Chapter 171: Smooth Sailing (2)
Opening the door to the student council room greeted me with a sight I hadn’t seen in a while: the student council officers gathered around, deep in a meeting.
It wasn’t the first time I’d interrupted them, but every time I did, I felt a pang of guilt. It felt like I was barging in during their busiest moments. Plus, having the gaze of seven sets of eyes fixed on me at once was enough to make anyone flinch for no good reason.
“Executive Manager.”
Recognizing me as the uninvited guest, the President quickly plastered on a smile and rose from his seat.
“I’m sorry for making our esteemed guest witness such a sight.”
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for interrupting.”
Seeing the President take the blame made me feel even more awkward. Clearly, this mess was on me. Saying otherwise felt almost like pouring salt on an open wound.
However, the sincerity on the President’s face was a little frightening. I half expected him to apologize even if I slapped him, saying, “Oh dear, my cheek happened to be in the way.”
“It’s our fault for gathering here knowing the Executive Manager was coming.”
“That’s right. We were shortsighted.”
The other officers quickly stood up one by one, echoing the President’s sentiments.
‘These guys…’
I nearly chortled at their synchronized display, almost letting out an “Hehe!”
Ever since they received their recommendation letters, they’ve been like this. They used to look at me with fear, but after I handed out those letters, they morphed into my little followers. I mean, I helped shape their futures, so I guess I can understand their gratitude.
‘If it were me, I’d be the same way.’
Imagine a professor who doesn’t kidnap fresh graduates for grad school but helps them land actual jobs. Anyone would probably be moved to tears with gratitude.
‘Sorry, folks.’
Seeing their genuine joy sparked a tiny wave of guilt within me. I wondered how long it would take for them to start resenting me.
Right now, I might look like a hero for securing them jobs without exams. But once they’ve rolled around in civil service long enough, I’d probably seem more like a demon.
However, that guilt didn’t linger. These folks would’ve become civil servants whether or not I was involved; I just made it a little easier for them.
‘They definitely gained something.’
Moreover, the empire repays its civil servants with wealth and honor proportional to their hardships. It wasn’t completely one-sided exploitation, right?
The only problem was that there’s hardly any time to enjoy that wealth and honor. Seriously, my wealth keeps piling up, and yet I don’t have any expenses!
“Anyway, everyone, take your seats! You must have been busy with the meeting, so let’s keep working.”
Trying to suppress my bitterness, I waved my hand, and they finally sat down one by one. Look at them being so obedient!
Feeling an unexplainable satisfaction, I scanned the officers and locked eyes with Marghetta. She smiled and gave a little wave, and I couldn’t resist smiling back.
Marghetta used to hold back in front of others, but now she doesn’t seem to care who’s watching. It’s as if she’s saying, ‘I’m doing my job, so what’s the problem?’
‘How impressive.’
There’s something admirable about her confidence. I, on the other hand, always hesitated and fumbled around.
“The meeting was actually just wrapping up,” the President smoothly interjected.
Bullshit. It was obvious that the meeting was far from over.
“We’ll be leaving now.”
But before I could voice anything, the President led the other officers out.
‘What? You too?’
This is your office, after all! What’s a student council room without its president?
As I watched them leave in a huddle, the last boy to exit bowed politely before closing the door behind him.
Who was he again? The Disciplinary Officer?
“The Disciplinary Officer has been very thankful to you lately.”
Marghetta’s casual hint made me nod. Yep, it was definitely the Disciplinary Officer. Good to know my memory is still holding up!
But why was he thankful to me?
“Is that so? Well, I did distribute recommendation letters to everyone.”
If my rewards were exclusive to him, sure, that’d make sense for him to be grateful. I handed them out to everyone. There must be some other reason he’s singled out.
However, nothing specific popped into my mind. I wasn’t exactly best buddies with any of the officers.
“Olivia joined the student council, remember?”
That rang a bell. The Disciplinary Officer did go above and beyond trying to recruit Olivia into the committee.
Of course, Olivia was like a package deal with Amelia—one couldn’t join without the other—so he ended up failing. It wasn’t until I swooped in and shoved both of them into the student council that his dream came true.
‘Ah, he’s a collector, isn’t he?’
He strikes me as the type who can’t rest until he gets his hands on every talent.
I never expected to find anyone like that in the academy. Once he scores a suitable high position, he’ll probably make a huge impact on the department.
“Judging by his gratitude, they must be getting along well.”
“Of course! They’re getting along wonderfully.”
Taking this as a chance to check on the well-being of the poverty-stricken sisters, I received a positive response—thankfully!
Great! I’m relieved to hear they’re doing well. Watching them gnawing on raw turnips was a real shocker.
“Uh, Carl?”
“Yes?”
Marghetta’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I saw her looking at me intensely.
“No one’s around right now.”
It took me a moment to process what she meant.
“Good morning then, Mar.”
“Good morning, Carl.”
As soon as I understood, I hugged her. That should make up for the momentary lapse!
Seeing Marghetta greet the day with a cheerful smile was a delightful start—today should be enjoyable, right?
*
But looking at it now, it sure doesn’t seem like today was meant to be particularly pleasant.
—What’s with that look on your face, Executive Manager?
“It’s nothing. Just a bad memory popped up.”
I briefly thought about ignoring the message from the Information Department’s Executive Manager that buzzed through the communication crystal. Normally, if he contacted me first, it meant trouble was brewing.
This is weird. I thought I definitely had the ‘buff’ of Marghetta’s smile today… or maybe that has no bearing? Trouble always seems to find me no matter what.
Regardless of my confusion, the Information Department’s Executive Manager continued calmly.
—The Five Pillars have stabilized the situation. The downfall of the Dove faction won’t happen again.
“That’s good to hear.”
At least that’s some reassuring news.
No matter how the Hawk faction spectacularly self-destructed after kicking out the Doves, the Dove faction had already hit rock bottom. There’s always a risk they might turn against each other over issues of accountability or a new faction rising to take their place.
However, against all odds, the Five Pillars managed to weather the storm and come back. And since they’ve taken a hit once, they’re likely to be more cautious moving forward.
‘The Five Pillars are definitely finished.’
With the attempted royal assassination already exposed, the odds of the Five Pillars trying to undermine the academy seemed practically zero. But there was that slight chance, and I thought that concern could be put to rest.
—Instead, there’s trouble stirring elsewhere.
The Information Department’s Executive Manager sighed deeply, as if exasperated. Just as one issue resolves itself, another one flares up. Doesn’t that just bring joy?
Of course, I share his sentiments. This is just downright ridiculous.
“Which side is acting up now?”
—The Red Wave.
‘Just fantastic.’
That was the last response I wanted to hear. Among the five organizations, only the 5th Empire and the Red Wave were left standing. Maybe it was because they were the last ones left, but their lunacy certainly seemed to reach new heights.
And if you were to ask who among them was crazier, ninety-nine out of a hundred would undoubtedly choose the latter. The Red Wave or whatever they call themselves—just a bunch of rabid revolutionists.
“Did they dream up another madness? They’ve been quiet for a while.”
—Exactly.
We sighed in synchronization. Even the 5th Empire seemed reasonable when stacked against the Red Wave’s pure insanity.
Originally, the 5th Empire was simply a bunch of wannabes wanting to inherit the Kefellofen Empire, advocating for Armein to become a new empire. They just worked within the realm of ‘heaven’s mandate’ and ‘the sole empire’ as dictated by the continent’s order. Their arguments were ludicrous yet simply stirred up trouble.
In contrast, the Red Wave had zero respect for order. They deny the class system spread across the continent and aspire to soak the land with the ‘blue blood’ of monarchs and nobility. Even the 5th Empire would likely be outraged at being associated with the Red Wave.
—Like you know, the Red Wave operates through cell organizations, making it a hassle to wipe them out. Catching one cell doesn’t mean you’ve got the whole thing!
Although it’s relative comfort to hear that they’re catching snippets of these cells.
“Do we have any concrete objectives of theirs?”
—We have some hunches. Apparently, one of the branches received orders right before it got shut down. Lucky us.
The timing was indeed fortuitous. If they’d been just a tad later, those orders might have been torched. And had they been a split second quicker, that branch would have been crushed before they even knew it.
—“Create a blue lake,” that seems to be their purpose.
“A blue lake?”
—They’re likely going for the imperial palace, the administration, or even the academy. Just a bunch of uneducated fools attempting metaphors.
I couldn’t help but agree with the Information Department’s Executive Manager’s disdainful comment. That metaphor was sloppy and about as subtle as a brick. Seriously, why bother with encryption if it’s going to be that blatant?
‘Typical Red Wave.’
Their delusion entails killing nobles to create a lake of blue blood while they go by the name ‘Red Wave.’ They sure avoid comparing nobility to the sea with that branding.
Anyway, if they’re talking about a ‘lake,’ that implies a fair number of nobles need to bite the dust. Those places—the imperial palace, the empire’s administration, or the academy—are where that could happen.
And the highest probability lies with the academy, ugh.
—I was thinking of waiting for precise details, but since your location is a candidate too, I thought it’s best to inform you now.
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
After exchanging a handful of casual remarks, we ended the call.
Red Wave, the Red Wave…
The first semester brought the Third Honor. Right before the break, we had the Twilight Cult pop up, and now the Red Wave is getting active in the second semester.
‘Why does it feel like there’s one every season?’
Of course, the self-destructing Five Pillars don’t count. Still, the pattern is eerie.
It’s almost as if they’re being straightforward to avoid confusion—how considerate in a shattered sort of way!
‘Is this what smooth sailing feels like?’
At least there seem to be no hidden variables amidst the chaos.
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