Chapter 71

The whispers of the children echoed around.

It made sense because a completely unprecedented combination was making its way.

The top student of the Martial Arts, 3rd Princess Iris Haishirion.

The top student of the Magic Arts, Daughter of Blue Magic Tower Lord Sharine Sazarith.

The deputy of Martial Arts, Daughter of the Imperial Knight Commander Hania Repidia.

Isabel Luna, who has recently been rising in the ranks of Martial Arts.

And me, the lightning brat.

“……”

Is this okay?

Cook—

At that moment, Hania elbowed me in the side.

Is she asking me to poke her back?

“Don’t raise your finger.”

Quick on the uptake, aren’t we?

Hania sighed quietly and whispered to me.

“What happened with Isabel? Weren’t you two not getting along?”

As Hania pointed out, my relationship with Isabel was pretty terrible.

To be precise, it was terrible.

But whatever wind had blown Isabel’s way, when our eyes met, she smiled brightly.

That smile was reserved for her close friends.

“Aren’t you two a bit too close?”

At that moment, Isabel suddenly asked.

Her eyes were definitely smiling.

“……Well, to pretend to be lovers, we need to be at least this close.”

“That’s true.”

Isabel understood more easily than I expected.

But even so, Isabel kept her gaze fixed on me.

Hania shot me a look.

It meant I needed to do something about Isabel quickly.

My face grew complicated.

I knew Isabel was overlapping my image with that of the dead Lucas.

I also understood that this was causing her anxiety.

‘Maybe.’

Ever since hearing about my supposed relationship with Hania, her anxieties had increased.

Is that why she’s trying to ward off any future occurrences?

‘This can only be described as a complicated relationship.’

I never thought that becoming temporary lovers with Hania would lead to this situation.

“Hahh, see you next time.”

The only one completely uninterested in this situation, Sharine, left.

Soon enough, silence enveloped us.

Iris, having received a command from the Duke of Robliju yesterday, was in a bad mood.

Hania, thinking of Iris, intentionally kept silent.

Isabel kept glancing my way without saying a word.

It was an indescribable scene.

And so we all arrived at the academy in silence.

“Oh, Lightning…?”

Seeing me open the door first, Seron raised his hand and tried to greet me.

He seemed excited, wanting to share what had happened at home.

However, when Seron saw the three entering behind me, he slowly lowered his hand.

And then he looked at me with a blank expression.

“Lightning sweet potato has become harem sweet potato…”

How far can Seron’s sweet potato evolve?

I had no way of knowing.

Isabel also didn’t follow me from here onward.

She just returned to her seat as if by coincidence.

Iris, being in a low mood, sat down without a word.

“Hanon.”

Hania tugged at my sleeve.

“Please stay by Iris’s side today.”

The warmth of the fire still lingered on my body.

Staying by Iris’s side might ease her discomfort a bit.

“I’ll do that.”

In the peculiar atmosphere, we took our seats like that.

Today, Seron didn’t sit next to me.

He must have picked up on the strange currents flowing in Martial Arts.

He was the type to perfectly take care of himself.

＊＊＊

In that strange atmosphere, the first day at the Martial Arts Academy came to a safe conclusion.

“Since I have business with Iris, let’s end today’s act with Hania here.”

Today’s act of pretending to be in a relationship with Hania was over.

Iris now had to prepare to take over the student council.

She would need to plan out how to seize control of the student council.

‘According to the original scenario, she would find the boycott group and assist them from behind.’

But there was a problem.

‘The boycott group likely hasn’t formed a solid force yet.’

Though the incident involving Nikita stirred up a storm.

Unlike the previous scenarios, the 1st Prince faction quickly held the 3rd Princess faction responsible for Nia’s assassination.

As a result of the two factions opposing each other, the effects were felt within Jerion Academy as well.

Public opinion hadn’t formed to implicate the student council for the responsibility over Nikita.

‘I don’t even know how strong the boycott forces are right now.’

It was possible that Iris wouldn’t choose to align with them this time.

So I needed to quickly find out about the boycott forces.

‘I know where the boycott group gathers.’

An abandoned building that I used once but no longer utilized.

In the chemistry lab on the 3rd floor, the boycott group held regular meetings.

‘Today is the day of their regular meeting.’

Once a week, on Mondays.

As I stepped into the abandoned building, I activated the magic seal.

My appearance began to blend with the surroundings and became invisible.

I silenced my footsteps and climbed the stairs quietly.

Upon arriving at the 3rd-floor chemistry lab, I could hear muffled conversations.

‘How many are there?’

There were originally about thirty boycott students.

At least that many had to gather to stage an armed takeover of the student council room.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t even be feasible.

‘Maybe there aren’t as many this time.’

I contemplated as I peered through the window.

But then, I froze.

“Uh.”

I almost let out my voice in surprise; my face went blank.

Fortunately, the two inside didn’t hear me.

Yes, just two people inside.

‘Wait a minute.’

The boycott members were always around thirty or, at most, thirty-five.

The number varied slightly depending on the event branch.

I thought this time could have fewer given the recent incidents, but two was too few.

“Let’s topple the student council that ignores students’ rights, and justly claim student rights!”

A 3rd-year male student standing on the chemistry lab desk.

The central figure of the boycott, Rozamin, was giving a passionate speech.

In front of him, sitting was a 2nd-year girl, Aeling, timidly clapping her hands in excitement.

Aeling’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Rozamin.

I could somewhat guess her reasons for joining the boycott.

‘Two.’

My head felt foggy for a moment.

Can just two students trigger a boycott against the student council?

The answer is obviously NO.

‘What to do.’

The flow of the scenario tends to veer in unpredictable directions.

Even now, I’m barely keeping to the framework of the scenario.

There have been many changes to the events.

With Lucas’s position empty, the scenario’s changes were inevitable.

However, at least one significant event representing a chapter must occur for the scenario to run smoothly.

The student council boycott incident kicks off Act 4’s first chapter of the scenario.

Through this event, Iris would aim to seize control over the student council.

Backed by the Duke of Robliju, she would shake Jerion Academy as a whole.

Moreover, various corruptions would be revealed due to this boycott incident.

It meant that Jerion Academy would be drastically rocked, more than expected.

‘To topple the student council’s power through the boycott, and instead, Iris, who’s taken over in the next year, will lead the student council.’

In that process, the name of the 3rd Princess will rise even higher among the students.

Then, due to the corruptions, professors will be fired, and newly appointed professors brought in by the Duke of Robliju will strengthen the student council’s power.

Thus, the student council gains the strongest authority in Jerion Academy’s history.

‘This boycott incident should solidly lay the groundwork for the early part of the scenario.’

Yet, there’s no one to spark the boycott.

A sudden headache struck me.

Iris wouldn’t even glance at a situation of this scale.

After deliberating for a while, I finally lifted my head.

‘This boycott scenario…’

I will lead it.

I tapped the curtain’s bandage.

At that moment, my appearance began to change from Hanon to another form.

My height grew larger than before.

Before I knew it, my hair color shifted to white and my face became that of a handsome nobleman.

Bickamon Niflheim.

A third-rate villain who had been chased out of the academy in Act 1.

Originally, he shouldn’t be here.

But when it came to suitable individuals willing to assist with the boycott, Bickamon was the only one who came to mind.

Now that I made a decision, there was no hesitation.

Drreeuk—

“Wah?!”

As I boldly swung the door open, Rozamin, who was speaking, fell off his desk.

“W-Who are you?”

Hearing Rozamin’s shout, I smiled.

“You have some interesting stories to tell.”

“Uh, uh? B-Bickamon?”

Rozamin recognized me.

Well, Bickamon was famous, whether liked or disliked.

My very appearance was too noticeable.

Moreover, I had a notorious reputation for being expelled from both my family and the academy.

All the 3rd-year students remembered Bickamon.

“You were supposed to be expelled.”

“I was. But after hearing the news of Nikita’s death, I snuck in to verify the truth.”

A cold chill began to fill my gaze.

Rozamin and Aeling unconsciously swallowed hard.

They felt the intense anger radiating from me.

In truth, my anger was directed not at them but at the sole two members of the boycott.

However, I didn’t care what it looked like.

“And Nikita is indeed dead.”

The fact that Bickamon liked Nikita was well-known among the 3rd years.

Rozamin looked at me with sad eyes.

In his eyes, I must have looked like a vengeful person who had lost someone dear.

“I cannot forgive the student council that wronged Nikita.

Had they been interested in her, they could have prevented Nikita from going on a rampage. But they let it happen.”

I turned to Rozamin.

“Rozamin, you were thinking of boycotting the student council. I’ll help with that. I’ll make it clear to them that they have lost Nikita.”

That was sufficient motivation to join the boycott group.

“I understand that feeling well!”

To my surprise, an unexpected reaction came from Aeling.

She dashed forward and grabbed my hand with a teary face.

“I can feel the intent to avenge the loss of a loved one. We will definitely take revenge together!”

Aeling exclaimed emotionally, seemingly caught up in her own romantic notions.

Yet, it didn’t put me in a bad position either.

My gaze met Rozamin’s.

Then Rozamin grinned back at me.

“Alright. Bickamon. I didn’t think highly of you before, but if you can rise against injustice, I’ll gladly stand with you.”

Rozamin extended his hand to me.

Aeling placed her hand atop his.

Both of them had resolute expressions.

…But why do I feel something oddly unsettling?

Yet, there was no backing out now.

I placed my hand atop theirs.

“We will surely stop the student council and make them realize their mistakes!”

“Wow! Down with the student council!”

As Rozamin shouted loudly, Aeling followed suit.

I joined in with moderate enthusiasm.

Thus was the formation of a three-member boycott group against the student council.

We needed 27 more to reach thirty.

Let’s gather them diligently.

I made a firm resolution.

Drreeuk—

“……Down with the student council?”

Isabel Luna.

She appeared after opening the chemistry lab door.