37 The Legendary President

If someone were to enter the first floor of VV headquarters now, they would probably be baffled upon stumbling onto the peculiar scene in which the various members of VV were silently staring at a young man with one arm stuck between a young lady's voluptuous breasts.

"W-what did you say?!?" Tamara exclaimed as she loosened her grip on Drai's hand. Her face was reddened due to her fit of embarrassment and anger.

"I said begone, you husband snatcher!" Drai yelled as he pulled back his hand from Tamara's embrace.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding students became even more baffled. Never in their dreams had they thought that this rumored freshman was actually married. And what about the busty girl who seemed to be seducing Drai earlier? Was she really a husband snatcher?

Sensing the numerous eyes staring at her, Tamara couldn't take it anymore. With a look of hatred, she briefly stared at Drai before running away. The whole room watched as her figure disappeared through the front doors that were still open.

Seeing this, Drai's tense expression began to ease. He felt a tug and saw that Natalia was pulling on his hand, gesturing him to sit. Drai looked around and realized that he had just made a spectacle, as all eyes were on him.

Drai quickly sat between Flo and Natalia, looking at his friends ruefully. The others were looking at him with a mix of surprise, concern, and amusement, but Jian was particularly looking awful, as he had an expression of utter resignation. Even the thickheaded Drai could practically hear Jian's thoughts saying, 'F**k my life…'

Drai felt really sorry for Jian. Firstly, Natalia, who Drai had brought here, had sucker punched Jian. Luckily, there was Flo who somewhat alleviated the situation. Now, Drai had made the busty girl, who he assumed to be Jian's friend, run away in embarrassment and rage.

But regardless, Drai didn't totally blame himself for these happenings, especially for Tamara's case. Drai would never have thought that such a vixen would blatantly make a move in public. Luckily, he was prepared.

Auri and Natalia looked restless, as they all wanted to say something to Drai. But they knew that their current circumstance wasn't apt for discussing the recent event. And they were right because shortly after, Bismar's loud voice could be heard.

"Ahem! Although I don't know what just happened, it seems that it's all over, at least for now. Am I right, Drai?" Bismar said as he stood between the senior and new members, looking at Drai with a slightly complicated expression.

Being addressed like this, Drai was forced to stand up and say, "Yes. I'm sorry for disturbing everyone here by making a commotion. It won't happen again."

"Hahaha! Relax, Drai. We're all used to such ruckuses. Isn't that right, guys?" Big Bob said loudly.

"Yeah, don't worry, Drai!" Gemma chimed in.

"Bismar here also likes to get into trouble with women on a daily basis but he never apologizes due to his thick face. You're still better than him, Drai!" the girl with pink hair added.

Hearing the last remark, Bismar's face slightly reddened. But it seemed like the girl's words were somewhat true, since Bismar didn't refute them at all.

Hearing the words of his seniors, a warm feeling filled up Drai's chest. He looked at the grinning upperclassmen at the front table and thought that perhaps his time at VV would be a more pleasant experience than he had signed up for.

After nodding to the seniors, Drai sat back down and saw that his friends were smiling at him, including Jian. Drai felt that Jian was quite a master of putting aside troublesome matters as he didn't oppose Natalia's sitting with them. Or perhaps Natalia had already apologized without Drai's knowledge.

The truth is that Jian was quite intimidated by Natalia's background. After realizing that Natalia was Alancho's daughter that Drai had told him about and not just some random chick, Jian was forced to accept that his mouth had once again brought trouble to his doorstep. He even slightly suspected that his mouth had been cursed.

Although some might say that Jian was quite a coward who was easily intimidated by people of significant backgrounds, Jian couldn't really help it as his apprehension came from the same place as his powers: cultivation novels.

If Auri's familial background was like being backed by a powerful martial family or sect, Natalia's dad was akin to a powerful ancestor that would often retaliate even against the pettiest of conflicts if they implicated his direct descendants. Jian had always thought if someone other than the MC were to clash against these parties, it would probably lead to a premature end of their cultivation journey. And Jian didn't feel like he was an MC as he hadn't stumbled upon an OP artifact or inheritance.

"Since all the new members are here, let's begin!" Bismar said, gaining the attention of the first-years. "Welcome to Valiant Ventures, or VV for short. I am Bismar, the current president of VV. Before we introduce ourselves to each other, I'd like to introduce VV itself.

"VV is a place for those who dare to pursue fresh avenues and venture off the beaten paths. It is a home for those itching for adventures and those willing to contribute in the success of said adventures. But if you had joined with the intention of amassing riches and glory, I advise you to forget about them.

"The numerous trophies and plaques that would have been a source of pride for other groups mean nothing to us other than a show for the academy. What we're proud of is the process itself! The hardships we face, the experience and skills we gain, and the bonds we create are the most valuable things that VV has to offer. Although our ventures pursue wealth and glory, they are merely collateral rewards, fleeting and superficial. The real reward is our very improvement as humans and evolvers, along with our contribution to humanity!"

Bismar then gestured toward the shadowy figure who was sitting beside him earlier. The figure then fiddled with a device on their wrist, following which a hologram of a relatively young man with a hardened face and huge mustache appeared before the new members. He wore a long coat and there was a long scar on his head which left a clearing amidst his short brown hair. Immediately, the senior members straightened themselves as they looked at the holographic figure with respect and solemnity.

The holographic figure looked ahead toward the new members and started to speak spiritedly.

"Don't be content with our situation and don't fall into avarice. I don't believe that the state of our world will let us live leisurely in the safety of our cities forever. I won't be deluded by the status quo, and I will do my best as a member of the human race to help with our survival as a whole. I hope you all share my sentiment. Now, let my will live on for generations through these words.

"Those who want to explore the wilderness, go ahead and pluck those precious plants, hunt those valuable beast, and bring them back to be used for the sake of humanity!

"Those who would rather explore ruins, go ahead and study the related culture, history, and languages. Ransack those ruins and bring back whatever you can—items, knowledge, dead bodies, and whatnot—and enrich our pool of knowledge, broaden our horizons!

"Those who love trading ventures, go explore the continent and beyond! Find those exotic wares, dig up those rare minerals, and prove to us that there's still a lot to be seen and uncover in our vast evolved world!

"And those that prefer supporting roles, aid your brothers and sisters with your utmost capabilities! Ensure their safety and share their achievements, sowing good karma in the process. Play a significant part in their ventures and I guarantee you'll never be unsung!"

The figure then went silent as he closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes which were now shining with determination.

"Wish me luck. I leave Valiant Ventures in your hands. If fate allows, let's meet again at our beloved headquarters."

Right after, the figure froze, still staring ahead with determined eyes.

As Drai stared at the frozen man, multiple thoughts filled his head. Who was this guy? How could he have such a peculiar view of the world? Who were the encouraging words for? Where was he going that made him say such parting words?

Amidst his thoughts, Drai heard a quiet sob. He glanced toward the source of the sound and saw that Auri was wiping her tears, which baffled him. He then looked around and saw that the others on his table, barring Christo, were looking at Auri in bafflement. Christo was instead still staring solemnly at the frozen figure.

Drai then looked toward the senior members, hoping to be enlightened. What he saw stupefied him further; some seniors kept staring solemnly at the figure in silence just like Christo, others were closing their eyes with mournful expressions, and a few girls were wiping their tears from the corner of their eyes, similar to Auri but not to the extent of sobbing.

Despite their bafflement, the new members didn't dare make a single sound. The sight of their seniors was enough to let them know that the holographic man was a highly respected figure, at least in VV. They didn't want to interrupt the solemn atmosphere, lest they incur their ire and get chased out, or worse, beaten up.

This situation lasted for quite a while until Bismar finally broke the silence.

"The man in front of you is Maximilian Velles. He's the thirty-first president of VV. It's part of our tradition to show the new members the former president's will and last words."

The first-years immediately gasped upon hearing Bismar's words. They looked at Maximilian once more, realizing that the man probably passed away not long after recording this.

The ones on Drai's table finally understood why Auri had such a reaction. She must have recognized Maximilian earlier. If she had already known about his death, seeing him and hearing his words must have grieved her.

Drai suddenly recalled that only Christo remained unsurprised earlier. Along with his solemn look, Drai wondered if Christo had already known about Maximilian prior to the gathering.

After the initial shock subsided, the new members began to wonder how their former president ended up dying. Bismar seemed to notice the brewing curiosity, as he promptly continued his explanation.

"Mr. Maximilian, or Max, as he used to be called, was a fourth-year student when he recorded this. Prior to this recording, there was a virus outbreak in Rivideria and the nearby countries. Perhaps some of you are familiar with the term 'deathly dreams'. Mr. Max's unfortunate demise was related to deathly dreams."

While most of the students showed realization, Drai was looking confused instead. Seemingly noticing his confusion, Natalia came closer to him and whispered, "It's a deadly virus that made people fall asleep with a high chance to never wake up again. It's one of the deadliest pandemics that occurred in the last century."

Drai nodded after hearing Natalia's explanation. He then briefly wondered whether his physical stats would be effective against such viruses.

"At that time, the victims of deathly dreams were already in the tens of thousands with no indication of stopping," Bismar continued. "Despite all the effort of the scientists, there had been limited progress to produce a semblance of a cure. They said that the virus was a highly evolved one that was highly resistant to the powers of healing type evolvers.

"With the rampant deaths, Mr. Max ushered VV members to help study the pandemic in order to find any clue related to a possible cure. In the end, they stumbled upon a potential lead involving a particular case in which the victim was completely healed due to a certain substance.

"However, even after the members proposed their hypothesis to the various institutes and governments of the affected countries, there was no actual follow-up, which led to Mr. Max taking the matters into his own hands. From a certain perspective, this lack of follow-up is not too surprising. In addition to the members' non-existent medical backgrounds, the substance that was hypothesized as the main component of the cure in the aforementioned case was extracted from a Siyeun comet."

Gasps could be heard as some of the new members had recognized the implications of Bismar's words. Of course, Drai wasn't part of this group.

Seeing that not everyone understood the implications, Bismar continued to elaborate, "For those who don't know, a Siyeun comet is a name for a unique flower that is very rarely found at the periphery of Siyeun Mountains, an extremely hazardous mountain range located between Rivideria and Gerdatti."

"Gerdatti? Have I heard of this name? Why is it so familiar?" Drai muttered.

"Because they taught us about it in Introduction to Atrian Nations. It's one of the countries neighboring Rivideria, the Federal Republic of Gerdatti," Natalia whispered to Drai, which made him nod repeatedly in realization.

Meanwhile, Bismar continued, "The reason why the Siyeun comet is named as such is because it leaves a comet-like trail whenever one flies far enough to reach the mountains' periphery. The Siyeun comet has quite a few uses, which includes medicinal purposes. But because it's so rarely found, it never gained traction as a popular herb, and researches related to its properties had been severely limited in number.

"So, following the tepid reactions of said institutes and governments, Mr. Max decided to venture into Siyeun Mountains by himself regardless of the awaiting hazards and the opposing VV members at that time. In the end, the members could only help Mr. Max as far as they could, which was essentially limited to his preparations as he had strictly prohibited anyone from venturing along. The recording in front of you was taken right before he left the academy grounds.

"In the end, Mr. Max never returned from Siyeun Mountains. He was last seen in a small village at the periphery of the mountains. But despite his probable demise, his efforts eventually led to the discovery of the cure. And this was because his unfortunate end had angered the Velles Family as he was one of the rising figures of their younger generation at that time and arguably the most outstanding among them.

"After the Velles Family looked into the matter, they pushed for expeditions and researches involving Siyeun comets, occasionally funding them from their own pockets. Eventually, the hypothesis was proven to be true, as a cure was finally discovered based on a unique substance found in Siyeun comets. In the following months, the pandemic was abated until finally no more cases occurred.

"Mr. Max was posthumously awarded with the Golden River Medal, the highest level of acknowledgement in Rivideria, due to his selfless sacrifice. Since then, the staff of VV has always proudly introduced him to the new members every year. And our pride isn't because of the award that enshrined him as a hero, but because of Mr. Max's stalwart dedication to humankind and the countless lives that were saved due to his efforts.

"This is the person all VV members strive to become. His will is our guidance, a memento of his great sacrifice and relentless pursuit for mankind's betterment. Every time we conduct a venture, his encouraging words echo in our hearts. And we hope that you also become inspired by Mr. Max, our legendary president," Bismar concluded.

What followed was a moment of silence as all the people in the room looked at the holographic figure with utmost respect. Christo's eyes hadn't moved away from the figure since it appeared. Auri was still wiping her tears, occasionally sobbing. Jian's eyes were spirited and his fists were clenched. Natalia's face showed reverence as she caressed the azure scales on her arm. Flo had lost all semblance of her previous shyness and her face looked determined, her hand was slightly moving inside her worn satchel.

Drai was also looking at Maximilian respectfully. He couldn't fathom how such a young man had such a commendable resolve. At this moment, Maximilian soared into the highest position in his heart, way above Alancho and even slightly beyond his parents.

'Compared to Mr. Max, I'm so insignificant. He's probably only three years older than me at the time of his death. Even with Titan's Fortitude, would I have been able to do the same if I had been in his boots? Would I have gladly risked my life for thousands of others? Would I have bravely marched into near-certain death?'

As these thoughts filled his head, a subtle change was occurring in Drai's body without him realizing.

'All these years I've been training hard to better myself with no other goal, but based on his will, Mr. Max had always lived for the betterment of humanity. Every venture and every gain is for humanity. But why did he care so much about humanity? Was he really that altruistic or did he know a secret about our world? His words about the world not letting us live peacefully forever were quite ominous…

'Either way, I don't think I can do the same, at least not to the same extent. After all, I don't really care about all the people in the world. How can I care about them if I don't even know their faces? It's easy to imagine my friends and family being in danger, but all humanity? My imagination isn't that vivid.'

As Drai thought about this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. He looked at Maximilian with a complicated expression. It's not that Drai didn't want to be like Max, but it was just not in his nature. He could try hard to help with any ventures or troubles, but he couldn't say that he cared for every stranger so much that he would give his own life. That would just be him feigning selflessness.

'I'm sorry Mr. Max. I'm sure the world would be a better place if everyone were as righteous as you, but I guess you're just a really special person. I'll try to live to my fullest and train as hard as I can in case my strength is needed by humanity in the future. I'll also try my hardest to help VV with their ventures. But I'm not sure if I will be able to voluntarily sacrifice my life for others if it doesn't involve the safety of my family or close friends. I hope you understand.'

With these last thoughts, the change that was occurring inside Drai subsided and left without any trace.