I Became the Student Council President of Academy City-Chapter 86

The Spartoi do not have an official name known to the public. The intention is that no one outside the power circles of Academy City should be able to call upon them.

So, they simply refer to themselves as Spartoi. Of course, they might have nicknames among themselves.

“Yes, that’s right~.”

Clap! Ye-seo clapped her hands and smiled broadly.

“To think we would meet again like this! Could this be the guidance of the Lord?”

“Perhaps it is. Please, have a seat. You must be tired from your long journey.”

“Then, I’ll gladly accept.”

Ye-seo and her companion sat down, and I took a seat opposite them. Baek-seo brought out tea.

Though the atmosphere in the reception room was heavy, Ye-seo continued to smile benevolently.

On the surface, she seemed oblivious. But in reality, she wasn’t likely to be so unaware.

This kind of meeting is typically a test of who can better pretend not to know what the other knows.

“I would love to spend time chatting with you in a long and enjoyable conversation, but unfortunately, I’m short on time, and you, Chief, must be busy as well. Shall we get straight to the point?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Alright. Then I’ll convey the Federation Council’s intentions.”

Ye-seo took out a document from her bag, cleared her throat, and began to read the contents.

Her tone was clear and articulate.

“‘Our Federation Council greatly values the contributions of those who helped maintain order in Neo Seoul by capturing the Six Sinners and the Technomancer. As a result, we have decided to provide appropriate rewards to all who participated in the battle. This decision was made in consideration of the outcome of the disciplinary hearing regarding Chief Ahn Woo-jin.’”

A reward, huh. That’s good.

And yet…

‘The disciplinary hearing….’

The bribery charges related to the recent disciplinary hearing are still under investigation by the Hanyang Federation Academy.

The specific details of who approached the disciplinary committee members and how they were bribed are unknown.

In fact, I think it’s unnecessary to know. The Principal is likely behind it, and no matter how serious the situation, the investigation will undoubtedly be brushed aside.

Only the disciplinary committee members who committed illegal acts will be criminally punished without the mastermind being revealed.

“‘The regulation restricting the issuance of Platinum Mileage was established to prevent inflation; however, if more than two-thirds of the Federation Council agrees, the number of recipients can be increased, or the issuance timing can be adjusted. Therefore, all members of the Ahseong High Disciplinary Committee who participated in the capture of the Technomancer will receive Platinum Mileage within a week.’”

I could already picture the grinning faces of Park Min-hyuk and Ha Ye-song when they hear this.

“Ah, ‘With the exception of outsiders, others who participated in the battle will not receive Platinum Mileage since they are not part of the Disciplinary Committee. However, they will be awarded a substantial amount of Gold Mileage.’”

It seems that Ise-a and the Volunteer Department will also receive rewards. They’ll be ecstatic.

But so far, it’s all just sweet talk.

Even if they’re offering a generous reward, Baek-seo and I couldn’t just be happy about it.

The main point usually comes at the end.

“‘However… Considering the gravity of the situation and the fact that two of the Six Sinners have been captured, the Federation Council has judged that it would be difficult for a single academy to handle all of them. The situation’s seriousness is also significant. Nevertheless, our Federation Council respects the autonomy of each academy while adhering to the law. Therefore.’”

Ye-seo looked directly into my eyes with wide, expectant eyes.

“‘We request the cooperation of the Spartan Division under the Federation Council in the investigation’… it says?”

“……”

No matter how hard I tried to maintain a poker face, I couldn’t stop my expression from gradually hardening.

Allowing the Spartoi to intervene was essentially letting them take control of the investigation.

To maintain order in Academy City, the autonomy of each academy must be respected.

But the opponent here is the Federation Council.

The highest authority in Neo Seoul. An entity that reigns above even the Central Academy, Hanyang Federation Academy.

If we oppose the will of the Federation Council, we must be prepared for the consequences.

No academy would want to put themselves in such a difficult position. No academy would dare to defy the Federation Council.

‘It’s essentially a “request” disguised as an “order.” But…’

There was no need to hesitate.

“I refuse.”

“Oh?”

Ye-seo’s eyebrows twitched. Her expression revealed that she found my response intriguing.

The Federation Council itself might not be our enemy. Their concern about us handling two of the Six Sinners, who were such a menace to Neo Seoul, is understandable and not unreasonable.

The problem was that one of the Principal’s subordinates was embedded among the Spartoi.

The person right in front of me was both a subordinate of the Principal and a representative of the Federation Council.

Accepting the Federation Council’s involvement in the investigation would essentially be laying out a bridge for the Principal.

If that happened, it wouldn’t be surprising if evidence was destroyed, key witnesses were eliminated, or the case was covered up in some way.

“This is the Disciplinary Committee’s matter. Strictly speaking, the Federation Council is not our superior, is it?”

The Federation Council is the ruling power in this city, but officially, they are just a group related to Hanyang Federation Academy. They hold no direct authority over Ahseong High.

Of course, they can easily exert pressure on us, but that’s not the issue here.

“Are you serious? Shouldn’t you at least discuss this with the Student Council…?”

“The authority to investigate lies solely with me, the Chief of the Disciplinary Committee. There’s no need to discuss it. Even if our Student Council decides to follow the Federation Council’s wishes, the Disciplinary Committee has no intention of complying.”

It felt as though an eerie wind was passing through.

In a normal negotiation or conversation, I wouldn’t have been this aggressive.

I would have sent them back, saying I’d discuss it with the Student Council and get back to them. Then I would have taken time to figure out how to politely reject the Federation Council’s request. At the very least, I would have pretended to “carefully consider” their request as a formality.

But my answer now was neither gentle nor open to negotiation.

I knew this. I was that resolute.

“Hmm.”

Ye-seo seemed taken aback by my firmness. Soon, she composed herself, shrugging one shoulder with a relaxed smile.

“I may just be a representative, and it might be out of place for me to say this, but aren’t you worried about what might happen?”

“What do you mean by ‘what might happen’?”

“What do you think?”

Ye-seo leaned in, shielding her mouth with her hand, and whispered in my ear. I leaned in as well to hear her small voice.

“Disadvantages.”

“……”

“They’re a stubborn group of old folks. Their pride is enormous. They won’t like this.”

Was this a warning?

“I don’t care.”

“Is that so….”

We both leaned back into our chairs.

“If you’re that determined, I understand.”

Ye-seo said this, but it seemed she had already grasped my thoughts. Her expression didn’t show any doubt.

She probably assumed that after we rescued Baek-seo, I had learned some secret about the Principal from her. Given that assumption, deducing my thoughts would be a piece of cake.

Perhaps the reason the Principal sent Ye-seo here was to observe my reaction and report back.

“It’s unfortunate. Well, it seems our discussion is over.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, don’t worry about the rewards; they’ll be given out as promised. That’s a separate matter.”

Ye-seo smiled contentedly as she sipped her tea.

“This tea is delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

…

After the Spartoi left, things unfolded as expected.

─ Hey, Ahn Woo-jin. “Yes, President.”

A direct call came from Han Baek-hyun, the Student Council President of Ahseong High. I immediately put it on speakerphone.

─ I got a call from the Federation Council. What’s this about? You refused to cooperate and sent them away?

As expected, they must have been informed by the Spartoi.

While I heard it as “intervention,” it seems they told the President it was about “cooperation.”

“It’s exactly as I said. I refused on my own since the authority to investigate lies with me.”

─ Hey!!

Baek-hyun’s loud voice made me pull my head back from the phone.

‘Geez, his voice is so loud.’

It was loud enough to echo through the Disciplinary Committee Executive Office. My ears were ringing.

The executives around me quietly stared at me.

─ You didn’t even discuss such an important matter with me…! Are you out of your mind!? “Because your opinion didn’t matter.” ─ Yeah! Good job! I’m glad you’re so clear-headed!

“…Excuse me?”

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

What?

Did I just hear that wrong?

It seemed out of context with the conversation, but as Baek-hyun’s grumbling continued, I realized I hadn’t misheard.

─ How dare they try to intervene in our affairs? Seriously! These guys, trying to stick their spoons into a meal already cooked! Even if it’s the Federation Council, I won’t stand for it! “?” ─ With things like this, huh!? You have to flatly refuse so they don’t think of trying to convince you again. You’ve made a perfect first move! If the Federation Council starts employing other tactics, it’ll mean they have some suspicious intent. “President? No, senior…?” ─ Ahn Woo-jin, remember this. The Disciplinary Committee of Ahseong High will handle this case. That’s my decision. Got it?

Why…?

‘I thought I’d be scolded for sure?’

When I refused the Federation Council’s request, I was prepared for a confrontation with the Student Council President.

No matter how much Baek-hyun was known for taking care of his people, he was also someone who valued achievements, even holding exchange meetings with the Disciplinary Committee of Mahyeon High, which had a long-standing rivalry with Ahseong High.

If anyone would recoil at the idea of opposing the Federation Council, it would be him.

So I was completely taken aback.

“If you’re saying that… But, are you sure?”

I was actually worried because he was supporting me so much.

─ I’ll be the one facing the external pressure before it even reaches you.

Right.

That’s why I thought he’d scold me.

─ I’ll handle as much as I can, so you focus on dealing with the Six Sinners. “…Did you eat something strange? Or did you catch some illness?” ─ You even criticize when I’m helping. “Why are you doing this? You’re not usually like this.” ─ What do you think? I’m doing what I believe is right. That’s all.

Click.

The call ended with that cryptic response.

I was left stunned by the unexpected reaction from the Student Council President.

Baek-seo approached and asked,

“Is the President… injured?”

Instead of saying ‘that’s a relief,’ she asked why Baek-hyun was acting this way, indicating that she had the same questions as I did.

“I don’t know….”

The President…

Is something going on?

Ahseong High Student Council President’s Office.

Student Council President Han Baek-hyun was breathing heavily as he reviewed documents. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.

“Damn it… Am I doing the right thing…?”

His body trembled with anxiety.

“Yeah, this is the right thing…. The Federation Council isn’t all that…. They’re just people like us.”

He kept mumbling to himself, trying to calm his pounding chest.

The report filed by the Disciplinary Committee after capturing the Six Sinners. Someone’s intent to remove Ahn Woo-jin from his position as Disciplinary Committee Chief, even to the extent of bribing the Disciplinary Committee members. The mystery hidden within the Six Sinners incident. The secret tip from the Mahyeon High Student Council President that someone higher up seemed to be targeting Ahn Woo-jin.

With such clear evidence, it was impossible not to deduce that there was a connection between the Six Sinners incident and the powers that be.

A connection even a Student Council President from a top academy couldn’t contend with.

‘There’s a huge secret hidden in this city that must not be allowed to come to light, and Ahn Woo-jin is now touching it.’

Because of that deduction, Baek-hyun had been deeply troubled.

He recalled what happened earlier when a representative from the Federation Council called him directly to inform him that Ahn Woo-jin had refused their cooperation request.

It was easy to grasp the hidden meaning behind that message. ‘You should handle the pressure and clean up the situation.’

‘Am I just a worm to them…?’

It was clear that, for his future, bowing down to the Federation Council was the right move.

Scolding and pressuring Ahn Woo-jin, who was on his side, to carry out the Federation Council’s wishes was the right thing to do.

But that was no reason to condone injustice.

Baek-hyun ended his internal debate and made a decision.

The value more important to him was protecting Neo Seoul.

A Neo Seoul controlled and manipulated by someone else wasn’t the place he wanted to live in. If that were the case, the meaning of all the achievements he had accumulated as Student Council President would be lost.

Moreover, Ahn Woo-jin, the Chief of the Ahseong High Disciplinary Committee, along with the Disciplinary Committee Chief and Student Council President of Mahyeon High, had already resolved to fight against the secrets hidden within this city.

No, they were already fighting.

There was no way he, as the Student Council President of Ahseong High, could just sit back and do nothing.

‘I’ll block everything I can.’

At least in the case of the Six Sinners, Baek-hyun would shield Ahn Woo-jin from all external pressure, like a wall or a shield, so that he could focus on the case.

After all, he was the only one in a position to do so.

Ahn Woo-jin’s abilities as Chief were undeniably outstanding. He was tough and possessed an unyielding determination that most couldn’t match. He was worth betting on.

Riiiing.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Baek-hyun answered.

─ President, there’s a call from Hanyang. It seems they want to discuss the Federation Council matter… Should I put them through?

The secretary’s voice trembled as she sensed the situation.

Baek-hyun tightly closed his eyes. His brow furrowed.

“Sigh….”

A deep sigh filled the room.

It was easy to predict. Soon, external pressures from all sorts of places would come crashing down, the kind that would make one feel suffocated just by hearing their names.

Of course, Baek-hyun felt afraid.

For someone who had only ever cared about achievements, the burden of fighting for the city was immense.

He didn’t know where this choice would lead.

But he had no intention of reversing the decision he had already made.

Because he believed it was the right choice.

Thud! Baek-hyun irritably loosened his school tie and threw it onto the desk.

“Put the call through.”

For now, all he could do was fight.