How to Survive as the Academy Student Council President

“Eh? Dark Magic Stones?”
When Kiriel asked back in a daze, Beatrice gently nodded.
“Yes. Our Eredor Disciplinary Committee has currently recovered over eight-tenths of the projected Dark Magic Stones spread within our territory.”
Beatrice shot me a brief glare and continued.
“……I don’t particularly want to acknowledge it, but thanks to Loen’s help, the sluggish recovery work on the stones has been spurred on. At this pace, we should be able to recover most of the Dark Magic Stones before long, but how are things going for the rest of you?”
To Beatrice’s question, Elena replied with a soft smile.
“Hehe, we of Saintea have also formed a dedicated recovery team and are searching all over our territory. Since most of our students use holy power, they’re fairly adept at detecting magi. It’s proceeding smoothly. That aside, Loen? Did you only help Beatrice separately?”
Looking at Elena, who was asking as if to say why I was showing favoritism, I shrugged.
“……In the end it turned out that way. But there was reason enough.”
I pointed at the Union map hanging on the Student Council Office wall and spoke.
“Because the site where the incident occurred is close to Eredor territory, the proportion of Dark Magic Stones distributed there is high. It was the most dangerous.”
The cause of the Dark Magic Stones spreading was the high-ranking demon attack that took place during Loen’s Student Council President inauguration.
Because Eredor is close to the auditorium where that incident occurred, its distribution density of the stones was highest.
'Still…… I’m glad the information I gave is proving effective.'
In a sense, it’s a good sign that Beatrice is smoothly recovering the stones using the information I provided.
The main quest linked to the Dark Magic Stones, [Trace of Delusion].
Originally, it does not begin with the demons’ attack on the auditorium.
Loen’s inauguration as Student Council President and being attacked mid-speech by a high-ranking demon was an event that didn’t exist in the original game.
'In the story, it began like a detective case with only odd rumors and the explanation that Dark Magic Stones had spread within the Union through an unknown cause route.'
But the development after the inciting incident hasn’t veered far from the main quest.
Fewer variables means fewer risk factors when it comes to deciding my course.
I hope it just keeps proceeding like this.
While I was thinking for a moment, Freya opened her mouth.
“We of Ishtal are searching suspicious areas centered on Senior Jeremy’s Disciplinary Committee. There have been a total of four reported discoveries of Dark Magic Stones. All were recovered without issue and are stored in the armory.”
'Stored, is it.'
Later I should make a deal with Freya to have the Dark Magic Stones in storage handed over.
Dark Magic Stones are an essential material for hatching Kavelthar’s egg.
I should also prepare a pretext that won’t draw needless suspicion.
Even if, in name, the General Student Council is the Headquarter(s) that oversees each student council’s stone recovery work, they won’t readily hand over Dark Magic Stones, which are items requiring careful handling.
“How are things going for you, Kiriel.”
At my question, Kiriel hurriedly turned her head away, avoiding my eyes to stare off at a faraway mountain.
“Uh, um, of course it’s going well. Don’t worry~”
Because that reaction was quite suspicious, I asked Kiriel again.
“Are you sure it’s going well?”
“O-of course. It’s going smoothly enough that someone like you doesn’t need to worry.”
“……Let’s hope so.”
I stopped pressing.
Kiriel herself isn’t that reliable, but as I understand it, her aides at least are fairly diligent.
They’ll handle it on their own.
And if it really doesn’t work out, I can go to Voltimir myself and recover the stones.
No—if anything, it’s safer to obtain Dark Magic Stones directly without passing through other hands.
I’m short on stones to feed to Kavelthar as it is.
At Kiriel’s suspicious answer, Beatrice spoke with a hard expression.
“The longer the delay in recovery, the more the difficulty and danger of that work increase greatly. The surrounding vegetation can be contaminated and the land demonized, and animals that come into contact may transform into monsters. In the worst case, students could come into contact and become demonic-humans.”
“Y-yeah…… I know it’s extremely dangerous.”

“This is an issue directly tied to student safety. It must be addressed before anything else, so please cooperate with the faculty and handle it swiftly.”
“All right, I trust you’ll each handle it well. Next.”
I moved on to the final agenda item.
“I have something to say regarding the academic grading evaluation within the Union.”
“Grading evaluation?”
“Right. Ciel.”
“Yes.”
At my call, Ciel distributed copies of the law code containing various Union school regulations to each person.
While everyone received their copies and checked them, I continued the explanation.
“In the current regulations, the maximum ratio for each grade is stipulated, but the minimum ratio is not. It merely states that there must exist at least one student who can achieve the maximum ratio of a given grade.”
Simply put, the maximum ratio for awarding A grades is set at twenty-five percent, but the minimum is not.
It only states that there must be at least one student receiving an A within the course enrollment.
Because of this lax regulation, we ended up with a situation like this term’s Basic Swordsmanship class.
For a professor to arbitrarily change the grade ratios and limit the number of A grades in the course to one student—there’s no tyranny like it.
Even if I kick out Professor Zimmer right now, someone could exploit this again to put pressure on me.
For the peaceful maintenance of the Student Council President’s office, this is a regulation that must be amended.
“So. You want to change it to set minimum ratios per grade?”
Kiriel narrowed her eyes and asked, and I nodded.
“That’s right. At the very least, the current rule is unreasonable. If we pass an amendment to that item at this meeting, it gets sent to the faculty conference after receiving the Chairman’s seal. And there has never been a case of something approved by the student councils being voted down at the faculty conference.”
Meaning, if it just passes here, it will go through without issue.
“How is it. Will you agree?”
At my proposal, Kiriel rejected it like a knife.
“I don’t want to!”
“Why? If the ratios improve, you could receive a higher grade than you do now.”
“I don’t know about that, but if this passes, it becomes easier for you to maintain your Student Council President seat. You think I don’t see your intention? I’m against it.”
With her hands planted proudly on her hips, Kiriel spoke like she saw right through my aim.
Even she could catch on to at least this much.
“……You’re not as stupid as I thought.”
“Hey, are you done talking?”
Ignoring the way Kiriel perked up her ears, I asked for others’ opinions.
It’s easier to seek agreement from the other student council presidents than to persuade Kiriel.
“Freya, what do you think?”
“……I feel the same as Miss Kiriel, but I agree with improving the regulation itself. Other students should not be harmed by a professor’s tyranny.”
As one of the parties directly involved in this incident, Freya seems to have decided to cooperate with me.
“Good. Elena, what about you?”
“I don’t particularly mind either way~”
With a shrug that said she wasn’t interested, Elena looked at me and gave a bright smile.
“Still, if it helps Loen continue serving as Student Council President, I’ll agree.”
At Elena’s favorable statement, Kiriel grabbed her shoulders in surprise.
“What? Elena, why all of a sudden? What wind is blowing!”
“Why else? I don’t particularly bear him ill will. And since Loen rose to the Student Council President’s seat, he hasn’t committed any particular misdeeds. If anything, he’s done good things. If it continues like this, there’s nothing bad about him keeping the position.”
“T-that’s true, but……”
“Thanks, Elena. Lastly, Beatrice, what do you think?”
With two of the four already in agreement, if I secured Beatrice’s, the item would pass.
After a brief consideration, Beatrice spoke.
“Well…… there’s nothing bad about it. So long as setting a minimum ratio per grade doesn’t reduce the discriminative power of the grading.”
“For example?”
“For an A grade, stipulate it as at least five percent of the enrolled students.”
“……Isn’t that a bit stingy?”
Five percent—practically like a first-tier score on the College Scholastic Ability Test.
When I voiced my dissatisfaction, Beatrice furrowed her brows.
“So you intended to get grades for free? And this is only a minimum stipulation. Anything beyond that can be left to the professor’s discretion. A minimum ratio per grade at about this level is appropriate.”
“Got it.”
I’m a little dissatisfied with the ratio, but the fact that Beatrice agreed is something to be thankful for.
And as she said, this is a minimum stipulation, so there won’t be many professors who grade that tightly.
Thus, with three votes in favor and one against, the amendment to set minimum ratios per grade passed.
***
“So, you’ve come to get my approval on that matter.”
“That’s correct.”
The Union Chairman’s office.
By now, I’m completely used to the sight of the steamed-bun-man-style old man, who nodded slowly.
“Very good. Come to think of it, it is strange that such a regulation hasn’t existed until now. Stipulating minimum ratios for grade tiers is certainly necessary. Once I sign, I’ll pass it on to the faculty conference.”
“Do you think it will pass?”
“Yes, I don’t see why not. There’s never been a case of an item passed by the student councils being rejected by the faculty conference, and up to now there haven’t been many professors who regulated the grade tier lines to a needless degree.”
That’s true.
Zimmer limiting A grades to a single student this time was a special case; most professors adjust the A-grade ratio at a reasonable line.
Anywhere from ten percent on the low end to twenty-five percent on the high end.
Since the newly stipulated minimum ratio is only five percent, most professors won’t run afoul of it.
“It seems there’s little need for you to worry.”
With a hearty smile, the Chairman continued.
“Anyway. The rumors I’ve been hearing lately are good, Mr. Loen. It seems you’re doing well.”
“You flatter me.”
“This is a little gift from me. I hope you continue to work hard like this. Heh heh.”
Click-.
The Chairman handed over something packaged in a translucent case.
An expensive-looking fountain pen in an ivory color with gold trim.
It looked fairly high-end, but I didn’t sense any particular magic.
I proceeded with a system-level analysis.
[The Chairman’s Gifted Fountain Pen]
Grade: Common
Category: Tool
It doesn’t appear to have any particular effect. A small token from the Chairman. Looks expensive.
Since the system analysis said nothing special either, I simply accepted it with gratitude ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) and stowed it away.
“Thank you. And I also need your consent regarding the construction of the tram branch line……”
“Hm, granting consent is no trouble, but do you perhaps need funding support? Strictly speaking, it falls under the Union’s facilities management duties, so if it proceeds well, a project subsidy might be possible.”
A subsidy. All the better if I can take the credit without even spending my own money.
I feel a bit like a wicked politician skimming off taxes, but what’s good is good.
“If possible, it would be best to receive it.”
“Mm, very well. Then I’ll exert myself a bit.”
With a gentle smile, he lent me his strength.
As expected of the Chairman. Contrary to what’s publicly known, he’s quite capable.
I gratefully accepted his goodwill.
***
Eredor.
Today’s Introduction to Intermediate Magic class was held not in the lecture hall but in a laboratory attached to the Hall of Truth annex.
Students clustered together in a lab that felt similar to a high school science room.
Professor Martelgia, standing at the chalkboard with her teaching assistant, opened her mouth in a somehow excited voice.
“Ohonghong, good~ I will announce the grading results of the last pop quiz. And afterward, we’ll try a simple experiment~ Form groups of four and take seats at each table~ So to speak, it will be a ‘group practicum’~”