episode_0107

The exchange meeting was basically not an event open to the public like a competition or the Lion King’s Birthday event.

The main purpose of this event was to share and learn about each other’s culture, as the main purpose of the exchange meeting was literally to bring harmony between the academies.

Therefore, instead of being held in a flashy manner and open to outsiders, the exchange meeting was held as an internal event comprised only of academy cadets.

It was customary for exchange meetings to be held in turns at each academy. Although the larger framework was determined by the academy hosting the exchange meeting, the basic goals were similar.

It creates a space for exchange where invited cadets from other academies can audit classes at the host academy and gain more experience.

On the surface, it was an event between the Academy with good intentions and purposes, but if you look at the reality, it was far from such pure intentions.

To be precise, the early exchange meetings had that purpose.

Instead of education at a closed academy, a broader learning space was provided through exchange with other academies.

However, as always, as time passed, the original purpose of the exchange meeting became somewhat different.

By gathering together highly talented and energetic young people, each academy cadet established implicit rules and formed a structure in which they competed against each other.

In principle, this could be said to be the right direction because it was in line with the reason for the creation of the exchange, but as political influence was reached, the nature of the exchange also changed.

Currently, the continent was in a situation like the calm before the storm.

Talents like Kirasung began to appear across the continent, and due to the remarkable advancement in magic engineering, the development of the Giant God Soldier, a weapon of war, progressed rapidly.

To put it bluntly, it is not surprising if war breaks out at any time.

However, the days of going to war with swords and shields are gone.

There are now giant soldiers, and an astronomical amount of money is consumed to use those giant soldiers to wage war.

Is that all?

Wars using giant weapons, the culmination of magical engineering, always caused irreparable damage to both countries.

It devastated the country and caused numerous casualties.

Because of this situation, the leaders of each country established various institutions under the name of a continental peace agreement. It was natural for them to have so much to give up as they had so much.

But is it true that human history is always a history of struggle?

The standing water was bound to overflow, and if the spring was pressed, it would jump out.

No matter how the leaders of each country gather to sign a continental peace agreement and exert war deterrence, there are always those who do not follow suit.

They were always more interested in what others were holding rather than what they were holding, and they viewed the era of peace as an opportunity rather than a blessing.

However, even they could not wage war without a plan in a situation where each country was keeping each other in check and their eyes were red.

Because as much as you are greedy, there is always a fear that what is yours may be taken away.

So what they turned to was the academy exchange meeting.

By spying on the heartland of each country where talent is cultivated, they began to gauge each other’s superiority.

Although they are now considered inexperienced young chicks, the academy was a place where talented people from all over the world gathered. It was judged that future work could be planned if we looked after them as they would become the backbone of an empire or kingdom in the distant future.

As a result, sparring became an integral part of exchange meetings, and sparring was decided as one of the most important events for this exchange meeting hosted by Demeia Academy.

“This exchange meeting must highlight the overwhelming aspects of Damia Academy. It is an exchange event in which even military inheritors from all four worlds participate. Not only the pride of the Academy but also the dignity of the Empire is at stake.”

Talisman, who served as vice president of the student council, raised his glasses and spoke passionately. As the son of a high-ranking noble, he was very proud of being a citizen of the Infractus Empire and was a person whose ideology of imperial supremacy was instilled in his bones.

Considering that his family was a representative aristocratic family of hardliners recognized in the empire, it was not impossible to understand his ideology of imperial supremacy.

Since I was a child, I grew up hearing that the Infractus Empire was the only country that could unify the continent, so I didn’t have to see how the values would be established.

“You must not forget the essence of the vice president exchange meeting and focus only on competition. An exchange meeting is for harmony between academies. If you only hope for victory, its meaning fades.”

The person who directly contradicted Talisman’s opinion was Courtney, a member of a representative moderate aristocratic family that stands on the opposite side of Talisman’s family.

Unlike the hardliners who always talked about unifying the continent, as a member of a moderate family that opposed war, they discussed the nature of the exchange meeting and opposed Talisman’s opinion.

“Courtney. Are you scared?”

“I think you need to be selective about what you say. Vice President.”

The gazes of the two people intertwined in midair.

As they come from families with opposite political views, the relationship between the two was not very good.

Starting with the two, the student council executives who were divided into factions began to focus on criticizing each other, leaving the meeting behind.

Is it the same this time too?

Seraphina felt a headache.

As the schedule for the exchange meeting approached, the fight between the two factions began to exceed that level. At first, the two factions were keeping an eye on Serafina, who was the princess and the student council president, but when Serafina did not do anything to stop them, they started biting at each other like fish out of water.

There were cases where the atmosphere became so heated that a third party other than the student council executives would question whether it was okay to have a student council like this.

But all of this was Serafina’s intention.

A ploy to encourage conflict between the two factions, exhaust their power, and control the student council according to their own preferences.

It was a bystander keeping in mind the future when he inherited the imperial throne and the current student council officers inherited the title.

Even so, you are crossing the line with Yeo in front of you.

The expression was gradually disappearing from Seraphina’s face.

Even though their fight was Seraphina’s intention, it was always she who would take the reins.

Even if the intention was to prevent them from carrying out political secrets, wouldn’t it be a reversal of truth if they couldn’t recognize the owner?

At this point, as always, it was right for her to intervene.

“Seniors, please calm down.”

Seraphina’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

It was a clever intervention aimed at the moment she was about to step forward.

She looked at the person who had spoken a moment ago, wondering what kind of bold person had planned such a trick.

Ian Tigris Line Barrel.

It was a giraffe from the Linebarrel family.

“Okay, Ian. What do you think? Do you think it’s right for our Demeia Academy to be begging these academy bastards who have no foundation?”

Talisman glared at Ian and shot him. Ian, who had recently joined the student council as an executive, had a very friendly personality, so he got along well with everyone.

In particular, since his family was the Linebarrel family, famous for being wealthy in the empire, they maintained a fairly close relationship, so Talisman thought Ian would take his side.

“Yes. Ian. I’m curious what you think. You must be thinking differently from the idiot-like vice president who only knows violence, right?”

Courtney was no different from Talisman. He also maintained a fairly close relationship with Ian, and he had no doubt that Ian would take his side like Talisman.

“First of all, I think both seniors’ thoughts are correct.”

“That’s not the answer I want.”

“I also agree. Do you think this is a compatible issue?”

Talisman and Courtney had a rare agreement.

It’s a good thing to say that both opinions are valid, but if you look closely, it’s not much different from not choosing anything.

Hardliners and moderates.

Because the two factions had different political lines, the neutral faction, which maintained neutrality, was not viewed very favorably.

It was because of the anxiety that they might change their minds at any moment and switch to the opposing faction.

Ian nodded, smiling brightly to everyone who saw him, whether they knew it or not.

“First of all, Courtney is correct that the exchange meeting is a place for harmony. On the surface, the purpose of holding an exchange meeting is to unite the academy, so we must not forget that.”

“I thought that Ian would agree with my opinion.”

“Are you serious? Ian?”

Courtney’s wide smile and Talisman’s wrinkled face.

Ian shrugged his shoulders slyly.

“On the surface, yes. There is no need to show the other party our full intentions.”

“Keep going.”

Talisman’s expression softened slightly. It seemed like he got a hint from Ian’s words.

“But like Senior Talisman said, you can’t just take it with you. This time, it is an unusual situation in which all the heirs of military skills from the four seasons are in attendance. Moreover, our academy has heirs to the four seasons of military skills.”

Ian’s eyes turned to a certain direction.

Naturally, the eyes of the student council executives also turned towards that place, where Seraphina was watching the meeting with an expressionless face.

“That is why we must win an overwhelming victory. If we lose, it will tarnish the reputation of Demeia Academy and, by extension, the empire. But it shouldn’t be outrageous. If we are confident that we are the best, we must have the dignity to match.”

Ian’s words had a strange persuasive power.

Although he did not have a flashy speech, his pleasant voice and handsome appearance added power to his words.

Seraphina, who looked at me with displeasure at first, also assimilated to some extent Ian’s speaking skills.

“Elegant victory. Isn’t that the most valuable thing we should gain from this exchange meeting?”

“An elegant victory… . These are words that fit the dignity of the empire.”

“I definitely overlooked that point.”

Talisman and Courtney, who were anxious not to eat each other, agreed with Ian’s words.

The saying that there is no dignity in an ugly victory was ingrained in Talisman’s mind, who had an ideology of imperial supremacy, and the saying that a beautiful victory was necessary to preserve dignity was engraved in Courtney’s mind.

“I think it would be better to follow Ian’s opinion just this once… . What is your opinion?”

“I also share the same opinion as the Vice President. Is there anyone who is against it?”

No one raised their hand. Since the two people who could be said to be the actual heads of the two factions agreed, everything went smoothly.

Meanwhile, Seraphina, who took a step back and watched the meeting, was honestly impressed by Ian’s resourcefulness.

Although it may have only been a short time since he joined the student council, he was already controlling key personnel and manipulating them to his will without much friction.

The most frightening thing was that the opponents did not realize that they had been guided by a certain intention.

This was possible by appropriately accepting and praising the other party’s opinions while hiding the original purpose.

Ian Tigris Line Barrel…

At one time, he was considered the number one target for recruitment by Seraphina, who had a strong desire for talent.

It’s not that it’s not, but at the time of the admissions mock war, we had decided to actively accept the opinions of the Ministry of Information and recruit him.

If Seraphina had not met the Irregular named Gilbert that day, she would have definitely dragged him into her faction.

But that day, Seraphina encountered an unconventional person named Gilbert.

He is known to have never ridden a Giant God Soldier before, and in fact, the day of the entrance mock competition was the first time he rode a Giant God Soldier.

Such a person showed off ridiculous three-dimensional maneuvers, won first place in the entrance mock competition, and boldly announced that he would become the successor to the Winter Sword.

When I questioned him as I was suspicious of his intention, he said that he would even give up his right to succeed to the count family and become the sword of the empire.

After all, she received recognition from the Sword Saint and became the successor to the Winter Sword, and became the princess’s own priest.

Is that all there is?

In the guerrilla incident and raid that almost became a stain on Demeia Academy, which had never been invaded, he did his job as an imperial sword brilliantly.

He protected the people of the empire and ultimately protected the honor of the empire.

That was why.

The reason Seraphina set her sights on a talent named Gilbert rather than a talent like Ian.

Seraphina was just upset that she couldn’t completely bring Gilbert into her faction.

Whenever I tried to hint at him, I tried to avoid him.

In that respect, he is exactly like his father, who maintains neutrality.

The iron-blooded count who said his loyalty was only to the empire.

Of course, Seraphina was not about to give up there. Because her desire for talent was greater than what criminals thought.

-smart!

“Come in.”

Seraphina, who had been lost in her thoughts, suddenly came to her senses when she heard an urgent knock on the door.

It seemed like he was thinking too deeply about Gilbert.

As soon as the conference host, Serafina, gave permission, the conference room door opened.

He was a cadet belonging to the student council.

“You were in a meeting because I felt like there was something you needed to know urgently, so I was rude!”

The voice of the cadet who knelt on one knee in front of Seraphina and bowed his head was very urgent.

Is there something wrong?

Serafina urged him.

“It’s okay. So what do you need to know?”

“A cadet is currently receiving random sparring requests.”

“I don’t think it’s something to make a fuss about. Isn’t there someone who has already committed such an eccentric act?”

“It’s different from when I was a Brynhild cadet. At that time, I received a request to spar with the Brynhild cadet regardless of his intentions, but that was not the case this time. The cadet declared that he would accept all applications for sparring with cadets from other academies who participated in the exchange meeting!”

“Should I call him arrogant? Should I say bold? I can’t figure out how to open it.”

What is this again?

Seraphina could not predict what kind of situation this situation would lead to.

If the cadet who committed this kind of antics showed a good performance, it would be a good propaganda effect, but if the opposite was true, the situation would become difficult.

“So what is the situation?”

“That’s… Even though we’ve already sparred quite a bit, we haven’t lost even once.”

“It’s a nice sound to hear. So who is that cadet?”

“Gilbert… This is Gilbert Lionheart!”

Seraphina smiled involuntarily at the familiar name.

Her priest seemed to be up to some pretty interesting things.