Chapter 151 – Student Council Presidential Election (1)

A few days later, in the back courtyard of the academy.

“…President, are you really running for student council president? No, wait. Isn’t it against the rules for a first-year student to run?”

Speedweapon looked at me in disbelief as he asked the question. Ryozo glanced at me before answering on my behalf.

“The special reward that the middle-aged instructor mentioned before the Ogre Hunt exam was the right to run in the elections.”

For a moment, I was surprised. Wasn’t this contradicting the secret agreement I made with Chief Ha…?

…But thinking about it, it was something everyone would eventually find out anyway. Once the elections started, the fact that Leon and I were candidates would be exposed to everyone.

The fact that they were talking about it so openly was proof of the strong camaraderie among the club members.

Of course, the absence of Senior Ha-na also played a role. Ryozo still looked at her with wariness and distrust.

Just when it seemed that the tension between them had eased, it flared up again in the past few days.

I didn’t ask Ryozo what had triggered it. I could only trust that she had her reasons. I had complete faith in her judgment and intuition.

While I was lost in thought, the conversation between Ryozo and Speedweapon reached my ears.

“To be honest, I’m totally in favor of our president running for president. Think about it, none of the other cadets know what he’s done.”

“…Well, things are quite complicated, but that’s not a lie.”

Ryozo nodded.

“No matter how complicated things are, effort should be recognized with an appropriate position or reward. But in your case, that hasn’t happened. On the contrary, a bunch of idiots just look down on you because of your background.”

“……”

Ryozo remained silent. But even without words, her gesture was an affirmation. Today, it was hard to find fault in what Speedweapon was saying.

“In a way, this is a great opportunity. I don’t know what motivated him, but the president is taking the initiative, so we should help him. Don’t you think, Saki?”

Speedweapon grinned widely. Ryozo pondered for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

“Yeah, yeah. Speedweapon, you’re right. And while we’re at it, I want to tell you something. From the moment Geom-Ma said he was running, I had already decided to support him.”

“……”

Speedweapon narrowed his eyes and looked at Saki suspiciously. Noticing his expression, she reacted defensively.

“What!? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing, it’s just… I wonder if you’re really the same Saki I used to know. I can’t believe how much you’ve changed in the past few months. Before, you were always lazing around with a red bean paste bun in your mouth… but now… huh?”

Saki stared at Speedweapon in silence, her expression so intense that he swallowed hard instinctively.

It was the same look she had when she beat him up on that rainy day.

‘…They say silence wins half the battle, but Speedweapon has a special talent for shortening his own lifespan with his mouth.’

Listening to their conversation, I finally spoke. There was something I needed to make clear.

“To begin with, let’s get one thing straight—I’m not running for honor or prestige. To be exact, I don’t care about the title of ‘student council president’ itself. What I’m after is the authorization to access the Association that comes with the position. As long as I get that, the rest doesn’t matter to me.”

Saki was so shocked that she dropped her yokan. She clearly hadn’t expected me to say that.

But at this point, there was no reason to hide my true intentions from my clubmates. It would be disrespectful to those who wanted to support me.

It was better to be honest about my goal and see how they responded.

Besides, being student council president would only be a nuisance. I already had too many responsibilities outside of academics.

I didn’t want to waste time on unnecessary administrative duties. I wasn’t even considering taking the position reluctantly. My plan was to get what I needed and vanish.

As two pairs of eyes fixed on me, I spoke in a low voice.

“That doesn’t mean I’m taking this lightly. Either way, if I want to get the Association access card, I have to win the election first. I’ll figure out the rest later. That’s always been our style, hasn’t it?”

The objective had only changed slightly, but the task remained the same. Fortunately, both of them nodded. Not because I was particularly persuasive, but because I had built enough trust with them over time.

“…In any case, this means we have to win this election. Now that I think about it, this is going to be quite tricky.”

Speedweapon scratched his head vigorously. His messy hair reflected the confusion in his mind.

With an uncomfortable expression, he continued speaking.

“I don’t want to be pessimistic, but… this year, the candidates for student council president are insanely strong.”

“Who’s running?”

“As far as I know, the current student council president is running for reelection. Also, although it’s not confirmed, there are rumors that the vice president is also planning to run. Those two will undoubtedly be candidate number 1 and number 2. Then, candidates 3, 4, and 5… they’re all third-years.”

Speedweapon furrowed his brows in concern. He pressed his lips together before adding:

“Honestly, candidates 4 and 5 aren’t a huge threat. The real rivals we need to watch out for are candidate 3, candidate 2, and especially candidate 1. The current student council president will be the primary candidate and our biggest obstacle.”

“Ah, that guy… He’s famous for being a lunatic, right? Wasn’t his nickname ‘Berserker’? I heard that when he loses control, not even several instructors can stop him.”

Saki twirled her index finger beside her temple, hinting that the guy was crazy.

Suddenly, her gaze landed on me for a brief moment. She murmured under her breath:

“…Although, now that I think about it, our side isn’t exactly weak either.”

***

At the same time. In a meeting room filled with a solemn atmosphere, seven cadets sat around an oval table.

Some had their legs crossed, others had their arms folded, and some were checking their phones. Their postures varied, but the same arrogant expression was reflected on all their faces.

“What the hell? The president didn’t show up again? This is the last official student council meeting!”

A tall cadet clicked his tongue in frustration. His disgusted gaze was fixed on the head seat of the table.

It was the seat of the student council president of Joaquin Academy.

The only chair in the entire room positioned with the window behind it. To him, that seat was a long-cherished dream.

However, it had remained empty for an entire year. Well, it wasn’t exactly empty; it had an owner, but the occupant simply never showed up.

A position considered the greatest honor for a noble family was being treated with indifference.

That was why the tall cadet, the current vice president Den Range, was grinding his teeth in anger.

“That sacred throne should have been mine, not yours.”

Den’s eyes gleamed with greed. If he could take that seat, he wouldn’t care what he had to do to get it.

At that moment, a female cadet resting her chin on the table let out a mocking laugh.

“Vice President, stop staring at the chair so much~ You’re going to burn a hole in it with your eyes. Do you think staring at it will make it yours?”

Den’s gaze sharply turned toward her, his eyes full of irritation.

Her name was Sion, the student council’s finance director.

“Sion, what about you? Why did you register as candidate number 3 if you think that way?”

“Oh, but haven’t you already decided that the position is yours? Why are you getting so worked up?”

With an amused smile, Sion continued.

“Besides, I also met the requirements to run. But seeing how nervous you are… it seems like you’re really worried, huh, Den?”

Den’s temples flushed red. If he could, he would have punched that mocking mouth of hers.

But he held back and clenched his fist instead. The elections were too close.

Reacting to petty provocations like this wouldn’t bring him any benefit. In such a delicate moment, he had to control his temper.

Seeing that her provocation had failed, Sion clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“Wow, for this guy not to react… His desire to be president is stronger than I thought.”

Well, Den wasn’t the only one like that.

“Aligning with the enemy… This situation perfectly fits that phrase.”

Of the seven present at the table, five, including herself, were running for president.

Sion turned her head toward Den again.

His eyes were closed as if trying to calm his anger.

She smiled kindly and spoke in a honeyed voice.

“Vice President, I’m sorry. I guess I went a little overboard with my words. It’s just that you seemed really stressed, so I wanted to joke around a bit~ Come on, relax that face. And to be honest… between the current president and you, I’d rather you win, Den.”

“……”

Den still had his eyes closed. However, the corner of his lips curled up slightly.

Sion smiled internally. What a simple guy, she thought.

“Well, it makes sense. He’s the only second-year in the student council, and he hasn’t even attended the regular meetings. Today is the last meeting before the elections, and he still hasn’t shown up.”

“…That’s something I don’t like either. But it can’t be denied that the current president’s term has been the most brilliant in Joaquin Academy’s history.”

Den’s response was unexpected.

“So you acknowledge what deserves to be acknowledged?”

Well, whatever.

Sion shrugged indifferently.

“Yes, I admit he’s competent. But all that talk about the president being a monster is a thing of the past. Look at the situation this year. The so-called ‘Golden Generation’ has arrived, with real monsters. That handsome guy, Leon, and also that black-haired kid… what was his name…?”

It was at that moment.

“Kang Geom-Ma.”

Everyone flinched upon hearing the voice that interrupted the conversation.

It was a voice they hadn’t heard in a long time.

Sion stiffly turned her head toward the door.

There, leaning casually against the doorway, stood a cadet. His sickly face and sunken eyes gave him a frail appearance.

“President…?”

Sion was frozen like a statue. The president stared at her for a moment before averting his gaze.

“It’s been a while, seniors.”

With slow steps, he entered the meeting room and slumped into the head seat.

With an indifferent expression, he got straight to the point.

“It seems like everyone is interested in taking my position, so I’ll be clear. I recently received a statement from the Association. This year, the student council presidential elections will not be limited to second- and third-years.”

“……!”

Everyone’s expressions stiffened in shock. The only one who remained calm was the president.

“The so-called ‘next Hero’ that Senior Sion mentioned, and the ‘Sashimi Saint,’ Kang Geom-Ma. Both will be participating in the election. Keep that in mind. That’s all I had to say. I’m leaving. Good luck to you all.”

With those final words, the president stood up. As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted into chaos.

***

At dusk.

…In an elegant café in the city of Wonju, where Joaquin Academy was located.

A woman with scars on her face was cutting a piece of meat with her knife.

The blood seeping from the meat moistened her lips.

A smile appeared on her face.

“Hmm~ As expected, Korean beef is on another level. And with such a skilled chef near the academy, the taste is simply exceptional.”

Across from her, a man was devouring his meat like a barbarian.

He frowned in annoyance.

“Damn it, how can such a small piece cost 50,000 won? This is a damn scam. I feel like flipping this place over.”

He grabbed a steak piece with his fork and started spinning it like a slice of pizza.

The woman looked at him with disdain.

“Can’t you at least behave with a little dignity? You’re embarrassing.”

“Dignity, my ass. You and I are both villains—what the hell do we care about etiquette? We’re here to stab people, not cut meat like idiots.”

“You dumbass, with that attitude of yours, I doubt you prepared properly for ‘D-Day.’”

The man let out a mocking laugh and tapped his forehead confidently.

“In case you’re wondering, the Federation considers me a strategic genius. I just confirmed that the Vendetta unit was wiped out, and I’ve also completed the preparations for D-Day.”

The woman froze, her fork stopping midair.

A few drops of blood dripped from the meat, staining the white tablecloth.

With a furrowed brow, she stared at the man with suspicion.

An old scar on her face twisted like a snake.

“You didn’t do anything stupid again, did you?”

“Ha! Look at you giving me that killer glare. You act all refined, but in the end, you’re just like us.”

“If you don’t want to end up as meat yourself, choose your words carefully.”

The man burst into laughter.

“Remember that we have an informant inside the academy’s student council? According to him, this year, two ‘vessels’ are running in the elections.”

“……”

“Don’t you think it’s too much of a convenient coincidence? The date of D-Day that the Federation has prepared and the election day match perfectly.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“On election day, we can hunt two prey at once. And if one escapes, the other will be enough.”

The man shoved two thick slices of meat into his mouth at once.

He chewed slowly before speaking again.