Chapter 551

Chapter 551

Book 1 Chapter 551
551.

Luke shifted his eyes toward his right side.

Gathered there were the fifth-year pupils, individuals viewed as the absolute peak of the upperclassmen, resembling a high ceiling far above everyone else.

Seated squarely in the middle of those fifth-years, occupying what was undoubtedly the most honorable spot, was Hark, the Student Council Vice President. At this moment, he functioned as the practical ruler of Lumern.

‘Though to be precise, his posture is closer to lying flat.’

He had tipped his seat far backward, balancing it precariously on just its two back legs, while dropping his skull back and stretching both of his boots out across the surface of the table.

Observing the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of his chest cavity, it was completely obvious that he had drifted into a profound slumber.

‘Is he really not going to crash backward?’

Luke’s eyes, which had spent a brief, nervous instant tracking Hark, shifted again toward his right.

In that section, the fourth-year pupils had assembled in their respective spots.

Positioned right among them was Elena, engrossed in a volume while maintaining a perfectly straight, immaculate posture.

From Elena, who was widely celebrated as the supreme charm of Lumern, the magnificent Queen of Lumern, an innate elegance seemed to radiate outwardly.

To any external observer, she appeared to be the absolute definition of a flawless, hard-working top pupil.

The sole issue lay in the specific volume Elena was focused on—a magical text explicitly classified as a ‘forbidden book’ within the walls of Lumern.

‘Is it truly alright for the top figures to act this way?’

This gathering was the revered Student Council, a chamber where the individuals representing the entire academy came together to conduct administrative sessions.

And yet, the pair of pupils who essentially formed the very backbone of the Student Council appeared, by all metrics, to be textbook examples of unruly rule-breakers.

For Luke, who was participating in the capacity of a first-year class representative, this was a environment he simply failed to grow accustomed to.

“Luke.”

“Ah, yes! Senior Lil.”

“Your internal energy trait is mana amplification, correct, Luke?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I am quite jealous. My own capabilities are far too commonplace. Every time I witness brilliant gifts like yours, Luke, I feel a deep sense of envy.”

“Oh, Senior, your own abilities are vastly more incredible.”

“That is not true. You are the one who is more remarkable, Luke.”

As Lil directed an expression toward him that seemed entirely genuine in its jealousy, a recent memory flickered through Luke’s mind.

It was an incident that had taken place just a few days prior within the specialized combat fields of the Magic Department.

Ku-gwa-ga-ga-gang!

‘Nooooo! Our mechanical construct, the one we dedicated our entire opening semester to building!’

‘This thing is far too flimsy. It feels as though it requires a much sturdier construction, does it not?’

‘You are an absolute demon! You demonic woman!’

‘Who exactly are you calling a demonic woman?! I possess a highly respectable title: the Spirit User of Gust!’

‘Is a title genuinely what matters at a moment like this?!’

That memory was of Lil completely obliterating a combat golem engineered by the third-year Magic Department pupils, using nothing but her bare fists.

‘They mentioned that particular construct was forged entirely out of pure Mithril, didn’t they?’

Luke kept his eyes fixed on Lil while breaking into a cold sweat.

“Ah, I am just so commonplace. Truly far too ordinary.”

The first-year pupils could only stare at Lil, who regarded herself as completely average, with deeply bewildered expressions.

Conversely, the upperclassmen remained entirely undisturbed, behaving as though this was completely routine.

‘And here I imagined I had finally adapted to the ways of Lumern.’

The reality of Lumern still pushed far past the boundaries of what the first-years considered normal.

Right at that instant, Hark, who had been resting with his skull thrown back, snapped his upper body upright.

Simultaneously, Elena snapped her forbidden text shut.

At that exact moment, the entrance swung open and Leo stepped inside.

Once it was clear that Leo had taken his place in the designated seat of the Student Council President, Hark spoke up, his tone thick with exhaustion.

“Very well, the President has arrived, so shall we commence the session?”

In normal circumstances, this would be an assembly steered directly by the Student Council President.

Nevertheless, because Hark, in his role as Vice President, managed the actual day-to-day operations of the current Student Council, Leo simply observed the proceedings he orchestrated without uttering a word.

Hark, his face written with sleepiness, let out a succession of yawns and made no attempt to hide his irritation, yet he executed his administrative duties flawlessly.

“Moving on, at long last. This item concerns the upcoming entry trials for the incoming pupils next term.”

Hearing those words, a collective tremor ran through the first-year representatives.

“For this term, the individual supervising the assessment is… Wait, what is happening?”

Hark focused his attention on Juen, who had shot her hand into the air, and addressed her.

“If there is a point you wish to make, state it.”

“Understood! I am Juen Tobidna representing the first-year Magic Department! If the testing format has not been finalized yet, I highly advocate for replicating the entry trial model from last term!”

“The rest of us completely agree that it is an excellent concept!”

“We gained an immense amount of knowledge from the upperclassmen during that entry trial!”

The entire contingent of first-year Student Council representatives voiced their absolute agreement with Juen’s proposal.

“Regrettably, it remains an unyielding policy that Lumern’s entry trials must differ with every passing term.”

Transforming the unattainable into reality is considered a core trait of a true champion.

Because of this, the entry trial served as the absolute initial barrier for any pupil entering Lumern.

If the challenge could be anticipated beforehand, it ceased to be a true test.

For that precise reason, Lumern’s entrance examination underwent a total shift every single term.

Following Hark’s explanation, heavy groans broke out among the first-year ranks.

“We could have finally given them a taste of their own medicine!”

“What an absolute shame!”

Observing their downcast reactions, Hark added.

“Professor Halind has been appointed to oversee the entry trials this term.”

The moment that name left his mouth, the entire room fell into a deathly, frozen stillness.

Halind, widely referred to as Lumern’s Wailing Wall, currently supervised the first-year tier but endured as a figure of absolute terror for every pupil in Lumern.

“Professor Halind has requested that we allocate a specific quota of individuals from each academic term, so the respective class representatives ought to coordinate and choose those individuals among themselves.”

Hark delivered the instruction completely flatly and made an effort to push himself up from his desk.

“Excellent, seeing as all listed topics have been addressed, we shall conclude our assembly at this point.”

“Hold on a moment.”

Suddenly, Leo intervened.

Hearing that voice, Hark forcefully twisted his facial features into a deep scowl.

“For what reason? Again? What is it now?”

“There remains a singular topic I wish to present in my capacity as Student Council President.”

“In your capacity as Student Council President?”

Hark curled his lips into a mocking grin.

“You refrain from participating in any actual administrative labor, yet you intend to wield your title as Student Council President now? Even if you hold that rank, do you not think you are overstepping your boundaries?”

Hark made his hostility toward Leo entirely obvious to the room.

Witnessing this display, it wasn’t just the first-year pupils who froze; even the usually indifferent upperclassmen from the other terms showed visibly anxious expressions.

The assembled pupils swallowed nervously.

Ever since Leo had taken up the mantle of Student Council President, there had been no visible clashes between Leo and Hark.

Leo occupied the supreme rank of Student Council President, but he had entirely surrendered the practical authority to Hark.

In reality, this Student Council operated entirely as Hark’s domain.

Furthermore, it was Hark who had wielded real power as the primary authority of Lumern throughout the preceding term.

Throughout all of it, Leo had never once attempted to enforce his status as the Student Council President.

‘Which is precisely why no friction manifested until this point, correct?’

The fifth-year pupils also shifted their eyes between Leo and Hark with intensely strained expressions.

This moment could be defined as the very first instance of friction between a Student Council President who held no practical power and a Vice President who held all of it.

“Do you intend to offer an answer or not?”

Hark let out a chilling smirk.

Catching his look, the fifth-year pupils signaled their agreement silently.

‘Regardless of how remarkable Leo Flob might be, Hark is not someone who will tolerate this quietly. For someone to carelessly interfere in the Student Council that he… that all of us have anchored for an entire term.’

The chilling stares of the fifth-year tier focused entirely on Leo.

‘Leo Flob, everyone recognizes your immense capability. However, your period for exerting control over the Student Council should only commence starting next term…’

“Do you believe you can do whatever you want simply because you are the Student Council President?! Do you believe you are above everything simply because you are a champion?! Do you believe you are untouchable simply because you were designated by the Divine?! You completely ungrateful underclassman who leaves all the actual burdens on your seniors! Are you even aware of the level of sleep deprivation I have endured since entering my fifth year solely due to your actions?!”

‘This individual! He is literally just throwing a tantrum because he lacks rest!’

The fifth-year pupils silently cursed Hark in their minds.

The dark rings bruising the skin beneath his eyelids.

The bloodshot veins mapping his eyes.

His current state served as an absolute, literal manifestation of severe ‘sleep deprivation’.

Right when the strain in the chamber had reached its absolute peak.

“Senior Hark, on every single occasion I have encountered you, you have been fast asleep. Were you truly battling sleep deprivation all this time?”

“That is correct, Luke. Senior Hark requires a far greater amount of rest than an ordinary person. Quite possibly because he has lacked sufficient sleep for the past term, his temperament has grown exceedingly sharp.”

Hark shifted a completely venomous glare directly onto Lil and Luke.

Faced with that terrifying look, Luke showed a slight flinch, but Lil firmly squeezed her hands into fists and spoke up.

“Even if his temperament has grown sharp, my admiration for Senior Hark remains unchanged! You oversaw the management of the academy beautifully in your role as Vice President!”

“Lil, you ought to reframe that statement. His foundational character was never particularly pleasant to begin with.”

Elena entered the exchange, offering a soft chuckle from her position beside them.

‘Please stop talking, you two!’

‘The tension in here is already hazardous enough!’

The remaining pupils screamed inside their heads, watching Lil, who was stoking the embers without an ounce of malice, and Elena, who was deliberately pouring fuel onto the flames.

“President, what precisely was the topic you intended to introduce to the floor?”

At that point, a fifth-year Student Council representative spoke up, attempting to defuse the situation.

“My intention was to replace the current Vice President starting from today.”

“Pardon me? That stands as the single most critical matter on the docket. You ought to have stated that from the beginning. Let us reopen the session immediately.”

Hark split his face into a radiant beam, acting as though his previous anger had never occurred.

Chen Xia, serving as one of the Student Council’s administrative secretaries, extended her arm upward.

“Senior Hark, is it not time for us to depart for our midday meal?”

“Do not speak nonsense, absolutely no one departs this chamber until this specific matter is resolved.”

“However, shouldn’t the Student Council President, regardless of his status, refrain from dictating such a massive shift as naming a new Vice President entirely on his own whim? He has contributed nothing to our operations for an entire term.”

“Who could possibly suggest such a notion? The decree of the President is entirely final.”

Hark declared, his gaze burning with an intense brightness.

Directing his eyes toward Hark, Leo spoke.

“In that case, please put forward a name for the position of Vice President.”

“My recommendation is Elena Zeron.”

“My recommendation is Lil.”

Hark and Elena delivered their names at the exact same instant.

Lil, finding herself abruptly put forward for the role of Vice President, rounded her eyes in absolute shock.

Hark twisted his lips into an amused expression and spoke.

“Why are you reacting in that manner? As someone who will be entering their fifth year, it is only proper that you assume the responsibilities of the Vice President, is it not?”

“Given that the entire structure is destined to alter next term regardless, would it not provide greater long-term continuity for Lil to step into the Vice President role now?”

“Lil still possesses an immense amount of areas where she requires development. Furthermore, you are undeniably capable of providing Lil with extensive instruction.”

“Oh? Your praise is quite generous.”

“No, it is the absolute truth! Your capacity for administrative oversight easily eclipses my own.”

“How could I possibly manage affairs with the efficiency that Senior Hark displays?”

The two traded smiles and pleasantries, but the gazes locked between them were razor-sharp.

‘Go ahead and experience this nightmare yourself.’

‘As if I would ever agree to that.’

The truth was, the Student Council of this past term had been one of the most frantic and overwhelmed in the entire history of Lumern.

As major crises manifested one after another, the Student Council, which held the responsibility of governing the entirety of Lumern, was crushed under an immense workload dealing with the fallout.

Elena, who functioned as the primary support to the Vice President, had been just as overwhelmed with work as Lys, the preceding Student Council President.

Naturally, Hark, who held the ultimate responsibility for the practical execution of Student Council business, had labored to the point where his mind felt as though it would literally fracture.

And observing the state of the wider world currently, the responsibilities facing the Lumern Student Council next term would undoubtedly intensify rather than diminish.

Holding a position of leadership within Lumern’s Student Council was considered the most prestigious credential an individual could secure prior to graduation.

From the very beginning, the individual holding the title of Lumern’s Student Council President commanded a level of authority that rivaled the monarch of an actual domain.

Not only could an individual secure massive fame, but an entirely unhindered path was guaranteed upon leaving the academy.

Yet above all those factors, it remained a fiercely pursued title for any elite pupil at Lumern who constantly strove to occupy the absolute peak.

‘The primary complication is that both candidates are fundamentally unruly rule-breakers.’

Just as Leo clicked his tongue in silent exasperation.

“If you choose to place that trust in me, I shall dedicate my full effort to the task.”

Lil spoke up, her expression entirely serious.

Fixing his gaze on Lil, Leo gave his answer.

“Denied.”

“For what reason, brother?”

Observing the visibly deflated Lil, Leo explained.

“Senior Lil, you are completely devoid of organizational and administrative talent.”

“That is incorrect, I possess it! I am entirely capable of performing well! Isn’t that right, everyone?”

Lil tightened her hands into fists and turned her gaze toward her third-year peers.

Meeting her eyes, her fellow third-years intentionally shifted their stares away from her.

“We should simply assign the role to Senior Elena.”

“Indeed, Lil. I truly do not believe you are suited for this type of labor.”

“If the task involves physical combat, that is one thing, but administrative paperwork is a different matter entirely.”

“The President undeniably possesses an exceptional talent for evaluating people.”

Hearing the reactions of her peers, Lil’s posture entirely slumped.

The collective focus of the room immediately shifted onto Elena.

Finding herself the center of everyone’s attention, Elena let a subtle smile play on her lips.

“Avert your eyes.”

The second, third, and fourth-year pupils all shuddered simultaneously and snapped their heads in the opposite direction.

Though she had maintained a relatively low profile since advancing to her fourth year, Elena Zeron remained a figure whom the pupil body referred to as both Lumern’s Queen and Lumern’s Witch.

Addressing this formidable version of Elena, Leo spoke.

“Senior Elena, I ask that you formally take up the position of Vice President.”

Elena began winding a lock of her hair around her finger and replied.

“I decline. Assign the burden to someone else.”

“I am convinced that Senior Elena represents the absolute most qualified individual for this role.”

“On what grounds?”

“Because you possess the necessary capability.”

Upon hearing that response, Elena locked her eyes onto Leo with intense focus.

“Do I possess a right of refusal?”

“You do not.”

After studying Leo’s face for a brief window of time, Elena spoke.

“Very well, however, I require a single condition.”

“A condition?”

“Precisely.”

Elena formed an incredibly radiant, beautiful smile on her face.

“Accompany me on a single romantic outing.”

The moment those words left her mouth, a wave of profound shock rippled through every individual inside the Student Council.

“S-Senior Elena! Demanding a romantic outing with my brother as a prerequisite? Is that not entirely bizarre?”

As Lil became visibly flustered, Elena rounded her eyes in mock innocence.

“My, is there truly an issue with that? It amounts to nothing more than a single outing, does it not?”

“W-well, how can I best explain it? It feels somewhat… inappropriate?”

“What sort of mischievous notions has our adorable Lil been entertaining in that head of hers to claim that a simple outing sounds inappropriate?”

“I-I was not entertaining any notions whatsoever!”

Observing Lil, who was protesting loudly with a face flushing a deep crimson, Elena placed her chin into the palm of her hand and directed a subtle smile toward Leo.

“Therefore? What is your decision, President?”

In response to Elena’s direct challenge, Leo replied in a completely unbothered, leisurely tone.

“That does not constitute a particularly difficult request.”

“Which signifies?”

“Let us proceed with it—the outing.”