The Student Counsel Committee, it refers to a body of students who are elected by their peers to address school issues and organize school activities and events. To be on the student council, a student must have the good grades and act as a positive role model to those who choose them to be or they could be recommended to by their teachers.
With Ethea Vel Fraleworth as the president, its not as easy to gain her approval if the character of such a student was somewhat prideful and condescending.
There are a lot of charms to being a member of such a committee, not only do they provide a student dorm and an allowances but the main reason while Hamil wanted to join in the first place was to have access to some areas in the school not passable by normal students and a position that makes some students aware of your character. With this, he can go to specific locations within the school without question from other people like the teachers.
Although he isn't that desperate for the position, he might as well have it since he would attend the school for a long time and that there would be future catastrophes inside the school that he could stop from happening without it being too suspicious from the school.
So right now, Hamil and Mr. Hoffman were making their way to the office of the student president…hoping to meet her and have Hamil apply himself to the committee.
"Are you nervous?" asked Mr. Hoffman as they walked down the hall.
"...A little bit." said Hamil.
With what was about to happen, it was only natural for someone to be nervous when meeting someone like the Student President. Her position itself outranks that of a teacher by a little margin, so one needs to be behaved when meeting such a character.
"..Hmm, me too." said Mr. Hoffman.
As they finally arrived at the door to the Student Counsel Office, they were meet with two guards standing in front of the door.
With Mr. Hoffman in front of Hamil, he was the one to give word to the guards to let him through. The guards understood his request and soon they let him in the room along with Hamil.
As they made their way inside, they were meet with only two people in the room. The President, Ethea Vel Fraleworth and her assistant who seemed to be a male student who was in his second year.
Ethea was quite busy with her work from how many the paperwork was piled up on her desk. She didn't even noticed the two who entered the room until she was called out by her assistant.
"Hmm?" When Ethea looked to their direction, she was shocked to see Hamil Mr. Hoffman.
"Oh Mr. Hoffman, what brings you to the student counsel?" asked Ethea.
"I came here to recommend you a student who is willing to join the committee." said Mr. Hoffman.
"Is that so?" Ethea was intrigued by this and so she looked to the boy and soon realized that this was the same boy she meet in the class rumble event.
"Yes, I've told him that he was fit for the position. I can vouch to you that his character is quite just." said Mr. Hoffman as he grabbed Hamil's shoulder to insinuate his presence.
"Can you introduce yourself boy?" asked Ethea as she looked to Hamil with curious eyes.
Hamil was quite nervous when meeting Ethea as he knows that deep in the future, she would be killed off…still, he looked to her with a calm gaze and introduced himself.
"I'm Hamil Crux, a first year student from class C."
Looking at his gaze, Ethea couldn't help but question the meaning behind his eyes…why he stood in front of her in search for a place in the student counsel. But when she came to look in his eyes, it seemed as though something was off behind its intentions. It didn't seem as if he was interested in anything here, except for who he was looking at… and that was her. She was his focus.
"...Why do you think that your fit to being a part of the student counsel?" she asked as she continued to look into him and tried to find any meaning from the way he moved his body. From how he breathes, how he blinks, how his heart was beating…she tried to see if something was off.
"I didn't really think much of being a part of a school counsel, but seeing as how Mr. Hoffman recommended it to me, I might as well…I think it's a great opportunity for my future." said Hamil.
His heart was beating quite faster than calm, his breathing was a bit uneven, but his stare continued to gaze down at her.
"Well, not anyone can join the counsel like it was some voluntary work at a soup kitchen…joining us means you have to prove yourself. And since Mr. Hoffman vouches for your character, I can see that as going for the right direction in joining us…but a vouch is not enough, Hamil." she said this with a smile on her face…but she was quite unease by this. To her, it seemed as though Hamil had other intentions, intentions she could not comprehend.
"..."
"Seeing is believing…and I've seen what you could do." she said as she stared at Hamil with a sense of trust...but a trust not yet fulfilled.
She had seen what he could do and that was back at the Class Rumble Event. Not only was she amazed by his speed when he carried Rebertha across the forest, she was also amazed by his ability to use a shield against an Orc Guard, even though he got reckless by the end of it.
"..." staring right into her eyes, Hamil was reminded of Ethea and what she was as a character. As a Noble, she was quite proud of a person but at the same time, she was also Just and righteous on being an equal person to all. But with her being a student counsel president, she was fighting against the inequality that was brought upon in the school that was filled with noble prideful bastards, and with that she needed certain types of people who had the same will and character like her to join her in the counsel. So she was quite picky of who she would agree to be a part of the counsel.
Mr. Hoffman noticed that both Hamil and Ethea were looking at each other as if the two were thinking of what kind of character each of them were. So the tension between the two was quite something even when they just meet with one another.
With Hamil who knew her in the Novel and with Ethea who saw his actions in the Class Rumble event, it was clear to say that both knew something of each other in certain aspects.
Hamil was sure that Ethea was still looking into him and thinking what else he could do…so he had to make clear of his intentions to her…his reason for coming here.
"...What more can I do to prove myself?" asked Hamil as he broke the tension between the two.
Proving one's self to her, she could tell that the boy was making his intentions to further try to gain approval for a position…knowing so, she tried to test if the boy was so willing to do anything.
"Hmm, I'd like to see how much you can fair well with my assistant." said Ethea with a smile.
She was quick with her decision when looking at Hamil. To have him fight against the person who was qualified to stand at the President's side, it was only common sense to think that that type of person was believed to be strong.
"!!" Mr. Hoffman was quite shocked by her suggestion to let Hamil fight against her right hand man.
She tried to see if there was any sort of reaction from Hamil, but what she got was a smile that seemed to be more than calm.
"!!"
What she saw in Hamil was the expression of Delight…the delight to face something exciting.
Even the Assistant's reaction was quite bleak at best as he only stood with a blank gaze right at Hamil…but Hamil showed excitement from this.
"..." there in that look if his, she was certain of something.
'This boy, he enjoys a good fight.' she thought to herself as a smile of a different meaning starts creep from her face.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Mr. Hoffman, showing worry for Hamil as he knows full well how powerful the assistant was.
But Hamil could only return to his regular calm look and turn to Mr. Hoffman, assuring him that everything was going to be alright.
"...I'm going to be fine Mr. Hoffman, if this is what it'll take for me to gain their approval then so be it." said Hamil.
"...I don't think you have any idea how strong the people are in the counsel. If you think their just strong enough to stop a fight from a couple of misbehaving teens, then you got another thing coming." said Mr. Hoffman.
"Hmm, your praising us too much Mr. Hoffman. But my assistant here is only a C rank hunter…I don't think you have to worry about anything." said Ethea with a smile.
'Being a C-rank hunter in the 2nd year is already consider to be pretty much gifted. He's just like the MC Arthur if you compare about the progress of their growth…' thought Hamil as he looked to the assistant.
"..." Mr. Hoffman could only look to her way with the same look of worry, but then again as he turned back to Hamil, he could see the determination in his eyes.
"Well either way, I don't think you have the right to choose his choice Mr. Hoffman, he was the one who decided to want to join the student counsel…and you were just the person to introduce it to him." said Ethea as she stood from her desk to walk up to the two of them.
As she raised her hand to Hamil in a form of a handshake, Hamil looked to her hand and pondered to whether or not accept the handshake.
If he were to shake the hand, he will accept the duel, and if not, they would walk out of the office. It was his decision to make.
And for it, it was already clear what the decision was based off his calm smile.
So as he reached to shake her hand, she in turn gratefully received it.
it was now official that their fight would proceed. But before it could, Ethea had to postpone the fight until all of the classes were over because she had to finish her work for the day and also invite most of the student counsel members to watch the fight.
So with that, Hamil had the time to prepare himself for the fight…but Mr. Hoffman's worry still wouldn't disappear despite knowing that the fight would still continue.
Soon Hamil left the office with Mr. Hoffman, leaving Ethea and her assistant at their office.
"...What did you think of him?" asked Sofia as she continued to stare at the door in front of them.
"...Strong…strong for his age." said the assistant.
"Hmm, I agree. If you had been there at the Class rumble event and saw what he did…I think you would have already agreed to him to be part of the student counsel."
"...Strength isn't everything." said the assistant.
"Hmm, that's right. In this test, we'll see what kind of person he really is." said Ethea.
"...should I call for the rest of the members to come?" asked the Assistant.
"...yeah." said Ethea as she looked back to her work and continued work on the papers.
The duel itself was going to be a private matter with only the student counsel members present to watch the fight. But Ethea had a different plan in mind…