= Haku’s POV =
The door opened, and Elysia left the Starlight Council meeting room with me in her arms.
There were even more eyes gathered in the hallway than before.
They were probably students curious to see what kind of result the young Lady Valerion and her familiar, who had been summoned by the Starlight Council, would come out with.
And before long, a notice would be posted on the academy bulletin board.
Temporary Regulations Regarding Contact with the Registered Familiar Haku. I quietly closed my eyes in Elysia’s arms.
Honestly. It hadn’t even been a week since I came to the academy,
and I had officially become a protected, popular familiar.
And Richard would soon be going through something rather troublesome.
I liked that part a little.
The door opened, and Elysia left the Starlight Council meeting room with me in her arms.
There were even more eyes gathered in the hallway than before.
They were probably students curious to see what kind of result the young Lady Valerion and her familiar, who had been summoned by the Starlight Council, would come out with.
And before long, a notice would be posted on the academy bulletin board.
Temporary Regulations Regarding Contact with the Registered Familiar Haku. I quietly closed my eyes in Elysia’s arms.
Honestly. It hadn’t even been a week since I came to the academy,
and I had officially become a protected, popular familiar.
And Richard would soon be going through something rather troublesome.
I liked that part a little.
Then, suddenly, something I had heard earlier in the meeting room caught in my mind.
The Starlight Council President, Cecilia Rainford.
A third-year in the Department of Elemental Magic.
Triple Crown.
She certainly seemed like an impressive person.
Her manner of speaking and her atmosphere suited the position of student council president well.
But it was strange.
Hadn’t they said the academy was a four-year institution?
In that case, wouldn’t it be natural for the student council president to usually be a fourth-year, the highest grade?
I lifted my head slightly in Elysia’s arms.
“Elysia.”
“Hm?”
Elysia slowed her steps and looked down at me.
I hesitated for a moment.
It wasn’t as if I could ask directly, but I was also a little too curious to just let it pass.
It might be a rude question for no reason, so I had to be careful.
“If it’s all right, could you convey my words for me?”
Elysia blinked lightly.
“Now?”
“Yes. If it isn’t rude.”
“What is it?”
I glanced toward the Starlight Council meeting room.
“She said earlier that the Starlight Council President is a third-year.
But if the academy is a four-year institution,
I was wondering if the student council president wouldn’t normally be a fourth-year.
I wanted to know if I was mistaken.”
After hearing my thoughts, Elysia stopped for a moment.
“Ah……”
She seemed to understand the intent behind the question.
It wasn’t meant in a bad way.
I wasn’t looking down on Cecilia or doubting her.
I was simply curious about the system.
After thinking for a moment, Elysia looked back toward the meeting room door.
“I don’t think it would be rude. I’m sure the Council President will explain.”
Just then, Mariette, who had come out to the door to see us off, looked our way.
“Is there a problem?”
Elysia spoke a little cautiously.
“It isn’t that there’s a problem…… Haku seems to have something he’s curious about.”
“Haku does?”
Mariette’s gaze immediately fixed on me.
As expected of the record keeper, her eyes began to sparkle again.
No, don’t look so interested.
Elysia chose her words before continuing.
“What Haku wants to ask about is the position of Starlight Council President.
If the academy is a four-year institution, he wondered whether it wouldn’t be natural for the Starlight Council President to usually be a fourth-year.
If it isn’t rude, he seems curious as to why President Cecilia is serving as president despite being a third-year.”
Mariette blinked for a moment.
Then she soon smiled gently.
“Ah, that’s certainly something one could wonder about.”
At that moment, Cecilia’s voice came from inside the meeting room.
“It’s all right, Mariette. I’ll explain.”
The meeting room door opened a little again.
Cecilia Rainford walked to the doorway with several documents in hand.
She looked at me and smiled faintly.
“That is a good question, Haku.”
She called my name naturally again.
Just as I wondered if I should start getting used to it,
the sight of her answering me, a little fox, in such an official setting still felt strange.
Cecilia began explaining calmly.
“As you said, Exelia Academy is a four-year institution.
And in principle, a fourth-year student can also become the Starlight Council President.”
“So it isn’t impossible in principle.”
I quietly perked up my ears.
Cecilia continued.
“However, in practice, there are more cases where a third-year serves as Starlight Council President.
The reason is simple.
Fourth-years are extremely busy with graduation evaluations, career assignments, preparations to return to their families, and practical training at knight orders, Magic Towers, workshops, and diplomatic institutions.”
Ah.
Now that I heard it, that made sense.
A fourth-year was essentially in their graduating year.
If I compared it to university in my previous life, it would be a time when job hunting, a graduation thesis, and practical training all came at once.
Taking on student council president on top of that would kill someone.
Cecilia continued speaking.
“In particular, most fourth-years who have received a Triple Crown or Double Crown are already connected to imperial institutions, their families, knight orders, Magic Towers, or research institutes.
There are many cases where they cannot remain only within the academy.”
Elysia nodded quietly.
“I heard that’s why fourth-years often remain as advisors.”
“That’s correct.”
Cecilia accepted Elysia’s words.
“The Starlight Council has a separate advisory group of fourth-years.
Former presidents or former representatives of each department offer advice when necessary. But the actual operations are usually handled by third-years.”
I understood inwardly.
So, to summarize, it was like this.
Fourth-years were busy with graduation preparations and external practical training.
That was why the Starlight Council’s practical operations were handled by third-years,
while the fourth-years advised from behind the scenes or only intervened at important times.
It was more reasonable than I had expected.
Cecilia tilted her head slightly.
“And the position of Starlight Council President is not decided by year alone.
The Crown rank, professor recommendations, support from department representatives, records of previous activities, and ability to manage the Starlight Festival are all comprehensively considered in the selection.”
“Even picking a student council president is pretty intense here.”
It felt completely different from student council president elections in my previous life.
This place really did feel like a miniature version of aristocratic society.
Cecilia added calmly.
“I was the operating committee chair for last year’s Starlight Festival, and I received the Triple Crown at the beginning of this year.
That is why I was selected as Starlight Council President this semester.”
Mariette, standing beside her, looked faintly proud.
“During last year’s Starlight Festival, the President also handled the Magical Engineering Department’s runaway accident,
and she mediated the training ground conflict between the Department of Elemental Magic and the Department of Magic Knights. That’s why she had a lot of support.”
Cecilia quietly looked at Mariette.
“Mariette.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Mariette quickly shut her mouth.
But I had already heard everything I needed to hear.
I looked back at Cecilia.
At first glance, she seemed like a neat and composed student council president,
but considering that she had dealt with last year’s Starlight Festival runaway accident and conflicts between departments, it seemed she wasn’t just some quiet honor student.
“I see.”
I nodded slightly.
Seeing my reaction, Elysia spoke on my behalf.
“Haku says he understands.”
Cecilia looked at me and deepened her smile a little.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
She looked at me for a moment as if observing me, then said gently,
“And Haku. If such questions arise, you may ask them in the future as well.
At the very least, the Starlight Council does not wish to be an organization that forces others to obey rules they do not understand.”
I rather liked those words.
I quietly looked at her, then nodded once more.
Mariette’s hand moved reflexively.
“Haku, after hearing the explanation, nodded again……”
“Stop writing.”
I stared intently at Mariette.
Perhaps feeling my gaze, Mariette flinched.
“……Was that perhaps a part I should not record?”
I slowly nodded.
A few Starlight Council officers by the meeting room door quietly held back their laughter.
Elysia covered her mouth as well.
Mariette lowered her pen, her face slightly flushed.
“I apologize. It’s a habit.”
After letting out a small laugh, Cecilia returned to her composed expression.
“Then you may return for today.
Once the results of the investigation into Student Richard are out, I will inform Lady Valerion separately.
The regulations on contact with Haku are also scheduled to be posted this afternoon.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Elysia bowed politely.
I also lowered my head slightly as much as I could.
This time, Mariette did not lift her pen.
Good.
It seemed she had learned a little.
Starlight Council President Cecilia looked at me one last time.
“I hope the next time we meet will be in a somewhat more comfortable setting, Haku.”
I answered inwardly.
“If possible, I’d rather there not be a setting like that at all.”
But outwardly, I stayed docile.
Elysia held me in her arms and started walking down the hallway again.
The quiet corridor on the third floor of the central main building.
The department banners hanging on the walls.
The meeting room like a small parliament, where we had been sitting until just moments ago.
In Elysia’s arms, I quietly thought.
Starlight Council President Cecilia Rainford.
I understood why she was president despite being a third-year.
And she seemed like someone who could be reasoned with more than I had expected.
The problem was that someone like her had begun to find me rather interesting.
“……Did I ask for no reason?”
I folded my ears slightly.
Elysia lightly stroked my head.
“It’s all right. It was a good question.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Hearing it again helped me organize it in my head too.”
Elysia’s expression as she said that looked a little more at ease.
The Starlight Council.
The Crown system.
Richard’s punishment.
The regulations on contact with Haku.
The academy was a far more complicated place than I had expected.
Still, one thing was certain.
There were rules here, and there were people who moved those rules.
And today, Elysia and I had left our names within those rules.
Whether in a good sense or a troublesome one.
I curled up slightly in Elysia’s arms.
“……I’m tired already, and it’s only Monday.”