Chapter 500: The Vacant Seat

"You're as irritating as ever," Leonora remarked, hands on her hips. "You bullied Erina-chan before. Don't think we're unaware. We will never let you get away with that again."

With a sharp tone, she continued, "You were kicked out once already, and now you think you can come back and cause trouble again? We've already agreed on Erina's marriage. From now on, Sui will be part of the family. You, however, are just an outsider!"

Leonora's Japanese wasn't perfect, but she spoke quickly and with such conviction that Azami was momentarily left speechless, unable to respond. 

Sui stood there, stunned, witnessing his future mother-in-law's fierce determination for the first time. If she really became his mother-in-law, just the thought of how difficult she could be was enough to give him a headache.

"Haha, Mom's still as talkative as ever," Alice remarked with a smile.

Sui glanced at her, suddenly worried that Alice might turn out just like her mother in the future. If they ever argued, Sui had a feeling he wouldn't stand a chance in winning the debate.

Senzaemon, unfazed, crossed his arms and spoke firmly. "You have no right to meddle in Erina's affairs, nor in anything concerning Totsuki. Leave immediately."

Azami was silent for a moment before pulling out an envelope. "The Ten Elite Council of Totsuki holds power equal to, or even greater than, that of the Director-General. The will of the majority of the Ten Elites is the will of the entire academy."

"This... this is..." Senzaemon's pupils shrank as he looked at the document Azami handed him.

"Yes," Azami replied with a calm smile. "This is a proposal submitted by the Ten Elites regarding the appointment of a new Director-General."

Leonora leaned over to glance at the document. "But it looks like only five of the Ten Elites have supported this proposal. Without a majority, it likely won't pass," she noted.

Senzaemon turned his icy gaze toward Azami. "What is your intention with this, Azami? Without the support of more than half the council, the proposal will not take effect."

"No, that's not entirely correct," Erina suddenly interrupted, her face pale as she realized something. "Earlier this morning, Tōsuke Megishima-senpai, the third seat, submitted his resignation from the Ten Elites, and it has already taken effect. Which means..."

"Exactly," Azami said, chuckling. "As of now, the Ten Elites consist of only nine members. With that, a majority is easily achieved."

Sui frowned. The sudden resignation of a high-ranking elite like Megishima didn't sit right with him. The Ten Elites wielded immense power and resources, and no one would resign lightly.

Erina, deep in thought, murmured, "I wondered why Megishima-senpai made such a sudden request. I thought it was because he was about to graduate and wanted to step down early... But now it's clear what's going on."

Sui turned to Erina, surprised. "So that's why you were so focused on Megishima-senpai's files earlier?" he asked, putting the pieces together.

Erina blushed, embarrassed that Sui had noticed her intense interest in the situation.

"If I had to guess," Sui said, now addressing Azami, "you've been using your influence over the ramen shops to threaten Megishima-senpai into resigning."

Azami's smile remained as cold as ever. "Young entrepreneurs running ramen shops across the country are both assets and burdens."

He didn't deny Sui's accusation. Checking his watch, Azami added, "The Ten Elite Council meeting is about to start."

As if on cue, Erina's phone buzzed, notifying her to attend the council meeting. She looked toward Sui, who nodded and said, "I'll go with you."

"Yes, please," Erina responded, relieved. Then, turning to Leonora and Senzaemon, she added, "This proposal will likely come up in today's meeting. I'll do my best to ensure it doesn't pass."

With that, Erina and Sui headed to the council meeting room. When they arrived, everyone else had already gathered, though Rindō participated via video call, as she was still abroad. 

The sight of Sui walking in with Erina momentarily surprised the council members, but no one objected to his presence.

"Alright, first order of business," said Kuga Terunori, the ninth seat, taking charge of the meeting. 

"Megishima-senpai's resignation from the Ten Elites has been officially approved, despite some opposition."

"It's such a shame," he muttered as he looked at him.

"Tōsuke, can you reconsider?" Eishi asked weakly, his tone filled with reluctance. "Even though were about to graduate… isn't it still a bit too soon?"

He tried to persuade Tōsuke Megishima to abandon his decision.

But Tōsuke's voice remained calm and resolute.

"I've already made up my mind, Eishi. There's no need to persuade me."

Eishi opened his mouth to speak but was immediately interrupted by an outraged voice from the video call.

"What?! You're quitting the Ten Elites?!"

Rindō Kobayashi's voice blared through the speakers.

"Why didn't you tell me?! Why, why, WHY?!"

Her loud and chaotic reaction made everyone wince, feeling an impending headache.

Adjusting her glasses with a sigh, Nene Kinokuni calmly explained,

"I apologize, Rindō-senpai. Since we had already gathered the necessary approvals in advance, we were unable to inform you earlier."

Rindō groaned in frustration, but before she could continue, another voice cut in.

"Now, onto the second matter at hand."

Eizan Etsuya glanced at the documents on the table, casually crossing his legs before speaking.

"The seat has been vacated, and we need to select a replacement as soon as possible."

Nene nodded in agreement.

"As per tradition, the remaining Ten Elites and the Commander-in-Chief will nominate candidates for the vacant seat. Those selected will then compete, and the results of the battles will determine who earns the position."

She adjusted the papers in her hand before continuing.

"With that in mind, please submit your list of recommendations as soon as possible."

"And now… the final matter."

Eishi hesitated slightly before announcing the next topic.

"It's regarding… the proposal for a new Commander-in-Chief. For those who haven't reviewed it yet, please take a look first."

The room fell momentarily silent before Kuga Teruki broke the tension with a confused outburst.

"Wait, wait—a new Commander-in-Chief?! Isn't the current one doing a perfectly fine job? Why do we even need to elect a new one?!"

His question lingered in the air, leaving an unspoken uncertainty among the group.