Chatterbox opened and closed his mouth in surprise.
“What is the name of the student you just recommended?”
“I do not know his name.”
“Do you believe it is right to recommend a student whose name you do not even know, Armand?”
Aurelius approached with an upright posture.
His staff struck the floor at regular intervals like a metronome.
“If you are not trying to mock me, provide a reason for recommending a student whose name you do not know.”
“Yes.”
Aurelius acted stiffly, but that did not mean I needed to fear him.
I smiled at the approaching Aurelius.
“Of course I have a reason. I do not know his name yet, but I met him at the entrance ceremony. He was sitting beside me. Is that not right?”
Chatterbox nodded with a dubious expression.
Of course he was uneasy. There was what he had said then.
“When I was extremely nervous, that student approached me first, spoke to me, and gave me advice about life at the Ivory Tower. He did not only do that for me. He also did it for……”
I recalled the name the students around us had whispered when the red-haired girl placed her hand on the crystal ball.
“Lulusha.”
Lulusha blinked as soon as my words ended.
“Is that true, Lulusha?”
“Yes.”
I sent Lulusha a grateful glance and continued.
“Aurelius, the reason I recommend that student as class president is as follows. He has the character and sociability to approach unfamiliar people like Lulusha and me without hesitation, easing our nerves. Those are qualities necessary in a class president.”
In truth, he had walked up and immediately asked whether we were nobles.
“He also gave me much advice about life at the Ivory Tower. His thinking was so mature that I could hardly believe we were the same age.”
In truth, he had suggested that nobles should stick together and help their own kind.
“Even after learning that I was a commoner, his attitude toward me did not change. That proved him to be a person of character who does not care about the other person’s status. He could not be a more Age-of-Glory-worthy candidate for the position of class president.”
Chatterbox’s face turned red.
If I repeated what he had actually said, his school life would become exhausting.
So this was a threat.
“I am shy by nature and could not even ask his name, but I believe that student is the right person to lead Frog Class. Therefore, I recommend him as class president. That is all.”
“There is some sense to that.”
After nodding, Aurelius asked Chatterbox, “Your name?”
“I-I……”
Under Aurelius’s gaze, Chatterbox forced his voice louder.
“Che-Chepin. Chepin Whiskey.”
“Chepin. Do you wish to become class president?”
“I……”
From behind Aurelius, I glared at Chatterbox—no, Chepin.
Do it.
Unless he wanted his personality exposed.
Lulusha had heard it too, so any excuses would not work.
Understanding my gaze, Chepin answered with wavering eyes.
“Y-Yes. I do. I want to become class president.”
“Good.”
Aurelius went to the blackboard and wrote Chepin’s name.
“Are there any other candidates?”
No one raised a hand.
With Aurelius as the homeroom teacher, who would want to become class president?
“There are none. Then this class’s president will be……”
If Chepin became class president, I would be able to make him act according to my wishes.
I was just about to congratulate myself on a good start.
“Teacher. I would also like to run for class president.”
Marco suddenly raised his hand.
“Why do you wish to become class president?”
“Yes, I will explain.”
Marco rose from his seat and looked around the classroom with his usual smirking expression.
Others might see it as a sociable smile, but to me, it merely looked like a sickening grin.
“First, I have had leadership since childhood. Before entering the Ivory Tower, I always served as class president at my Elementary and Middle Academies, and I was even president of the entire academy. I was always the head of my clubs as well. As you know, the role of class president is important at the Ivory Tower. Chepin is an excellent student too, but I am confident that I have more experience in leading a class.”
Under the Empire’s education system, the Ivory Tower was a Higher Academy and the highest educational institution.
Most students received their education at Elementary and Middle Academies before advancing to the Ivory Tower.
I had not, though.
As soon as Marco finished speaking, his group chimed in.
“That is right! I recommend Marco too!”
“I hope Marco becomes class president.”
“He will lead the class well!”
“Marco was a legend at Middle Academy!”
Unlike Chepin, he spoke well, had experience, and already had a group that followed him.
By all appearances, he was class-president material.
“Your name?”
“Marco Prax.”
Aurelius wrote Marco’s name beside Chepin’s.
“We will begin voting in ten minutes. Chepin and Marco, persuade the class until then.”
Then, he closed his eyes with both hands resting on his staff.
Thus began the election battle between Chatterbox and Squinty Eyes.
Chepin immediately ran over to me.
“Hey, what are you trying to pull?”
He was about to get angry, but seeing Aurelius watching, he lowered his voice.
“Why am I suddenly running for class president? You’re doing this to make fun of me, right? Huh?”
I placed a hand on Chepin’s shoulder.
“Chatterbox—no, Chepin. You must be realizing it by now. Here, you are a nobody who is a noble in name only.”
“W-What did you just say……?”
At the Ivory Tower, which was full of children from prestigious families, Chepin, a low-ranking noble, was no different from someone like me, whose family had fallen and who had wandered the streets.
Even if he tried to stand beside the other nobles, he would only embarrass himself.
That was why he had looked so dejected since earlier.
“You will not be accepted anyway.”
“Y-You……”
“But try becoming class president.”
A title held power.
“If you become class president, you will be at the center of this class. Even high-ranking nobles will not be able to treat you carelessly. Do you think your school life will go smoothly if you make an enemy of the class president? And most of all, your parents will be happy. Will they not?”
I deliberately mentioned his parents.
His upbringing was surely the reason he had developed such a sense of privilege.
As expected, Chepin’s eyes wavered.
“If you become class president, the other nobles will recognize you, and your reputation will rise. I will actively help you too. What do you say, Chepin?”
“You……”
“Think about your school life from here on out. Which would be better?”
“That……”
“You would become the class president of the Ivory Tower.”
“I……”
The answer was obvious, but I waited until he made the decision himself.
Chepin, who had been lost in thought, finally opened his mouth.
“Fine. I understand what you mean.”
“Are you grateful?”
“Th-Thank you.”
“You do not need to thank me.”
“And……”
“And?”
“I am sorry for what I said then.”
I snickered.
“It is fine. And I am Draco.”
“Huh?”
“Armand Draco.”
Though it had now fallen, the renown of Draco, who had guarded the Northern barrier, was engraved in people’s minds.
Even more so among nobles.
After all, Draco was the purest noble bloodline, having inherited dragon blood since ancient times.
Chepin’s eyes widened.
“D-Draco? Really?”
“Tell your parents that you became friends with a Draco.”
“You really are a Draco?”
“Yeah. Straighten your shoulders.”
I patted Chepin’s hunched shoulders.
“Go on before it is too late.”
Marco was already moving among the students and seeking support.
“Okay. I got it.”
Chepin, having firmed his resolve, started walking.
Karl, who had watched from beside me, whispered, “Armand, do you think Chepin can become class president? Marco seems much more popular to anyone who looks.”
The fact that Marco was a suspicious squinty-eyed bastard was only my opinion.
To others, he probably appeared pleasant and well-liked.
If you compared them person to person, anyone would choose Marco.
But still.
“Do you really think so?”
“Yeah. I feel sorry for Chepin, but look at him even now. He seems awkward somehow.”
Chepin was wandering about, earnestly rambling empty words about how he would work hard.
Marco was different.
“Even before entering, I built friendships with upperclassmen through various channels. That means I have a lot of information about the Ivory Tower. If I become class president, I will share it all. We cannot fall behind the other classes, can we? I will make our Frog Class the best class. I am confident.”
The Ivory Tower was not structured so that you could earn good grades merely by doing well on your own.
You had to cooperate in many ways, and competition between classes was fierce as well.
From that perspective, Marco clearly seemed like the better choice.
“We will see.”
“Hmm, no matter how I look at it, it seems like Marco……”
Time passed quickly.
Aurelius struck the floor with his staff.
“Enough. Both of you, return to your seats. We will begin the vote now.”
But once the vote began, something unexpected happened.
Their votes were initially divided evenly, but at some point, Chepin overtook Marco.
In the end, a circle was drawn around Chepin’s name.
“The class president of Frog Class is Chepin.”
At Aurelius’s declaration, Chepin covered his mouth, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Say a few words.”
“Y-Yes!”
While Chepin stood before the classroom and rambled through his emotional victory speech, Karl leaned close and whispered, “Armand. What happened? I am surprised!”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“What is obvious?”
“Do you think this class has more nobles or more commoners?”
“Of course there are more nobles.”
“That is why.”
“They voted for Chepin merely because he is a noble? That makes no sense. This is the Age of Glory! Voting for someone just because they are a fellow noble is not Age-of-Glory-like at all, nor is it a choice worthy of the Ivory Tower!”
“That is simply how it is. And Marco has more disadvantages than you think.”
Marco had leadership and appeared capable. That was true.
But those were only advantages when the candidates stood in the same position.
Suppose a commoner had excellent leadership and ability.
Would proud nobles welcome going under someone like that?
Even if talented students had gathered here, they were ultimately seventeen-year-old children.
Chepin had merely made it obvious. Deep down, everyone was similar.
“If Marco had been a commoner who appeared inadequate like Chepin, he might have had a chance instead.”
“Is that how it is?”
“That is how it is.”
“I feel sorry for Marco.”
“He is not someone who needs your pity, so do not worry.”
And I did not think Marco had been unaware of this fact.
That suspicious squinty-eyed bastard must have known he would lose the vote.
As proof, Marco listened to Chepin’s awkward victory speech with a smile on his face, nodding along.
When our eyes suddenly met, Marco winked at me.
Disgusting.
When the bell rang for break time, Marco approached me.
“Ah, what a shame. I wanted to become class president. But Chepin, whom Armand recommended, was elected, so I have no choice but to accept it. He is a great guy, is he not?”
What a load of insincere nonsense.
I snickered and answered, “Yeah, it was close. You would have suited the position better.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yeah.”
“Then did you vote for me?”
I answered honestly.
“I did.”
“Really?”
Karl’s eyes widened.
“What? Armand, you did not vote for Chepin?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“He clearly was not class-president material.”
“But you recommended him!”
“That was……”
I intended to put a sucker in the position of class president and use him from behind.
“I just recommended someone because I did not want Aurelius to make a bad impression of me.”
“I see. Well, I voted for Marco too.”
Marco looked back and forth between Karl and me.
“You both voted for me?”
“Yeah!”
Both Karl and I had actually voted for Marco.
Karl had not concealed his ballot at all, so I had seen it even though I did not want to.
Marco blinked, then smiled.
“Thank you, both of you.”
Leaving those words behind, Marco returned to his seat.
My reason for voting for Marco was nothing special.
I wanted to reduce the margin of votes as much as possible.
“Marco looks happy.”
“He got many votes.”
“Even though he lost?”
“He must have known he would lose.”
There was no way someone who acted as the leader of commoners would not understand the instincts of nobles.
What would have happened if Marco, who was clearly better than Chepin, had not received votes merely because he was a commoner?
He might have gone dark.
I did not like the idea of more variables arising.
“He probably thought that receiving many votes from nobles was a good enough result on its own.”
“What? That is sad. I should comfort Marco. I will steal Lumin’s chocolate and give it to him.”
“Get some for me too.”
“Just trust me!”
But Marco and I had been making eye contact for a while now.
His smirking eyes seemed to have grown subtly warmer. That had to be my imagination, right?
I did not want to earn that bastard’s favor.