Chapter 16: Crossroads

"Huh? You want me to join the student council?"

Taken entirely by surprise, Mia barely remembered to bring her hand up to shield her open mouth.

Saint-Noel Academy's student council was no mere exercise in student self-governance. Those enrolled here were the cream of the crop, handpicked for both their influence and potential. In a place with such a dense congregation of future leaders, being elected to the student council conferred both prestige and real, wieldable influence.

It goes without saying then that in the previous timeline, Mia had been gunning for a position in the council. The trouble was that only the president was determined by election. All the other roles, which consisted of an assistant to the president, two vice-presidents, two secretaries, and a treasurer, were appointed by the president. Mia, having soured her own image so thoroughly that Rafina refused to even acknowledge her presence, was obviously not selected for any of the roles. Her name was never even on the table.

Being Mia, however, she lacked the audacity to challenge Rafina for the president's seat. So she ended up putting in a vote for Rafina and — in a pitifully oblivious fashion — spent the rest of the voting period wondering nervously if Rafina might tap her on the shoulder at some point and inquire about her interest in the student council. Needless to say, that never happened, and the appointments concluded with her watching unnoticed from the sidelines.

Having previously failed to secure a seat in the student council, one would expect Mia to be overjoyed that Rafina was now personally inviting her in. This was, in fact, not true. Instead, she'd rather have nothing to do with the student council. Mia was a changed woman. Gone was the naive girl whose innocent heart could still experience pure, unbridled joy, and whose simple mind yet revered unrivaled influence as a glorious thing. She was a grown-up now; twenty-odd years of life had taught her a few things. Power and prestige, she now knew, were always accompanied by great responsibility. What would happen, for example, if she were to take Rafina up on her offer but neglect her ensuing duties?

Undoubtedly, she'd earn her displeasure. This Chaos Serpents thing, not to mention Bel, was already proving to be a handful. The last thing she needed was to risk creating a rift between her and Rafina. As such, she immediately started thinking of a way to politely decline the offer.

"But Miss Rafina, surely you haven't forgotten that I'm the Princess of Tearmoon?" she said, deciding to try the easy excuse first.

There existed an unspoken rule in the Saint-Noel student council prohibiting the appointment of nobility from Tearmoon, Sunkland, and their allied kingdoms to council positions. Due to the tremendous influence wielded by the student council, a great deal of maneuvering used to occur behind the scenes. Factions would form around candidates from powerful nations, leading to intense rivalries that often turned ugly. The skirmishing and sabotage that followed were terribly unproductive and eventually grew to the point of disrupting regular student life. In an effort to avoid repeating the failures of the past, an unspoken rule was born that forbade the appointment of students who had ties to the two nations from taking positions within the council. Rafina's invitation was in clear violation of that rule. But...

"I don't see any problem with that. As for the rule... Well, it's not in writing anywhere, is it? Besides, ideally, shouldn't a student council be open to every student of the academy? With you at my side, Mia, I feel that I can pursue that ideal." Rafina regarded her with eyes full of conviction. "I know you to be someone who sees people not for their standing or pedigree, but for who they really are. Am I wrong?"

Her words evoked memories of past encounters in Mia's mind.

That reminds me... She did tell me how happy she was to see me getting along with Anne, and after I became friends with Chloe and Tiona, she'd always smile at me when she saw me with them... Ugh, I appreciate the trust, Rafina, but I'm really not looking forward to the stress of trying to live up to it.

Just then, a soft whisper reached her ears.

"...Student council?"

The voice was weak, and it trembled a little. She looked toward its source to find Bel, her hand frozen in midair above a teacake, and her face pale as she stared at Rafina.

What has gotten into you, Bel? Did we talk about something that—

In that moment, Mia suddenly remembered who Bel was. She was her granddaughter, yes, but before that...

My guide. That's right. She's my lodestar, sent here to guide my way.

She'd wished upon the stars, and Bel had appeared before her. Even if that was complete coincidence, considering Bel had knowledge of the future, anything that made her go pale was definitely no laughing matter.

I'd better consider my options carefully...

As a professional coward, Mia's pulse quickened immediately at the hint of danger in the air.

I have a feeling I'm at a crossroads, and something very bad will happen if I take the wrong path.

Trusting in her instincts, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm honored... Yes, extremely honored that you'd consider me, but being a member of the council comes with serious responsibilities, and I worry about my ability to fulfill them. May I have some time to think it over?" she asked.

Rafina smiled.

"Of course. There's no rush, take your time." She took a sip of tea. Her smile remained, but it took on a more sober quality. "I must say though, for you to be so unmoved by the promise of power and prestige... It's really quite impressive."

"You flatter me with such remarks, Miss Rafina. I simply wish to avoid causing you trouble through my own inadequacy."

Copying Rafina, Mia reached for her cup and took a sip of tea. Only then did she realize how dry her mouth had become.