"Owen, where are you? The banquet's about to start. Hurry over! There's going to be a big shot attending."
Inside the quiet library, an urgent voice interrupted the tranquility. Muria, holding a book, looked up and offered an apologetic smile to the students who turned disapproving glances his way.
"The student council president?"
Muria tucked the book under his arm and headed toward the library exit.
"How'd you know?" The face on the terminal screen looked surprised.
"I ran into him on my way here. And didn't you all mention inviting him earlier?"
After reaching the front desk, Muria registered the book he'd been reading, completed the borrowing process, and left the serene atmosphere of the library.
"That was just a joke! Who would've thought that someone as busy as the president would actually be on campus—and accept our invitation?"
"Alright, calm down. Don't act like those fangirls when you see him and faint out of excitement. You'd embarrass yourself."
"But it's Caesar!"
"I know."
"I remember you used to idolize Caesar. How are you so calm now?" His companion sounded puzzled.
"I've moved on," Muria replied with a nonchalant expression.
"I mean, you've changed so much after just killing a baby dragon. I was there too, but I didn't change this much."
"It varies from person to person. You've changed too; you just don't notice it yourself. My changes are just more noticeable."
Unbothered by the minor discrepancies between himself and the real Owen, Muria casually brushed off the comment. He wasn't overly concerned about imitating Owen perfectly—he approached this entire disguise with a playful attitude.
"You think so?"
"I know so." Muria confirmed with a confident tone, needing only a plausible excuse to quell any doubts. After all, who would suspect a proud ancient dragon of masquerading as a human teenager?
"Fine. Just get here quickly."
"On my way."
Soothing music filled the luxurious ballroom as Muria strolled around, wearing a black-and-gold-trimmed suit. The lively atmosphere buzzed with youthful energy, yet his sharp golden eyes locked onto a hunched figure at the edge of the room.
A dark-haired boy, shoulders slumped, head down, seemed entirely out of place amidst the glitz and glamour.
Seeing this sight, Muria's expression darkened as a complicated mix of emotions flickered across his face—exasperation, frustration, and a tinge of pity.
"Owen, what are you looking at? Why aren't you dancing? Plenty of girls are waiting for you!"
A sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. Turning, Muria saw a delicate blonde girl gazing at him with a coy smile.
"With the president here, do you think any of the girls would bother looking at anyone else?" Muria replied, indifferent to her charm. To him, human standards of beauty were far too low to catch his attention.
"Well, Caesar is the perfect man in every way. But precisely because he's so unattainable, some girls won't even bother trying. They know he's out of their league."
"Look at that guy," Muria gestured toward the black-haired boy gorging himself in a corner. "Completely out of place."
"Lu Tianming?" The girl followed his gaze and immediately pulled a face.
"Everyone else is trying to look their best, yet there he is, stuffing his face at a banquet," Muria remarked, masking his growing sense of unease.
"Owen, he's not normal. Who else would offend the two most powerful student groups on their first day at school?"
"The whole school hates him?" Muria chuckled at the thought.
"Well, he's officially classified as an S-ranked bloodline, even stronger than President Caesar. But honestly, he seems like a joke. I've yet to see any proof of his supposed abilities. He's utterly useless."
"Interesting." Muria raised an eyebrow and strode toward the boy.
"What are you doing?"
"Having a chat."
The girl watched him leave, muttering, "What's wrong with me today? He didn't even notice me. Is there something off about my outfit?"
"Good evening, senior!"
Lu Tianming looked up, startled, as Muria approached. Smiling sheepishly, he tucked the half-eaten roast goose behind his back.
"This is a banquet, not a buffet, Tianming." Muria's tone was laced with irony, his expression caught between annoyance and disbelief.
"Sorry, senior. I was just so hungry," the boy mumbled with an apologetic grin. "I'll leave right away."
"Hold on a second." Muria stopped him.
"Is there something else?" Lu Tianming paused, clearly bracing himself for a reprimand.
"Why are you just sitting here eating? Why not ask a girl to dance?"
"Uh…" The boy froze, then stammered, "Aren't you here to kick me out?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Because I've eaten so much…" Lu Tianming scratched his unkempt hair awkwardly.
"No one's going to kick you out for eating too much, Tianming."
"So… I can keep eating?"
"Is food the only thing on your mind? Or is there something else wrong with you?" Muria asked, genuinely exasperated.
"Well, even if I had other things on my mind, it wouldn't matter," Lu Tianming replied with a bitter laugh.
"Wait here."
Pulling out his terminal, Muria quickly searched the academy's forum for the boy's name. Instantly, a list of sensational headlines popped up:
"Shocking! Freshman Destroys Student Council President and Brotherhood Leader on Day One!"
"S-Ranked Bloodline: Peerless Genius or Complete Failure?"
"Wow," Muria whistled, scrolling through the articles. "Didn't realize you were such a big deal."
"You're joking, right? Look at President Caesar over there. He's the real star. I'm just a nobody." Lu Tianming gestured toward the golden-haired student council president.
"Come on. You're the guy who knocked him out!"
"That was an accident! I regret pulling the trigger every single day."
"It wouldn't have mattered."
"Why not?"
"Compromise never earns respect. If you want to stand out, you need to prove yourself."
"But I don't want to stand out. I just want to be a normal student!"
"With your S-ranked bloodline, you were destined to stand out. Even if you hadn't taken that shot, you'd still be under a spotlight."
"But I don't even know why I'm an S-rank!"
"Believe me, you deserve it. In fact, S-rank doesn't do you justice." Muria clapped him on the shoulder, his expression oddly reassuring.
"You're joking, right?" Lu Tianming smiled weakly, some of the tension easing from his face.
"What are you two chatting about?"
A lazy but magnetic voice interrupted them, and both turned to see Caesar himself striding toward them.
"N-nothing important!" Lu Tianming stammered, shrinking under the older student's gaze.
"Just reminiscing about how Tianming here floored you," Muria quipped.
Instantly, every eye in the room turned to him.
______
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