Crossroads
“Me? Join the Student Council?”
Mia was clearly surprised. St. Noel’s Academy’s Student Council is not just a mere exercise in student self-governance. The ones enrolled in the academy are all influential and with potential. It is a gathering of future leaders, and so being part of the student council means wielding real influence and prestige.
Mia in the previous timeline was aiming for a position of the student council. However, although the president is determined by election, the two vice presidents and the two secretaries are decided by the elected president.
The past Mia, who soured her own image that Rafina refused to acknowledge her presence, was obviously not selected for any of the roles. She lacked the audacity of challenging Rafina, and so ended up voting for her. She hoped that Rafina might secretly summon her to join the Council. That summon never came.
Having failed to join the Student Council before, one would expect that Mia would be overjoyed with Rafina’s invitation. But she’s not! She thought it was more of a hassle. That’s right, Mia is different from Mia at that time. She is no longer that naïve little girl who delights in supreme authority and power. She is an adult woman who is over 20 years old. And with that she knows that great power comes with great responsibility.[i] She knows that she will disappoint Rafina if she joins but neglects her duties.
And she wasn’t that free. Chaos Serpents and Bel were already proving to be a handful. Mia wanted to refrain from taking on more troubles. Mia uses her head and tries to use a safe excuse for the time being.
“But Rafina, I am the Tearmoon Princess?”
Unwritten rules exist in the St. Noel Academy Student Council. That is, the nobilities of Tearmoon, Sunkland, and their allies may not hold Council positions. Because of the great authority of the Student Council, there had been a lot of manoeuvring in the past. Skirmishes and sabotages followed that it disrupted and hindered normal school life.
From such past reflections, the unwritten rule was born that the student organization should not include nobles of the great powers. Rafina’s invitation deviated from that rule…
“Oh, it’s not a written rule. And isn’t it ideal to have a student organization open to everyone who attends the school? I think that with you, Mia, we can pursue that ideal together. And… “Rafina stared at Mia with her clear eyes. “Aren’t you a person who sees people not for their status, but for who they really are?”
With those words, some memories came back in Mia’s mind.
She was always happy to see me getting along with Anne. And she was smiling when I became friends with Tiona and Chloe… Ugh, Rafina’s trust is too heavy.
Just then, a soft whisper reached her ears.
“Student council…?”
The voice was weak and quivering. When she turned towards the voice, she saw Bel reaching for a teacake with a pale face looking at Rafina.
What happened? Bel… did we talk about something that…
Suddenly, Mia remembers who Bel was. She is her granddaughter, but before that…
My guide! That’s right. Bel is my guiding star.
The existence that was sent in response to Mia’s wishes. Somebody who knows the future. Even if it might just be coincidence, anything that can make Bel’s face pale is serious.
This needs to be considered carefully …
Mia’s heartbeats quickened as she senses danger.
I feel like I’m at a crossroads here and something bad will happen if I take the wrong path.
Trusting her intuition, Mia opened her mouth…
“It is an honor… and extreme honor to be considered for the Council. But it comes with serious responsibilities, and I worry about my ability to fulfil them. May I have some time to think about it?”
Rafina smiled when she heard Mia’s answer.
“Of course. There is no hurry to answer.” Rafina smiled coolly after she sipped her tea. “Even so, it’s quite impressive that you were unmoved by the opportunity of power and prestige.”
“You flatter me too much. I simply just want to avoid causing you trouble through my own inadequacy.”
Mia also lifts the teacup to take a sip. She hadn’t noticed it until how parched her throat had become.
[i] Yup, that indeed is the translation.
