“Hello, Principal!”
Millia slightly lifted the ends of her skirt and bent at a 30-degree angle as per etiquette. Merlin, the principal, raised an eyebrow at her appearance.
‘Such neat etiquette.’
“Oh, Millia. Please sit here.”
“Yes!”
Millia sat down at Merlin’s invitation and glanced at the three people sitting to her left.
Her competitors in this student council election.
Olive Cromwell from the Knight Department.
Perinne Neraid from the Magic Department.
Mimosa Velvet from the Theology Department.
And… Millia Quartz.
The four candidates gathered and looked at Principal Merlin.
“…So, there are four of you. You are the participants in this student council election.”
“Yes!”
Olive confidently smiled at the principal, his face brimming with confidence. The other three sensed his confidence and shared similar feelings.
‘He seems so enthusiastic…’
Millia thought he looked like someone who would cause a commotion if he became student council president.
“Haha, do not be nervous. I only wanted to inform you candidates about the schedule.”
“So we’re all candidates now…”
Perinne pretended to be relaxed as she glanced around. Some faces were familiar, while others were not. Millia and Olive were in the former group, while Mimosa was in the latter.
‘I’m not keen on this.’
Mimosa made brief eye contact with her competitors with a smiling face, then sent a deadly glare at Millia. A gaze full of jealousy. Millia tilted her head at her look.
‘That glare is pretty sharp. What’s with that? I haven’t done anything!’
Millia felt perplexed by the unfamiliar gaze in the Academy. What in the world could it be? No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t guess the reason.
After all, she had no connection with Mimosa.
“Oh, it’s getting hot already.”
“Being a student council president! Being the representative of the Academy’s students! How could it not be hot?!”
“Haha, that’s a good attitude.”
“I will definitely live up to Principal Merlin’s expectations!”
‘My ears are aching.’
Millia wanted to cover her ears from the voice that shook her eardrums, but refrained, desperately managing her expression. She couldn’t show that kind of demeanor in front of the principal.
“Ahem. So, I shall say this. You will be giving speeches in the auditorium a week from now. What kind of speeches they will be is entirely up to your hands. You may campaign during this time, but… you must not resort to illegal means.”
Millia raised her hand as if in class.
Merlin watched her with a warm smile.
“Could I hear about illegal means?”
“That’s a good question. Illegal means include… bribing students with money, threatening them, or attempting to manipulate voting results. Slandering your fellow candidates also falls under that category.”
“I see…”
“Ahem, to continue, we will decide the order of speeches from now.”
“How will the order be decided?”
“Simply put, here, take this note.”
Merlin placed four neatly folded notes on his palm, the origin of which was a mystery. The student council candidates pondered briefly and took one note each.
“The number written inside will be the order of your speeches. Go ahead and unfold it.”
‘I’m last!’
Millia found it hard to decide whether she should be happy that she was last. After all, it was a completely unfamiliar experience for her. So, she decided to think positively.
“I’m first!”
“I’m second!”
“I’m third!”
“I’m last!”
“Hm. Olive, Perinne, Mimosa, and Millia in that order. Remember this order and prepare your speeches accordingly.”
“Yes!”
Everyone’s voices overlapped.
“Now that we’re done here, let’s head back.”
At the principal’s words, everyone bowed and got up from their seats.
———————
The four who came out of the principal’s office exchanged glances and gauged each other. Millia, in the meantime, beamed and spoke to Perinne, whom she knew well.
“Perinne! Of course you’d be running as a candidate!”
“I thought Millia would definitely come out from the Liberal Arts Department.”
“Yep! Being student council president is one of my goals!”
All eyes turned to her at Millia’s confident declaration. Curiosity, goodwill, and… jealousy. Millia felt the diverse gazes and continued her speech.
“So I’m going to give it my all in the election!”
“That sounds like Millia.”
“What great passion!”
Olive looked at Millia with a friendly gaze. It was natural for him to be drawn to her since he was known for being diligent in the Knight Department. He liked those who worked hard.
“Hehe.”
“Millia, don’t you feel the pressure being last?”
“Well~ it’s not so much pressure as it is excitement!”
Perinne looked at Millia with a puzzled expression at her answer. Excitement? That was a strange response. Millia promptly gave an answer to the question.
“Speaking in front of a lot of people! I’ve always wanted to try it!”
“How interesting. There’s nothing harder than talking in front of people…”
Perinne gazed at Millia as if in awe. She was looking at a type of person she had never seen before. She had seen plenty of chitchatters, but a speech and casual chatter were completely different.
“Millia, you’re amazing! I tremble at the thought of giving a speech! I can’t even grasp what I should say!”
Olive suddenly interjected, listening to their conversation with interest.
“Hang in there!”
“Millia, how kind of you!”
“Hehe.”
The only one who hadn’t gotten into the conversation, Mimosa, glared at Millia and suddenly spoke up.
“…I wonder if you can become student council president with that mindset.”
“Hmm?”
“Isn’t it a bit too light-hearted? Being student council president isn’t child’s play.”
At her sharp voice, Millia looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“I’m serious!”
“For someone so serious, you seem to think rather easily.”
“Hmm, is that so? But I feel less tense than when fighting the Agares cult…”
“…”
“Were you there?”
“What an incredibly interesting story! Could you tell me about it? I want to hear Sir Quartz’s tale!”
“Of course! But let’s talk about it somewhere else! I know a great cafe! How’s everyone’s schedule?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m okay too!”
“…I have work.”
Mimosa suddenly turned on her heel and disappeared.
“Looks like Mimosa dislikes me…”
Millia said while watching Mimosa’s back.
“We barely have any connection… I don’t get why she’d feel that way.”
That was quite an oddity even to Perinne. If it were a bad relationship, it would be understandable, but there didn’t seem to be any connection at all. Maybe because she was in the Theology Department?
‘Could it be…’
Perinne kept her mouth shut as a conjecture arose and fell into brief contemplation, deciding not to speak it out loud.
It would be dangerous to voice premature assumptions.
“Don’t worry too much! Some people just dislike others for no reason! Hahaha!”
“Is that so? Then let’s hurry up! If we go too late, there might not be any seats left!”
Perinne and Olive nodded in response to her urging.
The two followed Millia, who walked cheerfully ahead, heading to the cafe.
——————–
“…so I cut off Agares’s head!”
“Amazing!”
“That’s incredible…”
The two marveled at Millia’s tale about Johann. To overwhelm a demon and slaughter it without even giving it a chance to respond seemed so unreal.
It was really a pity they couldn’t see it with their own eyes.
“Hehe. Johann is amazing!”
“Having someone like that appear in this era is a blessing for the continent! I want to meet him at least once!”
“Should I ask him? Maybe I could meet him once!”
“That sounds enticing! But I won’t!”
“Hmm? Why not?”
“Because it wouldn’t mean anything unless I earn the right to meet him myself!”
Upon hearing those words, the two looked at Olive with admiring eyes. A bit fiery but fitting the description of diligent.
“You’re quite sincere, Olive! I think you’ll do well even if you become the student council president!”
“Haha, but I might not be good at handling documents, so I’m not sure about that!”
“Things like that improve with practice. It’s not as difficult as you think.”
Perinne, placing her hand on her chest, recalled her experiences. She had had the chance to handle simple tasks as the heir of a prestigious family.
“I see!”
“Hehe, Perinne is amazing!”
The three continued to chat in a cheerful atmosphere.
Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching.
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