The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 32
EP.32 Student Council (2)
“Student council?”
“Yes, I’ve received an invitation too.”
Charlotte said, taking out an envelope that looked like a wedding invitation from her bag.
“I’m not very familiar with the atmosphere or traditions of the academy… Does this invitation go out based on academic rankings?”
“It’s not sent based on academic ranking.”
Alice said, shaking her head at Charlotte’s question.
“To be precise, it’s determined by whether you’re from a noble family or not.”
“Ah, I see.”
Charlotte seemed to understand, nodding slightly.
“So, I received this invitation because I’m a royalty.”
“That’s probably it. Do you happen to know who the student council president is?”
Alice asked.
Charlotte slowly shook her head at Alice’s question.
“I’m afraid I don’t. I’m not well-versed in the Empire’s nobility. I’m quite familiar with the nobles of my own country, though…”
“That makes sense.”
Alice replied.
In truth, Alice wasn’t particularly familiar with her own country’s nobility either. There were even nobles who had been personally granted titles by the Emperor, yet they didn’t recognize Alice’s face. It spoke to how much she neglected building relationships with the nobility.
Though in a country where the imperial authority was as strong as it was, Alice could afford to overlook those connections.
“So, Silvia, did you get one too?”
Claire, leaning over my desk with her hands propped up, asked with a curious glint in her eyes.
“No, I haven’t received one yet.”
“Maybe we came out too early this morning?”
Alice, even if she neglected her connections with the nobility, had a clear desire to be recognized by the Emperor. That’s why she diligently studied every morning.
And because of that, I had ended up studying alongside her as well.
Thankfully, I got plenty of rest every night on the soft bed, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. After all, there weren’t any late-night games to keep me up in this world. In a way, I was living much more comfortably here than in my original world. Was it because I was the Emperor’s daughter instead of a working adult?
“If Charlotte received an invitation, there’s probably already one waiting for us in front of our dorm rooms too.”
Alice remarked.
At this, Claire’s eyes sparkled even more, to the point where I wondered if it was optically possible for them to shine that brightly. It was quite overwhelming, really.
“Silvia, are you planning to join the student council?”
“…”
I glanced over at Alice and responded.
“If Her Highness decides to join, then I will likely follow suit.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Alice said with a confident smile spreading across her face.
“I’m thinking of even becoming the student council president later on. Considering that I’ll be taking my father’s place someday, wouldn’t it be good to experience being at the top of something once?”
Alice’s confident statement reflected a well-thought-out plan. Since the academy’s student council was filled with the heirs of powerful noble families, it wasn’t a bad idea to establish connections that would be useful when she eventually had to govern. Even in the original story, Alice, who had entered the academy alone, joined the student council with similar thoughts.
As for Charlotte… she hadn’t shown much interest. Judging by her background, she probably received an invitation, but her priorities were elsewhere. Being a princess who perfectly fit the image of nobility, Charlotte likely didn’t care much for the politically charged student council. After all, she was only attending the academy because the king of Velbur had sent her here.
“In that case, shall I visit at least once?”
However, the Charlotte of this world was a bit different. In the original story, she started building a relationship with Alice much later, but now, Alice no longer harbored the inferiority complex she once did towards the ‘perfect princess.’ That complex had vanished, and it was partly due to my presence in this world.
It was a positive change.
“Oh, are you interested?”
When Alice turned her gaze to Charlotte, Charlotte shook her head.
“It’s not that I’m particularly interested, but who knows.”
Charlotte smiled softly, and the boys nearby, who had been stealing glances, audibly gasped. Especially the boys. Regardless of race, the fact that Charlotte was foreign made her seem like an exotic beauty to them. Her soft Velbur accent only added to her allure.
Foreign beauties have always been popular. Of course, it was more of a fantasy in the minds of those looking, but Charlotte might be an exception. Her hair color and aura gave her an air of mystery.
“Being with friends makes it worth considering at least.”
Charlotte added.
“I see.”
Alice replied.
“I-I’d like to come too!”
Claire, seeing Alice’s smile in response to Charlotte, quickly jumped in.
“Can I come along as well?”
“You too?”
Alice seemed slightly surprised this time. Showing up to the student council without an invitation was essentially the same as showing up to be turned away.
In the original story, Leo ended up going to the student council room because Alice had suggested it, but even then, he hadn’t wanted to go out of any personal desire. That event was supposed to happen about a month from now in the game’s timeline, when the main story quests would officially start.
So, Claire’s sudden request to go with them was unusual, especially for a baron’s daughter. While Alice often said that “we’re all just students here,” it was clear she understood the difference between herself and other students.
“Uh? Is it not possible?”
Claire turned her pleading eyes toward me after seeing Alice’s reaction.
Why was she asking me…?
…No, wait. This might actually be a good opportunity.
The student council was filled with incredibly authoritative individuals, but that also meant they were likely just as fearful of that authority. So, taking Claire along might turn out to be entertaining.
Who is that girl? Why is the daughter of a mere baron sitting between the princess and a royal? How is she talking so comfortably with them? We’ve never seen any of them before—
— Wouldn’t that make for an exciting scene? Like a satisfying twist, right?
Maybe not. But imagining Claire being ignored… I really didn’t want to see that.
After all, I’d been waiting for this game every year for seven years. It wasn’t just this world I loved; I had a soft spot for all the worlds and protagonists from the game series. Of course, there were characters I absolutely despised, but they hadn’t shown up yet, so that’s something to worry about later.
The point was, I hated seeing the characters I liked being put in frustrating situations. If the student council members ignored Claire or Leo, I might not be able to keep my cool.
“…”
That’s why I was conflicted.
“…Hmm?”
Alice, who had been sitting next to me, made a curious sound as she noticed my inner turmoil. Did I overthink this? Hopefully, my emotions hadn’t shown on my face.
“Let’s go with that, then.”
Just as I was mulling over things, Charlotte responded lightly.
“Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”
“There isn’t… really.”
Seeing Alice turn her head at Charlotte’s words, I felt a bit relieved. I mean, breaking a concept I’ve maintained for ten years in just two days is a bit much.
“The fact that only those with an invitation can enter the student council room seems a bit strange…”
Charlotte said this while glancing down at the envelope in her hand.
“But aren’t all students equal while we’re here at the Academy? I doubt anyone would have an issue with Claire joining us.”
Her expression suggested she’d found something amusing.
“…Hmm.”
Noticing that expression, Alice groaned. Well, she had seen my expressionless face for the past ten years, so she could probably recognize Charlotte’s subtle changes.
It was the kind of look that said she’d found something interesting, paired with a hint of competitive spirit.
Charlotte really disliked people who didn’t follow their own rules. That’s why she had a distaste for the “equal” student council here at the Academy.
“…”
Even though Alice’s self-esteem had improved a lot compared to the original story, her pride hadn’t diminished. She still carried the pride of being the Empire’s princess and the honor of being the top student at the Academy, which was, in fact, the best academy in the world. Of course, I had intentionally answered some questions wrong, so she’d end up taking the top spot, but Alice seemed to view me as something “outside the norm,” so losing to me probably didn’t hurt her pride too much.
That’s why she was conflicted now.
Would it hurt her pride more to bring Claire along and reveal the reality of the student council? Or would it be more damaging to her pride to find an excuse and leave Claire behind?
But if there was one thing I was sure of…
Alice, who had both a strong sense of pride and self-esteem, wouldn’t choose either of the two options.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
At Alice’s words, Claire’s face lit up with a bright smile.
Yes, if it was Alice, I was certain she’d choose to break through the situation entirely, rather than be bound by either choice.
*
In the original story, Alice had a strong sense of pride but was a timid character at the start. However, after I continuously drilled into her mind that she was destined to inherit the Emperor’s throne, she changed. If there was something she didn’t like or found embarrassing to show others, she would simply fix it.
And it wasn’t like she lacked the power to do so.
Actually, this wasn’t really my doing. It was Leo, who, in the process of getting to know Alice, unintentionally helped her build confidence. By the end of the first game, Alice had become bold enough to stand up to the Emperor directly.
Though, Alice had already defied the Emperor once. She had gone to confront him to get me admitted into the academy. I don’t know what happened during that confrontation—Lucas wouldn’t even tell me—but I was certain Alice hadn’t spoken to the Emperor in a soft voice.
“…”
Meanwhile, the same Leo who had triggered Alice’s transformation in the original story was now trembling as he quietly sipped his tea.
Claire, on the other hand, was so composed that she almost resembled Alice or Charlotte in her demeanor.
The current student council members, wrapped in silence, were watching us from a distance with suspicious eyes.
It wasn’t strange for me to be with Alice. Since starting at the academy, I had always been by her side.
It wasn’t odd for Charlotte to be with us either. Being a princess from another country, it made sense for her to be more closely associated with royalty than with the imperial nobles.
But what could those two children from a baron’s family be doing here?
Of course, being from a baron’s family didn’t automatically mean they were of lower standing. If a baron’s family had been granted land directly by the Emperor, they received orders from the Emperor himself, which sometimes put them in a position of more practical power than even local lords. The House of Grace, for example, had earned great merit in wars as the Emperor’s sword and were highly respected in the capital.
However, the academy’s student council consisted of nobles even more influential than that. No matter how esteemed a baron might be in the capital, their standing wouldn’t surpass the children of dukes with imperial blood or counts with lands adjacent to the capital. That’s why they hadn’t received invitations.
So, seeing the baron’s children enter with two princesses and a royal, it was only natural for the student council to suspect something was up.
The key point was that they had no idea what the reason was.
Because they didn’t know, because they had no understanding of the situation—this was exactly why Charlotte’s playful suggestion to mess with the student council had led to this turn of events, which Alice had eagerly accepted.
“……”
And now, no one seemed to be thinking about how to navigate this awkward situation.