I Defeated a Student Council Officer
Lukna recalled something she had learned in history class.
“Come to think of it, the first alchemist who created elixirs was said to be a mermaid. After that, mermaids who came onto land and those who mixed their blood with humans became alchemists and continued the lineage.”
They revered water and used sacred water to create various things.
The most famous among them was the “Golden Elixir,” said to be produced only by a Great Sage.
It was a panacea capable of curing all diseases, and it was also said that if a drop fell on metal, the metal would turn into gold.
Mermaids and elixirs are fascinating and all, but…
What if I die while trying to catch terrorists?
Valuing her precious life and wanting to live a long, quiet one, Lukna crossed her arms into an X to show she had no intention of going.
But seeing that, Hans suddenly looked deeply moved.
He raised his arms over his head and copied Lukna’s X gesture.
“Lord Lukna has sent a signal of light toward the corrupted Island of Wisdom!”
Excited, Hans looked around.
The members of the Lu-Light Club copied the same gesture and shouted loudly.
“Lukna! Lukna!”
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Lukna.
Soon even cadets who weren’t club members were swept up in the atmosphere and began copying the gesture.
Someone save me!
Lukna, who never wanted this kind of attention, did her best to slip away from the embarrassing situation.
At that moment, the Holy Sword spoke in an annoyingly cheerful voice.
“Master, ruler of the fallen—this great Holy Sword supports the expansion of your influence.”
Why is it suddenly talking to me?
“Shall we set the Island of Wisdom as our destination?”
Now even the Holy Sword is pushing me to go catch terrorists?
“According to analysis, there is an 82% probability that clues about you can be found there.”
Clues about my existence? What exactly do you mean?
“That information cannot be disclosed.”
And with that, the Holy Sword’s voice disappeared.
Hmm. Even if I want to go, I can’t just join a mobilization order.
Only about twenty people would be selected.
From what she had overheard, most dispatch missions were handled by the student council, and they chose participants based on the highest skill levels.
The reason those people willingly step onto battlefields where they could die… must be for merit.
The more ambitious the cadet, the stronger their desire to accumulate achievements.
For nobles, the more medals pinned to their chest, the higher their standing in society. For commoners, their value skyrocketed.
And you expect me to beat those people and get selected?
Lukna sighed deeply. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with any solution.
* * *
In the student council room, Matian was selecting the list of cadets who would participate in this mobilization order.
Chad, who had been rolling around on the sofa, widened his eyes when he saw the list.
“Lukna Golden? Did you put this in by mistake, Matian?”
Well, that woke me up. Chad looked at the list again and again in disbelief.
Matian smiled, snatched the list back from him, and shoved it into his desk drawer.
“His skills have improved a lot lately. I just want to see how he performs.”
“Bolton’s going to flip when he hears this. The guy who always called him an idiot getting picked for mobilization? That simple-minded guy’s head will explode.”
“He’ll deal with it.”
Matian ended the conversation casually and left the student council room.
Will Lukna Golden be able to handle it?
He had added Lukna’s name to the list because of what the High Priest had said, but he still felt uneasy.
Real combat was filled with dangerous variables unlike practice.
Imagining that small-framed boy swinging a club on the battlefield made his chest feel strangely tight.
Matian hurried down the stairs and walked along the first-floor corridor.
Just then, he saw Lukna and Bolton approaching from the opposite hallway.
“Fight me in a duel just once, idiot.”
“Oh dear, I refuse.”
Bolton was demanding a duel, while Lukna was refusing.
Bolton’s insistence was so passionate it almost sounded like a confession—if Matian hadn’t heard the earlier conversation, he might have misunderstood.
“Just one duel.”
“Why are you suddenly obsessed with dueling?!”
Lukna shook her head and both hands vigorously to refuse.
“At this rate, I might actually end up confessing to a man!”
“Oh dear.”
“I’ve been so lonely lately my heart keeps pounding!”
“Oh my.”
“Stop giving half-hearted responses and help me!”
Bolton suddenly shouted in frustration.
Listening from the opposite side, Matian frowned.
Bolton confessing to a man? Surely not.
Matian’s gaze fell on Lukna, who looked thoroughly annoyed as she waved a hand lazily.
“What does it have to do with me whether you confess to a man or not? Do whatever you want.”
“If I weren’t desperate, do you think I’d challenge an idiot like you? If I win, introduce me to Giselle Golden. I heard she’s as pretty as you!”
“And if I win?”
“On a man’s honor, I’ll grant you any wish.”
“…Then I’ll think about it.”
Lukna secretly cheered.
If I use this well, this could be my chance.
Hey Visbi, can I beat Bolton?
Lukna called the Holy Sword with a confident expression.
But the sword didn’t answer.
What? Why isn’t it responding this time?
Maybe Matian is nearby—
As Lukna looked around, her lips stretched into a thin line.
In the corridor across from her stood a tall silhouette.
His face wasn’t visible against the light, but there were only a few people at the academy with such a picture-perfect figure.
That damn Visbi really does have ghost-like instincts.
Lukna cleared her suddenly dry throat and hurried through the corridor where he stood.
If Matian was nearby, the Holy Sword must be the reason she felt nervous.
They didn’t exchange greetings.
As she got closer, the cool scent of water from his perfume grew stronger, making his presence unmistakable even without looking.
Just as she was about to pass him—
“Are you going to duel Bolton?”
Matian suddenly grabbed Lukna’s wrist, stopping her.
Normally he would have greeted her politely first, but today he went straight to the point.
“Ah. I’m thinking about it.”
Does he have naturally warm hands?
The spot where Matian held her wrist felt unusually hot, so Lukna pulled her hand free.
“What’s the wish?”
Matian asked, looking down at the hand that had held her wrist. For some reason it felt strangely empty.
“Why do you care?”
“I’m curious what kind of wish could be more important than your stepsister.”
Matian knew that Lukna diligently replied to Giselle Golden’s letters.
He hadn’t tried to find out—it was just something he noticed while watching.
Recently Bolton had even bragged that Lukna had sent flowers along with one of her letters.
But could that innocent-looking boy really have impure feelings toward a stepsister he shared no blood with?
Perhaps that was just needless worry.
“My wish is to participate in the Island of Wisdom mobilization.”
Matian opened his mouth at those words, then closed it again.
He almost said Lukna’s name was already on the list, but Bolton’s presence stopped him.
And for Bolton’s sake, their duel probably needed to happen.
“Then I’ll be the judge.”
Leaving behind a gentle smile, Matian exited the college building.
He remembered how Lukna had dodged his sword before.
It seemed he wouldn’t need to revise the list after all.
* * *
“Lukna Golden, victory!”
Acting as the judge, Matian raised Lukna’s hand.
“Lukna beat Bolton from the student council?”
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
The cadets watching the duel shouted in surprise at the unexpected result.
The Lu-Light Club members formed X shapes above their heads and cheered.
“Long live Lord Lukna!”
In truth, it had been a dangerous duel.
If Bolton had proven too strong, Lukna had planned to borrow the Holy Sword’s power.
But Matian unexpectedly volunteered as judge, making that impossible.
Lukna had to defeat Bolton with her own strength.
She suffered several wounds from Bolton’s mace, but secured victory with a single decisive strike.
Each time she was injured, Bolton visibly panicked, allowing her to exploit his openings.
“I told you a club doesn’t suit you, yet you keep using it.”
Matian leaned slightly toward Lukna and whispered softly.
But his gaze was fixed on the cut on her left cheek.
Noticing his stare, Lukna wiped the blood flowing from the wound with the back of her hand and smirked.
“Even if it doesn’t suit me, beating a student council officer is still impressive, isn’t it?”
She looked down at Bolton lying on the ground.
He was sprawled face-down, a swollen lump rising on the crown of his head where the club had struck him.
“Bolton is more of a scholar than he looks. That body wasn’t built through training but through alchemy and exercise, so his actual combat ability is weak.”
“You can grow a body through alchemy?”
“There’s a drug that activates muscle growth. He took that and exercised until he became big like that. But inside he’s soft like cheese—the weakest among us.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
“So you don’t get arrogant after beating a student council member and make a mistake. I’m worried about you.”
Matian smiled kindly while delivering a chilling warning not to underestimate the student council.
What a terrifying guy.
As if I’d shrink back from that.
Yet despite her thoughts, Lukna’s eyes lowered politely.
She tried to step back to create distance from him—but that was difficult because he was still holding her hand.
