With tea and sweets at a cafe, Rest and the Rosemary sisters brought their brief holiday in the territory to a close.
By the start of the following week, they were back in the Royal Capital, and academy life began anew.
Rest visited the Student Council Office early on to officially accept his position on the executive committee. Viola and Primula followed suit, sending word of their intent to serve as officers as well.
"Thank you. I feel far more confident having you three on board."
Andrew, the Second Prince and Student Council President, offered a smile and a handshake.
As the ace of the Third-year Knight Department, Andrew possessed an affable personality that made him popular not only within his own department but even among the students of the Magic Department, despite the usually icy relations between the two branches.
Given that he had an older brother serving as Crown Prince, Andrew would likely never ascend to the throne... yet he clearly possessed every quality necessary to lead.
In any case, while Rest had joined the Student Council Executive Committee, his day-to-day life at the academy didn't undergo any radical transformation.
When he broke the news to his classmates, the general reaction was a collective, "Figures."
The commoner students were well aware that Rest had achieved staggering results in the practical portion of the entrance exam, while the noble-born students held him in high regard simply because he had been entrusted with the Rosemary sisters, the literal jewels of the Marquis House.
Between his ties to the twins and his friendships with Yuri, the daughter of the Knight Commander, and Celestine, the daughter of a Duke, the student body had viewed his appointment to the council as all but inevitable.
While one might expect the Executive Committee to be avoided by the peers they were meant to discipline, the news was actually received quite favorably.
Events like the recent assault incident involving the Third Prince, Rodel, were rare; for the most part, the committee’s duties amounted to little more than mediating petty squabbles.
The only real outlier was the time Rest had the opportunity to catch a suspicious intruder who had managed to infiltrate the campus.
"I must harvest these budding, emerald fruits and immortalize them upon my canvas! Stand aside, mage boy!"
"I don't care about your hobbies! Get back here, you peeping creep!"
"Behold, lovely ladies, wait for me! I, the Artist of Love and Peace, shall come to adore you!"
"Freeze! Or better yet, just drop dead, you freak!"
The full details regarding that particular intruder are a story for another time... but the man had audaciously trespassed for the sake of "research," hoping to sketch noble ladies in the middle of changing, in their athletic wear, or while catching voyeuristic glimpses of their undergarments to use as references for his paintings.
By capturing the pervert and saving the ladies from such a crisis, Rest’s reputation skyrocketed in the wake of the incident.
As a result, he had recently begun receiving requests for help and advice from students in other classes. It felt less like he was being feared and more like he was being treated as a convenient fixer.
The only thing that caused Rest any real anxiety was the return of the Third Prince, Rodel, following his suspension.
Rest had prepared himself to intervene if the prince caused more trouble, but surprisingly, no situation arose that required the Executive Committee to act.
This was because the academy, taking the previous incident very seriously, had isolated Rodel and his lackeys. They were now confined to a separate room for their lessons.
Furthermore, academy instructors were now stationed by the prince's side at all times to monitor his every move.
Celestine also seemed to be working behind the scenes, ensuring the surveillance on Rodel was incredibly thorough.
Despite being handled like a volatile nuisance, Rodel had reportedly voiced no complaints.
Apparently, his ego was so immense that he interpreted the segregation as "special treatment." For an arrogant prince incensed at being placed in Class D, this arrangement bizarrely suited his sensibilities.
With the prince behaving himself for the time being, Rest never had to step in as an officer.
In this manner, the first three months of Rest’s academy life drew to a close as spring gave way to the warmth of early summer.