Ch.139I am the Chairman and You are (2)

Life should be viewed in the long term.

Let’s compare achievements, not grades.

So as not to fall behind the person in front of you.

“From today, you’ll have to stick with me for a year. Don’t ever separate or act alone. It’s the chairman’s order. Understand?”

“I wasn’t planning to separate anyway.”

“…Huh?”

Different dreams in the same bed.

Zernya, to surpass Eidel.

Eidel, to prevent Zernya’s rampage.

Both thought they would become watchdogs monitoring each other.

And so, the new student council was about to launch.

***

The handover.

A necessary procedure when the old student council welcomes the new one.

Appointing new department heads, teaching council regulations, and passing on tips in a warm atmosphere.

This should have been created, but…

“No, really! We can handle it ourselves!”

The stubbornness of the newly elected president was beyond imagination.

“You juniors are still first-years.”

“What does being a first-year have to do with anything?”

“If you had student council experience, it might be different, but running for office and getting elected without knowing anything will cause problems in actual operations. It’s better to fill department head positions with experienced second-year seniors.”

“As I’ve said before, Rheinland and I will handle that ourselves.”

The aging student council president on the verge of lame duck status.

A fresh, supernova of a kid.

While these two engage in an impressive battle of wills, everyone below them can only read the room awkwardly.

Of course, those subordinates include me and the current vice president.

After exchanging sidelong glances, she and I awkwardly smiled and closed the distance between us.

“Junior, you must be having a hard time.”

“Not at all. By the way, I couldn’t drink water this morning…”

“Ah, there’s tea and snacks over here.”

While Zernya and the current president, two predators, engaged in verbal combat, two herbivores came to a separate room and chatted about various things.

“As vice president, you can also take charge of one department. The Welfare Department or Disaster Safety Response Department are sweet spots. Oh, and try to avoid External Relations or Administration if possible, they’re absolute hell…”

The vice president seems like a good person.

It’s the person above who’s the problem.

“Hah, really.”

The current student council president spat out the words as he flung the door open. Seeing me with the vice president, he narrowed his eyes.

“Junior Rheinland. I’d like to hear your thoughts as well.”

So he came to me because he couldn’t get through to Zernya.

“What do you think about placing experienced student council members in department head positions?”

His tone was quite authoritative.

“I’m fine with that.”

But.

I add one more thing.

“I think it would be good if only about half were inherited by current seniors. There are already first-years in the student council, and even without experience, we can discover talented people.”

“Half… At least you’re somewhat reasonable.”

“Is Adelbein saying she won’t compromise at all?”

“Yes. She says the new council needs new department heads and wants to place first-years with no experience at all.”

That makes sense. She’s a child who thinks she’s the best, so why would she need department heads?

Zernya wants puppets.

At the same time, she’s wary of generational conflicts.

That’s why she’s trying to drive out the existing veterans and replace everyone.

“Haha, we shouldn’t have generational conflicts like this.”

I stood up and said.

“Adelbein and I have known each other for a long time. I’ll try to persuade her somehow.”

“Junior, no, Vice President, if you say so, that would be perfect.”

“It’s all for the student council.”

And also for Zernya.

I gave Zernya a look. She frowned deeply. When I stepped outside the president’s office, she hurriedly followed.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s hand over four departments.”

“What are you saying right now?”

It’s definitely not politics, but Zernya’s eyes sharpened as if we were engaged in a real political battle. It was the expression of someone who had studied imperial politics feeling like their bowl was being taken away.

“You said it yourself yesterday. That you got this position through your own efforts. So you won’t give your authority to anyone.”

“What if your approval ratings drop?”

“If every policy I implement succeeds, they won’t drop.”

“…”

I see what she’s trying to do.

Creating loyal followers.

If she handles everything herself, the budget-leeching do-nothings will shout “Wow, the president is amazing!” and she plans to expand her influence that way.

Oh, the perfect type to be taken advantage of in group projects.

But Zernya is different.

She had the ability to do it, and she had actually done it before, having once reached the top of Stellarium’s small society.

“Hey.”

Zernya pouted and raised her head.

“I’m the president and you’re the vice president. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“As vice president, you should listen to and respect the president’s words. We might be friends outside, but here we’re superior and subordinate. Do you understand?”

“Being a subordinate means I can also offer honest advice.”

“What?”

“The student council president represents the students. Not their owner. If you exclude second-years and select mainly rookie first-years, what will the upper-class students think?”

Zernya is smart, so she must have realized it.

But let me make it clear.

“Ah, that kid won’t get re-elected.”

“…Re-election.”

“Yes. A first-year became student council president. You could potentially serve for two years, couldn’t you?”

“You and me, two years…?”

Zernya rolled her eyes.

I can practically hear the calculator working in her head.

She put her hands on her hips and nodded. Then she began to circle around me casually and asked directly.

“Are you planning to run in next year’s election?”

“Depends on how this year goes.”

You, me, or maybe the second-year seniors.

I didn’t specify the subject.

That alone would make Zernya’s mind complicated.

Let me throw a jab here.

“But will you be okay by then? You’ll be entering the main program right after finishing the preliminary courses. You’ll be too busy then.”

“What do you take me for? Of course I can do it!”

I’m sure you can. You actually did it for two years.

Though a severe lame duck period comes at the end of your second term. No, your legs completely disappear, so even the word “lame” doesn’t make sense?

“So what I’m saying is, if you say you’ll do it then, I’m confident I can face you.”

“Fine, I’ll run then.”

“Sigh…”

Zernya’s expression brightened. That must mean she enjoys competing with me that much.

In reality, I’ll be running to graduate school through the early graduation system reform.

But if I can find and deal with any external gods that might cling to Zernya before then, that would be wonderful.

“Alright. If you say so, I’ll do it. I can hand over your positions.”

She was calculating how to win the hearts of current second-years in advance to defeat me in the re-election. That was Zernya’s calculation.

Sure, you be student council president all you want. I’m going to meet professors.

Afterward, Zernya compromised with the current student council president and handed over the Administration, Finance, Internal Affairs, and Policy & Personnel departments to second-years. In reality, she gave away all the prime positions.

The rest.

Cultural Affairs Department.

Welfare Department.

Public Relations Department.

Athletics Department.

College Cooperation Office.

These are relatively less important places. Even if they don’t perform well, the council won’t completely fall apart.

Here, the plan is to discover and appoint talented first-years. If there are none, we can always put in second-year seniors.

And then.

“External Relations Department, Disaster Safety Response Department. Who would be good for these two?”

Two hellish positions remained.

The External Relations Department argues with public institutions and educational institutions to secure budgets and recruiting opportunities.

The Disaster Safety Response Department checks school security and monitors for external gods 24 hours a day.

Just hearing about it makes me tired.

But.

“If there’s no one, we can skip it for now…”

“I’ll take the External Relations Department.”

For me, it’s a sweet spot.

Why?

Because other universities also count as “external institutions.”

“…Junior Rheinland, are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“If you take the External Relations Department on top of being vice president, you might literally die. Wouldn’t it be better to take Public Relations or Athletics instead?”

“I’m planning to bring in people from the Art and Physical Education departments for those.”

I need to help them build their portfolios too.

“And for the Disaster Safety Response Department, I know someone perfect among my acquaintances.”

***

Edward Meyer.

He was once Eidel’s home tutor, a non-regular employee at Ergos General Academy, and a senior by one year during the Academia days.

And now he was a college peer.

Though he studied mathematics daily and had talent, he lacked credentials. It’s a mistake to think companies would hire you just because you can handle calculus and algebra.

Of course, he had no intention of going straight to a company.

He was going to graduate school.

He had promised Eidel that.

“Senior, no. Peer brother.”

“Yes, what brings you here?”

At Stellarium, various science departments were bundled together in one large building called the Natural Sciences Building. Therefore, the Physics and Mathematics departments were right next to each other.

Eidel, who had crossed over to the building, topologically transformed Edward’s head as he was fiddling with manifolds in an empty lecture room.

“Brother, would you like to join the student council?”

“Ha, the student council?”

“Yes. I’ll give you a department head position.”

“But my studies come first…”

“One of this student council’s campaign promises involves improving graduate student treatment.”

Edward Meyer.

That’s how he became the head of the Disaster Safety Response Department.

***

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“See you next time!”

We ended on good terms with the seniors who had been arguing.

Zernya and I left the building and walked through the park. She had an uncomfortable expression.

“Why did you choose the External Relations Department?”

“Huh?”

Why, she asks. Because it’s convenient for meeting professors from other schools.

That’s half a joke, but there’s actually more to it.

“If we want to invite MegaCorp to the job fair, we need to meet with their people first. I thought the External Relations Department was the most appropriate place.”

“…You remembered my campaign promise.”

“Yes, because I’m the president’s lackey.”

Zernya, who had been walking ahead, stopped. Then she turned around with a chilling smile.

“Heh, hehehe. You know well. I’m the president and you’re the vice president. I was thinking of taking you to the Adelbein Group anyway.”

“…?”

What scary thing is she suddenly saying?

She’ll take me directly to the Adelbein Group, which is practically a shadow organization? I’d rather do a Jubi slide in a tiger’s den.

“Want to stop by a restaurant before we part? This president will treat you to celebrate our election.”

“Thank you, President. Thank you…”

Thinking I could use the money saved on food for more research funds, I followed Zernya’s unexpected escort into an upscale-looking family restaurant.

The call from Rustila came just as I was halfway through chewing the onions Zernya had left behind.