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Chapter 88: The Student Council's Temporary Secretary

Stress makes people vulnerable.

Nivolance Panima, the temporary secretary, was incredibly vulnerable.

“Just do it. Bring them here, no matter what.”

Overwhelmed by excessive work and responsibilities, Nivolance was losing it due to stress.

I watched him with a faint sense of guilt.

It was partly my fault things had come to this.

‘It was unavoidable because of the scenario flow, though.’

I did feel a bit bad that all the work had fallen on Nivolance.

The problem was that his stress had turned him into a man of unstoppable determination once he made up his mind about something.

In the case of Iris, a quick word to Hania had been enough to get approval.

“Yes, she says she'll do it right away.”

Iris was already planning to become president, so there was no reason for her to oppose the suggestion.

The problem lay with the vice president candidate Nivolance had mentioned.

Sharin Sazaris.

“I don’t wannaaa.”

As expected, Sharin pouted upon hearing my proposal.

She’d already devoured three buns before I even got a word in, and now she was complaining with her mouth full.

It made me want to grab her cheek and pull.

“You already ate the buns.”

“Those were given to me because Hannon likes me.”

“Sharin, I think you’re misunderstanding something. I don’t feel even the slightest romantic emotion for you.”

Sharin squinted at me.

We were sitting across from each other, and at some point, she’d taken off her shoes and put her bare foot on my thigh.

Where did her socks go, and why is she barefoot?

Her movement caused her skirt to hike up, and as a guy, it was impossible not to glance at such an intentional gesture.

“Realllyyy?”

Sharin gave a lazy smile.

Her fox-like eyes sparkled with amusement.

This cheeky girl.

Her foot started poking the inside of my thigh.

I stared at it for a moment before grabbing her big toe and pressing hard.

“Kyahhh!”

Sharin shrieked and quickly pulled her foot back.

“What are you doing, making everything smell weird?”

“...I don’t smell.”

In truth, there wasn’t any particular smell coming from her.

“Put it back. I’ll check again.”

“Hannon, are you some kind of pervert?”

“Who’s the one shoving their foot into someone else’s thigh?”

Where does she even pick up these habits?

Now that I think about it, Sharin often reads novels without covers.

Could it be that she’s into something like sensual literature?

‘She acts like she doesn’t care about the world.’

Still, you never know what’s inside someone’s heart.

Sharin might have her own dark secrets.

Thinking that made me shiver a bit.

“…You’re not planning to do anything weird to me, are you?”

“…What kind of imagination is thattt?”

Even Sharin couldn’t let that one slide, raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

I decided to stop teasing her.

“You’re sulking because of the last incident, aren’t you?”

“…”

Sharin turned her head away without saying anything.

We’d known each other long enough for me to understand her personality.

Sharin was naturally moody.

When I played the game, it was hard to grasp her character.

But after spending time with her, I’d begun to understand her heart a little.

Right now, she was sulking.

Probably because I hadn’t told her anything about the boycott incident.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why that made her upset.

If I had to guess, maybe it was because Isabel knew about it, but she didn’t.

“It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Hmmph, the entire Zerion Academy was flipped upside down!”

She wasn’t wrong.

The academy had been turned on its head.

But it was just a stepping stone for bigger things to come.

Compared to the major events on the horizon, it was a minor issue.

“Even so, it wasn’t something that needed your involvement. Sharin, when I ask for your help, it’ll be during a real emergency.”

I’d relied on Sharin many times before.

Every time, she had been incredibly reliable.

I was sure there’d be a time when I’d need her help again.

I wanted to save her strength for that moment.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you this time.”

I peeled an orange I had brought with me and handed it to her.

Sharin opened her mouth expectantly, clearly waiting for me to feed her.

I almost stuffed the entire piece in her mouth but refrained.

Instead, I fed her a single segment.

As she chewed the piece, she suddenly stuck out her tongue.

“It’s sour.”

“Oranges are supposed to be sour.”

Her face softened slightly, her sulkiness fading a bit.

She knew I meant what I said.

After looking at me for a while, Sharin took the rest of the orange from my hand and started eating it one piece at a time.

Watching her, I casually asked,

“So, about the temporary vice president.”

“That’s a separate matterrr.”

“Come on, just do it.”

If I couldn’t bring Sharin in, Nivolance would cry from stress.

I felt a sense of duty to protect the secretary.

Besides, I genuinely thought Sharin was the perfect fit for the temporary vice president role in the academy council.

Her name carried as much weight as Iris’s.

Not to mention, she was the top student in both the second-year Martial arts and Magic arts.

After finishing her orange, Sharin glanced at me slyly.

“Fineee.”

Her tone suggested she had a condition.

“What do you want?”

“If I do this, you have to go on a date with me.”

What the heck?

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

“…Sharin, so you were after me all along?”

“Yep, you’re the perfect experimental subject.”

This crazy girl.

It finally clicked why she made such a suggestion.

“The dragon’s magic imprint.”

Sharin grinned smugly, having caught me off guard.

“That’s what the date is for.”

The remnants of the dragon’s power in my body were still unresolved.

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Sharin’s so-called “date” was just an excuse to help me deal with it.

“Isn’t that more for your benefit than mine?”

“I’m generous.”

Sharin straightened her back and puffed out her chest.

Though my gaze instinctively fell on her upper body, which had been showing signs of growth recently, I quickly averted my eyes.

"And it's a subject I want to research as well."

For Sharin, a mage, the remnants of the ancient dragon were an incredibly intriguing topic.

Moreover, since it involved magical engraving, her interest seemed to grow even more.

"I'm grateful, honestly."

In any case, I appreciated it.

If I could resolve the issue of the dragon's remnants, I would do whatever it took.

'So, with the interim vice president set...'

Now it was time to head to the World Academy Assembly Hall.

* * *

The six academies built atop the Demon Dungeon.

They were constructed by five kingdoms, including the Empire, to contain the Demon Dungeon.

The World Academy Assembly was a venue for the student councils of each academy to strengthen their camaraderie in advance.

Of course, while it was officially for camaraderie, it was essentially a microcosm of global political dynamics.

The representatives of each academy were individuals of unparalleled prestige from their respective nations.

It was no surprise that Sylvester, despite lacking talent, became the president simply by virtue of being the Duke of Drapen.

And now, I was heading to the World Academy Assembly Hall,

where the representatives of the six academies would gather.

Of course, I wasn't a key participant.

I was just one of those auxiliary members every student council has.

As an interim secretary, I had been asked to attend.

'How did I end up as an interim secretary?'

Perhaps it was because I had been diligent in my duties within the student council.

For some reason, Nivolance had earmarked me as the next secretary.

Unlike the president and vice president, the position of secretary was often passed down within the council.

Nivolance had decided to pass the role on to me.

In terms of qualifications as a secretary, there were many others more capable than I.

After all, the student council was predominantly comprised of literature students.

These were individuals who lived and breathed within the world of paper and ink.

Even if I had lived in a modern society and worked hard on student council tasks,

there was no way I could outdo them.

Thus, the role of secretary traditionally went to literature students.

But Nivolance said this to me:

"Hannon, do you think there's anyone among the current second-years who can adequately support Lady Iris as secretary?"

Faced with Nivolance' serious question, I couldn't bring myself to respond.

The third princess, Iris Hysirion.

She was a flawless princess who excelled in both intellect and physical prowess.

Her royal status, combined with her innate genius,

would intimidate anyone in the Empire.

To perform as a secretary by her side would require immense courage.

Yet, with the president and vice president both absent, the student council had suffered greatly.

Most of the second-year literature students who had been active in the council were demoralized.

It was only natural—being thoroughly reprimanded would shake any student's mental state.

Could such individuals work as Iris' secretary?

Nivolance shook his head.

At the very least, whoever became the secretary would surely develop stress-induced gastritis and alopecia.

"But you'd be fine, wouldn't you?"

I had courage—or rather,

my growing indifference to self-preservation since joining the Butterfly Flame Arc had fortified my nerve.

Perhaps the loss of love had eroded my sense of self-care,

but it had proven unexpectedly useful in moments like this.

Moreover, I was acquainted with Iris.

Though I might lack the skills of a secretary,

I was unlikely to crumble under the pressure and flee.

"Hannon, you're the only one."

Nivolance made an earnest request:

to support those two individuals well at the assembly.

Thus, I had no choice but to attend the assembly as an interim secretary.

And now, what was I doing?

Clatter, clatter—

The sound of the carriage wheels echoed.

My task was simple.

I was, essentially, Princess Iris' beloved doll.

Yes, the primary reason I was here wasn’t to serve as a secretary but to accompany her as her cherished companion.

With her arms wrapped around me, Iris rested her chin on my head as she slept.

I had to keep my balance to ensure she didn’t fall over.

By now, I was accustomed to this. It was almost routine.

The problem lay in the woman who was quietly observing this scene in front of me.

"......"

Her crimson eyes were fixed on me, staring intently.

For a moment, it felt as if a faint smile played across her lips.

On her lap, Sharin, who was currently the most irksome person to me, was sleeping peacefully.

The woman silently watching me was none other than

Isabel Luna.

Somehow, she had ended up traveling with us to the assembly.

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