"We're going to win this competition no matter what!"
Slamming both hands on the table, Alisa Larghast shouted with fierce determination.
The place was the Central Student Council chamber, located in the Academic Tier of the School District, nestled between the aerial dining hall and the principal's office in the temple tower of Breidablik.
"The fact that it's being hosted by the Denatus instead of the Guild is crucial. If it were left to those swine in the Guild, they'd go back on their word—but the gods of Orario always honor the rules of their entertainments."
Alisa Larghast, the supervisor of Class Baldr, was a student representative with the authority to impose penalties on other students. Her role could be considered the equivalent of a Familia leader candidate.
Adjusting her glasses, Alisa glanced at the other class supervisors and student council members.
"What the gods of Orario seek are intense emotions and action! And they always reward those who deliver!"
"So then, Alisa…"
"Exactly! If we win the match, our requests will almost certainly be granted. Even Hermes swore on it!"
"Ohhh!"
"Then we're taking back the orichalcum!"
"Let's do it! Let's show Orario what we're made of!"
Alisa's confidence lit a fire in the students' spirits, their morale soaring to its peak.
Meanwhile, Nina watched the scene unfold, feeling more and more out of place with each passing moment.
(Alisa-senpai and everyone else are so fired up… Now that I'm part of this, I really do want our district to win, but… what's going to happen with Rapi and the others?)
Unable to say no due to the staff shortage—and her own kind nature—Nina had ended up serving as a temporary secretary for this emergency meeting of the Urban Competition Festival: Orariopiad.
Sitting at a table off to the side, she diligently moved her pen to keep track of the meeting's minutes… all while her thoughts drifted to Rapi—young Bell, her big sister Eina, and the rest of the Hestia Familia.
"Nina! What's the status of negotiations with the Divine Denatus?"
"Uh…! Professor Adler and the others are handling it! Along with the application for the event's contents, they're also coordinating dates and locations around Orario… Even the goddesses from Izun are with them!"
"Excellent! As long as the content of the competitions doesn't put us at a disadvantage, we can manage."
The student council meeting continued rapidly, with no regard for Nina's inner worries.
A young human girl with reddish-golden hair from Class Baldr, who had been coerced into joining the Morality Commission, gave her report while Alisa struck concerns off the whiteboard one after another.
The head prefect raised her voice, laying out the district's winning strategy:
"It's confirmed that the Loki Familia is out on an expedition! If we can delay the 'Urban Competition Festival: Orariopiad' just a bit, they won't be able to participate. And with the Freya Familia now dissolved, we have a real shot at victory! Especially with professors like Leon on our side!"
That much, even Nina understood.
If it were just the students alone, there'd be no way they could compete with the might of Orario.
However, if the district's instructors—renowned for their prowess—were allowed to participate as representatives, the situation changed dramatically.
In Orario terms, it would be equivalent to secondary leaders of Familias joining the competitions.
And when it came to Leon, the students in the district were firmly convinced that his skill rivaled even that of the legendary Ottar, widely known as the strongest in the city.
"Key individuals to watch include first-tier adventurers from the Ganesha Familia, like the 'Elephant Staff' Ankusha. Also, there's that odd one—Ryuu Astrea, the newly promoted Level 6 rookie."
As Nina was lost in thought, Alisa's next comment—made with a scowl—snapped her out of it.
It was a name that had been lingering in her mind.
"And let's not forget the criminal who illegally infiltrated our school—super rookie Bell Cranel!"
"They got us! Things had been quiet lately, so I let my guard down! Ohhh, Denatus, you never tire of tossing trials and headaches our way!"
In the decision room on the second floor of the Guild, Royman clutched his head in frustration as the ever-playful, insatiable gods of Denatus declared that the Urban Competition Festival: Orariopiad would proceed as scheduled, no delays.
Although the Guild's attempts to stop them were in vain, all they received in response were sarcastic retorts:
"Do you have a better idea, then?"
"We were really looking forward to the district's new powerhouses."
"If you keep whining, maybe we should just defect to the district ourselves?"
They had even hinted at imposing unfavorable conditions.
"No matter how many bribes we offer, they insist the competitions will be fair! We managed to sway a few greedy gods, but it's not enough. Depending on the nature of the contests… Orario could lose!"
Royman had no choice but to accept that the dice had already been cast. But that didn't mean he was giving up.
"Leon is too big a threat!"
Leon Vardenburg, the district's chief instructor.
He was the de facto leader of "Class Baldr," and Royman was very aware of his abilities.
He had been among the standout members of the next generation of followers—alongside Finn and Ottar—fifteen years ago, when the gods Zeus and Hera still reigned over the Labyrinth City.
In a sense, he had been what Bell Cranel is now: the center of attention.
"Even though we're negotiating with Denatus, they keep denying the participation of the strongest warriors..."
"Officially, the Freya Familia is disbanded, so those brave Einherjar are just unaffiliated adventurers now. Even when we argue they should be under the Hestia Familia, they firmly reject it!"
"The Loki Familia is still on their expedition! Their mightiest leaders—like the One-Eyed Giant and the Saint of the Battlefield—are going with them. They won't even postpone their departure!"
"Without the strongest warriors or the brave heroes, we have no way to stop the Knight of Knights!"
"Lord Royman, what do we do?"
The discussion turned chaotic. Even the top adventurers and Familias were starting to panic.
And it was understandable.
The power of Leon Vardenburg, recognized as the strongest in the district, was terrifying.
"He's on the same level as Ottar. Although it was officially announced that the three leaders of the Loki Familia reached Level 7, Leon is in a league of his own."
Elsewhere, at the same time, Eina—like Nina—was taking notes on the meetings in the council chamber. While writing, she murmured:
"He's still the same… Master Leon."
Even someone like Eina, who didn't aspire to a combat career, knew just how powerful and impactful his skills were.
There were legends:
"He cut down a castle."
"He controlled an army of a thousand with a single strike."
"The Knight of Knights."
Leon wasn't just a former teacher to Eina; he was a figure who had left an indelible mark on everyone.
Now, facing him as an enemy only made their situation more complicated.
"Summon the Ganesha Familia and the Hestia Familia! Especially Bell Cranel! We need familiar faces to win the public's support."
When Royman mentioned Bell's name, Eina's heart trembled. It was impossible to ignore.
At that very moment, in the student council room, just like her younger sister Nina—whose reaction was one of surprise—Eina showed no sign of losing her composure.
"That's true…"
She murmured those words.
"After all, Bell is already a first-tier adventurer…"
With that, she acknowledged the fact.
Unlike Nina, Eina fully understood that the young man would continue being pulled into the center of conflicts no matter what happened. Still, she couldn't help but worry deeply about him.