Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Special Treatment
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After returning from my vacation, I immediately held the student council president inauguration ceremony.
The ceremony itself was nothing special.
It just ended with the chancellor handing me a certificate of appointment.
'The important part starts now.'
A satisfied smile had already found its way to my lips.
The reason was simple.
I had finally moved out of that corner room in the north dormitory and into the new building's penthouse.
*Click!*
"Hahaha! Yes! This is it!"
As I opened the door and stepped inside, the familiar furniture arrangement was the first thing I saw.
The furnishings were the same as before, but this room had one crucial difference.
The panoramic view of Venderford spread out beyond the window.
Tossing my luggage roughly onto the sofa, I walked to the window and looked down at the campus.
The feeling of reigning over the students moving in groups of twos and threes…
"Ahhh! This is killer! Goodbye to that dreary, sunless hovel."
Warm sunlight now poured in so intensely that drawing the curtains was a necessity.
I brewed a cup of hiiiiigh-quality tea in a mug and savored the bliss while strolling by the window.
As I was enjoying my leisure, the bell tolling noon brought me back to my senses.
*Dong! Dong! Dong!*
"Ah, it's time."
I immediately straightened my clothes and left the room.
Going down the stairs revealed a space quite different from the penthouse.
A large conference room, an office lined with desks and chairs, and finally, a lounge.
It looked no different from Venderford's administrative office.
Of course, there was no one here yet.
Until a separate building was completed, this place would serve as the student council headquarters.
"Huhu! Shall I start establishing the president's authority?"
Gazing at the empty conference room, I smiled with satisfaction and summoned the executives.
A short while later, a subtle tension filled the student council conference room.
It was because Frantz and Ellington, now vice presidents, were competitively glaring at each other.
It seemed they were displeased with how the power dynamics were subtly shifting.
'Are they still at it? Are they going to start a duel at this rate?'
I read the atmosphere the moment I entered the conference room.
Of course, I had no intention of getting involved one way or another.
After all, I held the student council's power in my hands.
*Thud!*
As I made my presence known and took the seat at the head of the table, the tense atmosphere eased slightly.
It happened as the eyes of those at the conference table naturally turned to me.
I scanned the room and began to speak.
"Adel and Solberg, is it? You've picked some decent talent."
As I spoke with a feigned air of importance, the student council executives' expressions changed.
They seemed to find my attitude absurd.
They looked as if they were asking what kind of nerve a mere donation-based student had to act this way.
But I paid their reactions no mind and continued.
"To be honest, I never intended to sit in this seat. I just planned on getting decent grades. But no matter how I thought about it, there was no talent equal to my own. It was truly lamentable."
Seeing me clutch my forehead in anguish, the princes' faces twisted severely.
Perhaps because they had all been crushed by me, every word seemed to sting.
However, the reaction of Adel Richter, sitting beside Ellington, was quite different.
She was secretly laughing behind her hand.
It felt like if I let her be, she would fail to hold in her laughter.
On the other hand, Solberg Cayenne wore a strangely contorted expression.
He tried to maintain a solemn face, but his lips twitched from time to time.
It seemed he found the sight of the haughty princes seething rather amusing.
"I mean, what the hell is he saying in front of the princes? Is he crazy?"
"I know, right? He's starting off with a serious provocation."
Frixon was fidgeting restlessly, while Mac simply shook his head.
Kamil seemed to have no thoughts at all, just staring blankly out the window.
"There are two matters we need to decide on right away."
"And what are they?"
When I casually threw out the topic, Frantz immediately responded with enthusiasm.
His eyes were filled with a desire to outshine Ellington.
I gave a meaningful smile and looked around the room.
"Assigning positions and delegating duties comes first. Later, organizing various events will also be our job. But before all that, a more important issue remains."
As I created a solemn atmosphere, tension appeared on the faces of the student council executives.
They seemed to be expecting some grand pronouncement.
But I am a being who far transcends their imagination.
There was no way it would be something ordinary.
After a brief pause, I muttered with a serious face.
"Establishing a hierarchy."
"..."
"Now, everyone, repeat after me. 'Mr. President, I pledge my loyalty.'"
For a moment, Frantz's and Ellington's faces hardened.
It seemed they never expected me to say such a thing to them.
I brazenly lifted my chin and looked around at the student council executives.
"If you don't like it, you can forfeit the benefits and leave."
*Keke!* Of course, you can't do that, can you?
Seeing the princes' thoroughly twisted expressions, a triumphant laugh somehow escaped me.
Of course, I couldn't keep up that crazy talk forever.
"It was a joke. Why the long faces?"
And so, Venderford's legendary first student council meeting came to an end.
* * *
Although the student council was formed, there wasn't much to do right away.
I assigned positions to the executives and left them to their own devices.
Before long, a rather plausible organization had taken shape.
This was all thanks to the administrative skills of Adel Richter, known as the comet of her ducal family.
All I did was toss out broad commands here and there.
"Still, I can't resist taking some credit."
I would occasionally stop by the conference room to offer words of encouragement.
Of course, the student council president's real job was to lounge around in the penthouse.
No, it's not like I was actually just playing around.
My main efforts were focused on establishing the Heaven-Severing Demonic Chain Sword and advancing my state.
After a few chaotic weeks, a new issue emerged at Venderford.
It was the class reassignment.
"From now on, classes will be reorganized based on your performance and individual skills over the past six months."
The appearance of Jerome Klevitz for the first time in a long while heated up the atmosphere in the training grounds.
The students began to murmur, guessing who would be promoted to the advanced class.
"Realistically, there aren't many people who could move up, are there?"
"I know. It's too much to expect a class change after only six months of training."
"What are you talking about? There's the president."
"That guy... shouldn't he be viewed as a bit of an exception?"
Just as expected, my name came up the most in their chatter.
After all, what other student from the basic class had achieved results in both missions and the student council president selection tournament?
The advanced class was so outstandingly skilled that there was almost no room for a basic class student to break in.
Still, judging by the expression of the Dean of the Knight Faculty, it seemed there would be quite a few changes this time.
"Ahem!"
When Jerome Klevitz cleared his throat, the students' voices died down in an instant.
Surprisingly, a powerful wave of energy had emanated from him, pressing down gently on the shoulders of everyone present.
It was a delicate application of aura, just as expected from someone nicknamed the Wings of Radiance.
The Dean of the Knight Faculty unfolded a paper and continued his announcement.
"As of now, there are no students in the advanced class who warrant demotion. However, you should not be complacent. I see a few who have become lazy. Furthermore, those who have remained stagnant should also be careful."
"..."
Dean Klevitz's subtle warning made the students' faces stiffen.
Those who fell into the categories he had just mentioned looked particularly stung.
It was an undeniable fact that discipline had loosened in the six months since enrollment.
Besides, they hadn't been going on missions recently and were only training.
Being young students, it was inevitable that they would slack off a bit out of boredom.
Jerome Klevitz had pinpointed that exact issue.
"Now, I will announce the names of those being promoted to the advanced class."
The dean immediately read off five names.
Every one of them was someone who had recently begun to distinguish themselves.
But no matter how long I waited, my name was not called.
'Huh? Hey, Dean old man, have you lost your mind?'
I mean, I'm the guy who won the student council president selection tournament with a mere fragment of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword's first half.
Is this for real?
The students looked back and forth between Jerome Klevitz and me with surprised expressions.
Their reactions showed they couldn't understand the situation.
Then, the dean gave a mischievous smile and stared at me intently.
"President Ray Carter."
"Yes, Dean."
"Your name is not on the list. Don't you find that strange?"
Being asked so directly makes it a bit awkward to answer…
Besides, that smug smile of his was really getting on my nerves.
I had a strong feeling there was some underlying intention.
I couldn't give a cookie-cutter answer in this situation.
"...I'm fine with it."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because not only do I not overestimate my own abilities, but I also believe there must be a profound reason behind your decision, Dean."
"Whoa..."
A low murmur of admiration erupted from the students.
'Did you see that, you fools? This is the Ray Rantzverger way of handling things!'
I gave a small, silent nod with a look of utmost humility.
At that, Mac and Frixon, sitting beside me, stared with incredulous expressions.
Their faces seemed to ask if I hadn't just spouted crazy nonsense at the princes a short while ago.
'Are students and the dean the same?'
I gave a quick raise of my eyebrows and waited for Jerome Klevitz's next words.
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
I peeked at him and saw the dean clapping his hands and shaking his head.
"Perfect! This is exactly the kind of talent we wanted. As expected of the student council president."
"You praise me too highly."
"Haha! I didn't expect such a perfect answer... In any case, the reason is simple. You are to take my special lecture for one week."
"Separately?"
"That's right. After that, I'll move you to the advanced class. How about it?"
Honestly, it sounded like a ridiculously bothersome event.
And it was a lecture I didn't particularly need.
However, it was an event that could be used to my advantage.
'I can quickly master the middle part of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword and attribute it to Jerome Klevitz's teaching.'
It could serve as a justification for getting stronger more quickly.
I smiled gently and bowed my head respectfully.
"It would be an honor, Dean."
"Uahaha! Then I'll contact you separately later."
Dean Klevitz let out a hearty laugh and gestured for me to sit.
But even after all the announcements were finished, Jerome did not step down from the platform.
Presently, the head assistant, Godard, hurried over and handed him a document.
Taking the paper, Jerome Klevitz's expression changed completely as he surveyed the crowd.
"I imagine you've all been bored with no missions lately. Am I wrong?"
No? Not a chance.
Just lazing around has been new and exciting every day.
The other students seemed to feel the same as me, as no one could muster a reply.
Thinking back to the druid subjugation mission, no one would welcome this.
But Dean Klevitz ignored their reactions and continued the announcement.
"I heard you all struggled considerably on the first mission. Therefore, we have prepared a training exercise where you will fight a powerful enemy in a confined space."
At that, Ellington, who was sitting at the far right, asked with a slightly anxious expression.
"Who is the opponent?"
"A 3rd-circle druid."
"..."
The students were instantly plunged into silence.
Their faces looked as if they were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The 3rd-circle druid had already become an object of terror for the students.
Hadn't it effortlessly defeated a whole swarm of Venderford's top-tier teams?
Tension also appeared on the faces of Frantz and Ellington, who had faced that thing directly.
'I'll be fine, but... at this rate, all the other kids are going to get killed.'
It seemed the person who planned this training was definitely out of their mind.