Lucas, We're Screwed...
The whispers of the students echoed around us. And honestly, who could blame them? It was a combination of people that had never been seen together before.
Iris Haishirion, the top student of the Martial Arts Department and the Third Princess.
Sharin Sazaris, the top student of the Magic Engineering Department and daughter of the Blue Magic Tower Master.
Hania Lepiddia, the runner-up of the Martial Arts Department and daughter of the Imperial Knight Commander.
Isabel Luna, a rising star in the Martial Arts Department.
And me, the lightning bastard.
“……”
Was this really okay?
Nudge.
Right then, Hania poked my side with her elbow.
Did she want me to poke her back?
“Don't even think about raising your finger.”
My, she was quick on the uptake. Hania let out a quiet sigh and whispered to me.
“What on earth happened between you and Isabel? I thought you two hated each other's guts.”
Just as Hania said, Isabel and I had a terrible relationship. Or rather, we used to.
But whatever had gotten into her, the moment our eyes met, Isabel beamed at me.
That was the kind of bright, cheerful smile she only reserved for those she was truly close to.
“Aren't you two standing a bit too close?” Isabel suddenly chimed in. Her eyes were smiling, but her voice carried a distinct edge.
“……If we're going to act like a couple, we have to at least look the part.”
“I suppose so.”
Isabel accepted the explanation surprisingly easily. Yet, even so, her gaze never drifted from me.
Hania glared at me, her eyes practically screaming at me to do something about Isabel.
My expression grew complicated. I knew Isabel was projecting the deceased Lucas onto me. I also knew that was where her deep-seated anxiety stemmed from.
Could it be?
After hearing the news that Hania and I were dating, her anxiety must have flared up. Now, she was keeping a close watch to prevent anything else from happening.
There's really no other way to describe this than a toxic mix of love and hate.
I never imagined that briefly becoming Hania's contract boyfriend would trigger a reaction like this.
“Yaaawn... See you later.”
Sharin, the only one completely indifferent to the tension because she was half-asleep, drifted away.
Soon, only silence remained among us.
Iris had been in a foul mood ever since receiving Duke Robliaju's orders yesterday. Hania, mindful of Iris's state, deliberately kept her mouth shut. Isabel, meanwhile, kept casting silent, lingering glances in my direction.
It was an indescribably awkward spectacle.
And so, wrapped in a heavy silence, we finally arrived at the academy.
“Ah, Lightning Sweet—”
Seeing me open the door first, Seron raised her hand high to greet me. She seemed excited, likely wanting to talk about what had happened back at her family's estate.
But as she saw the three girls filing in behind me, her hand slowly lowered. She stared at me with a completely blank expression.
“The lightning sweet potato has turned into a harem sweet potato...”
I had no idea how many more evolutions Seron's sweet potato analogy would undergo.
Thankfully, Isabel didn't follow me any further. She simply went to her usual seat as if we had merely run into each other by chance. Iris, still enveloped in her low-pressure system, sat down without a word.
“Hanon.” Hania tugged at my sleeve. “Please stay close to Lady Iris today.”
The warmth of the Fire's Flame still lingered in my body. Being near me would bring Iris at least a little peace of mind.
“Will do.”
And so, we took our seats amidst the bizarre atmosphere. Seron didn't sit next to me today, having clearly picked up on the strange tension rippling through the Martial Arts Department. She was incredibly quick when it came to self-preservation.
Amidst that bizarre atmosphere, the first day back at the Martial Arts Department came to an end without further incident.
“I have some business to attend to with Lady Iris, so let's end our little act here for today.”
My daily shift as Hania's boyfriend was officially over. Iris would be busy from here on out, planning her takeover of the student council. She'd need to map out exactly how to seize control.
According to the original scenario, she should track down the boycott group and support them from the shadows.
However, there was a glaring problem.
The boycott group likely hasn't even properly formed yet.
While Nikita's incident had caused a massive stir, the timeline had shifted. Unlike the original scenario, the 1st Prince's faction had immediately held the 3rd Princess's faction accountable for Nia's attempted assassination.
As the two royal factions clashed, the ripples felt within Jerion Academy changed. The public sentiment that should have blamed the student council for Nikita's tragedy had failed to properly coalesce.
Since I don't even know how large the boycott faction is right now...
There was a chance Iris might not even choose to leverage them this time. I needed to verify the state of the boycott group as soon as possible.
Fortunately, I know where they meet.
The old, abandoned school building.
On the third floor, in the chemistry lab, the boycott group held their regular meetings.
And today is their scheduled meeting day.
Once a week, on Mondays.
Stepping into the dusty, abandoned building, I activated my magic engraving.
My form blurred, blending seamlessly into the surrounding environment until I was completely invisible. I quieted my footsteps and crept up the stairs.
Reaching the third floor, the faint murmur of voices drifted from the chemistry lab.
How many of them are in there?
The original boycott group consisted of thirty students. You needed at least that many to pull off an armed occupation of the student council room. Anything less, and they wouldn't even be able to make an attempt.
Maybe the numbers are a bit lower this time.
With that thought, I peeked through the window—and froze instantly.
“Huh?”
I stared blankly, a soft gasp escaping my lips. Fortunately, the two people inside didn't hear me.
Yes, two.
There were exactly two people in the entire room.
Wait a minute.
The boycott group was supposed to have thirty to thirty-five members. The exact number varied slightly depending on the event branches, but it was always around there. Given the chaotic string of recent events, I expected the turnout to be a bit low, but...
Two was just ridiculous.
Standing atop a chemistry lab desk, a third-year male student was delivering a passionate speech. It was Rozamin, the central figure of the boycott.
Sitting in front of him was Eiring, a second-year girl, clapping her hands timidly and cheering him on. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at Rozamin. It was painfully obvious why she had joined the boycott.
Two people.
My mind went utterly blank.
Could they really stage a boycott against the student council with just two people? The answer was a resounding, absolute no.
What do I do?
The flow of the scenario was constantly veering in unpredictable directions. I was barely keeping the overarching framework intact, but so many details had already changed. With Lucas gone, deviations were inevitable.
Even so, the major events that defined each act had to happen for the world to keep spinning properly.
The student council boycott was the catalyst that kicked off Act 4, Chapter 1.
It was the very incident that allowed Iris to seize control of the student council in Act 4, using Duke Robliaju's backing to shake the foundations of Jerion Academy.
Furthermore, this boycott was supposed to expose a massive web of corruption within the academy. It was a pivotal event that would throw the entire institution into chaos.
The boycott ruins the student council's authority, allowing Iris to step in, take over, and lead the student body.
In the process, the Third Princess's reputation among the students would soar. Corrupt professors would be purged, and the new faculty brought in by Duke Robliaju would grant the student council unprecedented authority.
This boycott event is supposed to lay a rock-solid foundation for the early stages of the act...
And yet, the very people supposed to start it didn't exist.
A sudden headache throbbed behind my temples. Iris wouldn't give a group of this size a second glance.
After agonizing over it for what felt like an eternity, I finally made up my mind.
This boycott scenario...
I'll have to lead it myself.
I tapped the Bandage of the Veil.
In an instant, my appearance began to shift away from Hanon. I grew taller, my posture shifting. My hair bled into a striking, pure white, and my features sharpened into those of a devastatingly handsome noble.
Vikamon Niflheim.
The third-rate villain who had been expelled from the academy back in Act 1.
Technically, he shouldn't even be here. But right now, Vikamon was the only persona I could think of who had a plausible reason to join a boycott.
Once my mind was made up, I didn't hesitate.
Slide—
“Whoa?!”
As I threw the door open without warning, Rozamin lost his balance and tumbled off the desk.
“W-Who goes there?!”
Hearing Rozamin's panicked shout, a smirk played on my lips.
“You're speaking of some rather interesting things.”
“Wh-What? V-Vikamon?”
Rozamin recognized me. Like it or not, Vikamon was famous. His face was far too striking to forget, and his infamy from being disowned by his family and expelled from the academy had spread far and wide. Every third-year student remembered Vikamon Niflheim.
“You... you were expelled.”
“I was. But when I heard Nikita had died, I sneaked back in to find out the truth.”
A chilling coldness settled into my eyes.
Seeing this, Rozamin and Eiring collectively held their breath. They had sensed the raw, burning fury radiating from me.
In truth, my anger was directed entirely at the fact that there were only two people in this damn room, but as long as it worked, I didn't care.
“And it turns out she really is dead.”
It was common knowledge among the third-years that Vikamon had been obsessed with Nikita. Rozamin looked at me with a gaze full of profound sympathy. To him, I must have looked like a tragic avenger who had lost the woman he loved.
“I cannot forgive the student council for what they did to Nikita. If they had paid even a shred of attention to her, they could have stopped her before she went berserk. But they just stood by and let it happen.”
I turned my gaze to Rozamin.
“Rozamin, you want to boycott the student council. I will help you. I'll make sure those bastards realize exactly what they lost when they let Nikita die.”
It was a flawless motive to join the boycott.
“I understand your pain so well!”
Suddenly, Eiring leaped up, grabbing my hands with tears welling in her eyes.
“To lose the one you love and seek vengeance... I can feel your heart breaking! Let us exact our revenge together!”
Eiring cried out, completely swept up in the drama. As someone clearly blinded by romance, she had instantly projected her own feelings onto my fabricated story.
Still, this worked perfectly in my favor.
My eyes drifted back to Rozamin. He looked at me, then let out a broad grin.
“Very well, Vikamon. I never thought highly of you in the past, but if you're willing to stand up against injustice like this, I would be honored to have you by my side.”
Rozamin extended his hand. Eiring eagerly placed hers on top of his. Both of them looked completely resolved, their eyes shining with determination.
...So why did I feel an overwhelming sense of impending doom?
Regardless, there was no turning back now. I placed my hand over theirs.
“We will stop the student council and make them atone for their sins!”
“Yeah! Down with the student council!” Rozamin roared, and Eiring echoed him enthusiastically. I offered a moderately passionate cheer of my own.
And just like that, a three-member student council boycott group was born.
Only twenty-seven more to go to reach thirty.
I'll just have to recruit them myself, I resolved firmly.
Slide—
“……Down with the student council?”
That was, until Isabel Luna slid the chemistry lab door open and stepped inside.