"What do you mean, ‘hiii’?" Jane deadpanned.
She set Nephthys on the floor and gave her a light chop on the top of her head.
"Ngyang!" Nephthys yelped, clutching the spot. "That hurts!"
Jane’s expression remained unchanged. "How did you get in here?"
"Over there! I hitched a ride on the teacup cart!"
Jane stood, gesturing for Meirin to move. As Meirin quickly scooted over, Jane took her seat, then lifted Nephthys and placed her in the seat of honor.
"I am in the middle of instructing the students. Is there something you wish to add?"
"Nope!" Nephthys declared with a proud grin. "I’m just going to eat!"
"If you’re going to be a disturbance, please leave."
"I don’t want to!" Nephthys waved a hand at the servitor. "Snacks! Bring more snacks!"
"Yes, ma’am!" the servitor squeaked, scrambling away.
It was really her. The Headmaster of Kizen.
After a long, pointed glare at her superior, Jane resumed her lecture. "Since Lady Nephthys is here, I’ll clarify. The student council reports ‘directly to the Headmaster’."
Simon and the others nodded.
"And among all the students of Kizen, the only one who can request an audience with the Headmaster and propose a student agenda is the Student Council President."
"Ahem!" Nephthys puffed out her chest, attempting an air of dignity that was thoroughly undermined by the cookie crumbs smeared across her face.
"Good grief."
Jane took out a handkerchief and, with a clear hint of personal satisfaction, began vigorously scrubbing the Headmaster’s face.
"Oobub! Bubub!" Nephthys protested through the cloth.
Watching them, Simon couldn’t help but smile faintly. Beside him, Dick, Meirin, and Kamibarez sat bolt upright, their bodies rigid with tension as they stared straight ahead.
Jane neatly folded the soiled handkerchief and tucked it away, her stern expression returning. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Professor!" they chorused.
"Then, as the Vice Headmaster of Kizen, I will give you your first mission."
’First mission.’ The four of them leaned forward, their focus absolute.
"The freshman entrance ceremony, which will be held the day after tomorrow."
A smile touched Jane’s lips. "You, the student council, will be in charge. You are to personally manage this event and see it to a successful conclusion. That is all."
The freshman entrance ceremony was one of Kizen’s largest events. For a first assignment, it was a monumental responsibility.
"All the necessary documents are right here." Jane pulled a thick stack of papers from her bag and dropped it onto the table with a heavy ’thud’. "The schedule is already set, and the basic framework is in place. You may add to it or change it as you see fit. You are also authorized to use the surplus budget to try something new."
"Ah, that means you can just spend money like water!" Nephthys chimed in, only to receive another sharp smack on the crown of her head.
"You crown-breaker!"
Jane ignored Nephthys’s protest. "The official appointment ceremony for the Student Council President is the day after tomorrow, but to carry out this mission, you’ll need a suitable gift, won’t you?"
With that, she took something from her bag.
"Oh my goodness!" Meirin gasped, covering her mouth.
Dick clenched his fists, unable to hide his excitement, while Simon and Kamibarez exchanged a knowing smile.
Before them lay the very symbol of their new authority—an item said to make confidence surge through the wearer just by being on their arm.
It was the Student Council armband, an insignia only its officers were permitted to wear.
"Alright, come up one by one," Jane said, personally fastening an armband onto each student’s right arm.
Nephthys giggled. "It suits you all so well!"
Faces flushed with pride, the four of them adjusted the new armbands on their sleeves.
"Well then, we’re counting on you," Jane said warmly. "The 330th Student Council."
"Do your best!" Nephthys added with a brilliant smile.
Buoyed by their encouragement, the four students answered as one, their voices full of energy.
"Yes, ma’am!"
At that same moment, in the Forbidden Forest...
A third-year boy leaned on his shovel, wiping the sweat from his brow. "This should be deep enough, right?"
"Good," another voice confirmed.
A large pit yawned before them. A heavy pipe was lowered into it with a dull thud, and a foul-smelling, unidentifiable liquid began to gurgle from its mouth, steadily filling the hole. The students standing nearby pinched their noses or gagged.
Groans and moans rose from the pit as the surface of the putrid water sloshed. Zombies stirred within, their arms flailing blindly.
"Preparations complete." Will, ranked twelfth in their year, watched the scene with a cruel smirk. "What about the drinks for the kids?"
"It’s ready."
"And the main event?"
"Looks like it just started," the student replied, pointing toward a section of the forest where boisterous laughter echoed through the trees.
"Excellent." Will’s mouth curled into a wider smirk. "Go get them. Let’s start before the student council can interfere."
The 330th Student Council convened its first meeting immediately, the four of them gathered on the central sofa. Though the weight of their first major assignment was heavy, their passion for the task was undeniable. The core of their discussion was how to create an entrance ceremony that would genuinely help the new students.
"How about this?" Meirin proposed, her voice full of energy. "We create a segment where seniors introduce their departments directly to the freshmen!"
When the other three offered only hesitant reactions, she quickly elaborated. "Do you all remember our first year? On the very first day of our assigned professor’s class, we had to form groups for that big project."
"That’s how we all met," Dick chimed in.
"It was so wonderful when Simon brought you into Group Seven, Meirin!" Kamibarez added with a giggle.
Meirin’s face instantly flushed crimson. "Ugh’, hey! Let’s not get sidetracked with ancient history! Focus, focus!" She rapped her knuckles on the table, recapturing their attention. "The point is, we have to choose our desired majors within two or three days of enrolling, but back then, none of us really knew what we were good at. We didn’t even know what we’d be learning in class."
Simon immediately understood her point. For the first-year group project, it was advantageous to form teams with students aspiring to non-overlapping majors, but finding four students with different focuses was surprisingly difficult. In the worst-case scenario, one could end up with an unbalanced combination like three Combat Magic majors and one Venomology major. Students who were still undecided often chose majors at random just to form a group, only to suffer for the entire year, forced to focus on subjects that didn’t suit them at all.
After a moment of thought, Simon spoke. "So you’re saying seniors should offer advice to help them make the right choices during group formation? That’s not a bad idea."
"Yes, yes! That’s exactly it, Simon!" Meirin exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.
"Hmm, well, I don’t think it’s a huge problem as it is," Dick countered. "I was aiming for Jet-Black Dynamics, and you, Meirin, chose Cursology. We all found our proper places in our second year, so didn’t it all work out?"
"You idiot! That was only possible for me because I was an elite in every subject!" she retorted. "Other students don’t have such a wide range of options!"
"Way to brag out of nowhere," Dick muttered.
"B-But, from what I’ve heard from our classmates..." Kamibarez began, her soft voice drawing everyone’s attention. "They said that because of their assigned role in the group, they had no choice but to focus on that specific subject. Even if they later discovered a passion for Cursology, they felt too self-conscious to pursue it because of the Cursology aspirant already in their group."
Simon closed his eyes, recalling Professor Aaron’s words from their first Summoning class.
’—In your previous classes, I imagine you heard all about how great our major is and why you should take it. Personally, I disagree with that approach. You have to clearly explain both the pros and cons so students can make a proper, informed choice.’
Those words had left a lasting impression on him.
"Meirin and Kami are right," Simon said, opening his eyes and bringing the discussion to a point. "Aside from what the professors say in the first class, there’s almost no other explanation for each subject. So, if we, as seniors, explain the pros and cons from a student’s perspective, it could be incredibly helpful for the freshmen."
"Yes! I agree!" Kamibarez chirped.
"Me too!" Meirin added.
"Put like that, I guess it does seem necessary," Dick conceded. And with his agreement, the proposal was accepted.
The four then began to work out a concrete plan.
"If we’re going to do this, we need to ensure objectivity," Dick said. "It would be best to have students majoring in each subject come up and speak for themselves."
Meirin rested her chin on her hand. "Then should we ask the second-year department representatives?"
"You think they’d actually do it?" Dick scoffed, shaking his head. "And permission aside, there’s no need to ask for favors and be indebted to the very people we’ll be competing with all year."
Kamibarez nodded. "The department representatives are directly tied to their department’s interests. It would be difficult for them to speak honestly about the downsides from a student’s perspective."
Meirin immediately saw their point. "Alright, then we just need to pick a student from each major who isn’t the department representative, regardless of their grades. No need to overthink it. I’ll handle Jet-Black Dynamics myself."
Indeed, the solution was right in front of them. Meirin looked at the others. "Summoning will obviously be Simon, and Hemomancy will be Kami!"
"I-Is it okay for me to do it?" Kamibarez asked timidly. "My grades aren’t that high..."
"Grades don’t matter!" Meirin insisted. "You’re just honestly sharing your experiences as a senior! And as for Venomology..." She turned her head to find Dick pointing at himself with a look of eager expectation. "We should ask Claudia."
"Hey, why?!" Dick shot up, slamming his hands on the table. "You just said grades don’t matter!"
"Even so, being ranked 400th is a bit much, you moron," Meirin shot back. "Wouldn’t it be better to have someone who has ’at least’ studied do the talking?"
Dick choked, left speechless. He slumped back into his seat and grumbled, "...I swear, I’ll raise my grades if only to spite you."
Kamibarez offered an awkward laugh before addressing the group again. "Then how about we ask the class president to handle Cursology?"
Simon nodded. "Sounds good. I’ll ask Cindy about Necrology."
Jamie Victoria, Claudia Mendes, and Cindy Vivace. All three were top-ranking, highly skilled students with solid reputations in their fields. Since they were all friends, it was likely they would readily agree.
"Let’s see," Dick said, counting on his fingers. "So what’s left is... Cursology, Jet-Black, Summoning, Necrology, Hemomancy, Venomology... Ah, Combat Magic! Does anyone know someone in the Combat Magic department?"
Meirin and Kamibarez shook their heads. After a moment of thought, Simon raised his hand. "If no one else can, leave it to me."
"Okay! Then it’s all decided!" Meirin declared.
And so, a new segment was created for the entrance ceremony. The four also discussed stage design and special effects, drafting a set of guidelines.
"Using black magic indoors is forbidden, but we can get permission for this, right?" Meirin asked.
"I’ll talk to Professor Jane," Simon replied, jotting it down in his notebook. The budget, however, was a little tight.
"Everyone! I found a way to save money!" Meirin suddenly exclaimed, having been poring over the documents. She circled the name of the entrance ceremony’s MC with her quill. "The MC is this person named Jason, but even if he’s famous, isn’t this a bit expensive for just one day?"
Simon leaned in to look. ’Jason Viker. A daily wage of 50 gold.’ It was indeed expensive.
"You want to replace him?"
"Yep. I can get someone much more famous for just ten gold."
"For only ten gold? Who?"
Meirin gave a sly smile and wrote a new name over the old one.
’Seiwyr Grizmann’
"That bluffing illusionist," she explained. "He worked with me at the theater during the break. He’s a huge star in Langerstine."
"I think that’s a great idea!" Kamibarez clapped her hands like an excited seal.
Dick, however, looked uncertain. "But his popularity is at its peak right now. Can we really get him for just ten gold?"
"Oh, of course! He’d come running if I ordered him to. Besides, I think he feels indebted to us. Plus, if we bring him in, we can use his illusions to replace a lot of the stage setups. That’s even more cost savings!"
Simon was impressed. "That’s a brilliant move."
"Aren’t you proud of your Vice President!" Meirin preened.
Dick immediately did the math on a blank sheet of paper. "Then let’s use the remaining budget to prepare some wine for the VIPs."
Meirin narrowed her eyes. "Why waste money on booze for those old geezers?"
"Now, now, this gives a different impression," Dick said seriously. "VIPs who are old and retired love to be treated well. Imagine they show up without any expectations, and then an attendant comes over and says, ’This was prepared by the students,’ as they pour a glass of wine. Are they going to be moved by that or not?"
Meirin stroked her chin as Dick continued. "There’s a custom in Dresden’s noble etiquette called the ’Old Chair.’ We can recreate that. With just one glass of wine, this student council can earn a reputation for being thoughtful. I bet almost no other student council has done something like this."
Simon nodded. "We have nothing to lose. Let’s give it a try."
When it came to the world of adults, Dick, who had run his own business, knew best. They decided to leave it to him.
The meeting continued late into the night. Fueled by the responsibility of managing the entrance ceremony, their momentum never waned. Ideas flowed freely, and it felt as if they could pull an all-nighter if they had to.
"But Meirin, are you sure you can get Seiwyr to come?" Dick asked.
"One hundred percent! The season’s over, so he’s free. He’ll come right away!"
"Simon, Simon! I’m looking at the complaints from last year’s ceremony, and it says there were a lot of broken chairs!" Kamibarez pointed out.
"Okay. Let’s go to the Grand Auditorium tomorrow and check for ourselves," Simon replied.
"Ugh’, look at this," Dick groaned. "Too many speeches from the elders. It’s suffocating. Can’t we shorten them?"
"I’ll suggest it to Professor Jane."
The meeting was finally winding down. Just as Simon stood up to make coffee, he paused.
"Hm?"
A white slip of paper was sticking out of his pants pocket.
’Let’s meet tomorrow evening! -Nephthys’
Come to think of it, he had a gift from Nephthys to look forward to.

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