In a farther corner near the side rear door, several senior students wearing armbands were quietly exchanging information during the gap before the ceremony began.
Some held program schedules in their hands while others clutched terminal devices, yet their gazes all paused for a moment on the pair of figures in the front row without exception.
“So those are this batch’s Black Shores exchange students?”
A male student wearing thin-framed glasses adjusted his glasses and quickly swiped across his personal terminal screen, pulling up a brief list.
“The team leader is Director Chen Zhiming from the Black Shores Research Division, an authority in the field of Void Matter Magnetic Storm environmental engineering with high academic prestige.
He personally led the team this time the scale is quite significant.”
His voice was kept very low, his speech steady and analytical in tone.
“However… the pair in front is quite interesting.”
The senior sister beside him, also wearing an armband, slightly turned her body.
She glanced at the screen using the terminal’s reflection, then looked down at the list in her hand.
Her fingertip tapped beside the names “Raeliana” and “Noah.” Her voice was equally low.
“Yes, I’ve verified the list.
The male student’s information is very simple Noah, research assistant from the Research Division, ordinary background with nothing noteworthy.”
“The female student, Raeliana, is registered as a second-year student from the Black Shores Research Division’s affiliated academy.
Her Resonance attribute is Fusion, rated Elite class.
Her grades, comments… all the materials are perfect, like a standard template.”
She paused, the corner of her mouth curving into a faint trace of amusement.
“But it’s precisely because it’s too standard that it feels a bit deliberate, right?
Like it was carefully designed to be reasonable.”
As she spoke, her gaze drifted once more toward the front row, landing on Director Chen.
The capable middle-aged man had just had a brief eye contact with the Raeliana in the front row, then naturally looked away and continued giving low instructions to the other students.
“And have you noticed?
Director Chen’s attitude toward those two especially toward Raeliana doesn’t seem like how one treats ordinary students.
It’s more like a kind of…”
She searched for the right words.
“A kind of reserved respect while maintaining appropriate distance?
Or rather, caution after knowing the other party’s special identity?”
Another male student who looked like a senior student council cadre had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire hall.
Upon hearing this, he withdrew his inspecting gaze and also looked toward the front row, speaking in a deep voice.
“The waters of the Black Shores have always run deep.
The people they send are never simple.”
“These two, especially that girl, are definitely not ordinary exchange students.
They might be here to carry out some special investigation or carrying tasks we don’t know about.”
He reminded his companions in a serious tone, “Keep an eye on their movements, but don’t rashly inquire or disturb them.
Some matters are for the council to consider.
We just need to do our duty as the student council.”
“The relationship between Startorch Academy and the Black Shores… on the surface there has been cooperation these years, but underneath it has always been delicate.
The several student council members exchanged a knowing look, nodded, and then dispersed back to their respective posts.
The male student with glasses took one final look at the impeccable ID photo of “Raeliana” on his terminal, then compared it with the real person with extraordinary appearance in the front row.
He silently turned off the screen.
…
In the front row of the report hall, Noah vaguely heard some whispering and felt the scrutinizing gazes from behind.
He turned slightly and leaned closer to Rover, lowering his voice.
“Um… Raeliana, is it a bit too conspicuous for us to sit together like this?
Weren’t you trying to keep a low profile?
Won’t this cause you trouble?”
Rover turned her head to look at him.
Her golden eyes carried a gentle smile.
“It’s fine.
I’ve long grown accustomed to other people’s gazes.”
“Right now, I am simply the Black Shores exchange student Raeliana, and you are my research assistant, Noah.
Just get used to it.”
She spoke lightly and casually, the composure forged through years of experience naturally showing through.
Since the person in question said so, Noah shrugged.
“Alright, you call the shots.”
In his heart, he was actually quite pleased with this development.
The system mission required him to gain Rover’s trust.
Spending more time together, having more contact, and communicating more was exactly the shortcut to building trust.
At this moment, more students continued to enter the report hall one after another.
They generally looked younger and more inexperienced than the Black Shores exchange students, their expressions carrying the restraint and curiosity typical of new students.
These students all wore Startorch Academy’s white uniforms, with the Department of Exostrider Engineering emblem pinned on their chests.
“They’re the same as the students behind us all first-year new students.”
Rover’s voice sounded softly beside him.
She seemed to mention it casually.
“Today is not only our welcome meeting but also the departmental entrance ceremony for the first-year students of the Department of Exostrider Engineering.”
“Oh?
They’re holding the welcome meeting and entrance ceremony together?
Is Startorch Academy that efficiency-focused?” Noah raised an eyebrow and joked.
Rover chuckled and shook her head.
“Not quite.
The first-year new students already participated in the academy-wide unified entrance ceremony a few days ago.
Today is the department’s own ceremony.”
“Our exchange students’ welcome meeting is just being held together with theirs as a matter of convenience.”
“…”
He rubbed his nose.
“I see… That’s fine too.
Saves time.”
He gave a dry cough and tactically shifted his gaze toward the direction of the report hall entrance, pretending to casually look at the scenery.
Of course, someone’s peripheral vision could still catch the graceful rising and falling curves beneath the shirt of the person beside him.
“See no evil, see no evil…”
Noah chanted silently in his heart, forcing himself to focus on the new students coming and going.
At that moment, his gaze suddenly froze.
A new student who had just entered the report hall instantly captured all of his attention.
She wore the same white suit jacket and short pleated skirt, black calf socks, and shiny student leather shoes.
What made her stand out was her distinctive hairstyle.
It was a standard hime cut with smooth, long black hair and a red ribbon tied at the side of her head.
Around her neck, a black neck ring emitting a faint red glow was clearly visible.
And when she lifted her eyes to look for a seat, those calm red pupils made Noah’s heart jump violently.
“Kuchiba Chisa?!”
Noah cried out her name inwardly, nearly springing up from his seat.
He stared fixedly at the black-haired girl who was quietly looking for an empty seat, his mind racing.
That’s not right!
According to the game plot, in version 2.8 Rover rescued Chisa from the Sonoro Sphere in Honami City.
Based on the 2.8 plot preview, in version 3.0 Chisa would follow Rover back to Startorch Academy.
But as a returnee, did she need to participate in the entrance ceremony again?
Alright, alright even if she was re-enrolling as a new student, how could she show zero reaction upon seeing Rover sitting in the front row?
Noah subconsciously turned his head to look at Rover beside him.
Rover was picking up her water bottle again and taking another small sip, her expression calm and unruffled.
Her gaze swept lightly over Kuchiba Chisa as she walked past, showing no pause whatsoever.
It was as if she were looking at any ordinary new student, and she naturally shifted her eyes away.
Chisa, too, was only quietly searching for a seat.
Her gaze passed over Rover without the slightest ripple, as if she had only seen a very attractive but unfamiliar senior sister.
There was no eye contact between the two, nor any subtle body language suggesting they knew each other.
It looked completely like they were strangers!
Noah’s pupils contracted slightly on the spot.
A thought flashed through his mind: “Could it be that, to hide their identities, Rover had already talked with Chisa beforehand and they have to pretend not to know each other in public?”
Yes, that was very likely.
After all, Rover was currently disguised as the ordinary exchange student Raeliana.
If Chisa acted too familiar, it would easily arouse suspicion.
Noah felt like he had grasped the truth.
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