Invincible
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#136
🕑 Added 2024-10-30 12:28:28 +0000 UTCTen Elites (1)
From early morning, the area in front of the elevator was bustling with people.
All the first-year students of the Adele Hall were waiting for Mircel.
As second- and third-year students passed by and witnessed this, they broke into a cold sweat, anxiously observing the scene.
They were worried that the Ten Elites might pass by.
"Are they staging a protest or something?"
"What else could it be?"
They sighed deeply, knowing that the more the first-year students acted out, the more the Ten Elites would shift the collective responsibility onto the second- and third-year students, pressuring them as well.
"Let's make sure they don't hear about this. If they find out, they'll definitely blame us, saying we can't even manage our juniors properly."
"Yeah, everyone agreed on that, right?"
At that moment, an unwelcome voice chimed in.
"Wow, what a sight. Hey, seniors, why are they like that?"
It was Meldon of the Seventh Seat, with bandages wrapped around his wrist and fingers. He had witnessed the scene.
"Well, you see..."
Meldon passed by a third-year student who was about to explain and instead looked at Bellman.
Rumor had it that this guy was the de facto leader of the first-years.
Meldon raised his uninjured hand and approached him.
'A guy like this should be slapped in front of everyone as an example...'
At that moment, the elevator door made a "ding" sound as it began to open.
Screech-
Silver hair appeared through the crack in the door.
When Meldon's eyes met Mircel’s, his body froze. His previously broken fingers started throbbing in pain.
Mircel narrowed his eyes sharply and stepped out of the elevator.
"Ugh."
Meldon flinched, involuntarily taking a step back.
Bellman turned his head and asked Meldon, "What’s going on?"
Meldon scratched the back of his head with the hand he had intended to use for slapping. He pretended as if this had been his intention all along, but to others, it only looked awkward.
Snickers could be heard from those nearby.
"Look at him, acting all scared. Weren’t you all high and mighty just a moment ago?"
"There's a rumor that Mircel was the one who did that to his hand. Is it true?"
Meldon felt utterly humiliated.
But if he did anything here, it was obvious it would only backfire.
All he could do was suppress his anger and pass by the first-year students.
"...Tch."
Meldon turned his head, muttering quietly as he watched the first-years walk away in the distance.
"So, they want to stick together like that, huh? Stupid idiots..."
Meldon swore revenge as he waited for the end of the day.
***
"From today on, first-year students of the Adele Hall are banned from using the café and dining hall."
At the lounge of the Ten Elites, First Seat Kerndel’s declaration caused Emeric to frown.
Bernthal, the dormitory representative, voiced his dissatisfaction with such unreasonable actions.
"Kerndel, are you really doing this just because they went to greet Mircel?"
"Just because? Don’t be ridiculous, Bernthal. They dared to defy the Ten Elites. Naturally, they must pay the price."
Meldon, eager to suck up, chimed in with a sly tone.
"Wow, Senior Kerndel, you’re so generous. I’m sure you could’ve made it even more unbearable for them."
"Well, as you said, we could take away more privileges from the start. But we should at least give them a chance to reflect, don't you think? If they back down now, I’m willing to forgive them without further consequences."
"As expected, you’re magnanimous."
At the childish conversation, Bernthal slammed his hands on the table and stood up.
"I’m the dormitory representative. This is my responsibility, and you guys have no right to interfere!"
Kerndel crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, raising his chin arrogantly.
"Yes, you’re the dormitory representative. I have no intention of meddling. But Bernthal..."
Kerndel's tone caused Bernthal to respond with a wary expression.
"...What?"
"Does the dormitory representative rank above the rules?"
Bernthal’s eyes widened, and he clamped his mouth shut.
The representative's role was to uphold and enforce the rules, nothing more.
If Kerndel’s outrageous proposal were passed, Bernthal would have no choice but to enforce it himself.
"And the rules are always decided by vote. What I just suggested is merely my personal opinion."
Kerndel glanced around at the others seated, seeking their agreement.
"Of course, you have the right to refuse. Isn’t that so?"
At this, the others began to mock him.
"Yeah, Bernthal, if you don’t feel like it, just say no. Who knows? Maybe someone here will vote against it."
"Right, right. We're just proposing the rule. It's up to the student council to approve it, isn't it?"
Even though the student council could reject the proposal, it was unlikely they would.
The student council and the Ten Elites were deeply intertwined.
Moreover, the professors didn’t intervene in the internal rules set by the students unless there was a major issue.
After all, the positions of the Ten Elites and the student council were created to ensure their power.
Emeric, who had been quietly observing the scene, sighed at the sight of this corrupt, absurd politics.
'This is what happens when power leans too heavily to one side.'
Meanwhile, Kerndel raised his hand.
"Then, let’s start the vote."
From the Seventh Seat up, one by one, they began raising their hands.
Some glanced at Bernthal with contemplative expressions, but it was merely a spiteful act.
"Hmm, I wasn’t sure about this at first, but now that I think about it, it seems fine. Heh."
"Sorry, Bernthal. I thought about siding with you this time, but these first-year students are just a little too out of line. Don’t you agree?"
Emeric felt ashamed looking at their smug faces.
Ironically, he saw a reflection of his past self in them.
'Not to the same extent, but I, too, once talked about tradition and all that.'
The difference, though, was that he had advocated for order and hierarchy, while they were wielding power solely for personal gain.
Even this realization wasn’t enough to wipe away his shame.
'Is this some kind of mirror therapy...?'
While Emeric was lost in thought, Kerndel smiled.
"Seven in favor, two against, and one vacant. With the majority vote, we will present the new rule to the student council."
Bernthal stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Emeric, too, was about to leave, not wanting to stay any longer.
But then, an interesting conversation caught his attention.
"Oh, right. Have you all heard that Dorosian is here?"
As one guy brought it up, the mood among the others became heavy, their expressions cautious.
"She’s bothersome, but it’s best to avoid provoking her. I really don’t want any unnecessary conflicts."
"Yeah, I saw her from a distance once, and she's no joke. If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself, it’s better to just stay out of her way."
The "Monster Villainess."
That name had long been feared.
Even the Ten Elites, who prided themselves on being the strongest, wouldn’t dare mess with her.
However, not everyone seemed to agree.
"Should I give it a shot?"
Aros, the third-year head of the Adele Hall's magic department and the Second Seat, spoke with confidence.
"What? Are you serious?"
"Senior, even though you’re a senior, I’m a bit worried about that..."
Aros shrugged.
"It’s fine. You guys know what the Eternal Shackles are, right? Those shackles used to subdue criminals on the field. I’ve had experience with them before, so I know."
"Yeah... we’ve tried them on as a demonstration."
"But Dorosian apparently has three of those shackles on her. Doesn’t that make her beatable?"
Meldon rubbed his neck nervously and asked, "I think that could be enough, but are you sure? She might come back for revenge right after she graduates."
"So what? I’m heading to the Demon Realm after I graduate. Do you really think Dorosian’s going to become a Pathfinder? At most, she’ll end up in some place like the Magic Tower."
Emeric couldn’t help but nod at that.
Someone like Dorosian would indeed be recruited by the mages of the Magic Tower.
Or, as the rumors suggested, she might not work at all and just live an idle life.
Kerndel’s face lit up at Aros’s idea.
"Oh, now that you mention it, I think I heard she’s been assigned to the Schlaphe magic department. Looks like her level’s been downgraded quite a bit. Well, with three Eternal Shackles on her, that makes sense."
"Really? Then we absolutely can’t miss this opportunity."
It seemed Aros was intent on fighting Dorosian.
Her goal was probably to create the legendary story of being the woman who defeated the "Monster Villainess."
If she succeeded, it would be something to brag about for a lifetime, but could she really win?
'I hope she gets what she deserves.'
Emeric silently cursed as he stood up.
***
There seemed to be more people around the Schlaphe Hall.
No, it was clear that the usage of the facilities had increased.
I had even seen some first-year Adele Hall students in the Schlaphe dining hall.
I asked as I looked at Bellman, who was standing in the lobby with a shabby appearance.
"What brings you here?"
Bellman lifted a laundry basket and answered, "The shower rooms in the Buerger Hall are full."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, you didn’t hear? The first-year students of the Adele Hall are currently banned from using the shower rooms. They’ve been instructed to use the facilities of other dorms."
A high-pitched complaint came from behind.
When I turned to look, I saw Silla and Leana surveying their surroundings.
"Ugh, this place is so old and rundown."
"Silla, that’s rude. We should be grateful they’re letting us use it at all."
"But where’s the shower?"
"I’m not sure. It’s my first time here too."
At that moment, Limberton passed by, reading a book with a lewd illustration on the cover.
Silla stopped him.
"Hey, idiot. Come here."
"Oh, you scared me. What is it, Silla? What are you guys doing here?"
Limberton furrowed his brows, and Silla frowned in return.
"Look at your face! Ugh, forget it. Do you know where the girls' shower room is?"
"Oh, that? It’s in the middle of the second-floor hallway."
Silla shot him a disgusted look, understandably since the answer had come so quickly from Limberton’s mouth.
"Ugh, but how do you know that?"
"And why are you asking a guy like me in the first place?"
They glared at each other before going their separate ways.
I turned my attention back to Bellman.
Adjusting his glasses, Bellman spoke politely.
"Anyway, I’ll be relying on you for a while."
"...Do as you wish."
"But I heard there are some rules here that we must follow. Mind if I check the mirror for a moment?"
I handed him the rule mirror. Bellman mumbled to himself as he curiously read through it.
"Do not make eye contact with the woman in the painting at the landing of the women's dorm stairs... So, there really are strange things here, just as I’ve heard."
I could understand Bellman’s amazement.
While odd phenomena occasionally occurred in the Buerger Hall, the Adele Hall had almost none at all.
"That's right. Be careful not to get involved unnecessarily."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Bellman handed back the rule mirror to me and headed towards the shower room.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something he had forgotten, and turned his head with an "Ah."
"The seniors said to gather on the Schlaphe Hall terrace. They also told me to let you know that you should join, Hersel."
"Seniors, you say?"
"Bernthal and Emeric."
It seemed like they were planning a counterattack, unable to stand the tyranny of the others any longer.
That’s something I’ll think about carefully later.
For now, I wasn’t too worried about Mircel.
According to Athera, it seemed like these guys were taking good care of things, and the Ten Elites were too afraid of Mircel to mess with him openly.
As for Erucel, well, he’s old enough to handle things on his own.
In short, I thought that getting involved with these people too soon might only complicate things unnecessarily.
So I gave a realistic answer to decline the offer.
"Do you really think gathering will solve anything? To take control of the Ten Elites, at least five people need to secure a position. And they need to be strong enough to hold onto it."
Bernthal and Emeric would quickly be swept away by the next challenge from those who lost.
And it wasn't realistic to expect the still-developing juniors to step up.
I said it would take time because we’d have to wait until they at least reached the minimum qualifications to join the Ten Elites.
If things worked out well, it might be possible to win earlier than expected.
As I predicted, Bellman pressed on.
"But we can't just sit around doing nothing. Their tyranny is only going to get worse."
"Don’t worry about that. If it starts interfering with classes, the professors will step in. Life will be inconvenient for a while, but it’s manageable, right? And feel free to use the Schlaphe Hall facilities as much as you like. I hope that provides some comfort."
When Bellman tried to say more, I quickly turned my back on him.
"And as for Adele Hall matters, let the Adele Hall people handle them—"
But before I could finish, a woman’s voice interrupted from afar.
"Hey, someone get the dorm supervisor!"
It came from the entrance to the women's dorm stairs.
"What’s the problem?"
"Two first-year girls from Adele Hall. They're paralyzed. It looks like they made eye contact with the woman in the painting."
I changed my mind.
At this rate, we’d be wasting time dealing with these strange phenomena instead of growing stronger.
"...Alright, I’ll attend the meeting."
I realized that it might be necessary to at least offer some guidance in front of the gathered group.
On the terrace, all the first-year students from Adele Hall were gathered, along with Emeric and Bernthal.
I sat, sharing some snacks with Mircel, while watching them.
Despite the ongoing discussions led by Emeric and Bernthal, they didn’t seem to reach any clear solution.
Seeing this, Mircel, with a bored expression, spoke up.
"Brother, why do they have to think so hard about it? Wouldn’t it be easier if we just break something for each of them?"
His comment made my ears perk up.
When I thought about it, it was actually quite a clever idea.
My eyes lit up as I voiced my admiration.
"That’s not a bad idea."
"Right?"
If we cripple two people, we wouldn’t even need five.
By putting them out of commission for a while, preventing them from even attempting a challenge, Emeric and Bernthal’s positions would be safe.
Even if the defeated ones tried to take their spots, their injuries would keep them from succeeding.
If that happened, it would be me and the two others trying to take seats, and Emeric and Bernthal would control the votes.
In the vote, we’d have five votes on our side.
They’d have four.
And the Ninth Seat, who had no interest in politics, would abstain.
Potentially, it could be 5 to 5.
We couldn’t ignore the possibility that they might try to take the Ninth Seat’s spot, someone disinterested in politics.
It would also be relatively easy for the student council to recruit him if they wanted to.
This lowered the number of people we needed to recruit from four to two, making it much more manageable.
You might think we should recruit three, to secure six votes, but if anyone questioned that, I’d have an explanation ready.
I stood up and approached Bellman, Emeric, and Bernthal, who were deep in discussion, and shared my idea.
"What do you think? All we need besides me is just two people. I’ve already got one person in mind."
After saying that, I looked away from the others and turned to Mircel.
"Mircel, how about taking a seat in the Ten Elites?"
Mircel nodded reluctantly, as if it was a hassle.
"Really? Well, if you say so, I'll give it a try."
"Good. Now we just need to find one more person. Someone who can half-kill another guy."
In my mind, I thought of Riamon, who wasn’t present at the meeting.
Though he wasn’t strong enough to take down Bernthal yet, with some tricks, he might just win.
If we matched opponents strategically and used all kinds of sabotage, who knows what could happen?
I decided to think about that later and was about to wrap up the meeting when Bellman raised a question. It was the kind of question I expected someone to bring up.
"But Hersel, besides you and Mircel, don’t we still need two more? You mentioned that there’s a chance they might take the Ninth Seat. If that happens, wouldn’t the voting be tied at 5 to 5?"
He was suggesting that we’d need six votes to secure a majority.
Counting me, Mircel, Bernthal, Emeric, and the one person to take a seat, that would only make five votes.
I responded casually.
"That’s not something to worry about. The abstaining vote will stay as it is."
We’d still have five votes on our side, and they’d have four votes, with one abstention.
This balance wouldn’t change.
"The abstaining vote will stay the same?"
"That’s right. If it’s her, neither the student council nor the Ten Elites will ever be able to recruit her."
"Her? Who are you talking about…?"
Just as I was about to answer Bellman, someone shouted from below.
"Attention, everyone!"
It was Athera. She took a deep breath and shouted so loudly that the entire dormitory could hear.
"It’s time for the Ten Elites challenge! The opponent is the Second Seat, Aros! And the challenger—brace yourselves—is none other than the 'Monster Villainess' Dorosian!"
The one who would never be recruited by anyone.
She was Dorosian, the one about to claim a new seat.
