Chapter 121
The reason I’m pushing for Saint Diphelia as the Student Council President is quite simple.
It’s just that it’ll be convenient for me later.
Clemens is excellent, but she also has a hard time staying under someone else’s banner.
She’s great at forming her own groups and leading them, but not so much at bowing her head and supporting others.
So, it’s necessary for Diphelia, not Clemens, to unify the Academia.
Saint Diphelia may be tough to open up, but once you manage to do that, she effortlessly forms relationships.
Even if it’s not to the extent of a deep bond with me, she certainly has the skills and standing to be a good business partner.
She can leverage the Student Council’s influence without even joining the council, and looking at the bigger picture, it’s all about utilizing the Academia’s resources for the future.
It’s better for someone related to me to hold the position of Student Council President. The closer the ties, whether through fear, connection, or a bond that’s hard to escape from, the better.
…Why don’t I take on the role of Student Council President myself?
Well, it’s obviously because I’m busy. There are other reasons, but that one alone is sufficient.
With so much to manage beyond training and the Research Society, I simply don’t have the physical capacity to take on the president role as well. That goes beyond mere willpower.
If I don’t need to step up directly, I can just appoint a delegate. Just like Bram, who’s active as a guild leader externally, and the same goes for Rubid Village.
The same applies to the Student Council President of Academia.
The selection process is happening right now.
The first round of candidates for the Student Council President will be selected before the festival.
The second selection and election will happen after the festival.
The election period for the Student Council President will slowly tighten like a noose.
Let’s ease up on Clemens and other fierce competitors for now. If we poke them too early, it’ll just create trouble later on.
As always, let’s play fair and by the rules.
First, let’s prepare for the upcoming first selection event, the “Electoral Team Match.”
Erica, Alicia, and I automatically come up with pretty good ideas, but I’m curious how it’ll all style up on stage in real life.
“Young Master, Young Master! How do you like my new look? What do you think?”
“Naias, don’t bother the Young Master too much.”
“Alicia. I wasn’t asking you! And I’m not ‘pathetically’ glued to the Young Master like you, so leave me alone! This is my time now!”
“How pathetic….”
A joint class for Class 1 and Class 2.
This is a special practical class starting from the second semester aimed at increasing adaptability to the Hero’s main weapon, the relic.
Currently, we’re standing in the artificial combat arena where we fought golems for cooperative training, alongside the students from Class 2 who are our partners this time.
Next to me are the members of Class 2, my partner for this session.
Students from both classes are gathered in one place.
However, Naias, who doesn’t care about such things at all, stretches her arms wide in the world she hasn’t seen in a while.
“Ah, Young Master! What do you think of my new look? My hair and eyes have turned black just like yours! Doesn’t it make us look like siblings?”
I’m staring at the chattering spirit. Her once colorful hair is now dyed black, and so are her eyes.
With her excessively youthful physique for her age, she looks even livelier than before, exuding a sharp energy.
Naias, the outlier.
She has successfully absorbed the Judgment Weapon and stabilized herself.
Even though she hasn’t fully recovered the power she lost in the dungeon, she now possesses a vast amount of mana and strength compared to her peak.
Her overall ability has definitely risen.
The effect of the Judgment Weapon is clear.
But… what is she blabbering on about?
I already have two real siblings, and that’s more than enough.
While I’m thinking this, Naias adds more.
“By the way, I’m your older sister!”
“Well, if we’re looking at age, it’s not just a simple older sister status, is it?”
“Eh?! Talking about age to a spirit is rude!”
What is this genderless creature talking about?
As I listen to the long-winded spirit, Lucien, the professor in charge of Class 2, and Louisa, appear.
In contrast to the artificially bright atmosphere inside, Lucien looks like he hasn’t slept in days, with tired eyes, while Louisa is the complete opposite.
Even without concentrating her mana, Louisa’s loud voice turns everyone’s heads.
“From now on, we will start the joint relic practical class for Class 1 and Class 2. Take out your relics!”
Some, like Alicia, have their own relics, but many do not.
Those without were mostly commoners, so it makes sense they don’t have any. The Academia temporarily lends relics to such students.
As the surrounding area falls completely silent, Louisa continues.
“In front of you stand large monuments. These are special items prepared by the Academia and have high resistance.”
Ah, those! I’ve heard a brief explanation about them in stories.
They’re probably similar in composition to the sandbag Louisa uses when she’s venting her frustrations.
Though they’re called monuments, they’re elastic and minimize any shocks applied to them. They’re layered with multiple magic spells as a counter against both magic and blades.
“Even with your utmost magic and techniques, it would be challenging to destroy these monuments. So, work with your assigned group members to break them!”
Louisa’s voice resonates loudly.
There are precise weaknesses and timings in the magic affecting the monuments and the monuments themselves. It’s just a split second, but if you aim for it, the monument will break.
In short, collaboration with your opponent is key in this class.
However, since that’s the purpose of the class, groups aren’t formed autonomously; they are predetermined.
That’s also the reason for having a joint class.
After parting ways with Alicia and meeting my group members…
…….
“It’s been a while, Lauga.”
“…….”
“Seems like you still can’t forget the disgrace from the Class Battle, huh? Well, you can’t help it if you don’t want to greet me.”
The woman glares at me with murderous eyes.
She’s a devoted admirer of Arterion and his shield.
The woman I admire, and his shield.
Then there was the king who got tied up and knocked out during the Class Battle, stuck with my little wolfie.
Ocel Solus Lauga.
Of all things, I ended up in the same team as her.
I mean, I didn’t even treat him roughly, so why does he dislike me this much? It’s baffling.
I just remember him being kindly tucked away in the room while I roamed around Base 1, not wanting him to get out too soon.
He probably cursed his own helplessness hearing the screams of my classmates from inside… but that can’t be the reason.
“Is it because my little wolfie bit too hard that you’re looking at me like that?”
“…….”
“Well, whatever. Seems like it’s not something I need to worry about.”
I turned my head away from the piercing gaze and looked around.
There’s one pair that particularly catches my eye.
It might be an exaggeration to say they shine, but those two standing together instantly make everything around them seem worthless.
‘Arterion and Alicia….’
Maybe it’s because they are the original protagonist and heroine, but they radiate a unique aura. Naias has already entered the sword and is now in her hand.
They formed a temporary duo, and strangely enough, it happened this way. What’s the probability of that… hmm?
Lauga’s gaze, which had been glaring at me, naturally shifted to those two and wavered slightly.
I already know what feelings she harbors for Arterion, so it’s hard not to be intrigued.
In the development I’m leading, Arterion and Alicia barely have any intersections, yet Lauga seems anxious.
“Even if you’re worried like that, Prince Arterion won’t just up and leave all of a sudden.”
“…I know.”
“Doesn’t look like someone who knows. It’s funny.”
I then observed the two moving.
Arterion and Alicia.
They seemed to have a little conversation, then immediately stepped towards the monument, raising their swords.
The red aura and the blue aura with a wind attribute lit up. It was a bright and clear color, regardless of who was superior.
Alicia struck first.
As her sword clashed with the monument wrapped in a storm, the multiple magics embedded within it trembled violently.
In the gap, Arterion plunged his red sword in.
But.
The sword that hit the monument sank in like an ice cream stick pushed into jelly, then sprang back out.
Alicia, seeing this, changed her stance and raised her magical power even more. It looked like Naias was explaining something to her.
As Alicia’s aura changed, Black Smoke started to rise. Naias seems to be trying to harness all her power.
As the smoke enveloped her sword, her winds became more stable and dense.
With her preparations complete, Alicia swung her sword again.
Boom⎯⎯!
A massive explosion filled the space.
The force was tremendous, sending shockwaves even to me and Lauga, who were quite a distance away.
The surge of magical power was unmistakably larger than the initial strike.
In that gap, Arterion successfully thrust his sword into the monument.
As he pierced the monument with his sword, he emitted a red aura and shattered it into pieces.
They succeeded in destroying the monument with just two cooperative strikes.
After sheathing his sword, Arterion approached Alicia and exchanged words. Alicia, surprised by the unexpectedly powerful Judgment Weapon, calmed down and chatted with him.
I witnessed the entire process.
“Damn, this is impressive… The Judgment Weapon and the crimson aura. It’s not just the combination of the two; I’m moved by that pure power.”
Suddenly, I heard the words of Lucien, the professor in charge of Class 2, as he approached me and Lauga for evaluation.
He had deep dark circles under his eyes, as if drawn with meteor magic.
Muttering to himself, he babbled some incomprehensible words before turning to look at me.
“Aren’t you two going to start…? Other teams have already begun.”
“It seems my group member isn’t too fond of me. So, um, can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
I pointed at the monument.
Lauga, standing next to me, seemed to have something to say, but I wasn’t interested in her.
“Is it simply a matter of destruction?”
“Yes, that’s correct… To reiterate, due to multiple magic and its components on the monument, you two…”
“No, that’s enough.”
I halted Lucien’s further explanation and stepped forward, pulling out a perfume bottle from my pocket and spritzing it on my wrist.
A dreamy scent, reminiscent of flowers and dew, wafted through the air as the once half-full bottle was now nearly empty.
It was now confirmed that one use consumed one-third of it.
While it felt regretful to think about needing to catch a lot of Altife to refill it, if I didn’t know my power in advance, I wouldn’t be able to use it properly in a pinch.
Just in time, I had an appropriate target.
I needed to directly experience the power of an exceptional relic that doubled its output.
With the most destructive magic I could currently use.
The Curse Magic, ‘Decay.’
By chance, this magic had shown tremendous effectiveness even on Helion, who was protected by Holy Magic.
I wondered how much power it would have if I also used the ‘Potion of Life.’
I wanted to see that with my own eyes, with my own hands.
Thud—
Arriving in front of the monument, I gently placed my hand on its cold, hefty mass.
I began to channel my mana into it.
…I could feel it.
The pressure of the mana within my body was moving rapidly.
As if my heart had become two or three.
Blood rushed at an excessive speed, and my muscle cells felt like they were tearing apart.
Creating a slight pain, the intensely thick mana was desperate to escape my body.
I gave it a suitable form and cleared a path. Then, like a hole pierced in a vacuum, it burst out instantly, radiating the presence of the decay magic.
I cautiously transferred the ominous energy tinged in my hand onto the monument.
I slowly injected it, ensuring not a single drop spilled elsewhere.
And then, the monument quickly responded.
The multiple layers of advanced magic melted away like snow, and my magic, seeping through the thin fabric, penetrated deep into the monument.
─Crackle.
From within, it confirmedly began to rot the target.
“Hmm. So this is the level of power.”
…It went quiet.
The enormous monument, easily surpassing the height of two adult men, began to blacken and erase its existence like it was burning away.
The sound of embers popping like a campfire was nowhere to be heard, as it quietly vanished.
And as the sight opened up as if the monument had never existed…
“I’m very satisfied.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
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