Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Reward
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"Not even 100 points, but 150?"
"What in the world is going on?"
The students all voiced their confusion at the incomprehensible score.
Clarence Warlock immediately offered an explanation.
The atmosphere among the Second Student Corps, including Frantz, had grown tense.
"The mission, from exploration to report, took four days. Among all the student corps, your completion of the objective was the fastest and most perfect. That is why you were awarded 100 points."
He explained the reason, but the students' complaints did not subside.
There was still an unresolved question.
"Four days?"
"It should take over ten days just to travel there. How did they get there so quickly?"
"I heard they used a magitech train."
"Fine, let's say that's true. But how was the remaining 50 points determined?"
As the murmuring grew excessive, Professor Warlock rapped on the lectern to draw their attention.
*Thump! Thump!*
"The 50 points were awarded directly by His Majesty the Emperor. For preemptively eliminating a being that would have become a great threat to the Empire, a first-class military merit medal is scheduled to be awarded."
"..."
The moment the explanation ended, a heavy silence fell over the auditorium.
The students who had been complaining that the score was absurd clamped their mouths shut.
What could they do when Emperor Reynold himself had ordered the extra points?
One wrong word here could get their entire family erased.
Amidst the awkward situation, Clarence Warlock's final words fell like a declaration.
"His Majesty also added that Venderford as a whole shares in this achievement. Therefore, he promises a special reward and festival support for everyone who participated in the mission."
At that, the frozen atmosphere in the hall erupted like an active volcano.
"Yeahhh!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
Although it was essentially just empty praise, the students couldn't help but be excited.
When in their short lives would they ever have received praise from the Emperor?
It was clear they were at least one step ahead of their siblings who hadn't enrolled in Venderford.
Though, of course, they hadn't received the medal directly.
*'The Emperor is quite thoughtful.'*
I wasn't particularly interested in the man, but today, I quite liked him.
But then, Professor Warlock's words came to mind, and I tilted my head.
A rather unfamiliar phrase had been mixed in.
"What's this about festival support?"
Just then, Adel, sitting beside me, nudged me with her elbow and snapped.
"Don't you know it's the festival period after this mission ends?"
"Is that so?"
"And the student council is supposed to prepare it all. Since you never do any work and just laze around, of course you wouldn't know anything."
"Ahem!"
I stood up with an awkward expression.
Clarence Warlock was gesturing for me to come over.
It was a signal to come up quickly and collect the prize.
*'Ah, I've taken first place again. As expected, I'm... a damn cool guy.'*
As I touched my forehead, lost in self-admiration, I suddenly felt a stinging presence from the side.
Turning my head, I saw Adel and Camil staring daggers at me.
Uh-oh? Why are you looking at me like that?
Aren't you going to get rid of that insolent look right now?
* * *
After the group mission ended, Venderford was bustling with festival preparations.
A long vacation was scheduled right after this event.
The student council executives gathered in the meeting room to put their heads together.
"Let's hear some ideas. We're Troven's only university, after all. We can't hold a half-baked festival, can we?"
Adel Richter led the meeting with her clear, bright voice.
However, good suggestions were not forthcoming.
They spent their days busy with training and missions, so a sudden festival...
It was only natural that they couldn't come up with any ideas.
Just then, Mac Ties cautiously raised his hand and began to speak.
"How about local specialties? The Ties family has a barbecue festival."
"Hmm... That's something to consider."
Honestly, shoehorning local specialties into a school festival was a bit lackluster.
It would probably just earn them a great deal of ridicule from the distinguished guests.
All sorts of opinions were offered after that, but a conclusion was never reached.
Since the school was the host, there were bound to be many restrictions.
But then, Frixon suddenly threw out a decent idea.
"How about this? We dress up as ghosts or monsters and create a spooky atmosphere. The entire student body."
"Oh! That's unique!"
"It'll be fun just looking at each other."
The student council executives' reactions weren't bad.
It was much better than the cookie-cutter suggestions they had been hearing.
If the student council provided the props, participation would likely be high.
*'Still, I don't like it.'*
Wouldn't it seem like they were the only ones having fun?
"Let's decide on a theme and make a list of props to buy."
"It might be a good idea to assign monsters for people to dress up as in advance."
"Right. It wouldn't be fun to watch if there are too many of one type."
The student council meeting was heading toward a horror-themed festival.
*'No, this won't do. If I don't throw out a powerful idea to stop this train of thought...'*
I object to this theme!
I was about to shout, but I had no alternative.
I had to throw something out there to stop them, or the backlash would be worse.
This was a moment that called for a captivating theme, like the story of the imperial family's treasure I'd heard near the fountain.
*'Huh? The fountain?'*
But then, a thought suddenly shot through my mind.
"Wait!"
"..."
As I shot up from my seat and shouted, an awkward silence filled the meeting room.
The executives wore expressions that said, "Why are you interrupting now after being quiet this whole time?"
It was as if they were telling me to just curl up in a corner and sleep like Camil Felton...
Hey, what do they take me for?
"Ahem! Mr. President? What's with the sudden outburst?"
"The meeting was going so well. If you're going to cause trouble, please do it outside."
Since when had the code of the martial world... no, the dignity of the student council president, fallen so low?
It's time to restore some discipline.
I looked around at the executives with a feigned solemn gaze and said.
"We can't do something so ordinary for our first festival. The Venderford festival must become a specialty of Troven."
"Of course, that would be great, but do you have a better idea?"
"Of course!"
I answered confidently and closed my eyes reverently.
Then, my eyes flashed as if I were about to make a major announcement.
"We need to provide a spectacle everyone can enjoy. We're going to hold a beauty pageant in the central plaza!"
*Thump!*
As I slammed my hand on the table and shouted like a thunderclap, the atmosphere in the meeting instantly froze.
But I would not yield to such adversity.
I went a step further, hammering the core idea into the executives' minds so they would never forget.
"And it'll be a beauty pageant with a swimsuit competition!"
"..."
For a while, only a heavy silence filled the meeting room.
The one who broke that impenetrable silence was Adel Richter.
"Mr. President?"
"What?"
"It's almost winter, you know?"
"...Oh, right."
Ah, if it's cold, they can't wear swimsuits, can they?
Besides, being an inland region, Troven probably doesn't have a culture of enjoying the beach and the sea.
But my brain, already fixated on the beauty pageant, had become a high-performance magitech engine.
"Then build a hot spring."
"...Excuse me?"
* * *
"The atmosphere seems rather festive."
Viscount Roman Eblett, the Imperial Scribe, looked around the Venderford campus with interest.
The campus construction projects should have been nearly finished, yet the central plaza was bustling with noise.
"It seems to be because of the festival."
"It seems to be quite a large-scale event. I should suggest to His Majesty that he come see it."
"It will be held for the next few days, so that sounds like a fine idea."
After watching the students for a moment with his attendant, Viscount Eblett went to find the headmaster.
Marie Mellies, who was watching the festival, greeted the Imperial Scribe with a welcoming expression.
"It has been a while, Your Majesty the Empress."
"Ah! You must be here for His Majesty's gift."
"Yes, that is correct. It seems His Majesty is displeased with the lack of results."
"That is..."
The reason Emperor Reynold established Venderford was to cultivate his successors.
He hoped for the princes to gain experience and grow into outstanding individuals.
In the process, he intended to offer a tasty carrot to whoever showed results.
However, with a fellow named Ray Carter continuously taking first place, the Emperor's plan had gone awry.
"There is a strange fellow mixed in. I suppose that's why a day like today was created."
"Huhu! I have already completed the preliminary preparations."
"You mean the legend that's been circulating among the students lately? You are as thorough as ever."
"You flatter me."
Roman Eblett had secretly spread a rumor to coincide with Venderford's festival period.
The story about an imperial treasure still being on campus was something he had fabricated.
He had come up with it on the fly after seeing the old dormitory building.
He had brought the imperial treasure, which the princes were meant to find, with him.
"This is it."
*Click!*
Viscount Eblett opened a very old-looking box.
Inside was a pair of ornately decorated black gauntlets.
Judging by their sinister gleam, they were clearly no ordinary items.
"The Herculean Gauntlets."
Typical strength-enhancing magical items would drastically increase power for a limited duration.
However, the Herculean Gauntlets provided a slight boost to physical strength for as long as they were worn.
They had the advantage of being usable in actual combat without needing an adaptation period.
"This should be a sufficient reward. Where do you plan to hide them?"
"The old dormitory would be too obvious, I suppose. What about the northeastern castle wall?"
"It's not too far from the location in the rumor. Perfect."
"When the time is right, please give the princes a hint."
"I will."
Roman Eblett packed the box away and glanced around.
Even though the festival was in full swing, a certain person who should have been there was nowhere to be seen.
"By the way, where is the student council president? I was hoping to see what kind of fellow he is while I'm here."
"That kid? I haven't seen him for a while. He's probably busy. How much work must a student council president have?"
"What a shame. Well, I shall take my leave."
After paying his respects to Marie Mellies, Viscount Eblett hastily left the plaza.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Student Council President Ray Carter was in the shaded room he had once used.
He slammed a pickaxe into the floor, his eyes gleaming with madness.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
"Hehehe! The treasure is all mine!"