"If you dare to harm Leo when I'm not present, I'll show you there are consequences that even you cannot afford."
This was the message Nathan told Jennifer to deliver to Amy Blanc before he departed the academy. Up to now, Jennifer still couldn't fully interpret what Nathan wanted out of this, apart from provoking Amy Blanc.
As Nathan handed the last of his presents, he tucked a bag of what looked like badges into his pocket and sighed in the middle of the crowd, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Ah… Turns out our club was too modest and humble after all…"
"Even after all the efforts we put into establishing equality in our academy, those who claim to be superior to others still triumph in despicable pride, even to members of their own noble family. Can you guys take this result? I'm too irritated to ask one by one, but I know sure enough I won't."
"It doesn't matter who that person is! If they dare to touch members of our club, I'm not taking it either!" Daniel Whitedawn struck himself on the chest forcefully and yelled tragically.
"This confrontation is not like the other times," Ash added from the side, quiet yet full of strength. "We might put our families at risk before the Blanc Clan. So if anyone does not want to participate, I can absolutely understand. However, I'm the president of the Salvation Club, so I'm taking responsibility for Leo no matter what."
And to many of the Representative Students' surprise, almost every member of the Salvation Club cried out without any hesitation.
"We have nothing to lose anyway!"
"If we cannot even stop injustice towards our members, what injustice can we ever stop?"
"I'm willing to see what Amy Blanc can do about it!"
Nathan Modernson grinned at the elevated crowd in appreciation and nodded. "Well said! Then, what more do we need to wait for? Charge! Towards the Central Tower!"
Jennifer Lumendra's reaction was a stark contrast to Nathan's. She whispered subtly, almost to herself, "Reckless and stupid." However, the fates of other people were never something that took up any space in her thoughts. Jennifer was more concerned about something else, which she instantly questioned Nathan about the moment they began to march towards the central tower.
"Did you not buy anything for me? I mean, what you've done for me is worth much more than an object could ever be, so I'm not blaming you if you hadn't." Thinking back to how Nathan saved her life, she would rather feel happier if Nathan didn't buy her anything. That, at least, would make the debt seem less pressing.
"You know what?" Nathan began, unrushed to explain himself. "From the moment I thought of buying something for everyone, what I could buy for you had always troubled me. You are not someone who would take favour in something mere money could buy, am I right?"
Jennifer didn't reply, but knowing her, Nathan was certain that basically meant she approved his statement.
"So what I'm going to give you is not a physical object, but a stimulating show you will not be able to forget for years to come. I need, like… five or six years to prepare it, but I will first give you a small appetiser to get the mood right, thanks to Mister Arthur Paradox."
Nathan's reply could not have hit Jennifer harder. Compared to saving her life, it was these few sentences that truly compelled her to follow Nathan Modernson. Nothing she had heard before had been so reassuring, and more than that, so conscious of what kind of person she was.
"Arthur Paradox… Why would he give up this position as president?" She awkwardly changed the topic.
"Because he is a genius, a genius I severely underestimated…" Nathan murmured in serious thought. "This scheme he planned is completely out of the world. He's giving me a choice: either fall into a bottomless abyss or into the overt trap he laid directly before me."
Jennifer began to think about what Arthur's intention was, too. "He's trying to force you to pick between Amy Blanc and Jonathan Schwarz."
Nathan shook his head. "That's the most surface of the surface…" He led the gang into the Representative Students' living area to put down his belongings, including the huge, empty rack.
"Just come in, and we can talk." He gestured towards her as he unlocked the door of his room.
When they were alone in Nathan's room, Nathan began unpacking as he continued to speak. "For the big show I prepared to begin, I first need to have both William Schwarz and Leo Blanc by my side, but that's barely possible. Even if I could stop them from hating each other, their identities forever forbid them from being true friends. So I must do something rather extreme."
Jennifer slammed her fist into her other hand as she had just solved the hardest question on an exam. "I see now… You want to make Leo hate the Blanc Clan itself."
"Pretty much," Nathan clarified. "I first need to let him believe that I would treat him better than his clan, and that's not that difficult, considering he was only from a branch family. You will see how I finish this later."
He yawned and stretched his arms. "By the way, turn around. I'm gonna change into my uniform now."
"Huh?" Jennifer looked at him in conviction. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to change before I came in?"
"Whatever, man, I don't see you as an outsider anyway." Nathan started to change after seeing that Jennifer had turned around in perplexed annoyance. "I've thought of how Arthur could interject in this, but I didn't expect him to aggravate the problem instead of solving it."
"I can't end a plan I already started, and am now forced to confront Amy Blanc at a time when either she or Jonathan becomes the next president. No matter how it turns out, I will be considered to be supporting the Schwarz family, as most people assumed anyway. If so, all my future plans are completely ruined."
"But… there have to be other options, right?"
"There are only two other members of the Student Council: Nicolas Terrast, whom nobody actually likes, and Dorothy Rumble, who is too quiet and reserved to replace that position. However, there is someone whom I can support, but that is the obvious trap he placed before me."
"Who?" Jennifer asked instantly, unable to hold her curiosity back.
Nathan sighed, putting the last piece of his uniform on.
"Myself."
"…What? Why?"
"Well, there are some smaller reasons, but the major one is that he wants to remove my strongest weapon: the fact that I can be a shameless rogue around the academy."
"Then what are you going to do?"
Nathan walked towards the door of his room and signalled her once again to follow, while finishing off their private conversation with his final reply. "I guess I'll fall into his trap willingly and show him what kind of monster he caught."
He adjusted his jacket in a sharp, domineering manner and looked back as he pushed the door open. Jennifer suddenly saw something in his eyes that had changed from the Nathan she knew before he left. At first glance, one might mistake it for resolve, or perhaps even fortitude, but Jennifer had known those kinds of eyes in the mirror for too many years.
It was nothing but an empty, hopeless dread.
"Let's go," Ash Robert nodded as he saw Nathan come out. "I know where Leo is."
And thus, the entire Salvation Club stepped into the great elevator that allowed them to traverse between floors, all the way to the climax of the central tower, an area that most had never stepped foot into. The group that seemed huge did not take as much space as everyone else thought.
As the elevator soared up, trembling in the immense energy required to operate it, the members of the Salvation Club stood as firm as the walls of a city, ready to face whatever stood before them. Soon, they had reached the final destination. The time taken was not long enough to keep them waiting in impatience, but also not short enough to allow any remaining fear to prevail.
Following Ash and Nathan's lead, they walked through the door opposite the senior staff's area, a part of the spire that allowed for targeted Rune Arts training that could only be booked by representative students or those with outstanding mastery.
"This should be it." Ash gestured towards one of the many doors. "Fifth last on the right. Leo told us to find him here when you come back."
"It's locked." Daniel rubbed his fingers on his chin after a failed attempt to open it.
"Should I just blast it open?" Jennifer suggested loudly.
"What? No!" Nathan signalled her to stop right before she pulled out her wand. "You want me to be expelled again?"
Instead, he knocked on the door, strong enough to make a point. "It's Nathan Modernson."
Nathan heard subtle noises coming from the inside, namely Amy Blanc's frustrated voice. "Don't look like a dog waiting for its owner to finally return."
She yanked the door open, eyes widening briefly at how many people Nathan brought, but what frightened her even more was the friendly grin on Nathan Modernson's pale face.
"Evening, Miss Blanc, how's it going?" He walked in with the rest of his gang without waiting for Amy's approval. "Didn't wait for us for too long, have you?"
Amy Blanc had thought of many ways Nathan could throw his usual, blatant tantrum, but she had yet to come up with anything to say about this abnormal calm.
"Out of words to say?" Nathan chuckled in mockery. "And you claim to be a member of the main family?"
This was clearly one of the many statements that would stab into Amy's heart like a knife. She argued back instantly, fists clenched. "Such a level of rudeness, and you claim to be the son of the First Seat?"
Nathan continued to laugh. "When have I ever said that?"
The other members of the Salvation Club laughed following his lead.
"Anyway." Nathan cleared his throat and shook his head to signal Amy that she didn't need to respond. "You know what I'm here for, that's why you've been waiting, right?"
"So my warning meant nothing to you, huh?"
Finally hearing something that she had expected Nathan to say, Amy sat down at her desk and crossed her legs in sedateness. "If I remember correctly, you said if I 'harmed' Leo, you would put me in my place. Is that right?"
"Very well." Nathan nodded in acknowledgement.
"I don't remember doing that, though." Amy rested her chin on her arm and smirked. "I've done nothing but tutor Leo on his schoolwork during the holidays. Do you consider that as 'harming,' Mister Modernson?"
"That very much is not." Nathan nodded again brightly and turned to Leo. "Is what she said truthful, Leo?"
Leo nodded his head quickly, not hesitating even for a slight bit. "Yes, of course. Why would someone from my own clan ever hurt me in any way?"
"Like he said." Amy turned to Nathan again and smiled gracefully, proud of her wit in finding an error in the way Nathan worded his warning.
"Hmmm…" Nathan paused in thought. "So I see, it's a misunderstanding, right? Not only have you not breached my warning, but you have also treated Leo better than ever?"
"You've said so." She replied in victorious triumph.
"I see, I see." Nathan's face softened into a smile once again. "Very reasonable, I can't argue with that."
"Then it is decided… Tomorrow, Leo will—" Amy began, but was quickly interrupted by Nathan.
"You know what's unreasonable, though?"
"What?" Amy swallowed, sensing something dangerous about to break out from Nathan's mouth.
"Me." Nathan pointed at himself with malice in his voice.
"Especially when it comes to my closest friends."
"You think I can't see through your disgusting, pitiful act?" His tone turned cold, nothing like how he was talking a few seconds ago. "Don't falsely imagine that everybody is as stupid as you, Amy Blanc."
Amy Blanc slammed the table and stood up in fury, her eyes blazing with craze. "So what? What are you going to do, Nathan Modernson?"
"You are always the one asking this question, but I'm returning it to you now! What are you going to do to me? Kill me? Beat me with your gang of peasants? You think that's going to do your 'close friend' Leo Blanc very well? You think my Clan will take it just because you claim to be somebody?"
Jennifer remembered what Nathan had demanded of her: to kill Amy Blanc when the time arrived. She rested her hand slowly on her wands, like a snake ready to strike at any time.
However, as if eyes grew on the back of his head, Nathan gestured for her to stop behind his back. Instead, he snatched his own pair of wands and flashed them before Amy.
"You see my Elemental Traits? Light and Darkness, with zero offensive abilities whatsoever."
"What are you trying to say?" Amy hissed.
"You dare to duel me before the entire academy?" Nathan suggested coldly.
"Huh?" Sensing that Nathan had grown calm again, Amy's fury was suddenly suppressed by her own dignity. She cursed how much she had been led by Nathan's flow this entire conversation.
"Here is the deal: If I win, you kneel before Leo to apologise. If you win, the entire Salvation Club will do the same to you. How does that sound?"
"Are you insane?" Monica whispered towards him behind his back.
"What if I say no?" Amy replied.
Nathan's laughter once again filled every corner of the room. "Did you guys hear what she just said?" He bent forward, hands pressing hard into his abdomen. "A third-year representative student, a member of the Blanc Clan, refused to duel with a freshman, and one without any offensive elements!"
"That's indeed hilarious!" Daniel broke out into laughter as well. "Guys, this joke is funny enough to be told all across Endnest, isn't it?"
"You think I will leave you a choice?" Nathan goaded. "It's a yes or a yes, Miss Blanc. Everyone here is a witness to today's challenge."
"Then that's decided," he continued. "In seven days, at the stadium on the spire. I'll now go and inform Principal Nox."
"I'll show you something you will forever wish to not have seen: my Personalised Rune Art."
"So what are you waiting for, Leo? Let's get out of here." He turned around towards Leo and stretched his arm towards him. The smile on his face was comforting and bright, like the rising sun at dawn.