I rub my chin thoughtfully. I'll have to keep an eye out; the best way to deal with Kuza is to somehow make the Student Council find out his identity. If I directly get myself involved Nyssa will likely keep a closer eye on me.
Raelle springs up from her somewhat disheveled state. "Hehe~ Today is a good day. Oh, I almost forgot. Here you go." She hands me a sleek-looking watch.
My eyebrows arch up. "What's this?"
Raelle grins. "This is a specialized device only the student council staff get. I understand you don't want to be tied to any position; however, since you're going to be helping us deal with Class 1A, you should keep this on you. All Professors are aware of this device; if you wish to leave a class or the academy, no one will stop you." She taps on the watch's screen, revealing a holographic interface. "We're all able to contact each other with it as long as we're within range—of course, that doesn't apply when you're in the academy. Think of it as a much weaker version of the MST model IS that was released recently. We can also share information and data through it."
Raelle's eyes shine. 'Shally worked really hard to make this. It's specially made for the student council. It's so much better than having to lug a tablet around everywhere I go.'
I look at the device, intrigued but not overly impressed. This world is evolving, but compared to what Eira makes, this is nothing. Yet, it's a sign of the times; magic and technology are blending together, reshaping the land. When that ancient city appears, there is going to be a huge fuss in every country nearby.
"So, can you send me the council's files? I want to skim through the data," I ask, already planning my next move. Tsk, Although I don't want to help them, I can't let them fall apart until Kuza is dealt with.
Elith sighs, clearly uncomfortable. "That won't be possible. Although you're a member now, we can't just hand out sensitive information to anyone."
I grin, a touch of condescension creeping into my smile. "Is that so? Ah, too bad, I was about to tell you a method of getting Seraphina to join the student council, but I forgot what I was going to say."
Elith's expression stiffens. "It's not something we can just give out, however, if you work—"
But he's cut off as Raelle saunters over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Ah, of course, you can look through the files~ You're one of us now~ We're practically best friends~ How could I say no?" 'V, you must be my lucky charm. You have connections in Class A and Class B? Should I just tie you up? If I secure those classes, I can regain my influence.'
She fiddles with her own watch for a moment, sending the data to my device. Elith's jaw drops. "Dammit, Rae! You can't keep making decisions like that! Seriously, I'm the one that has to deal with your messes." 'God, what do I even do with you? More students aren't the solution here!'
Raelle grins, flashing Elith a thumbs-up and a wink. I scan the data, and my eyes narrow.
"What the fuck is this? Why the hell is it so disorganized? Are you guys children? Don't tell me you've been working like this for the past two years."
Elith opens his mouth to speak but finds himself cut off again. "You have no—"
I don't let him finish. "No, shut up. Listen to me. This is a mess. A gargantuan clusterfuck. You've got no structure to your data. Files are strewn everywhere, no folders, no labels. You're sharing crucial information like a bunch of middle schoolers passing notes in class. And your funding? Don't even get me started. Why the hell does the swordsmanship club get more funding than the rune craftsmanship group? It doesn't matter if they have more students, a club that requires materials should get more funding even if the student count is lower. The imbalance is glaring. And volunteer opportunities? Don't make me laugh. You don't have a structure in place for students to earn points or contribute to events, which is a pathetic missed opportunity. You waste all the money you get like there's no tomorrow."
I breathe heavily for a moment, my irritation palpable. "No excuses. No half-assed explanations. Pause whatever the hell projects you think are so important because this takes precedence. We're fixing this shitshow, and you're going to do exactly as I say. I can't believe you've been running on this sort of half-baked, mismanaged system. It's a miracle you haven't imploded yet." Fuck, how have they survived this long? Damn, How have they managed to make all these events happen? Did they waste their own money on them or what?
Elith seems like he wants to crawl into a hole, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. Raelle looks at me with a similar look.
Elith's patience finally snaps. Slamming his hand onto the table, he shouts, "That's enough! You don't know what we've been through, you don't know what we've done and what we've lost. Don't start talking shit when you have no idea what we go through every day." 'Who the hell does he think he is? We don't have time to organize anything, all our members are busy with important tasks. He has no right to judge us.'
I let out a dismissive sigh. "Look, I don't care about your sob stories or how hard you think you've had it. Since I've promised to help, I'm giving you advice. Both of you act like you've never run an organization before. You must think that just because it worked in the past, it'll work again. That's a childish mentality." I lean in, locking eyes with Elith. "How much time do you waste searching for some piece of information you scribbled down a month ago? How long does it take you to compile a report for the principal? Have you ever considered how hard it is for the other members? I have every right to judge you because I'm going to help you fix your damn mistakes."
I can't help but feel a rush of exhilaration. This is where I excel—organization, efficiency, control. 'Hehehe, I feel so happy when I'm in charge.'
Raelle exhales, her eyes clouded but thoughtful. "Alright, I'll listen. If it means improving work efficiency, I'm willing to pause a project or two." She almost looks like a kid who's been scolded, her normal exuberance deflated. 'It feels like I'm a child getting yelled at by my dad, and I can't fight back.'
Elith glares at me, his jaw clenched, but the fire in his eyes slowly dims. Even he knows that if there's a chance to improve, to make their lives easier and more efficient, it's worth setting aside his ego.
Good. Now, they're starting to understand. It doesn't matter how they've done things until now; what matters is how they'll do things moving forward. And whether they like it or not, they're going to do it my way.
-
I grunt and stretch, my bones popping as I leave behind the tension of the earlier confrontation. Time for another headache, just what I need. I walk up to Isabella's door, hesitating briefly before knocking. No answer. I knock again. Still nothing.
God, I know you're in there. You're not fooling anyone.
I sigh and start a steady, rhythmic knock. Just when I think I'll have to break down the door, it swings open, revealing a visibly irate Isabella.
"What the hell do you want, you barbarian?" she snaps, her eyes colder than winter snow. 'this bastard doesn't let me read in peace, fuck why are all the commoners the same?'
I let out an exasperated sigh. "Hello to you too."
Isabella closes the book she's holding and stares at me, unimpressed. "Did you finally realize how stupid your goal is and decide to be my servant? Or are you here to beg me and let the bet you placed go?" 'Although I hate this Idiot he has some skill, for a commoner that is. It's a shame he's being protected otherwise I would've leashed him.'
"Hey, are you not going to invite your guest in?" I try, figuring social niceties might get me further.
"Guest? You? You're a commoner, not a guest. Now stop bothering me and begone," she retorts, attempting to shut the door.
I click my tongue and grab the door before it closes. Damn, she's strong, tsk she's using some magic enhancement. "Just give me a damn minute. Listen, there's going to be a ruin exploration competition against other schools. The student council asked me to make a team for the freshman class."
Isabella stops trying to close the door. She eyes me suspiciously. "The student council asked you? Why are you bothering me? Take your pathetic friend Lysdra or whatever her name is. Don't bother me over something worthless." 'Why would they ask him? His performance was bad, if they were going to choose someone it should've been Isadora, Aira, Liam, or me. Has the student council fallen that low?'
The door finally swings open fully. I step inside, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "I need a mage. And who better to ask than the greatest mage in front of me? I mean, not even Prince Liam is as strong as you, you truly are a prodigy." God, did I really just say that? I hope I don't choke on my own words, I sound so cringe, it's disgusting.
Isabella looks at me, clearly weighing her options. The arrogance in her eyes diminishes slightly, replaced by a glimmer of interest. "Of course, I'm a prodigy, I am of noble blood. Although Liam is a prince he cannot compare to Aira, the next queen, he is simply not as pure as us." 'Does this Idiot think flattering me will change my mind? Hmmm, I might, if he begs me or if he finally decides to serve me, I need someone capable of understanding what I do, and based on his actions he seems capable. Just why are all commoners so stubborn and stupid?'
Ah, there it is, the tiny crack in her ego armor. "You should know that this ruin is around 2,000 years old, from when the great mage Kestrel innovated new magic theories, who knows, we might find something in the ruin."
She smirks, her icy demeanor thawing just a bit. "Kestrel... you know about Kestrel? He was responsible for creating new methods for controlling magic circles. If this is truly one of his ruins...You're in luck, I'll tag along however I will confirm if what you're saying is true before deciding." 'Hahaha, I must let my brother know, once this stupid competition is over, we'll buy it off and inspect it thoroughly.'
Finally. "Great, glad to have you on the team. You won't regret it," I say, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes. Fuck, is that all I needed to say? Ugh, I shouldn't have said all that crap earlier. Now all I need is to visit Rai, Arin, Luna, and Lysandra. I can't take Isadora since she will be targeted by all of them. And Biana... there's no way I'm taking her. I wanted to bring Sera but Elith said they needed her for something else. I have so much shit to do, I almost forgot I need to contact Zeke and Eira, we have to get ready for tomorrow. Ash... if he continues being as lazy as he is he won't grow. I need to force him to train, should I hire Zeke again? No, he's too expensive plus he might traumatize him if no one keeps an eye on them, oh I know...
Isabella narrows her eyes at me, "Now get the hell out of my place."