Chapter 143

Emeric walked down the hallway, carrying a thick stack of documents.

What he held in his hands were proposals he had long believed would be beneficial to the students if implemented during his time in school.

Remembering his past struggles, the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.

“Heh heh, back then, I never could have imagined this,” he muttered.

The whole reason he had aimed for a position in the Ten Elites was for this very purpose.

But the wall of reality had been high, and once he finally got the position, a corrupt regime had blocked his path again.

However, thanks to the man who had just enrolled, everything had started moving in the right direction.

“Things are finally back on track,” Emeric thought as he headed toward the Ten Elites lounge, excited for the upcoming meeting.

On his way, he ran into Berthnal. It wasn’t just a coincidence.

Berthnal was likely also on his way to the meeting at the appointed time.

“Hey, Emeric, heading to the lounge?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go together then.”

They walked in silence for a while before Berthnal glanced around.

Seeing no one nearby, he spoke cautiously.

“Emeric, I’ve been thinking it over, and you’re right about that Hersel kid. He really does seem to be aiming for the student council president’s seat.”

Emeric chuckled softly.

Berthnal had dismissed his words as nonsense before, but now he believed them.

It was probably because Berthnal had seen undeniable proof.

“I told you, Berthnal. He’s not after the Ten Elites.”

“Yeah, you did.”

If Hersel was gunning for the president’s seat, he absolutely shouldn’t be part of the Ten Elites at this point in time.

The next election was a year away. It was far too early to stand out.

“If he had ousted Kerndel, it would have made him appear hostile in the eyes of the student council. That idiot may be a fool, but he always followed orders.”

If Hersel made himself a target too early, he would definitely face opposition.

Over the next year, they would take steps to ensure he couldn’t even run.

“These people are experts in dictatorship. If they see him as a future rival, they’ll cut him down before he has a chance to bloom. Hersel knows this and has acted accordingly.”

Berthnal nodded, his expression grim.

“I know, I know. That’s why he’s acting like he’s not interested in power, right? But behind the scenes, he’ll become the real power player, taking whatever he can. But Emeric, why do you care so much about Hersel becoming president? I know what you’ve been up to. You’ve been secretly digging into the student council, haven’t you? The election will happen after we’ve graduated, so why bother?”

Emeric stopped walking and stared into Berthnal’s eyes.

“I just want to leave a gift for the juniors I like.”

Berthnal chuckled and patted Emeric on the back.

“Yeah, but still, be careful. You’ve held out for over two years, right? There’s not much time left. You want to graduate safely, don’t you?”

“I’ll be careful.”

They were almost at the Ten Elites lounge when the door opened, and Mircel came out yawning.

“Yawn…”

Emeric looked at him curiously and asked,

“Where are you going? The meeting is about to start.”

“Oh? Ah. I quit. I don’t even know what this place is about, and it’s boring.”

“What? Without you, we lose a vote, and that’s a problem.”

Emeric reminded the younger boy of his position.

But at Mircel’s next words, he simply nodded.

“But my big brother said I could quit whenever I wanted. And don’t worry, if those guys get on my nerves, I’ll just tell him everything.”

“I see. Then you can quit. Farewell, little brother of Hersel.”

Mircel scratched his shoulder and walked away.

Berthnal, watching the boy’s back, asked with concern,

“Dorosian’s seat is empty, and so is Ninth’s. If his seat is vacant, that’s three abstentions. They have four votes, and even with Erucel, we only have three. Is this really okay?”

Emeric scoffed.

“Still don’t get it? Berthnal, Hersel told them to come directly to him if they had complaints. That holds significant meaning.”

“Meaning?”

“Heh, Hersel is intending to make us his representatives, and with a very profound intention behind it.”

Berthnal listened closely, but as Emeric continued, chills ran down his spine.

“Hersel believes it’s not the right time to act, so he’s hiding in the shadows. Since he can’t reveal his teeth publicly, he needs pawns like us! Even to prevent someone like Kerndel from dreaming of rebellion beforehand! Be amazed, Berthnal. How brilliant is this strategy!!”

Sweat dripped down Berthnal’s forehead. Emeric’s expression resembled that of a fanatical cultist.

He hadn’t been like this last year, but ever since becoming a third-year, there was a strange madness about him.

“…You might be overanalyzing things a bit, but alright, I get it.”

Berthnal gave Emeric a look that said he thought he was crazy as they entered the lounge.

‘Emeric, this guy. I always thought he was diligent and smart, but ever since becoming a third-year, his mind seems to have gone off the rails.’

As they approached their seats, Kerndel greeted them with a displeased face.

“Hmph, how dare you be late.”

“Shut up, Kerndel,” Berthnal replied coldly, venting his pent-up frustrations.

Kerndel opened his eyes wide in surprise, clearly not expecting such a retort.

“What-what? How dare someone like Berthnal speak to me like that?”

“Hmph, a toothless tiger still has pride, huh? Why don’t you stop provoking people and just keep your mouth shut?”

Kerndel gritted his teeth.

He was about to rise from his seat and lash out, but Emeric patted Berthnal on the shoulder and shook his head.

“That’s not quite right, Berthnal. If you have power, you should act with decorum.”

“Huh?”

“Let me show you an example.”

Emeric, leaving a puzzled Berthnal behind, raised his hand.

“I will now propose an agenda. The agenda is to impose a gag order on Kerndel. Those in favor, please raise your hands.”

Berthnal quickly caught on to Emeric’s intention and raised his hand, though Kerndel looked startled for a moment.

Erucel, who was nearby, also raised his hand with a bewildered expression.

“This seems a bit strange, but, ahem.”

Kerndel forced a smile, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“Heh heh, you’re not seriously considering this ridiculous proposal, are you?”

Kerndel’s words were met with uncomfortable glances exchanged between the remaining members.

Emeric, unfazed, hummed and picked up his pen.

“Hmm, three vacant seats. Three in favor. Four against…”

“H-hey, Emeric, that’s enough joking around,” Kerndel said, but Emeric ignored him and scanned the faces of those who had opposed.

“Four opposed… Perhaps I should interpret this as treachery. I think I’ll report this to Hersel.”

As Emeric began to write, the members who hadn’t raised their hands flinched and quickly shot their hands up.

“W-wait! I had a cramp in my arm. I’m in favor, I’m in favor!”

“Me too, me too!”

Emeric paused his writing and corrected the tally to reflect the three additional votes in favor.

Thus, the proposal was drafted.

“Here, Kerndel.”

When Emeric handed over the draft, Kerndel asked in a shaky voice,

“W-what is this?”

“It’s tradition for the First Seat to deliver proposals. Isn’t that your job as the First Seat?”

“…Y-you’re serious? You want me to personally deliver this absurd rule to silence me?”

Emeric nodded seriously, and Berthnal grinned as he watched.

‘It feels like we’re starting a new dictatorship… but somehow, it doesn’t feel that bad.’

***

Interestingly, there was one class taught directly by a student.

It was a class on divinity.

This practice had been in place ever since priests from the Sun Cult monopolized positions within the student council.

Of course, their purpose was proselytization.

It’s absurd that such a cult would pull this nonsense even in the academy. Truly ridiculous.

“Well, then.”

A man dressed in a robe with a bluish glow opened a book. He was a member of the student council.

“Today’s lesson will be about the ‘Arrogant Immortal.'” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As is common with religious texts, the lesson began with the story of a mythical figure.

Long ago, there was such a person who, foolishly, made various mistakes—one of those all-too-familiar tales.

It’s one of those rare times when sleeping is allowed.

Already exhausted from early morning training, I wondered if I should take a quick nap.

“After completing his task, he became a demigod and swore loyalty to the gods, but foolishly, he was not satisfied and dared to rebel…”

Half-listening to the priest’s voice like a lullaby, I half-closed my eyes and checked if Dorosian was around.

Of course, she wasn’t. The girl who often skipped out wouldn’t be interested in a class like this.

Relieved, I was about to let myself drift off.

“Is that true? A skull, you say? Did someone kill someone and bury the body?”

Some people, apparently unable to sleep, started whispering.

“They say it’s not human; it has horns on its head. It even has wings and a tailbone.”

It seemed Professor Gomon had discovered it.

“No way, could it really be true? Isn’t someone just playing a prank?”

“Well, this place is full of pranksters. Someone probably set it up to mess with Professor Gomon.”

Haha, it’d be nice if it were fake, but apparently, it’s real.

“But if it is real, wouldn’t that be kind of exciting? There’s even a rumor that it’s the legendary demon, a succubus.”

“Oh, now that you mention it, yeah? Horns, wings, tail—it’s all stuff you see in literature, right? They say she gives you erotic dreams and sucks out your energy as payment. Haha.”

When you think of a succubus, that’s the typical image.

A seductive demon who takes your life force in exchange for a blissful dream.

But that’s just fiction created from men’s fantasies.

In reality, it’s more like…

A hypnotist who makes reality feel like a dream, preventing proper judgment even when something abnormal happens.

Even though it’s already dead, its lingering thoughts, formed by self-hypnosis, are set to cause havoc again.

Its goal is to use the dreams of foolish humans as nourishment and make its dream world manifest in reality.

This event also involved finding a hidden item, so participating might not be a bad idea.

I should probably get prepared before evening falls.

***

The dormitory is always packed with people on rainy days.

Shaking off the raindrops, I stepped into the lobby and was greeted by the ridiculous antics of Makdal and Ricks.

“Physical telekinesis magic!”

“Ugh!”

Makdal hit Ricks with his staff, sending him rolling across the floor.

Then, coughing, he muttered something that sounded vaguely familiar.

“M-magic? Ugh… but… you just hit me with your staff…”

They were clearly imitating the duel between me and Kerndel.

“Hahaha, if this is magic, then are knights also magicians? It’s all the same when you win with force!”

These guys, acting so childish.

I approached the two of them.

“Indeed, I don’t think so either. Senior Makdal, physical telekinesis is a proper form of magic that uses mana.”

“W-what? Ricks, why are you suddenly talking like Lord Hersel… W-wait.”

Sensing something was off, Makdal quickly turned his head.

“Gasp!”

“Would you like to learn what real physical telekinesis magic feels like?”

“N-no, I’m fine.”

I walked past the frightened Makdal.

Then I thought about someone who hadn’t been around much lately and asked,

“By the way, senior, have you seen Limberton? I haven’t seen him around recently.”

“Oh, that guy? Lately, he’s been hanging around with a girl from the Buerger Hall. After all that time searching for a partner, it seems he’s finally found one. Hahaha.”

Limberton, with a girl?

“…You’re joking, right? There’s no way that’s possible.”

“No, seriously, Hersel. I saw it too.”

“Really? Ricks?”

“He even bragged to me about going to the club floor with her.”

There’s no way.

Limberton is destined to graduate from the academy solo.

Could there be a serious error in the scenario?

“When did he go there?”

I asked, and Ricks glanced at the clock.

“About five minutes ago?”

“Got it.”

I immediately headed to the club floor.

Limberton was the only one who could still have enough time to align with the current scenario.

Aslay was busy with after-school supplemental lessons today.

Mircel had transferred in and was still catching up on his studies.

And now, this guy is filming some kind of romantic campus scene by himself? I can’t allow that.

I passed the fortress and arrived at the club floor.

After scanning the area with sharp eyes, I spotted Limberton chatting with a girl carrying a shopping bag.

‘Isn’t that the girl from the banquet?’

‘Hmm. She does look familiar, Hersel.’

‘That idiot… I even warned him that she seemed like the kind of girl who’d just take his money.’

Limberton had a lot of coins.

Plus, he’d gained some recognition due to his recent exploits.

Still, his creepy habits remained, and the women around here wouldn’t consider him a romantic option.

But what do I do now?

Now that I’m here, my head feels muddled.

This must be the moment he’s been dreaming of his whole life.

It’s obvious he won’t listen to a word I say.

Even if I forcibly pull them apart, that gold-digger girl isn’t going to just sit by and let it happen.

Maybe I should just give up and look for someone else…

Sighing deeply, I turned to leave.

Then, I felt a sharp poke on my back. It was Silla, the girl who could easily draw anyone’s gaze.

With a frown on her face, she was staring intently at Limberton and the girl beside him, and she asked, “Are you just going to leave that alone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at her. It’s obvious she’s planning to take advantage of him, and that idiot is just grinning like a fool.”

“So what?”

I asked with a dull expression, and Silla’s eyes widened in irritation.

“He’s your friend, isn’t he? Shouldn’t you be doing something about it?”

“I know him better than you do. Right now, it wouldn’t matter what I say to him.”

“Still, I suppose it’s better this way. Maybe after getting burned this time, he’ll finally wake up.”

Letting him learn how to judge women better through this experience might not be such a bad thing.

Suddenly, I grew curious and asked Silla, “By the way, did you follow them just to watch?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you think I’m the kind of person who has time to watch someone like that?”

“Well, it looked that way, so I asked.”

“I’m waiting here for Leana. Then I just happened to see them pass by.”

“Ah, is that so?”

I took my eyes off Silla, who was still fuming, and continued walking.

I should focus on my own tasks.

Is there anyone suitable to join me in searching for the hidden treasure?

“Let’s see…”

The magic department students at the Adele Hall are busy with special lessons, and Ricks has his role in the Schlaphe Hall, so he’s out.

Erucel suddenly took up art.

Riamon is around, but he’s not a key player in this scenario, so who knows where he’s wandering off to.

I pulled out my pocket watch.

Tick-tock.

Damn, there’s less than 30 minutes until the scenario starts.

Soon, the sun will set, and the succubus hidden in Professor Gomon’s lab will begin spreading sleep gas across the Frost Heart building.

“Guess I have no choice. I’ll have to find Riamon while there’s still time.”

***

Limberton was still fixated on the girl from the Buerger Hall.

Silla, who had been watching him with disdain, turned her head at a voice beside her.

“Sorry for making you wait, Silla. I would’ve come sooner if I knew you’d be here.”

“It’s fine. I came early without saying anything. But, Leana.”

“Hmm?”

Silla smirked and pointed upward.

“Let’s head upstairs. How about the café? My treat.”

Leana, looking a bit confused, nodded in agreement.

Silla led Leana to the café. The door’s bell chimed as they entered, and Selly greeted them warmly.

“Oh, welcome, Lady Silla. Lady Leana.”

They ordered their usual tea and snacks and took a seat.

Perhaps seeing Hersel earlier had reminded Silla of his servant, Selly, and a mischievous smile crept across her face.

She started with a teasing comment.

“Did you see your husband earlier?”

But Leana simply smiled softly.

“Oh? What was Hersel up to?”

Her answer was playful, showing that she wasn’t going to fall for it.

She must have learned by now that going along with Silla’s pace would lead to trouble.

“What’s with that reaction? No fun.”

“I don’t fall for it anymore. And you really should stop saying things like that. Do you know what kind of family the Tenest family is…? Even though I know you’re joking, it’s still quite overwhelming.”

Silla bit into a cookie with a grumpy expression.

‘Judging by her reaction, it seems like she’s secretly bothered by it… or maybe she’s not even aware of it?’

As Silla stared at her, Leana covered a yawn with her hand.

Silla, feeling tired herself, sipped her tea.

Just then, there was a loud thud followed by the sound of glass shattering.

Crash!

The people around them had collapsed onto their tables.

Leana, too, slumped forward.

Thud!

“Huh? Leana, you…”

Silla, her eyes half-closed, tried to shake Leana’s shoulder, but her body grew heavy, making it impossible to move.

Thud!

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