"Alicia, Alicia."
"What is it?"
Mariana spoke up while they were working through paperwork and sipping coffee in the Student Council Room after school.
"There are second and third-year student councils too, right?"
"Yes, of course there are."
"I never have any chance to meet the upperclassmen, so I was starting to wonder if they actually existed."
At the Academy, the school buildings were completely separated, so there truly were no opportunities to encounter them. While the dormitories were technically shared, and after-school tea parties were the perfect chance to speak with upperclassmen, Mariana commuted from home and was never invited to such gatherings. She had absolutely no points of contact.
Several upperclassmen appeared in the game's story, but the reason everyone else was treated like a background character was entirely due to this strict separation of school buildings.
"I’ve simply told you not to come because you’d just faint," Alicia said.
"Fueh, was that the reason?"
Among the first-year Student Council, the only ones who could properly negotiate with the second and third-year members were Alicia, Treisa, and Clive. Mariana would faint, Edward was a theatrical idiot, and I was usually told to "stay" because my presence tended to cause trouble.
One might have thought half the members were utterly useless, but Mariana could handle any job that didn't involve meeting nobles, everyone somehow felt convinced whenever Edward pushed things forward with his brand of forceful charm, and I served as the symbol of terror.
Essentially, as long as we were physically present, things worked out.
"We’re changing things for the first-years quite rapidly; aren't you worried they'll get angry?" Mariana asked.
"Rather than changing things, we’re just fixing what was broken, so it's fine. Besides, look at our power balance. We have the Royal Family, a House of the Duke, a House of the Marquess, a House of the Margrave, and a House of the Count all represented here. No one is going to recklessly challenge us."
"Fuooh! Now I’m starting to wonder if it’s even okay for me to be here!"
"Of course it is. You were chosen because you earned it, weren't you?"
"Alicia~! Purrr~!"
"Now, now. Stop nuzzling and finish these papers quickly."
Mariana frolicked at the feet of the seated Alicia. Watching Mariana rejoice as her throat was scratched like a pet cat, I felt a slight twinge of envy in my heart.
Speaking of which, looking at peerage alone, I was actually quite high up in this Student Council. It was basically a decorative title, and I possessed no actual authority to give orders, but for the time being, I could technically pull rank and say, "Behold, for I am a Margrave." Not that I ever would.
"By the way, it seemed quite noisy at the student entrance this morning. Did something happen? Even in the classroom, everyone was looking at Ragna-san and whispering. It was a strange atmosphere."
"Ah, don't worry about it," Alicia replied.
"If you two aren't worried, then I don't need to be either."
With that, Mariana returned her gaze to the documents. Normally, a young maiden would be quite concerned about such things, but watching her from the side, I realized she had a rather unique personality herself. The video was a splatter film anyway, and to anyone who knew me, it was just a piece of my "black history," so there was no point in her seeing it.
"—Excuse me."
As we were efficiently organizing the documents for the Sage Festival, someone opened the door to the Student Council Room and stepped inside.
"What!"
Edward, who had been fulfilling his duty with the paperwork in total silence by order of the Empress, stood up as if his moment had finally arrived.
"If you are here to interfere, I must ask you to leave."
He intercepted the female student who had gracefully opened the door, allowing her only three paces into the room. In a blur of motion, he groomed her nails, adjusted her hair, draped a high-quality shawl—heaven knows where it came from—over her shoulders, and handed her a set of tea and sorted sweets. Then, he escorted her out as if leading her by the hand.
The entire process took approximately five seconds.
"Ah, yes..."
The female student, who had been treated with what seemed like the highest level of hospitality, turned back and walked away demurely with her face slightly flushed—a complete reversal from the momentum with which she had initially burst in.
"Now I can focus on my Student Council duties."
Seeing Edward sit back down as if nothing had happened and start glaring at the documents again, I was reminded of how absurd he was. What was royal education even like? It was bugged out in so many ways.
"What do you think you're doing on your own, Mr. Lowest in the Right of Succession?"
"Ha! Because I am the Lowest in the Right of Succession, please leave the menial tasks like handling guests to me! Furthermore, as a member of the Fresh Blood Student Council, I have provided the finest hospitality!"
Edward prostrated himself before Alicia, who was smiling with a blue vein throbbing on her forehead. Perhaps finding his behavior even more irritating, more veins twitched as her expression hardened. She radiated an intimidating presence like that of a battle-hardened general.
She looked strong. She was a strong woman. She was honestly my type.
"Where in the world is there an idiot who takes someone saying 'excuse me' so literally and kicks them out?"
Alicia's point was perfectly valid. However, since the masked baldy kneeling there was an idiot, if asked where such a person existed, there was nothing to say but "he's right there." It was a sad reality.
"Bring her back. It is the duty of the Student Council to listen to any opinion for the sake of the students, no matter what it is."
"Yes—hebu!"
Edward dejectedly headed toward the door, only to be sent flying as it swung open with a bang.
"What is the meaning of this! I came here to file a petition!"
Despite having left so elegantly moments ago, the female student kicked the door open and approached with stomping strides. She was in a towering rage, but Alicia calmly addressed her as if nothing had happened.
"Now then, your name and your business."
"Guh... I am Mira Val Fringeston."
At Alicia's composed demeanor, the face of the student who identified herself as Mira contorted. The name Val meant she was from a House of the Count. A decent lineage, I thought, but this school building was filled with nothing but people like that.
I just realized it now, but this country clearly had a lot of nobles. Well, the population was also extremely large, but still.
"Now then, your business. What is it?"
"The commotion this morning—what does the Student Council intend to do about it?"
There were students this morning who looked like they wanted to complain, so I had expected someone would show up eventually, but she had really come charging in right after school.
"To think that such a vicious student is in this Academy... I am so scared, I simply can't help it! Others are saying the same thing, you know? Everyone is harboring dissatisfaction toward the recent outrages of the Student Council!"
The female student began a performative sob, and behind the door, her group of followers was also peeking in and echoing her cries.
As I was wondering how to respond, Alicia stared straight at the girl and spoke with authority.
"And what, in the end, is it that you want? If you just want to voice dissatisfaction, apply for a tea party and talk about it there. There are few tea parties lately, so I think the subsidies will be granted quite easily."
"A piece of Damaged Goods who was miserably dumped... just because you joined the Student Council, don't go getting cocky! We, the student body, demand the dismissal of the entire Student Council. This is our legitimate right, you know?"
"I will accept it if there is a legitimate reason, but what exactly is that reason?"
"The Appointment Ceremony Duel Incident—wasn't that rigged from the start? Just as Lord Castor said, there is no way a Monkey of the Abandoned Land like that could enter the Student Council. The cold treatment of the students began after that, and everyone believes it was a setup."
"The Headmaster addressed this as well. We were chosen because we earned our positions, so it's not a matter of whether it was rigged or not."
"In the first place, it's insane that someone who can kill teachers without hesitation, like in that video, is even allowed in this Academy! There are many students who are already too terrified to even come to school!"
"I think you, who can insult others so brazenly, are far scarier," Alicia countered.
"Guh."
The female student faltered after being hit by Alicia's perfect counter-argument, but she immediately regained her composure and snapped back.
"I suppose 'everyone' was an exaggeration, hohoho! For now, I demand the dismissal of that Monkey of the Abandoned Land who committed such an outrage against our teachers. Unless you purge yourselves, there are countless others like me who will not yield to violence and will voice their opinions!"
"Sigh..."
Thud!
Alicia let out a heavy sigh and slammed a stack of documents down in front of the female student.
"Hii!" The girl jumped in fright.
"This is the faculty roster for the first semester. If you doubt it, why don't you compare each face one by one with that video? Most of them are alive and well. I wouldn't mind making the rounds to greet them with you. Honestly, thinking that those men were teachers... where exactly are your eyes attached?"
Alicia leaned in further.
"As for the matter of the attackers on the Academy, it’s true that it might unsettle the other students, so I will instruct the Academy to review their security. The responsibility for this lies with the school administration; taking it up with the Student Council is barking up the wrong tree."
"B-But! The fact remains that the Monkey of the Abandoned Land there is a barbarian who killed Lord Castor and even laid hands on others without hesitation! I cannot even enjoy my tea while such a person is present!"
"On the contrary, he could be called a hero who prevented a crisis at the Academy before it happened. What are your thoughts on that? This Academy is a place where the sons and daughters of nobles attend; there was even a possibility that you could have been kidnapped, you know?"
"Ugh."
"Besides, in terms of peerage, the House of the Margrave is higher than a House of the Count. You should be careful with how you speak, calling him a 'monkey' or a 'barbarian.'"
"I-In this Academy, peerage does not matter!"
"Then leave quietly. The Special Class is already favored to some extent as it is. We have simply improved the gap with the General Class, which was being treated coldly. It's not right for a divide to be created solely by the parents' peerage, is it?"
"Kuh... That upperclassman is also pained by the scandal of Lord Castor's duel! You can only act all high and mighty for now! Hmph!"
The female student, having had every single one of her points dismantled, threw out a final insult and fled with her tail between her legs.
Amazing. It was a total logic-bomb. And somehow, I had been reframed as a hero who killed intruders to the Academy before they could do any harm.
Alicia, you're incredible!
"By the way, when did you prepare such documents?" I asked.
"I expected students would come to complain eventually, so I had them prepared in advance. There were likely teachers involved in the slush fund problem, so I handled this while I was investigating them."