"Ehh..."
I was floored by Volsea’s outrageous declaration.
Mariana and Alicia must have overheard, as they both froze with their coffee cups halfway to their lips.
"Um, excuse me, but I’ll have to decline."
I tried to slide the door shut, but he jammed his foot into the gap with a thud.
The Headmaster was actually terrifying.
"Why are you closing the door?"
"Well... is this appointment already set in stone?"
"It is."
A merciless confirmation.
Down with authority! I’ll resist this to the bitter end. This is our sanctuary, and we’ll protect it ourselves. As if I’d let them pave over our territory for a golf course or something.
"The decision was made following a complete overhaul of the faculty for the second semester," Volsea continued.
Now that he mentioned it, I remembered that the lineup of teachers during the opening ceremony had changed quite a bit. The man who had served as my examiner during the entrance exams was nowhere to be seen. I see—so they’d actually canned him behind the scenes.
"Candidates were selected from those with the highest academic standing based on fair evaluation. The three of you were included in that pool, and the decision was finalized accordingly."
"I see."
"Compared to the rest of the student body, there is a massive disparity between your grades and theirs. Entrusting the Student Council to anyone else under these circumstances would be ill-advised."
According to Volsea, it seemed a significant portion of this year’s freshmen had completely abandoned their studies. Apparently, everyone had assumed the Student Council seats would be monopolized by the Sage's Disciple, Patricia, and her entourage of capture targets. The current academic slump was the byproduct of the other students feeling like there was no point in even trying to compete.
After the engagement annulment scandal, Alicia’s former sycophants had pivoted to forming new social connections, and the rest of the class had followed suit. Judging by Ekaterina’s sour mood, things weren't going particularly well, but the power balance among the students had shifted drastically.
The girls who had been forced to witness that "Reverse Harem Lunch Time" in the courtyard earlier that day had seemingly given up on their dignity and were now desperately seeking partners of their own. It sounded sophisticated when put that way, but in reality, they were just jealous and decided to hook up with any guy who was available.
Since royalty was leading the charge by consorting with commoners, the rest of the students felt they might as well sow their wild oats while they were still in school. "Playing with fire" was the latest trend.
There were even rumors of girls from the Special Class taking in lower-ranked boys from the General Class as "pets." It was beyond mere flirtation. Consequently, the overall grades of the first-year class had plummeted.
If the "main characters" were acting like that, I could understand how the surrounding students would end up pairing off out of sheer peer pressure, but the level of influence they wielded was honestly absurd. The threads of fate were so tangled up that there were knots of social drama everywhere I looked.
"Good grief..."
So this was what was happening on the flip side of the Harem Route. I didn't get it at all. Wait, does that mean everyone... "graduated" from their childhood over the summer break?
Maybe it's time to just dismantle this school.
"You three are meant to be the role models. The entire faculty agrees on this. During the Sage Festival, students from foreign academies will visit to demonstrate their prowess. A display of weakness would jeopardize the nation’s prestige."
Volsea leaned in close and whispered to me.
"Besides, this isn't exactly a bad deal for you, is it?"
"Hmm."
To be honest, I didn't really care. Building a reputation in the academy or managing the student body wouldn't change the current reality of the Brave Territory. These were issues involving the students' parents, after all.
However, looking toward the future, there was no harm in taking the position. It was a long way off, but once Alicia and I had children, the foundations I laid now might eventually bear fruit for them.
"Regardless, the decision was based on merit. Just accept it quietly. It makes things easier for me if I can speak to you directly."
"Fine, I suppose."
"Once the appointment ceremony is finished next week, the freshman class will be under the supervision of the first-year Student Council. Make good use of your authority."
"Headmaster, you realize I might use that power to do something completely unhinged, right?"
I wouldn't mind forcing every student into a dungeon for a month with nothing but bread and water. Emptying the head is the best way to reset a rotten personality. And then, I’d ban romance. I’d allow engagements as long as people were discreet, but I’d purge every trace of "youthful romance" from the academy grounds.
Fellow men, I won't let a single one of you get a head start.
"As long as you remain within the bounds of a student, I do not care. It is the mission of the Student Council to ensure students apply themselves to their studies, foster social interaction, and lead a fulfilling academy life. First, the three of you must set the standard."
Having said his piece, Volsea bid us farewell and prepared to leave. Just as he reached the door, Mariana stood up.
"Ah, Headmaster! I’ve been wondering, what exactly does Laguna-san’s grade report mean?"
"True. If the appointments were based on academic excellence, I’m curious where Laguna actually ranked," Alicia added, agreeing with Mariana.
The old man turned back and snorted with a smirk.
"It is exactly as you suspect—"
With that, he floated into the air and "swam" through the sky back toward the academy. Was he trying to look cool?
"I wonder what he meant by that...?"
"Well, since he’s technically operating far beyond the level of a normal student, maybe it just means 'unmeasurable'?" Alicia suggested.
Unmeasurable, huh? That made sense. The red mark probably carried that kind of nuance.
After that, academy life proceeded without much incident until the day of the Student Council appointment ceremony.
The class exhibits for the Sage Festival hadn't been decided yet, as the discussions were supposed to take place only after the Student Council officers were officially named. The atmosphere in class was restless. It felt like the distance between the boys and girls had shrunk considerably since summer.
The people of this kingdom certainly loved their "summer flings." I bet everyone was enjoying their youth in ways I couldn't even imagine.
Well, I also spent the summer with two girls. We killed a colony of ants in a dungeon, summoned a demon, and even met a dragon. Hmph. In terms of pure "youthful experience," we definitely came out on top.
"Heh."
As I smirked to myself, I noticed someone beside me smiling quite broadly as well.
It was Edward.
The entire freshman class had been gathered in the hall for the ceremony, and Edward was indeed among the members being appointed. The guy was high-spec to begin with, ranking at the top in both academics and magic. Even if he was bald and his succession rank had tanked, now that Patricia was gone and he’d settled into being a quiet, diligent honor student, there was no reason not to nominate him.
In fact, maintaining high grades despite his fall from grace was likely his way of atoning for his past mistakes.
If I thought he was going to say something to me, I was wrong. He just kept stealing glances at me and smirking, which was honestly revolting.
"Edward Gran Etherdam. Alicia Gran Oldwood. Clive von Gungbolg. Laguna Ver Brave. Treisa Val Lindblum. Mariana Ocean."
Volsea called the names in a deep, resonant voice, and we stepped forward in unison.
The student body looked like they had plenty to say upon seeing me, Alicia, Mariana, and Edward standing there, but Volsea silenced them all with a single glare. In a tone that suggested he had no patience for the lazy students whose grades had slipped, Volsea continued.
"These six will serve as the representatives of the first-year class on the Student Council. All events for the second semester will be conducted under their leadership. If anyone has an objection, raise your hand now."
Volsea was clearly baiting the students. Anyone who dared to raise their hand in this atmosphere would have to be a hero. If no one spoke up, the students would lose their right to complain about any future decisions unless there was actual misconduct.
Nice.
"—I object!"
A voice rang out.
As the entire student body watched, a single male student stood up and pushed his glasses up his nose. Do glasses characters feel physically ill if they don't do that move?
"Very well. State your grievance, Castor von Pentagram."
The man with hair the color of summer leaves was Castor von Pentagram, the son of the Marquess Pentagram, the nation’s Prime Minister. He was one of the capture targets and, in the original game, the man who was supposed to have Student Council events with the heroine.
"I am the son of the Prime Minister, and I ranked at the very top of the written entrance exams. Why am I not on the Student Council?" Castor demanded. "The House of Pentagram has served on the Student Council for generations!"
"The reason is simple," Volsea replied ruthlessly. "Your current grades are inferior to these six."
"What—!?"
Blasted by Volsea’s bluntness, Castor began to flounder.
"Wait, were Castor’s grades really that bad?"
"It’s a fact that he let his grades slip because he was so preoccupied with Patricia," Clive whispered to Edward beside me. "His Highness and I stayed in the top ten regardless. It was just a lack of effort on his part."
I remembered now—Castor wasn't naturally gifted at magic and knew it. He was written as a character who studied twice as hard as everyone else to keep up with the high-spec geniuses around him. Usually, he was the intellectual support character who would sigh and say, "Good grief, cleaning up after you all is such a chore," which was apparently a big hit with the players who liked the "gap moe" and the glasses aesthetic.
"Regardless of the circumstances, securing a seat on the Student Council this year required considerable effort, even for us," Edward remarked. "If he neglected that, he has no one to blame but himself."
"True. Though I didn't expect Treisa to make the cut," Clive added.
"She’s the daughter of a Count and your fiancée, Clive. Don't be so cold; you should celebrate making the Council together."
"I’m not being cold. I just didn't realize she was working that hard while I was away."
Treisa Val Lindblum, one of the names called, was indeed Clive’s fiancée. In Clive’s route, she would have been an antagonist, but in this timeline, her rival had been Patricia. Since Patricia had vanished from the academy, Treisa was just a normal, hardworking noblewoman.
Patricia seemed to think she had the boys wrapped around her finger, but it seemed she hadn't progressed Clive’s flags very far. Clive was a simple, straightforward man; once he made a choice, he’d stick to it, even if it meant begging for forgiveness to abandon his post for the heroine. Advancing his flags carelessly would have probably messed up Patricia’s other plans.
"—But why is a mere third son from the frontier on the Student Council!?"
Since I was being called out in a loud voice, I stopped listening to Edward and Clive and looked forward.
"His grades shouldn't even meet the minimum criteria!" Castor shouted.
"Ho? And how exactly would you know that? Grade reports are private notifications," Volsea countered.
Exactly. Get him, Headmaster. Tear his argument to shreds.
"I—I happened to see it! It was an accident! Pure coincidence!"
"You’re making a spectacle of yourself, Castor von Pentagram."
"Ugh..."
"The Student Council is selected from the top-tier candidates. You will have another chance next year. If you can recover the grades you’ve lost and maintain proper conduct, I am sure you will be chosen then."
The term was only for a year, so there was still hope. But even as Volsea tried to move on, Castor clung to his protest with desperate tenacity.
"Another exam! I demand a re-evaluation and a new exam!"
"Why should I force the entire student body to sit for an exam just for your individual sake?"
Volsea’s logic was sound, and his dismissal triggered a wave of booing from the rest of the students. From the perspective of teenagers who just wanted to enjoy their semester, Castor was being a total buzzkill.
"N-Next year isn't good enough... My family has held a seat for three generations! If I am the only one who fails to make it..."
Realizing that his path to the Student Council was blocked, Castor began to tremble, muttering to himself until he finally screamed at the top of his lungs.
"—A duel! Laguna Ver Brave, I challenge you to a duel for your seat on the Student Council!"