Cradle Student Council Conference Room.
Today’s meeting was undoubtedly meant to be a casual introduction with the newly elected executive committee members.
However, the only thing present at the table where various officers sat was a murderous atmosphere.
“I’m sorry, but the representative for the first years has long been designated as Jin Yeseo.”
The girl with glasses and braided hair, Choi Ireh, growled while grimacing at the opposite side.
Her chin and neck were still firmly fixed with a cast and bandages.
“Right. It’s too late to change now… ugh.”
The Student Council executive member, Chun Harin, who was about to agree with Choi Ireh, gasped at something she saw.
Across the table, a pair of bright red eyes was glaring at Chun Harin.
The new Student Council member, Yeon Minha, was leaning back with an arrogant posture, her chin raised, demonstrating a fierce attitude.
In such a frozen atmosphere, the most prominent seat was occupied by a timid-looking male student wearing glasses.
He observed the arguing girls with a troubled face.
On his school uniform lapel, a small wing-shaped badge gleamed in gold. On the wide desk before him, the words “Student Council President” were emblazoned in large letters.
Although his background was mediocre and his magical talent slightly above the cradle average, he had managed to rise to the position of Student Council President purely through social skills. This was also why the current situation was even more perplexing for him.
It was a scene where ladies from prestigious families, who he wouldn’t dare to look up to outside of the Cradle, were sitting facing each other and engaging in fierce intimidation.
Seeing him up close was not a good thing for the heart, empty flattery or not.
He had originally intended to softly decline Yeon Minha’s membership in the Student Council to prevent conflict.
However, yesterday, after witnessing the commotion in the hallway through the slightly opened door of the Student Council Room, he had no choice but to change his mind.
The freshman of rumor, she had hidden her identity and enrolled in the Cradle, but now she was being cited as the next successor of the Heukryeon Family instead of the reckless eldest son.
He had clearly seen the masked male student personally attending to Yeon Minha.
The Jeokhwa Family, which was practically in decline, had Heukryeon backing them up; that made all the difference.
Moreover, subtle rumors began circulating due to others who had witnessed the scene yesterday.
Considering that background, outright refusing her entry into the Student Council could lead to undesirable consequences.
Thus, he had granted Yeon Minha’s entry into the Student Council by executive order…
Hah…
He let out an inward sigh.
His stomach churned as if bile was rising up.
It was clear that the antacid he took before the meeting was utterly useless.
“The designation…”
Yeon Minha repeated Choi Ireh’s words with a sneer.
She then turned her gaze toward the prominent seat, her sharp eyes gleaming.
A chill flowed through her voice, like frost.
“Chairperson, is there such a rule? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”
“Y-yes?”
At Yeon Minha’s sudden question, he stammered.
He was the Student Council President representing all of them, yet for some reason, he was speaking in respectful tones to everyone present.
“Umm… well, I’m not entirely sure… I think I need to check the regulations first before applying a separate interpretation…”
“Tsk.”
Yeon Minha didn’t seem pleased with his ambiguous answer, and she openly clicked her tongue, frowning fiercely.
Her gaze turned back to Choi Ireh, who was sitting across from her.
“Designation? Yeah, it sounds good.”
She then let out a mock laugh as if this was all a joke.
“But if it’s a designation, isn’t it supposed to go to Heukryeon instead of Baekgwang? Based on skill or status.”
“…He didn’t even enroll under his true identity. Formally, he’s just a recommended student…”
“Choi Ireh, I’m getting really annoyed here. Stop the wordplay and let’s wrap this up. You should be busy too. I heard you go to the hospital every day?”
“Yeon Minha, you…!”
“Girls! Please calm down…”
Just as Choi Ireh was about to snap at Yeon Minha’s provocation, the man with the Chairperson badge flailed his arms down to separate them.
“After all, this is an official meeting of the Student Council… perhaps we could set aside personal grudges for some constructive discussion on the progress of Cradle…”
He desperately sought a way to quickly wrap up the uncomfortable situation.
Soon, he turned his gaze toward the seat next to Choi Ireh.
There was a girl with long black hair sitting quietly, her demeanor gentle.
A prodigy birthed by Paecheon. She was Haewolhwa, the most likely next generation powerhouse.
No matter what modifier one uses, it would not be strange for this girl, Baek Seoyeon.
Baek Seoyeon was also recently elected as a new executive member of the Student Council, but for some reason, she hadn’t uttered a single word during the entire meeting except for her greeting.
Though it felt slightly suspicious, there was a more pressing issue to resolve first.
He hurriedly strained his voice to draw Baek Seoyeon’s input.
“So… what does Lady Baek Seoyeon think?”
“Me? Um… are you speaking to me…?”
Baek Seoyeon, hearing her name called, replied weakly.
“…”
After a slight pause, Baek Seoyeon delivered an unexpected response.
“…Well, I think it might be okay for Heukryeon to join.”
“Excuse me?”
“Seoyeon?”
At that, Choi Ireh and Chun Harin, sitting beside Seoyeon, turned to her in surprise.
“…Baek Seoyeon, what do you mean…?”
Yeon Minha glared at Baek Seoyeon, utterly unable to comprehend.
Yet, all she could see were the eerily emotionless, vacant eyes.
A strange discomfort washed over Yeon Minha.
The usually cheerful Baek Seoyeon, whose underlying thoughts were impossible to read, currently revealed deep and sticky hostility on her face.
Even as she was a bit puzzled about this oddity, Yeon Minha did not back away from that gaze.
With reason, she fully understood her father’s crimes.
The cold demeanor he had toward her still remained as a vivid scar.
Yet, the image of Baek Seoyeon, who had ruthlessly killed her father right before her eyes after leaving the land of Jeokhwa in ruins, still lingered.
If there was a grudge, it was she who had the right to speak.
“Ah, ahaha! Of course, the process must be fair! That’s what you’re saying, right? Truly the elegance befitting Lady Paecheon…!”
The Student Council president, who had been sweating bullets trying to decipher hidden meanings for quite some time, exploded into exaggerated laughter.
“Then, how about we do this? This is Cradle. If there’s an issue, it should be solved in the way Cradle does, right?”
“The way to solve it…”
Nodding at Choi Ireh’s question, the Student Council president continued.
“Well, it should obviously be a duel.”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Chairperson? There’s no one above first years in sight.”
Yeon Minha shot him a cold glare.
It was a look as sharp as a dagger, as if aiming to kill.
“Hahaha… Lady Yeon Minha, there are procedures for every matter…”
The Student Council president desperately tried to navigate the awkward situation.
In any case, he could not openly favor one side.
If he could manage to leave the situation neutral with that hostile gaze directed at him, it would be as if he got off lightly.
“…Hah.”
Though she displayed her dissatisfaction overtly, Yeon Minha did not present further arguments.
If detached from personal grudges, the Student Council President’s suggestion seemed more like the right course of action.
It was an unprecedented case where a member of the five families joined mid-semester.
If Jin Yeseo’s designation was forced, then the opposite should naturally also hold true.
Choi Ireh and Chun Harin on the opposite side were also displaying signs of contemplation.
With the Student Council President and Yeon Minha acting in such a manner, sticking to stubbornness would lead the situation to spiral into chaos.
“…”
As both sides subtly conveyed silent agreement, the Student Council president finally retrieved a relieved expression and broke into a friendly smile.
“Ha! Truly a wise decision from the offspring of noble families. Shall we conclude this matter here? The detailed schedule for the duel will be discussed later…”
Eager to escape the uncomfortable situation, the president hurriedly wrapped up the meeting, gathering his documents as he scurried out of the conference room.
Yeon Minha, having also finished her agenda, left without looking back.
The other students began to say their goodbyes and leave one by one, but the girl with black hair remained seated where she was.
In the empty conference room, she muttered while staring at the spot where someone had just been sitting.
“Yeon Minha…”
*
“So, in conclusion, we can say that all particle arrangements operate based on the logical structure just mentioned. Let me summarize the equations again… oh my, it’s already time?”
As the bell rang through the amplifier, the elegant-looking female professor lifted her head.
“Then, that’s all for today’s lecture… Is there anyone with questions?”
Before her words even finished, someone sitting in the front row raised their hand dramatically and stood up.
“Professor! The Naksungil Festival is coming up, is that a holiday?”
“You little rascal… I asked for questions about the class…!”
The professor wore a seemingly strict expression but quickly sighed and answered the student’s question with a kind voice.
“Our Cradle does not have a Naksungil Festival. Naturally, there will be regular classes on that day.”
“Oh, Professor…!”
“That’s unfair…!”
“Enough! Students need to focus on their studies!”
With complaints erupting from all directions, the professor finally glared and screamed.
“Bring up the Naksungil Festival again, and you’ll all get demerits!”
*
“What is the Naksungil Festival, anyway?”
After the PA Structure Theory class ended, I asked Yena, who was walking beside me.
We were moving to the next classroom, and it had been a while since we could chat leisurely.
Ever since returning from Jeokhwa, I had been busy with chores and bothered by people…
“It’s literally a celebration commemorating the Naksungil.”
“Why commemorate such a thing? Didn’t we study in history how there was chaos due to the Naksungil? The ten days of burning were all aftereffects of the Naksungil, and our ancestors perished because of that war…”
“Well… when the particles from the meteorite dispersed, the history of magic began, right? They’re celebrating that or something…”
Yena paused, exhaling a deep sigh.
“In the capital, there are parades and all sorts of performances… but it’s on a weekday, so I can’t even go… such a shame, right?”
A genuine sense of disappointment was evident on Yena’s face.
“Um… Hyuna… but you know…”
“What?”
“Do you perhaps… like… candy… ugh.”
Yena, who had been hesitating, suddenly went pale as she gazed ahead.
Curious, I turned my head, and there stood Yeon Minha, a familiar and friendly girl, wearing a displeased expression as she looked our way.
More specifically, she was staring straight at me.
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