Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Student Council Election That Calls the Storm (2)
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"Piy—."
"I'm not particularly offended, Piy."
Erzebet concealed her somewhat uncomfortable feelings as she responded to Piy.
The reason was Adella's declaration to run for student council president.
In truth, it was only natural to feel a little hurt as a person.
And that made sense, because Erzebet had shown Adella considerable favor up until now.
She had helped her get a job at the canteen that she so desperately wanted, found her a pretty decent marriage partner even if he was a bit of a fool, and just a few days ago, she had kept her by her side to prevent her from being expelled from the academy and even taught her studies.
Yet, right in front of her eyes, she declares she's running in the election to become a rival. A somewhat bitter feeling moistened her lips along with her tea.
"Piy—."
"I know. There won't be any big variables anyway."
Of course, Erzebet wasn't particularly wary of Adella whether she ran for student council president or entered the chairman's sponsored earthworm race.
She was already the overwhelming favorite to win this election.
It was a position elected through voting, a somewhat unfamiliar method of decision-making that differed from the existing kingdom's governing system, but in reality, the student council president election so far could be seen as nothing more than lining up families.
This was also why Erzebet was confident of her victory. As long as she, a royal, was a candidate, the family members on the pro-royal side would officially declare their support.
Naturally, the lower nobles who rode the same boat as those students or saw the same faces in the same salons would be influenced, greatly affecting the vote outcome.
In comparison, Adella was no different from any other noble who simply applied to run just to see if her name would become known at the academy.
She had no significant backing, and from the day of enrollment, she had built solid connections by mingling with numerous nobles, making their foundations fundamentally different.
"The result is obvious without looking. Oh, come to think of it, today is the day the first opinion poll results are announced, right? Piy, go get the results."
"Piy—."
"Stop dawdling and go quickly! You've gotten so lazy! Hurry!"
The survey— it could be called a kind of favorability measurement.
Academy students, especially the freshmen, are not familiar with voting. Therefore, before the main election begins, a popularity poll-like opinion survey is conducted.
It's a method where all students pick their favorite person on a bulletin board displaying the candidates' photos and names. Today was the day those results came out.
Erzebet, who had sent Piy off, quietly fidgeted her legs in the empty classroom with no one around.
It was natural to be nervous. If she failed to get elected, what would she do at the academy from now on...? She absolutely could not tolerate failure this time, no matter what.
'It's fine. There won't be any upsets.'
Pretending to be calm, she waited what felt like an hour but was only ten minutes, then received the preliminary voting results from Piy who returned shortly after.
However—
"Huh?"
Thud.
She dropped the paper to the floor with a dazed expression. A moment later, a murmur-like word escaped her fine lips.
"Why...?"
"Ha, fuck... It's the end times."
Seeing the opinion poll results made my neck ache.
Where's the end times? It's right here—an era where Adella stands at the top among all academy students. This was the end times.
To think the world I risked my life to save turned out like this. A deep sense of regret hit my chest.
On top of that, the morning newspaper had a photo of Erzebet standing there stupidly dumbfounded, looking at the exact same rankings I was seeing—someone must have snapped it.
The headline was impressive.
Yeah, I'm beyond surprised to the point of disbelief, but from the person's perspective, it'd drive anyone insane.
To lose to someone like Adella. Even I, who doesn't particularly like the princess, felt a twinge of sympathy.
"Just why did we get these results? Hmm..."
Analyzing with my limited insight, there must be a reason Adella got so many votes.
Obviously, she's been carrying the label of being from the Roshiar count family from the start.
At the beginning of the semester, she went around almost every salon in the academy, stamping her face everywhere.
Even if the evaluations weren't positive, there was no student at Pharenchia Academy who didn't know Adella Sylvestra now.
One equal vote given to every student.
Probably, Erzebet, who had been building face-time mainly with upper nobles, and Adella's paths had diverged starkly, intentionally or not.
Moreover, the final decisive blow was her time working at the cafe.
During the period Adella was absent, there were quite a few customers who came specifically to see her, enough that I closed the canteen.
She looked perfectly fine on the outside and was good at customer service, so the students must have had rose-tinted glasses on, seeing her as the flower of the North Sea. One guy who was blinded by those thick, hard beans even invited her to a ball.
In the end, the image of the ditzy second daughter of Roshiar was completely shattered, and her evaluation from the students skyrocketed accordingly.
What kind of invasive species is this?
The ripple effect of Adella, who had been tied to the canteen until now, stepping out into the world was like watching a native loach overturning an American river. Did she plan all this?
The academy was abuzz with talk of Adella due to the unexpected results.
"Ah, Teacher~!"
I was buying scrap iron in Pharenchia city to feed the iron hounds when I ran into the topic of conversation herself by chance.
Adella was the same as always. Her bright smile upon seeing me, her sloppy demeanor.
The only difference was the crowd of people surrounding her. Several crystal orbs, which served as cameras in this world, were filming Adella from all directions. She looked like some idol.
Crack!
"Kyaa!"
Among them, I stomped on a certain mage's device that was slyly aiming under her skirt, shattering it, then wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her over here as I asked,
"What's all this about?"
"I'm trying to become student council president!"
"Is that why you haven't come to the canteen while preparing?"
"Yeah~. You see, Teacher."
Adella clung right to me, stroking her lips with a finger, and gave me a troubled look.
"I can't find the canteen."
"What?"
"It's the path I take every day, but strangely, when I come to, I'm just going in circles around the area."
Hmm, yeah. Getting lost in the academy, which is wide open everywhere with signs posted all over.
A mage who hadn't come much during exams can't find the canteen she's frequented endlessly until now. And this is the world where such a mage takes the student council president position.
"End times for sure."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Have you eaten?"
It was almost dinner time. Liv was watching the canteen, so I planned to grab a simple meal before heading back.
I suggested it because eating alone at my age felt too lonely, but Adella reacted bigger than I expected.
"A daaate!?"
"No."
I stopped Adella from grabbing my hand, which had just returned from outside, and turning around.
"Let's just eat at a restaurant inside the academy. Got it?"
"But..."
"You're busy. I need to get back to the canteen soon too."
"Okay."
She looked a bit disappointed but followed me obediently. To shake off the followers trailing behind us like a herd, we had no choice but to enter a somewhat expensive restaurant.
To ensure the nobles' lives weren't inconvenienced, the academy's vast grounds had various convenience facilities.
There were the canteen selling somewhat plebeian bread or the student dining hall with better quality meals, but Bayou Hall offered even more upscale fine dining.
With Pharenchia's already high prices plus the academy premium, a single meal cost around 10 gold per person. The corkage fee was half that, quite substantial.
It matched half a month's salary for an average rural knight(?), a terrifying amount, but this was nothing burdensome for Adella.
In fact, for a dinner with Louis, she wouldn't mind if it was double. Naturally, she planned to cover his share too.
Teacher definitely wasn't rich and hated spending money on places like this.
But contrary to her thoughts, trouble arose from an unexpected angle.
"Sorry, sir. Your companion cannot be seated."
The waiter guarding the entrance blocked Louis from entering.
"Why not?"
"This person is not an academy student."
Of course, even non-students occasionally joined nobles' meals as guests or close outsiders.
The reason Les Amis refused Louis was that he clearly wasn't a noble and wasn't dressed appropriately for fine dining.
A stained T-shirt and shorts that street commoners might wear. Slippers with straps falling off. A basket of clanking scrap metal in one hand.
Louis scratched his head, looking troubled as well.
"Hmm, guess not today. Sorry, let's eat next time. I'll treat you later..."
"Nooo!!"
What to do? Teacher's leaving.
Suggest another restaurant? But most inside the academy would probably act the same.
As Adella stomped her feet in frustration, a voice she'd never heard before came from behind.
"Well, this is something, Canteen Owner. Here for dinner?"
"Viscount?"
Louis seemed to recognize her as someone he'd met before, and as soon as he did, the waiter in front of them bowed deeply.
"Welcome, Luhillen Viscount!!"
"Hm? Thanks. No reservation, but do you have a table?"
"Of course! We'll guide you to a quiet window seat!"
Darling, about to follow the waiter naturally, turned her head and asked Louis,
"Aren't you coming in?"
"Ah, they said no because of how I look. Was just about to head back."
"Hmm... I see. Hey, this should be fine to let him in, right?"
"Yes! Of course!"
"Adella? Let's go in. It's all sorted."
Adella blankly stared at Darling's back, who had gotten them through with a single word. Fiery orange sapphire-like hair and sharp crimson eyes.
Just making eye contact for a moment with the woman of mysterious age made her shrink back involuntarily.
The two naturally conversing looked close. Suddenly, a familiar sense of exclusion washed over her.
"Adella? I'll talk with Luhillen Viscount for a bit."
"What about dinner..."
"I'll be right back. If the food comes first, eat without me."
"Okay..."
Louis left. Adella sat alone at the large table covered with a white tablecloth.
Since returning from the North Sea, she had harbored a thread of anxiety in her heart.
She liked Louis, yearned for him, but perhaps Teacher didn't love her.
He didn't stop those who came nor hold onto those who left.
When she approached closely every day and flirted, he accepted with a wry smile, but when she couldn't approach the canteen for some unknowable reason, he just greeted her indifferently as if it had been a while.
So maybe Teacher doesn't love me. Maybe he just got swept up in the mood and held me once.
Had the words "I love you" ever come from Louis's mouth? Even when gripping the pillowcase and panting, it was always she who craved love.
'Ah.'
Adella realized why this sad sense of dissonance hurt her heart.
Unrequited love. She now sat before a cold table.