Evil Avalon

Chapter 131 New Student Council

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

Gate room on the 20th floor of the dungeon. Despite its previously dark and cold impression due to the stone flooring without any gaps, this place now had lights everywhere, giving it a strangely homely feel with furniture and beds placed around. In such a place, the voice of a boy who had yet to reach puberty echoes.

"This, this is it! Yep, without this! Mmm, delicious!"

Arthur, with his cheeks already puffed out, continues to stuff snacks spread out on the table into his mouth one after another. It seems to be his favorite snack from the other world, as he happily waves his large, curly horns in high spirits.

Without a word, I pour cola into the cup handed to me, which he quickly gulps down, and then, as if to ask for more, he gestures with his chin. I'm being made a lackey by Arthur because of the duel incident... but perhaps it's about time for a little rebellion.

Next to him, Lisa rests her chin on her hand, smiling as she nibbles on chips. Arthur's absurd way of eating seems to amuse her.

"So, there are seven players in total? Um, who's here now? Me, Souta, Lisa-chan, and..."

"Tsukishima-kun and Volgemuth-kun, right?"

"...Hey. There's no need to call him 'kun' with Volgemuth."

I threw out the theory of the seven players. As Arthur lists our three names while counting on his fingers, Lisa continues by naming the other two. That makes five.

If the theory of seven players is true, then the identities of the remaining two are unknown... but before that. Why call Volgemuth with an honorific like 'kun'? I'll need to point out that 'bastard' is more than enough.

"But why did Tsukishima think there were seven people? Have you already figured out everyone?"

"He said he inferred it from mine and Tsukishima-kun's unique skills."

Players who come to this world are forcibly given specific unique skills. Although they come with buffs that increase several stats, they also come with significant debuffs, such as drastically lowering important stats or even corroding one's mind. Moreover, they cannot be removed, making them nothing short of curses.

In my case, I was given the unique skill "Gluttony," which constantly keeps me in a state of hunger. When I first came to this world, I was mentally drained from hunger and severely obese. I remember not being able to move properly, let alone dive into dungeons. 

Similarly, Lisa had "Heat Period," and Arthur had "Burnt Rice Cake" as their unique skills. Even though I couldn't see any relevance in those unique skills, when I lined up the skill names after they were upgraded—Gluttonous Gratton, Lustful Lust, and Envious Jealousy—I, even being dull, realized they were the names of the "Seven Deadly Sins."

Conversely, if the unique skills were based on the "Seven Deadly Sins," there would be as many types of unique skills as there were sins, meaning there are seven players. If so, new questions arise.

"So, who are the others... um?"

"Other than us, the unique skills are "Proud Pride," "Greedy Greed," "Angry Wrath," and "Lazy Sloth." By the way, since Tsukishima-kun's unique skill is "Lazy Sloth," there are three remaining owners."

So, it goes like this.

- Souta Narumi: Glutton -> Gluttony

- Lisa Nitta: Estrus ->  Lust

- Arthur: Burnt Rice Cake -> Jealousy

- Takuya Tsukishima: ?? -> Sloth

- Volgemuth: ?? -> ??

- Unknown: ?? -> ??

- Unknown: ?? -> ??

Unknown Skills: Pride, Greed, Wrath

Which one does Volgemuth seem to belong to? He seemed excessively aggressive from the start, so I feel like he might be related to "Angry Wrath," but now, it's too dark to hope for a certain answer.

"Anyway. If Lisa-chan hasn't taught you the 'Flexible Aura,' wouldn't your head be messed up by now from not being able to control you unique skill? I managed to keep my sanity intact because I had psychic attack resistance, but still it's a problem in itself."

"Hmm... I can't think of any particular student. How about Souta?"

"Other than Tsukishima, were there any weirdos? There's also the possibility that they've been sent to the dungeon like Arthur and Volgemut."

Even when comparing the E-Class here and in Dungeon Explorer, Tsukishima is the only one who comes to mind for behaving oddly. Even if they were in other classes, rumors of their reckless behavior should have reached us if their unique skills went out of control, but no such rumors have surfaced. So, by process of elimination, they must be in the dungeon...

"In that case, if we continue dungeon diving, we'll eventually encounter them, won't we? That's scary too."

Lisa worries, pondering for a moment. We'll need to continue leveling up continuously to overcome the game's story, and we'll have to delve deeper into the dungeon. If we happen to encounter players with poor mental states, it could lead to immediate combat.

Additionally, there's the bonus Tsukishima mentioned about "wishes coming true." Because of this, even if their mental state is stable, there's a possibility of it turning into a bloodbath. If only we didn't have such skills, we could have enjoyed this world more leisurely...

Lost in heavy thoughts, Lisa pours fragrant tea from a water bottle. It's just what I need for a change of pace. As I take a sip, Lisa solemnly opens her arm terminal screen again.

"What is it? Is there another problem?"

"Not exactly... in a way, this is also a problem. There have been some movements after the duel. Haven't you received a notification, Souta?"

I notice a notification on my arm terminal too. It seems there was a simultaneous notification from the student council to all students. Arthur also leans in, curious about what's happening.

"The next student council president candidate will be unified under Sera-san. The new president has immediately used her appointment authority to appoint  Suou-san as vice president and Tsukishima-kun as special advisor."

With rival candidate Ashikaga withdrawing and the other Hachiryu not fielding new candidates, Sera-san's presidency is practically confirmed. But according to the game, the appointment authority wasn't supposed to be exercised until after summer vacation... no, even before that, what's the meaning of this personnel change?

"Why Tsukishima...? Wait, did Sera-san pull him in forcibly?"

"What do you mean? And weren't Suou and Kikyo-chan at odds with each other? They were always bickering, weren't they?"

Since the duel, Sera-san has been calling Tsukishima "Hero-sama" and has started to admire him surprisingly much. She even goes as far as to visit the boys' dormitory where Tsukishima lives, taking care of him like a wife, witnessed by those around her. Every time I hear about it, my jealousy gauge shoots up like crazy.

On the other hand, Suou hasn't distanced himself from the defeated Tsukishima and actively engages with Sera-san, who admires Tsukishima. Arthur wonders about the fate of the two from middle school, but it seems insignificant compared to Tsukishima's knowledge and power.

But is it alright for these three to control the student council? Can they restrain Hachiryu? Although Tsukishima has promised not to cause any more trouble, I'm honestly worried.

"...And, it seems the First Magic Department and the 'Holy Maiden Agency' are in a tense situation. If left unchecked, it might become a problem."

Among the Hachiryu, several factions are staking out in front of the boys' dormitory to try to contact Tsukishima. That's why Sera-san has pulled in a shrine maiden from the Holy Maiden Agency run by her family to serve as protection. The impatient First Magic Department is trying to forcefully break through the protection, leading to a volatile situation with the Holy Maiden Agency.

Speaking of the First Magic Department, there was Isshiki Otoha. Although she was close to Kikyo-chan at this time in Dungeon Explorer, has she already revealed her true nature?

"It seems Sera-san has shifted her focus to Tsukishima-kun more than us."

"Seems like it."

Thinking about the First Magic Department, I remember Isshiki from the game, raising concerns with furrowed brows.

Isshiki, the head of the department, is petite and cute, always wearing a gentle smile that might make her seem like a heroine at first glance, but in reality, she has an extremely ruthless and ambitious personality. Moreover, she's a troublesome figure with a strong noble ideology. She was one of the main culprits in suppressing the E-Class in the game story, and she would clash fiercely with Akagi-kun and Pink-chan once they defeated the upper-class students.

However, if it follows the game story, Isshiki at this time should still be docile, building a close relationship with Sera-san as her backer in the upcoming student council president election. Even if she later aligns with Akagi-kun, leading the student council, it's too early for things to have already become so tense. However, witnessing that duel might have sparked Isshiki's interest in Tsukishima, which isn't surprising.

"If Tsukishima just self-destructs, that would be easy, but it's not going to end there, right? If aggressive factions like Isshiki or Kikyo-chan's supporters emerge, the game story will seriously fall apart."

"That's a troubling problem."

"For now, Tsukishima can only quietly hide behind Sera-san."

Tsukishima originally intended to show his power and dominate Hachiryu out of fear, preventing such a situation. But... before he could accomplish that, he was defeated by us. Thanks to that, he still hasn't got a grip on Hachiryu. If factions like the First Magic Department come forward, it wouldn't be surprising.

Furthermore, if those behind Hachiryu come forward, we'll skip the school events in Dungeon Explorer and be in a situation similar to the middle of the story. Even though it's only been half a year since we enrolled, there's no way Akagi-kun and the others can handle that situation, so we'll have to deal with everything ourselves.

But with Tsukishima becoming a member of the student council, the situation will definitely change. Student council members have the authority to impose penalties on students, so even nobles won't be able to easily intervene. Sera-san might have aimed for that when she pulled Tsukishima into the student council.

But even if Isshiki and the others calm down, it's not going to be that simple.

I'm uneasy about having Suou and Tsukishima in the student council, and I can't predict how Sera-san, who keeps them close, will act. At least if Lisa were nearby... huh. Is Lisa not joining the student council?

"I want to ask, Lisa, weren't you invited to join the student council?"

"I was invited, but... I declined. It's pretty clear that I'm on Souta's side now, so I don't think they'll discuss important information in front of me anymore. Besides... I'd rather avoid being close to Sera-san."

"Looks like Kikyo-chan's becoming the final boss. Even though Suou's kind of a boss too, joining the student council would be the worst."

In Dungeon Explorer, if you start as a female player, depending on the story branches, Sera-san can become the final boss. If you oppose her, the Holy Maiden Agency behind her becomes an enemy, making daily life difficult. As Lisa said, it might be safer to stay away just in case.

"Kaworu was also invited to join the student council... or rather, it seems Tsukishima-kun invited her, but he seems to have been refused. With such a cold response, it's obvious she'd refuse, right?"

"Well, that makes sense, but Kaworu isn't interested in the student council anyway. She should be busy enough with her own affairs."

Kaworu was also involved in this duel and went through a lot of hardship. I still feel pain when I remember her lamenting her own weakness for not being able to stop Tsukishima and shedding tears. Still, it was a relief to see her strength, no less than in Dungeon Explorer.

With that strength, if she continues to strive with Akagi-kun and the others as depicted in the game story, they should be able to become true heroes. However, the game story itself has become suspicious. If a student council member who can command respect from Hachiryu is produced from the E-Class, it's doubtful that events like conflicts with upper classes or Hachiryu will occur.

Regardless of the pros and cons, if there are no rivals to lift them up, I can't expect a growth route as depicted in the game story. However, there's no choice but to continue to support Akagi-kun and Kaworu's growth to avoid the tragic future that is likely to occur.

"As for that support, Hayase-san has been asking repeatedly about the masked person... who is it and wants to contact them. She said she wants to learn the sword from them."

"Sword? If it's Akagi-kun, then maybe, but wouldn't it be better if Lisa taught her?"

"The Sword of Calamity, even for Kaworu-chan, it might be tough. Ah, if it were a magic battle, I could teach her everything she needs."

Kaworu's sword is based on Japanese swordsmanship, adapted and improved to be used against monsters and people, which is his style in Dungeon Explorer. Her refined sword, honed through numerous fierce battles, is strong and beautiful, attracting the eyes and admiration of many. However, would it be right for me, who only learned through repeated battles against people, to intervene just because she asked for my teachings, even if I could maximize Kaworu's strengths while improving her sword skills?

On the other hand, Lisa, who is proficient in both Western and Japanese swordsmanship, might be able to enhance Kaworu's sword skills while bringing out her best. As Lisa ponders, looking at the sky, she talks about Kaworu's state at the time.

"Well... it felt more urgent than just wanting to learn the sword from me... It's just my intuition, but that felt like... "

"Oh, here they come?"

When Lisa was about to say something, the gate emblem glowed purple, and the room was bathed in purple light. They're probably those two, Arthur stands up as if he'd been waiting for them.

"I'm back~! I brought lots of rice and vegetables~!"

"The rice cooker and stove go here... and... There. Did you get plenty of meat?"

With bags in both hands, Hanano happily jumps out, her twin tails swaying energetically, followed by Satsuki, who carries several large boxes and gently places them on the table.

"We got more than we could eat. Satsuki-chan."

"Wow~! Is all of that 'Mamu's Manga Meat'!?"

"Of course. Actually, I haven't tried it yet, but I wonder if lizards are really delicious."

As Arthur proudly points to the huge bone-in meat piled on the kitchen table, Hanano's eyes sparkle. It's the meat of a Mamu, a fierce lizard about 2-3 meters long, and the meat that occasionally drops is extremely delicious. It's so popular that it's traded for tens of thousands of yen per 100 grams. However, there are few individuals, and they flee quickly when at a disadvantage, so defeating them is quite difficult... or so it's said, but we know a hunting ground where they gather in large numbers, so the three of us set up a plan, surrounded them, and caught them all at once.

So, what are we going to do now? It's a barbecue party. There are plenty of problems as discussed earlier, and many things to think about, but overcoming the difficult situation with Tsukishima's rampage has given us confidence and hope. Today, at least, it wouldn't be bad to enjoy ourselves. That's why we prepared and gathered together. 

We are comrades in conquering the dungeon and a fate community to overcome future difficulties. The future has already entered an unpredictable state, but if we join forces, we can definitely overcome it. Hey, wait a minute. You're already starting to cook even though the rice isn't ready yet? Let me eat too!

TL Note- Comrades who knows but looks like author is trying to play the admiration route between Kowaru and Souta.

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