Book 1 Chapter 172

172

A cafe in the first-year classroom building.

Reese brought his ordered coffee and sat down in front of Leo.

The surrounding first-years spotted Leo and Reese, their eyes widened, and they began to whisper.

A meeting between the first-year representative and the fifth-year representative and student council president.

It was impossible not to be interested.

Moreover, with the recent revelation that Leo's maternal family was the Zerdiger, the interest was even greater.

The heir to the next generation of Zerdiger and his cousin.

A combination that, at a glance, could discuss the hegemony of the empire.

At that moment, a few female students with flushed faces approached Reese.

"Um! Student Council President! Could we have your autograph?"

"Me too! We're in the Knight Department!"

Two first-year female students, their eyes sparkling, requested autographs.

Reese smiled and gave them his autograph.

"It's no trouble. Keep up the good work with your studies."

"Thank you!"

"Wow! It's the President's autograph!"

Squealing with delight, the two female students then looked at Leo, smiled brightly, and waved.

"Well then, Leo. See you in the next class."

Watching the two girls leave happily, Leo said,

"You're very familiar with this."

"I'm familiar because I am. You're the grade representative too, so when new juniors come, it'll be like this."

Reese's words made Leo frown in confusion.

"The other grade representatives don't seem to be as popular as you, Senior Reese."

Hark, the fourth-year representative, sleeps every day and doesn't interact with those around him.

Elena, the third-year representative, is the queen of the school.

Leo sees her comfortably, but she always has a large entourage of guards around her.

As for Lil, the second-year, she was kind and friendly, but because she cared so much for her juniors, she would hold onto the first-year juniors and wouldn't let go, meaning that once you were caught, you had to listen to her for hours.

As a result, the first-years got tired of her and were afraid to approach her.

Reese chuckled at Leo's words.

"Well, those guys are a bit eccentric."

'It doesn't seem like just a little.'

While he chuckled inwardly, Reese said,

"Well, let's talk about this later."

*Clink*

Reese raised his coffee cup.

After taking a sip of coffee, Reese smiled faintly.

"The coffee here is still the same."

"Have you come here after a long time?"

"It's the first time since my first year. As you know, the Lumern Department's schedule is quite hectic."

Reese put down his coffee cup and leaned back comfortably against the backrest.

"Surprisingly, I didn't have time to look back on my memories. It's only now, in my final year, that I have the leisure to visit places of memory."

Leo nodded at Reese's words.

"Indeed, Senior Reese, you are also the heir to Zerdiger, so you must have had even less time."

As the heir to the great heroic family of Zerdiger, Reese would have had no choice but to be devoted to school life.

Celia was also famous among the first-years as a flawless honor student.

This was due to her mindset that as a direct descendant of Zerdiger, she could not afford to be criticized even slightly.

As the brother of such a Celia and the heir to Zerdiger, Reese would have had no choice but to have a perfect school life.

'Given his personality, he must have been even stricter with himself than Celia.'

This was also why Reese was called the perfect student council president.

The man who rose to the top of this place, Lumern, which was filled with students overflowing with talent.

A student council president recognized by all students.

That was Reese Zerdiger.

"Yes. Well, thanks to my hard work, I'm enjoying school life to the fullest now."

Since the second semester, most fifth-years were relaxed.

They had navigated the competitive and survival-driven environment for a full five years.

Now that graduation was approaching, there was no need to pay new attention to competition and survival.

In Lumern, fifth-years would hand over their club and departmental positions in the second semester and spend their time leisurely.

The professors also didn't interfere much.

It was literally a way to give rest to students who had worked hard for five years.

Reese seemed no different.

He explained that he had finished handing over his student council duties.

"Well, there's still a troublesome matter left."

"A troublesome matter?"

"The next student council president."

At Reese's words, Leo thought of the two students currently being discussed as candidates for student council president.

The first was Hark Liguard, a fourth-year.

He would be a fifth-year next year and was one of the top three strongest students in the entire Knight Department.

Furthermore, he was the heir to one of Lumern's three great heroic families.

"In terms of grade, skill, and background, honestly, there's no one like Hark."

Reese sighed lightly.

"However, he's not very interested in the position of student council president. He also thinks he's not cut out to be a student council president."

"That's surprising. I heard a rumor that he wants to become student council president to rival Elena."

"It's true that Hark and Elena are rivals, but Hark doesn't care whether she becomes student council president or not. The reason such rumors are circulating is that the fourth-years don't like Elena much."

At Reese's words, Leo rested his chin and thought of Elena.

'She definitely has a type that makes enemies.'

Leo let out a wry laugh.

She does what she wants without caring what others think.

It might seem like simple immaturity, but the problem is that Elena has the 'ability' to do so.

In particular, Elena had a lot of trouble with seniors from the class above her since the beginning of the semester.

'Is that similar to me?'

Thinking so, Leo shook his head.

'No. I'm the one the second-years come to pick a fight with. She's the type to create incidents. I'm a moderate.'

"In any case, although it's not very apparent on the surface, the third-years and fourth-years are not on good terms right now."

The third-year class is controlled by Elena.

As a result, the fourth-years who don't like Elena and the third-years naturally fall out.

"For now, the fifth-years are suppressing it, but when we graduate, serious problems will arise."

Reese sighed lightly.

"If Hark were to become student council president, things might be somewhat balanced. But forcing someone who doesn't want it will only backfire."

"That's true."

Leo nodded at Reese's words and frowned in confusion.

"Then why are you telling this to me, a first-year?"

He would understand if he consulted with Lil, a second-year.

After all, Lil, a second-year, would have more options than Leo, a first-year.

Yet, Reese specifically came to tell Leo about the seniors.

"The main point starts now."

Reese's expression turned serious.

"Since Hark is in that state, it's true that my feelings lean towards Elena. I feel a little sorry for the fourth-years, but I can't hand over the student council position to someone who has no interest. And it's also a problem to entrust the student council position to someone with mediocre skills."

Leo's eyes widened in surprise at Reese's words.

No matter what, he thought Reese would smoothly hand over the student council position to a fourth-year.

But to make such a bold move as to pass it on to a third-year?

"Although she's self-willed, if you see her controlling the third-years, Elena is fully qualified as a student council president."

Reese sighed lightly.

"Moreover, I believe the role of student council president is even more important right now."

"An important time?"

"Yes. Externally, the current world situation is uneasy."

Tartarus, which had been lying dormant for a long time, began to stir.

It was even extending its reach to the Hero Academy.

It was rare for Tartarus to directly target the Hero Academy, even in Lumern or Seirun, which boasted thousands of years of history.

Although Lumern and Seirun appeared calm on the surface, they were moving more swiftly than ever on the inside.

"Normally, the outlook wouldn't be very good, but in times like these, a long term for the student council president is by no means bad."

If the leader of a group continues to hold their position, the group stabilizes.

Whether Hark becomes student council president or another fourth-year does.

Elena becoming student council president is a foregone conclusion.

Therefore, Reese thought it would be better to have Elena become student council president sooner rather than later.

"Besides, while I can't say for the first to third years, the skill difference between the fourth and fifth years is surprisingly almost non-existent. Well, Elena was always a skilled individual who didn't care about her grade level at all."

At those words, Leo frowned in confusion.

"Then, shouldn't you just hand over the student council position to Elena?"

Regardless, the current student council president chooses the next student council president.

Furthermore, there have been cases in Lumern's history of third-years becoming student council presidents.

"You're right. In terms of ability, in terms of skill, Elena is suitable for the student council president. She herself is also aiming for the position of student council president."

Leo nodded at Reese's words.

"Then, isn't there no problem?"

Seeing Leo ask as if there was a problem, Reese let out a deep sigh.

"Yes. There was no problem."

"……?"

At Reese's sudden words, Leo looked bewildered.

Reese took a sip of coffee and pressed his temples.

It was an unusual sight for him, who usually didn't show much emotional change.

'Did something happen?'

"This morning, I called Elena and brought up the student council matter."

Reese contorted his face as if it were troublesome.

"But she refused the position of student council president."

"Isn't that to make things difficult for you, Senior Reese? Her hobby is to tease people."

Given Elena's twisted nature, it was entirely possible.

"I thought so, but she said something a little different."

"A different story?"

"Yes. She expressed her refusal, saying she wasn't cut out to be a student council president. Then she recommended one candidate for student council president."

"Who is it?"

Elena, that self-willed person, recommending someone else as student council president?

Feeling his interest piqued, Leo asked, and Reese extended his index finger.

"……"

Leo scowled.

"No way?"

"Yes."

The tip of Reese's finger pointed straight ahead.

It was precisely aimed at Leo.

"Leo, she recommended you as a candidate for student council president."

'That woman, really.'

Leo felt a headache coming on.

***

"Hmph- Hmph- Hmph-"

In the third-year classroom building.

Elena sat on the cafe terrace, resting her chin on her clasped hands, tapping her leg, and humming.

"It's unusual, Elena. You're attending classes diligently lately. Are you aiming for the student council president position?"

To the question from a classmate in the third year, Elena smiled sweetly.

"Not really. I'm not interested in the student council president position anymore."

Her sudden remark made her classmate's face harden.

"What?"

"Rather, I've found something I want to do."

"What is it?"

Elena smiled faintly.

"It's a secret."

Elena thought of a certain boy.

A boy with white hair who exuded the aura of a great hero.

'Leo Flob.'

Elena's greatest interest at the moment.

She desired only one thing.

'The birth of a perfect great hero.'