The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 107

The student council president election was the most popular event that took place in the beginning of the semester.

In particular, that year the former student council president—Velos, who had been in office for two years—graduated. Although the time he had spent in office was relatively moderate and quiet, he was a good student council president that completed his tenure without any major incidents. He did all of that while effectively managing the opinions of both the school and the students all on his own.

Just what kind of position was the seat of student council president at Silvenia Academy?

While being able to exert substantial influence over Silvenia’s operating politics, it was also a position in which one could personally mobilize the students, including the tops of each grade, if desired. A position that let them wield authority equal to that of the headmaster.

Also, the symbolism it held wasn’t something one could consider light. Students that had served as Silvenia’s student council president were often chosen as management personnel in various towns and cities, given a position within magic towers—or even the royal palace—without any other qualifications to their name.

In the case of someone with a good bloodline, it could be an opportunity to enter the political world around the emperor. A seat that every student with high standing dreamed about at least once.

The open area in front of Obel Hall, near the entrance of the student square, had already been filled with many students. The crowd was so massive that the school had personally sent over personnel to watch over the safety of students.

The podium located on the first floor of Obel Hall wasn’t small at all, but it was still uncertain to say that one’s voice would be able to reach the crowd to the very back. Of course, amplification magic would be used, but it wasn’t perfect.

“That is all.”

Waaaaaaaaaaah!

There were a total of four candidates for student council president. Among them, the two people that were receiving the most attention were Lortel and Tanya.

The heir of House Rothstaylor, who received the support of Princess Penia. And the deputy head of the Elte Company, who basically controlled the entire economy within the school’s commercial district.

The battle between the two received much interest from both students and academic faculty. However, only now had the results of such interest finally been shown.

“The next term’s student council president, Lortel!”

“At that age, already having the leadership to lead The Top… I’m sure you’ll do great as the student council president, too!”

“There’s no one more suitable for the student council president than Lortel Kehelland.”

“I can feel the sincerity in your promises…! In the first place, what other reason does the person representing the Elte Company have for trying to become the student council president? It’s all because you have clear and straightforward intentions!”

“Deserving of our trust and support…! The next student council president, Lortel!”

As Lortel said her final goodbyes on her way off of the podium, thunderous cheering poured out. Lortel, who showed her presence by waving her arms as she stepped down from the podium, finished perfectly by turning away and fixing that gorgeous dress of hers, which was covered in ornaments.

Lortel had no intentions of becoming the student council president.

Those that knew of that fact were, at most, a few employees at the Elte Store.

However, looking at Lortel put aside her work with a smile on her face as she accepted the cheers of the public… It wouldn’t be strange to say that she had already been elected as the student council president.

Lortel, who had lived as a merchant her entire life, couldn’t give up the work she was doing for the Elte Company just to focus on the work that came with being a student council president. And yet, her appearance at that moment looked as if she was doing everything she could to become the student council president.

Even the public’s response was overwhelming.

She had proven her ability for a long time now, acting as the one that held high power within the Elte Company. And the promises she made during her speech seemed to have scratched the itch the public seemed to desire.

And that wasn’t all. By giving an appropriate amount of political funds through the school’s staff, she was able to gain the public favor of the top students.

The higher one’s authority is, the more attention they’ll attract when they fall.

Lortel continued to wave her hands with a smile in her eyes.

As splendid as Lortel’s past actions were, she had just as many enemies. When you worked for the public, you couldn’t live with just allies alone.

In particular, if there was a force that held a strong grudge against Lortel… There were many clients that didn’t have a choice but to nod their heads in response to the various demands pushed by the Elte Company.

For example, if you looked at the most recent incident at Laplace Bakery, where they threatened to not deliver food. It was a case that came from the issues of a rude owner that tried to get supplies first by making excessive orders. It wasn’t a pleasant incident to deal with.

To summarize… Because of the Elte Company’s position as the ones in charge of the business district within the commercial district, they had used various reasons to gain full control on their business partners within the commercial district. Almost equivalent to that of a tyranny.

Most of the time, the cause was justified—but from the standpoint of the victim, that fact didn’t matter.

All of them probably held a personal grudge against Lortel, but they were unable to express such dissatisfaction due to her growing authority.

Lortel was a person that even took advantage of such resentment.

By now, all of the data must have made its way around.

Lortel, who had completely left the podium, removed the ornaments on her body and clothes one by one. Blue rose-shaped hairpin, earrings with dark red beads, and ruffled laces. Every time she removed such expensive and over-the-top accessories, it felt like she was finally returning to her life as a merchant.

In front of the podium, her secretary Lienna and decoy Dunn were waiting in their respectful positions. They were both employees of the Elte Store.

Lortel gave the accessories she took off to them as she went into the first floor of Obel Hall with her hair untied.

“Kadek and Nox?”

“They escaped as planned.”

“Good. What about the data leaked to the clients?”

“They took the bait. It will probably be exposed during the election period.”

It was a short conversation with her secretaries. Lortel, who only listened to the necessary reports briefly yet accurately, looked at the student square once more from the entrance of Obel Hall.

A huge crowd of people chanted her name, yet Lortel’s expression turned cold.

She already knew it well. Public support was like the sea. It would sometimes come in like a high-tide, only to one day wash away like a low-tide.

The data that was released from the Elte Company to its clients in the commercial district. It recorded and explained the embezzlement of company funds that had been coordinated by Lortel. Of course, it was all data that Lortel had fabricated herself.

In the first place, Lortel thought of herself and the Elte Company as one. It wouldn’t make any sense for her to embezzle the company’s funds.

The only thing that mattered was that she needed a weakness to pull herself down.

There was no way that the clients that harbored major grudges against Lortel would pass up such an opportunity. In order to ruin Lortel, who had built up such a capable and moral image… They would expose the embezzlement and her immorality to the entire world.

As long as their anonymity was guaranteed to some degree, there were a wide range of clients that would attack Lortel’s back.

Such an embezzlement scandal would be fatal for her election as student council president, which was a position that required integrity.

It would be an opportunity for Lortel, who thus far had received wide support from the public, to fall in an instant.

If that happened, then the spotlight would surely fall on Tanya. A candidate that stood in heavy opposition to Lortel. The contrasting effect of it all would be most dramatic.

There was a strange catharsis that came with the fall of a great person.

The moment the person that was supposed to rule the entire world fell in vain was when the public all came together.

If she could seize that moment and use it as an opportunity to showcase Tanya’s hard-working tendencies… Lortel was willing to turn the entire public into her enemy.

Because that was what made the most money.

“Miss Lortel, are you really okay with this plan?”

Suddenly, Lienna asked Lortel a question. An off-topic question, at that.

Lortel lived her life as a villain. She wasn’t a person that would hesitate to take on the role of villain.

Notoriety and disgrace would follow her, but to Lortel that was just a part of her body.

Lortel wasn’t the type of person to show her presence on the stage, basking in the light. Usually, she was someone that would stand behind the curtain.

That was why, to her, it was important to carefully select the person who will stand on that stage.

“Oh my.”

There were four candidates for the student council president election that year. However, the two other candidates that spoke before Lortel had little power. Having little interest in them, it would be meaningless to take their side.

However, the person that would be next up on the podium was one that received the public’s attention in many different ways.

“You seem nervous, Tanya.”

Tanya was getting ready to step up on the podium after Lortel. Standing in front of her, she kept her mouth shut. The hand clenching her skirt trembled.

She had to bear with it, push past Lortel, walk up to the podium, and declare her candidacy.

In a place where the entire crowd chanted Lortel’s name, she had to change all of their minds. All while dealing with the hostility and the suspicions of the public while bearing the weight of being called a murderer.

It was basically torture. And only Tanya, no one else, would be able to take care of it.

“I…”

At Tanya’s following words, Lortel was a little surprised.

“I… did not kill my older brother, Ed.”

Looking straight into Lortel’s eyes, the manner in which she spoke was quite firm.

It had been almost two weeks since Ed had gone into seclusion.

She had run away from the royal residence, quarreled with the school’s investigators that constantly doubted her, and continuously tried to prove her innocence. She did all of that, all while forcibly pushing herself to prepare for the student council president election.

She looked exhausted, both physically and mentally. However, her strong attitude showed that she still had quite a bit of vitality left.

Looking at Lortel, that trembling and exhausted appearance she once had was no longer there.

Standing upright, on equal footing to her, she spoke the facts as they were.

After Tanya finished speaking, she passed Lortel and made her way towards the podium.

***

There was a creepy silence.

The crowd of students that had gathered in the student square was massive, yet not a single word was spoken.

Comparing it to the roaring cheers of Lortel’s name that came just moments before… one could wonder if it was really the same place.

Standing up on the podium and looking down, she could see the faces of all the students.

The top first year student Wade and the top fourth year student Daike were standing at the front looking up at her.

In addition to that, in the corner of the crowd was Clevius, who had unwrapped and taken off all the bandages that were wrapped around him. On the other side, Elvira’s face could also be seen.

At the very back, the swordsman Taylee looked up at her with his arms crossed. His companion, Ayla, leaned her head on his shoulder while looking up at her.

There was also the master of flying magic, Onyx, the teaching assistant, Anise, the disaster alchemist, Claude, the youngest researcher of the magic tower, Joseph, the reagent conversion specialist, Dorothy, the romanticist bard, Adele, the elemental magic master, Trayciana…

It was place full of talented people, where each one was like a star that filled the sky. What was even the point of trying to list each and every single one in Silvenia?

Standing in front of all of them, Tanya opened her mouth.

“Hello. I am Tanya Rothstaylor, and I will be running for student council president this year.”

Even the weak and small candidates that had come before Lortel were given a round of applause when introducing themselves.

But now, the crowd was completely silent. There were a smattering of applause that came from here and there for a bit, but the vast majority of the crowd didn’t move one bit, let alone clap… And what little sound of applause there was stopped in an instant.

Suddenly, she lifted her head to look up at them all, taking a deep breath and swallowing.

Each and every one of the heavy gazes that fell on her felt suffocating. Although she wasn’t being directly booed due to the prestige that came from being part of House Rothstaylor, hundreds and thousands of cold, dead eyes still fell on her, asking the same questions.

Why would a murderer run for the student council president? Had there ever been anyone so greedy for the power of the student council?

The terrifying sight she was witnessing was at a level where it wouldn’t be strange if it remained a traumatic event that haunted her for the rest of her life.

“UhhHeub…”

For a movement, Tanya stopped breathing, yet she somehow managed to now show it.

Tanya continued to speak with her mental health as sturdy as a rock.

“I… Stand on this podium today to—”

And for a while longer, Tanya continued to speak.

However, five minutes passed, ten minutes passed, and still the crowd was completely silent.

It was the exact opposite of the previous attitude they held, applauding whenever there was a pause in the speech or whenever Lortel finished a statement.

Somehow, she continued to speak… but Tanya was starting to feel it. The silence had started to become an unspoken pressure weighing on her.

Take it easy and step down.

No one supports you.

No matter how much support you received from Princess Penia, or the fact that you are a descendant of a noble duke family… I don’t think you will ever be a talented enough person to take the seat of student council president.

Tanya clenched her teeth and continued to speak. But up until the very end, the public didn’t show the slightest response.

She forced herself to hold back her tears. If she showed herself trembling here, it would really be the end of it all.

She would only be able to continue standing if she could keep an iron will and calm her emotions, acting as if nothing was the matter.

Tanya continued to talk about the practical restoration of several student facilities, practical improvement to the financial structure of the school, expansion of the scholarship system, and various other concrete plans to help improve the treatment of students… but no one listened.

Then, the time for her speech came to an end.

“Then… In conclusion…”

“Killer!”

What kind of courage did it take? No, it would be better to say that they didn’t have any courage at all.

Hiding in the crowd, taking advantage of their anonymity, voices screamed out at Tanya.

Those screams… were like a drop of poison in food. It might seem weak, but it certainly had an effect.

A feeling of pressure, as if it were choking her, stopped Tanya from breathing. Still, Tanya miraculously managed to shake her head.

“Please explain the charges of the murder!”

“There are rumors that it has something to do with an internal strife of House Rothstaylor. Are you denying it?”

“If you look at the information posted in the student newsletter… It says…”

“Do you think it’s appropriate for you to run for student council president in such a situation…?”

“I don’t know…! But if you’re like me and enter Silvenia with the name Rothstaylor supporting you, wouldn’t you also want to try and run for student council president…!”

“I see. Well, if you get elected, wouldn’t that be something, huh…!”

“No, it doesn’t even make any sense for you to not say a single word about the accusations of murder…!”

Then, the words of the crowd started to grow louder little by little.

Some of them whispered directly into her ear while others talked among themselves quietly… But hearing just a few of the things being said, Tanya’s eyes widened as they started to tremble.

It was to the point where she started to feel nauseous. Unable to stand upright any longer, she supported her shaking body by gripping onto the podium.

In truth, it was reckless.

It was foolish to continue standing on the podium in such a situation. Still, she didn’t want to run away.

The only thing Tanya Rothstaylor did since she entered Silvenia was act surprised, swayed by others, and run away. She lived her life with her head down, looking for opportunities. But when one finally came, she acted pathetic and could only tremble.

“Then… Thank you… For listening this far…”

Tanya, who managed to finish her closing remarks, grabbed ahold of her spiraling sanity. At least on the podium, she didn’t want to look unsightly.

Once she finished everything, she could go back to her room and squeeze her pillow as tears flowed from her eyes. But right now, she had to remain a strong individual in front of the crowd.

Thunk!

But did things in this world always turn out the way you wanted them to?

In the end, she couldn’t overcome the psychological pressure, falling to the floor. She was unable to step down from the podium properly.

It was as if she had tripped over a jagged stone… a faint laugh flowed from the crowd.

“Pfft!”

“Kekeke!”

“D-Don’t laugh…! Or I’ll start laughing, too…!”

Leaving behind the roaring crowd, Tanya covered her face. At the very least, she shouldn’t show her tears.

Still, the grief ate away at her chest, little by little. Was it safe to say that she had now reached her limit?

At that point in time, she could believe that she had truly done enough.

One’s turning point in life always comes suddenly without warning, like a gust of wind.

Fwoooooosh!

The wind blew. It wasn’t just a gentle wind of the late spring, it was a massive gust of wind.

“Kyaaaaaghk!”

“Wh-What the… All of a sudden…!”

Banners decorating near the podium fluttered in the wind as all of the students grabbed onto each other’s bodies.

There were some students that had fallen over, and others that were trying to fix their hair that had been mussed by the wind.

As the raging gust of wind calmed, the entire crowd that gathered had their breath taken away. Even the security guards that were supposed to take control of the situation could only stare in awe.

“Wh-What is that…!”

“Eugh…Eughakk…!!”

“D-Don’t we have to run away…?”

Bigger than the already large podium… A wolf the size of a house was standing tall in front of Obel Hall.

As if it had jumped out from space, it had suddenly appeared. But it was only manifested through borrowing Yennekar’s resonance.

Ahhwooooo!

The wolf’s cry echoed in a grandiose way throughout the student square. On the back of it was a face everyone was familiar with, Yennekar Palerover… And next to her was a boy that was wearing a robe.

“Th-That’s…”

“The high-ranking wind spirit! That’s the high-ranking wind spirit…!!”

“I’ve seen it manifested before in the class assignment exam…!”

Some of the students had recognized the wolf’s appearance.

They were the freshmen that had seen Ed summon it when at the peak of Right Mountain. In the first place, it was taken out because they wanted people in the crowd to recognize it.

The fact that he appeared alongside the wind spirit was the most direct form of proof that no one was impersonating or acting as the boy. That was because there weren’t many people that could deal with the high-ranking wind spirit in the first place. Especially within the school.

Tanya had also seen the spirit manifest before. It was the same spirit that her older brother, Ed Rothstaylor, had used at the Substitute Altar.

The boy that was covered in the robe climbed up to the podium. As Tanya sat down, looking up, the blond boy’s face was clearly visible underneath his hood.

She tried to say something, but her voice wouldn’t come out. Even if she were able to speak, all the words would still be blocked at the bottom of her chest. Probably because of all the emotions that were rising up inside of her.

“Ah… Ehm…”

At his sudden and unbelievable appearance, she wondered if she was hallucinating…

“You suffered far too much, all because of me, Tanya. I’m really… Sorry.”

As the calm, subdued voice flowed into her ears, she was sure of it.

“There isn’t all that much to explain but… let’s take care of this situation first.”

Ed knelt down on one knee as he gently patted Tanya, who was sitting on the floor, on the back.

Wasn’t he the man that she lived her entire life hating? He was the one that defiled the Rothstaylor name, and she always viewed him as someone that deserved to be condemned.

Yet, looking at his face again and feeling his hand pat her back, tears began to well up.

Ed stood up, taking off his hood. When his face was shown… the crowd that had gathered let out a sound of utter shock.

“Th-That… That person…”

“Ed Rothstaylor…! That’s… clearly him…”

“I took elemental studies with him, so I know… That’s really… The Ed Rothstaylor that was supposedly dead…!”

“Impersonation…? Isn’t it just an impersonation…?!”

“Idiot…! Look at that high-ranking spirit…! How common do you think it is for someone to be capable of dealing with that?!”

Standing in front of the chaotic crowd, Ed straightened his posture at the podium.

Ed cleared his throat a few times and the silence returned in an instant. Everyone listened to his words, the atmosphere of the audience was overwhelmed in an instant.

What was the first thing he was going to say?

First of all, maybe it was why he was still alive?However, that was not something that could be simply explained or revealed. That was something that needed to be taken care of slowly.

In the first place, that place was meant to declare one’s candidacy for student council president. So, was it even right to talk about such a thing right now?

Above all else, what needed to be fixed right away was… the public sentiment towards Tanya, which had been shattered.

The only person that could do that in the most straightforward and sure way was… Ed Rothstaylor himself.

“Hello. I am Ed Rothstaylor.”

His influence might be negligible for the student body as whole, but… it did extend to each and every top student. And gaining the support of the top students in each department was the key to winning the student council president election.

“I wasn’t killed by Tanya Rothstaylor. In fact, more than anyone else, I am an active supporter of Tanya Rothstaylor.”

The second year overall top student Lucy Mayreel and the third year overall top student Yennekar Palerover would also support his opinion as long as he asked them to.

In addition to them, the second year combat department’s top student, Clevius, also acknowledged him on the inside. The magic department’s runner up student, Ziggs, was also a given. And even the alchemy department’s top student, Elvira, acknowledged his abilities.

The first year’s magic department’s top students, Joseph and Wade… were already aware of his skills. They at least knew of the importance of Ed Rothstaylor’s support… Explaining any further would just be a waste of time.

Even with just the support of Princess Penia, it was enough to firmly make one’s stance as a candidate. With his support being added on top of that… the amount of strength that will fall upon Tanya would only rise up.

However, for Tanya before such political gain…

“Please listen, so that Tanya’s goals are conveyed well. I will continue to support her as I always have. Since I’m a member of her family.”

Sitting on the podium, wiping her face over and over… Seeing Ed’s back…

She was completely out of breath.

What came up inside of her was a memory of long ago, when they went to play in the garden together.

Maybe because for Tanya, who was exhausted and out of breath just like when she walked along that uphill road together long ago, the image of Ed holding onto her hand and leading her overlapped with the back she was seeing now.

Although they were already living in a time far from the distant past… Memories of that time had been constantly whispered to Tanya. Even though things were hard, there would surely come a time when things would get better.

The morning was bright only because the night was long. The life she lived in darkness would eventually come to an end.

Every night, Tanya whispered that to herself as she continued to survive.