Episode 47: Supporters

There are usually about 4 or 5 candidates for the student council.

Of those, 2 to 3 people will be elected as student council officers.

The people who run for these positions generally have something noteworthy about them. Whether it’s their bloodline or their abilities, they possess something promising.

Many noble students try to back the winning horse, aiming to ingratiate themselves with the justification that “I contributed to your election.”

Considering the benefits of ingratiating themselves, the elected individuals are almost always from prestigious families.

Conversely, this also means the students’ votes are easily swayed, and it was possible to use that to concentrate votes on a specific person.

To do that, one needs all three elements of power, ability, and popularity, but once those are assembled, the rest is easy.

Just promote that this person is good, and things will proceed according to plan on their own.

Even if there’s a troublesome rival, it’s easy to shake the spirits of young people by dangling benefits like money or status.

If that still doesn’t work, just threaten them using one’s own ability and power.

That was Eleanore’s strategy in the original game.

When entering the student council route, the corrupted Eleanore resorts to such underhanded and dirty tactics.

All to prevent the protagonist Emma’s election.

Eleanore, who harbors deep disgust toward her, uses everything she has to bring Emma down.

With her outward appearance of being quite the model student and her position as a count’s daughter, it wasn’t difficult at all to make the commoner-born Emma lose.

Emma feeling down after failing to achieve her goal, while Eleanore smirks in the shadows… it’s quite a sickening development…

…Well, in the end Emma becomes an unofficial student council helper and deepens her relationship with the romance targets, so the impact is small.

I’ve gone on at length, but well, there’s no point talking about a route that’s already diverged.

The problem is whether Eleanore in this current world has done such things… whether she’s done something to push down the other candidates.

In this route too, there should have been 5 candidates including her and me.

I confirmed that poster-like things had been put up.

And yet, everyone except us has withdrawn their candidacy, so it would be a lie to say I don’t suspect something happened.

…What should I do if she really did it?

First I should ask why she did it… but she’d probably say something like “to get elected together with you”…

Doesn’t that mean she’s basically becoming corrupted because of me…?

I’m starting to feel sick.

I should confirm the truth first, but I didn’t want to hear the answer.

If she says “yes, that’s right,” I’d have no choice but to collapse.

As I’m spinning my thoughts round and round like this, with emotions swirling around in my stomach…

“Arcs, are you all right? You look pale?”

Eleanore sitting next to me peered at me worriedly.

“I’m not… all right, I suppose…”

“Oh no, and it’s right before the speech… Is it nerves…?”

She stood up from the bench, crouched down in front of me, and looked up at me.

Then she placed her cool, delicate hand on my forehead.

What a kind and considerate person, I think.

That’s precisely why I couldn’t ask.

Whether this master who is so kind and worthy of devotion might be doing something terrible…

“You don’t have a fever… Just to be safe, shall we have you lie down?”

Saying that, she quickly sat back down next to me… and lightly patted her own knee.

“Please!”

“…No, um”

Even if you say that with such a full smile like “don’t hold back!”…

I obviously can’t do such a thing where others can see, and given my current emotional state, there’s no way I could anyway.

“It’s not good to push yourself.”

She says that with a loving smile, but I fall silent, searching for words on what to say…

…No, maybe it’s important to be straightforward about this kind of thing.

Even if I keep thinking at length, it won’t lead to anything.

I shake my head slightly to clear my thoughts.

All right, I’ll ask.

I’ll ask and talk about it.

“…Um, Eleanore-sama—”

“Eleanore-samaaaaaaa!!!”

The moment I opened my mouth, voices calling her loudly echoed from elsewhere.

It’s an excited state… if I were to compare it to my previous life, it’s like the tone and voice of fans seeking fan service from their idol.

“Ah, Cathy-san. Leon-san. Therese-san.”

When I turned toward the voices wondering what was going on, Eleanore was already facing them and had spoken three names.

“Eleanore-sama, you look absolutely lovely today as well!”

“Eleanore-sama, you are noble as always today!”

“Eleanore-sama, you are radiating wonderful talent today as well!”

From right to left: a plump girl with blonde hair, a bespectacled young man with sky-blue hair, and a particularly smiley girl with long orange hair.

The trio with traffic light-like coloring appeared and lined up in front of us, praising her one after another.

…Huh, what?

What’s going on…?

“Thank you, everyone. Did you come to cheer me on today?”

“Yes! Of course!”

“Since you’ll be supporting this academy in our stead!”

“It’s an opportunity for all the students to once again appreciate Eleanore-sama’s wonderfulness!”

When Eleanore gives one reply, the trio returns it three or four times over with enthusiasm.

They’re like… extremely devoted believers.

Why are they so…?

Or rather.

The statement from that young man in the middle just now… and the names Eleanore said.

Cathy, Leon, Therese…

Wait, I’m pretty sure these are…

“Could it be… you’re all the candidates…?!”

“…That’s right?”

“Former candidates, though?”

“Now we’re Eleanore-sama’s personal guard?”

When I asked hesitantly, they answered as if it were completely natural.

Former candidates… as Eleanore’s personal guard…?

Huh, why…? Even though they were rivals…?

When I glanced toward Eleanore, she opened her mouth with a slightly troubled expression.

“There were various circumstances… I had opportunities to interact with these people, and then they started supporting me.”

“I keenly realized you were far more wonderful than I was.”

“Surely there could be no one to replace Eleanore-sama.”

“Yes, yes.”

Eleanore answers with a wry smile.

The trio also opens their mouths as if following her lead.

…Various things, I wonder what kind of things happened… is what I think, but from what I can see, they really do seem to be backing Eleanore.

To have such a change of heart even though they were rivals… just what did Eleanore accomplish…?

“…So it’s not like you were threatened… or anything like that?”

When I asked fearfully, they became expressionless enough that the sound effect “stare” would fit perfectly.

Wait, so it is that after all—just as that thought crossed my mind.

“There’s no way that’s true!?”

“There’s no way Eleanore-sama would do such a thing!?”

“That’s not funny even as a joke!”

Like the word “onslaught” fits perfectly, they overwhelmed me in rapid succession.

Their intensity was so much that I couldn’t help but be intimidated.

“U-um, I’m sorry. I didn’t have any intention of disparaging her…”

I search for words in a fluster, but the momentum of the trio shows no signs of stopping.

Just when I was quite troubled about how to calm things down, Eleanore opened her mouth.

“Please stop there. Arcs isn’t feeling well.”

Like a single word from a crane, their verbal barrage stops.

Precisely, as if closing the valve on a flowing faucet.

“…If Eleanore-sama says so”

“It can’t be helped”

“There’s no point going further”

They say one after another.

…I almost think they’re more organized than some half-baked knight order.

“Oh my, it’s time. We shall take our leave here.”

“We’re cheering for your speech!”

“Everyone around will support Eleanore-sama!”

Saying that busily, they busily left this place.

“…Please give us your honest vote.”

While modestly waving her hand, Eleanore saw them off with a somewhat exasperated smile.

And after they disappeared from view.

“Arcs. Were you perhaps thinking that I threatened them to make them withdraw…?”

She turned toward me with a steady stare.

I had no excuse—it was a bull’s-eye.

“Um… I’m terribly sorry. It was such sudden news… I had unfounded suspicions…”

Dropping to my knees, I deeply expressed my apology.

It was tremendous enthusiasm, but just seeing that much makes it understandable.

They probably aren’t supporting Eleanore by withdrawing their candidacy because they were threatened or anything like that.

Even though things have diverged quite a bit from the game’s route, I ended up suspecting her because I felt traces of it.

…This is not good. It’s very inexcusable.

“Please don’t be so formal. If you think about it, it’s understandable. A mean-spirited person like me would do such things.”

“…Not at all!”

Unable to say anything, I bowed my head deeply.

Kneeling down with my head scraping the ground—a Japanese dogeza.

“Wait, I’m joking, joking! Please raise your face, and stand up!”

She frantically tells me to stop, but when I keep my head down anyway, Eleanore finally forcibly lifts my face with her hands.

“It’s fine if you just believe me from now on. And also,”

She cuts off her words briefly, and with her ear tips dyed slightly red, she continues.

“I want you to know that I’m also… working hard to stand next to Arcs…”

Eleanore’s expression showed an embarrassed smile, yet somehow a resolute attitude.

…Ah, I’m glad.

Even though I did something very rude, such feelings welled up in my chest.

This face is surely one that couldn’t be seen in the game world.

I’m truly glad to have a master I can respect.

I thought so presumptuously.

***

“Eleanore Anciness – Elected”

“Arcs Leefort – Elected”

A paper posted prominently.

Eleanore and I stand side by side confirming it.

“We were safely elected.”

“Yes. We can relax for now.”

To Eleanore showing a full beaming smile, I let out a sigh of relief.

Even if it’s a vote of confidence, you never know what might happen…

“But please don’t relax yet.”

She leaves my side and comes in front of me.

And still showing a sunny smile.

“This is where we start. Let’s do our best together!”

Seeing Eleanore expressing joy more than usual, I found myself grinning too.