The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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“This school is strange.”

The phrase that lingered in Irene’s mind after the Disciplinary Committee ended.

“Father, why is this prestigious school that mother and you graduated from…?”

The expectations she had for this esteemed academy before enrollment were shattered the moment she stepped inside.

“How can there be mid-level monsters within the school?”

It was impossible, yet no one dared to ask about it. Everyone remained silent. What she faced over the next two weeks exceeded her imagination.

“Why is such an unreasonable situation happening…!”

Lost in thought while walking down the hallway, Irene encountered a familiar sight. A handsome young man clad in a long coat and splendid uniform.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Irene. Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

She immediately tried to turn away. But an unwelcome voice caught up to her.

“Ugh…”

No, more precisely, an intangible force blocked her path. Just as she attempted to move, an invisible pressure swept over her like a strong wind. Only after managing to circulate her significant magical power roughly could she finally move.

“Is it the title you’re dissatisfied with? Should I address you as the First Year Representative for you to respond?”

“…Student Council President.”

Irene turned her head, not hiding her displeasure. The boy with ash-colored hair took it lightly.

“Did I do something wrong? Anyway, it’s nice to see you. I actually had something to discuss.”

“…”

“Is this about what happened during the Entrance Ceremony? Don’t take it too much to heart, junior. I told you before, I’m just an ordinary student.”

Croscelle rambled on. She bit her lip.

She couldn’t forget the words Croscelle whispered in her ear during the disaster of that Entrance Ceremony.

“I’ll contact our clan and officially protest to the Board of Directors…!”

“…Is the Spear of the Champion in poor health? Will it be alright?”

The moment she heard those words, her breath caught in her throat, feeling as if she were stripped naked in the middle of the street.

“How does he know that…?”

The fact that her father was terminally ill was a closely guarded secret known only to a few within the Helios Clan, where her father served as the leader. It was not something an ordinary student should know.

Since that day, she had been plagued by anxiety.

Later, when she met the Student Council President again, she summoned the courage to ask, and Croscelle answered with a light laugh.

“Have you been holding onto that until now? Haha… I only heard it from the esteemed members of the Board. Don’t worry! What could I possibly do with this?

Of course, I do have a few more things I heard about you and your clan…”

Irene could read another meaning behind those words.

If she were to involve her father’s clan in school matters, the Board of Directors would surely retaliate.

In the end, she had no choice but to act alone.

“…What did you call me for?”

“Not much, I heard the First Year Representative has been diligently playing lawyer for fellow classmates. Since the Disciplinary Committee just wrapped up, I happened to run into you here.”

Was he trying to mock her? Irene couldn’t discern the Student Council President’s intentions at all.

“Isn’t it natural? The school isn’t doing its job! Do you know what happened until now?”

“What exactly happened? I’m curious to hear.”

Irene, annoyed by the Student Council President’s feigned ignorance, began to explain.

She took a step closer.

“I’ve surveyed the classmates for the last two weeks. There have been 217 cases of extortion, 148 cases of assault, and 54 cases of harassment and sexual assault, regardless of gender. That’s just what I heard directly from the victims; the actual number would be even higher when you include those who stayed silent.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“Do you think this is normal? It’s not a school; it’s a den of crime! Where has the prestigious Polaris I heard about gone?”

While Croscelle calmly accepted Irene’s rage, he dropped a casual remark.

“Oh, I see. So you’ve been helping the students alone, sending anonymous tips to the media, parents, civic organizations, and even the Inspection Bureau. The members of the Board have been struggling to deal with that. I was called in to hear a bit about it too.”

Irene’s face went pale. Croscelle smiled.

He took a step forward.

“How did you…?”

“You seem surprised. Did you expect the school to flip upside down suddenly, a raid occurring, and something to appear as the top news at dinner?”

He smiled like an adult humoring a child.

“Those things aren’t possible. Academy operations are somewhat absolved from accountability. Don’t worry about the students who participated in the report. The Board understands the complaints from the students, so nothing serious will happen.”

Feeling crushed, she stepped back. Croscelle looked down at her. Irene, staring at him with a look of disgust, finally spoke.

“Why are you doing this? Why does the student council encourage this kind of atmosphere in the school?”

“Encourage? That’s a mischaracterization. Let’s call it freedom.”

“Excuse me?”

“Anyone would assume we orchestrated it. Those rules were made amongst the students themselves.

The primary principle of this school is as follows: ‘Students of Polaris can act according to their own will and choices.’

If there’s something displeasing, resolve it directly. Why should capable and diligent individuals clean up after other idiots? If you desire something, you should work hard to achieve it.

Take that Lucian, who was interrogated by the Disciplinary Committee last time, for instance. He’s already adapting well. That’s the right attitude.”

Croscelle briefly took out his cellphone and glanced at the screen. He turned the screen toward Irene.

“Congratulations. I’ve just received 10 incident reports from the Disciplinary Committee. All first years attacked and subdued upperclassmen. Brave souls.”

Irene looked at Croscelle with a dumbfounded expression, as if she were staring at a crazy person.

“This… this is freedom? This is…”

“What’s the problem? Our student council simply respects the individual freedoms of students. Is the oppression from the upperclassmen bad? You dislike the Management Board?

Then solve it yourself. You’ve seen for yourself that the Disciplinary Committee and Student Council won’t take sides.”

Irene wanted to argue back but had to concede that there was some truth in his words.

The Disciplinary Committee had subdued anyone committing violence in the schoolyard, regardless of seniority, and while the procedures may have been messy, they reached a reasonable conclusion from a neutral perspective.

Croscelle slightly lowered his head and met her gaze squarely.

“When dealing with issues among the Awakened Ones, private resolution methods tend to be faster than legal ones. Irene, you should know this better than anyone. The Spear of the Champion has blood of monsters not only on my spear tip.”

Fire sparked in Irene’s emerald eyes.

“Who do you think you are, talking carelessly about my father?”

“Well, I don’t flaunt other people’s status and reputation as if they were my own.”

A tremendous pressure surged around her.

She finally sensed the enormous flow of magical energy surrounding the Student Council President.

Croscelle quietly growled.

“I told you, personal resolution methods are faster. If you have a thought, draw your weapon. The outcome will be your responsibility.”

“Ugh…!”

Irene glared at him, gritting her teeth. As she focused, a flash of yellow broke out, releasing her from the telekinetic grip that held her. But soon enough, the telekinesis seized her again.

In the standoff, suddenly, the surroundings grew silent. The Student Council President was the first to ease his power.

Croscelle looked around.

“I got a little carried away and acted rashly. I apologize. And…”

“…It’s rude to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, dear junior.”

He extended one hand, wielding psychic power, and a sofa was pulled aside. Violet, who had been lying flat on the floor behind it, appeared.

“Huheek!”

“Violet Rugilinn? Why are you there?”

***

“Are you some kind of cockroach? How pathetic…”

“Hehe…”

The unexpected insult made me genuinely upset. Calling me a cockroach, of all things, when I’m a pretty girl…

“No! How did you know?”

“Anyone would notice if someone rustled around like that nearby. But, have we met somewhere before?”

“I’m not sure.”

This was the first time I’d seen that guy since the Entrance Ceremony two weeks ago. The Student Council President briefly closed his eyes and murmured, as if something had clicked into place, and then opened his eyes wide.

“Oh, now I remember. Violet Rugilinn, right?”

To my surprise, he knew my name!

“Hyah! How did you guess? We’re meeting for the first time now!”

“That’s because I remember the entire student roster by heart.”

“What? Student Council President, you…”

The Student Council President suddenly seemed to be bragging. Irene exclaimed in astonishment.

“Point it out if I’m wrong. Violet Dunhind Rugilinn, from the Eastern District, possesses a unique ability, and her power involves controlling multiple clones of a single entity. Admitted through special selection for the 25th batch in the entrance exam.”

“Wow, you really know.”

Shockingly, he remembered everything, from my name to the little details.

“And I know even more than that.”

His piercing gaze seemed to probe deep into my soul. Chills ran down my spine.

Could he have found out that I’m from the Laplacian Laboratory?

He lowered his head and whispered something in my ear.

“Your mother is Eva Liston, working as a local doctor. Your father is absent. You were adopted. Your grandparents on your mother’s side are…”

Shocking. He was rattling off details about my life that even I didn’t know! I had a mother, grandmother, and grandfather? This was truly surprising.

“What are you talking about…?”

“That just means I know the students very well. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Though the corners of the Student Council President’s mouth lifted in a smile, his eyes didn’t share the same sentiment. Feeling a sense of crisis, the Violet Network quickly processed and delivered the answer.

Got it. I understand!

He’s basically warning me not to recklessly share what I overheard today.

But why is the Student Council President talking as if he’s speaking for himself? I don’t have a mom or dad. I’m an orphan.

-Mom? Did I even have a mom? Who is Eva Liston?-

-I see! The name of the researcher I smashed with a hammer is Eva. That ponytail girl!-

Oh, now it brings back memories of the family relations section I’d looked over before submitting my application form.

That ponytail girl was registered as my mother.

I killed her myself.

But anyway, thank goodness; everything he said was just the fabricated identity created by that bald-headed lab director.

So it seems even he and the Board of Directors have no idea beyond that.

Thanks, bald guy!

“Anyway, that’s all the story for now. If you have complaints, resolve them yourself. The Student Council is busy.”

As Croscelle turned to leave us, something seemed to strike him, and he turned back.

“This will be announced tomorrow, but let me inform you in advance. The repairs on the Duel Arena carried out over the summer break were completed just yesterday. Starting Wednesday this week, the arena will be open, so resolve any petty conflicts there.”

“Dueling? What’s that about…?”

“Junior, it seems you still don’t understand. If there’s something you want, you should seize it yourself. If you dislike the harsh treatment, you could also use that as a condition. The results of the duel are absolute.”

Hearing what the Student Council President said, a question popped into my mind.

“Excuse me, Student Council President?”

“What is it, Rugilinn?”

“Are you saying that I could also acquire the Student Council President position through a duel?”

Irene, taken aback, looked intrigued at my green eyes. Looking surprised, the Student Council President had a blank expression before breaking into a smile and clapping a few times.

“It seems Miss Violet understands better than the First Year Representative.”

Wow. Seriously? You can challenge the Student Council President for the position by dueling?

“If you wish, it could be possible. If you can.”

“Ugh?”

An invisible force suddenly snatched at me from all directions. I couldn’t move.

The effect of power didn’t only affect me, but the surrounding decorations and furniture started shaking. I felt a massive pressure!

“Are you crazy? Stop!”

As Irene screamed and approached the Student Council President, I shook my head at her. I was fine really.

The pressure that felt comparable to the depths of the sea pressed down on me, but I managed to stand upright.

[The pain felt by the entity is dispersed across the number of clones, slowing it down – Slowdown Rate: 5%]

“It’s not a big deal, right? What’s going on?”

“…You’re holding up well.”

The Student Council President tilted his head. Shortly after, the vibrations around me ceased. Only then could I move properly.

The Student Council President began to leave. As he departed, he muttered a few words.

“…In my five years here, I’ve seen quite a number of juniors like you. Many have turned the situation around. However, most returned to how things originally were. Why is that? It’s simple. They revived things themselves.”

“Lastly, I’ll add a piece of advice: don’t rely too much on others. Good luck to you.”

The Student Council President vanished beyond the hallway, coat flowing behind him.

“Ah, it’s no big deal… Eek!”

“Hey, are you okay?”

As I tried to walk forward, I suddenly staggered and went to my knees. I thought I’d be fine due to the pain sharing, but it seemed the impact from the pressure itself was not good for my body.

-What an overwhelming pressure… Who the heck is that? He’s pouring out magic like it’s water.-

-When he says to try it if I want his position, he’s not bluffing.-

While it’s hard to compare directly to gaming, that guy’s level feels comparable to an ordinary boss monster. What kind of student is that strong?

-Something’s off. I need to investigate that guy.-

-It’s not just the Student Council President; he keeps mentioning the Board of Directors.-

But now, I had a matter I had to get serious about investigating.

Most of it was fake information, but since he rattled off my details, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t also find out about him and the Board behind him.

Irene helped me back to my feet.

“Violet Rugilinn, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But could you just call me Violet instead of my full name?”

“If that makes you comfortable, I’ll do that.”

Once I was steady again, Irene cautiously asked.

“What exactly did you overhear during that conversation?”

“From the part about freedom and fostering…”

That was a lie. I had actually been listening since the part about the report.

While I was just playing around, Irene was dealing with such matters. Truly a hero’s child, the heir to a clan.

Come to think of it, Irene might know something too.

“Do you want me to help?”

She briefly looked surprised but quickly shook her head.

“Violet, I appreciate the thought. But this school is strange. I feel like there’s something significant in the background. Even during the entrance ceremony… No, anyway, I’m okay.”

“Then how about I report what I accidentally came across? That should be fine, right?”

Wearing a serious expression, she pondered my question before finally nodding in agreement.

“Just tell me what you saw by chance. You don’t have to do anything beyond that!”

“Got it!”

Another lie.

I’m going to explore this myself. I simply can’t suppress this curiosity.

I want to know what unexpected relation there is between the school’s recent expansion and the ghoul group that will grace the ruins of the school five years later.

-Irene’s not wrong. If you listen to the Student Council President, something feels off.-

-Ah! If things go south, I can always just escape!-

It doesn’t matter if things go wrong. I’m not going to graduate, so if things get messy, I can just run!

Today, once again, a new mission has surfaced.