Chapter 94

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 94

Chapter Title: President Noona Hng~

-----------------------------------------------------------------

President Noona Hng~

Hisenna and I lowered our altitude toward Harisha at the absurd sight unfolding before us.

We kept a safe distance, knowing we'd be done for if we got too close to the "Giant Footprint Brachiosaur."

"Did the president awaken a grade-2 beast?"

"From what I can see... it looks that way."

I knew I shouldn't say this about the president.

Damn. Is she insane? Does she think she's so strong she can wipe out all the other cadets just because she's student council president?

Circumstances pointed to Harisha having awakened the grade-2 beast.

I'd been wondering why the hell it suddenly woke up.

"Ian. Chayuri's team is over there."

A short distance away from where the student council execs were fighting, Chayuri's team stood watching in a daze.

Chayuri's team had defensive magic up and were just staring at Harisha's madness.

I descended toward them first.

"Ah, it's Ian junior and Hisenna junior."

"Ian!"

The three of them had erected defensive spells and were watching Harisha's antics.

Normally, you'd run off and rack up points elsewhere.

What were these three doing just standing around gawking?

"Hello."

It didn't feel like the time for casual greetings, but honestly, I had no idea what was going on anymore.

"That's the president, right? Did she really awaken the grade-2 beast?"

"We don't know."

"I see. Then why are you three just standing here watching?"

"The president just suggested we all team up and take it down together. When we refused, she grabbed the vice president and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beautification director and charged in."

So that's how it went down.

The vice president and beautification director flailing desperately beside Harisha looked pretty pitiful.

Just then, the student council execs, who had been in the thick of battle, suddenly retreated.

Whether it was some acceleration spell or not, Harisha came bounding back with the vice president and beautification director tucked under her arms.

"Gueeeh—"

"Just let us fail, Pre— Gueeeeh—"

"Ian junior?"

"Oh, hello, President."

Gueeeh—

Harisha tossed aside the retching vice president and beautification director and approached me.

She looked thrilled, all by herself.

"You're still alive? As expected of Ian junior."

"Ah... yeah... thanks..."

"—More importantly, want to team up and take that thing down? If we all combine our strength, we can definitely do it."

"...That thing?"

She was serious.

Harisha was dead serious about hunting it.

"Did you really awaken it, President?"

"No? I didn't. But since it's awake now, I figured we might as well try."

"Why?"

So Harisha hadn't awakened it after all.

I mentally apologized for cursing her out.

But the question remained.

What the hell made her think she could take it down?

"Because we can't do it any other time."

Harisha said it with a perfectly serious expression.

As if we could actually pull it off.

"Truth is, I already won the subjugation festival last year anyway. Aiming for first place again this time would just be boring, right? It's my last subjugation festival, so I thought I'd challenge myself."

"Ahh..."

Is this the kind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of thing you have to do to be student council president?

She's already seen the ending and now wants to take down the gimmick boss that's not meant to be beaten.

"It's not impossible. It's a grade-2 beast, but its body isn't that massive, right? Because of that, it has trouble targeting small foes like humans. If we keep up a steady stream of attacks, we should be able to take it down, don't you think?"

But we'd die in one hit.

That's what I thought, but I didn't say it out loud.

Listening to her, it didn't seem entirely impossible.

Of course, not solo. But with enough cadets to pile on the damage, maybe.

"Doesn't that sound fun? I'm sure if Ian junior's team and Yuuna Huibae's team joined us, we could take it. Especially since Ian junior can fly, right? That would make intercepting it even easier."

Harisha spoke with full confidence.

Chayuri seemed subtly swayed by her words.

The subjugation festival wasn't proceeding normally anyway.

For Chayuri's team, there weren't many prizes they could snag regardless.

Following Harisha instead of failing out didn't sound bad.

But I needed to aim for top freshman score.

There were only two freshman teams above us.

24th and 28th place.

Since their scores weren't rising, they were probably eliminated.

"That sounds tough right now. We're aiming for a prize too."

"I see? Can't be helped then. But I'll keep fighting it, so drop by anytime. Yuuna junior's team can join whenever too?"

Harisha smiled regretfully.

At that moment, a boulder came flying from the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur.

But Harisha's magic deflected it effortlessly and safely.

"Then I hope you win a prize, Ian junior. You too, Hisenna junior."

"Th-thank you."

"Thank you, President."

With that, Harisha encouraged us, smiled, and turned back.

"Vice President? Director? Mana recovered?"

"N-no, spare us, Presiiiideeeent—"

"President, just let me fail—"

Unfortunately, the student council members didn't have that freedom.

Is that what happens when you join student council?

Absolutely never joining.

"Hisenna. Let's head somewhere far and rack up points first. We need that top freshman spot."

"Great idea, Ian. The ground shaking here is giving me a headache."

Hisenna and I took to the brooms again and flew off.

Staying near the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur was too risky.

Just as we were about to leave, Karin Dol's team emerged from beyond the forest.

Worried about another attack, I hurriedly ascended.

But Karin Dol talked with Harisha and seemed to join the grade-2 beast hunt.

"Looks like Karin Dol's team is going for it too."

"Yeah."

Those two teams might actually pull it off.

For now, we needed to farm points.

Hisenna and I flew in the opposite direction from the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur's path.

Kuuguuguugu—

The view from above while flying was spectacular.

The Giant Footprint Brachiosaur was a dinosaur-like beast with a neck reaching the clouds, a massive body to support it, and a tail spanning kilometers.

One swing of its tail flattened the land below.

Cadets in its path were instantly eliminated.

"Glad we can fly."

"Thanks, Ian."

"Nyaa~"

Thankful for the brooms once more, we crossed to the opposite field.

On the side opposite the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur's advance were the swamp field, sea field, and underground field.

All tough to access, so hardly any cadets there.

Especially the sea field—you'd have to fight underwater for points.

Aquatic artifacts and spells could make it possible, but no one bothered.

That left swamp and underground fields.

Underground was below the swamp, so flying over the swamp to farm points was faster.

"Hisenna. Let's snipe beasts from above, quick."

"Yes!"

We intercepted swamp field beasts from our brooms.

The swamp was inconvenient to traverse, so few cadets had come.

Plenty of beasts left, and our score shot up fast.

Farming mid-tier beasts uninterrupted boosted our score quickly.

Other freshman teams' scores stayed flat in the meantime.

This should secure us top freshman spot.

Harisha and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Karin Dol's teams racked up even more points during that time.

They were mopping up surrounding beasts mid-fight with the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur.

Even excluding Harisha and Karin Dol, the other top teams gained a lot too.

All upperclassmen.

Meant the academy was full of talent even without those two.

Probably couldn't catch up to the top. Gap was too wide.

Plus, the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur sweeping the opposite side was steadily approaching this way.

"Looks like all cadets on that side got eliminated."

"Hardly anyone has mobility like you, Ian."

Any cadets along the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur's path were wiped out.

There were survivors on this opposite side,

but if they couldn't evade the approaching beast, the festival would end in early termination for everyone.

Or, as Harisha said, everyone teams up and takes it down.

"Yeah. Who gets the points?"

"If multiple teams hunt a beast, the team that lands the killing blow gets the points."

Hisenna answered my musing.

Last hit takes all, huh.

At that moment, a devious thought crossed my mind.

Assuming they actually succeed in killing the Giant Footprint Brachiosaur, that is...

Surprisingly permissive about kill-stealing from Wandering Battle Mage.

Of course, Harisha and Karin Dol's opinions mattered more.

"Hisenna. It's wrapping up soon anyway, wanna head back to the grade-2 beast? Ah, not to steal the last hit or anything."

"Great idea. We've got top freshman locked anyway. Honestly, how often do you get to see cadets take down a grade-2 beast?"

With Hisenna's agreement, I lifted off on the broom.

Remaining mana was around 25,000 thanks to a quick breather.

Too low for main casting.

But I wasn't planning to fight to exhaustion anyway.

Truth be told, I secretly hoped for a lucky last hit.

Harisha or Karin Dol could wipe right before the kill, after all.

We flew toward the fray.