The day after Professor Karen's insane group evaluation. The academy was in chaos. Nearly half of the grade received the lowest scores, and over 70% were devastated by the evaluation; Such an event had never happened in the history of the academy.
"Did you hear?"
"Of course, I heard. The sophomores got completely wrecked, right?"
"Yeah. I took a peek earlier, and the atmosphere was like a funeral."
"Wow... I didn't expect that from Professor Karen, but she really went all out this time."
"Hey, you don't know the half of it. I heard from another professor that Karen has always been known for doing things her own way."
"Yeah. She's an alumna of our academy, you know?"
"I know."
"Even as a student, she did whatever she wanted. She would skip classes she didn't like and go crazy studying only the subjects she was interested in, and on top of that..."
"On top of that?"
"She used to drink every day, and you could smell the alcohol on her from a mile away."
"That's what she was like? She doesn't seem that way at all now."
"People change."
"I see... But still, wouldn't skipping classes like that get you expelled?"
"It would. But her test scores were so insanely high that she was considered too valuable to lose, so the dean turned a blind eye and somehow she managed to graduate by meeting the minimum number of classes."
"Wow... Professor Karen is a legend, a legend."
"That's what I'm saying. This incident, it's a legend making another legend."
Professor Karen, was being re-evaluated after her past was dug up. And there was another person who became as much of a hot topic as she was.
Bang!
The door to the student council president's office opened abruptly without a
knock.
Regina Erenbert, the student council president who was quietly reading a book, looked towards the door.
The one who entered was a cute-looking twin-tailed female student.Amy, a junior and a student council officer, who loved baguettes so much she had the odd nickname 'Blessing of the Baguette'.
"President! President!"
Even as she called for Regina with urgent matters, Amy did not let go of the baguette in her hand.
"What's the matter?"
Despite Amy's fuss, Regina asked calmly.
Always cool and composed, she was known as the 'Ice Cold President'.
"Did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
"The story about Professor Karen's insanely difficult group evaluation."
"No."
"Hehe, I thought so, so I brought some hot news."
Amy grinned. She also played the role of an informant in the student council. But it wasn't that she gathered information herself. She used her close relationship with the head of the newspaper club to get information.
"I'm sorry, President."
Ashamed of the state she had shown, Amy blushed.
"Thank you for the news. It's interesting."
Regina sat on the desk.
Which side was she interested in? The insane difficulty of the evaluation, or 'that'? Suddenly she had that thought, but Amy pressed it down inside.
Because it was too blatant a question.
"...It's also shocking news."
She said that and then slightly regretted it.
Seeing Regina as usual, she thought it was shocking news only to herself. But then.
"It is indeed."
Regina unexpectedly uttered a word of affirmation. Amy looked surprised. She didn't expect her to affirm.
'She's really hard to read...'
Amy had never seen her flustered. She had never seen her surprised.
That was the kind of person she was. But one thing was certain. Since she had said so herself, that was definitely her true feeling.
"Amy "
"Yes, yes?"
"I know you're on duty starting today, but if you don't leave soon, you'll be late, won't you?"
At that, Amy checked the time in surprise. Indeed, it was a close call, just as Regina had said.
"When did it get so late? President, I'll be going now!"
Whoosh! Amy disappeared out the door at a speed that didn't match her stature. Regina was left alone in the student council president's office.
She had a thoughtful look on her face as she stared into space. Then she suddenly muttered.
"...I saw it right after all."
That look in his eyes. A calm gaze that neither feared her nor revealed any lust. A gaze that the usual Max could never have.
She read from that gaze that there was a hidden true color to Max. But she couldn't be sure. Because he was a man who had lived too messy a life to be certain.
It was more likely to be just a bluff. But
"Is that your answer?"
Max's first answer exceeded expectations.
To the point where she felt surprised. But just that far.
He wasn't qualified yet.
Her standards were not low enough to acknowledge him for just one thing.
Considering who she was, that was natural. Even though she was still a student, she was already considered one of the continent's top swordsmen.
But still...
"I'll look forward to it."
Regina stood up from her desk.