CHAPTER 91: STUDENT COUNCIL [3]

Chapter 91: Student Council [3]

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The student council boardroom was one with a long table at the center, which was lined with documents, pens, and tablets,

And at it head sat Damien Ravenscroft, his posture as perfect as the tailored folds of his academy uniform. He sat straight, hands clasped in front of him, his expression always unreadable. He gave nothing away—not impatience, not curiosity. His silence set the tempo of the meeting.

Beside him, standing with her hands folded neatly behind her back, was his secretary, Hayley Sapphire. Her uniform was immaculate, her blonde hair tied up without a strand loose. She wrote nothing yet, but her eyes observed everything.

To Damien’s right sat the Vice President, a young man whose natural charisma clung to him like a perfume. His posture was casual, but the gleam in his eyes showed calculation in every word he would speak. Beside him was Thora Eisenwald, the Head of the Disciplinary Committee. Her severe expression and straight-backed posture made her presence sharp. She seemed incapable of relaxation.

Across from them sat the Strategist, his spectacles balanced at the end of his nose, his notes already filled with lines of analysis. Next to him was the Treasurer, his hands folded over a neat stack of ledgers and expenditure sheets. Further down the table, the liaisons to faculty and interclass affairs sat, two second-year students whose sharp expressions mirrored their understanding of their limited but still crucial roles.

Damien finally shifted his gaze, and the soundless room seemed to tighten.

"The first matter on the agenda," he said evenly, his voice carrying with quiet authority, "is a report submitted yesterday by Professor Garron. The quick subject of the report: Class 1-D Alchemy Instructor, Mage Amelia Loraine."

A faint stir rippled through the council. Papers were adjusted, notes pulled closer. Then Thora spoke first.

"The report was delivered in proper format. However, its contents are... troubling in their vagueness." She lifted a paper from her stack, reading aloud. "Mage Amelia Loraine displays suspicious irregularities in conduct. Reports suggest potential favoritism and concerning behavior, possibly unbecoming of an instructor of the Royal Elite Academy. Further, her confrontation with Regulus Torvin may warrant deeper scrutiny. That is the extent of it."

Someone leaned forward, tapping his pen against the margin of his notes. "Suspicious irregularities? That is nothing. He is alleging without alleging. There is no data, no witness statement, no specifics at all."

The Treasurer quickly adjusted his glasses. "I share the sentiment. Reports of this nature waste council resources. If we investigate every shadow someone claims to see, our budget collapses within a month."

The Vice President gave a faint scoff. "And that is Garron’s reputation as well. Always hinting, never substantiating. He thinks suggesting is the same as proving."

Thora’s expression did not soften. "Be that as it may, it is a formal faculty report. Dismissing it without consideration could appear careless."

Someone next to her shook his head. "There is no balance to weigh. A claim without evidence carries no weight. The disciplinary body cannot act without substance. If we validate rumors, then will just be weaponizing gossip."

Someone leaned back in his chair, smiling faintly. "I agree with Roland. If Amelia truly committed some misconduct, Garron should have presented proof. He didn’t. And until then, Amelia is simply another instructor."

One of the liaisons, a dark-haired girl named Selene, raised a hand slightly before speaking. "The timing cannot be ignored. This report follows the rumor of her confrontation with Regulus Torvin. The whispers are already spreading among first-years. Even if unfounded, ignoring this will allow the rumors to fester."

One responded coolly. "And what would you suggest? That we spend student council funds interrogating Amelia based on some whispers?"

Selene did not flinch. "Not interrogation. Observation. The rumors may damage the first-year’s stability, which is already fragile. Acknowledging the situation and quietly monitoring her could deter escalation."

For a moment, silence. All eyes shifted toward Damien. He had not moved since the beginning, his hands still clasped, his gaze sharp but neutral. He let the silence stretch long enough to sharpen the edge of anticipation.

Finally, he spoke. "Professor Garron’s report is insufficient. No evidence, no data. We do not move the council based on innuendo. To do so would erode the authority of this institution."

Several council members nodded slightly. Relief flickered across Roland’s face.

Damien continued, his tone unchanged. "However, the point raised is valid. Rumors alone can destabilize perception. For example Class 1-D is already volatile, their unity compromised after the duel. Adding accusations of misconduct could widen fractures."

He looked directly at Thora. "The Disciplinary Committee will not act. But you will maintain surveillance. Quietly. If Amelia Liora commits an actual infraction, we will have the record ready. Until then, this report will be filed and dismissed."

Thora gave a short nod. "Understood."

Hayley Sapphire moved her pen smoothly across the paper, recording the resolution: "Report dismissed for lack of evidence. Subject will be monitored discreetly."

Damien shifted his attention to the council at large. "Is there any objection?"

No one raised a hand. Even Thora, though stern, did not resist.

"Then it is decided," Damien concluded. His tone was final, leaving no opening for further discussion.

With the matter formally closed, The Vice president broke the silence again, resting his chin on his hand. "It does raise a broader concern. First-year Class D is spiraling. First, the duel that split them apart. Now this rumor about Amelia, their alchemy instructor. Their class points are lowest of all first-years. At what point does their dysfunction damage the academy’s reputation?"

Someone adjusted his glasses. "Class D has always been a pressure experiment. A place for unstable or underperforming students. This is not unexpected, even for the teachers assigned to them."

Thora’s voice cut sharply. "But it is our duty to maintain order. If their dysfunction threatens academy policy, ignoring it is negligence."

The treasurer glanced up from his stack of budgets. "Maintaining order is important, but the council’s funds are not limitless. Every hour spent managing problems relating to Class D in anyway is an hour not spent on matters that affect the academy at large."

Selene spoke again, more firmly this time. "But perception matters. The other classes are watching. They see the lowest-ranked class breaking rules, spreading scandals, and receiving no punishment. That perception undermines meritocracy."

The vice president smirked faintly. "So we punish them not because of what they’ve done, but because of what others believe they’ve done? That is dangerous reasoning."

Selene did not retreat. "Perception is reality in governance."

Damien raised a hand, silencing the growing debate. "Enough. Class 1-D is unstable. That is fact. The question is how much their instability matters to us. They remain at seventy-six class points. Their survival at this rate is questionable. We will not waste resources correcting what their own behavior destroys."

He leaned back slightly, his gaze calm and cutting. "If they collapse, it will be the consequence of their own choices. That is the academy’s principle. Merit decides survival."

The room quieted. None could dispute the foundation of his words.

Hayley summarized quickly. "Resolution recorded. Professor Garron’s report dismissed. Subject Mage Amelia Loraine to be discreetly monitored. No formal disciplinary action. Additional note: Class 1-D instability to be observed but not intervened with at this time."

Damien gave one final look around the table. "Then the session is adjourned."

Chairs shifted, papers were stacked, pens clicked shut. The council members rose with disciplined calm. Not one word was wasted in idle chatter. They filed out one by one, leaving only Damien and Hayley in the room.

Hayley waited until the last member’s footsteps faded before speaking softly. "You dismissed Garron’s report decisively."

Damien adjusted his cuffs. "Because it was nothing. Garron seeks influence through his insinuation. Evidence speaks and he simply had none."

"And Amelia?" Hayley asked.

Damien’s expression did not change. "She is a piece on the board. Nothing more, nothing less. If she acts within the rules, she remains irrelevant. If she strays, she will be removed."

Hayley nodded once, recorded the last line, and closed her book. The matter, for now, was finished.

But beyond the council room’s mahogany walls, the rumors had already taken deeper root among the students.

And Amelia’s name spread like smoke.