Professor Gracie looked utterly exhausted.
She had been busy with class preparations, organizing various research materials, and handling academy paperwork.
To top it all off, midterms were approaching.
Her workload seemed endless.
"If it keeps going like this, I might die...!!!"
Her once radiant complexion from her initial days at the academy had faded.
Her skin looked dull, and dark circles had formed under her eyes.
She appeared so drained that if she collapsed, no one would be surprised.
"At least after the midterms are over..."
She tried to find solace in that thought, but even after the midterms, the pile of work seemed endless.
Despair set in.
Gracie's face turned somber.
"Mom... I've been tricked..."
Despite her age, Gracie found herself looking up, as if seeking her mother's guidance.
Knock, knock.
"Professor, may I come in?"
A knock echoed from outside her lab.
"Ah, yes? Sure, come in."
Upon Gracie's response, the door opened, and two figures entered.
Rudy Astria and Yuni Von Ristonia.
A duke's son and a princess.
She was surprised to see them suddenly in her lab.
"Hello, Professor."
Rudy greeted with a gentle smile.
Gracie, puzzled, wondered why these two had come to her lab.
She was sure this was her lab.
There seemed to be no obvious reason for them to be here.
"Um... You do know this is my lab, right?"
Gracie shifted her gaze between Rudy and Yuni.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})She wondered if they had mistakenly come to the wrong room.
"Yes, we're here to see Professor Gracie."
Rudy replied with a slight tilt of his head.
Taken aback, Gracie quickly stood up.
"Oh, right! Of course! Please sit down! Would you like some tea or snacks? I can get them right now!"
Gracie swiftly guided them to a table.
These two were significant figures in the academy.
Though she was a professor, this wasn't the time to act distant.
If they were to speak highly of her, perhaps she could get a teaching assistant... or if she was lucky, even two.
She had to make a great impression.
"I'd like black tea, please~ with lots of sugar."
Upon Yuni's request, Gracie nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright! Rudy, would you like something?"
"No, I'm good, thank you."
Gracie hurried to boil some water.
As she was boiling the water, she occasionally glanced at Rudy and Yuni.
Yuni, while calmly observing the room, swiped a finger across the table in front of her.
"Eek."
"Ah."
She realized she hadn't cleaned that table since she started using this lab.
That was a problem.
She couldn't start off on the wrong foot.
"Boil!"
Using her magic, Gracie instantly brought the water to a boil.
She poured the hot water into the teacup and cast a spell inside the room.
"Clean!!!"
As the spell took effect, the surrounding dust and stains began to vanish.
Gracie added a few sugar cubes to the cup filled with black tea, extending her hand toward her desk.
"Reposition."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})At her command, the scattered documents lifted into the air and neatly arranged themselves.
In an instant, the room was spotless.
"Now, have you been waiting for a while?"
Gracie smiled warmly, taking a seat across from Yuni and Rudy.
She had tidied up using magic in just an instant, but she phrased her question playfully, as if she'd taken her time.
Observing Gracie, Rudy remarked,
"You're quite skilled with everyday magic."
At Rudy's comment, Gracie chuckled awkwardly.
"Ahaha... It just became a habit after living alone for so long."
Gracie wasn't of noble lineage.
After her graduation from the academy, she joined the ranks of the royal wizards at the lowest tier and became a noble in name only.
Thus, she found it uncomfortable to ask others to clean for her, and usually tidied up on her own.
But, her proficiency in these spells wasn't solely for cleaning.
Being at the lower tier among the royal wizards meant she'd often been tasked with tidying up the labs of her senior colleagues.
Being the kind-hearted Gracie who struggled to say no, she often ended up cleaning up by herself.
That's how she came to master these everyday spells.
These spells were Gracie's unique tools for survival.
"Anyway, why have you come to see me? Preparing for midterms? Having difficulty with some problems?"
Gracie asked in the kindest tone she could muster.
"Professor, do you need a teaching assistant right now?"
Rudy asked, a teasing smile on his lips.
Gracie's eyes widened, and she was suddenly enveloped in anxiety.
She recognized that smile.
It resembled the one people wore when they were about to scam her, especially when they dangled a bait she couldn't resist.
Having been tricked by numerous scams and temptations before, Gracie could sense something suspicious.
"Um... well..."
She hesitated, feeling as if acknowledging his words would lead her right into a trap.
Then Rudy, placing a hand on Yuni's head, spoke.
"Both Yuni and I can serve as your teaching assistants."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"…What?"
The proposal caught Gracie off guard.
But then, she realized it might be a wonderful opportunity.
Having Rudy, the likely future student council president, and Yuni, a royal princess, in her lab was an incredibly enticing prospect.
She could already envision many assistants eager to join just for a chance to connect with them.
In her excitement, Gracie slammed her hand on the desk.
Bang!
"What should I do to make this happen?"
Hearing Gracie's enthusiastic response, Rudy replied with a gentle smile.
"No, you don't have to do anything. Just..."
"Just what?"
"I'm set to become the student council president, right? So, I'll be quite busy."
"Yes, that makes sense."
Gracie began to feel a growing unease.
"And if I'm to be the student council president, it means the academy students and professors recognize my abilities. Additionally, I hold the Second Seat."
Rudy, saying all this, looked her squarely in the eyes.
The more he laid out his credentials, the more her unease turned to certainty.
"So, there should be some extra conditions for me, right?"
"Anything you want! I'll give you everything!"
But Gracie was already reeling.
Indeed, Rudy was a talent anyone would covet.
Not just her or other teaching assistants, but even the nobles of the capital would lose their minds over someone of his caliber...
The individual who had even swayed Ian Astria, known as the head of the noble faction.
Someone bearing the esteemed Astria name.
This wasn't just any talent.
He was a monumental figure.
And Gracie would be overwhelmed if things stayed the same.
It felt like making a deal with a demon.
But doing nothing might mean death.
She was sure of it!
To survive, she could bear with these demands.
Rudy probably wasn't worse than a real demon.
"For starters, you can pay her salary to me."
Rudy indicated Yuni as he spoke.
"...What?"
Yuni looked at Rudy, clearly taken aback.
"You don't need money, right?"
"Well, that's true."
Taking a colleague's salary.
"And I'd like my salary to be at least five times higher than others. After all, my presence alone will promote the lab and offer various benefits, won't it?"
An outrageous salary proposition.
"Oh, and occasionally, I'd like you to carry out the research I'm interested in. I'll only suggest meaningful research projects, so you don't have to worry."
The audacity.
"And also..."
"Wait a moment..."
Gracie wondered,
'Am I actually dealing with a demon here?'
She couldn't hide her shock.
She had thought his demands might extend to a higher salary or some help with academy assignments.
But as the list grew, it was clear these weren't ordinary demands.
He seemed to be aiming to take control of the very foundation of the lab.
The most heartbreaking part for Gracie was that even knowing this, she couldn't refuse his irresistibly sweet proposal.
"May I continue?"
"There's more?"
"Oh, it's nothing much."
Rudy shrugged it off.
"I just need some materials for my research, so I was thinking of using what's in the lab."
"That... That's fine."
She could accept that.
Many assistants in other labs used the research materials for their work.
Having said that, Rudy took out a sheet of paper.
It listed all the conditions he had just mentioned.
"So, can you accept all of these conditions?"
With a sly smile, Rudy tilted his head slightly.
He seemed devilishly charming.
Rudy swiftly pushed the paper toward Gracie.
After staring intently at the contract, Gracie clenched her eyes shut and picked up a pen.
"Thank you. It's a wise decision."
Extending his hand, Rudy offered a handshake.
After this whirlwind meeting in the research lab,
"Oh... Mom, did I make the right decision...?"
Gracie collapsed onto her desk, letting out a distressed cry.
The day before the student council president elections.
Though I was the only candidate, the students still had a choice.
To abstain.
If a certain percentage abstained, that year would pass without a student council president.
Still, I didn't believe that would happen.
I was confident.
But, confidence aside, there were things that needed to be done.
I walked slowly up to the podium.
Before the student council president elections, a speech.
It was customary before officially taking the position.
“Ah, ah.”
I touched the magic tool placed before me.
After a quick test, I could hear my voice echoing from behind.
I looked outwards.
Countless faces stared back.
Some familiar, others not.
Both professors and students stood in front of me.
This was my first such experience since my entrance ceremony speech.
Though back then, it wasn’t really a proper speech.
“Dear students, hello. I am your student council president candidate, Rudy Astria.”
I greeted them with a smile.
“Winter has passed, and spring has arrived. Flowers have bloomed, and new students have joined us. The friends we saw just yesterday have matured into second-year students, while our seniors are forging their own paths.”
When I first entered the academy, all I wanted was to survive.
I didn't pay much heed to those around me.
“Since entering the academy, I’ve had many experiences. They've led me to form many friendships and experience joyous moments.”
Luna's library incident, Rie's assassination attempt, Harpel's intrusion during Homecoming Day, and the Serina incident.
Life in the academy brought numerous challenges.
But through those events, I made friends.
Real friends, not just characters from a game.
“Though facing these challenges was tough, and at times I wanted to give up, I often thought it might be easier to just let everything go.”
It was risky.
Every rescue attempt carried a risk – that I could lose my life.
There were moments when I wished to abandon these challenges and live a normal life.
Especially since watching my life and those around me constantly at risk was agonizing.
“But I couldn’t give up. I knew a sweet reward awaited. When I look back in the future, I'll be able to say enduring those hardships was worth it.”
Lately, I've been imagining.
Imagining a time post-graduation, surrounded by close friends.
We would share stories.
Discussing the hard times.
Joking about times we narrowly escaped danger.
Sharing laughter over our adventures.
“I wish for all of you to taste such sweet rewards. Even if the journey is a little tough, never give up. Embrace your youth. Embrace the shining present.”
That's why I couldn't give up.
The very reason I stand on this stage today.
I now face the future head-on.
Not just relying on the future I know.
If need be, I'll reshape the future.
Because I can.
“A wonderful academy life awaits all of you.”
I'll embrace the present and challenge the future.
If the future seems bleak, I'll reshape it.
Break it and rebuild it.
And then, I'll confront the consequences of my choices.
“I am Rudy Astria, your candidate for student council president.”
Chatter filled the air.
“Should we treat ourselves to something tasty today?”
Luna mused as she tidied up some books.
“A celebration party sounds perfect.”
Rie replied with a chuckle.
“Can we invite Emily too?”
Kuhn asked as he placed some documents beside me.
“Start organizing these first.”
Locke, who had been absent lately, was present today.
I glanced at the nameplate in front of me.
Student Council President. Astina Persia.
Gently, I wiped off the thin layer of dust from the nameplate using a handkerchief nearby.
“You forgot your nameplate, Astina.”
“Ah, seems so.”
Rie shrugged nonchalantly.
I opened a desk drawer and carefully placed the nameplate inside.
Then, I set my own nameplate where Astina's had been.
Student Council President. Rudy Astria.
A smile crept onto my face as I looked at the nameplate.
Then, addressing everyone, I proposed,
“How about a party today?”
Today, I became the student council president.
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