Chapter 82: An Invitation from the Student Council
The proposal from Andrew Aiwood, the Student Council President and the Second Prince, was clear: to join the Student Council Executive Committee and take on the role of overseeing other students.
“Are you saying… you want me to keep an eye on your foolish younger brother?”
“Not just him. There hasn’t been an Executive Committee member from the Magic Department in the first year yet, so I simply need more personnel,” Andrew replied to Rest’s question.
“This is an annual occurrence, but… it’s common for Student Council officers and the Executive Committee to come from the same department as the president. Since I’m a student in the Department of Knights, most of the Student Council members are knights as well. To maintain balance, I appointed a member from the Magic Department as the vice president, and Celestine is also on board.”
“Ah… I see.”
Rest recalled hearing about this before. The Student Council President is elected, but in many cases, the candidates tend to be from either the Magic Department or the Department of Knights. There isn’t a formal rule about it, but children of royalty and high-ranking nobles often enroll in one of those two departments, making it easier for them to gather votes. Even though the academy claims that social status doesn’t matter, no one wants to oppose those in higher positions, and everyone wants to curry favor with them. When a member of the royal family or a high noble runs for Student Council President, supporters gather to help them collect votes, and other candidates tend to withdraw, disappearing without a fight.
This was particularly evident with someone like Andrew, a member of the royal family. When a royal candidate runs for president, other potential candidates usually withdraw unless they are completely oblivious to the situation. In Andrew’s case, all other candidates had withdrawn, allowing him to assume the presidency without an election.
(If it were a foolish prince like Rodel running, it might be a different story… Since Prince Andrew is a student in the Department of Knights, it naturally leads to a predominance of knights in the Student Council. There’s also friction between the Magic and Knight Departments, and it’s simply easier to approach students from the same building.)
“I would prefer to gather Student Council members from various departments, but… it seems that’s not so easy. The divide between the departments appears to be quite significant.”
“So… why me? With you as president, surely there are others who want to join the Student Council?”
“Well, there are. There are a fair number of candidates. But… it wouldn’t make sense to inflate the numbers with people who are useless, would it?”
Andrew shrugged, a sardonic smile seemingly his default expression.
“The Executive Committee holds the authority to oversee the conduct of other students. You need enough strength and influence to make others think, ‘With this person around, mischief is impossible’… In that regard, you would be more than adequate.”
“……..”
“You’re a first-year student in Class A of the Magic Department, the son-in-law of the Court Mage Director from the Rosemary Marquis House. Plus, you defeated Daniya, who is ranked second in the Department of Knights, in swordsmanship—a hot topic among the new students. If you join the Executive Committee, you could keep the first-year students in the Magic Department in check… except for my foolish brother, of course.”
“Ah… is your relationship with him that bad?”
“Bad. Extremely bad.”
Andrew narrowed his eyes, a smile on his lips, yet his gaze held no warmth. The slight tension from Viola and Primula, seated beside him, dissipated almost immediately.
“He’s an unparalleled fool. Among those blessed with power and noble blood, there are sometimes those who disregard their surroundings… but he is particularly egregious. He looks down on Celestine, who is not only my fiancée but also a duchess, and he insults me by saying I entered the Department of Knights because I lack magical talent. I can’t count how many times I’ve thought about beheading him.”
“That sounds… unfortunate.”
If only he would take care of it, Rest mused, it would save him some trouble. As Celestine had mentioned before, there were likely circumstances that prevented such a simple resolution.
“As a member of the Executive Committee, you would be permitted to use magic against students who engage in misconduct. You wouldn’t even need to resort to indirect methods like using a smoke screen.”
“……..”
“What do you think? Your internal evaluation points would improve, and it would be advantageous for your job prospects after graduation… though I suppose that’s not particularly relevant for you.”
Andrew shrugged once more. For Rest, who was set to marry into the Rosemary Marquis House, internal evaluation points weren’t a pressing concern. Becoming a Court Magician was well within his capabilities, especially with the connections of Marquis Rosemary backing him. There was no reason for him to join the Student Council just for the sake of teacher evaluations.
(Still… being able to retaliate openly is quite appealing. Outside of class, using offensive magic is strictly forbidden at the academy… it’s an unexpectedly cumbersome restriction.)
“Well then…”
Rest casually glanced to his sides.
“……..”
Viola and Primula silently returned his gaze, ready to defer to his judgment.
“Could I have a little time to think it over?”
“Of course. Just let me know once you’ve made your decision.”
Rest offered a noncommittal response, choosing to hold off for now.