The Union Student Council was, naturally, not a one-man show.
At the very least, it required a secretary to assist the president, a scribe to handle clerical duties, and a vice president to step in during emergencies. That was to say nothing of the various department heads for General Affairs, Student Life, and Health Services.
Recruiting new members was essential for the council to function.
The secretary position already belonged to Ciel, so the next priority was the vice president. For that role, I nominated the most suitable candidate I could think of: Freya, the student council president of Ishtal.
"..."
At my sudden declaration, the once-buzzing meeting hall fell into a heavy silence. All eyes turned toward Freya, who remained seated.
As everyone waited for her response, Freya—who had been deep in meditation—let out a soft sigh and opened her eyes. Her blue eyes, shining like sapphires, met mine for a fleeting moment before her eyelids fluttered shut again.
A single, quiet word escaped her lips.
"I refuse."
Freya had rejected the offer without a shred of hesitation.
"..."
Of course, her refusal was expected. I simply shrugged and played it off.
"There's no need to answer so quickly, Freya. Take your time to think it over. We have plenty of time."
I never actually expected her to accept, nor was that my true intention. What mattered was the fact that I had offered her the vice presidency here and now.
'…This buys me some time.'
Sixty days.
That was the final deadline for Freya's response to be officially processed by me, the Student Council President. For that duration, the council would be legally recognized as performing the essential duties required for its maintenance.
As long as no major incident occurred that warranted immediate disqualification, I could hold onto my position. In other words, I couldn't be kicked out for at least sixty days, regardless of a student vote.
'A legitimate loophole using the academy's basic ordinances.'
It was a move only possible for someone like me—someone who had scrutinized every minor detail and obscure setting in the game.
Unaware of my deeper intentions, Kiriel scoffed.
"Hah! I knew it. Why would someone like Freya ever stoop to working under a guy like you?"
"You never know. She might change her mind later."
"Change her mind, my ass. Would you do it if you were her?"
I inwardly nodded at Kiriel's words. She's got a point. Why would Freya ever want to work under a scoundrel like Roen?
However, unlike the clueless Kiriel, the clever Beatrice seemed to have seen through my scheme immediately. Her brow furrowed in realization.
"…An angle I hadn't considered. To use such a loophole. Don't tell me Ciel told you?"
"Who knows? I'll leave the details to your imagination."
"What are you talking about, Beatrice? What loophole?" Kiriel demanded.
Beatrice sighed softly and explained for Kiriel's benefit. "To put it simply, for at least the next sixty days, there is no way to remove Roen from the presidency."
"Wait, what? Why?"
"This pertains to Article 8, Section 4 of the Academy Basic Ordinance. It's a rule that guarantees the Student Council's right to conduct its activities. During this period, even removal through a student vote is impossible."
"What! Where the hell is a rule like that? That's a corrupt law! A total scam!"
Thump, thump—!
True to her fiery nature, Kiriel stomped her feet in a fit of rage. But it was no use.
"Huhu. Even a corrupt law is still a law. There's nothing to be done. I suppose he got one over on us," Elena said, propping her chin on her hand with an amused smile.
"..."
Meanwhile, Freya wore a slightly sullen expression, clearly displeased at being used as a pawn in my scheme.
Beatrice glared at me again. "But Roen, that's merely a temporary fix. You must be well aware of that."
"Of course. I know all too well."
I nodded. I had bought myself time, but I hadn't solved the fundamental problem.
After Chegebil's Rebellion, most of the immense power the Student Council President once held had vanished, but the strict 'maintenance conditions' remained.
The first condition for keeping the position was academic performance.
'The Student Council President, as the representative of the Academy Union, must achieve outstanding academic results befitting the title.'
A minimum of 40 credits per semester, with a grade of A or higher in every single course. It meant that while managing the council, I had to take a heavier course load than the average student and maintain top-tier grades in all of them. Considering that the A-grade ratio in most classes was around 10 percent, this was a Herculean task.
Second.
'To maintain the position of Student Council President, one must rank within the top 10 in the academy's biannual 'Competition'.'
To be in the top 10 at an academy that gathered the most brilliant talents from across the continent was a feat nigh impossible without exceptional talent and bone-grinding effort.
'Excellence in both academics and combat.'
Outstanding theoretical knowledge and practical combat skills. These were the pillars required to maintain the presidency. And if I failed to meet these conditions…
"You will be expelled," Beatrice warned, her red eyes glinting.
This was precisely why the position of Student Council President had remained vacant for decades since Chegebil's Rebellion.
'The penalty of expulsion.'
No one was willing to risk their entire future to wear a hollow crown that held no real power.
Except for one fool.
'Roen Devalis.'
I smiled bitterly and looked down at my gaunt hands. Why on earth did the original Roen seize the presidency? Was it for simple vanity, as expected of a scoundrel? Or was there some other reason?
"..."
I pondered for a moment, then quietly clenched my fist. To find that reason, to clear the main quest, and to survive—I had to keep this position. Furthermore, for the sake of achieving a successful happy ending for the Myrillin Saga, I couldn't afford to let go.
It wouldn't be an easy path, but it had to be done. And I was more than capable of it.
While I was lost in thought, Kiriel chimed in, echoing Beatrice's warning.
"That's right. You can't lobby your way through grades. What are you going to do now, you idiot?"
While the Academy Union left most matters to the Student Council's discretion, academic evaluations were conducted with absolute fairness. The academy had become a proxy battleground for various noble houses; if the grading standards weren't impartial, the entire institution would descend into chaos.
'Grades are managed by inspectors dispatched from each Great House.'
Given the circumstances, there was no way to manipulate grades by bribing the board of directors. But I had my ways, so there was no need to worry about that just yet.
To put Kiriel in her place, I shot back nonchalantly.
"That's none of your business, pointy-ear. I'll handle my own affairs, so you just worry about your own grades. I hear your written exam scores are barely passing."
Kiriel was a practical genius who relied on raw talent, but she was abysmal at theory. The fact that her scores were on par with the original Roen's said everything.
But it seemed the term "pointy-ear" bothered her more than the insult to her intelligence.
"P-Pointy-ear? You… I let it slide once, but you half-rotten skull!"
Crash—!
Kiriel tried to leap over the round table to lunge at me, but Elena stopped her.
"Kiriel, please control yourself. Causing a scene with Roen will only hurt your reputation. You know that as well as I do."
"Ugh."
The very fact that Kiriel, the president of Voltimir, had gotten into a public spat with a scoundrel like Roen would tarnish her image. Besides, there was nothing to be gained from winning a fight against a weakling who was nothing but skin and bones.
You don't avoid a pile of dung because you're afraid of it; you avoid it because it's filthy.
I gave Elena a slight nod of thanks for restraining Kiriel, then got to the main point.
"Well then, I assume that resolves any questions you had about me…"
Swoosh—.
I pushed a stack of documents across the round table, fanning them out.
"It's time to work."
*
Flip—.
Scratch, scratch—.
The meeting hall grew quiet, filled only with the rustling of paper and the scratching of pens.
Beatrice Le Cassandra, the president of Eredor and the Imperial Princess of the Cassandra Magic Empire, copied the approval documents signed by the council members and stored them in a document container.
'The meeting is… going surprisingly smoothly.'
Even so, her attention remained fixed on Roen, who sat on the other side of the table.
Roen the scoundrel. An impure existence who tarnished the great name of House Devalis, the Shield of Humanity that protected the western front.
In the year since Roen had enrolled, there had been no end to the rumors of his misdeeds. In truth, nasty rumors had been circulating in high society long before his enrollment. It was said that since childhood, Roen had harassed his servants, stealing their meager possessions. Not content with that, he would roam his family's territory to inflict similar abuses upon the common folk.
He had supposedly squandered family assets on "alchemical experiments," treating the lives of creatures as disposable. There were even grotesque rumors that he had used human subjects.
'And there's no need to even mention his behavior within the academy.'
The students he had tormented were living proof. She could not tolerate a man like this sitting in the seat of the Union Student Council President, even if it held no real power. It was a disgrace to the Academy Union and the Magic Empire.
She intended to drag him down and have him expelled to pay for his sins.
Beatrice glared at Roen for a moment before turning her gaze away. Of course, there was no need for her to act personally. He would eventually leave the academy of his own accord, paying the price for coveting a title he couldn't maintain.
As a student of Alchemy—one of the branches of magic—Roen belonged to Eredor, so she was well aware of his academic standing. He only took classes that were easy to pass, and even then, his grades were abysmal. She had heard his attendance was also on the verge of failing.
It was impossible for such a man to achieve the grades necessary to maintain the presidency.
'And on the off chance…'
Even if he did meet the academic requirements through Ciel's help or some other dirty trick, there was no way he could place in the top 10 of the Competition. The Competition was a sacred festival of martial prowess. It was a place where cheap tricks and family influence held no sway. With Roen's meager talent, he wouldn't even reach the main tournament.
'But why…'
Beatrice glanced at Roen again. The way he had acted today was distinctly different. It wasn't just a matter of "turning over a new leaf," as he claimed. It felt as if the very soul inside him had been replaced.
Did he hit his head in that accident? Or did he undergo some dark necromancy?
She entertained the thought for a moment before shaking her head. '…What am I thinking?'
A person couldn't change so drastically overnight. And even if he had truly repented, his past deeds would not simply disappear.
'If, by some miracle, Roen manages to satisfy the conditions and continues as the Student Council President…'
And if he did not step down of his own volition.
'Then I will have no choice but to remove him myself.'
Click—.
Beatrice closed the lid of the document container, her mind made up.
*
After the meeting ended.
"Roen, if you have a moment, could we talk?"
Beatrice left with her books, and Kiriel, after fuming at me for a bit longer, was dragged away by her aides. Freya had silently signed the documents and vanished like a ghost.
The only person left was Elena, wearing a bright, radiant smile.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing major, I just have something to discuss. Also, if you haven't fully recovered, I could heal you. What do you say? Shall we go to a cafe for a cup of tea?"
Elena's invitation was accompanied by a refreshing smile. That smile was beautiful enough to sway most men, but to me—knowing the terror hidden behind it—it was deeply unsettling.
'…What is she planning?'
Nothing immediately came to mind, but there was no way she would ask to see me without an ulterior motive. It would be safer to refuse, but opportunities to speak with Elena alone were rare. For now, I would accept and buy myself some time to think.
Slick—.
I pretended to check my watch and looked at Elena.
"Go to the cafe first. I'll stop by the Student Council office and then head over. It might take a while."
Elena gave a slight nod. "Alright. I'll be waiting at Cafe Seraphium on Traum 9th Street, then~"
"Mm."
Elena waved and disappeared, escorted by the Seintea students waiting outside.
With everyone gone, the meeting hall was finally empty. Only then did I lean back in my chair and let out a long, heavy breath.
"Hoo…"
'That was close.'
Catching my breath, I looked at my wristwatch—or rather, at the black ring on my finger.
[Derod's Ring]
• Durability: 1/44