Chapter 152 – Student Council Presidential Election (2)

The purple sunset slid beyond the horizon, plunging the academy into twilight.

The intense summer heat had already faded, and fallen leaves covered the pathways like a carpet.

Step, step.

I was strolling through the academy grounds. When my mind felt restless, walking had become a habit to calm myself.

“It’s already autumn, huh?”

Each step I took made the dry leaves crunch under my feet. The season when the sky stretched high and the livestock grew fat. The night wind was cold enough to cause a chill.

‘I wonder if Chloe is okay.’

During the morning class, Instructor Lee Won-Bin mentioned that Chloe’s return to the academy might be slightly delayed. It seemed like it wasn’t just because of her family’s funeral.

‘I hope it’s nothing serious.’

As my concern for her lingered, I made my way to that bench. My walks always ended there.

It was the moment to organize my thoughts.

Was running for president just for the Association’s access credentials really the right choice?

I had already become involved in the main storyline multiple times. At first, when I entered the academy, I intended to live as a simple background character, but that determination had long since faded.

However, all those times had been a matter of survival.

This time was different.

This time, I was taking the first step into the story of my own will.

Not finding the Monolith wouldn’t put my life at risk. In that case, maybe it would be wiser to spend that time strengthening myself. Yet, I still prioritized obtaining memory fragments.

If I continued gathering them one by one, in the end, I might discover the reason why I ended up in this world.

That certainty drove me forward.

Besides, the additional rewards weren’t something I could ignore either.

‘First, I’ll get the Monolith, and then I’ll collect the other five all at once.’

Lost in thought, I kept walking until the usual bench entered my field of vision.

And, as always, someone had already occupied it before me.

It was someone completely unexpected.

‘…Yu Sein?’

Sitting on the bench, Sein was tapping on her phone with her gaze fixed on the screen. She was even wearing a headset, completely absorbed in her game.

Sensing my presence, she only moved her eyes to glance at me sideways.

Her expression showed that she had already expected me to appear.

This place used to be a rarely visited area, but lately, people seemed to be showing up more often.

First Abel, then Saki, and now Yu Sein.

Was this spot turning into a gathering place for important characters?

“What are you looking at? Weren’t you going to sit here? Just sit already.”

Could she stop speaking so informally? She was supposed to be a saint, yet every time she opened her mouth, it seemed like she lost followers.

‘But now that I think about it… are there even any gods left in this world?’

Professor Damian (?) once mentioned that there were no gods left.

The Sword God had exterminated all gods, and in the end, had taken his own life.

‘Then who the hell is Sein serving?’

I stood still, lost in thought, until Sein patted the space beside her, signaling me to sit down.

It was an unexpected encounter, but it was a good opportunity.

I had a lot of questions to ask Sein.

Since our last encounter in the hallway, we had barely exchanged any words.

And after that, she seemed to be deliberately avoiding me.

Surely, the reason was her so-called “divine punishment.”

Even if I forced her to answer, I doubted she would give me the information I wanted.

Besides, it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

The academy students were always starving for gossip, so if they saw me looking for her repeatedly… Just imagining it already gave me a headache.

Finally, I stepped forward and sat next to Sein. Only then did she take off her headset and put away her phone.

Sein spoke immediately.

“Don’t worry.”

“……?”

“Because I’m not going to fall in love with you or anything like that. So don’t worry.”

My face went blank at her sudden remark.

But Sein had a completely serious expression.

“A saint must love the entire world. That’s why she cannot love a single person in particular. That is what it means to be a saint.”

“……..”

“It would be a sin to add more burden to a man already full of sin.”

As she said that, Sein looked at me intently. Then, with a slight smile, she crossed her legs and swung them back and forth.

She remained like that for a long time.

I simply sighed.

So, as a saint, she had to love everyone equally and couldn’t fall in love with just one person.

But for that to be the first thing she said in this conversation… I was completely speechless.

I decided to ignore the comment and got straight to the point.

“I won’t ask too many questions because of what you said before. But at least answer this one.”

Sein just kept swinging her feet carefreely.

I took her silence as a sign of agreement, so I continued.

“You don’t need to answer with words. A simple nod or shake of the head is enough. I just want to know one thing.”

“…….”

Finally, Sein gave a slight nod. And so, I asked my question.

“Yu Sein, I know you have a connection to the status window. That much is clear. But you can’t talk about it because of that divine punishment or whatever.”

She nodded.

“The truth is, I don’t care who you are or why you came to the academy. I just want to know one thing. Everything I’ve done so far and what I plan to do in the future… is it something that the system or something similar had already planned?”

“No.”

A firm answer. Yu Sein shook her head.

“No one can dare to interfere with you. Not even if it were a god.”

“……?”

Sein brushed the dust off her skirt with her hands. It was her way of saying she wouldn’t answer any more questions. Then, she turned away calmly.

“Kang Geom-Ma, you are someone much more extraordinary than you think. You simply haven’t found your path yet and are still lost. Although… just by moving forward without straying, you are already becoming less and less human…”

Sein left her sentence unfinished. Without turning toward me, she continued speaking.

“So don’t doubt what you’re doing. Doubt is for the weak. The strong prove themselves through action.”

After saying that, Sein began to walk away.

I watched her back for a moment before standing up as well.

***

After parting ways with Kang Geom-Ma, Yu Sein wandered aimlessly through the streets at night.

As she walked, she replayed the conversation she had just had.

“The only thing I could tell him was that much… Kuhk!”

Suddenly, a searing pain surged through her, as if her heart was being crushed in a vice.

She covered her mouth and coughed.

Cough, cough!

A harsh, raspy cough echoed through the silent street.

When she pulled her hand away, she saw blood staining her palm.

Sein stared at her own blood in disbelief and let out a bitter laugh.

“Ha… seriously? Just for saying that?”

Slowly, she lifted her head and gazed at the night sky.

The stars flickered with a melancholic glow, as if they were watching her from above.

“…….”

“…….”

A brief stare-down.

Sein clicked her tongue and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Tch, I know you all hate him, but really? Punishing me just for giving him advice? No wonder you were all wiped out if you’re this petty.”

“…….”

“Enough, enough. You’re all a bunch of pathetic losers. You call yourselves gods, but your hearts are smaller than a rat hole. Sniveling cowards who fear more than a newborn. Look at what you’ve done! Because of your damned divine punishments, now I have to get blood transfusions!”

After shouting her anger at the sky, Sein sighed and pulled out a handkerchief.

Calmly wiping the blood from her mouth, she resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

The cold autumn wind blew harshly, making her frail body tremble slightly.

***

Lately, a rumor had been circulating among cadets of all years.

“Did you hear? In this election for student council president, there will be two first-year candidates.”

“No way! That’s unheard of! No matter how talented first-years are, this is different. The student council elections at Joaquin Academy aren’t some simple popularity contest.”

“Exactly. No matter how strong they are physically, in the end, this position requires proving skills in multiple areas.”

“…I heard a rumor that this election won’t be decided by votes alone.”

“What?!”

“Shh! Don’t say it so loud. It took me a lot of effort to get this info. They say that before the voting, there will be a competition. If you think about it, it makes sense. With two first-years running, the total number of candidates is seven. That’s too many. They’ll probably have a preliminary round to narrow it down.”

“And what will that competition be about?”

“I don’t know. But given how much the academy emphasizes real combat, don’t you think it’ll be some kind of physical showdown?”

“Come on! How are they going to decide candidates based on simple fights? I don’t know about you, but I think they’ll come up with a more noble and dignified method, something fitting for the prestige of Joaquin Academy.”

***

I was in the classroom, absentmindedly staring out the window when I suddenly received a message.

== ==

(Sender) Joaquin Academy Administrative Office

[Sent via Web]

(Notification) Announcement regarding the content of the preliminary competition for student council presidential elections.

All registered candidates must gather in the intermediate meeting room, third floor of the main building, before the start of the fourth class of the day.

== ==

As I stared at the phone screen, Ryozo spoke to me.

“What’s with that face? Did you get a spam message? If that’s the case, just tell me, and I’ll track the number to block them all…”

Without saying a word, I showed her the message.

Ryozo silently read the text before looking at me.

“So it’s starting.”

“Yeah. There are still over two weeks until the election, but it looks like they’re holding the competition early.”

“Don’t feel pressured. The intention behind this is obvious.”

A few days ago, we had been informed that there would be a competition exclusively for candidates.

Ryozo suspected that this was a decision made by the Association.

Two first-year students had suddenly been added to the candidate list.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that second and third-year cadets wouldn’t take it well.

Before the election officially began, they needed a way to quiet the complaints.

And the best way to do that was by creating a distinction between the first-years and upperclassmen.

So this competition was, in theory, the Association’s solution to that problem.

‘Either way, this just gave me more unnecessary work.’

When the time came, I headed straight to the intermediate meeting room.

Upon reaching the third floor of the main building, I was greeted by Supervisor Ha, who was already waiting.

“Ah, a-ah, hello. I’ll guide you to the meeting room.”

As always, Supervisor Ha awkwardly avoided my gaze.

I silently followed her to the room.

Creak.

As the door opened, the first thing I saw were the candidates who had arrived before me.

At the same time, several cold and heavy stares immediately locked onto me.

“…….”

Those people were my rivals.

They seemed to be trying to maintain their composure, but they couldn’t completely hide the traces of hostility in their eyes.

After glancing around, I took a seat in an empty chair.

That’s when I felt a faint presence at the back of my head.

It was a familiar yet unsettling aura…

Magic.

I turned my head immediately.

My eyes quickly scanned the people who had been watching me just moments ago.

The hulking guy frowning in irritation, the sharp-eyed girl sneaking glances at me, and the gaunt-looking man staring blankly at the ceiling.

As I observed those three, my hand automatically slid into my pocket.

“I never imagined they’d still be here in the academy.”