Chapter 349 Definitely Following Me


    Aside from mine, Mother got to the podium and made her speech. Being a ruler now, Mother would probably not be able to make a speech again for political and security purposes. The entrance ceremony took an hour to finish. After that, the students exited the auditorium and then went to the ss buildings to find out their respective ssrooms. But in spite of how discreet I was, some students still approached me, making acquaintances. Dealing with them was a pain in the ass, but I fortunately managed to deal with them, and I barely arrived at the first-year ssrooms in time. Even though I didn''t want to be stalked, there was one student who was following me all the time. Before going to check where my ssroom was, under the shade of a tree in the academy''s courtyard, I decided to confront that person. "So... why are you still following me around, Iris." "I am not by any means following you, Raphael, Iris replied with a smile. "I am going to the same destination as you, so there is a probability that our paths will cross." "But I intentionally brought myself here, and you are literally following me around." "Nope, it is just a coincidence, Raphael." Standing before me, Iris said those words confidently. But I was still convinced that she was definitely following me. To prove that, I tried to raise my hand, to which she immediately followed suit in a mirror manner. Then I waved it, and she did the same as well. (Could it be that she is into me?) I thought. There was a possibility that she liked me, but there was also a possibility that she did not. She might have a matter to settle with me. I remembered when Alexander mentioned that he courted my sister because their family wanted to establish a connection with my family. When Alexander failed to do so, it was now Iris''s turn, but toward me this time. If I were to ask, Iris had the properties I preferred for a woman, but there was no certainty of the future, so I refrained from thinking about that too much, which would distract my school life. Well, I did not want to assume, so I left that matter for a while. But truly enough, every boy would probably feel happy when a cute girl flirted with them, knowing they really meant it or were just ying with their feelings. Even trivial things could bring such happiness. "Sigh." Knowing she would deny it again, I let out a defeated sigh. "If you want to follow me, it''s fine with me." Soon after, I started walking away and went to the shade of the main building of the academy. As expected, Iris followed me wherever I went. But I paid no mind to her and continued walking to the second floor. The main building was located at the center of the campus and was where the students studied. It consisted of three floors, not including the basement, and was divided by three wings, forming a U-shaped architecture with a courtyard at the back. Freshmen studied on the first floor, the second-years were on the second floor, and the third floor was where the seniors were attending. Each floor had its own cafeteria and restrooms, so there was no need to go to the other floor during breaks unless someone needed to touch some grass. The ssrooms were situated on the right wing of the building. The cafeteria and some facilities were on the other side, while the faculties and offices were in the middle. Meanwhile, the training grounds for practical lessons were in a separate building. So all students were basically studying in the same building, given that there were not that many students to begin with, as only riches and nobles could afford to study. There were probably around three hundred students enrolled this year. I walked along a busy corridor on the second floor and checked out the lists posted beside the doors of each of the first-year ssrooms. Apparently, I found my name in the first ssroom. I did not know if there was a system or sequence to follow for the arrangement, but it seemed I was assigned to ss A, the elite ss. Each year had an elite ss.There were no sort of practical tests before the enrollment or something, but the academy appraised our stats and made them the basis for the division. From what I had observed, the levels were the primary basis for the arrangement. The least leveled student in ss A, among the ss size of twenty, was around Level 200, while the rest were equally divided into three other sections. My stats were abnormal, so I adjusted them to lessen someone''s reaction when they heard my status. I lowered my level from a whooping more than one thousand five hundred to around nine hundred, just a bit above my sister''s. I also tampered with my race back to human, as I was supposed to be below a thousand levels. (Personally, though, I think the level did not define the word elite.)


    "It seems like we are in the same ss, Raphael. That means we will be together for a year." "Yeah, that''s a great thing to hear, Iris. I am looking forward to that."


    Suddenly, I heard a girl''s voice from behind. Also, apparently, Iris was one of my ssmates. With a raw power of around Level 300bined with her magical prowess, Iris was undoubtedly included in the ss. By the way, she was only below me, so we were actually the most powerful first-year students of this school year in terms of total stats. In addition, I am the most powerful student among all grades. Of course, Big Sis was the strongestst year. "Let''s go in."


    Iris and I walked into the room and looked around the room. There had been students inside, already taking their seats. From what I could see, the ssroom was a lecture hall type. It was spacious and quadrteral in shape, with four rows of long and straight wooden desksid over a pitched floor. There was a staircase at the sides with an aisle in the middle, separating the seats into two columns. In total, there were eight desks in the room, and each had a capacity of four people. "Alright, I decided to sit here," I muttered as soon as I reached the right desk of thest row. "And I guess that you would sit next to me." "If you don''t mind, Raphael." "Not at all." Suddenly, I remembered that I forgot something. "Well then, Iris, I know that we just met today and you are the little sister of a friend of mine, but can I be your friend?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "A friend, huh?"


    For some reason, even if she smiled, I could feel a vague hint of sadness in her expression. Iris might have a friend from afar. "Verily, Raphael, I will be your friend," Iris happily said, and then she offered a hand. "I am happy that you are my first male friend after a long time, Raphael." "The same feeling here, Iris." I then sped her hand. "Let''s make memories together and enjoy our life in the academy." With that, I secured my first genuine friend upon entering the academy.