episode_0095

Chapter 95 – Election Battle

[Then, Candidate Isis Friuli, please come up to the stage.]

After the tumultuous kidnapping incident, Isis was finally elected as the Student Council President.

She walked onto the stage with confident steps.

The person who used to fret and worry about me was nowhere to be seen; the current Isis was very reliable, steadfast, and also beautiful.

She received the Student Council President inauguration from the dean and then took the microphone.

[Ah, ah—everyone. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Isis Friuli, and as of today, I will be serving as your Student Council President.]

The speech was simple and impactful.

Flawless pacing that addressed various points concisely, yet kept the audience from getting bored.

Her enchanting voice captured people’s attention and put their ears at ease.

‘Anyway, what should I do about this?’

After returning to the academy, I talked with Abel, who came to visit, and realized that no event related to vote manipulation had occurred.

This meant that Abel’s chance to build a friendship with Isis had disappeared.

This is probably my fault.

‘I’ve become too close with Isis.’

In the game, Isis and I weren’t on good terms, so there might not have been a need for a kidnapping, but it’s different now.

Remian was convinced that if she used me, she could manipulate Isis.

That’s why when I insulted Isis, she must have realized her misjudgment and rushed over, out of breath, to get some information.

Anyway, what I want to say is that the present has changed too much from what I originally knew.

Is there still a need to act like a scoundrel?

It seems most of the transmigrators have already figured out my identity, and above all, after absorbing the Phoenix’s egg, my own power has developed a lot, so I probably don’t need to worry about being brutally killed.

While I can’t claim to have been particularly careful, often acting on my own whims, it’s true I at least exercised some caution.

After a moment of thought, I shook my head at a conclusion that wouldn’t easily come.

‘Ugh, I don’t know.’

I already had a lot to think about, and I didn’t want to spend time on something like this.

I’ll just act as I wish, when the time comes.

After all, there’s no guarantee I can change my reputation simply by wanting to.

Just as I roughly came to a conclusion, Isis’s speech also reached its end.

[Then, I will strive to meet all of your expectations in the future. I look forward to working with you.]

—Whoa!

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!

Tremendous cheers and applause loudly struck my ears.

Afterwards, the dean appeared and ordered dispersal, and all students began to exit the grand auditorium in an orderly fashion under the guidance of the professors.

In that situation, Abel’s group pushed through the crowd and approached me.

“Ruan, let’s go!”

“What’s wrong? Suddenly. I can go alone.”

“But what if something happens! Let’s go together.”

It seems they’re worried I might get swept up and hurt in the crowd since I was just kidnapped.

I appreciate the thought, but I wasn’t particularly fond of a guy’s concern.

“That’s right, Ruan! We can’t let you go alone!”

“Oh? Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“…That’s too much favoritism.”

I readily agreed to Deborah’s interjection from behind and stood close to her.

Abel’s disappointed voice pierced my ears, but I gently brushed it off and exited the grand auditorium with them.

As we were doing so, I happened to spot Isis and the Crown Prince walking side by side.

‘Where are those two going?’

Seeing that Isis’s expression wasn’t particularly bright, it probably wasn’t a light matter.

I was a little curious, but I vaguely guessed it was something related to the succession of the Student Council President position, and headed to the classroom with my group.

*

“What is your business?”

As soon as Isis arrived at the student council room, she immediately got to the point.

The Crown Prince paused, then stood before the window and spoke.

“It’s about Remian. She’s been successfully expelled. Now she’ll be leaving for the Imperial Palace tomorrow morning.”

“I see. Is that all you wanted to say?”

Isis overtly avoided the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, seeing her ready to leave as soon as permission was given, turned his head and stared intently at Isis.

His red eyes, swirling with a myriad of emotions, clashed in the air with her silver eyes, armed with an iron-like resolve.

“Young Lady Isis. Have you no intention of accepting the proposal I made before?”

“…That conversation should be over by now. More importantly, must we discuss it today? Young Lady Remian will be saddened.”

“What Remian did was no ordinary matter. It was something that could have severed the lineage of a Marquisate. It’s more than enough reason to strip her of her qualifications as Crown Princess.”

“……I apologize. I will decline.”

Exactly one year ago.

When she was elected Vice Student Council President, the Crown Prince had made this proposal.

Asking if she would consider becoming the Crown Princess.

Saying he had fallen in love the moment he first saw her, that it had to be her, and asking her to spend her life with him.

And Isis, having received the proposal, had resolutely refused, with not an inch of difference from the present.

“What is your reason? Back then, you said you had no intention of marriage yet. Is that still the case? You’ll be a third-year student next year. Typically, young noble ladies all marry immediately upon graduation. I used to think it was because you had to take responsibility for your family. But that’s no longer the case, is it? Young Master Ruan has reformed. You wouldn’t need to worry about entrusting the Marquisate to him.”

It wasn’t just Ruan and Isis who welcomed their improved relationship.

Despite the Crown Prince’s plea, Isis shook her head.

“No. I must take responsibility for the family.”

“Why is that?”

“…Because Ruan said he has no interest in the head-of-family position. He said he doesn’t want to be trapped in the barren North, wasting his life away. So I must inherit the family head position.”

“That’s…! Isn’t that too selfish? To sacrifice his sister just because he doesn’t want to!”

It was the Crown Prince himself who was selfish.

Even though it was an agreement between the involved parties, he was slandering Ruan purely to fulfill his own love.

The Crown Prince’s mistake was not knowing that such actions would only anger Isis.

“Whatever you say is useless. I must inherit the family, and if so, I will need to bring in a son-in-law to join our family. Your Highness the Crown Prince, that is impossible, isn’t it? So it would be best if you forgot about me and focused on Remian. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Isis turned her back without waiting for an answer.

That was truly a great act of disloyalty, but it was Isis’s true feeling that she no longer wished to exchange words with someone who slandered her beloved younger brother.

The Crown Prince quickly seized her.

“Wait! Stop right there! I’ll ask one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“…Do you perhaps have another man you admire?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if your reason for refusing me isn’t simply because of your family. Is it because you have another man you love that you’re pushing me away so coldly?”

“……”

The moment she heard those words, Ruan’s face came to Isis’s mind.

She didn’t know why.

It just happened naturally.

That was a shock to Isis as well.

‘What on earth am I thinking…?’

Why would her younger brother’s face come to mind when asked about a man she loved?!

This is insane.

As Isis, flustered, denied her own feelings, the Crown Prince, having read her true thoughts from her expression, murmured heavily.

“So there is.”

“Pardon?”

“There was a man you loved. That’s why you refused me.”

“Oh, no. It’s not like that…”

“It’s useless to deny it. Thanks to you, I understand now. There was no hope for me. Can you tell me who that person is?”

“……”

Isis remained silent.

It was partly because he was an unspeakable person, but more so because she feared the Crown Prince might retaliate.

The Crown Prince gave a bitter laugh.

“You can’t tell me? I envy that person you hold so dear. …Then, I’ll take my leave first.”

Finally, the Crown Prince, having composed himself, walked past Isis and left the student council room.

Left alone, Isis placed her hand over her chest.

Thump! Thump!

Her heart was beating violently. Where was this thumping leading her? Isis felt as if she somehow knew.

Just as she was about to acknowledge her own feelings.

Knock knock.

-Isis. May I come in?

With the knock, Regina’s voice pulled Isis back to reality.

“C-come in!”

Though it was unlikely, she nervously granted permission, fearing her feelings might be exposed, and the door opened, revealing Regina.

She glanced behind her and asked.

“What did you talk about?”

“Pardon?”

“You were with my brother.”

“That…”

As she hesitated, wondering if she should carelessly speak about the Crown Princess matter, Regina gave her a subtly uneasy look.

“Surely it wasn’t about you becoming the Crown Princess, was it?”

“Pardon?”

“Remian said it last time, didn’t she? That my brother admires you. If it was a conversation just between the two of you, what else could it be about? Especially since Remian caused trouble, it wouldn’t be an issue to strip her of her Crown Princess qualifications.”

Siblings are indeed siblings.

Regina seemed to possess a similar thought process to her brother.

Isis let out a small laugh.

“He did make such a proposal, but I refused.”

“You refused?”

“Yes. Because I must inherit the family.”

“Really? You said before you weren’t interested in the head-of-family position.”

“Actually, during summer vacation, Ruan and I talked about the family head position. But Ruan said he doesn’t want to be the family head. He said he doesn’t want to be trapped in the barren North, wasting his life away.”

“Oh? Well… then there’s nothing we can do.”

Regina breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the worst-case scenario she worried about hadn’t happened.

Isis merely tilted her head.

“Anyway, let’s hurry back to the classroom then. Even the Student Council President shouldn’t be late for class, you know?”

“Of course. Let’s go quickly.”

The two quickly left the student council room.

Clank!

With the sound of the door closing, the student council room fell silent.

As if nothing had happened.

*

A few days later, the class competition season finally arrived.

I was idly staring out the window.

Men in repairman uniforms were carrying large boxes in and out of the entrance of the tall clock tower.

Seeing the thick dust rise every time they put down a box, it seemed quite heavy, but I couldn’t tell what was inside.

Just then, a repairman put up a “No Entry” sign.

‘What is it? Did the clock break down?’

As I was wasting my brain capacity on trivial matters, Sara slammed her hand on the podium, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, listen up! You all know the class competition is next week, right? Every student must choose at least one main event. Discuss it well. First up is the obstacle race.”

Although it’s called a class competition, it’s actually not much different from the sports day we had on Earth.

The only difference is that the obstacles are so formidable they absolutely cannot be overcome with normal physical abilities.

For example, if there’s a 1-meter vaulting horse on Earth, here it’s more like 10 meters.

Naturally, mages absolutely couldn’t do it, so there were several separate events that only combat-oriented and magic-oriented individuals could participate in.

Anyway, I don’t really need attention, so I should just participate in a relatively unpopular event.

The problem is that the world wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Alright, next up is the three-legged race. One boy, one girl. Who wants to participate?”

Usually, couples participate in the three-legged race.

And coincidentally, there isn’t a single couple in Class 3 right now. To be precise, there are no couples *within* the same class. The one couple they did have apparently broke up recently.

So, it was decided that the three-legged race participants would be chosen by recommendation…

“Okay. Lugia. Who do you recommend?”

“Deborah and Ruan!”

“I second that!”

“Me too! It’s fine since they’re dating anyway!”

Still believing those baseless rumors, my classmates tried to make Deborah and me participate in the three-legged race.

‘Ah, damn it.’

I left it alone because it was bothersome, but it seems the misunderstanding is only getting worse.

Deborah, flustered, stammered.

“Ah, ah! H-hey, everyone. Calm down. We’re not like that!”

“What do you mean ‘not like that’! The week before last, wasn’t it? The kids said they saw you on a date with Ruan that weekend!”

“Uh, huh? A date?”

“Yeah! The kids said you left on Saturday and came back Sunday afternoon, didn’t they? Are you still going to deny it?”

“Uh, th-that’s…”

I was so focused on dungeon raiding back then that I didn’t realize, but it seems some friends saw us leaving together.

This is really screwed up.

“Ruan. What about you? Do you dislike it?”

“It’s a bother.”

“So only Deborah will go? Is it okay if she participates with another boy?”

Lugia spoke as if Deborah’s participation was already a foregone conclusion.

I imagined that scene.

‘That feels disgusting.’

I’m not exactly dating Deborah, but thinking about her being tightly tied to another guy and struggling doesn’t sit well with me at all.

Anyway, I don’t really care about rumors, so should I just participate?

‘After all, I have to participate in one.’

Looking at the kids now, it seems they won’t care about the outcome, so I probably don’t need to try hard.

I finished deliberating.

“Do as you please. I don’t care.”

“Really? Awesome! Deborah, you heard that too, right? You two are participating!”

“I, I, I…”

“You’re doing it, okay? Huh?”

“…Ah, alright.”

“Great! Then it’s decided!”

And so, I ended up participating in the three-legged race with Deborah.