**Chapter 438: Welcome Party**
Posters about the Welcome Party have been plastered all over the academy’s bulletin boards.
It’s a tradition around here.
When Inif arrived, she overheard the trio discussing the Welcome Party.
With a hint of surprise, she asked, “Wait, is Riya actually invited to perform at the Welcome Party?”
“Yep! But I managed to charmingly turn it down,” Kaise chimed in.
“But normally, only upperclassmen get invited to perform. Freshmen are just supposed to be the audience!”
Kaise gave her a quirky look. “Wow, Inif’s actually caring about this kind of stuff?”
“Hehe, well, I was once invited too. But I turned them down.”
“Because you have no talent to perform?” Kaise smirked.
“You little furball! What do you know! I’ve got talents galore!” Inif crossed her arms dramatically. “I just don’t think that small stage is worthy of me.”
But those who knew her well understood that the more she strutted, the guiltier she felt.
“Are you afraid of embarrassing yourself up there?” Kaise teased.
“You! And what about you?”
“I…” Kaise suddenly stammered.
She was just a big talker, after all.
“I definitely have talents I’ll reveal when the time is right. But now’s not the time.”
“Uh-huh, timing, huh? Some people might never get the chance. Not everyone qualifies for such a stage.”
Inif shot a mockingly proud glance at Kaise, managing to score a point.
Yuliya chimed in, “Alright, alright, we’re all fabulous, so missing this little stage isn’t a loss.”
She truly believed that.
The only reason she received an invitation was because of her recent buzz.
In other words, the student council just wanted to ride her coattails.
Even if she agreed and prepared something, it wouldn’t get any attention. Kinda pointless.
After all, she was just a freshman, and time was short.
And there was Euphilia! That would definitely be fun!
Euphilia was the mentor and an elf. The treatment she received was light-years away from what students got.
“Inif, are you coming to watch the Welcome Party with us on Sunday night? I saw on the poster that upperclassmen could join too.”
“Me…?” Inif hesitated.
She’d never actually seen a Welcome Party.
Even during her admission, she skipped it to avoid unnecessary activities.
“Come on, just join us to take a look.” Kaise sincerely invited her this time, no sarcasm involved. “You’re in third year now; who knows if you’ll get another chance to see one.”
Heidis simply watched her, saying nothing.
“Alright then.” Inif cracked a smile. It was faint but genuine.
“I’ll join too.”
When Sunday night rolled around, the four of them got ready and headed to the auditorium in the Student Activity Zone.
Upon reaching the entrance, they formed a line to get in.
When it was their turn, the person managing the entrance blinked when he saw Inif.
He should know her, but Inif had no clue who he was.
“Is there a problem?” Kaise asked. “Upperclassmen should be allowed in, right?”
“No, no problem. Please, come in.” The guy snapped to attention. “Which of you are together?”
Kaise pointed, “Us four.”
“Oh, so you’re with Lady Riya! Please go in; your seats are in the second area, rows 5 to 8.”
Yuliya could only smile and nod as they walked in.
Thanks to that pesky newspaper, every student they’d greeted recently had called her “Lady Riya.”
When they asked why, most answered, “Sounds nice.”
Only one honest person blurted out that “big” doesn’t necessarily mean “big,” “small” doesn’t mean “small,” which was just the reverse of what it seemed.
Yuliya knew this was all thanks to the annoying Feihua News Agency and their troublesome Feihua No. 2.
But no worries! The box was already opened; she’d sort him out in a couple of days!
Yuliya despised being called “small.” She liked the big!
The auditorium had a spacious interior, much larger than it seemed from the outside—easily capable of holding close to ten thousand people.
After finding their designated seats, Yuliya noticed they had a great view. Clearly, the seating wasn’t totally random.
It seemed her name had some inexplicable influence in some odd places.
After a brief wait, the event began.
This was Yuliya’s first time attending such a large entertainment event since landing in this world.
Compared to Blue Star, the average power level might be a few grades higher here, but the infrastructure just couldn’t compare.
So entertainment was pretty lacking, but that was the case in rural areas.
At Saint Felis Academy, however, the gap wasn’t as glaring.
With high power levels and strong people, they could always find alternative methods to achieve similar outcomes.
Like the Saint Felis Daily or many club activities.
This Welcome Party was actually a showcase of various clubs and mentors—a chance for the students to truly experience the depth and charm of the academy.
The first performance was a dance piece from the Gale Wings Society called “Ride the Wind,” and it immediately caught Yuliya’s attention.
Compared to their previous recruitment displays, this time they had more participants, better coordination, and sharper moves.
Previously, it was all about floating with the wind; now, they were dancing with it.
“Now this is what I call a real spectacle!”
Following that, the other performances were equally dazzling—even the singing had its own unique flair.
With unified control and strict requirements, the outcomes were entirely different; this was the real deal.
“And now, please enjoy the final performance, a fairy tale directed by Mentor Euphilia, titled ‘The Hero vs. The Dragon.'”
As the announcement wrapped up, the auditorium was plunged into darkness.
Mentor Euphilia, combined with the dark atmosphere, prompted quite a few gasps and shouts from the freshmen.
They had seen a stunning display in her class on Monday.
Even those who missed the class felt a little regret but caught up to some extent through the newspaper.
They were equally eager.
Euphilia certainly wouldn’t disappoint their expectations.
Compared to the simple showcase in class, the stage this time was broader, allowing for more creative expression.
In the next moment, a blast of white light illuminated from the center of the darkness, bathing everyone in a pure glow.
As the white light faded, the surroundings transformed into lush green hills and waters, overwhelmed with thriving trees.
The audience felt they were still sitting in their seats, but looking down, there were no seats, only sprawling green grass.
They were like sheep hiding in the meadow.
Not far from them stood a castle, looming majestically.
