At the most remote part of the Academy grounds.
As I walked along a faint, uncertain path that made me question whether it was even a proper road, I unexpectedly came face to face with a stone building that seemed to rise from the ground.
Considering its location, the building had a surprisingly sophisticated design. It was only a single story, but its height and scale made it feel much larger.
And this building was the Student Council Hall, where the Student Council conducted their activities.
There was another, smaller building closer to the center of the grounds, but it was usually empty and just an office space; this one was the main venue.
As Seria and I entered the building, people seated around a large round table greeted us as if they had been waiting for us.
Seeing two empty seats, it seemed like we were indeed expected.
“Welcome. We’ve left some seats open for you, so please sit down.”
The black-haired woman sitting in the center of the table smiled and gestured for us to join.
There was no way I could not recognize her. In this world, most black-haired individuals hail from the north, and there were very few black-haired people within the Academy.
Alkiné Debaran. The Duke’s Daughter from the north. And the current Student Council President of the Academy.
There was something overwhelmingly powerful in her gaze, the strongest force within the Academy at the moment.
Therefore, Seria paused for a moment, but perhaps because I had seen her too many times in the game, I felt nothing and just casually walked over to the empty seat to sit down.
Seria, noticing me sit, quickly filled the remaining space, and after Alkiné surveyed everyone around the table, she spoke up.
“Thank you all for gathering here. Especially Seria and Rudion, it couldn’t have been easy to come on such short notice, but you managed to find your way here.”
Her tone sounded oddly mature for her age, but the upper-class atmosphere she exuded erased any awkwardness from her speech.
However… I knew that stiff manner of speaking was all just a facade.
She was mimicking the demeanor of her respected father, but deep down, she was probably like her mother—a delicate and sensitive girl.
…Why is it that all the strongest characters in this world are different on the outside than they are on the inside?
Like Seria, who appears as a cold and aloof beauty but has the soul of a book club member behind the thick-rimmed glasses.
Or Lilith, who seems like a benevolent saint ready to embrace everyone but has a vehement and fiery personality.
Or Alkiné, who radiates the dignity of a ruler while secretly enjoying collecting cute stuffed toys by her bed…
In my opinion, anyone who designed these character settings must be a bit of a pervert.
“Rudion found the way quite well. It seemed everyone was waiting, so luckily we’re not late after all.”
“I initially thought you wouldn’t be able to find it, so I was planning to send the vice president soon… It seems you know the Academy’s geography surprisingly well?”
That was the truth. I could practically memorize every location from the game.
But I wondered if finding the somewhat hidden Student Council Hall right away was unusual enough to raise a few eyebrows.
“Well, it’s not like there’s absolutely no path, so it wasn’t impossible.”
Thankfully, she didn’t seem too concerned about it.
“Then… without wasting more time, let’s get to the main topic.”
Alkiné began explaining their activities.
It wasn’t particularly complicated, and to summarize, here’s the gist: There’s a rift opening in several locations across Rubetia, and surprisingly, one of them is on the Academy grounds.
Usually, such rifts are closely monitored and managed at a national level, but the Student Council was handling the one at the Academy.
Those two pieces of information were the core message.
Lastly, she highlighted how significant the Student Council’s role was and insisted that being called here should be a point of pride, as only truly talented individuals could step into this domain.
After spilling all that like a speech, Alkiné seemed to have gotten a bit thirsty and asked the vice president beside her for a glass of water.
“Yes, President! I’ll be right back!”
Wow, that’s definitely the vice president! Is it just me, or does their running speed remind me of my dashing cancel speed?
Anyway, Alkiné’s explanation pointed to a single conclusion.
She wanted to recruit me and Seria, who were evidently bursting with talent, into the Student Council.
“To be straightforward, I want both of you to join the Student Council.”
As expected, the first words out of her mouth after downing the water were this.
But it seemed like something was on her mind; she hesitated a moment before carefully continuing.
“To be honest, this year, I was only planning to recruit Seria… no, wait, I mean you. I thought I’d only bring you on due to your outstanding potential, despite your inexperience along with other new entrants. But….”
Alkiné’s gaze shifted towards me. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were looking at something quite enticing.
Knowing her possessive nature sent shivers down my spine.
“I never imagined I would have such a shock after the entrance exam. That’s why I decided to make an unprecedented additional recruitment. However… hmmm.”
She let out a soft hum before returning her gaze to me. I can’t produce anything from just a wink, President.
“I initially had only planned to recruit Seria and acquired everyone’s consent for that. So, suddenly saying I’d also recruit you, Rudion, has met with quite a bit of resistance. Thus… um…”
Having said that, Alkiné, looking more uncertain than before, hesitated again and struggled to continue.
“I know it’s a ridiculous request, but… could you show us just a bit of your skill?”
It was genuinely a big ask.
Not only was I a freshman (technically a faux-freshman) being called here, but they needed proof of my abilities because someone was skeptical of me.
Then again, she had been a person who devotedly watched the practical tests from start to finish, intent on scouting new talents.
She probably didn’t want to let me slip through her fingers, even if it meant making unreasonable requests.
But hey, it could feel a bit offensive depending on the person, but I didn’t mind.
In fact, it felt nice to know that they found me necessary in some way.
Thus, I pretended to contemplate and casually glanced around at the Student Council members seated at the table.
If anyone was going to argue about the President’s recruitment decision, it would be… them.
Cain, Golid, Grain. Out of the nine current members of the Student Council, these three were the ones who were always against increasing their numbers.
Of course, I knew the reasons. It was a bit complicated to explain… but simply put, Grain was the main cause.
Being aware of that, I didn’t hold any grudge against their resistance. They were not serious about actually trying to chase me away.
However, their needless fuss over the issue was just annoying.
Moreover, they had a striking resemblance to the trio from that anime where a child detective goes back in time—a skinny guy, a big dude, and a tiny girl—which made me want to glare at them even more.
Was that it? I felt the urge to openly poke at them.
Of course, if I did that, everyone would inevitably wonder how I found out about their opposition… but a real man doesn’t care about such things.
“Cain, Golid, Grain. We can have a quick match with these two… ah, but let’s exclude Grain since he specializes in scouting, and just challenge the first two.”
I spoke as if I knew everything, and upon glancing around, everyone looked shocked.
Especially the three I had directly mentioned froze in place, clearly uncomfortable.
Amidst all of this, the most surprised was Alkiné.
“Did I… ever mention who opposed it?”
“No, President! Saying that makes it sound like we opposed you!”
“Grain, as a senior, don’t show such a disgraceful appearance to a junior and behave.”
“Ugh… I… okay. But I don’t think it’s necessary for Cain or Golid to step in. I can handle it.”
Grain’s sudden declaration left Alkiné a bit flustered.
“Are you sure it’s okay? It may be better if just Cain or Golid….”
“No. I’m more than enough. No matter how specialized I am in scouting, do you expect me to lose to a new student… especially one who hasn’t even enrolled yet?”
With Grain’s insistence, Alkiné was momentarily speechless. It was an argument that, though logically valid, couldn’t be outright confirmed.
Yet, if she avoided answering, it would definitely damage Grain’s pride, so she had no choice but to offer a vague response.
“Well… that does sound a bit absurd in common sense.”
“Therefore, I’ll take up the challenge. I need to put that arrogant kid in their place.”
“Fine. Umm… just take care not to get hurt too much.”
Were those words meant for Grain, or were they aimed at me?
I felt like she glanced at me at the end… but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter. I had no way of hurting her in any case.
Similarly, she wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on me either, so Alkiné’s concern was really irrelevant no matter who she directed it to.
“There’s a clearing behind the building we use for warming up, so let’s head there.”
Following Alkiné’s lead, we moved to a fairly spacious clearing. Seria and all the Student Council members trailed behind.
Once we reached the center of the clearing, I made sure to keep a suitable distance from Grain and faced him.
Grain’s eyes burned with fierce intent, as if I were a target in his sights. It felt clear I wasn’t his favorite.
“All right, since this isn’t a serious duel, we’ll proceed without weapons. This is just a quick match to gauge our abilities, so keep it respectful.”
Alkiné’s voice signaled the duel would soon begin.
I wasn’t planning to take it easy, so I assumed a serious posture.
Grain, too, didn’t seem like he would completely underestimate me and took on a dedicated stance for the duel.
With Seria and Alkiné, who’d overseen my practical exam, alongside the other members of the Student Council—all watching us with different expressions…
“Then, let’s get started.”
With Alkiné’s declaration, the duel commenced.
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