and his enrollment procedures would be handled in a week.

In that week, he could do many things, such as attending the annual festival of the Royal Central Academy.

When he sat on the viewing platform, he happened to notice him.

Because of his eyes.

He felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen those eyes somewhere before.

So, he sat next to him until he found a reason to start a conversation.

Xilan—

That was his name. He didn't introduce his surname because, in noble social circles, a surname was an important title, and introducing it was also a way to show one's status.

This didn't conform to the normal social etiquette of the nobility.

Because it seemed disrespectful.

Sil didn't mind; he wasn't the type to fuss over trivialities.

"I don't know you."

Xilan glanced at the noble boy beside him.

"Now you do." Sil looked at him, looking into his eyes.

"Is there something you want?" Xilan asked.

"If I say you look like someone I've seen before but forgotten, would you believe me?" Sil smiled.

Xilan shook his head, "That might work on women, but not on me."

"Thank you, I apologize for the disturbance."

Sil turned his head, a faint smile on his face as he continued to watch the festival stage.

He knew that continuing to ask wouldn't yield any results. While he was curious, pressing further would be impolite.

He remembered those eyes, that face. One day, he would get the answers he wanted.

Perhaps he didn't know that he had also been remembered by the other.

Xilan had no impression of this young noble boy. From his actions and questions, it was clear that he was very interested in his eyes.

Xabro Province—

A place that left a deep impression.

Since it was someone he had no impression of, he had no reason to pursue it further.

In the square, countless students stood in neat rows, divided by their departments, like a military formation.

They were very quiet, and even when they whispered, it was hard to notice.

They were students of the Royal Central Academy. At the important annual festival opening, they were surrounded by numerous nobles from the capital, so they wouldn't do anything to disgrace the academy.

Casually looking around the square, Xilan's eyebrows suddenly twitched. He noticed something interesting.

He saw several students stealthily slipping out of their ranks.

What were they planning to do?

Just as Xilan was puzzled, a chaotic noise suddenly erupted from the outer perimeter of the viewing platform.

"Everyone, no moving!"

The incident seemed to erupt suddenly.

At the outer perimeter of the square, around the viewing platform, and in front of the festival stage.

The sound of swords being drawn echoed through the sky.

Countless students, unknown from where, flooded into the square, forming a包围. They held their gleaming swords high, standing in neat rows, their sword tips pointing forward.

The same scene unfolded around the viewing platform.

Chaos and noise.

The Royal Central Academy, which had been calm for a century, was thoroughly disturbed by this unexpected incident.

"It seems something interesting is happening."

The nobles on the viewing platform had already stood up, panicking, but few remained seated and calm, Sil being one of them.

"Indeed." Xilan nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with his exclamation.

"Aren't you afraid?" Sil turned to him and smiled.

"Why should I be afraid?" Xilan said.

"Nothing, just a casual question." Sil said.

"What about you?" Xilan said.

Sil shook his head, a mocking smile on his face, "I don't know what's happening, but since the ones doing this are students, there's no reason to be afraid. Fear is contagious. Perhaps what people are afraid of is not them, but the unknown reasons and the swords in their hands."

"Because swords have no eyes." Xilan said.

"Look over there." Sil suddenly pointed to a direction far from the viewing platform, "Swords have no eyes, and sometimes people don't either."

Xilan followed the noble boy's finger and saw a middle-aged noble shouting at a student holding a sword.

"Sav! Do you know what you're doing?"

"Lord Kha, I'm sorry, but I know exactly what I'm doing." The student, who was being scolded, smiled.

"Do you? Look at what you've done!" The middle-aged noble, furious, pointed around, "Causing public disorder, holding nobles hostage, are you planning a rebellion?"

"Rebellion?" The student shook his head, "We're not rebelling, we're saving this country."

"Ha?" The middle-aged man looked at him, incredulous, "Saving this country? Just you, and your friends? What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I'm not spouting nonsense, I'm stating a fact." The student tightened his grip on the sword and said calmly.

"Damn it!" The middle-aged man reached out to push forward, "Move out of the way!"

The student took a step back, and his sword swept down.

"Ah—"

The middle-aged noble's scream drew the attention of the surrounding crowd.

The student looked at the middle-aged noble, whose thigh had been cut, and said, "Although we were instructed not to kill unless absolutely necessary, I don't think it will stop me from causing you some pain."

Blood soaked the middle-aged noble's leg. He clutched the wound and fell to the ground, staring at the student, "Do you know the consequences of your actions?"

"I do." The student looked up, meeting the gazes of the many people around, "So I am not afraid. I also warn you all, don't do anything foolish."

The student held his sword across his chest, looking at the blood on the blade, and said coldly, "Otherwise, swords have no eyes."

The naked threat made the nobles surrounding the students retreat. Although they looked down on these students, they seemed to have lost their reason, and any rash action would lead to the same fate as Kha.

For their safety, they didn't want to provoke the students further. Perhaps calmly dealing with the situation would help them escape gradually.

"Tsk, truly a bunch of useless nobles." Sil said mockingly.

"Years of weighing their interests have made them lose the courage to resist." Xilan said.

"True, they wouldn't calm down without some shocking warning." Sil shook his head and looked at the square and the festival stage, "It's the same over there."

Xilan looked at the square, his gaze landing on Maggie, who was huddled next to Rachima. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.

"It seems this wasn't a random action." Sil looked at the right arm of a student in the distance, "Perhaps they've been planning this for a long time."

"Indeed."

He had also noticed that each student holding a sword and initiating the action had a red ribbon tied around their right arm.

"The student just said they are saving this country." Sil frowned, shaking his head, "But what do they hope to achieve through this method?"

"Are you interested?" Xilan said calmly.

"Interested? Maybe." Sil looked at the students threatening the crowd, "Through some channels, I know that if this country doesn't undergo reform, it might fall into an abyss, but many people don't think so."

"Because they are content with the false peace and prosperity." Xilan said bluntly, "Praying won't change anything, but these people want to change it."

"So they appeared here, trying to make a change."

"Sometimes it's hard to imagine such people."

"No." Sil smiled, "It's because of them that we can see hope for this country."

"Hope?"

"Some people will disappoint them." Xilan shook his head.

"How will you know the outcome without trying?" Sil said, "At least they have the courage to try, even if they fail."

"Perhaps we will soon understand what changes they want to make."

Following Xilan's gaze, Sil looked at the festival stage.

Now, the people on the festival stage had been subdued, and a student walked to the front.

In front of the loudspeaker, the student smiled, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and looked around the scene, nodding in satisfaction.

"Dear fellow students and noble guests, please be quiet."

"First, I advise everyone not to provoke us, or we cannot guarantee your safety. However, if you follow the order, we will not harm you."

"As a representative of this action and a member of the Blood Flag Society, I declare that the future of this country will be changed by us!"

"Change!"

"Change!"

"Change!"

Countless swords pointed to the sky, and countless shouts echoed through the sky.

The grand and crazy festival slowly began...

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