Chapter 20: Princess Mia... Is Backed into a Corner

“For the love of the sun... Mia, you do realize the implications of what you’re asking, right?” asked a startled Sion.

Beside him, an equally alarmed Keithwood narrowed his eyes at Mia, trying to decipher the intention behind her request.

“Are you telling me to challenge Miss Rafina for the president’s seat?”

“Yes, but is it really that absurd a suggestion? There’s no rule that states only a Belluga can be president, is there? It seems to me that everyone should have the right to run in the election.”

Keithwood had to choke back a gasp at Mia’s words.

Is she... I see. So Princess Mia takes issue with the current status quo of the presidential election being little more than a formality.

And as he worked through the logical implications of that conclusion, he had to choke back a second gasp; the epiphany he had felt like a bomb going off in his head.

Systems and institutions always existed for a reason. The student council elections of Saint-Noel Academy, likewise, were held for a reason, and a simple one at that. Schools, by their nature of gathering large numbers of young people in one spot, tended to be hotbeds of trouble. Incidents between students were headaches for any academic administration, but for Saint-Noel, whose student body consisted largely of young nobles and royalty, a mishandled dispute could turn into a full-blown international crisis with diplomatically disastrous consequences.

Arbitrating such issues was, therefore, an important duty of the student council president. Given this responsibility, it was crucial for potential candidates to possess one particular quality — widespread popularity. Only by leveraging an overwhelming amount of support from the students could a president hope to exert control over those who were born into power. The election was meant to be a means of demonstrating that popularity, but it had been reduced to a formality. Rafina Orca Belluga would be the student council president. No one questioned that fact. Not even Keithwood’s wise master.

The purpose of the election was to demonstrate to each and every student that, through their votes, they themselves were the ones who selected their student council president. That purpose needs to be reaffirmed, and it seems like Princess Mia thinks now is the time to do so.

Keithwood turned his thoughts toward the meeting during which Rafina had asked for solidarity in the fight against the secret society of Chaos Serpents. Faced with this unusual and difficult challenge, it was necessary for her to prove herself. She needed to demonstrate that she truly was someone who commanded the unequivocal support of her fellow students. In doing so, she would also place an onus upon her supporters; they chose her, and so, they had to take responsibility for their choice. By making her president, they were obligated to abide by her decrees. That, he figured, was the new status quo Mia was trying to establish.

If so, then she’d need to legitimize the election, and the only way to do so is for someone to run against Rafina. Someone who has an actual chance at winning. Which... explains why she’s talking to Sion.

A weak candidate wouldn’t do. The students had to be presented with a legitimate alternative to Rafina and still choose her over her opponent. Only then would the interplay of choice and responsibility come into effect. By investing their trust in her, the students lent credence to her role and weight to her words.

But what if her new contender ends up dethroning Rafina? I can only imagine that she already thought this through and decided she’s willing to accept that eventuality so long as the election process is fair and authentic, but in that case... Why doesn’t she just run herself?

He received his answer almost immediately.

“Don’t worry, Sion. The task may seem daunting, but I have every confidence you’ll rise to the challenge,” she said, giving the prince a gentle, encouraging smile.

Mia had a plan. After procuring advice from the — Mia-styled, of course — preeminent romance expert of her time, Anne, who supposedly knew the male mind like the back of her hand, she’d devised a masterful plan to convince Sion to run in the election. It was, in fact, the same method she’d used to persuade Tiona’s brother.

Men love it when they’re recognized for their talents. All I have to do is tell him he’s got what it takes to be president, and he’ll be all over it in no time!

“Don’t worry, Sion. The task may seem daunting, but I have every confidence you’ll rise to the challenge.”

Put simply, she was going to butter him up. And she wasn’t about to stop there. After all, she was asking him to challenge Rafina in public; it would take more than some metaphorical milk fat to move him to action. She was going to serve him a juicy “you can do it” burger sandwiched between two thick “I believe in you” buns. Today, Mia was going all out. She’d discarded her shame, turned the cheesiness up to eleven, and loaded the plate with the floweriest, most goosebumps-inducing collection of hyperbolic compliments she could think of. All that remained was to cram them down his throat.

I’m going to flatter you so hard you won’t possibly be able to turn me down!

Just as she was about to begin her sycophantic offensive, however, Sion spoke.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that,” he said, his tone dead serious.

“Wha— Huh? But—”

“I know what you’re trying to do, Mia.”

H-He knows?! H-How?! Did he see through to the fact that I’m just trying to make him do all the hard work?!

The pores on the back of her neck — veteran responders by now — opened immediately and prepared to drench their surroundings in cold sweat, only to pause at Sion’s next sentence.

“You’re giving me a chance to make up for what happened in Remno, right?”

“...Hm?”

She gave him a quizzical look, wondering what the heck he was talking about, but he simply kept talking, paying her reaction no mind.

“You plan to impress upon the students the importance of a legitimate election, after which you’ll hand me the important task of running against Miss Rafina as her opponent, and by doing so, allow me to redeem myself for my prior failings. It’s an impressive plan. Honestly. The sheer craft is commendable. And I sincerely appreciate your consideration. But even I have something of an ego to maintain.”

He stepped past her, their faces parallel and opposite, and paused for one last remark.

“I have every intention of making up for my past failures, but I’ll earn the chance myself. I can’t allow my own redemption to be philanthropized, lest my dignity take leave of me for good.”

Huh? Huh? What? What is he talking about?!

Then, he walked away, his billowing shirt adding a dash of dramatic flair to his stride. Mia stared at his retreating form with wide, bewildered eyes before turning toward Abel, her expression twisted into a silent plea for help. He gave her a wry smile and shook his head.

“What can I say? He’s the proud prince of Sunkland, after all. He knows you mean well though, that much I’m sure of.”

That’s... not what I mean...

Nothing made sense. It was as if there was a separate conversation going on that she didn’t understand. In her confusion, she failed to realize that her master plan had already been derailed... before slamming into a brick wall, bursting into flames, and then exploding in a spectacular show of fire and debris. There was no putting it back together, so she should have gotten out of there as soon as possible. Sadly, the necessity of making a swift retreat did not occur to her — a tactical error that cost her dearly, as the window of opportunity for escape quickly vanished.

“Another thing I’m sure of, Mia,” continued Abel, “is that if you run in the election, I’ll do everything I can to support you.”

“...Eh?”

“As Miss Rafina’s opponent, you’ll probably have to deal with a lot of weird looks from people, but trust me when I say that I’ll always be on your side. Win or lose, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“Ahh, Abel...”

There was conviction in his eyes as he took her hands in his, and she promptly lost herself in his earnest gaze.

Later, after returning to her room and spending the rest of her afternoon mumbling things like “Ahh, Abel... You’re so wonderful...” to herself, the cool evening air began to pull her out of her reverie, forcing her to confront the cruel reality of her situation.

“Hnnngh... Hnnnnngh... How... How did it come to this...”

After realizing that she’d been backed into a corner with no way out, she went back to burying her face in tear-soaked pillows for another two nights before finally finding her resolve. News of Mia’s candidacy spread through the school like wildfire, and before long, the student council election began, setting into motion a whole host of plots, schemes, and conspiracies.