Chapter 129
The arena, where all the students of Academia and almost every staff member had gathered.
A wide dome with an open ceiling.
Seats filled to the brim.
A huge, widescreen-like image floated in the air.
It looked less like a venue for an election and more like a sports arena or event hall.
Students waved rally sticks for their respective teams, busy chattering away.
Each candidate had a designated color, and to make things easier to recognize, they tended to follow their hair color.
A crimson wave was sweeping through the crowd.
Occasionally, flashes of gray or golden lights could be seen, but it was clear that the red was the dominant color.
The whispers among the students suggested that ever since Clemens absorbed a significant portion of the previously strong Rezek faction, it was almost a given she would win.
The red-haired woman, who was already a sensational figure, seemed to have conquered with ease.
‘…The second most visible color after red is gray light.’
Liam, taking a seat in the audience, surveyed the situation to gauge the current support rates.
The rally sticks appeared to be simple toys, yet they served as indicators of the students’ moods at a glance.
Observing roughly, the red rally sticks made up 65%.
The gray rally sticks accounted for 20%.
The golden ones held 10%.
The remaining seven colors added up to 5%.
The gray sticks represented the hair color of Diphelia.
The achievements of Vargan, supporting her, seemed somewhat lackluster compared to what he had shown in Dortmund so far.
However, one must not forget that the opponent is the only heir of the hero ranked number one, and the stakes are different.
Schugenharz was also a remarkable family, and everyone knew that fact, but Academia was an institution that nurtured heroes.
Naturally, the woman directly connected to the active number one hero was the most effective at stirring the students’ emotions.
Moreover, Clemens had not only a strong background but also impressive results, skills, and charisma, while Vargan was merely part of the electorate.
It could be said that the votes from the Darek Union, which were not in favor of Clemens, leaned towards Diphelia, as Rezek had declared his withdrawal.
Diphelia managed to secure this level of support due to her established position as a saint.
‘In other words, despite those conditions, such a gap remains…’
Liam licked his lips and averted his gaze.
In a moment, an announcement signaling the start would ring out.
The broadcast announcing the start will ring out.
Diphelia… No, can Vargan change this flow after the first election is over? It’s not something that can simply be solved through brute force, so I can’t be sure.
While Liam was lost in thought, the other red-haired woman next to him spoke up.
“Liam. If others see you, they’ll think you’re running for election.”
“Hmm?”
“I mean, why are you being so serious? The Chancellor even said to enjoy it.”
With a playful tone, Emily spoke.
She had witnessed her childhood friend Liam not laugh for several months. It had been tough for Emily to watch him during that time.
She didn’t want to see Liam’s expression darken any further.
As if to demonstrate, she smiled brightly enough to show all her teeth.
“We don’t have to do anything for this election. We can just enjoy it purely.”
“…That’s true.”
Liam reflected on the current situation and smiled slightly.
Just as Emily was about to continue, happy to see him smile.
“⎯Is there really a need to watch this? It would be better to swing a sword instead.”
A rough voice interrupted, its tone grating.
Kaiman, with his arms crossed, spoke in a nonchalant manner.
As he forced an end to their conversation, Frieda, who had been eavesdropping nearby, raised her fox tail in disdain.
“Do you have no insight? If a voice like yours is heard here, it interrupts the flow.”
“Well, then why say you don’t need to watch something if you don’t? And your voice sounds like an orb to criticize someone like that.”
“Tch. Look who’s talking. This is why I can’t stand thugs. Why is someone like you sitting here?”
Frieda clicked her tongue in annoyance.
But Kaiman was unfazed, responding to Frieda’s reaction.
“You’re all sweet and compliant around the captain, but you turn into a completely different person when he’s not around?”
“I’m not a different person; I’m both of me. So what? That’s how I want to be.”
Frieda boldly revealed her duality, not hiding it, and Kaiman let out a snicker and nodded in agreement.
The world is filled with strange human types, and having seen them, he accepted that such a person could exist.
Then, hearing their conversation unexpectedly, Liam turned to Kaiman and asked.
“By the way, why do you think there’s no need to watch the match?”
“What? That’s a pretty obvious statement.”
Kaiman spoke as if reciting a truth.
“It’s obvious that the team the captain is on will win, so why would I bother watching? Unless it’s an actual sword fight.”
Kaiman had no doubt that Vargan’s team would achieve victory.
Having spent some time around Kaiman, Liam was not unaware of his tendencies, so it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand Kaiman’s attitude.
“…Victory.”
He quietly mulled over that word.
“Why do you say that? Are you doubting the captain’s ability after experiencing such heavy beatings?”
“……”
Liam, feeling a subtle ache from Kaiman’s blunt words, hesitated before finally answering.
“Is it really victory that Vargan desires…?”
“What kind of bizarre talk is that? Of course, I have to come in first, what else would I want?”
“Well… it might be so if this were the election…”
Liam let his words trail off.
Even though it’s part of the election, the competition unfolding now is to select a candidate.
Is it worth aiming for the finish line first when winning won’t significantly change the support ratings at the moment?
…It feels like there’s more to it.
“Ah, ahem. Let me make the announcement! Everyone~!”
A woman’s voice resonated.
At the same time, fireworks shot up, and a flock of doves created by magic flew into the sky, scattering glittering mana.
The world sparkled. They must have used a significant amount of mana just for this effect.
It’s a sight you wouldn’t see at an ordinary school.
And so, a remarkably grand first round of the election for the next Student Council President was about to begin.
*
The individuals waiting for their turn to enter.
Outside, Paula’s boisterous voice was amplified as she took charge of the event.
The trust in Academia seemed to drop significantly at the sight of such a host, but despite the worries, she was smoothly continuing her commentary.
Looking at my teammates in the same boat, I emphasized once more the plan I had previously mentioned, and Diphelia nodded with a slightly anxious expression.
“But, I really don’t know if that’s okay…”
“Saint, get a grip. This is neither a foul nor a dirty trick. If you can’t even handle this much, it’s just your fate to fall anyway.”
At my words, Erica nodded, albeit reluctantly, as if agreeing wasn’t the worst idea, while Alicia clenched her hands in front of her, showing her determination.
As I exchanged light conversations with Alicia and Erica, a woman with deep red hair walked towards us.
Her stride was confident.
“Nice to meet you. Diphelia.”
Clemens, the owner of the red wave filling the area outside, slightly bowed her body and reached out her hand to Diphelia.
Diphelia also greeted her formally, matching her courtesy and shook her hand.
Clemens then greeted Erica and Alicia before making her way to me.
She extended her hand.
“I would have liked to draw you to my side, but it seems we’ve ended up parting ways. Is your mind still unchanged? Even if you’re not in the election committee, I would like you to work with me in the future.”
Clemens subtly attempted to recruit me again.
I took her hand and replied, “I’m also someone who particularly dislikes working under someone else. And… it sounds as though you’re already presuming you’ve won the election. I’m beginning to wonder if I understood you correctly.”
Jokingly warning her that being too arrogant could lead to failure, Clemens smiled as if she expected such a response.
“I can’t say you’re entirely wrong.”
She didn’t seem upset or mocking at all. We shook the hands we held.
She continued, “Let’s have a match that won’t bring shame to our families.”
“I swear by the name of Schugenharz.”
“I swear by my father, Sylvester, and the Julio family name as well.”
With that, Clemens walked off with her election committee.
I moved my steps along with the others.
Then, as if they were waiting for the perfect moment.
The candidates and the entire electorate shouted to get out, and we also tried to go with the flow.
“Ah.”
Seeing the shimmering golden hair automatically brought a smile to my face.
The original protagonist, Prince Arterion, was making his entrance with the riffraff.
In a fleeting moment.
His calmly sharp gaze met mine, and I greeted him with a bright smile and words of encouragement.
“Prince. You should draw your sword before the match begins.”
After throwing out that line, I moved on immediately, so I didn’t catch his reaction, but I felt his gaze on me.
But I wasn’t going to give it any attention.
… I had definitely given Arterion a heads-up.
Normally, it would take longer to show off, but I had made sure it would go much smoother.
If a villain was being this kind, I believed the protagonist would handle things well on his own.
After all, he was definitely more useful than Liam.
I personally wheeled the Saint and stepped out with the group.
*
And now.
As everyone was working on the arena setup.
Arterion got onto a four-person open-type flying object with his electorate.
A mechanism where the energy from the left and right motors was being finely controlled at the center.
Of course, both motors were people, and the center also needed a person to man it.
Three days ago, he had managed to learn the operation methods and practice enough to get somewhat skilled, but it was still a clumsy stage.
Others were probably in the same boat, yet Arterion felt oddly self-conscious.
This was partly because of the natural demeanor of Diphelia’s electorate and Clemens’ electorate, who seemed perfectly prepared.
But it was also because Vargan had just given cryptic advice.
The suggestion to draw his sword early meant to prepare.
It was a hint to get ready to use the red aura.
“……”
I considered simply ignoring it.
But honestly, it was unsettling to just wait quietly.
Arterion tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt and began gathering mana.
To unleash his aura the very moment the match started.
Just in case.
Then, as everyone was about to finish their preparations.
The air became still, and the voices from the audience gradually dwindled.
I could hear the other candidates swallowing hard.
And when the faint crackling of static filled the air.
The announcer started counting down.
Feeling that sound vibrate, Arterion couldn’t help but glance at Vargan.
He was smiling widely.
Before I could voice my confusion about this, the countdown came to an end.
『Start⎯…』
Boom⎯⎯⎯!
Like sludge bursting from a clogged drain.
A massive root shot up directly from Diphelia’s position.
The excessively thick and long root, reminiscent of the World Tree, engulfed the arena in an instant.
It happened so quickly and grandly that several victims, buried and unable to start, were left behind.
The once pristine arena, where not a speck of dust could be found, had instantly turned into a chaotic forest like the Amazon.
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