The new and old student council officers were gathered in the student council room of Serendia Academy. There was Neil, the current student council president and next year's president, Elliot and Bridget, the current secretaries, and Monica, the current treasurer.
The candidates for next year's student council officers were Roberto for vice president, Eliane for secretary, and Lana for treasurer. They were just waiting for the arrival of Felix, Cyril, and Glenn.
Monica, who didn't know until yesterday that Lana had been selected as a new student council officer, wanted to talk to her, but there was someone else who caught her attention even more.
Lana seemed to agree, glaring at that person——Claudia, who was sitting snugly next to Neil.
"W-Why are you here? Didn't you turn down the offer to become a student council officer?"
Claudia, with her usual doll-like expressionless face, answered Lana, who was voicing the feelings of everyone present.
"…That's right, there's no way I'd take on such a troublesome role."
"Then why are you here? Today is a meeting for the new and old student council officers, you know?"
At Lana's words, Claudia lifted the corners of her mouth and leaned against Neil with an evil smile that would make even the wicked witch of a story envious.
"…I am Neil's private secretary. Do you un-der-stand?"
"There's no way I could understand that."
Lana's cheeks twitched as she looked at Neil.
"Hey, is that even allowed?"
As Neil made a troubled face, Claudia's arm slid around his neck.
Claudia clung tightly to Neil's left side and said in a flat voice,
"‘Student Council Regulations, Article 17-3: The student council president may appoint one or more vice presidents, secretaries, treasurers, and general affairs officers, up to a maximum of two each. In addition, the president may appoint volunteer assistants as needed.'"
In other words, it seemed that Claudia was one of these "volunteer assistants".
An assistant is someone who does not have the authority of a student council officer, but is more like a volunteer.
However, it goes without saying that Claudia is not the type to quietly devote herself to volunteer work.
"It's obvious that she just wants to be near her fiance without doing any troublesome work."
"Well, actually, it's not quite that simple."
Surprisingly, it was Elliot, the current secretary, who scolded Lana as she groaned in a low voice.
Elliot glanced at the resource room and scratched his cheek, looking a little awkward.
"When Claudia helped me organize the guest list for the graduation ceremony, it went so smoothly… Not only does she have book knowledge, but she also has a grasp of the marital relationships in high society. Plus, she has memorized all the coats of arms of the domestic nobility, so the work goes by quickly… Even the heraldic officers would be put to shame."
Claudia basically dislikes being relied upon by others.
However, it seems that she is willing to overlook some troublesome matters if it means being by Neal's side.
That's just like Lady Claudia…
As Monica smiled wryly, Roberto, who was sitting in a distant seat, raised his hand as if to show off his rolled-up sleeves.
"I also have something I'd like to confirm."
Monica had a bad feeling about this.
By the time she thought that, Roberto was already looking at her with clear eyes.
"I thought Miss Monica would continue to be a student council officer next year, but is that not the case?"
"What!? Isn't Monica going to be the treasurer too!?"
At Roberto's words, Lana's eyes widened as she looked at Monica.
Monica smiled bitterly and lowered her gaze slightly to the desk.
"Um… I think I've done enough this year, so…"
"I haven't played enough chess with Miss Monica yet. Miss Monica, if we're both student council officers, we'll have more opportunities to interact and it will be easier to secure time to play chess. Please consider continuing as treasurer."
"It's ridiculous to be a student council officer just to play chess. But I thought I'd be able to work as treasurer together with Monica…"
Monica's heart ached when Lana looked dejected, even if Roberto was being unreasonable.
Even so, there was no Monica Norton next year.
Just as Monica was about to make an excuse, the door to the student council room swung open with force.
"Emergency, emergency, emergency!"
The one who rushed in shouting in a voice that echoed throughout the student council room was, needless to say, the loudest man at Serendia Academy, Glenn Dudley.
It was nothing new for Glenn to be noisy, but today he seemed to be acting strange.
Glenn, with a desperate look on his face, was grabbing Cyril's arm. It seemed that Cyril had been dragged here by Glenn.
Cyril looked exhausted, as if just standing was all he could manage, and he was looking down, his face pale.
Bridget muttered, "How noisy," and Eliane put her hand to her mouth, saying, "Oh my, oh my."
Amidst all this, Elliot scratched his head in exasperation and asked Glenn, "Hey, what's going on? Did Cyril faint from anemia or something?"
Even Elliot's teasing words didn't get a reaction from Cyril. He kept his head down, muttering something under his breath, and it was clear that something was seriously wrong.
Glenn shook his head vigorously from side to side and shouted, "Suddenly, soldiers from the castle barged into the dormitory… saying something about the ‘Jeweled Magician' committing suicide, or something about treason… I don't understand what they're talking about…!"
The ‘Jeweled Magician' Emanuel Darwin was a fellow member of the Seven Sages to Monica.
Monica was utterly shocked to hear that Emanuel had committed suicide.
However, the shock didn't end there.
"Those guys started saying that the president is a villain… that the Second Prince is an impostor… and they took the president to the castle like he was some kind of criminal!"
Emanuel Darwin, the Jeweled Magician of the Seven Sages, committed suicide by poisoning himself in his study at home.
On the desk in his study, there was a suicide note that stated the following:
Despite being one of the Seven Sages, Emanuel Darwin was blinded by greed and betrayed the Ridill Kingdom.
He secretly assassinated the Second Prince in collaboration with the Imperial Magician, a user of body manipulation magic.
The Imperial Magician successfully impersonated the Second Prince.
This Imperial Magician is none other than the person currently known as Felix Ark Ridill.
This fake Second Prince was plotting to take over the Ridill Kingdom and make it a vassal state of the Empire.
Emanuel Darwin gradually became terrified of what he was doing and decided to take his own life and confess everything here…
As Lynn read the report in a monotonous voice, Louis Miller listened while filing his nails in his study at home.
Blowing on his nails, which he had trimmed shorter and rounder than usual, Louis muttered bitterly,
"To think that they would make the first move… Lynn, does that report also include a summons?"
"Yes. It says that the Seven Sages are to gather in the Jade Room as soon as possible."
The castle was probably in a state of chaos by now.
Now that the plan had gone so awry, even Louis needed to rethink his next move.
"Lynn, go to Silent Witch immediately and report what you just told me. She can't use flight magic, so you'll have to take her to the castle."
"What about you, Sir Louis?"
To Lynn's question, Louis Miller, one of the Seven Sages known as the Barrier Magician, said with the face of a warrior going to the battlefield,
"Of course, I'm heading to the castle. But before that… today for sure… today for sure, with my own hands."
"With your own hands."
"I will put Leonora to sleep."
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Miller household currently revolves around their newborn daughter, Leonora. Moreover, Louis Miller, who adored his wife, was very cooperative when it came to childcare.
However, for some reason, Leonora would cry like she was on fire only when Louis held her.
——Even this useless maid can hold her and put her in a good mood, let alone Rosalie!
In other words, the most pressing matter for Louis Miller right now was to get his adorable daughter to warm up to him.
To the earnest new father trying to get his daughter to like him, Lynn flatly told him, "Perhaps Lady Leonora is frightened by the smell of blood that has seeped into you, Sir Louis."
"How rude. I'm not foolish enough to get drenched in blood from a fight."
To Louis, who looked offended, Lynn posed a rare, legitimate question. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novｅlfire.net
"Is it alright not to head to the castle immediately?"
"Even if I hurry to the castle, it's probably in a state of chaos right now. It's obvious that the information is all jumbled up."
Besides, the Seven Sages meeting couldn't start until the Silent Witch arrived… although now there were only six sages.
I'll need to take care of that girl's withdrawal procedures from the academy soon.
If the Second Prince, who was supposed to be under her protection, was gone, there was no reason for the Silent Witch to remain at Serendia Academy.
Moreover, now that one of the Seven Sages' seats had become vacant, they needed to start the selection process for the next sage.
Well then. I just hope that girl doesn't do anything unnecessary until then.
As he put away the nail file in the drawer, Louis sighed with a worried look on his face.