How to Survive as the Academy Student Council President

Caron confirmed the golem’s approach, then quietly eyed the artifact in my hand.
“What is that. That weird thing.”
“One of my toys. You don’t need the details.”
Instead of explaining, I slipped the artifact back into my pouch.
'This artifact is one from Loen’s collection.'
A device that sends activation orders to various mechanical constructs at range.
In other words, a remote control, in modern terms.
It’s practically a toy with little use, but anything is useful depending on how you use it.
I granted this artifact a special function with my alchemy magic, [Amplify].
That’s why the nearby golem received this signal and came.
Even dog crap has its use—if you employ a mere toy at the right time and place, it becomes this handy.
Thump-.
Thump-.
I pointed at the big steel doll pushing through mist and trees.
“How about this method.”
Freya looked up at the golem heading our way and nodded.
“...Not bad.”
Magic stones from an autonomous golem equal three high-grade monster stones.
Same value as a hundred and fifty low-rank monsters like kobolds.
I shrugged as I watched the golem.
“I can’t take it down with my abilities, so I’ll leave it to you, Freya.”
I called it a point dispenser, but it was anything but easy.
Autonomous golems have extremely high magic resistance by default, so with Loen’s current magic I can’t even scratch it.
Even if my magic crystal orbs were intact, soloing that thing wouldn’t be easy.
When I left the golem to Freya, Caron beside me took a needless jab.
“You summon an enemy you can’t handle yourself. How irresponsible.”
“……”
He’d been picking a fight since earlier; clearly my contributions rubbed him wrong.
I shrugged and snapped back.
“Only figuring that out now? Still better than a guy who flaps his mouth and does nothing.”
“...Are you saying that for me to hear?”
“Good, at least you can take a hint. Stop wagging your tongue and do something.”
“!”
“What have you contributed to this team? Hakone’s calling out enemy positions and Freya’s cutting down monsters. I brought in a golem for high points, and even Garfield is carrying our gear. You, on the other hand, have done nothing but pick a fight with me.”
“Y-you…”
Face flushing, Caron gripped his hilt as if to draw at once.
I sneered at him.
“What. Is your sword there to threaten your own teammates?”
“You little—!”
Just as Caron snarled and started to draw, Freya stepped in between us.
“Loen, that’s enough. And Sir Caron, you will stop there as well. Drawing a sword on a teammate—how disappointing.”
“…!”
“And you should fix your manner of speaking. You’re far too sharp.”
“...My apologies.”
Caron bowed his head to Freya, then drew his sword.
Shing-.
“As an apology for this matter, leave that golem to me.”
He shot me a sharp glare, then leveled his blade at the autonomous golem.
Seemed my “do something” line got under his skin.
Caron stared silently at the golem as it drew nearer.
“Haaap!”
With a kiai, he infused mana into his blade.
Vmmm-.
Caron’s sword glowed with a faint blue light as mana flowed.
I glanced at his blade and thought—
'The blade’s surface doesn’t yet hold a clear aura. Current skill level: [Lower Swordsmanship Lv. 7], give or take.'
At lower 7, in your average fantasy knight scale, that’s upper-tier “sword user.”
To learn and use the swordsman’s flower, [Sword Aura], you need roughly [Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv. 1]—the doorstep of sword expert.

Flash-.
Caron raised his mana-fed sword and struck straight at the golem—
'Union-made autonomous golem physical defense can’t be pierced by anything short of [Sword Aura].'
Clang-!
There was no way that slash would bite.
With a ringing clash, Caron’s blade bounced off.
“!”
The rebound tore his palm and he lost his grip entirely.
Clatter-.
“Ghhk…”
Caron dropped his sword, collapsed where he was, and clutched his bleeding hand.
Then—
Whumm-.
The golem’s massive fist came crashing down toward the prone Caron.
“!”
With that overwhelming force, Caron could do nothing—just stare at the incoming punch.
That was when—
Swish-.
Freya slipped between Caron and the golem in an instant.
Boom-!
She raised her sword and took the blow head-on.
With a grating creak, the golem’s brute strength traveled down her blade.
Bracing that power with both hands, she spoke coldly to Caron, who lay on the ground.
“Sir Caron. Fall back. That is an order.”
“Y-yes.”
Caron snatched up his fallen sword and retreated, almost running away.
Confirming his safety, Freya fixed her gaze on the golem.
Keen-.
Tilting her sword diagonally to deflect, she let the blow slide by, and the golem’s heavy fist slammed into the earth.
Boomph-!
The ground burst the moment the punch landed.
A scene that told you all you needed to know about the golem’s overwhelming strength.
Rrrrr-.
The golem hauled its fist up from deep in the ground like an excavator, then faced Freya, red eyes glowing beneath its helm.
'Here we go.'
Keeping my eyes on the fight, I spoke to Garfield.
“Garfield, take out the first-aid and give it to Caron. There’s a hemostatic pouch on the side of the pack.”
“Ah, got it.”
Garfield, who’d been blankly watching the fight, pulled out hemostatic agent and bandages from the side pocket and handed them to Caron.
“...Thanks.”
Biting his lip, Caron dabbed the hemostatic on his torn palm and wrapped it.
Still watching Freya’s fight, I spoke loudly enough for Caron to hear as he treated himself.
“There’s a right time and place for everything. My role ends at luring the golem. Your role ends at guarding the rear. Charging ahead on enthusiasm alone doesn’t make things work. Knowing your ability and role is also skill.”
“……”
A Union autonomous golem is a mechanical weapon that can butcher something like a troll without trouble.
Only someone near the top of the year, like Freya, can handle one solo; at Caron’s level, it’s a long shot.
'Same for other students besides Caron.'
A team of five with middling skill could get crushed by a single golem and break apart.
It’s simple logic: a machine that yields triple the stones and points of a high-rank monster won’t be weak.
Of course… for a powerhouse like Freya, subduing a golem isn’t that difficult.
With that in mind, I watched her fight at ease.
Tap-.
She slipped past the golem’s attacks with movement stripped of all waste.
Mechanical, with no excess, no emotional ripple—each motion honed by merciless training.
Keen-.
And she wasn’t just evading; she was steadily stacking damage.
Her sword strikes slipped between the golem’s thick armor plates.
Each time her blade struck, the golem’s joints began to loosen or wobble one by one.
'Smart way to fight.'
She could brute-force the plates with full-power aura cuts, but that burns too much mana and stamina.
By targeting weaknesses and stacking damage, it’s slower but certain.
However—
'Even Freya probably doesn’t know golems have a Phase 2 in their patterns.'
What student has fought an academy guardian golem head-on like this? It’s only natural not to know.
I narrowed my eyes to check the golem’s state.
The eyes glowing redder through the helm slits, the mana engine’s ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) pulse growing harsher.
It was about time for Phase 2, so I should give her a tip.
“Freya, exploiting weaknesses is fine, but keep an eye on the golem’s mana changes. An autonomous golem can adjust its own engine output.”
“...?”
Just as Freya tilted her head mid-fight at my words—
Fwooo-.
White steam vented from pipes on the golem’s back, and its movements suddenly shifted.
Whoom-.
It had entered the Phase 2 I mentioned.
“!”
The speed change was hard to handle even for Freya.
Whack-!
“Kh.”
She snapped her sword forward to guard the blow, but without fully absorbing the impact, she was flung back.
Watching her tumble once and rise in the distance, I remarked—
“...Told you to be careful.”
“Kh.”
Using her sword to push herself up, she shot me a glare.
“...You’re quick to say that.”
“I regret that much.”
“Hoo.”
Dusting off her backside, Freya leveled her blade at the golem again.
“That’s enough. I’ll just cut it.”
Staring down the golem, Freya gathered her mana and poured it into her sword.
Vroooom-.
A vivid blue sword aura rose from her blade.
It was fundamentally different from the vague mana Caron showed.
The fierce aura that had flared like flame soon calmed, condensing neatly along the blade’s edge.
Watching that cleanly refined aura, I thought—
'Freya’s current realm is [Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv. 5].'
That’s mid–upper sword expert territory, and there aren’t many knights outside the Union at that level.
“Ha!”
With a kiai, Freya unleashed a slash at the golem.
Screee-.
A fine line formed from helm to crotch—then the golem of thick steel split cleanly in two.
Thud-.
The halves yawed apart, and the massive body toppled to the ground—autonomous golem felled.
As expected of Freya. Worthy of applause.
I never thought I’d see, right before my eyes, the swordsmanship I’d only watched in-game.
“Huff, huff.”
Catching her breath after finishing the golem, Freya inhaled slowly.
I nodded as she sheathed her sword.
'Smooth sailing.'
After more than a dozen hours of wandering for just seventeen low-grade stones, we’d obtained the equivalent value of a hundred and fifty low-grade stones in ten minutes.
We could now pull decisively ahead of other teams.
Most teams wouldn’t be able to hunt autonomous golems—this was easy thanks to the Freya cheat.
I took a water bottle from my pack and held it out to Freya as she steadied her breathing.
“Good work. You fought well. Your movement was excellent—no waste at all.”
“……”
But Freya just stared at the water I offered, then turned and took her own canteen from her pack.
My outstretched hand had nowhere to go.
From behind, I even heard Caron snicker.
To hide my embarrassment, I passed it to Garfield.
“Take it.”
But Garfield tilted his head and asked,
“Lord Loen. Why give this to me? I have water.”
“Just take it.”
…Because I’m pissed.