"I will be taking over as the new leader, all the Vesta Students and Teachers will be following my orders, the honor the Family had lost,
Under my leadership, we will reclaim it,
And our first goal will be to reclaim the real Vesta House."
Vaan spoke as he looked into the members' eyes with a serious look on his face.
"If anyone of you have any questions, or are against my idea, speak up now."
"You have no experience to lead us, how can we trust you? The only thing you have done all this time is challenge and beat other members of the family, never once you have shown that you actually care about the Family and its members.
You have no faction supporting you, you are young, you acted like a waste for a major portion of your life, other than Lady Astra, Lady Elara, and Lord Orion, I can't recall anyone in the Vesta Family who has a positive opinion about you and I have never seen you make any efforts.
A leader shouldn't just be strong, he should have necessary leadership skills. Yes, you are skilled, I agree, however, what we currently need is for the family to stick together,
And seeing how you don't even live here with the rest of the family, combined with your excessively tensed relationship with other Prospective Heirs, I doubt you have what it takes to lead us.
You are currently too immature to do it."
A Mage spoke up.
She was Erza Vesta, a 6th Circle Mage of the Vesta Family, a Professor in the Agresia Academy, and someone who decided to live away from the main Vesta Family because she didn't like politics. She is one of the strongest Professors in the Academy, she is well-liked by students, and has quite a lot of influence, influence she doesn't use for her own benefit.
Erza liked peace, yes, she did want to get the old Vesta House back since it was the symbol of the Vesta Family and she had been planning to do that, she, however, didn't think that Vaan was the one who could achieve that.
She sensed the tense environment the moment Vaan walked into the Mansion, she could see how the looks in the eyes of Vesta Students change, it was not just Prospective Heirs, the other students had the same reaction as well.
Vaan was too intimidating to be a leader, he could only be a tyrant and right now, in Erza's opinion tyrant would only make the situation worse. So for the first time in a long while, Erza decided to speak out her thoughts and stood in front of Vaan.
Vaan stared at the mage standing in front of him for a while,
"If I am not wrong, you are Erza Vesta, correct?"
He questioned.
Erza was taken aback, she didn't think Vaan would know her name.
"Don't look at me like that, I know most of you here."
He didn't.
Only Elara studied all about the Vesta Students and Professors, and she was the one who told Vaan about her. In Vaan's opinion, knowing someone before they leave any impact in front of him was useless.
You need to have a presence to make yourself known. Blending in with others will not work.
"That is correct, I am Erza Vesta." Erza slightly bowed to show her respect for the Direct Descendant of the family.
"What you say is correct." Vaan nodded.
"I lack experience and I might not be able to unite all of us together which is of utmost importance."
Others were taken aback when they heard Vaan's words.
Vaan, however, wasn't done yet.
"But do you have any better candidates in your mind?"
Vaan questioned.
In an instant, Erza's expression changed. Before starting, Vaan already found faults in other Prospective Heirs, others in the family weren't talented enough to take the lead and she…
"A Professor leading the Family would only prove that we are weak and have no competent leader, even if you take the lead from behind the scenes, it would soon be apparent once a situation where we need to take a decision on the spot arises,
We cannot do that,
So no Professors, and of course, no Protectors either,
Students who couldn't even become Prospective Heirs or do not have talent comparable to them are not an option either,
In the end, the only choices you have are the Prospective Heirs,
If you do not accept me, you need to take another name who can replace me,
Someone who you believe will lead the family better than I will,
Someone who has not failed before."
"…"
Erza turned silent.
There was no other choice…
Lirael, maybe but… she was quite young as well, and she didn't have any unique factor like Vaan did. The chances that all students will listen to her command were less.
Same goes for Elric and Leif,
Vaelen was out of options…
"Anyone else who wishes to add something to the matter?" Vaan simply turned towards others.
"Your entire logic is that since no one is capable, you should become the leader, it is flawed." Elric, who couldn't take it anymore, finally spoke up.
"If in your eyes, we are not capable, in our eyes, you aren't either because of all the factors Professor Erza just listed. If you can be a leader despite your flaws, then why can't I or anyone else?"
"Haaahh…"
This time, Vaan sighed.
He then stood up and walked towards the other students, then, looking into Elric's eyes, he spoe up,
"That's because unlike you, I never admitted that I was incompetent.
Ever since I have decided to stop 'hiding', I have never once failed, not here, not in the Vesta Family, and I believe that gives me a right to get a chance here as well.
Didn't you already see?
I am already called the 'hope' of the Family.
Would be weird if the hope isn't the leader, no? Even weirder if the leader instead of the 'hope' is someone incompetent.
Don't forget about the pressure the leader of the family would face,
You fail even once, and your dream to get the Family Head's position, puff, gone.
Are you sure you want to replace me, Brother Elric?"
"…"
Elric's expression changed.
Vaan was right, with how critical their current position is, even one failure would have an extremely big impact on the Family's position, that in turn, would affect the Leader's position. The leader might even get in the same position as Vaelen's if things go south…
If he becomes the leader and something like this happens…
Elric couldn't even picture that scenario.
Vaan smiled, he had already smelled how much of a coward his brother was, he had taken advantage of countless passive people like him in his past life,
Vaan turned towards Erza and tilted his head towards Elric, it was as if he was saying,
'You see that? You want someone as spineless as him to be the leader?'
The other Family members realized it as well.
"Y-Young Master Vaan."
Suddenly, a Vesta Student spoke up. Vaan turned towards him and gathering all his confidence, he questioned.
"I-If you become the Leader, do you have any plan of action?"
Vaan's smile widened,
"Now that's a question worth asking,
What is your name?"
He questioned. n/.-/)/()--(.I/)n
"C-Cedric Vesta, I am a 3rd Circle Mage."
"I'll remember you, Cedric. You are decisive."
"T-Thank you, Young Master Vaan."
"You can call me Vaan, we are in the Academy, not in the Family."
"Y-Yes."
Cedric nodded, a small smile appearing on his face as he realized that he was just acknowledged by one of the greatest talents he had ever seen.
Then suddenly, Vaan placed 2 Pictures on the table,
The family members frowned and Vaan started,
"They are the ones we will be targeting first."
"They…" Vaelen knew who these two students were.
"They challenged our Vesta Mages in a 2v2 battle, since they were commoners, being defeated by them affected our image."
"But we can't possibly go against everyone who defeated our family members, that will only make us look petty," Vaelen replied.
"The two of them are Declan's subordinates,"
Vaan replied.
"Declan Dawncrest…?"
Vaelen's expression changed.
"That is correct, it wouldn't make sense for commoners to challenge the Vestas otherwise. Even if the Families do not involve themselves with students, no commoners would actively involve themselves in the politics, unless they were ordered to."
"But why the Dawncrest Family? How are you so sure that they are the ones behind them?" Lirael questioned.
"Who has the real Vesta House right now?"
"…the Dawncrest," Lirael replied.
"See?"
"But aren't all of these just speculations?" Leif questioned.
"Does it matter? We are simply challenging students, if they are connected to Declan, he will know that we are coming for him, if they are not, we will get our revenge,
What's wrong with winning anyway?"
"And how are you so sure that we will win?"
"What do you mean?
I'll be the one fighting them,
Of course, we will win."
"But both of them are 4 Star Swordsman and you are…"
"It doesn't matter,
My fiancée will fight with me as well.
They stand no chance."
Vaan smiled.
The Dawncrest Family and Declan Dawncrest,
He will destroy that bastard.
