Chapter 88

“Stress makes people vulnerable.”

Secretly, Nivolans Panima had become incredibly fragile.

“It’s non-negotiable. You have to bring him here.”

Overwhelmed with work and pressure, Nivolans was losing his mind due to the stress.

I looked at him and felt a slight twinge of guilt.

After all, this situation was partly my fault.

‘Well, it was unavoidable due to the storyline flow.’

I felt a bit bad that all the workload fell on Nivolans.

The problem was that, due to the excessive stress, once he made a decision, he became a man of relentless execution.

In contrast, for Iris, just a little nudge to Hania got an instant approval.

“Yes, she said you can go ahead.”

Iris was already planning to become president anyway.

There was really no reason to oppose her.

The issue was about the vice presidential candidate.

Sharine Sazarith.

“Ugh, so annoying.”

As expected, when Sharine heard my suggestion, she sulked.

She had already devoured three pieces of bread.

Before I could even say anything, she talked with that full mouth, making me want to pinch her cheeks.

“You’ve eaten so much bread.”

“That was given to me by Hanon because he likes me.”

“Sharine, you might be misunderstanding something here. I don’t have any romantic feelings for you at all.”

Sharine’s eyes widened slightly.

We were sitting across from each other.

At some point, she had taken off her shoes and put her feet up on my thigh.

Where did her socks go, and why is she barefoot?

Her skirt had rolled up because of her feet on my thigh.

It was a gesture that any man couldn’t help but notice.

“Really?”

Sharine wore a lazy smile.

Her fox-like eyes were filled with mischief.

This cheeky girl.

Her foot poked my inner thigh.

Watching this, I raised my hand and gave her big toe a hard squeeze.

“Ouch!”

Sharine yelped and withdrew her foot.

“What are you doing, you smelly weirdo?”

“…I don’t smell.”

Really, there wasn’t any particular smell from Sharine.

“Bring that foot back. I’ll check it.”

“Is Hanon a pervert?”

“Who are you calling a pervert? You’re the one sticking your foot on someone else’s thigh!”

I really have no idea where she learned such behavior.

Now that I think about it, Sharine often read novels without covers. Is she into sensual literature or something?

‘She seems completely disinterested in the world.’

But then again, you can never really know what’s going on in someone’s heart.

There could be dark thoughts lurking inside Sharine as well.

Thinking that made me shrink back.

“…You’re not targeting my body or anything, right?”

“…What kind of imagination is that?”

Sharine’s eyebrows furrowed as if that was a line she couldn’t cross.

I decided to lighten up on the teasing.

“You’re mad about what happened last time, aren’t you?”

“….”

Sharine turned her head without saying a word.

I’ve known Sharine for quite a while.

Her innate personality is quite changeable.

When playing the game, I could never really figure her out.

But now, after seeing her with my own eyes, I can slowly read her heart too.

Sharine was currently in a bit of a huff.

The reason was due to the Boycott Incident that I didn’t inform her about at all.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why she was mad about that.

I guessed that maybe Isabel knew but was upset she didn’t.

“This incident wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Oh come on, Jerion Academy was turned upside down!”

Indeed, as she said, Jerion Academy was in chaos.

But this was merely a stepping stone for what was to come.

Compared to the hefty incidents waiting around the corner, this was an easy task.

“Still, it didn’t warrant needing your help. Sharine, if I ask you for help, it means I’m really in a crisis.”

I’ve had to rely on Sharine so many times.

Every time, she showed the highest efficiency as a rescue team.

Surely, there will come a day when I need her power again.

For that day, I want to save Sharine’s energy.

“So I didn’t tell you in the first place.”

I took out an orange I had brought along.

As I peeled it and handed it to Sharine, she opened her mouth.

With a look that clearly begged me to feed her, I almost shoved the whole thing into her mouth.

After giving her a piece, she savored it.

After chewing the piece I gave her for a bit, Sharine stuck out her tongue.

“Sour!”

“That’s what oranges are supposed to be!”

But her expression lightened a bit.

She knew I genuinely meant it.

As she stared at me, she took the orange pieces still left in my hand and began eating them one by one.

Watching that, I casually asked,

“So, about the temporary vice president…”

“That’s a different matter!”

“Come on, just do it for me!”

If I couldn’t bring Sharine along, Nivolans would cry out from stress.

I had a responsibility to be the secretary.

More than anything, from my perspective, Sharine was the most suitable for the temporary vice president role at this Academy gathering.

Her name is as well-known as Iris.

Moreover, she’s the top Martial Arts and Magic Arts student of the second year, making her all the more commendable.

Sharine, after finally finishing the orange, looked back at me.

“Fine then.”

Upon hearing this, my eyes sparkled.

It was an invitation to say whatever she wanted.

“I’ll do that for you, but in return, Hanon has to go on a date with me.”

What the heck?

For a moment, I looked at Sharine with disbelief.

“…Sharine, were you really aiming for my body?”

“Yeah, you’re perfect as a test subject.”

This is insane.

I completely forgot that she could aim in that direction.

Sharine flashed a pleased smile as if she had hit the jackpot.

“Remnants of the Ice Dragon Magic Seal.”

And then, I figured out why she said that.

“That’s the purpose of the date.”

The remnants of the Ice Dragon engraved on my body are still unresolved.

Sharine was saying, despite calling it a date, she would help me solve this issue.

“Isn’t that more for you than me?”

“I’m quite generous, you know.”

Sharine straightened up, puffing out her chest.

I couldn’t help but glance at her growing figure recently but quickly looked away.

“And it’s an area I also want to research.”

For a magic user like Sharine, the remnants of the Ice Dragon were a particularly fascinating topic.

Furthermore, since it had to be done with a Magic Seal, her interest likely increased.

“I’d be grateful for that.”

Anyway, it’s a relief.

If I could resolve the remnants of the Ice Dragon, I’d do anything.

‘Then, I’m ready to accept the role of temporary vice president.’

Now, all that’s left is to head to the Academy Conference.

＊＊＊

Six academies built atop Magung.

These academies were established by the five kingdoms, including the Empire, to prevent Magung’s interference.

The World Academy Conference serves as a place for the student councils of each academy to socialize and talk.

Of course, although it sounds like socializing, it’s just a miniature version of global political tides.

Those representing each academy are all prominent figures in their countries.

After all, Sylvester didn’t become the president just because he has the title of Duke Draffen, even if he’s not particularly capable.

This was such a World Academy Conference.

I was now going to the place where the representatives of the six academies gather.

Of course, I wasn’t exactly a main player.

Just a support role you find in any student council.

As a temporary secretary, I had no choice but to join.

‘How did I become a temporary secretary?’

Maybe because I had been diligent with student council work all this time.

For some reason, Nivolans had pinned me down as the next secretary.

Unlike the president and vice president, the secretary position tends to be handed down in the student council.

Nivolans intended to pass the secretary position to me.

In terms of capability, plenty of people are more qualified than me.

That’s because the majority of the student council comprises Literature students.

They are those who live buried in paper every day.

No matter how diligent I was with student council duties, living in modern society doesn’t quite hold a candle to them.

The secretary position has always historically been passed down to literature students.

But Nivolans told me,

“Hanon, do you think there is anyone among the second-year students who can assist Iris as secretary?”

Faced with Nivolans’ serious question, I couldn’t find the words.

The 3rd Princess, Iris Haishirion.

She is the perfect princess with all-rounded skills.

In the presence of her position and her inherent genius, anyone from the Empire would naturally feel intimidated.

To serve as a secretary beside such a person requires quite a bit of courage.

However, the student council had taken a significant hit due to the successive absences of the president and vice president.

The second-year Literature students who had been active in the council mostly felt downcast.

After all, they had all been chewed out by the inspectors, which was an obvious cause for a student’s mental strain.

How could those people serve as secretaries beside Iris?

Nivolans shook his head.

At least, whoever became her secretary would likely suffer from stress-induced gastroenteritis and hair loss.

“But you would be fine.”

I have good courage.

More accurately, after joining the Fire Butterfly side, my courage has been building up.

It’s probably heavily influenced by no longer pampering myself after losing love.

But right now, it was serving me well.

Moreover, I was even acquainted with Iris.

While I might be insufficient in terms of capability as a secretary, the likelihood of feeling stressed enough to run away was low due to this connection.

“Hanon, there’s no one else.”

Nivolans earnestly implored me.

To properly assist those two at the conference.

Thus, I had no choice but to come to the conference as a temporary secretary.

And right now, what am I doing?

Clack, clack—

The sound of the carriage echoed.

My task was simple.

To be Iris’s stuffed toy.

Yeah, the main reason I was here was not really to be a secretary but to serve as her emotional support toy.

Iris, holding me in her arms, had her chin resting on my head as she slept.

I had to keep balance so she wouldn’t tumble off me.

By now, I was used to this.

The problem was that there was a woman in front of me staring at me intently.

“……”

Her crimson eyes stared right at me.

Occasionally, it seemed as if a smile was about to break on her lips.

On her lap lay none other than the most annoying person at the moment—Sharine, peacefully dozing away.

The identity of the woman glaring at me was none other than.

Isabel Luna.

Somehow, she had ended up going to the conference with us too.