Evil Avalon

Chapter 117-Sorrow and Wish

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

"Director, I brought a customer with me."

"Please come in."

The guide girl's voice echoed through the door as they climbed the well-polished, old-fashioned wooden staircase a couple of times. This was the director's office on the top floor of the Thief Research Department's clubroom. When the guide girl called out in front of the room, a clear voice with a high pitch could be heard from the other side of the door. It was Kirara-chan.

"Narumi-kun, please come in here."

"Thank you for guiding me."

The aristocratic girl smiled and bowed gently towards Narumi. She had been very considerate, mixing in light small talk on their way from the entrance to here. He had never been treated well by aristocrats before, let alone making eye contact, so he was grateful for her kindness.

As he entered the room slightly shrinking, a modern white attic room greeted him. The upper part of the room featured stylish space with thick wooden beams that complemented the atmosphere. The space was not particularly spacious, but the high ceiling and large bay windows made it seem spacious, offering a view of the distant scenery.

"Excuse me..."

"Welcome, Narumi-kun. Please sit over there."

"Am I getting in the way?"

Kirara-chan, with her blue hair fluttering, smiled and urged Narumi to take a seat in the upper seat. And there was the student council president, looking as difficult as ever, still seated. he probably wanted to talk about the time he called him out, but before that, I should apologize.

"I'm sorry for last time, bringing my classmates along without an appointment."

"Don't worry about it. We called you without making an appointment. Nevertheless...they were quite reckless people. It's surprising to have students who can directly plead to Mr. Sagara like that."

"Hehe, but they seem to have potential, don't they?"

Satsuki and Lisa, of course, but Tachiki-kun also had as much potential as Akagi-kun, who was unbeatable in Dun-Ex despite being cool, he had an exciting side to him that never wavered in any adversity, making him popular with female players. The student council president might not see it that way, but he might have a surprisingly good eye for people.

"Please have some. It's our family's newly harvested green tea from the farm. It's highly praised by the members."

Kirara-chan put green tea in a small cup and lined it up. She probably wanted to talk slowly, but since contact with aristocrats had risks...or rather, it was bad for the heart, I wanted to keep the conversation short.

"Thank you. So...I heard you have something to tell me?"

Ah, but before that, let's take anti-spying measures," said the student council president as he lightly placed his hand on the gorgeous square box with a beautiful wood grain pattern on the low table. A thin layer of magic radiated from it. It would be a bad thing if they were overheard, so it seems he's using a soundproofing magical tool. Though I already knew that since he had called me to such a place.

"It's a simple matter. Narumi, are you interested in joining the student council?"

"Eh?"

"As long as Narumi-kun is interested, Sagara-sama would like to exercise his appointment power over student council members."

The student council president has the authority to appoint student council members. Although his term as student council president is coming to an end, the term of the student council members is one year from their appointment, so it is not a problem.

(Well, it's nothing but problems.)

What did he start talking about? Joining the student council is not something I have any intention of doing. Besides, I heard that only students with excellent grades and nobles can join the student council. Was that wrong?

"I'm in class E and I'm a commoner."

"You don't need a title to join the student council. Many students seem to have misunderstood this because the former student council president only appointed nobles."

"The Thieves' Research Club will also support your recommendation, so please rest assured."

"Can you please tell me the reason for this?"

I have already decided to decline. However, I want to know why she wanted me to join the student council. I intend to live a quiet student life without attracting attention. Was there any reason why the student council president had his eyes on me? I have never shown my strength to  Kirara-chan before...

"Do you remember when we faced each other in front of the workshop? At that time, I felt an unfathomable aura of a strong person from you. I was strongly intrigued by the fact that there was a student in Class E who could match or even surpass me."

(The workshop... Come to think of it, that did happen.)

When my mithril ore was scammed by the workshop senior. At that time, I faced the student council president - Sagara - but I didn't move my magic power or even use my Appraisal skill. Even so, I was being watched, so maybe Sagara was also a skilled person.

In a one-on-one battle, there are times when you can estimate the opponent's characteristics, strength, and possessed skills from their stance and movement of their center of gravity. Only those who have little combat experience would not know the opponent's strength without using Aura's magical power or Appraisal.

However, being strong alone does not seem to be the reason why he recommended me for the student council.

"Assuming I were to join the student council, what would you expect of me?"

"My long-cherished desire is to reform the school..."

"...School reform, you say?"

"Our school has been suffering from the bias towards nobility, causing the academic standards to decline each year. As Tachiki or whatever his name is from your class pointed out, it's truly a pitiful situation. I became the student council president with the intention of changing that..."

Everything Tachiki said to Sagara was true and a source of concern. The current Adventurers' Academy is plagued by unjust rules imposed by the influence of the old nobility, which crushes the potential of talented students in Class E before they can flourish. Consequently, the graduates of the Adventurers' University are filled with nobles who, instead of delving into dungeons, only engage in rear support, rendering them ineffective for the country's power.

Competition with foreign nations is fierce. Behind the scenes of diplomacy, there are frequent power struggles involving armed agents, and in extreme cases, a mere few agents wreak havoc and leave nations in ruins. If Japan fails to produce outstanding adventurers in such a precarious global environment, it risks not just decline but collapse.

With that concern in mind, Akizane Sagara, driven by a desire for a fair and open competition, ran for the position of student council president...

However, once he was actually elected and started working, Sagara found himself facing uncooperative factions and his very own family, who were part of the old nobility, constantly interfering with the initiatives to support Class E. He expressed his frustration with a bitter expression on his face.

(Old nobility, huh? In the game, They were in conflict with the protagonist Akagi and Pink-chan.)

Recently, the newly rising nobles who originated from adventurers' backgrounds have gained significant influence, causing the long-established old nobility, existing since the Meiji era, to feel a sense of crisis. In order to prevent any influential nobles from emerging from the commoners, they are fervently suppressing Class E. That's the background to this situation.

The Sagara family is particularly conservative among the old nobility. Lately, Sagara's ideology has been viewed as dangerous by his family, and there have even been discussions about disowning him. Being disowned as a noble doesn't just mean being expelled from the family; it also leads to thorough exclusion from Japanese society as an enemy of the nobility, leaving one destitute. It's quite a troublesome situation.

"If you're connected to the nobility, you must adhere to the family's wishes. Therefore, Sagara-sama's reform couldn't come to fruition."

"That's just an excuse. It was my incompetence... But I clung to the hope that you, with your abilities and without the constraints of a family, could bring a new breeze if you became a student council member."

Reforms can be achieved precisely because there are no ties to families or factions. Even if there is no intention for reform, the mere precedent of a commoner joining the student council is a significant step forward and achievement for the Adventurers' Academy, Sagara argues. But will things really go so smoothly?

"If someone like me, a commoner, were to join the student council, wouldn't I face strong opposition? It would become a storm of jealousy, wouldn't it? It seems difficult to deal with the upper-class students constantly interfering with me."

"That won't be a problem. Student council members at the Adventurers' Academy have the authority to penalize students if there are valid reasons. Even nobles cannot give orders or intervene with student council members. That's why this authority can serve as a powerful shield to protect Class E."

Student council members have the power to suspend students, and as the student council president, they can even expel them. It is said that the student council is the strongest force in the Eight

However, I understand what Sagara is trying to say. If E-class could produce a student council member with such authority, it would become a sufficient deterrent against those who have made unjustified attacks. It could even be a card that could stop even Hachiryu. In that case, I...

(I can't afford to be even more disadvantaged)

I don't necessarily want to see any of my classmates being beaten or fearing violence. I always think that it would be good to have a peaceful school life. But there is something that I value far more than that: protecting the game story.

If this world progresses according to the game story, Akagi and his friends will be involved in events that are much more difficult and larger in scale than before. Even Kowaru's conflict nearby will undoubtedly become greater than it is now. Some classmates will be pushed to the brink and forced to drop out, and the classroom will become a mess, leaving E-class in shambles. If Satsuki saw that situation, she would surely be saddened by it.

But I don't care.

I had anticipated this happening a long time ago and had prepared myself for it, and there is no reason to give up the player's weapon, which is future knowledge cheats. However, future knowledge cheats are just one reason for protecting the game story.

This calm scenery overflowing with fresh greenery visible from this window. In the distance, a large building district and an adventurer's square where many people come and go can be seen. If the game story were thoroughly destroyed, they would be burned to the ground and become rubble, and a mountain of corpses would be piled up underneath. That hell would spread, and this country could become a gruesome hell. That would be the worst bad end when failing to conquer the game story.

Only the hero who overcomes countless events and game stories, loved by people, spirits, and demons from all directions and able to join hands can stop that worst situation. Even if the player raises their level and utilizes game knowledge, it would be impossible. That is why Lisa and I are moving to promote the growth of Akagi and Pink-chan to prevent the game story from being broken.

Therefore, I have no intention of becoming a student council member to stop violence or extermination in the game, and if necessary for event occurrence, I may even instigate it. That's what protecting the game story means.

By the way, my expulsion from the school was just a part of Kowaru's subplot, and Satsuki's expulsion was just a part of Tachiki's sub-event. They do not have such a significant impact on the core story of the game that they will cause problems if they fail or are modified. Even if it becomes a problem, it will only make it harder to clear that character's route.

The game's story refers to the route where the protagonist and his friends defeat enemies in and outside the dungeon in a specific order, complete the minimum number of heroine/hero routes to increase their allies, and continuously trigger events to reach the good ending.

Of course, even the game's story is not an absolute priority. If it is for the most critical priority, more important than my life, I will destroy it without hesitation. But... that aside, first, let's politely refuse the invitation to join the student council. The feelings of affection of Sagara fer his school and country are noble. It is not something to be taken lightly.

"Certainly, becoming a member of the student council may have significant benefits for class E. However, I wish for a peaceful school life without standing out. I'm sorry, but..."

"...Ah, I see. I felt that from the way as you were speaking. I don't want to burden you, so it's fine if you refuse. I just wanted to talk to someone about my inner thoughts."

It is not like this kind of merit is needed to become a member of the student council or go to the adventurer university by advancing to class A. However, for the future students who will enter as class E, he bows his head and asks if I can join him and become a strong adventurer to act as shield for class E. Although it is a closed place where no one can see, I feel Sagara's strong will and desire when an aristocrat like him bows his head to me, a commoner. Well, I intend to become not just a famous adventurer but the strongest in the world, so let's affirm that.

However... I didn't realize that he was also struggling as the student council president. I thought he was just enjoying a luxurious school life with ample student council funds and his background as a noble. I thought Kirara was also from the old noble side, but she was actually acting out of fear of the E class's dissolution... Is this also the intention of the kunoichi Red, Mikami Haruka, who is behind her?

(But, I think there is no need to worry that much about this particular problem.)

Without a doubt, the next student council president will be the legendary genius, Sera Bellflower. If the game progresses as planned, she will carry out a "big reform" and give E class a chance to rise. There will undoubtedly be opposition and trouble caused by it, but we can leave the school reform to her, who has embarked on a great journey of change and reform.

After reaching a stopping point in the conversation, Kirara-chan stands up to make another pot of tea. Opening the round-shaped refrigerator in the corner reveals numerous containers, all of which seem to contain stored tea leaves. She asks for a request on which one to drink, but since I have no knowledge of tea varieties, I'll just ask for the same one as Sagara.

(Now, how should I bring up the topic...)

Originally, I didn't come here to hear Sagara's story. I came to borrow his help in ensuring a smooth landing for the duel between Tsukishima-kun and Ashikaga. It may seem too convenient to decline his offer to join the student council earlier and now ask for his assistance, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I can't just come out and talk about the core issue. Nevertheless, I have to guide him into having a sense of crisis and motivate him to take action. It might be an unreasonable demand, but I have no other choice.

TL Note- Can you believe  when I had already translated the whole thing and found out that I got sagara  whole gender wrong and had to work on it again 😑........it's  true.

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