The first weekend I was meeting inside the Mir-Ellin Saga.Union’s central downtown. Near Traum Plaza.As the reward for carrying out the murderous weekday schedule, I managed to protect at least the leisure time of the weekend.Of course, even now I’m not playing around but moving to Izelin Academy to perform the duties of the General Student Council President; still, compared to usual, you could call it relaxed.Yum—Munch, munch—Ciel, cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, was eating with her mouth full.I looked at the armful of snacks filling her hands and asked.“Do you like sweet things that much?”As a kind of bribe to suppress Ciel’s complaints about accompanying me on the weekend, we had already stopped by several dessert shops, but her rampage did not stop.She finished chewing and swallowing the crepe in her mouth, then shot me a piercing glare.“It’s not simply sweet. I pity you, Lord Loen, for not understanding this deep and subtle flavor.”“No need to pity me. I like this better.”Chew—A chicken skewer I bought from a street stall. With a salty and spicy sauce, the hot meat juices burst in my mouth; it was grilled well and delicious.Rather than those lumps of sugar, tender meat is of course the best.When I chewed the meat with gusto, Ciel tilted her head as if puzzled.“You normally don’t like meat. Has your palate changed?”“Mm. And the body gets healthy only if you take in diverse nutrients.”Loen’s scrawny body.Looks like he usually ate small portions and didn’t really eat meat.For now, let’s take in protein like this and fatten up in a healthy way. Build some muscle, too.Like that, enjoying the weekend at our leisure, we arrived near Izelin Academy around lunchtime.The Union’s outer zone, where the tram line doesn’t connect.As in reality, good land like a station area is not given to small academies like this.We kept walking along an uneven dirt road—like a country lane in a rural village—and far off, a small building came into view.Fitting for a small academy, it was about the size of an elementary school building by modern standards.The dormitory and cafeteria attached at the side also looked shabby and narrow.“That must be it.”“That’s what the map says.”At a glance it felt gloomy somehow, and with so few people around, it was desolate.While we were taking in the academy’s scenery from afar—A boy came trotting along the country road from the academy side in the distance.Judging by the emblem pinned on °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the chest of his uniform, he looked to be a student of Izelin Academy.“Huh?”From far away he saw me and Ciel and tilted his head.He kept walking, head tilted as he looked at us, then suddenly stopped in place, started, and shouted.“Lo-Loen?”A male student reacting as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t.Wherever I go, the reaction is like this, so it doesn’t surprise me anymore.Once he confirmed who I was, he turned as if he’d seen a ghost and started running back toward the academy.The male student retraced his steps exactly and headed to the academy.Watching his back as he took to his heels, Ciel commented.“……I’m the one getting embarrassed here.”“Why so surprised? And that student didn’t run away because he saw me. He probably went to inform Izelin Academy that I came.”He looks like a close aide to the Izelin Student Council President who sent me the letter.“If not, I’ll bet my donut.”“Fine. I’ll bet my chicken skewer. Let’s keep going.”As we got a little closer to Izelin Academy, unlike before when there were no signs of people, it gradually got a bit noisy.It sounded like someone beating a drum somewhere, and I also heard a piercing rattle like someone banging a gong.Wondering what on earth was going on, I looked—and the situation looked more serious than I thought.Gray containers set up near the school gate.Guardrails had been erected near the gate so that no one could pass, and around them students with clubs were patrolling as they ringed the area.The drum and gong-like sounds were the noise these people were making.Is this a school, or a redevelopment demolition site?Just then, while Ciel and I were looking around at this farce with dumbfounded faces—A male student patrolling the area with a cocky look pointed his club at us.“Huh? What are you two?”A male student with an impressive Mohawk—sides cut short, only the middle grown long and spiked up.On his right arm he wore a red armband.Judging by the emblem, he looked to be a Disciplinary Committee member of Jerome Academy, currently in a dispute with Izelin Academy.Seeing him ask who we were, unlike that student from earlier, this Jerome Disciplinary member seemed not to know me.Well, even if Loen is a famous figure, it’s not like everyone at the academies would know my face.It’s not like there’s TV, internet, or cell phones like in modern times.Instead of answering him, I stiffly popped my collar and showed it to the punk.Fwip—A golden star pinned on a white collar. It was the item symbolizing the Union’s General Student Council President.“What’s that. An accessory?”“……”They say you only see what your eyes are for. He can’t even recognize this.“Shoo, shoo. Get lost before you get hurt.”“We’ve got no business with outsiders.”“Don’t get mixed up in this and end up bleeding. Eh?”They swung the clubs in their hands menacingly, threatening us to hurry and go back.Instead of retreating at their threats, I asked them boldly.“Confident, aren’t you. By what right are you occupying Izelin Academy’s entrance?”“What are you babbling about. This plot already belongs to our Jerome Academy. Currently, Izelin Territory is only the inside of the gate.”He pointed his club toward the school.So that’s why they were so confident.Looks like the Jerome side bought up all the land around Izelin Academy.I doubt Izelin sold it because they wanted to; there must be some story behind it.“I see. Then we’ll go through.”“What? Who says you can go through? This is private property.”“Try setting one foot over. We’ll beat you to a pulp.”They leveled their clubs at me and threatened, but they were no threat to me.“There is nowhere inside this academy I cannot go. Ciel.”Ciel showed them the Union’s keycard I had given her in advance.The Union transit pass given by Hoppang-Man Chairman Hengarde.It was a pass that allowed entry to all places within the Union, and at the same time, a kind of writ that granted me, as General Student Council President, the unrestricted right to inspect all zones within the Union.If it’s within Union grounds, no one, for any reason, can block my entry.“What’s this? A Union Pass?”“What does this do?”“Not sure, but seems like someone important?”They murmured among themselves, then went inside the container.They must have judged it was hard to handle at their level.A moment later, a student who looked like the person in charge came out from inside.A rough-looking boy…… judging by his face alone, I thought he was a grown man.With a long scar on his face, he bowed his head toward me and Ciel.“Nice to meet you. I am Kruulin, Head of the Jerome Academy Disciplinary Committee. And you are?”“Loen de Valis. This is Ciel Yuraphia. My secretary.”Ciel replaced a greeting with a silent bow.When I gave my name, Kruulin’s gaze changed and he took on a slightly more courteous attitude.“What brings the busy General Student Council President all the way out here?”“Busy, my foot. I came here because I was idle and bored. For a walk.”“……To come this far for a walk. You do take rather peculiar routes.”I smoothed over Kruulin’s oblique sneer gently.“Everyone in this academy knows I’m peculiar. So then, I need to pass here. Will you permit it?”After pausing for a moment, Kruulin extended a hand toward the academy side.“As you wish.”“So you can be reasonable.”“However, if you try to pass this place with intentions other than a walk, we at Jerome Academy cannot refrain from responding.”“……I take back what I said about being reasonable. And in fact, I wasn’t asking your permission.”I pushed the metal barrier aside that blocked the front and stepped boldly inside.“……!”“It may be unknown because the seat was vacant for a long time, but the General Student Council President has the privilege to go anywhere in the Union.”“……”At that moment, as Kruulin’s expression changed as if displeased by my action—“We have been waiting. General Student Council President, Lord Loen.”Right on cue, a group of students came out from the Izelin Academy side to greet me.A female student at the very front of their group caught the eye.Izelin Academy’s Student Council President, Illeina Izelin.A beauty with the distinctive pale skin of a high noble and silver-blue hair that stood out.She greeted me with a polite bow.By her side, I saw that same male student who had bolted when he saw me on the road earlier assisting her.As I expected, he hadn’t run because he saw me; he had run to summon them.I subtly curled my lips, then quietly whispered to the Ciel next to me.“Hand over the donut, Ciel.”“……Tsk.”She clicked her tongue lightly, then took a donut bag out of her satchel and handed it to me.***Izelin Academy’s Student Council President’s Office.Perhaps because it was a poor academy, even though it was called the president’s office, it wasn’t much different from any other classroom.Instead of desks and chairs, there was a sofa and a table, and that was about all that made the space look a little neat.Slurp—The hot drink was cheap, mass-produced coffee.Well, coffee is actually more familiar to me, so it wasn’t bad.It went well with donuts, too.“Serene.”I leaned back on the old, sunken sofa and looked out the window.Unlike the Union’s central district like a big city and the massive great academies, this Izelin Academy had the peaceful feel of a countryside academy located in the suburbs or in a rural area.It was quiet, and the chirp of insects made my mind feel at ease.……If you exclude the noisy gong sounds coming from outside the gate, that is.When I only looked around and didn’t speak, Illeina spoke first.“I did send a letter, but I didn’t think you would actually come.”“I understand. I didn’t think I would come either.”“……?”“It’s true.”Among all those malicious letters, I didn’t expect there to be a letter asking me for help.I had heard about the Izelin Academy affair often enough, but there was no related quest in the game.Even the Cognition Acceleration Stone, one of the Three Great Divine Tools sleeping in this academy’s grounds, I used to obtain through other quests.Which means this is a completely new matter to me as well.“At any rate, to ask me for help. You’re not normal either.”“……That’s how difficult our circumstances are at present. As you can see.”With a face full of worry, Illeina fiddled with the teacup in her hand.As Illeina said, most of what was written in the letter was true.If the academy is like this, Izelin’s students will find it hard to continue their studies.Because of Jerome Academy’s agitation, the study atmosphere is unsettled, and the facilities are outdated.The students’ faces had no vitality, and their passion for study had cooled.It’s not that the students lacked effort. It’s just that the situation is what it is.When placed in adverse conditions, anyone’s strength wanes and passion cools.“……In a situation like this, consolidation might not be entirely bad.”If consolidation were imposed, talented students could transfer to other academies and continue their studies, and as for the Izelin Kingdom preparing for war, they could redirect that money into war funds.However, those who don’t have talent sufficient to transfer to other academies and those who cannot bear the Union’s murderous tuition would all be expelled.Most would fall under that category.Also, the Izelin Kingdom, expelled from the Union, would lose its only link to the international community.Jerome’s advance, which had been preparing for war, would likewise be spurred on.When I murmured cynically, Illeina clenched her fist and spoke.“Lord Loen, how can you say such a thing.”“Why couldn’t I. The weeding out of a small academy is natural. Just like a small nation being swallowed by a great power.”“……!”At my cold words, Illeina widened her eyes and gripped her fist; Ciel beside me restrained me.“Lord Loen.”She meant to say I should stop with the harsh words.But I showed Ciel my palm to mean don’t interfere.“No. I haven’t said anything wrong. This world has always flowed according to the natural order of the strong preying on the weak. Human history, of those who call themselves the lords of all creation and think themselves different from other beasts, does not differ greatly from this.”I tapped the teacup lightly with a teaspoon.Clink—With a clear sound, ripples formed in the liquid held in the cup.“The weak tribe is swallowed by the strong tribe, and the small nation perishes to the great power. The Union, a microcosm of the human world, is no different. This is the proper law of nature.”When I spoke thus, Illeina opened her mouth in a trembling voice.“……So you’re telling us to accept reality as it is? Do you know what hardships our students are suffering under their filthy tricks? Isn’t it the role of the Union and the General Student Council in the first place to guarantee students a stable education!”Even at Illeina’s desperate cry, I dug at one ear and replied indifferently.“What are you saying. To expect fairness in war. Your head is a flower garden. This Union has long since become a proxy battleground between nations; do you still not understand this fact?”“……”“War is filthy by nature. If it’s to win, anything goes—that’s war. In that respect, Jerome can justly be called a military powerhouse. On the other hand, seeing you, who got your stuff taken and are venting on others…… I can see why Izelin is a small nation.”At the words belittling her homeland, Illeina bit her lip hard and said to me.“Take that back…… at once.”Illeina looked like she was barely holding herself back from rushing me then and there.I kept my expression in check and answered leisurely.“Take it back…… Fine. But before that, I’ll give you a choice.”I put both hands on the table and opened one.“If you want, I’ll take back what I said just now and offer you a formal apology. In exchange, I will withdraw as I am and take no part whatsoever in this matter.”“……”“And, here is another option.”I opened my other hand, then seized Illeina’s trembling fist in a firm grip.Thock—Staring straight into Illeina’s eyes, full of anger and sorrow, I spoke so she could hear me clearly.“If you want to endure every humiliation and disgrace, and break through this situation even by borrowing another’s strength, then I will help you.”“……!”“How about it, Illeina. Do you have the resolve to walk that narrow, rough road?”

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