Chapter 367 Succession Ceremony

Norton Hall, Lionhearts headquarters.

It's afternoon now, and the air is sultry.

The hall of the guild hall was packed with people, and it should be said that this scene should be bustling with people, but in fact it was not.

Nowadays, there is not a trace of noise in the guild hall in Noda, and even the breathing of the crowd is hard to hear. Only the intimacy when the autumn wind kisses the fallen leaves outside the window seems so bold and passionate, and the kisses sliding down the edge of the bed are golden. Veins on leaves.

Countless people stood in the lobby of the Norton Hall, waiting, looking towards the burly man on the second floor above. From the corner of their eyes, they stared at the autumn scenery of fallen leaves outside the window, breathing slowly.

The quaint clock on the second floor is swinging, and the figure of the burly man standing in front of the clock upstairs. Today he is not wearing a bloated battle uniform, but is wearing the Kassel College uniform like everyone else, with a dark green pin on his collar. Wearing bright red buttons, the golden lion on the button is faintly roaring.

On the table behind the burly man is a long brown-red table, with a scarlet flag with a lion pattern on it, an iron box that still has a hint of rust even if it is well maintained, and A copper lamp and a crucible, a tiny flame licking the bottom of the crucible quietly. Due to the angle, no one can see what is boiling inside.

When the clock pointed to one o'clock and the bell rang, the blazing sun in the sky outside the hall also rose to its highest point, casting the shadow of the Norton Hall on the green lawn, covering up Chu Zihang who walked to the door. body shape.

He looked up at the huge guild hall and heard the murky horns under the rumbling bells coming from inside, like the war song of the opening of a war.

The low sound of the horn sounded after the bells. It was powerful but not boring, euphemistic and simple. It was the unique sound of the Alpine horn, which was once the national instrument of Germany.

Many people know that the founder of the Lionheart Club was also a German count. When he established the Lionheart Club, such solemn music was played. Just like tradition, these horns have been passed down from generation to generation. Whenever a new lion steps into the Norton Hall, the trombone will play. What awaits the person who steps in will be a responsibility as solemn as the music. .

Chu Zihang walked to the door of Norton Hall, paused for a few seconds, looked at his reflection in the glass door, stretched out his hand to straighten the collar and the Lions Heart Club badge on his chest, and then opened the door.

The sound of the horn behind the door became louder, as if the cork of a high-pressure urn had been opened, and the solemn sound of the horn rushed towards him. In addition to the sound of the horn, there were countless gazes rushing towards Chu Zihang.

The hall was full of members of the Lionheart Club, standing on the first floor of the club in an orderly manner, paying attention to the boy who entered the new territory, like a welcome, but also like the lions examining the new leader.

Each president of the Lionheart Club had a different reaction at this time. The first founder, Meineke Cassel, walked into the hall surrounded by friends who were also founders. At that time As the most outstanding hybrid in the secret party, he came with infinite honor and the light of the new era, so he only had to smile in response to those eyes.

Some Lionheart Club presidents would wave in greeting, while others would scan the entire pride of lions with equal scrutiny. The previous Lionheart Club president, Erwin Rhine, put his right fist on his heart. This simple action showed all his determination, so everyone returned the favor for him.

Now Chu Zihang, the new successor, came to his territory, but his eyes passed over everyone and looked up at Erwin Rhine who was looking down at him on the second floor.

Both of them had a golden look in their eyes that was stronger than autumn, and they looked at each other meaningfully.

Chu Zihang stood at the door, and the trombones on both sides let out solemn whimpers. He was enveloped by a heavy feeling, and everyone's eyes were trying to push him out like resistance, but he didn't take a step back, just stood there. There seems to be something waiting there.

A few minutes passed, and no one spoke or retreated. The scene remained silent, and only the trombone could be heard.

say something? What actions do you take? Showing a smile like the first generation Lionheart President?

No, there was nothing on Chu Zihang.

The clock on the second floor went round and round, and the sunlight outside the window burned on the flag of the Lions Heart Club. Everyone stared in silence at the boy who was about to assume the position of leader of the lions. No one knew what he was waiting for. .The only person he is really waiting for.

Erwin Rhine, who was looking down at the boy in front of the door from the second floor, gradually smiled because he understood what Chu Zihang meant.

What the boy was waiting for was an invitation, a real recognition.

——If you don’t regress, the boy below will never take a step forward again.

Stopping in front of the Lion Heart Club but not taking a step forward is an attitude.

It was not that he begged the Lionheart Club to give him this seat, but that the Lionheart Club needed him to be their leader. This was the most basic matter of principle. Although the opportunity for him to obtain the position of Lionheart Club was a game and a bet, the distinction between priority and priority must be made clear. He came here with a wild purpose, but if he was not recognized, he would rather put this countless people The position of longing for extravagant desires is abandoned like worn shoes.

It’s not that I need the authority of the Lionheart Club, but that you, the Lionheart Club, need me as the future leader.

This was the only thing Chu Zihang expressed after stepping into the door.

If the first generation president of the Lions Heart Club, Meineke Cassel, stepped into the threshold of the Lions Heart Club with honor, then Chu Zihang now only carries with him the sun that is as hot but silent as the sun on the Lions Heart Club flag. proud.

Erwin Rhine laughed because he felt he had seen the right person. He had always judged people very accurately. He knew this from the first time he saw the boy on Freedom Day. Although the boy looked a little immature, his eyes were The emotion revealed in it is as proud as a lion. Even if it is still young, it is only a matter of time before the lion develops its own fangs and fierceness. The Lion Heart Club is naturally the best place to raise a lion, right? ?

He nodded, put away the smile on his face, put on a solemn look, and waved to Chu Zihang.

And this wave of waving can be regarded as recognition. At this moment, the Lionheart Club accepted their new future leader.

The crowd on the first floor separated a path leading to the stairs, and Chu Zihang stepped in. As he passed by, everyone put their hands on his shoulders, and the weight gave him solid and powerful footprints in turn. He walked to the intersection of the stairs and found that Lin Nian, also wearing a school uniform, was already waiting for him.

This succession ceremony should only be attended by internal members of the Lion Heart Club, but Lin Nian still stood here upright, but this was not because of his 'S'-level privileges. Chu Zihang noticed that Lin Nian Nian also wears a golden button with a lion tattoo on his collar, which is the badge of the Lion Heart Society.

"Each session of the Lion Heart Club will have a few honorary members." Lin Nian saw Chu Zihang staring at his cuffs, lowered his head slightly and stroked his buttons and said, "This is what I applied to Principal Angers for. Although the principal is no longer active in the Lion Heart Club, he still has a great say. But in fact, at least I still fought for this position, which can be regarded as support for you to take office."

"The most important thing is that no one in the Lions Heart Club will think that you are not qualified. Your joining the Lions Heart Club is something that every member is looking forward to." In the crowd on the side, a female member of the Lions Heart Club said patiently. He couldn't help but say that it was none other than Vilewa, a new member of the Lions Heart Club among the freshmen. She looked at Lin Nian's blushing face and seemed a little excited. He put on the badge representing the Lions Heart Club and even changed his name. Became 'you'.

The other members of the Lion Heart Club were not at all annoyed at being "represented". Instead, they strongly agreed with Villeva's words. Lin Nian was not an unknown person who obtained the honorary membership of the Lion Heart Club by relying on connections. If Lin Nian wanted to, he could. He is the president of this term. After all, real lions are always strong-willed.

Chu Zihang didn't know what honorary membership meant, but the faces of the other Lionheart Club members around Lin Nian were filled with excitement. Although honorary membership does not mean formal membership in the Lionheart Club, it does In times of crisis, those who hold this honor will unconditionally help them tide over difficulties, and honorary members will also stand by their side when taking sides.

In a sense, from today onwards, the Lion Heart Club has obtained the 'S' rank that has always been wavering, and has gained dominance among the school's students.

If this was a gift to the new president of Lionheart, it would be the largest gift in history.

"Thank you." Chu Zihang looked at Lin Nian and said seriously.

"No way." Lin Nian shook his head and said with a chuckle, "Go ahead, you defeated the president of the student union and won another year of home rights for the Lion Heart Club. This is what you deserve, and you are the protagonist today. "

Chu Zihang nodded, no longer lingering, and stepped onto the stairs. When he took the first step, the strings were plucked, and behind the trombone was the ethereal sound of zither and music. It is full of a sense of ritual, as if it is praising a candidate who ascends to the Temple of Olympus.

Standing on both sides of the stairs were the department heads of the Lions Heart Club. Both men and women were wearing school uniforms and bearing the badges of the Lions Heart Club. They were as solemn as medieval knights, and the solemnity in their eyes was The hardest iron helmet, they all lit up their golden eyes when Chu Zihang climbed the stairs. This is a ritual of the Lion Heart Society. At this time, they all bowed their heads to Chu Zihang.

Chu Zihang didn't stop for even a step and walked up to the second floor, where Erwin Rhine was waiting for him. On the small brass lamp in front of the table, a scarlet gel-like liquid was boiling in the crucible, and the air There was a strange fragrance inside, and he was opening the rusty iron box and took out a sheepskin scroll from it.

"You don't have to be so formal." Erwin Rhine said as he rolled out the scroll. "The succession of Hui Guild President has been simplified for many generations, but the ceremony can be simplified. People who become leaders have never lowered their standards, so I I hope you can understand what I mean - no matter what the situation is, you are already standing here. The incompetent and cowardly people will not have the chance to stand in front of me. Now that you are here, it means that you are qualified to become a lion. A leader who knows his heart.”

Chu Zihang nodded slowly and saw that the other party had spread out the parchment scroll. On it were the names of people one after another. From the yellowed and peeling handwriting at the end, there were many people who had left their names, including Erwin Rhine's. name.

"Although you are qualified, I also hope that you can understand the responsibility that this position implies." Erwin Rhine stared at the rows of names with historical traces on the scroll, "You have brought us 'S 'Grade, this is good, but not good enough, because what I value more is whether you, as a leader, are confident enough to lead the entire Lionheart Club to continue to reach its peak."

"But I can't prove this to you now." Chu Zihang said.

"Time will prove it to me." Erwin Rhine looked at Chu Zihang and said, "You are a freshman, and you are also the first to take up the position of president in your freshman year, so you are bound to suffer I have received a lot of attention. As someone who has been there, I suggest you rely more on the people around you. It is a good thing that you have a very powerful friend. Ask him for advice and learn from experience. Try your best to do your best and let yourself Become the leader of the Lion Heart Club and the face of the Lion Heart Club. Being on top always means being followed by countless challengers. You must make them fear you, and you will represent the entire Lion Heart Club from today on. They will Being afraid of you means they are afraid of Lionheart."

"Student Union?"

"They are just one of them. Challengers of the Lionheart Club are not limited to the school." Erwin Rhine said, "What I want is for you to lead the Lionheart Club to face challenges in the entire world. We are the secret party's most powerful party." The sharp spear and the most feared knife of the enemy. Our members are destined to enter the battlefield from the moment they join the club. There is no comfort at all. This is true for every member of the Lionheart Club, and you are no exception. As a leader , the challenges you face will be several times that of normal.”

"for example."

"For example, after becoming the president of Lionheart Club, your name will appear on the approval document of the minister of executive department by default."

"what document?"

"A document for applying to join the Executive Department as a commissioner. Every current president of the Lions Heart Club is a formal commissioner of the Executive Department, and only the Lion Heart Club has this power." Erwin Rhine said, "That's why I said , the chairman of the Lion Heart Club cannot be mediocre, no one can dare to stand in front of me without knowing this."

"I just found out about it," Chu Zihang said.

"Then will you turn around and walk down the stairs and leave?"

"Won't."

"Very good." Erwin Rhine picked up a pen from the table and handed it to Chu Zihang, then took off the crucible from the brass lamp and poured a little of the boiled scarlet liquid on the parchment roll. .

Chu Zihang walked to the table and wrote his name in Chinese with neat fonts.

"Press it with your thumb." Erwin Rhine said, looking at the scarlet liquid under the new name on the parchment.

Chu Zihang stretched out his thumb and pressed it, and a burning sensation enveloped his fingertips. His expression did not change from the beginning to the end.

"Dragon blood crystal melted liquid, every president of the Lion Heart Society will go through this." Erwin Rhine gave a thumbs up. On the one hand, he praised Chu Zihang's decisiveness and calmness, and on the other hand, he praised Chu Zihang's decisiveness and calmness. He also showed burn marks on his thumb.

"Does it have any special meaning?" Chu Zihang put away his hand and asked, looking at his burning and red thumb.

"Not many people can truly come into contact with dragon blood." Erwin Rhine put away the ancient sheepskin scroll, looked at Chu Zihang's thumb and said meaningfully, "Rather than torture, I prefer to call this ritual Reward, a legacy left by the past for future generations.”

Chu Zihang still didn't understand, but he didn't ask any more questions.

"You may have some physical discomfort recently. This is normal and don't worry about it. After the succession ceremony, someone will come to you the next day to hand over some of my previous affairs, and the authority of the entire Lionheart Society will be completely transferred. In your hands, the seven secret rooms of the society are opened to you, more than 1,500 secret volumes are at your disposal, 18 departments are yours to dispatch, and all 128 soldiers of the Lion Heart Society will follow you. I hope you can do better than me during your tenure." Erwin Rhine picked up the lion-print flag on the table and handed it to Chu Zihang.

"If you take over this flag, you will bear these burdens." He said.

"Where should I start?" Chu Zihang took the flag as his answer.

"Let's start by becoming famous in Kassel College, a place that claims to be a gathering place for elite mixed races." Erwin Rhine smiled and looked down at the boy at the end of the stairs. "After all, your friend has also been famous since. It started, I remember the opportunity was the war practice class of the last freshman class?"

"War practice class?"

"Every freshmen will have such an opportunity. This is also the best way to understand the mission of hybrids. I recently heard news that the war practice class for freshmen will be advanced. The execution department suddenly encountered a particularly difficult problem. The case requires a large number of personnel, and now the entire department has temporarily entered a situation of tight employment. There is a high probability that you, the freshmen, will have a task transfer in the near future."

Erwin Rhine and Chu Zihang stood together and raised their hands to greet everyone on the first floor. There was thunderous applause downstairs, so enthusiastic that the roof of the entire Norton Hall was almost torn off. Birds were flying outside the window, and the sun was shining brightly. , seems to imply the beginning of a great future.

"This is also an opportunity." Amidst the applause, Erwin Rhine patted Chu Zihang on the shoulder, "The 'S' class is very popular in the school. No one can overpower him. As a running target, and direction, he couldn’t be a better fit.”

"." Chu Zihang looked up at this burly man.

"First try to get close to him, and then look for opportunities to surpass him." Erwin Rhine looked down at the boy downstairs who was also applauding and smiling. "I know this is a very difficult process, because I already have a premonition. , in the next four years, climbing this new towering mountain will become the goal and wish of everyone in this college. Unfortunately, I have graduated and have no chance to climb the peak, but you are different, Whether it is you in the Lionheart Club or the young president of the Student Union, you will all have the same goal in the next four years, and there is a mountain that cannot be bypassed and must be conquered."

It was only then that Chu Zihang caught the regret and enthusiasm that had been deliberately hidden in the eyes of the burly man next to him. It seemed that Liberty's defeat was not so indifferent to him. This man also wanted to start over again, as he said, to cheer up and challenge the impossibility of living, but unfortunately he no longer had the chance.

"But he has never shown a competitive mentality." Chu Zihang said softly.

"Because he knows this." Erwin Rhine said, staring down at the boy. "He really showed no concern, because the peak itself is a peak that never moves. The existence of the peak itself should You were challenged!"

Chu Zihang was stunned by these words, and his eyes couldn't help but fall on the boy downstairs. They looked at each other amidst the applause, with different emotions in their eyes.

In the crowd, Lin Nian applauded and looked at Chu Zihang upstairs. The smile on his face was unclear whether it was a celebration or some kind of invitation with hidden expectations.

ps①: Two chapters in one to connect the previous chapter and the next chapter.

ps②: Today there is actually a full subscription bonus chapter with 13,000 words. What's really annoying is that there is a repeated paragraph at the beginning, and there are some flaws and mistakes left when editing the text later. I wanted to delete it, but I was told that I couldn't do it! Because the editor said it is still a beta version (sad). Why is the test version uploaded directly? I’m going to suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.