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I had felt like I’d heard the name Impero somewhere before, and when we arrived in front of the restaurant, I remembered why.

Impero was the place Vannabelle had used for the after-party of the Zersteller—Canalford Cup. Back then, it had been her treat, and today it was Marie’s. Quite a curious coincidence.

“My, Lady Marianne. Welcome—we’re honored to have you.”

Perhaps because she was a high-ranking noble—second only to Ignis—a middle-aged man who seemed to be the manager rushed over the moment we approached, greeting us with a deeply respectful posture.

“We’ve prepared seating for seven, as requested for you and your fellow students.”
“Much appreciated. We’re all quite hungry, so I’d like you to have the head chef send out a selection of recommended dishes.”
“As always, we’ve begun preparations starting with the appetizers.”

It seemed word had already reached them in advance. The manager smiled and nodded, then led Marie to the largest table in the restaurant.

The last time I had been here, the place had been reserved and the layout rearranged, but even so, the seating we were shown to now was clearly more spacious than the others.

They had probably gone out of their way to rearrange the tables and chairs so as not to offend Marie. In addition to water, welcome drinks had already been set out for everyone.

“Hey, Marie. I was hoping to get that seafood stew~”
“Of course, that’s included. Feel free to order as much extra cheese for the risotto at the end as you like. With this many people, if we share, finishing the entire menu isn’t out of the question.”

Marie replied calmly and took the seat at the center of the table as if it were only natural.

“Nyahaha. Then let’s compare the menu with what comes out and order more as we go.”

Taking Marie’s words at face value, Farah waited for Estea and Melua to sit before taking a seat by the window at the end. Hom sat across from Estea, I took the seat beside her, and Alfe settled in next to me.

“…By the way, what are you planning to do about the upcoming student council general election?”

Taking a sip of a refreshing citrus drink filled with fine bubbles, Marie suddenly brought it up.

“You are going to run for president, of course?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”

Marie had worn a confident smile when she asked, but upon hearing Estea’s answer, her expression turned somewhat more serious.

“Then the issue is how you intend to conduct your campaign.”
“Yeah… I mean, there are already rumors that Ignis is pulling strings behind the scenes.”

Melua let out a sigh at Marie’s remark.

“That man is certainly capable of it. He’s under the delusion that money and power can accomplish anything.”

I had thought Marie might share a similar mindset, but it seemed she was a bit different from Ignis. The way she spoke made it clear she held a poor opinion of him, which gave me a small sense of relief.

Well, they had been in the same student council and openly at odds—it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

That being the case, it was obvious neither of them would back down easily, and seeing Marie’s attitude firsthand made it much easier to understand the concerns Estea had mentioned before.

“…Hey, Senior Melua. What kind of rumors are there about this Ignis person?”

Waiting for a lull in the conversation, Alfe lowered her voice slightly as she asked.

“It’s said Ignis is trying to buy votes with bribes. But with hush money and all already involved, it’ll probably just stay a ‘rumor’ forever.”
“Well, that much is within expectations. Of course, such wrongdoing must be exposed eventually—but trying to bring others down to elevate yourself makes you no different from Ignis in essence.”

Following Alfe’s lead, both Melua and Marie lowered their voices as well. I was a little surprised by how reasonable Marie sounded.

Even as a high-ranking noble, she didn’t seem to have any sense of superiority. If anything, she appeared to see us more as equals.

“…Exactly. Since we can’t use our performance in the Zersteller as leverage, we need to find some way to make people actually listen to what we’re trying to say. Otherwise, no one will pay us any attention.”

There was an unmistakable sense of urgency in Estea’s expression as she spoke.

“Nyaha! Even so, after showing a fight like that in the finals, I think it left a pretty strong impression.”
“And Ignis was the first to be defeated.”

Sensing Estea’s anxiety, Farah and Hom spoke up almost at the same time, trying to encourage her. Still, everyone there understood that their words wouldn’t necessarily resonate with the entire academy.

“That said, in a meritocratic society, people are harsh on losers—and on family background too~”

Melua remarked casually, as if stating an unavoidable truth, then slumped forward onto the table.

“Honestly, the food will be here any moment—you’re in the way.”
“I know, I know, but still~…”

Prompted by Marie, Melua lifted herself back up with a sigh. Right then, several servers emerged from the kitchen carrying silver trays, swiftly plating and distributing the dishes in front of us.

“…Um, Leafa. This might be a simple question, but can I ask?”
“What is it, Alfe?”

After the food had been set and we finished saying our pre-meal prayer, Alfe spoke up hesitantly.

After the dishes had been served and we finished saying our pre-meal prayer, Alfe spoke up hesitantly.

“About the campaign… I get that the Zersteller has a big influence, but does it absolutely have to be part of it?”
“No way!”

Before I could answer, Melua responded immediately.

“Then how about approaching it from a completely different angle? There’s no one in this academy who doesn’t know who Estea is, right? So if you can come up with a way to make people stop and pay attention during the campaign—even if Ignis tries to interfere—you just need a way to properly convey Estea’s feelings.”

What Alfe said made perfect sense. But the question was—what exactly should we do?

I had promised to help with Estea’s student council election, yet this was precisely where I had been stuck. I still hadn’t found what I could actually contribute.

“…If it were that easy, we wouldn’t be struggling. Do you have something in mind?”

Tilting her head slightly, Marie asked while elegantly continuing with her appetizer.

Alfe paused for a moment, then looked straight at Estea.

“I think what we experienced today might be the hint. The fact that you like rock, that you’re good at guitar… I feel like that means you could create a moment—like today’s live show—that draws people in. A space that captivates them… Don’t you think so too, Leafa?”

When she asked me, I felt like I understood what she was getting at.

“…You mean incorporating a live performance into the campaign?”
“Exactly!”

It seemed my interpretation helped her idea take shape. I could see her Pure Eye shining more brilliantly than ever.

“Rock music feels really message-driven to me. You can’t help but listen, and when it speaks to you, it really resonates. That kind of sincere emotion creates empathy—I’m sure people would stop and listen!”

The passion in Alfe’s voice showed just how seriously she had thought this through. Honestly, I thought it was a solid idea.

“Nyahaha, that’s actually a really great idea!”
“I agree with Lady Alfe as well.”

Perhaps reading the expressions on our faces, Farah and Hom voiced their support. With Hom speaking up, Estea seemed even more intrigued.

“…If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear your opinion as well, Hom.”
“Okay, Estea.”

At Estea’s request, Hom met her gaze and began to speak.

“The current student council became unstable after Ignis joined it. That’s why, for the next one, I think we should show that with this group’s unity, the council won’t fall apart—that it will be stable.”
“Thank you. What do you think, Leafa?”

At Estea’s prompting, I decided to share my thoughts as well.

To be honest, I still didn’t fully understand how the student council election system worked, but I did want to address Hom’s concern.

“I think Hom’s idea is good. But to make that happen, wouldn’t we need to form a band using the members of the next student council?”
“Hmm… that might be a bit tricky…”

Melua tilted her head at my answer.

“Why’s that?”
“Even if it’s called a general election, in reality it’s basically a one-on-one between Estea and Ignis. Other candidates would be too intimidated to run. And even if they did, it’d end up looking like Ignis versus a bunch of other candidates—it might come off as trying to win by numbers, which wouldn’t leave a great impression.”

Ah… that was a fair point. Regardless of intent, it would still look like they were trying to monopolize the student council, which was something we should avoid.

“That does make sense. However, if no one else runs, the president may appoint members. Also, this time, unless a candidate gathers support from at least one-third of the entire student body, they cannot become vice president—even if they lose.”

As Marie calmly explained the election system—signaling for the next dish with just her eyes—Melua and Estea exchanged surprised glances.

“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. I heard it from the Professor. It’s a measure taken after last year, when Ignis forced his way into the vice presidency with the backing of the vice principal and the Dulan family.”
“So if Estea wins by a large margin, Ignis won’t be able to interfere anymore.”

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Hom’s expression brightened slightly. It seemed to lift Estea’s spirits as well, as a smile returned to her face.

“That’s right. Hom, would you lend me your strength?”
“…Me? But I—”
“You don’t need to run for the student council. However, given how much attention the Zersteller draws, we can’t completely remove its influence. So instead, we form a band made up of last year’s and this year’s Zersteller champions. What do you think?”

As she said that, Estea gave a playful wink. Even I could tell from that gesture that she had regained her composure.

“That’s amazing! It’ll definitely draw attention, and I think it’s a really wonderful idea!”
“In that case, I’ll help too! I’ve got some experience with instruments, and seeing nobles and demi-humans performing together could help break down prejudice—and show that the academy can be a more welcoming place for demi-humans.”

Having probably heard about it from Alfe as her roommate, Farah stepped forward to offer her support.

With everyone there willing to cooperate, the atmosphere quickly brightened.

“Well, this is coming together quite smoothly! In that case, I shall take on the role of producer~! I have more than enough financial backing, and in terms of influence, my family stands just below Ignis’s. I won’t allow any objections!”
“Of course. Thank you, Marie.”

Seeing Marie so motivated, Estea thanked her with slightly teary eyes. Smiling brightly as if to encourage her, Marie slipped a hand into her jacket pocket.

“Fulfilling the wish of a childhood friend is one of the reasons I came back, after all. Now then, without delay—”

Pulling out her multifunctional magic communication device, Marie stood up and immediately began contacting someone.