Chapter 440
The story of the 330th Student Council was now passing the night, and moving into dawn.
"Let’s introduce a cafeteria rating system!"
Maelyn raised her voice.
"Honestly, the food quality is bad, but there are those school cafeterias that act arrogant just because students crowd there at lunchtime! So we implement a student rating system, and if the rating is poor, the Student Council formally demands improvement, and if nothing changes, we kick them out and bring in a new cafeteria! How about that?"
"Oh, not bad."
Dick agreed, but Kamibarez voiced her objection.
"If that happens, won’t cafeterias cater only to the taste of the majority?"
"Isn’t that a good thing?"
"N, no! For example, a vegetarian cafeteria might get a low overall rating, but for some students it’s absolutely necessary! I think respecting diversity is important too!"
"There’s also the problem of rating sabotage."
Watching the three chattering away, Simon smiled faintly.
‘Aren’t they working a little too hard?’
He was starting to feel sleepy and wanted to go rest, but with their overflowing passion, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
"But guys,"
Instead, he slightly shifted the mood.
"Can the Student Council even replace school facilities?"
"Of course we can! We’re not just any Student Council, we’re the famous Keyzen Student Council!"
Maelyn puffed out her chest proudly as she said that.
She was still brimming with the air of a vice-president. Well, it was natural, since she had become Keyzen’s number two overnight.
"Realistically, a big thing like replacing a school cafeteria would need inspection from the adults."
Dick gave a rather analytical answer.
"Of course, if we submit statistics that reflect student opinion and persistently argue, I think there’s a good chance they’ll change it."
"Hmm."
"Now! But the real business starts from there! Let’s say Maelyn creates an opening with the rating system. Imagine how fierce the competition would be for businesses trying to enter Keyzen! We can recruit them through a bidding system!"
As expected of someone from a business family, Dick knew how the money flow worked.
"And not just that, the Student Council actually gets quite a lot of money coming in, you know? If we handle it well, we could each get ourselves a ship before graduation…."
"Hey! Are you already thinking of embezzling funds? You really wanna die?"
"I was only discussing asset management efficiency."
As Maelyn and Dick started bickering again, Simon quietly turned his head.
"What are you doing, Kami?"
"......Ah."
With a shy smile, she held up her notebook.
"I’m practicing writing meeting minutes!"
"As expected of our secretary!"
Maelyn hugged Kamibarez tightly.
"Unlike a certain someone, she has the right attitude for the Student Council!"
"I condemn the vice-president’s discrimination against executives!"
"Shut it, commoner."
Simon laughed.
He was a little tired, but he was glad everyone enjoyed Student Council activities.
And more than anything, he was glad that even after the second year, when departmental courses were introduced, they would still see each other often.
The four of them talked at length, filled with dreams of changing the school.
"Um."
Then Maelyn cautiously glanced at Simon and approached.
"What’s wrong, Maelyn?"
"That…."
Suddenly embarrassed, she twisted her body and used Kamibarez’s minutes notebook to cover her reddening cheeks.
"That entrance ceremony proposal I mentioned earlier, what do you think? Pr, president…."
Simon smiled faintly.
"Why so awkward? Just call me like you usually do."
"Puahahahaha!"
Dick slapped the table, bursting into loud laughter.
"Wow, this drinking party is epic today! We’ve got the legendary Maelyn Shy Boss Incident recorded here!"
He picked up an empty plate, held it to his face, and in a clumsy girl’s voice imitated,
"What do you think about this proposal, Mr. President~"
"Hey!!! When did I ever do that!"
Her ears blazing red, Maelyn snatched the plate and smacked it into Dick’s face.
With a loud thud, Dick fell backward, and Simon and Kamibarez burst into laughter.
"Now that Simon is our superior, it’s only natural to call him that!!"
Maelyn shouted in flustered excitement, her clenched fists trembling with embarrassment.
Simon opened his mouth.
"Just call me the way you always do. Being Student Council President only lasts a few years, but we’ll always be friends."
"......Oho."
Flat on the floor from the plate attack, Dick suddenly lifted his head.
"One glass of wine, and now we’ve got an ultimate cringe contest going on? Simon’s Eternal Friendship Declaration!! That’s priceless!"
"......Can we just fire him right now?"
* * *
The next day.
After staying up all night with excessive passion, the four woke up a little past noon.
They tidied up their dorms neatly, changed into rented traditional clothing, and headed again to the town of the Pharonna Peninsula.
"There are even more people than yesterday!"
Kamibarez’s eyes widened. As she said, the streets were so full that traffic jams were forming.
"There’ll be even more tomorrow, Kami."
Dick looked back as he spoke.
"Why?"
"Because tomorrow’s when you can see the true highlight of the Pharonna Peninsula!"
The Pharonna Peninsula was a land that jutted out from the continent like a thorn. Below it lay the island called Pharonna, and together they were called the Pharonna region.
The Pharonna Peninsula and Pharonna Island were close enough to be connected by a bridge. And right between them, in the narrow sea passage—
"Once every two years! At exactly the same time, the whale monster ‘Deimos’ and countless marine creatures pass through!"
Simon exclaimed in surprise.
"Wait. Deimos, you mean the same Deimos I have?"
"Yeah, exactly that one!"
Deimos was a massive whale monster that could be turned into the special undead known as an Underworld Whale. With its unique ability to emit special waves that controlled marine life, it was also called the ‘Ruler of the Sea’.
Simon didn’t own an Underworld Whale, but he had obtained the corpse of a baby Deimos as undead material and was using it as a summon.
"Doesn’t it sound freaking awesome?"
With an absorbed expression, Dick spoke enthusiastically.
"Imagine Deimos and uncountable marine creatures passing through that narrow sea passage! It’s a colossal ocean show you won’t see anywhere else on the continent!"
"Alright already, keep walking! You’re blocking the people behind us!"
Maelyn scolded him, and Kamibarez asked again.
"But Dick, if Deimos is tomorrow, where are we going today?"
"To the Deimos Museum! A must-see in the Pharonna Peninsula."
Rumble—
At that moment, Simon, who was watching the rear, silently pulled Kamibarez closer by the shoulder.
"Ah!"
She ended up pressed against Simon, just as a huge carriage rumbled past. Sand and dust blew everywhere, covering the people around.
"Cough cough! Seriously, who does that? Who brings a carriage through a place like this?"
Maelyn’s furious voice rang out. Meanwhile, Kamibarez, blushing, looked up at Simon. He said quietly,
"You’ll get lost if you’re not careful. Stay close, there are too many people."
Her heart melted softly, and she nodded.
"Yes, Simon!"
* * *
After pushing through the crowd, the four finally arrived at the Deimos Museum of the Pharonna Peninsula.
As Dick said, it was considered an essential course of Pharonna tourism. Entering the large, comfortable building felt like a breath of fresh air.
"Welcome! I’ll be your guide for today’s tour…."
Since the museum was so large, every 20 minutes a guide would arrive to lead the visitors through.
Simon’s group casually followed along to listen.
"Please look at the map beside you!"
The guide spoke through an amplified crystal orb.
The entire wall was a map, showing the Pharonna region and the surrounding sea. On the sea, there were shining markers.
"This indicates Deimos’ current location. Here in Pharonna, we’ve been tracking Deimos’ movements since a month before the event! Based on this speed, tomorrow afternoon Deimos will pass through with its followers."
The visitors buzzed with excitement, eager to see Deimos.
‘Hmm.’
Especially Simon, who had personal experience owning a Deimos. He listened more intently than anyone.
"Any questions?"
The guide looked around, but no one raised a hand.
Then the guide’s hand pointed at Simon.
"Then, this boy who’s listening the most attentively!"
Simon’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes, you! The one I’m pointing at! Don’t you have a question?"
"Uh, um…."
Scratching his head, Simon asked,
"You said Deimos passes here."
"Yes!"
"Then… is it okay to catch the Deimos?"
Silence fell for a moment.
Then laughter broke out from the guide and all around.
"Haha! Actually, that’s a very good question! Hunting Deimos isn’t prohibited, but there are only a handful of cases in history where humanity has managed to capture one. One such person was the world’s greatest necromancer, the ‘Witch of Death’ herself! Have you heard the story of the Underworld Whale that carries Keyzen’s freshmen? That whale was made from a Deimos."
Hearing that made Simon want a full-grown Deimos all the more.
He didn’t know if he could defeat an 8th-grade danger-level monster, but at least he could try…….
"But if you attack Deimos after it enters the Pharonna waters, you’ll be treated as a criminal and immediately arrested, so be careful! If you provoke Deimos during the festival, a huge accident could happen! You must only watch from a safe distance! Everyone understood?"
So it really isn’t allowed after all.
"Hopeless."
Maelyn shook her head with a laugh.
The guide continued giving detailed explanations about Deimos.
‘The more I hear, the more amazing it sounds.’
Deimos had the habit of circling the continent’s seas over two years. It only traveled the exact same route, at the exact same time, and if its route overlapped with another Deimos, a huge sea war would break out between the marine creatures under their command.
The guide even showed photos taken with a magical camera of such wars.
An endless sea of blood-red waves, and countless marine creatures floating belly-up on the water.
Once the war ended, the victor would enslave the defeated side’s marine creatures through mental domination, absorbing them into its own power. And if the battle was between a male and female, before killing, one-sided mating would begin.
"And so, one side dies, and baby Deimos are born! The world of monsters is truly terrifying, isn’t it?"
Next to Maelyn, Dick nodded seriously.
"Sounds erotic."
"Please, just crack your head open and die, you lunatic."
As they followed the guide around different exhibits of the museum, Simon’s group eventually reached the final course.
"Now, the highlight of our Deimos Museum! The full-scale skeletal structure of a Deimos!"
Gasps of admiration broke out among the tourists.
The skeleton filled an entire floor, yet even so it was too large, and the tail had to be detached and displayed separately below.
Everyone was overwhelmed by its size and scale.
"Guide!"
Unable to resist, Simon raised his hand.
"Yes, our enthusiastic blue-haired student!"
"Is this a real skeleton?"
The guide answered with a light wink instead.
Simon sighed inwardly.
‘......Right, of course it can’t be real.’
If it were real, necromancers would’ve taken it by any means necessary to create an Underworld Whale or use it as undead material.
"But!"
The guide pointed upward.
"This head portion, at least, is an actual Deimos skull!"
Simon and the other spectators all looked up.
Indeed, the whale’s headbone looked different in color and texture compared to the rest of the body. Its teeth gleamed golden, and the surrounding lights shone directly on the skull.
"It’s such an invaluable paleontological treasure that its worth can’t even be measured! The teeth were damaged, so the museum director filled them in with real gold! A masterpiece you can see only here, in the Deimos Museum of the Pharonna Peninsula!"
Simon immediately examined the skull.
It really did seem genuine. Here and there, he could sense preservation techniques used by necromancers.
"Hey, president! Where are you going?"
"Just to take a closer look."
Simon moved around, observing the bones from multiple angles.
‘To obtain something like this, just how much would it take...... hm?’
At that moment, Simon’s eyes landed on one of the spectators.
A figure wearing an ordinary brown robe. From beneath the hood, a few strands of golden hair swayed.
‘Hmmmmm.’
Simon narrowed his eyes.
‘I’ve definitely seen that face somewhere.’
That person noticed Simon too. His eyes widened, and he flinched backward.
Simon strode forward.
"Excuse me, but are you by any chance......."
The robed spectator suddenly spun around, and bolted without looking back.
"W, wait a second!"
Simon immediately gave chase.
"Stop right there!"
But Simon wasn’t the only one chasing. From a side corridor, a red-haired boy suddenly burst out.
Thud!
Simon and the redhead collided, tangling together, and in that instant the robed person nimbly escaped.
"Tch!"
Simon almost fell from the impact, but he planted his heel, spread Darkness through his body, and steadied himself. He barely avoided falling and looked ahead.
"I, I’m so sorry...... huh?"
The redhead looked at Simon too.
"The guy I bumped into yesterday......!"
Simon remembered as well. The boy he had collided with yesterday, making him land on his backside.
And now, of all people, to crash into him again.
"T, twice in a row! Ahhh! I’m really, really sorry!"
The boy bent his back over and over, bowing.
"I swear it wasn’t on purpose! I’m not a pickpocket or shady person, I didn’t mean it! Really! Please believe me! I’m just clumsy......!"
Too raw and desperate to be an act. His eyes even welled with tears.
"Simon!"
"What’s going on?"
Maelyn, Dick, and Kamibarez hurried over. Simon raised a hand to signal that it was fine.
"It’s nothing. I just bumped into him while running."
"I’m so, so sorry! Sniff!!"
Bowing again and again, the boy pushed something into Simon’s hands.
"As an apology, please take this!"
"......Huh?"
"I bought it at the market, it’s an artifact that makes coins on the ground stand out instantly to your eyes!"
What he forced into Simon’s hand was a small keychain.
‘This is an artifact?’
It just looked like a souvenir. No magical effect could be felt at all.
"Well then, I have business, so I’ll be going! Really, really sorry!"
With that, he dashed away.
Simon stared after him with suspicious eyes.
‘What the hell is with that guy?’
Huff! Huff! Haaa!
Panting hard, the man in the brown robe burst out of the Deimos Museum, gasping for air.
"Why......!"
In his frantic flight, his robe had come loose, revealing golden hair.
It was Malcolm Randolph.
"Why the hell is Simon here......!"
Grit.
His teeth clenched automatically.
Rank 1 of Keyzen.
And to Malcolm himself, the very cause of all his misfortune, Simon was in the Pharonna Peninsula.
‘What do I do? Should I change my plan?’
Tap-tap-tap.
Then, from a distance, came the sound of footsteps.
Could it be Simon chasing after him? Malcolm quickly looked back, but the sound abruptly stopped.
"......."
A suffocating tension welled up.
Then—
Tap—
A sound came from the opposite direction Malcolm was watching.
‘Damn it!’
He whipped his head back.
There, a red-haired boy with a sword at his waist stood, panting.
"Haa! Finally, I found you!"
The boy held a paper with a sketch—like a wanted poster. Glancing back and forth between the drawing and Malcolm’s face, he bared his teeth in a grin.
"If I’m not mistaken—no, I’m definitely right! Malcolm Randolph, son of the Randolph Gang’s boss!"
"......."
Malcolm lowered his stance, wary.
"Who are you?"
Shhhh!
Veins bulged across Malcolm’s shoulder as he widened his eyes.
Flap!
The cloth wrapped around the boy’s back flew into the air, revealing a sharp sword now gripped in his hand.
"Don’t move."
The clumsy boy from before now spoke in a low, steady tone, sword raised.
"Next time, I’ll take your head."
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters
Very good story and translation but half the chapter aren't for free and it is wayyyy too expensive will it stat like tjis foreve or will it get free after some time