Page 9

As I mentioned to Card, I had some business to attend to.

That business was none other than the student council.

Before I knew it, I had already passed through the Martial Arts building's corridors and arrived at the central bridge.

Then, I headed straight toward the main building.

‘I’m not late.’

The main building, where professors and the student council reside.

As I stepped inside, I glanced around.

It was quite empty, likely because it was lunchtime.

The professors must be dining as well.

‘The student council room is...’

This way.

After orienting myself, I followed the hallway until the student council room came into view.

Knock, knock—

I knocked twice.

"Come in."

Upon hearing the voice from inside, I pushed the door open.

The moment our eyes met, I was greeted by a pair of verdant eyes.

Her identity?

The Dragon Lady of Calamity.

Nikita Cynthia.

She was as graceful and radiant as ever today.

“Junior?”

She blinked, seemingly surprised that I had already found the student council room.

In front of her were stacks of documents and pens.

Seeing her work through her lunch break to handle student council affairs only reaffirmed her status as a diligent overachiever.

Nikita tilted her head.

"Junior, the recruitment for additional student council members hasn't started yet. You might have arrived a bit early."

"Wherever you’re working, Senior Nikita, is where I need to be."

I casually offered the flattery, making her cough awkwardly, likely recalling my excessive praise from yesterday.

“Junior, I appreciate the sentiment, but there are many things you shouldn’t see until you're officially part of the student council.”

Fair enough.

Given the large number of aristocratic students involved, the power held by the student council was substantial.

Hence, numerous critical matters were resolved within its delicate balance.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not here to help with student council work today.”

“Oh? Then why?”

“I have a proposal for the student council.”

Nikita tilted her head again.

“In the northern region, within the Dragon’s Mountain Range, there's been an incident in the Grand Spirit Forest where the trees are turning into iron, correct?”

“Yes, the Spirit Arts students have been in an uproar over that.”

The trees in the Grand Spirit Forest, each infused with a spirit, are invaluable.

With the sudden transformation of these trees into iron, the spirits inside disappeared, causing great losses for the Spirit Arts students.

Since it was a well-known issue among students, it wasn’t surprising that I was aware of it.

“I’d like to resolve it. Could I get permission to visit the Grand Spirit Forest?”

“You, Junior?”

The Grand Spirit Forest, outside of Spiritists, requires special permission for entry. Unauthorized access results in severe penalties.

However, the student council could authorize entry under the guise of investigation.

Still, Nikita was puzzled.

“It’d be helpful if you could resolve it, but…”

Why would I, specifically, take on this matter?

“I have personal reasons. It’s also preparation for the mock battle.”

“Are you planning to make a contract with a spirit?”

“Something like that.”

Nikita tapped her pen against the desk thoughtfully.

The absence of the main Spirit Arts professor, who typically managed the forest, was a significant issue.

During a failed advanced spirit contract, the professor was injured and was currently in recovery.

A relatively inexperienced assistant professor was attempting to address the problem but had yet to find a solution.

The Grand Spirit Forest's predicament was a headache for the student council too.

While Nikita appreciated the offer, she barely knew me, which understandably made her cautious.

“If you’re worried about—”

“Oh, I’m not doubting you, Junior,”

Nikita interrupted, correcting my assumption.

“If someone offers to help with council work, it’d be unfair to assume bad intentions.”

She gave me a faint smile, encouraging me.

An angel, truly.

The scornful glances I endured earlier today suddenly felt less painful, melting away under her warmth.

“...Can I recite a list of praises for you right now, Senior?”

“Th-that won’t be necessary,”

Nikita hurriedly stopped me.

Too bad.

I was planning to overwhelm her with compliments.

Nikita, looking flustered, ran a hand through her hair, trying to collect herself.

“What concerns me is safety. The Grand Spirit Forest isn’t welcoming to outsiders. You might be in danger.”

“That’s a valid point.”

I didn’t deny it.

Spirits generally dislike humans with low spirit sensitivity, and my current body, Vikamon, wasn’t exactly spirit-friendly.

Moreover, as a magic user, spirits who detest the unnatural manipulations of nature might be particularly hostile.

“Well, how about this?”

Nikita proposed a solution.

“There’s a Spiritist in the student council. I’ll introduce you. You can work together to resolve this.”

Support from the student council?

That was more than welcome.

“Thank you, Senior.”

I bowed deeply, prompting Nikita to wave her hand with a smile.

“I should be the one thanking you for helping.”

Though her appearance exuded grace, perhaps thanks to my flood of compliments yesterday, Nikita had been smiling more often today.

Indeed, people look their best when they smile.

“Oh, by the way, I haven’t had lunch yet.”

I pulled out the sandwiches I had packed from my bag.

“Would you like to join me? I brought enough for two.”

Nikita’s eyes shifted to the sandwiches.

It seemed she hadn’t eaten yet due to her busy schedule.

She often skipped meals when things were urgent, and today appeared to be no exception.

Judging from the fact that there was nothing in the student council room today, she must have been planning to skip it this time too.

But she sent the president and other student council members off to eat.

She glanced at the sandwich in my hand for a moment before her eyes returned to her pen.

“If you're in a hurry, it's fine. Sandwiches don't get cold.”

At my words, she set down her pen and stood up.

It seemed the appeal of her adorable junior had gotten through to her.

“Shall we have tea together? What do you think?”

“Perfect.”

A rare treat, tea prepared by the vice president herself.

I'd savor every bit of it.

And so, I had lunch with Nikita.

Somewhere along the way, I casually complimented her.

Nikita blushed, but I did it anyway, just because I wanted to.

w

* * *

To the north, at the entrance of the Great Spirit Forest, in the shadow of the Dragon Mountains, I checked the time.

‘If Nikita’s info is accurate, this should be it.’

A strange incident was unfolding in the Great Spirit Forest—trees were turning into iron.

Nikita assigned me a Spirit User from the student council to investigate.

But come to think of it...

‘Has the student council ever had a Spirit User?’

After so many loops, I knew the ins and outs of the student council.

The existence of a Spirit User among its ranks was puzzling.

‘Well, the storyline has changed after all.’

With the protagonist Lucas dead, nothing should come as a surprise anymore.

Preparing for these changes was my responsibility.

Thud-thud-thud!

At that moment, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

It seemed the student council member Nikita had sent had finally arrived.

I raised my head to see who it was.

What came into view was a short boy with brown bobbed hair and oversized glasses.

“Ahhh, I’m so sorry! I’m late!”

The boy, smaller in stature than me but not by much, bowed his head in apology the moment he saw me.

My eyes fell on the name tag pinned to his chest.

A yellow name tag.

He was a first-year.

My blue name tag marked me as a second-year.

The red name tags were for third-years.

‘I didn’t expect him to be part of the student council.’

I turned my curious gaze back to the boy.

And with good reason—I knew this boy.

Foara Silin, the first-year representative Spirit User.

The central figure of the boycott against the student council in the second semester of the second year.

The storyline began in Act 4, Scene 1, and escalated after Nikita became the "Calamity Dragon" in Act 3.

Nikita went on a rampage, harnessing the power of an ancient dragon, only to meet her end at the hands of Lucas.

Her death shook the student council to its core, giving rise to a massive boycott led by students dissatisfied with the council’s power.

‘The real mastermind behind it was Iris Hysirion, the Third Princess and the final villainess.’

In her bid to monopolize the student council and ascend to its presidency during her third year, Iris manipulated the students into action.

They protested, believing Nikita’s actions had tarnished the council’s name.

Among the boycott’s leaders stood Foara Silin.

The same seemingly scatterbrained boy before me now.

‘And this boy is in the student council?’

In none of my previous playthroughs did Foara ever join the council.

Lucas intervened when the boycott escalated into a violent occupation of the council room.

During the confrontation, Lucas shattered Foara’s glasses, prompting him to shout:

"A student council that ignores its students doesn’t deserve to exist! I’ll erase it from this world!"

That moment of hatred and defiance was seared into my memory.

Back then, Foara had despised the student council.

“Uh, S-Senior? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Had I stared too long?

Foara shrank back nervously.

I was a senior to him, even if I had only recently transferred in.

My gaze must have felt heavy.

“Your glasses looked a bit askew.”

“Ah, I guess I ran too fast!”

Foara quickly adjusted his glasses, his awkward demeanor unchanged.

“Foara Silin, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s me, Senior!”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Hanon Irey, here to investigate the Great Spirit Forest.”

“Nice to meet you too!”

Foara’s energy was infectious.

He was nothing like the gloomy figure from my memories.

“Foara, do you dislike the student council? Maybe there’s something about it that bothers you?”

“Huh? N-No, not at all! I’ve always admired the council of Zerion Academy!”

Foara’s eyes widened in surprise as he firmly denied my suspicion.

“Even though I’m only a provisional member, I’m thrilled to be part of it!”

“A provisional member?”

“Yes, they needed someone to fill a vacancy after an incident, so I got in as a first-year. Hehe.”

Incident.

That could only refer to the tragedy involving Lucas.

‘Lucas’s party had a student council member.’

They didn’t make it back, leaving a gap in the council’s ranks.

With senior members graduating, the council must’ve scrambled to recruit someone new.

Enter Foara.

‘Now I get why they didn’t hesitate when I mentioned the student council.’

They were desperate for manpower.

And Foara, of all people, was the one they brought in.

‘Could it be that Foara turned against the council later because he couldn’t secure a permanent spot?’

When someone fails to grasp what they’ve longed for most, they sometimes end up despising it.

Foara must have started out genuinely liking the student council.

Then, his feelings likely soured after Nikita’s fall and the council’s tarnished reputation.

‘What should I do?’

Foara is pivotal to the student council boycott.

Without him, its impact would diminish, throwing the narrative off course.

‘The storyline is already skewed with Lucas dead.’

This world exists in the aftermath of a bad ending.

It’s no wonder the narrative is falling apart.

The main plot points must stay intact, or the world—and by extension, me—won’t survive.

To avert the worst, the storyline must adhere to its essential events.

‘I’ll have to figure out a way to make him resent the council later.’

If all else fails, I’ll have to get him expelled from it.

“For now, I’ll be joining the student council soon as well. Let’s work together.”

“Got it!”

Foara answered with enthusiasm.

I could only hope that when the time came for him to leave the council, he’d face it with the same energy.

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