Chapter 177 — Preparing for the Midterms

1

Organizing an event for a large group is notoriously exhausting.

Anyone who’s experienced it before would know.

There’s so much to keep track of, and the number of people you need to cooperate with seems endless.

If there’s something missing, you either buy it or borrow it—definitely more complicated than just asking a friend, “Can we share the textbook?”

Numerous documents, personnel matters, checking the quantity of supplies, and more.

Anais’ first official task was nothing short of brutal.

She thought, I’d rather be fighting demons in the tower than doing this. What is this mess?

‘Okay, I’ve sent out all the notices… Now I need to deal with the supplies that arrived today. Safety devices… What else was it?’

“Anais, can you sign here?”

“Huh? Just a sec—.”

In the midst of her frantic midterm preparations, it seemed like everyone was looking for her.

Anais seriously considered whether they needed to recruit more members for the Student Council. But then again, if they brought in too many, things would likely get missed or overlooked, so it had to be the right balance.

After carefully checking the documents, Anais infused them with mana and quickly signed her name.

“Thanks!”

“No problem. What was I doing again? Oh, right.”

After a brief pause to collect her thoughts, she remembered her next task and got moving again.

It had been well over a week since she’d last set foot in the tower.

Delays had been piling up because several people had skipped out with this excuse or that.

Kael had also been so busy helping with Student Council work that she hadn’t even mentioned going to the tower.

Anais had thought about entering the Erosion Zone to study, but there were too many vines, so that plan failed too.

Ever since Assistant Chesthip got hurt there, people had subconsciously begun avoiding the area.

It was becoming clear just how dangerous the tower really was.

I wonder how Senior Manus is doing.

Amid the chaos of daily life, a face popped into her mind.

Her senior who had gone to war and still hadn’t returned.

Had Manus been victorious on the battlefield?

Or… had he been injured? Maybe even… killed?

Anais didn’t know much about the Caesar family.

To be exact, she didn’t really understand the full extent of their power.

She’d only heard it was a great family, but she had no idea why they’d grown to such prominence.

Of course, it made sense.

She had been born and raised in a time of peace, after all.

I’m sure his family has kept him safe.

Although her thoughts lingered on Manus, her body continued to move, intent on finishing her Student Council work.

She wanted to go check on him right away, but the sheer amount of work she had to do kept her tied down.

Did others feel the same?

Kael, who probably thought of Manus the most, was also busy with her daily duties.

If only we could hear some news…

Should she ask Kael about it?

Maybe the two of them had secretly exchanged letters.

Anais pondered these thoughts as she moved along.

Wait, who’s that…

She suddenly spotted someone in the distance.

He was far off, and she was looking down at him from an elevated position.

It was a man with a large greatsword slung over his back—a striking figure—and still the top student of the Eagle Class: Castro.

He was walking through the campus with a group.

The arrogance once plastered on his face had vanished.

Instead, a cool, calculating expression had taken its place.

Anais realized that even without entering the tower, people could still grow.

Midterms were approaching.

She wondered, How will Castro stand before us?

“…Definitely…”

“Got it. Don’t worry.”

“Snake… understood?”

They murmured among themselves, probably discussing their midterm preparations.

Anais was too far away to hear clearly, but she caught a few words.

Did they mention the Snake Class? They’re probably just being cautious.

But this isn’t the time to focus on that.

Shaking off her curiosity about Castro, Anais hurried on her way.

She didn’t have time to worry about what he was up to.

2

Whenever Castro hit a wall or had questions, he sought out Professor Trevor.

He’d been consulting with him regularly, slowly changing some of his misguided beliefs.

Never underestimate anyone.

Always give your all in every encounter and be prepared to face any enemy at any time.

Leaders who revealed their emotions all met their deaths.

Often, it was at the hands of their own allies.

Trevor, ever the history professor, explained it by drawing parallels to real historical figures.

Castro diligently followed his advice.

“You know Livy from the Snake Class, right?”

“Yeah. Got something you want her to do?”

“I need to collect on a debt from her.”

Castro had learned that to bring down a target, you had to know everything about them.

Professor Trevor, though lacking in combat abilities, was an excellent mentor.

He filled in the gaps for Castro, who was already strong, with the knowledge he lacked.

Livy was an ideal prey.

It was said that recently, she had been seen frequently talking to Melanie and even running some errands for her.

If he could dig deeper, maybe he’d uncover their weaknesses.

He had no intention of resorting to violence.

“You mean the debt from… oh.”

“At the beginning of the semester. Melanie returned safely, so it blew over without issue.”

It had been a near disaster, one that could have thrown the whole academy into chaos.

Livy had undoubtedly conspired with the Leveli-Malito group.

Though things had been smoothed over when Melanie slipped back to the dorms unnoticed, Trevor had viewed the situation differently.

[“Do you really think she fell asleep because she wasn’t feeling well? Something about the circumstances seems off. Why don’t you ask Livy about it?”]

It had made sense when he heard it.

If he played his cards right, this could lead to valuable information—not just on Melanie, but perhaps even Kael and Anais, who were both in the Student Council.

Livy wouldn’t be able to refuse since she had conspired with them before.

Deciding on his next course of action, Castro headed to the club room to wait for her.

“I’ll be in the club room.”

“Got it. She’s probably holed up in the library with midterms coming up.”

“Thanks.”

Without any hesitation, Castro turned and walked away.

As he disappeared into the distance, his classmates exchanged glances and whispered to each other.

“Doesn’t he seem way calmer these days?”

“Yeah. He’s totally different from that guy, Lament.”

Lament, a key figure in Leveli-Malito, had never even bothered to run for Student Council President.

He didn’t aim for higher positions.

Lament had chosen to rule over the weak, while Castro sought to climb higher.

“Anyway, let’s hurry up. If she goes into the dorms, we won’t be able to find her.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

The Eagle Class students quickly moved on.

To them, Castro was the hope of the commoners.

How many people had risen to nobility from commoner origins?

Their common trait was graduating from the academy with outstanding marks.

Castro was going to lead them all.

He was far too exceptional to remain anyone’s pawn.

3

Every day felt like walking on a knife’s edge.

Livy wanted nothing more than to live a life that didn’t draw attention.

Her grades were above average.

Actually, they were closer to the top.

Her relationships with others were smooth, and she got along well with the professors.

If it weren’t for the constant worry that Melanie might drag her into something strange again, life would have been pretty peaceful.

Thankfully, it was midterm season, so everyone was busy.

No one had been harassing her or saying things that made her heart race with anxiety.

Once I get through these midterms…

She might finally be able to breathe.

Sure, it was still a problem that those people were in Class A, but cutting off all ties with a reliable ally wasn’t the smartest move either.

Plus, she still had a debt to settle with the Harry family.

Whatever happened, if she could prove her worth, opportunities would open up for her.

For now, Livy was focused on studying diligently in the library.

She’d just finished her elemental studies and was about to open a book on spirit magic when a shadow loomed over her.

“Livy?”

“Hm? What do you want?”

She answered sharply.

Whatever dealings she had with Melanie were an exception.

By nature, Livy was a haughty and prickly noblewoman.

Her arched eyebrow conveyed her mood perfectly.

The male students who saw her expression whispered quietly among themselves.

This was a library, after all, a place where others were studying.

“I need to talk to you for a minute. Can we step outside?”

“What’s this about? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“It’s about the missing person case. You were involved with us back then, weren’t you?”

“…Cowards.”

Livy’s expression darkened.

Of course, once someone had a hold on you, they’d milk it for all it was worth.

Sighing, she quietly stood up from her seat.

She didn’t want any rumors to spread.

They made their way to the club room, a place she had been before, which made her feel uneasy.

I never should’ve come here in the first place.

“Castro wants to see you. Go ahead.”

“Fine, but if it’s nothing important, I’m leaving.”

Livy walked briskly to where Castro was sitting.

He seemed to be studying as well, absorbed in a book on swordsmanship.

Sensing her approach, Castro looked up.

The intensity in his eyes startled Livy.

The arrogance and haughtiness that had once oozed from him were gone.

In their place was the gaze of a predator.

“You’re here.”

“What do you want?”

“We’ve got a debt to settle, don’t we?”

“A debt… Fine. What do you need me to do?”

Castro smiled faintly.

This is why it’s so much easier to deal with smart people. Things progress quickly.

He got straight to the point.

“I want information on Melanie and her friends.”

“How would I know anything about that?”

“Even the smallest details are fine. This is just the first time I’m asking, so I’m not expecting much.”

Livy tilted her head in confusion.

Where had she heard this situation before…?

“Or I could look elsewhere. But in that case… our debt might come with a bit of interest.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t expect too much. What I know is minimal.”

“And I don’t know even that. So, go ahead, take a seat.”

Livy plopped into the chair.

A thought had briefly crossed her mind, but Castro’s words had interrupted it before she could fully grasp it.

Now, all that mattered was responding to his question.

“What do you want to hear about first?”

“Let’s start with their families.”

“Their families, huh? Well, there’s a lot to talk about.”

Livy slowly began to speak.

Castro absorbed every word, listening closely to the details about his competitors.

These pieces of information would eventually form the foundation he needed to topple the existing power structures.

Quietly but surely, Castro was solidifying his own foundation.

Preparing for the day he would stand tall.

–TL Notes–
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