The grand bells of Eldoria rang as Priestess Seraphina stepped forward, radiant in her ceremonial white and gold robes. The crowd hushed, thousands of eyes on her as she raised her staff high.
"Good morning to you all. Thank you for coming. Today is no ordinary day for our kingdom," her voice rang clear over the crowd, smooth as a song.
"We are gathered to honor a new S-rank hunter of Eldoria. He is young, but his strength is undeniable. Since losing Valerie, our hero, may her soul rest with the goddess—our defense force has suffered. We were weaker and vulnerable. If calamity struck, we would not have stood long. But the goddess has blessed us again. Asher Reynolds, our first male student to ever ascend to S-rank. He is not here to replace Valerie, but to stand with us, to strengthen us, and to protect our kingdom as a whole."
