Chapter 172
In a café close to the first-year classrooms.
Rhys brought the coffee he had ordered to the table and sat down across from Leo.
The first-year students surrounding them widened their eyes and began to whisper.
A meeting between the first-year representative and the fifth-year representative and student council president was bound to attract attention.
Moreover, with Leo’s mother having been recently revealed as a Zerdinger, public interest was even higher.
The next-generation Zerdinger heir and his cousin—a pairing that could easily become a dominant force in the empire.
Right then, several female students with flushed faces approached Rhys.
“Excuse me! Student council president! May I have your autograph?”
“Me too! We’re in the Knight Studies Department!”
The two first-year students spoke eagerly, their eyes sparkling.
Rhys smiled and signed their requested items.
“It’s no trouble. Keep up the hard work.”
“Thank you!”
“Wow! It’s the student council president’s autograph!”
The two girls, beaming, happily waved at Leo as they left.
“See you later, Leo.”
Leo watched the girls leave with smiles.
“You’re quite popular.”
“It’s just because I’m a familiar face. Since you’re also a year representative, this is just what happens when you’re spotted out and about, right?”
Leo looked puzzled at Rhys’ comment.
“I don’t think the other year representatives are as popular as you, Rhys.”
The fourth-year representative, Hark, slept through the day and rarely interacted with others.
The third-year representative, Elena, was regarded as a queen bee, constantly surrounded by guards.
The second-year representative, Lille, was kind and gentle but overly attentive to her juniors, making her a daunting figure for the first-years.
Leo’s words made Rhys chuckle.
“Well, I suppose those guys are a bit unusual.”
‘I’d say it’s more than just a bit,’ Rhys thought with an internal laugh.
“Well, we can talk about that more later.”
Click—
Rhys lifted his coffee cup.
He took a sip and smiled.
“The coffee here hasn’t changed.”
“I guess it’s been a while since you were last here?”
“This is my first time since freshman year. As you know, life at Lumene is quite hectic.”
Rhys set down his cup and leaned back in his chair.
“Surprisingly, I didn’t even have much time for nostalgia. It’s only now, as a senior, that I can revisit old memories.”
Leo nodded at Rhys’ words.
“Well, as the successor of the Zerdinger line, you must have had even less time.”
As the heir to the prestigious Zerdinger lineage, Rhys had undoubtedly dedicated himself fully to his school duties.
Celia, too, was renowned in the first year class as a flawless honor student, reflecting the Zerdinger legacy.
Given his personality, Rhys must have been even stricter with himself.
That’s why he was known as the perfect student council president.
A man who rose to the top in Lumene, a place brimming with talented students.
A student council president admired by all.
That was Rhys Zerdinger.
“Yeah. Thanks to all the hard work, I’m truly enjoying my school life now.”
Since the second semester, most fifth-years were more relaxed.
After five long years of intense competition and survival, with graduation approaching, there was no longer any reason to worry.
The fifth-years of Lumene spent their second semester taking it easy, handing over their positions in clubs and their academic departments to the next generation.
The professors left them largely alone, giving the students a well-deserved break after five years of hard work.
It seemed Rhys was no exception.
He mentioned that the handover of student council affairs was complete.
“Well, there are still some lingering issues.”
“Issues?”
“The next student council president.”
When Rhys spoke, Leo considered the two students currently being discussed as potential presidents.
The first was Hark Rigard, a fourth-year student.
He would be a fifth-year student next year and was among the top three strongest in the Knight Studies Department.
Moreover, he was the heir to one of Lumene’s three founding families.
“In terms of rank, skill, and background, there’s no one quite like Hark.”
Rhys sighed lightly.
“But he’s not really interested in the student council president position. He doesn’t think he’s suited for it.”
“That’s surprising. I heard he wanted the position to keep Elena in check.”
“It’s true that Hark and Elena are rivals, but Hark doesn’t really care whether he becomes president. The rumors stem from the fact that the fourth-years aren’t fond of Elena.”
Leo rested his chin on his shoulder, thinking of Elena.
‘She definitely has a knack for making enemies.’
He let out a hollow laugh.
Elena often acted as she pleased without regard for others’ opinions.
To some, she may seem like a simple fool, but her ability to do so is what sets her apart.
Elena had struggled with her seniors since the beginning of her first semester.
‘In that regard, aren’t we similar?’
Leo shook his head.
‘No. I respond to trouble when the second-years come around. Elena is more prone to causing trouble herself. I’m the more moderate between us.’
“Anyway, although it’s not apparent on the surface, the third-years and fourth-years aren’t on good terms right now.”
The third-years, led by Elena, were at odds with the fourth-years, who disliked her.
“The fifth-years are managing it for now, but once we graduate, there will be real problems.”
Rhys sighed again.
“If Hark becomes the president, things might be more balanced. But forcing someone who doesn’t want the role will only backfire.”
“That’s true.”
Leo, who had been nodding along, looked puzzled.
“But why are you telling me this, a first-year student?”
It would make more sense for Rhys, an upperclassman, to discuss this with his peers rather than with a first-year like Leo.
“The reason why I wanted to talk with you is this.”
Rhys leaned in, his expression serious.
“It’s true that Hark is uninterested, so I’m personally leaning towards endorsing Elena. I feel a bit sorry for the fourth-years, but I can’t hand over the position to someone who isn’t committed. However, giving it to someone with mediocre skills is also problematic.”
Leo looked surprised.
He had expected Rhys to easily choose to pass the position to a fourth-year student.
But why would he consider handing it to a third-year student?
“Even though she’s selfish, Elena has shown she’s more than capable of leading the third-years. She’s qualified to be president.”
Rhys sighed lightly.
“Moreover, the role of the student council president is crucial now more than ever.”
“Crucial now more than ever?”
“Yes. The current global situation is precarious.”
Tartaros, which had been quiet for a long time, was starting to stir, even infiltrating the Hero Academies.
In Lumene and Seiren’s centuries of history, Tartaros rarely targeted the Hero Academy directly.
Both Lumene and Seiren appeared calm externally, but internally, they were moving more swiftly than ever.
“In times like these, it’s advantageous for the student council president to have long term experience. Stability is key.”
Whether Hark or another fourth-year became the next president, it seemed Elena’s ascension was inevitable.
In that case, Rhys must have thought it best to appoint Elena early.
“Besides, the skills of the fourth- and fifth-year students are surprisingly similar. Elena was always skilled, even ignoring her rank.”
Leo looked puzzled.
“Then shouldn’t we just hand over the position to Elena?”
Ultimately, the current student council president would choose the next one.
Besides, there was precedent in Lumene’s history to appoint a third-year student as the student council president.
“You’re right. When it comes to ability, Elena is more than qualified for the position. And she was even aiming for it herself.”
Leo nodded at Rhys’s words.
“So, then there’s no problem, right?”
Rhys sighed deeply as he observed Leo’s inquiry.
“Yes, there was no problem.”
“…?”
Leo looked puzzled by Rhys’ response.
Rhys took a sip of his coffee and rubbed his temples.
The reaction was unusual for someone who usually showed little emotional change.
‘What happened?’
“I spoke with Elena this morning about the student council president position.”
Rhys’s expression twisted as if he had a headache.
“But she turned it down.”
“Are you sure she didn’t do it just to make things difficult for you? She does like to tease others.”
Elena, known for her mischievous side, might have done just that.
“That’s also what I thought, but she said something different.”
“Something different?”
“Yes. She said she wasn’t fit for the position and expressed her intention to decline. Instead, she recommended another candidate for the role.”
“Who?” Leo asked with curiosity
Elena, known for her strong will, recommending someone else was surprising.
Rhys extended his index finger.
“….”
Leo frowned.
“No way?”
“Yes.”
Rhys’s finger was pointed directly at Leo.
“Leo, she recommended you as the next student council president.”
‘That girl, really.’
Leo felt a headache coming on.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Aine]
[Proofreader – Ash]
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* * *
“Hm—hm—hm—”
In the third-year classroom.
Elena sat on the café terrace, resting her chin on her clasped hands, humming and swinging her legs back and forth.
“What a surprise, Elena. You’ve been so attentive in class lately. Are you gunning for the student council president position?”
Elena smiled at her third-year classmate’s question.
“Not really. I’m not really interested in the student council president position.”
The classmate’s expression stiffened at this unexpected response.
“What?”
“I have something I want more.”
“What is it?”
Elena smiled enigmatically.
“It’s a secret.”
Elena thought of a boy.
A white-haired boy who radiated the aura of a Great Hero.
‘Leo Plov.’
Elena’s greatest concern at the moment.
She had only one wish.
‘The birth of a perfect hero.’
