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After the award ceremony, the people of Hope's Peak Academy also had a small celebration, thanking Shining Light University for their warm invitation. The next day, they took the airship back to Hope's Peak Academy. As soon as the airship landed, Sebastian felt an unprecedentedly warm atmosphere.
"So many people," Clifford said, looking out the window. He couldn't help but marvel.
Sebastian turned his head to look, and he saw a large crowd, the principal, administrators, instructors, staff, students, and others. He estimated that there were at least ten thousand people. Various banners fluttered in their hands.
This was the first time in the history of Hope's Peak Academy that they had won the championship in the exchange competition, and there was no element of luck involved. The school held a grand triumphal ceremony.
The vice president, Prokopy, and others walked at the forefront. When they disembarked from the airship, they immediately moved aside, creating a large space in the center for the team members at the rear.
Sebastian held the trophy and was the first to walk down. He strode onto a red carpet specially laid at the school's gate.
"Sebastian! Sebastian..." Many people shouted excitedly, even more enthusiastic than the players themselves.
Waiting for Clifford and the others to walk over, they raised the trophy high once again amid cheers from the crowd. Sebastian realized that during the school's celebration of this hard-won victory, they spared no effort, using all kinds of decorations and displays.
In the crowd, Leonard and his group were reluctant to come but felt compelled to do so. There was a forced smile on Leonard's face as he looked at Sebastian, who was shining like a star. They were feeling uncomfortable inside.
"Everyone, keep a low profile in the future. Try not to go out and develop your respective planets too openly," Leonard lowered his voice. "Hang in there for a few months first, until after the Crown Prince officially becomes the successor."
"We know," Neville nodded next to him. "Just let Sebastian enjoy his moment. Anyway, the school's successor is the Crown Prince. It's useless for him to be in the limelight now!"
After the celebration, they took Sebastian and the team into an office. From a crystal box, the Headmaster took out five Sealed Crystals and said, "This is the reward the school is giving you for winning the championship this time."
They each took one, examining them curiously.
"You should have heard of this before," the Headmaster smiled and explained. "It's the famous Water of Life."
"The Water of Life!?" Even Clifford, who came from a prominent family, showed a hint of joy. "The Water of Life is a treasure that the High Elf civilization can produce, capable of accelerating the reproductive efficiency of supernatural races." Clifford was surprised. "This is... a great gift."
"Is it valuable?" Jane, who came from an ordinary background, asked in disbelief.
"Of course it's valuable," Clifford explained. "It would fetch at least a billion in an auction." Then he looked at Jane and said, "If you don't want it, you can sell it to me. I'll give you the best price."
"Then I'm not selling," Jane immediately tightened his grip on the Water of Life.
When the four of them left, Sebastian was left alone.
"Headmaster, is there anything else?" Sebastian asked.
"The championship this time..." The Headmaster looked at him kindly. "Actually, there's no need to say more, everyone understands that it was almost entirely due to your abilities that we won. As a reward, one serving of the Water of Life would probably not be enough. But giving too much would be inappropriate, so..." The Headmaster paused, then continued, "After deliberation, we've added 3 billion F.D. to your reward, and also included the key prize of this competition."
"Prize only for me? Isn't that inappropriate?" Sebastian said, modestly.
Since it was a team tournament, they had to follow the usual rules. Just like in soccer, basketball, e-sports, and other team events, even if an individual performed exceptionally well, the prize money was shared equally.
"No, no," the Headmaster quickly explained. "This decision was made by Clifford, Terrell, Otwin, and Jane, they all agreed. After all, there is only one champion's reward."
"Alright then," Sebastian said, accepting their decision.
Meanwhile, in a vast territory far from the Federation, another superpower on par with it, the Empire's territory, the scene was different. Unlike the Federation, which was a loose alliance of powers, the Empire adopted a monarchical system with strict hierarchical rules.
Inside the imperial capital's inner city, at the heart of the Empire, lay an enormous palace complex. However, due to the large number of imperial personnel, only a select few were permitted to live there.
Within one of the luxurious palaces, a tall, young blonde woman was enjoying her lunch, served by a servant. Several servants bowed their heads slightly, not daring to lift them.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside. An old man in black entered and spoke respectfully, "Princess."
"Butler Bis, have you had your lunch yet? If not, come and eat with me," the princess invited with a smile.
If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have shown such warmth, because this old man was a powerful Planet Lord at the peak of Level 5. But as the princess's bodyguard, his presence demonstrated the Empire's strength and influence.
"I've already eaten, Your Highness Princess Elu," he replied.
"Then what brings you here?" Elu asked, studying the old man.
"The latest news is that the exchange tournament between us and the Federation has been canceled," he reported.
"Canceled?" Princess Elu blinked. "Really?"
"Yes," the old man affirmed.
"That's a pity," she said with a trace of regret. "I was planning to beat those so-called geniuses of the Federation. I heard that this year, they've gained many talented individuals, like the son of the Templar Order, Prince Sigismund of the Feuer Empire, and others."
"So why was it canceled?" she wondered aloud. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she asked in disbelief, "Could it be because of that event? But that's scheduled for at least a month later, nothing to do with us, the younger generation."
"Nothing to do with that event," the old man said, pausing. "According to my intelligence, the Federation has a remarkably talented genius."
"What?" Princess Elu blinked again. "Are you telling me the tournament was canceled because of this person?"
"It seems so," the old man said, somewhat helplessly. "His name is Sebastian. He's a student at Hope's Peak Academy. Relying solely on his strength, he defeated the Immortal College, which has a full Mythical Level team, and became the champion. Rumors are circulating that Sebastian might be the strongest freshman of this session, even more powerful than any previous one."
"Is he that strong?" Princess Elu's eyes showed surprise. Then she straightened and said, "It looks like I've met my match. I'll go beg my father, whatever it takes to keep the tournament going."
"Don't," the old man immediately said, blocking her. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I'm afraid you're no match for him."
Hearing this, Princess Elu didn't get angry. Instead, she suddenly thought of something and asked, "In that case, could Sebastian's talent rival my sister's?"
"Princess Shia?" The old man in black hesitated. "Princess Shia is already ranked above the Star Ranking, so it's not a direct comparison. But if we talk about talent, it's hard to tell the difference."
"That's a pity," Princess Elu said, blinking with a hint of anticipation. "Sebastian would have been even more impressive if he'd been born a few years earlier, perhaps he could have faced my sister!"
The school's special vehicle arrived to transport Sebastian home. In front of his estate, he looked around and noticed the grounds seemed well-maintained, the lawn, trees, flowers, all trimmed meticulously, and the ground spotless. It was clear the school had taken care of the estate.
He entered his home. After a shower, Sebastian took out a large box, the prize for winning the exchange competition. He examined it carefully. It was a Sealed Crystal, but this one was larger, with a cube sealed inside. Its length was about half a meter, with strange symbols and pictograms on the surface. The entire object had a regular cubic shape.
"According to Shining Light University, this is called the Object of Strange Action," Sebastian recalled what the Headmaster had just told him. "As the name implies, like a strange creature, it's a mysterious object whose origin is unknown!"
But as Sebastian observed the symbols and patterns on the surface of this cubic unidentified object, a strange feeling gradually arose. This strange object, why did it look like something he had seen in a film from Earth?