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「It’s gotten quite… lively, hasn’t it?」
「Apologies for the ruckus.」
「Don’t be. It’s nothing for you to apologize for, Mr. Jason.」

With the morning classes finished, we were having our lunch at the student council room, but today’s lunch wasn’t the same as usual. That’s because, after realizing that the rumored student council president was me, Selena marched in with Jason in tow.

Well, since I’ve already somewhat anticipated this, I prepared three times more for lunch than usual today, enough for six people. And it looks like I was right in doing so since with me, Urania, Hermie who joined us for lunch the other day, Mahara, Selena, and Jason, I’ve got exactly enough guests for the food I prepared.

Incidentally, Est delivers the food every lunch, but she already finished eating back in our room. Urania and I don’t really mind it but, as expected, it would be an issue for an attendant to eat together with their master. Est does eat with us occasionally back in our room when I ask her to but in a public place like this student council room, Est sticks steadfast to being an attendant.

So with that said, the six of us are having lunch right now. However, or rather I guess this was to be expected but, Selena’s entrance was greeted with surprise. With the existence of a little sister that even I didn’t know of, and the fact that I don’t (or rather, can’t) talk about my own family, it seems like the others are imagining a complicated household situation, resulting in accidentally gaining unneeded sympathy.

Mahara in particular, being a red folk, appears to see Selena’s childish innocence as a reminder of her own little sister, so she’s attentively taking care of her right now. While Jason feels bad about practically leaving Selena—who’s making a ruckus being overjoyed with every single bite of the snacks I made—to Mahara, she herself seems to be enjoying it, so she likely doesn’t mind at all.

Presently, Mahara, Selena, and Urania—who’s curious about Selena—are eating on the same table. And some distance away; Hermie, Jason, and I are pecking at our lunches while watching them. Their table is pretty rowdy.

Selena takes the food she likes from either Mahara or Urania’s lunch box but would then be chided by Mahara. And when she throws the food she doesn’t like into the other two’s lunch boxes, Urania would then return it to her, resulting in protests from Selena. That’s their current dynamic. Still, they seem to be enjoying this somewhat so I guess it’s fine.

「Well, I’m just glad to see Miss Mahara enjoying herself.」
「What do you mean by that?」
「She was born a red folk after all. I couldn’t help but notice her feeling small in this environment……」

The students of this academy are mostly noble-born. For greater nobles at the White Peer and Purple Peer level, they wouldn’t think twice about employing red folks as long as they are competent. This is because these nobles are confident that no matter how much effort these competent people make, they would never pose a threat to the noble’s position.¹

However, it’s different for those of Blue and Yellow Peerage. With effort and some achievements, red folks can climb up to Yellow Peerage and if they become a favorite, then they might be more valued than nobles of Blue Peerage. We’re a good example of this. Just like how the Iglesio household employed us, who had never hired magicians from any other nobles before us, the other White and Purple Peers also opt to hire red folk magicians instead of those of nobility.

In other words, for nobles of the lower peerages, red folk sorcerers are beings that can pose a threat to their position. Mahara in particular is a sorcerer receiving the support of the Ymleighrahna household, the family of our year’s second prince faction leader, Hermie, so for the children of nobility that want to butter up to the Ymleighrahna family, she’s someone that they’d want to get rid of.

Though, naturally, there isn’t anyone that would harm or obviously harass Mahara with her being officially under the Ymleighrahna household’s protection. After all, those who do so are just suicidal and at worst, even their parents could get dismissed from their positions. However, that doesn’t mean absolutely nothing happens to her. She experiences harassment in the form of being ignored and intentionally excluded from discussions.

「It’s simple enough for me to speak up. However, it’ll only end up with these things being done only when I’m absent. If my watchful gaze can act as a wedge against these occurrences, then as an individual of the Ymleighrahna Household, it would be my duty to do so, for we have decided to take her in. Well, in the end, it’s simply my own excuse for being unable to do anything about it.」
「It seems like you’ve been through a lot as well, Miss Hermie. Certainly, it would be difficult for the red folk students to utilize the canteen and such.」

The social inequality problem is one of the things currently racking my head. One’s ability with magic should grow with persistent training, so the gap between mages and sorcerers can be solved eventually. At the very least, I intend to have everyone in the student council become capable of using magic within the first year.

So when everybody becomes capable of using magic and this power gap disappears, the next obstacle is going to be the difference in social class, something only based on one’s birth and can’t be changed with talent and effort. While it can’t be helped as this country is being operated by nobles in society, perhaps because of my past life memories, I can’t say that I find it any bit agreeable.

「This might be rude to say before you, Miss Hermie but, as expected, the social disparity seems to be an issue here.」
「While it could’ve been different centuries ago, these days, the differences in capabilities based on one’s birth are practically negligible. There are an innumerable amount of talented people among the masses as well. If only one’s social status is deemed irrelevant for occupational positions, then the kingdom would be able to see further growth.」
「I suppose I agree with that thought. After all, despite some families having great ancestors, just like ours for example, there’s no assurance that the descendants will inherit their ancestor’s abilities. Take me, I don’t even have a fragment of talent as a mage.」

It appears that Jason’s ancestor was one of the original twelve sages but as the generations piled up, their household’s magic power continued to decline until they finally had no other choice but to concede the title of sage to another family. And then three generations ago, the capability to use magic even stopped appearing and in Jason’s case, he says that he doesn’t even have talent as a mage.

「Even so, my family still continues to dream. Dreaming that one day, someone with the talent to become a sage will be born from us once again. As for me though, I’d rather they give up already and rather press forward with other projects that have prospects of growth.」

It seems that the nobles have their own unique troubles and hardships as well.

1. Lyly: Yeah, this sounds arrogant, but noble families of this level earned their position with generational effort, not with just one op protag rushing up to the ranks in a year or two. Some might have earned them quicker during wartime and all, but yeah, it’s not a gap that can be realistically breached by talent alone. And if the person in question does have the talent to do so, competent nobles would see them as a future contributor to the development of the kingdom and not, you know, try to kill or make an enemy out of them.