Chapter 200

“I want to withdraw.” Just in case, I tried to withdraw my candidacy that Emeric had applied for without permission. “That’s not possible.” Professor Gomon’s response was firm. “Why not?” “Well, because there’s no rule that allows cancellations.” Professor Gomon looked at me with wide eyes, as if he was seeing something trivial. His unapologetic attitude made my voice slightly turn sharp. “It’s not like there’s a rule that says cancellations are impossible, what kind of nonsense is that…” In cases like this, it could be easily resolved at the professor’s discretion. But the fact that he brought this up meant he had no intention of doing so. Professor Gomon, thinking I hadn’t caught on, babbled on. “Well, there have been cases where someone put in another person’s name as a joke, but there’s no way they’d win, right? It’ll probably just fizzle out, so it’s fine to leave it as is.” Professor Gomon laughed heartily. I laughed along. That really is just a joke. I’m not one to boast, but once I became a candidate, it was obvious that the lunatics here would give me their wholehearted support. “Why not just be honest?” Professor Gomon avoided my gaze as he responded. “…It’s not just me, it’s the opinion of all the professors.” “What?” “Well, it could be anyone from the student council, but you know, considering what happened, it’s better if you’re the one sitting in the president’s seat.” In other words, they were more comfortable with me in the position than the ones who tried to overthrow the faculty. “For such a reason?” “Well, it’s not just that. Honestly, if I were to judge coldly, I think you’d do a great job as president.” Professor Gomon nodded seriously. “But why the negative reaction? Being president is a good thing. There are plenty of benefits.” That’s true. I could manipulate the club’s budget as I pleased, and it’s a perfect position for embezzlement. Moreover, if there was a student I didn’t like, I could use the school rules to impose personal punishment. Such special powers were guaranteed, but there was a reason I didn’t want them. It wasn’t just because everything had already been disrupted, and there were variables to consider… “I don’t need those benefits.” The upcoming Academy Unified Tournament. It was a large event involving all students, but the most anticipated title was the team battles held at the end with only the elite participants. “If I sit in the president’s seat, I’d have to represent the school, right?” The student council president was forced to participate as the commander of the representative team, regardless of their strength. The elite battle, being a team competition, involved not just assessing the opponent’s strength, but also psychological warfare in deciding the roster based on their strengths and weaknesses. Securing the president’s seat would prove my intellect and leadership, making it expected that I would participate as the leader of the Academy Unified Tournament. “Right. I believe you’ll do well at that too.” Professor Gomon’s overwhelming positivity made me frown. “Sometimes you seem to forget, but I’m from the Magic Department, not the Knight Department.” The Knight Department can’t use magic, and the Magic Department can’t use aura, which is a basic rule. While I’m overwhelmed against the main characters in either department, the expectation from them is that I’m a knight. That expectation, however, isn’t possible for me, and I couldn’t understand Professor Gomon’s mindset at all. As I stared at him in confusion, Professor Gomon chuckled. “Yeah, I know your magic abilities. To be honest, I’m not expecting much.” “…It’s unpleasant to hear it so directly.” “Well, it’s a team battle, right? If someone else wins, that’s fine too.” For a moment, the key figures from Frost Heart flashed through my mind. They had shown a different pace of growth recently. Thanks to the early spirit battle, they had already gained future experience. Moreover, there were also Mircel and Erucel, who were originally absent. There’s a bit of hope, but really just a bit. Frost Heart’s chances were already slim. Their position was one of growth, fueled by losses in the academy tournament. The characters in other academies are just as important, and their abilities were extraordinary, with Valient Academy being the most prominent among them. They were a group of geniuses who had reached the top ranks of playable characters in the shortest time, starting from the Academy. And at the center of it all was the key figure, Asares, who would later share the #1 spot with Dorosian. “Professor, you know ‘Asares’ is in there, right?” “Yeah, it’s impossible to beat that monster. But if it’s the others…” I clicked my tongue at Professor Gomon’s delusional thoughts. “Isn’t it true that each of the people who joined Valient was someone we failed to recruit for Frost Heart? Ever Blaze, Scarlett, and I believe they were also wanted by Wisdom.” Ever Blaze and Scarlett were fairly standard academies, but they were above the level of Frost Heart. Among them, Wisdom, which was backed by the Mage Tower, could at least compete with Valient. “Of course, Ricks, Bellman, and Leana, I don’t think they’re inferior to those guys. But Valient and Wisdom are on a different level.” I didn’t even need to explain why. Frost Heart was a place for pioneers in the field of demonic realm and pathfinders, while other academies focused on warrior training for personal combat. Their majors were different, and hoping for good results in the integrated tournament where people fight each other was nothing more than a thief’s mentality. “But you never know, right? You could at least give it a try.” Even though Professor Gomon was desperately pleading, I turned my back. “The bigger the expectation, the greater the fall.” It wasn’t that I had some personal story behind this statement. The truth was, reaching 3rd place was still possible, and even that would be considered a good result, but I knew they would never be satisfied. For Silla, there was a younger sibling who had proved worthy of the next heir by defeating her in Valient. For Limberton, there was a proud younger sibling to whom he wanted to prove his growth. For Bellman, there was a worthless older brother who fueled his inferiority complex. For Leana, there was her father to whom she wanted to prove that her beliefs weren’t wrong through results. The same went for Aslay. He, too, had a reason for joining Frost Heart, and he had to show some kind of achievement. And then there was Mircel. He would probably be the most disappointed of all. The strongest player in Valient, Asares. If the fate of the match prevented them from facing each other, it would be a huge disappointment, and even if they did fight, he would be crushed by the massive wall in front of him, leading to a period of disillusionment. If he felt that way, then if I were to take the president’s seat, he would surely think, “Hersel will somehow manage this time, too,” and have even bigger expectations, which I didn’t want to deal with. That’s why I was determined to refuse the president’s seat. I didn’t want to make their shoulders slump even more as they left at the closing ceremony. So, let’s begin. The voluntary resignation plan. *** Politicians are known for making ridiculous promises. However, voters aren’t completely stupid—they’ll speak up if the promises are too absurd. I walked aimlessly to gather material for potential promises and managed to find something useful. “Everyone, gather around! There’s a survivor here!” The professor rushed to gather people. One student asked what was going on, and the professor responded with a faint smile. “It seems like the prisoners in the punishment division have barely managed to survive by rationing their food.” In Frost Heart, where expulsion didn’t exist, students who committed crimes were locked up in prison. Ah, I remembered Rendal, who had tried to kill Klaver, and Biddon, who had fallen off the wall. With all the chaos, I had completely forgotten about them. Since the academy had fallen apart, both students and professors must have been in a similar situation. “I just remembered and decided to look through things. Isn’t it fortunate? Maybe because the underground prison was near the dungeon, they managed to survive.” The professor laughed, and a student raised their hand to ask a question. “But, Professor, what will happen to them?” “What else? We’ll build another prison and lock them up again.” The students nodded in unison. “That’s right. They’ve committed crimes, so they should face the consequences.” “Phew, that’s a relief. I was getting worried.” I opened my notebook, ready to get to work. The content was a proposal for their early release. It was a speech emphasizing the priority of criminals’ human rights. ‘Hersel, prioritizing the human rights of criminals? What kind of nonsense is this?’ ‘And that’s not all. I’m going to draft a bill in their favor.’ ‘He’s really planning to do something crazy…’ I also filled the rest of the notebook with ridiculous promises to use as side dishes. “Next, I suppose I’ll work on the media.” Although newspapers hadn’t been invented yet, there were similar ways to spread information. At the academy, there was a club similar to a newspaper club responsible for writing up notices and announcements on the walls. Of course, if I went there directly and started talking, it might be misinterpreted as a confession, so I secretly sent a letter filled with malicious rumors about me. Now, all that was left was to find a candidate. If I was the only one running, no matter how much I buried my image underground, the result would be the same. The first choice was Bellman, but he rejected it outright. “It just sounds like you’re asking me to be a sidekick.” “Don’t give up, Bellman. You could sit in the student president’s seat.” “I’ll say it again, I refuse.” It seemed hopeless, so I looked for another person. I ran into Ricks along the way, but his fanatic, almost religious, gaze made me keep quiet and pass by. Then, I found my next candidate: Leana. “How about it? Want to take the student president’s seat?” She might seem a little absent-minded, but she had a sincere sense of justice. Besides, we didn’t have a bad relationship. Perhaps she was the best candidate for this. “Think carefully. What will happen if I take over the academy?” I deliberately put on a wicked smile, trying to make her imagine something terrible, but Leana suddenly looked away and said something strange. “I think you’d do well, Hersel.” “Huh?” “I’m saying this without any personal feelings, just based on my judgment.” For a moment, I was at a loss. I couldn’t understand what she was thinking, but it was only a momentary confusion. “So, you really do hate me.” Maybe she was getting smarter recently. She must have sensed that I wanted her to lose after I suddenly approached her with the question about the president’s seat. That’s probably why she gave me an answer I’d dislike. It seemed like I’d hit the mark, as Leana closed her mouth tightly. I left her behind and continued to search for another candidate. Eventually, I went to the hut of Ders, the former student president. He was a capable person, someone who had already held the position of president. If I asked him to push a member of the student council, it would be a huge help. “How have you been, senior?” I greeted him formally, but Ders suddenly screamed like a madman. “Eeek!” He stared at me like I was a monster, backing up against the wall. It seemed like he had gone mad after being impeached. There was no helping it. I had no choice but to directly select a candidate from the student council myself. It wasn’t an easy process, though. I tried contacting several people, but most of them rejected me. In the end, the only one I managed to persuade was a rather naive-looking former student council member, whom I was able to charm with sweet words. “Well, yeah. Even if I don’t win, it won’t be a loss.” When the second-year student nodded, I encouraged him further. “And if you win, you’ll gain all the benefits.” “But are you sure about this? You’re going to ruin your own reputation.” “How many times do I have to say it’s fine?” He narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, “Are you planning to stab me in the back?” Ah, now I had to explain myself again. “Think carefully again. Do you think I’m actually interested in the student president position? Not in the slightest.” “But it’s the student president position.” “You know my family is well off, right? The academy practically supports me, and all I’d get is a bunch of annoying work. I don’t want that.” This was already the fourth time I’d said this. If he asked again, I might have to punch him. “Well, do your best.” The second-year student waved his hand and left. And so, the campaign began. I also began to execute the plans I had prepared, walking toward the crowded training grounds with a shabby sign in hand. “Oh, look at Hersel.” “Maybe he’s finally going to announce his promises.” All eyes turned to me quickly. Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I spoke in a disinterested tone, reading the things I had written in my notebook. “If I become student president, I plan to reduce the club budgets. There’s just too much unnecessary spending.” The faces of the club representatives slowly darkened. I kept rambling on, indifferent. “Ah, but I’ll make sure the student council benefits are taken care of. I want to fill the completed student council office with expensive luxury items.” However, the reactions from the crowd were unusual. “That’s not too bad, is it?” “True, we got the budget slashed thanks to Hersel. He deserves some reward for his work.” “Yeah, it’ll be tough for clubs for a while, but with the academy in this situation, we can’t expect much more.” “Right? We have some decency. The representatives should figure it out themselves. After all, they have the ability to lead their members.” A negative atmosphere that wasn’t at all what I expected spread like an epidemic, and soon, I found myself framed in a way I hadn’t intended. “Honestly, it’s refreshing, though.” “Yeah, it’s transparent. At least it’s not like Ders, who acted all righteous but was secretly pocketing money.” As expected, a bunch of fools. Well then, let’s see if they’re willing to accept such ridiculous promises. “Here’s the core promise. The prisoners from the punishment division. I plan to grant them amnesty. I will ensure various forms of support to help them reintegrate into society, and even if they commit crimes again, I won’t impose harsher penalties.” They are human, they have rights, and some of them might be unjustly imprisoned… Before I could finish the prepared speech, the students’ reactions were full of disapproval. “Wh-what nonsense is this?” “Are you serious? We should prioritize those who’ve lived honestly!” “…This is a bit much, don’t you think?” But there was an unexpected twist. It was Emeric. “Everyone doesn’t get it.” I prayed silently for him to have a heart attack. “What? Emeric, what now?” “Heh heh. I know Hersel van Tenest very well. He likes to talk around in circles. You all saw it with the Ders incident, right?” As all eyes turned to him, I frantically shouted, “Shut up, Emeric!” …But no one heard me. “But didn’t Hersel himself say that he wouldn’t turn down helping those prisoners?” Emeric clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Tsk, think logically. What kind of sane country prioritizes the human rights of prisoners?” It seemed like he’d attended a speech academy or something, his ability to incite was even stronger than before. “Hersel ben Tenest said he would ensure support for the prisoners to reintegrate into society. He’s subtly implying there’s a price to be paid for amnesty.” “A price?” “Look around.” Emeric’s gaze was fixed on the barren Frost Heart grounds. “Soon, large-scale construction will begin. It will require a lot of manpower.” Did the students catch his meaning? I heard murmurs of realization: “Fo-forced labor…” “Isn’t that fine? No need to waste labor.” “Even if they die from overwork, it’s not that tragic, right?” Emeric’s voice grew louder. “It’s a perfect carrot and stick. It motivates the prisoners, and it’s economical. If they survive until the completion, the wages they should have been paid will be given to them as welfare in small amounts.” How could anyone interpret my words like that? I was genuinely curious about how Emeric’s mind worked. I pressed my hand to my aching head and sighed. “…This is insane.” It was a failure to lose support with ridiculous promises. But since I had already planted a wall full of malicious rumors, I decided to rely on them for now. But then, a large stream of insults came from the opposing candidate’s camp. “Did you put up this wallpost?” “If you’re going to compete, do it fairly. You dirty, petty scumbag!” It seemed like they thought the rumors I had reported were part of the media play orchestrated by the opposing camp. “What? Hersel killed someone while drunk and riding a horse?” That could very well be believable, right? “He has 60 hidden children?” If it was before possession, maybe that’s not entirely impossible. “That’s utter nonsense!” “Yeah, Hersel never paid attention to women. Everyone saw it at the academy, right? He treated women like they were invisible.” It was an incomprehensible phenomenon. How could they forget the infamous reputation of the biggest troublemaker? “Ders’s filthy lackeys are still running rampant.” “Take them down immediately!” The second-year student who was the opposing candidate had his clothes torn by the students’ hands. He looked at me with a sorrowful expression. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. From a distance, I could see Ders shaking his head in disappointment. And so, I was being forced into the student president position. To read Chapters ahead ???? CH 201-205 (Field Trip) $3 CH 206-210 (Troublemaker Vs Troublemaker) $3 CH 211-215 (Graduation) $3 CH 216-220 (Integrated Academy Tournament) $3 CH 221-225 (The Underdog) $3 CH 226-230 (Who am I?) $3 CH 231-235 (Frostheart Vs Wisdom) $3 Prev I TOC I Next Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like Loading...