Chapter 122: Student Council Election Plan
Hearing Iwanaga Kotoko's words, Kato Megumi seemed to think of something. She spoke thoughtfully.
"Tracking Players in the real world and killing them to steal their phones would leave traces, and the efficiency isn't great. But inside a Dungeon…"
"That's right." Iwanaga Kotoko nodded, lifted her teacup, and took a small sip before continuing in her usual unhurried tone. "Anyone trying to seize Player identities and build factions will definitely target other Players inside Dungeons. Unlike us, they don't care about high clearance evaluations. They care about how many Player registration rights they can take."
Yuuki Asuna's brows drew together. "So… PVP?"
"That's right. PVP." Asagiri nodded, then shifted the topic smoothly. "But anyone who enters a Dungeon with that mindset will pay for it."
He spoke with casual certainty, as if stating an obvious fact.
"The profit from PVP in this game isn't even close to the profit you get from clearing properly and earning a high evaluation. Raising numbers alone just makes you a mob in the end. Clearing a Dungeon is already hard enough. If you're also hunting Players, stealing phones, collecting clues, analyzing information, and still trying to find the route to a successful clear… that's thinking too lightly of this game."
"Yes." Iwanaga Kotoko smiled faintly. "The difficulty of second stage Dungeons is on a completely different level than the first stage."
Her voice softened, but the meaning carried weight.
"Even with our strength, we can still get injured in a second stage Dungeon. Sure, it was because we triggered a hidden main quest designed specifically for high level Players, but even so, the failures and monsters in the lava cave, and the BUG zones created by Prototype Mita… those are tests ordinary Players can only survive by staying fully focused and cautious."
She set her cup down gently. "If they stop concentrating on clearing and start thinking about infighting and PVP instead, they'll die."
Yuuki Asuna lowered her gaze to the milk tea in her cup. A cute cat pattern had been drawn in cream on the surface. She poked it lightly with her straw, then looked up at Asagiri.
"By the way, what are you planning to do about Kaguya Shinomiya's Student Council President campaign? First year students running for President, Vice President, and Secretary… that's practically impossible."
She hesitated, then continued honestly.
"Even if Ashikaga sensei is on the board, the Chairman is still Oko Shinomiya. Ashikaga sensei can't really help you in any meaningful way, right?"
"As you said, she can't provide meaningful help." Asagiri answered smoothly. "And even if she could, she wouldn't. Using her power to interfere with student affairs goes against her principles."
Then he smiled.
"Still, Kaguya Shinomiya and I aren't completely without a chance. I'm confident I can secure support from most sports clubs and mixed course students. As for Kaguya Shinomiya, she's a Shinomiya from the pure course. She's been at Shuchiin since she was a child, so she already has reputation."
He raised a finger as if presenting the simplest logic in the world.
"Also, we're first and second in the grade exams. For students, isn't academic performance the most convincing thing?"
"That's true, but…" Asuna frowned slightly, her tone uncertain. "Shinomiya has the pure course advantage, but the Vice President she picked is you, the one who publicly criticized the division between pure course and mixed course. Won't that hurt her support?"
Asagiri answered with a light smile. "Whether it hurts depends on how it's framed. Public opinion is just rhetoric. You can make the same fact produce completely different reactions."
Iwanaga Kotoko understood immediately. "Shinomiya runs for President and you serve as Vice President… You want the pure course students to see it as the pure course winning."
Her eyes narrowed playfully. "But then won't other people think you lost to her?"
"It doesn't matter. Let me lose." Asagiri shrugged, completely unconcerned. "If a 'loss' doesn't harm me and only helps my goal, is it really a loss? Compared to empty face, I care more about results."
"I see." Iwanaga Kotoko nodded, looking genuinely impressed. Then her curiosity surfaced. "But why did you agree to cooperate with Shinomiya in the first place? Besides your arrangement with Ashikaga sensei, there should be other reasons."
"Reasons…" Asagiri put on a thoughtful look, paused for a few seconds, then lifted his head with a grin.
"Because she's pretty."
"What!?" Iwanaga Kotoko's expression changed instantly. She pointed at him with watery eyes and accused dramatically, "Wuwuwu, so the flower at home isn't as fragrant as the wild one. A red apricot branch reaches over the wall…"
"What kind of phrases are you even using?" Asuna cut her off, half speechless. She turned to Asagiri with a glare. "Seriously. Why?"
"Consider it an investment." Asagiri's smile faded. His tone turned calm and businesslike.
"I know why she wants to be Student Council President and why she wants Fujiwara Chika as Secretary. It's to use Student Council work as a legitimate excuse to stay at school longer and create time for entering Dungeons. And it's to use the Student Council office as a secret base in the real world."
He spoke plainly, without judgment.
"She's different from us. The moment she leaves school and goes home, she's under constant surveillance. She barely has any freedom to go out. For Kaguya Shinomiya, Shuchiin Academy is the safest refuge she has."
Asagiri continued, his voice steady.
"I can't fully trust Kaguya Shinomiya or Fujiwara Chika, and I'm not planning to team up with them yet. But their individual abilities are both excellent. Now that the game has been exposed in the real world, when the difficulty rises to the third stage after this month, new situations could appear."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"Like what we discussed before. Players from other worlds coming to our world."
He let the thought settle before finishing.
"So this is laying groundwork. If we ever need to cooperate with them in the future, we'll already have a foundation. Of course…"
He paused for just a beat, then added with absolute sincerity, "It's also because they're both beautiful."
Yuuki Asuna couldn't help it. She reached out and tapped his shoulder, rolling her eyes. "You're really blunt, aren't you?"
"Of course." Asagiri nodded, smiling again. "My greatest strength is honesty."
"Um…" Kato Megumi, who had finished her cake, pulled a bill from her wallet and slid it under her cup. Her voice stayed soft and calm. "Then I'll head home. I have exams tomorrow, so I need to review."
"Okay." Iwanaga Kotoko responded first, then noticed the bill and smiled. "But you don't need to pay. Today's my treat. It's a celebration."
Megumi shook her head gently. "No, that won't do. I know none of us are short on money, but for the long term, it's better to go Dutch."
"Then… alright," Iwanaga Kotoko conceded.
Megumi stood. "I'm leaving now. If anything happens, contact me anytime."
After she left, Iwanaga Kotoko also rose and adjusted the beret on her head.
"Then I'll go too. The youkai have requests I need to handle."
"More requests?" Asuna asked, surprised.
"Of course." Iwanaga Kotoko smiled brightly. "As their Princess, I carry extremely important responsibilities. But lately it's just small things like disputes and territory conflicts. I don't need your help. I can handle it myself."
Even so, Asuna still looked uneasy. "Be careful. Also… should I give you the Exorcist Longsword?"
"Did you forget?" Iwanaga Kotoko shook her head. "I can't equip it because of my exclusive talent restriction."
She thought for a moment, then added, almost amused. "But that restriction only applies to equipment rewarded by the system. Real world weapons are fine. Swords, katanas, spears, whatever."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if tasting the strangeness of it. "It's probably another hidden rule. Anyway, don't worry. I've been the God of Wisdom for years. Nothing will happen."
After Iwanaga Kotoko left, Yuuki Asuna stole a glance at Asagiri beside her. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and her voice softened.
"Um… it's just the two of us again. What should we do? Should we go to Ashikaga sensei for special training?"
Even as she asked, the hesitation in her tone betrayed her real answer.
Asagiri clearly saw it. He smiled and held out his hand.
"How about a date? Aside from that time I went with you to buy clothes, I don't think we've had a proper date. This time, you pick the place."
"Really?" Asuna's eyes lit up. A bright smile bloomed across her face, then she hesitated again, guilt quickly following happiness. "But… is it really okay to spend time on something like that instead of working to improve our strength?"
"You're too strict with yourself." Asagiri gently took her hand, his voice quiet and warm.
"When it's time to work hard, we work hard. When it's time to rest, we rest. That's how you keep going."
He squeezed her hand lightly.
"A string pulled too tight will snap."
.....
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