Ring~ Ring~
Click!
Alistair slapped the alarm clock and turned over to keep sleeping.
Since President Kannonzaka wanted to mess with him, he'd just skip the morning. He didn't believe an elite lady and student council president would waste too much time waiting for him. She couldn't handle him outside of school; did she think his company was just for show?
His company wasn't top-tier, but it was a solid second-tier power in this region. While the Chairwoman doted on her daughter, she wasn't stupid. Bullying him at school was one thing, but school grounds were her domain. Outside, Alistair had a company and a (somewhat unreliable) grandfather, while she had a stable interest group. They wouldn't back her if she caused a scene outside school for no reason.
After lying in bed for a while, he got bored. He opened his laptop and had Hisa send over more data on St. Lux Academy.
St. Lux wasn't as large as Sakura Public Academy, but it was still massive. Sakura Public was built to university standards, making it an outlier. Excluding that, St. Lux was unrivaled. Parks, libraries, supermarkets, swimming pools... it even had a massive cathedral that could hold a thousand people. It was ridiculous.
The architecture was high-spec. It was a prestigious noble girls' school, churning out "ladies" who were skilled in song, dance, and perfect etiquette.
However, most of these "ladies" didn't work in their family businesses after graduation. They were raised as "socializing tools" for marriage. Conditioned by the school and family, most accepted this fate without rebellion. Since the elite circle was relatively civil, the atmosphere was generally okay.
A small number of commoner girls entered through talent or grades. They were the "talent pool." The elites knew that to stay powerful, they needed capable people. If their own heirs weren't up to snuff, they had to cultivate loyal talent. These girls would join major companies and eventually become the wives or mistresses of the "Rich N-th Generation."
There was even a rumor about "improving the gene pool." It sounded absurd, but since every generation of kids was physically attractive, they chased this method.
Bullshit, Alistair thought. If both parents are hot, how can the kid be ugly? Genetic mutation?
Another point: recent generations of males in these capitalist families seemed lackluster. According to Hisa's data, the families funding St. Lux were mostly controlled by the wives. The male heads were figureheads; the real decisions were made by the women. Commoners didn't know this, but most corporate presidents did.
Furthermore, Hisa reminded Alistair: over 80% of those powerful women were former classmates from St. Lux. Additionally, 80% of the current heirs were "young misses." "Young masters" were shockingly rare.
Alistair was stunned. This was classic anime logic—unreasonable yet consistent.
By 11:00 AM, he finally finished sorting through the data. It was a headache. He shut the laptop, grabbed a quick bite, and headed out.
St. Lux was much further than Sakura Public. He wondered how the guys at his school even interacted with these "strong women."
Occupied by these thoughts, the train arrived at his stop.
"Truly luxurious. They didn't hold back on the decorations. The design is great."
Looking at the intricately carved gates, Alistair couldn't help but marvel.
"Of course. The gate is the 'first impression.' It must be grand and opulent, or it would shame our academy."
A voice full of pride came from behind him.
"Also, you don't look like you belong here. Why are you at our gate?" the voice turned questioning.
"Oh, I'm an exchange student. I got delayed this morning, so I'm just getting here. I was about to head in to check it out."
Alistair turned around as he spoke.
"An exchange student? I see. Only one boy was missing this morning: Naoto Alistair. You're him, aren't you?"
The girl smiled, pronouncing his name syllable by syllable. It was a smile that made Alistair feel very uneasy.
"Yes, I am Naoto Alistair. Is something wrong?"
He looked at the girl with the traditional Hime-cut (straight black hair with leveled bangs). Her smile was definitely malicious.
"If you're him, then follow me. Exchange students need to register. You're under Nina Tsubakihara's responsibility, right? I'm with the Student Council; I'll take you to register."
The girl gestured and started walking inside.
Despite his bad feeling, she was Student Council. Since she knew about his connection to Nina, maybe they were on the same side? Maybe they were friends?
It's probably just my imagination, Alistair thought as he followed her, observing the campus layout.