The Chairman pointed to the key card in my hand.
"That is the master key for the Union. With it, you can access nearly every facility in our academy. You could say it's the very symbol of the Student Council President."
"I see…"
I fiddled with the ornately decorated card.
Perfect timing. This is exactly what I needed.
This would grant me a massive amount of freedom, proving to be an invaluable asset for collecting items and clearing quests within the academy.
Furthermore, the title of Student Council President that came with this key card was of 'Unique' grade—a title only one person on the entire continent could hold. While it was slightly less prestigious than other Unique-grade titles, its effects were still formidable. Eventually, I'd likely gain additional stats or traits from it as well.
Of course, the effectiveness of the Student Council President title fluctuated wildly based on my [Approval Rating], so for now, it was practically useless.
But someday… it'll show its true power.
Pushing those thoughts aside, I tucked the key card away and offered my thanks to the Chairman.
"Thank you. I'll put it to good use."
"Good. But don't go using it to sneak into the girls' dormitory. Even for you, that would cause quite the scandal. Ahem."
"…"
What was this old man talking about? As if a minor transgression like breaking into the girls' dorm would even register against Roen's already notorious reputation.
When I nodded to show I understood, the Chairman gave a satisfied smile and changed the subject.
"Excellent. By the way, you mentioned your specialty was alchemy, didn't you? Let's see."
He rummaged through his coat and pulled out a letter, handing it to me. He kept giving me things like some kind of Santa Claus.
"Take this. It's a visitor's pass to the Deiarron Magic Tower. I had it prepared, thinking it would be just what you needed."
I looked down at the letter.
Oh?
It was a visitor's pass to the Magic Tower, sealed with mana and emitting a faint bluish glow.
Magic Towers were forbidden grounds reserved for the research of sages and high-ranking mages; they weren't places just anyone could enter. Among the seven such towers, the Deiarron Magic Tower was the tower of 'Alchemists.' Even as a direct descendant of the Devalis family and the Student Council President of the Union, it wasn't a place I could visit on a whim.
And yet, he was just handing me a pass.
"…"
I quietly looked up at Hengard. Considering this jolly old man's true identity, a favor like this was probably nothing to him. I watched his benevolent smile for a moment before accepting the pass.
"Thank you for your consideration. I'll make good use of it."
"Of course. While you're at it, it would be wise to participate in an academic club. It's always better to work with others than to struggle alone. Ahem."
The Chairman let out a dry cough, encouraging me to join a club. The Union did indeed host a wide variety of academic societies. I knew for a fact that an Alchemy Club existed, so I'd try applying if I got the chance.
…Whether they'd actually accept me was a different story.
"I will give it some thought," I replied with an ambiguous but pleasant-sounding deflection.
"Good. Very good. And finally…"
Hengard's gaze shifted, his eyes losing their warmth as he spoke quietly.
"Roen. I have a favor to ask of you."
After my meeting with the Chairman, I stopped by the administration office to register for my classes, albeit a bit late.
Normally, course registration was restricted to the classes offered by one's specific academy. That was why, last year, Roen had mostly taken magic classes from Eredor, where the alchemy department was located.
But now, I wasn't tied to any single academy. I was the Student Council President, belonging to the Union's central office. That made me one of only two people—along with Ciel—who could register for any class in the Union, regardless of affiliation.
Thus, alongside the required general education courses, I signed up for a balanced mix of magic, spirit, swordsmanship, and divine subjects from the Four Great Academies.
Given my half-demon nature, taking divine or spirit-related classes was a risk, but it was the most efficient way to build relationships with key characters and advance quests. There was only so much I could accomplish through group projects or club activities alone.
Besides, you have to know your enemy to defeat them. Even if I couldn't use spirit or divine powers myself, having a general understanding of them would be beneficial in the long run.
Well… as long as I prepare thoroughly, there shouldn't be any real danger.
Most of the classes I registered for were theory-based introductory courses. There were no practical lessons, so I wouldn't find myself in a situation like yesterday with Elena, where someone might blast divine magic directly into my face.
"Here you go."
After submitting my registration form, I returned to the Student Council President's office. My registration would be processed by tomorrow, so I decided to use today for some necessary preparations.
"Ciel's… not here."
The office was empty. It seemed Ciel had gone to class, which was perfect.
With some time to myself, I took out all the items I was wearing or had stored in the safe and examined them one by one. Twenty-seven artifacts were laid out on the table.
I scowled as I looked them over.
Most of these are in abysmal shape.
Roen's collection was certainly diverse, but many of the artifacts were so worn down that their durability was at its limit, or they were simply toys he'd collected out of passing interest. Very few were actually useful.
Frankly, this was to be expected. The current point in the story was after Roen's scripted death. On top of that, he had supposedly been bedridden for weeks with a serious injury, so the durability of the artifacts he'd been wearing at the time must have taken a hit.
It'll cost more to fix them than they're worth.
Normally, I wouldn't have to worry about money, but my family's financial support had been cut off. I would have to sell the low-priority items or those that were too expensive to repair, then use that capital to acquire artifacts essential for my survival.
Two things were crucial for this: the underworld's Black Market and the academy's 3 Great Divine Artifacts.
The Black Market needed no explanation. It was a massive underground market where all sorts of illicit items were traded. It would be easy to offload my junk there, and I was bound to find something useful in return.
Next were the academy's 3 Great Divine Artifacts. These were part of the seven mysteries surrounding the Union, referring to three [Legendary] grade artifacts hidden somewhere on the grounds. Legendary-grade artifacts were national treasures, usually passed down through generations in great families or kingdoms. If three such items were hidden right here, there was no reason for me not to claim them.
That said, they aren't easy to get.
The 3 Great Divine Artifacts could only be acquired after meeting specific conditions to unlock their related quests. For now, I'd just formulate a plan and try to locate them.
"First, let's see what I can do now."
From the items spread across the table, I picked out a few to sell. I spent some time restoring just enough of their durability and polishing them until they shone.
"Phew."
After a bit of effort, the artifacts looked almost brand new. At this rate, I should be able to fetch a better price. All that was left was to find a good sucker to buy them.
By the time I finished this "item laundering," the sun had already set. I had to start attending classes in earnest tomorrow, so I decided to call it a day.
Hall of Truth, 5th floor, classroom 501. By 9 a.m…
I confirmed the details from the letter I'd received earlier and had a late dinner by myself. Then, while fiddling with the system window and mapping out my future, I drifted off to sleep.
I should stop by the library first thing tomorrow.
The eastern side of the Union grounds: Eredor territory.
Each of the Union's academies possessed its own territory, proportional to its size and student population. These territories could be as small as a single school building or, like the Four Great Academies, as large as a small city, complete with multiple dormitories and various amenities.
Eredor of Magic was one of the Four Great Academies, a mega-institution boasting thousands of students and the faculty to match. The actual population residing within its territory easily exceeded ten thousand, making it a city in its own right.
In an office on the top floor of Eredor's main building, the Hall of Truth, Yuliana—Beatrice's chief of staff and Eredor's head administrator—held a receiver to her ear with a peculiar expression.
"…"
The person on the other end was Demer, an assistant professor for the Intermediate Introduction to Magic lecture. His gloomy, oily voice flowed through the receiver.
[…And so, I thought it might be a good idea to knock that bastard Roen down a peg tomorrow, which is why I've contacted you, Lady Yuliana.]
His purpose was simple: he wanted to get back at Roen, who would be attending his lecture tomorrow. Roen had completed his registration this afternoon, and the details had been secretly leaked by a staff member in the administration office.
Among the courses he had chosen was Eredor's 'Intermediate Introduction to Magic.' Assistant Professor Demer had caught wind of this and was now seeking permission to make a move.
After a moment of thought, Yuliana shook her head.
"No. There's no need to resort to dirty tricks. He won't be able to keep up with the class anyway."
With his lack of skill, he'd fail to follow the lecture and drop out on his own. There was no need to get their hands dirty and give people a reason to gossip.
Despite Yuliana's refusal, Demer did not back down.
[But Lady Yuliana. I am aware that you hold a grudge against Roen for what happened in the past. On this occasion…]
"My personal feelings are irrelevant."
As Yuliana's voice turned icy, Demer hastily corrected himself.
[I've misspoken. My apologies. In any case, it cannot be a good thing for you or Lady Beatrice to have that bastard running rampant in the academy again. It may be a bit petty, but wouldn't it be better to nip this in the bud?]
"…"
It was true that Eredor of Magic's reputation had taken a hit for accepting Roen into the alchemy department. The mere fact that he belonged to their faculty had drawn sharp scrutiny. Lady Beatrice had told her not to worry about it, but Yuliana knew she was likely agonizing over it in private.
I suppose it can't be helped.
She didn't like the idea of playing into the schemes of an insignificant man like Demer, but…
If he takes care of it himself without us getting our hands dirty…
An assistant professor wasn't a full-fledged faculty member anyway, just a contract employee. If things went well, great. Even if they went wrong, it was unlikely to bring any harm to her or the student council. Besides, how much trouble could an assistant professor really cause for Roen? It would probably amount to some light public humiliation. Letting him do as he pleased likely wouldn't cause any major problems.
Having organized her thoughts, Yuliana gave a short, non-committal reply.
"…Do as you see fit."
She made sure to keep her answer vague to avoid any future responsibility.
The next day.
After a quick stop at the central library early in the morning, I headed to the Eredor territory for my highly anticipated first class.
The glorious first lecture I would be attending in this game world was [Intermediate Introduction to Magic I]. I was a little worried about whether I could keep up, since I knew next to nothing about magic theory.
Then again, people have zero expectations for Roen, so…
Even if I couldn't follow the lecture, no one would care. Being a scoundrel had its perks at times like these.
And I have a reliable ace up my sleeve.
I grinned and opened my status window.
Perhaps as a perk of being a player, the system had a rather useful function: the 'System Encyclopedia.' This encyclopedia originally contained information about the basic systems and gameplay of Myrillin Saga, and its text amounted to millions of characters. The key was that the player could erase that text and replace it with whatever they wanted.
Like this.
Ting—.
As I opened the encyclopedia, a list of books appeared.
[Intermediate Introduction to Magic I]
[Elementary Introduction to Magic I]
[Intermediate Introduction to Magic Commentary I]
[999 Practice Questions for Intermediate Magic Theory]
[Easy-to-Understand Intermediate Magic – For Beginners]
Just like that, I could store the information of specific books within the encyclopedia and search for it anytime.
It's a clever trick—a way of exploiting a loophole in the system.
This essentially made every test an open-book test. I should be able to handle most questions or problems without much difficulty. This was the whole reason I had gone out of my way to visit the library this morning.
Alright, shall we get going?
With my reliable backup ready, I left the central library and headed for the Hall of Truth.