Chapter 63 - The Return of Elites (2/2)
The group of five jumped and turned around quickly. When they saw that it was a member of the Zodiacs they instantly became stiff. Not wanting to annoy an elite student, one of the members half-shouted,
”W-we're afraid of the dorm head!” After a slight pause the student added to the end. ”…Sir!”
Lydis didn't bat an eye and just nodded her head. What had made him address her as 'sir'? Was it because of her status as a Zodiac? Or maybe they were just too nervous so the 'sir' seemed necessary in their minds.
”You don't have to add in sir. First of all, I'm not even a male.”
The five exchanged glances and the little girl in the back of the group lifted her head.
”… My b-brother said to 'suck up' and 'kiss ass' when I g-got to the academy… When I asked how, he said to add 'sir' when answering, elites, like, you…” Her voice quivered and slowly became nothing but silent mumbles as she hid her body behind the group once again.
Lydis wasn't interested but she still had to show Hal that taking her in wasn't a mistake. Reaching her hand out, Lydis patted the boy's shoulder gently. Walking past the group, she waved over her shoulder.
”Come on, lunch is starting. We can't be late on the first day can we?”
Although Lydis's had been very light in her patting, the boy felt that each tap on his shoulder would be more than enough to dislocate it. His knees almost buckled as Lydis walked past him. If his friends didn't catch him, the boy surely would've fallen to the floor. A presence that overpowers everything by doing nothing, yet still maintaining the aura of an elite. The boy felt his heart shudder with pride. The person in front of him was what he longed to be, strong, gentle, and composed.
It seemed like Lydis gained a new fan without even knowing!
The group of five stumbled after Lydis, flowing but not too closely, maintaining a distance of three meters between them. Slowly, the kids wandering in groups followed Lydis as well, the lone stragglers rushing to be part of the crowd. They felt safe in numbers and, the one in the lead was a member of the Zodiacs! Ever since the meeting in the auditorium, the children were instilled with a deep impression of respect and trust in the few chosen to lead them in the future.
Hal noticed Lydis's large group coming closer and stopped shouting for the children to come in and eat. He watched as when a new group joined the crowd, the kids who got there first would push the new ones to the back, no one dared to walk in front of Lydis or even next to her.
Reaching the large doors to the dorms, Lydis stopped in front of Hal. Giving a cadet's salute.
”Cadet Lydis greets dorm head Hal!”
Hal smirked and refolded his arms.
”I see you've rounded up quite the number of brats huh cadet Lydis?”
”Yes, I'm only doing my job of helping regulate the students. Are you displeased?”
Hal's loud laugh startled many of the kids waiting behind Lydis.
”No, it's actually the opposite. I didn't think you'd be able to get these brats in check before the first day was even over.” Hal patted Lydis on the back. ”Now I'm expecting you to keep working well.”
Lydis felt that Hal's words suggested that he didn't believe her in the beginning but since there a lot of kids around her, Lydis couldn't do much except salute again.
”I thank dorm head Hal for his words!”
Lydis walked past Hal and entered the dorm.
Behind her, the students who followed were hesitant at first but the boy who talked to Lydis first immediately followed Lydis's lead. Although not the best, the boy tried to replicate Lydis's salute to Hal.
”Cadet Min-young greets dorm head Hal!”
Hal nodded his head. Seeing this, Min-young became elated. He had passed the scary dorm head and managed to enter the dorms again! If it wasn't for Lydis he was sure that everyone there would be starving outside, too afraid of Hal to get closer.
Min-young walked into the dorm and disappeared into the hall. Seeing that Min-young passed, his remaining group of four also saluted Hal and passed through the doors. The other kids knew that this was the right thing to do so they waited and saluted to Hal before entering.
As the number of kids decreased Hal sensed that someone was glaring at him. From the side he could see the dorm head of the dorms adjacent to his, about 100 meters away, seething with envy. Around his dorm was a rowdy bunch of kids who didn't listen and were screeching at the top of their lungs. If it wasn't for the fact the killing a child is considered a high penalty crime on school grounds, he might've ripped their little heads off long ago.
Hal saw this and smirked.
While Hal was being saluted and greeted, the other dorm head was being ignored and treated like air. It should be known that there are different priorities given to better dorm heads. For all the years prior to this, the dorm that didn't belong to Hal wad always been given a higher priority than his due to Hal having a bad rating when inspections were done. It wasn't that Hal slacked off, Hal just didn't know how to handle children well.
But, now that Hal was getting treated with respect, the results could be different this year which angered the other dorm head.
When the last child entered the dorms, Hal checked the scanner by the door, it would count all that passed in and out. If it was balanced, then that meant all children were inside. The number was 504 to 505. Since he was the last to enter, when he did the number evened out 505 to 505.