Jobless – Chapter 63

Translator:  Nyanyan
Editor:  rumanshi

At the student council ②
There was a sudden invitation.
Personally, I didn’t think I would be invited to join the student council.

“Can you give your answer soon?”

Now then, how should I respond?
Honestly, I don’t think there are any reasons to join the student council right now.

“There’s no merit in declining right?”

Alicia said calmly.
However, in the first place…

“I don’t understand the merits of joining the student council though?”

I replied bluntly.
Thereupon, Alicia’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses.
It’s as though she’s saying “can’t you understand such a thing?”

“Alicia-kaichou, if I may ask, doesn’t the Student Council require a recommendation from an instructor in order to join the Community?”

Raphie cut into the conversation of the president and myself.
Now that you mention it, the first year Serika was a student with excellent grades who was recommended by the instructor, wasn’t she?

If so, then filling the vacancy isn’t something that we should be deciding here by ourselves

“…… If I’m not mistaken, you’re the 2nd Year Raphie Rabbie are you not? It is as you say, an Instructor’s recommendation is required”
“Has Mars received a recommendation to join the Student Council then?”
“No, I’m about to go request the recommendation later. However, I’m almost certain that I’ll get it.”

Alicia declared that.
Her words overflowed with confidence.
I wanted a fact cleared first,

“Even if I receive a recommendation, if I don’t like the Student Council I can refuse to join correct?”

Since I’m not sure if I want to join in the first place, let’s confirm this first.

“…… Mars-kun, I don’t want you to misunderstand me”

Alicia quickly pushed her glasses up with a long finger of her right hand.

A dull light shone from behind her glasses.

“This isn’t a request but an order. Did I say ‘Please join the Student Council’? I ordered you ‘Join the Student Council’ right?”

Indeed.
So I don’t even have the right to refuse.

“K-Kaichou…. That way of putting it…..”

Eri complained about Alicia’s statement that allowed no leeway at all.
However,

“Oi nyow, ya still don’t get it?”

A female werecat of the catfolk said in an extremely weary manner. With a look that says “I’m so over with this”, all the while scratching her head, she gave Eri a very bored glance.

“……Nenea-senpai”

This werecat who is called Nenea,

“It’s thanks to you leaving the Student Council in the first place that we are nyow short of a Second Year Student Council member right?”

said all that in a blaming tone.

“…. That’s….”

Eri went silent, refusing to meet Nenea’s eyes.
A dark atmosphere fell.
I’ve already heard that Eri was originally a Student Council member.
She has already been dismissed as a direct result of her inability to wield magic.

“The Student Council being short of one member isn’t Eri’s fault though is it?”

They should have been able to find other candidates with excellent grades.
But, seeing that they aren’t in the Student Council,

“It’s not like there aren’t other Second Years with excellent grades who could get a recommendation from an Instructor right? In that case, it’s not Eri’s fault now is it?”

I said that to Nenea.

Her stare changed into a fierce glare.
As if to show her anger, her dark brown ears stood on edge.

“Punk, don’t you even knyow how to use honorifics? Yer just a junior, so purrsumptuous!”

It seems I’m being called presumptuous.
Whether it’s a characteristic of werecats or not, adding cat sounds like nyoo and nyaa into their pronunciation of words are making her sound cutesy even though she’s speaking angrily.

“This is an institution for raising Adventurers right? Is there such a thing as seniority among Adventurers?”

“…….Talking back like that. To think we have this kind of junyaa. Nyow this is surprising. You clearly think we’re the ones who should back off?”

The atmosphere turned volatile.
It feels like a fight is about to break out at any time,

“Hold it Nenea”

Alicia cried out.

“It’s still too early to show your abilities”

(……It’s still too early….. huh)

In other words, it’s alright to use force when the time comes.
An announcement was made then.

“Although the thing about Elisha-san is a shame, it can’t be helped. Her dismissal from the Student Council happened due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.”

Alicia seems to care about Eri quite a bit.
I’m starting to regain some of the confidence that I had in the Student Council before.

“Mars-kun, you’re definitely entering the Student Council. However, without telling you the circumstances, you won’t be satisfied being here will you?”

The circumstances, huh.
I was suddenly called to the meeting, so I heard the details of the story yet.
Before deciding anything, I should first listen to their story.

“Is it related to the earlier topic of there being no Second Year in the Student Council?”
“Yes, precisely.”

According to Alicia, Eri was the only Second Year to belong in the Student Council at the time.
Even after Eri was dismissed though, there hasn’t been a Second Year student to take her place.
However, the Student Council maintains basic safety on campus as one of its responsibilities.

“It’s okay for now since we Third Years are still here, but once we graduate, there will be no Second Year who we can hand over our responsibilities to. Of course, Elisha-san’s return is something we desire but…….”

So basically, they are worried of the possibility that there might be no one to maintain the academy’s peace.
It seems like it’s something like that.
As driven as this academy is by individual strength, it is necessary to maintain a baseline security.
This is understandable.

“While it’s true that the Second Years have high combat abilities, many of them have bad personalities, resulting in the rest of the student feeling anxious about them being on the Student Council. Having lots of problem students means there’s just as much a chance of problems occurring.”

Those students must not be tolerated.
The werewolf Rusty who fought Eri the other day might be a good example of a trouble causing student.
Basically, Instructors stay out of student troubles, or so Lania said.
Of course, killing will not be tolerated.

“A student who despite being a Second Year is able to defeat Third Years. Moreover, a talented person who was recommended by Instructor Lania. If someone like you were to join the Student Council, don’t you think that campus security will be even more firm?”

Alicia asked this.
Lately, there have been many cases of useless terrorism, but has it had any influence on me at all?

“Besides, you joining the Student Council will have its benefits. After graduation, you have a higher chance of being nominated to join a Major Adventurer’s Guild or directly working under the king.”

Personally, I don’t see any great merits.
While it’s true that I’m attending this academy to aim to become an adventurer, what I dearly wish to do above anything else while I’m here, all I really want to do is to make friends.

Assuming one joins the Student Council, wouldn’t their daily duties take up all their time?
In that case, the time I could spend interacting with the other students will be decreased.

“Student Council members interact and hold activities with members of other academies”

……Other academies?

“Do we go to other academies?”
“Yes. Although the Inter-Academy Competition is still a whiles away, the Student Council representative will have an exchange with the other academies. It will only last a short week, but there will be many things to learn.”

Being able to interact with more students seems interesting.
Her words were drawing me in strongly.

“Also, this is kind of like a bonus of sorts, if you are a part of the Student Council, you have the opportunity to become acquainted with the the strong and famous of your era you know?”

Now that I think about it, where is that senpai I wonder?

“Is Nenea-senpai that student?”
“No, it’s not Nenea. She’s another honor student like me.”

The Student Council members in this room are the two Third Years, the two First Years.

“I came because the new members are introducing themselves but –”

–Don! (sfx) Suddenly, the door to the Student Council opened.
Everyone turned to watch the door open.
But there was no one there.

“I’m sowwy Alicia, me ish late.” (imagine this being said cutely)

But I heard a man’s voice.
Coming from the direction opposite the doors.
In that instant, a man who wasn’t in the room before was there.

“You’re really late. I’m really glad you could make it”

Alicia complained to that man.

“Let me introduce him. Mars-kun, he is–”

In tandem with the words Alicia spoke, the man turned around.
It must have been a coincidence.
But, our eyes met.
The moment I saw that man’s eyes — I understood. This man was–

“The current strongest Third Year student–”

Alicia only said this much when,

“Ford Haldion (Subject to change)! Nice to meet you kouhai!”

Ford who was smiling happily like he had no regrets in life whatsoever, faced me.