The Bloodthirsty Student Council

Burning.

Their scorching gazes burn holes to any passing soul.

Hal felt like going back to that room, even if it meant getting hit by a book several times. Being in the presence of the Student Council was tormenting, especially when they're no longer wearing their usual princely facades.

Dragging them away from the library's entrance already drained a lot of his energy. With their stony faces, they looked so zealous for a bloodbath that he had to quickly hide them away from onlookers.

"Even after going all the way to reserve the library, this mess still happened. What was the book doing there in the first place?" the magnanimous Student Council President grumbled, eyebrows furrowed in vexation.

"Nobody's to blame here, Allen. Besides, the book's already safe now," the blithesome Vice President replied. Despite his words, though, his tone came out spiteful.

"Not the point. There's a more troubling issue than the book getting stolen," the amicable Information Officer muttered, voice low and gruffly.

They're now inside a small office behind the librarian's counter. Despite its homey ambiance, accented by the matte burgundy interior and rustic beige furniture decorating the room, a truculent atmosphere weighed upon them.

Heaving a weary sigh, Hal just gave them an exhausted look before adding, "It wasn't even stolen."

For the next minutes to come, they continued fussing about his decision to spare their nemesis. They've been protesting ever since he cracked the news to them.

Apparently, they still fervently hold an unfathomable grudge against the villainous Empress that they quickly omitted the prospect of redemption and neglected the fact that she's sharing a body with an innocent civilian.

As their leader, he knew where they're coming from for he was the same. He doesn't believe that his mortal enemy will ever turn over a new leaf.

If it weren't for his deal with Eli and Venus's tamed bearing lately, he wouldn't hesitate to end this arduous circumstance in a faster, but cruel way.

"Please, let me do it. Let me deal with her," Allen pleaded all of the sudden, catching everyone's attention.

"I can never forget what she did... I can never forgive her! Ever since she burned my village down to ashes, I scorch with the urge to end her. How dare she set my whole humanity aflame then just got away with it like that? This time around, I'll make sure she'll be the one smouldering," he hissed, voice thick like a raging storm, while recalling a distant memory of a town in a sea of fire.

Allen's drive and bloodlust were so vehement and unclouded that nobody spoke for a short while after that.

Hal knew well how much he suffered during the Empress's reign – losing his family and hometown, marred with an ineffaceable scar, and forced to bloody his hands in a very young age. Only when he began serving him that he started to unshackle the bloodstained chains of his past, but even then, he failed to extinguish the desire for vengeance.

Allen was a very loyal knight – the highest ranked one in the empire that time.

In the battlefield, he's known for being a Herculean warrior. His fighting gears would gleam with valour and exemplary heroism every time. With inexhaustible passion and undying devotion, he'd ruthlessly trample anything on his master's path, even if that meant involving the innocent.

For his faithfulness, Hal was grateful and appreciative. For now, however, he worried that Allen would truly go after Eli's life due to these reasons.

It's a relief that he quickly hid her in that room right after being informed of their visit.

Unbeknownst to them, albeit, a certain ash-haired girl was eavesdropping and trembling in fear.

In an attempt to ask Hal about what exactly she needed to clean in that spotless place, Eli searched for him in his office, but only to hear a bloodcurdling discussion on how to assassinate her.

Anyone who'd hear it would think they're planning a funeral. Moreover, it's the good-natured Student Council who'd be the event organizers. Eli then bitterly recalled how they generously offered her tea and cookies just the other day. Now, they just made a one hundred eighty.

"So this is their true colour..." she begrudgingly thought.

Allendis Escarlot, Noah Altera and Lawrence Palladine – along with Harrison Louen, they're the benevolent Four Heroes of Society and the main cast of the Book of Metis.

The book fanatic, awed and astonished, was fangirling over this realization for an hour straight. She couldn't believe that her favourite book characters truly came to life, and what's more, she actually met them in person.

Unfortunately, the feelings of joy and enthusiasm weren't reciprocated.

Instead, they're just like fire and water – while she idolizes, they loathe in return.

The conversation continued with Allen's unceasing imploration to handle the matter. By that, he meant the murder scheme.

From that point on, the other Student Council members would throw threats here and there.

"Forget about planning! Let's just do it now~"

That's until Noah exuberantly voiced out an attempt to hunt Eli down at that very minute, which immediately received approvals from the others.

At this, she broke into a cold sweat. Hearing that from such a congenial person like Noah was enough to make her heart stop and send her running at the same time.

"Enough."

Then, dead silence.

For a second, Eli thought she heard someone else's voice. It was steely and unnerving. Tyrannical, even. That and the intimidating quietude that followed after were simply disconcerting.

"You can babble all day like this, but I'm not changing my mind. Just leave her be," Hal continued, voice deep and dominating.

An ominous glint glazes his penetrating gaze as he sat there, one leg resting on the other.

Eli shouldn't really be there.

Aside from hearing venomous remarks about her, she also saw another side of Hal that she's unprepared to see. He seemed to be a very pretentious fellow, so she didn't know which parts of him were real and not. But even then, she yearned to see what's beyond these multiple personas.

Right now, though, she slightly shuddered at this particular side of him.

"She'll be useful to us, anyway," he suddenly added, much to her surprise and confusion.

Without further ado, in uttermost reverence and humble understanding, the Student Council bowed before their leader, one arm folded on their back while the other pressed on their stomach.

Suddenly being held in such a very high regard and treated with that much deference could only mean that Hal was finally pulling that card.

Before them was no doubt, his unleashing of his title as that Aristian Emperor – a palpable and intimidating sign that he had gotten serious.

Transfixed at the resplendent and compelling setting, Eli stood behind the door in awe. It's like watching a live action scene from the Book of Metis, making her want to squeal like a fan girl.

However, she chose to mute her own feelings for now and focus on a more important matter. That is, the feeling of being more indebted to Hal in each passing day. Although she was able to successfully suppress Venus and pacify her from time to time, she knew that Hal didn't really need a babysitter.

It's more of her own gain than his, anyway.

After witnessing what went down, Eli was no longer certain if she's still satisfied with just doing that and cleaning the library.