After wrapping up their recruitment efforts within the classroom, Rest and his companions headed for the student council office.
Once they received permission and stepped inside, they found several others gathered there alongside the student council president, Andrew Aiwood.
Among them were council members Yusgos Betrus, Rilanda Marker, and Celestine Crocus, as well as Isis Calvert from the executive committee.
"Hmph...!"
"Lyubase? What are you doing here?"
Rest couldn’t help but wonder. Wilhelm Lyubase, the "Woman-hating Sword Saint," was standing among them. The others aside, Lyubase wasn't a member of the student council; there should have been no reason for him to be present.
"...It seems that woman is absent today," Wilhelm muttered.
"By 'that woman'... do you mean Yuri?"
While Lyubase was generally uncomfortable around women, Yuri Catreia was a special case. She pursued him relentlessly every time they had swordsmanship class, leaving him to flee in sheer exhaustion.
"Yuri is... apparently she’s back at her family estate for a while. She hasn't been able to come to the Academy at all," Rest answered with a wry smile.
As the daughter of the Knight Commander and the youngest—as well as the only girl—among her siblings, Yuri was apparently quite doted upon by her father and brothers. She had been attending the Academy almost as a means of escape, but she had finally been caught during the recent rebellion.
When she attempted to join the fray as a volunteer soldier, she had been spotted by her father, who was commanding the forces, and her brothers, who were serving under him. They had promptly captured her, bound her with ropes, and hauled her home. According to what Rest had heard from his father-in-law, Albert, the Marquis Catreia mansion was currently a chaotic scene of ongoing family feuds and sibling squabbles.
"Ah, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. I assume you’re here to discuss the development of the Magical Wilds?" Andrew asked genially. "We were just talking about that very subject. This saves us a bit of trouble."
"What do you mean by that, Your Highness?" Viola asked on Rest's behalf.
Andrew signaled with a glance, and Celestine nodded before taking over the explanation.
"The truth is... it has been decided that those gathered here will take the lead in advancing the development of the Subnock Plain."
"The people here? But... everyone in this room is a student," Primula noted, blinking in surprise.
Rest, Lyubase, and Isis had all been granted titles and land within the Subnock Plain as rewards for their achievements. Even so, it was strange for students to be the primary drivers of such a project.
"The decision to develop the plains was made as soon as the magical beast Subnock was subjugated. Naturally, it was meant to be a state-led project headed by the royal family. However..." Celestine paused. "With Marquis Eiger instigating a civil war, the Royal Palace no longer has the luxury of focusing its resources there."
The Aiwood Kingdom was at a major turning point now that Marquis Eiger—the old blight that had been eroding the nation from within—was gone. With the internal threat of the Queen Dowager Faction vanished, the vast majority of the lands they once ruled had returned to the crown. Between the chaos of changing lords and the administrative fallout of the rebellion, the kingdom’s knights and civil officials were stretched to their limits.
Furthermore, the situation with the neighboring Geisel Empire remained precarious. The royal consort, who had served as a diplomatic bridge, had been divorced, and her son, Prince Rodel, was dead. Relations with the Empire had undoubtedly soured. Given the proof that the Empire had been supporting the rebels, the kingdom had to maintain a heavy military presence along the eastern border.
"And... recently, the northern barbarians have been making suspicious movements," Celestine added, a shadow of worry crossing her beautiful features. "They haven't taken explicitly hostile action yet, but barbarian scouts have been sighted near the border fortresses. Since we can't afford to lower our guard there either, we are simply facing a massive shortage of manpower."
"Which means there are no personnel to spare for the development of the Magical Wilds," Andrew said, taking over the conversation with an exaggerated shrug. "But if we postpone the development and leave the Subnock Plain as it is, a new Master of the Magical Wilds will eventually be born. We have to prevent that at all costs."
"And that’s why we, the students, are being asked to lead the project?" Rest asked.
"Exactly." Andrew snapped his fingers. "The proposal was put forward for me, the second prince, to spearhead the initiative, leading a team consisting of you, Lyubase, and Isis. Of course, we aren't suggesting that students do everything alone. The royal family will provide funds and personnel, and influential houses like Marquis Rosemary, Marquis Catreia, and Duke Crocus will also provide their full cooperation."
"So the central figures of this development will be Your Highness and ourselves?"
"That’s right. The idea is to foster the next generation of talent with the future in mind. My father—the King—gave us his blessing, saying, 'I will lend a hand if necessary, so try to see how far you can go on your own.'"
It was a strategy to cover the lack of manpower by utilizing students, while simultaneously serving as a declaration of the King's intent to actively employ the power of young people like Rest and Lyubase in this new era.
"I know you’ve been scouting people in your class," Andrew continued. "We’re going to expand that effort to other faculties and grades. It’s not set in stone yet, but we’re looking into granting special academic credits to any student who participates, ensuring it doesn't negatively impact their promotion or graduation."
"I see..."
This was a much larger undertaking than Rest had imagined. It wasn't just about him or his immediate circle anymore; the Academy—and by extension, the Kingdom—was in motion.
"What do you say? I would certainly like to have your strength on our side," Andrew said, staring intently at Rest.
The gazes of the Rosemary sisters, Lyubase, Isis, and the other council members all converged on him.
I suppose I don't really have a choice in the matter, Rest thought.
He had always intended to develop his own territory anyway. If the royal family was officially involved, the process of gathering people would be much smoother. Having no reason to refuse, Rest nodded.
"Of course. I would be glad to help."
He gave his consent, but internally, he couldn't help but feel as though he had become a critical component in the vast machinery of the State.
And a rather vital component, at that. It's both an honor and a significant amount of pressure...
"Thank you. I’m counting on you," Andrew said.
Rest let out a quiet sigh, making sure it went unnoticed, and firmly shook the hand Andrew offered him.