Chapter 55
Chapter 55
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Student Council President Election Calling the Storm (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The seat Darling was guided to by the waiter was on an entirely different floor from the table where Adella and I had been sitting.
"Leave that basket with the restaurant staff. You can pick it up later."
"Yes, give it to me... Eek!!!"
She really is from a wealthy family. It was a bit fascinating to see it like this.
Just less than ten years ago, she was digging up potatoes in a vegetable patch on one side of the lord's castle, smiling brightly.
The grown-up Darling sat in the chair as if she were wearing clothes tailored perfectly for her, crossing her legs and naturally ordering her subordinate around.
It would have looked even cooler without that footrest under the chair. Had her height not grown at all?
"What discourteous fantasy are you indulging in, Canteen Owner? Your gaze is unpleasant."
"I wasn't thinking anything."
I sat down casually across from her. The waiter introduced me to the menu with the course listed, but I shook my head and sent him away.
Adella was waiting, so I planned to just have a quick chat and go.
"So, what was that story from earlier?"
"The part where you said you're not interested in the student council president position?"
"Yes."
Even as a third-year, Darling hadn't given the student council president seat a single glance. Considering her previous interest in the canteen's rights, she surely knew it was a prime spot that could make money.
Darling elegantly lifted her teacup with her gloved hand and answered my question.
"There are a few reasons, but first, I'm plenty busy as it is. The student council is certainly a sweet fruit, but I'll pass on taking on the work."
"I see."
"Besides, when you get down to it, the vested interests aren't much. Pharenchia Academy ultimately belongs to the royal family, so how much profit could there be in siphoning off backroom deals?"
"Like taking bribes instead of putting the canteen up as a reward in the inter-academy competition."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
A natural denial. It wasn't even surprising anymore.
"However, one thing's certain: if the princess gets hold of that authority, it'll be even harder to use those methods going forward."
"That's fortunate."
"Personally, I'd prefer if Roshiar's second daughter, the one sitting there like an idiot, inherited it."
Right. If Erzebet got elected, it wouldn't be cutting off her own flesh, and the chances of her abusing the student council's power to sell out the royal family or gain unfair profits were very low.
From Darling's perspective, who had been manipulating the academy from behind the scenes, that probably didn't sit well.
"Have all your curiosities been satisfied?"
"Well, more or less."
"Then it's my turn to ask a question."
Smoothly.
Darling's soft foot touched my leg under the tablecloth.
It seemed like she was trying to look seductive, but in reality, it was just her trembling toes barely reaching.
Still, her eyes were fiercely intense. Her gaze glaring at me was filled with strong suspicion.
"What exactly is your relationship with Roshiar's second daughter?"
"Adella?"
"You, who for a full seven years diligently attached titles and honorifics whenever addressing me, are casually using the familiar form with a noble lady who's a countess at that. You must be awfully, very, extremely, incredibly close."
"......"
The prepared amuse-bouche was placed in front of Darling. Without sparing it a glance, she waited for me to open my mouth.
There was no need to stir up trouble by revealing my relationship with Adella here. I glanced down at her waiting on the lower floor.
"We're nothi......"
ng, I was about to say.
Adella had both fists placed on her lap, not touching the pre-meal dish prepared long ago. Suddenly, the glimpse of her past I'd seen through the Litvice Test Paper flashed through my mind.
"Sigh."
"Canteen Owner!?"
I stood up from my seat. Before Darling could jump up and say something, I grabbed her hand.
"How dare you dodge my question...!"
"Do you call the viscount by her name too?"
"Hng?"
Well, whatever. It wasn't hard.
"Darling. Is this sufficient?"
"Ah, no, that's......"
Recalling the etiquette of the Bachran Duchy that Nova had taught me, I supported one of her hands, lightly bowed at the waist to meet her eye level, and she trailed off, mumbling incoherently.
Then—
"Canteen Ow......"
"Yes."
"When it's just the two of us... you can call me that."
She nodded, calling me with that strange elongated pronunciation herself.
"Did I keep you waiting long?"
"Ah, Teacher...!"
As I approached, Adella perked up like a puppy reunited with its owner. As we started eating, she chattered away about all the little things she hadn't been able to say, just like usual.
"...And so, in the last subject, I almost failed, but the test question was exactly what you taught in class!!"
"Of course, since I made it."
Idle chit-chat. Still, it wasn't bad.
As the meal was nearing its end, I asked Adella why she wanted to run for president. She blushed slightly and answered, "It's a secret~."
Did she want to seize power?
Since the position of Roshiar's young lady seemed out of reach, maybe she was searching for a way to survive on her own.
But if it was about survival, there was an easier and faster way.
"Adella."
"Yes?"
"How's your unique magic coming along?"
"Ah...!"
Had she forgotten?
The pure mana I'd painstakingly extracted using karma hadn't been used by her at all.
In fact, since the unique magic inherited through bloodline was unique to Roshiar, I had no exact answer on how to awaken it for Adella. I'd just tried to meet the condition of having no karma as much as possible.
If Terra or Lehel saw her condition, would there be some progress?
As I pondered asking the chairman soon, Adella placed some grilled eel, the dessert course, on my plate and said,
"Um, Teacher."
"What?"
"You know, I've started accumulating karma again a little."
"Already? Did you hunt a monster or something?"
That's strange. It was too early for freshmen to go on field training. After returning from the North Sea, Adella had only been studying for midterms, so there was no reason for her to accumulate karma...
Unless she harbored frost from hating or despising someone to the point of wanting to kill them.
"Hmm, then..."
Did I need to schedule another session soon? Seeming to think the same, she scooped a forkful of cream spinach made with rue and spinach and placed it on my plate.
It was the first time in my life I'd seen Adella yield food to someone else.
"So, what I was saying, Teacher... We couldn't today, but could we go on a date next time? Anytime if you say so."
"......"
It was a direct and quite embarrassing statement. I couldn't answer easily.
There were many reasons, but like at the front gate earlier and even now, the word "date" felt so foreign to me.
Frankly, I had no idea what it entailed.
Was it soaking feet in the sulfur hot springs of the demon realm or ripping off gargoyle wings to fan each other?
Not to mention Earth, even after coming to this world, it was something close to the unknown that I'd never done with Eris or anyone else.
Of course, Adella would probably say surfing in the North Sea teeming with sea monsters was fine as long as she was with me... but I still needed mental preparation.
"Teacher...?"
"Later. I'll think about it later."
For now, I postponed the schedule.
"You need to focus on the election too. I'll give you some advice, so since you're doing it, give it your all."
"Yes..."
Adella nodded slightly, seemingly reluctantly convinced.
Today was arguably the most important day in Erzebet's life.
Having fallen behind in the polls, she had only two chances left to capture the students' attention: the candidates' speeches presenting their visions for academy management.
The large auditorium, packed with quite a few students, didn't have enough seats for everyone. The front rows were filled with major nobles close to the royal family—marquises, counts, and such—followed by those with lower titles toward the back.
Even Lehel, who had been scraping betting tickets at the racetrack until dawn, rubbed her sleepy eyes and watched the candidates' speeches from behind the podium with the faculty.
Erzebet swept her gaze over the crowd and steeled herself.
'If I capture their hearts here, I can definitely win.'
Yes, the pre-election polls were heavily influenced by popularity contests. But they couldn't choose their representative based on popularity alone when it was someone they'd actually vote for with their own hands.
All the students here were nobles and mages—intellectuals who pursued practicality, derived rationality, and gauged propriety.
When her turn finally came, Erzebet ascended the podium with confident steps.
"Erzebet Brunhart, candidate for this election."
Clap clap clap clap!!
Clap clap clap clap!!
Receiving welcoming applause from familiar faces, she began her speech. Infusing it with the essence of kingship studies she'd memorized since childhood and the wisdom of sages, she logically explained why she was needed as Pharenchia Academy's student council president.
Political and diplomatic advantages. The virtuous cycle of the kingdom's economy. The academy's development direction and individual student welfare.
Her confident demeanor, precise pronunciation, persuasive arguments backed by historical evidence—Erzebet's logic was flawless.
When her speech finally ended, the auditorium erupted in thunderous applause, and some nobles even shed tears.
Even the picky Lehel momentarily tore her eyes away from the crystal orb broadcasting the Monster King Tournament.
"Well done, Princess."
"Your eloquence was splendid. The results seem decided already."
"No. It's not over yet."
As soon as she descended the podium, she gently brushed off the nobles who loved to fawn and took her seat.
Now, it was Adella's turn.
Clack, clack.
Unlike herself, who had woken up two hours earlier than usual for elaborate makeup just for today, Adella was dressed as plainly as ever.
If anything, she seemed nervous, her steps extremely irregular.
"Ah, uh. I just say it now, right? Um, so......"
As she failed to properly captivate the audience, murmurs quickly rose in the auditorium.
Seeing this, Erzebet smiled triumphantly.
'See? In the end, the Holy Grail goes to the one who climbs up themselves. Victory is mine.'
Adella, who couldn't even memorize a mere five-minute speech and had to bring a script. Just as Erzebet was about to breathe a sigh of relief—
"Um, Teacher... no, I got help from people around me to write this. It's from some really old literature collection...? I think it's suitable for Pharenchia Academy's future direction. Let me see... Com... munist Manifesto?"
Not long after Adella's speech began—
"Humanity... hear me."
The silent auditorium soon turned into a hellish scene.
Adella had kicked away the Holy Grail just before it reached Erzebet's hand, ladder and all.