Inside the Amber Hall, members of the Lionheart Society clenched their fists, feeling the humiliation of the night being laid bare so bluntly by none other than their current president.
Some members of the Lionheart Society wanted to speak up in defense of their president. They had lost the use of Norton Hall on Freedom Day, but that wasn't Vallery's fault—he wasn't even at the academy then.
The new president of the Student Union, Caesar Gattuso, was indeed exceptionally talented. On one side, there was the lion pride without its king, and on the other, there was the new tiger king. Moreover, Caesar excelled in areas like motorbike racing.
But no one dared to speak. Vallery was proud, they were proud, and proud people never looked for excuses in failure; they only found ways to succeed.
Vallery faced his mistake head-on, condemning his own incompetence. Regardless of the process, the result was that they lost Norton Hall, leading to this sacred succession ceremony taking place in the newly leased Amber Hall.
"But, this state of affairs won't last long. My era ends today, and a new Lion King will lead you. He will reclaim our territory and restore the glory of the Lionheart Society."
Vallery raised his clenched right hand high. "Let us welcome the new president, the unique S-class student among us, Lu Chen!"
The doors of the Amber Hall swung open, and a young man in school uniform entered, the Lionheart Society emblem shining brightly on his chest under the candlelight. He held a red maple given to him by his mentor in the evening.
Lu Chen walked into the hall, and the eyes of the members, both on the sides and on the second floor, turned to him. Some were scrutinizing the new leader of the pride, but most were filled with fervent expectations and respectful admiration.
In this society with a heritage of over a hundred years, he felt the weight of history for the first time. It was the soul passed down through generations. Through the candlelight, he could almost hear the roar of the lion pride on the grasslands.
His gaze swept across the hall, locking eyes with each member. In this process, everyone he met lit up with golden eyes.
He stopped and closed his eyes, then opened them again. His reddish-golden pupils seemed to flow like lava, starkly contrasting against the gathering of the lion pride. Without saying a word, he simply nodded to the members, causing them to stand even straighter, especially the freshmen.
He walked slowly up the stairs until he reached Vallery's side, meeting his gaze.
At that moment, Vallery felt the pressure emanating from the young man for the first time, and he understood.
Tonight, the youth wasn't here to accept a coronation. He was here to claim what was rightfully his—the crown of the Lionheart Society. He was talented enough. This wasn't a predetermined succession; it was the arrival of a new king to take over his domain.
The parchment was retrieved from a cylindrical container by Vallery. When unfurled, it displayed the names of every past president of the Lionheart Society, with Menek Cassell at the top.
He then accepted a small bottle from the current vice president, containing a dark golden liquid—the pure blood of the dragon race!
He used a pipette to draw blood from it and handed it to Lu Chen.
"Sign your name," he said.
Lu Chen took the pipette and wrote his name at the bottom.
"Our new president, don't you have anything to say to everyone?" Vallery's expression relaxed after completing all these formalities.
"Such as?" Lu Chen spoke lightly, noticing familiar faces like Chu Zihang and Milanla among the crowd on the first floor.
"Like promising to lead us in reclaiming the rights to use Norton Hall next year, or something similar."
Vallery reminded him in a low voice. He was beginning to doubt whether his junior had some sort of social disorder. If that were the case, managing the association might be troublesome.
However, Lu Chen shook his head with a smile. "Reclaiming Norton Hall? In my opinion, isn't the glory and strength of the Lionheart Society determined by something more than just the location of our activities on campus?"
Vallery was momentarily speechless. The members of the Lionheart Society in the Amber Hall also turned their attention to Lu Chen, eager to understand the new president's intentions.
"Reclaiming Norton Hall is just a trivial matter, not worthy of a special declaration from me here," Lu Chen said calmly. "In my reading of the Lionheart Society's history, I have to ask: is the glory of the Lionheart Society truly achieved by competing for activity spaces within the academy?"
Everyone fell silent.
"The essence of Cassell Academy is that of a military base, and here, we are the elites among soldiers, the secret sword of the clandestine party. In my view, competing with other societies for activity spaces is ridiculous, like children playing games."
These words angered many senior members of the Lionheart Society, and multiple pairs of golden eyes stared at him, but the young man remained unmoved.
"The glory of the Lionheart Society is not something so simple. It is a glory earned on the battlefield, a glory earned with... dragon's blood!" Lu Chen paused. "So, I won't say anything about leading everyone in reclaiming Norton Hall. That would seem too childish to me. We are the Lionheart Society, destined to roar in the wilderness and strike fear into the hearts of dragons! We are the secret sword of the clandestine party, still being honed, but our cold brilliance will make our enemies tremble!"
With that, Lu Chen drew the red maple from his waist. The flowing blade reflected the fiery golden eyes and flickering candlelight.
"If any of you still hesitate, then I will be the tip of the sword. You need only follow in my footsteps."
Thunderous applause erupted. There were no flowery words, but it was heart-stirring.
They were all people aiming to join the executive department after graduation, as the new president had said. Bathing in dragon's blood was the ultimate glory!
Compared to that, vying for the rights to use Norton Hall did indeed seem "childish."
"After tonight, I'm afraid that little Caesar won't be able to sleep," Vallery also applauded inwardly.
Lu Chen indeed wasn't much of a speaker, but he knew what to say to those soldiers who were about to go to war. He had said the same to countless secret blood warriors who had charged into battle alongside him. He was indeed the foremost tip of the sword, but in the end, when he looked back, the blade was no longer there.
That wasn't the war he wanted to fight, and the deaths of his comrades and those western soldiers were meaningless.
Until the end, he grew tired of these speeches, and there was no one left to speak to.
Now, he had people by his side again, and this time, it was a war against other races—a war to defend human history... a meaningful war.
---
Lu Chen rubbed his temples, feeling mentally fatigued.
He somewhat regretted taking over as president of the Lionheart Society. The position wasn't as straightforward as he had imagined; it wasn't just about leading the charge. There was also a damn lot of paperwork to approve...
If it weren't for Chu Zihang helping him, he probably would have wanted to step down.