The Anomaly's Path

I walked down the grand hallways of the central administrative building, following the silent student council representative. My hands were shoved deep into my pockets.

My mind was spinning. Why did Elian call for me? I hadn’t done anything wrong recently. I hadn’t destroyed any academy property in the last few days, and I hadn’t started any unauthorized fights. But then, a cold chill ran down my spine.

Wait... what if it wasn’t Elian who called me? What if it was Sylvia?

My stomach dropped. Did she find out? Did she discover that I asked Seris out last night? They were close friends. If Seris told her, Sylvia would lose her mind. She would probably try to kill me for going after her friend right under her nose.

Fuck...

I swallowed hard and forced myself to calm down as the representative stopped in front of two big, polished doors. The student nodded slightly and gestured for me to enter. I took a breath, nodded stiffly, and pushed the doors open.

The room inside was huge, with a long polished wooden table.

At the head of the table sat Elian Silvanis, the Student Council President. His long silver hair caught the light, and his golden eyes crinkled with a charming, almost smug smile as he looked at me. To his right sat my sister Sylvia. Her long black hair was straight, her ocean-blue eyes sharp and commanding as she glared at me.

Next to Sylvia sat Seris.

She looked as blank and unreadable as always. Her deep crimson eyes met mine for a moment before she looked away, quietly picking at a plate of snacks.

Around the table were several other council members from second and third year.

I spotted Cynthia, the energetic announcer with her long purple hair in a high ponytail and her black coat loose over her shoulders. The rest of the council was a mix of races — humans, elves, beastkin, dwarves, and even a cold-faced vampire noble.

But what really made me frown was the group on the left side of the table.

Arthur sat straight with his black hair and glowing golden eyes. Next to him was Cordelia, her strawberry-blonde hair pinned up with silver pins, her green eyes watching me with a proud frown. Beside her sat Riven, his ash-blonde hair perfectly swept back, his eyes narrowed.

Seeing the other three first-year class leaders sitting together, a heavy weight dropped in my chest. Yeah, this is going to be a pain in the ass.

”Ah, Leo! You’re finally here,” Elian said, his smooth voice bringing me out of my thoughts.

I walked down the room and pulled out the chair at the far end, sitting directly across from Elian. The long table stretched between us like a battlefield, with the other council members and class leaders on both sides.

I leaned back, crossed my legs, and looked at him flatly.

”So, why did you ask for my precious presence? Let me tell you right now, it might not look like it, but I am a very busy person. I had a lot of things to do today. I just hope the time I am about to waste here is actually worth it.”

The whole room went silent.

Several second and third-year seniors stared at me with pure disbelief. Of course, most of them already knew about my reputation — that the first-year Primus was an arrogant, reckless bastard, but actually seeing it in person was a different story.

”Hey,” a large third-year beastkin senior snapped, slamming his hand on the table. ”How dare you talk to the President like that? Nobody gave you permission to sit, yet you sit at the end of the table like you’re his equal?”

The senior stood up, his mana starting to rise. But before things could get worse, Elian casually raised his hand, stopping him.

”Now, now, let’s not make a scene,” Elian said, his charming smile never wavering.

”But President, this brat completely lacks respect—” the senior continued, clearly unsatisfied.

”Sit down, Torgar,” Elian cut him off a second time, his voice remaining light, but carrying a strange, unyielding weight that instantly made the large senior shut his mouth and drop back into his chair.

Elian leaned back in his own seat, sighing softly as his eyes locked onto me. ”Besides, Leo wasn’t just being rude. It was completely intentional, isn’t that right? You were purposefully provoking my members so that this meeting would fall apart, giving you a perfect excuse to escape.”

I clicked my tongue internally. Damn it, he caught on.

He was entirely right, but I was also secretly relieved. I had been scanning Sylvia’s face the whole time, and while she looked annoyed by my attitude, she didn’t look murderous. That meant she didn’t know about last night.

Still, I absolutely hated the idea of doing extra work. And honestly, I just didn’t like Elian’s face. His overly perfect, smiling expression reminded me of another incredibly annoying elf prince I had to deal with on a daily basis.

I looked straight at Elian, speaking flatly. ”Since you already know, can I go back to my class?”

”No,” Elian replied instantly, his smile wide.

”Can I refuse whatever you’re about to dump on me?”

”No.”

”Do I have no other choice?”

”No.”

”Is the task already decided?”

”Yes.”

”Fuck you.”

”Thank you,” Elian chuckled, completely unbothered by the curse.

I let out a heavy groan, leaning forward and rubbing my temples. ”Damn it... do I really have to do this? Don’t tell me this is related to me being the Primus?”

”More or less, yes,” Elian said, tapping his fingers on the polished wood.

”You see, as you already know, the preparation for the Academy Festival started this morning. You have two days to prepare, and on the third day, the main festival begins and the academy gates open to the public. The academy grounds are massive, and the academy city surrounding it is even larger.”

Elian’s expression turned slightly more serious.

”Right now, the student council and the official campus staff can handle the daily city affairs easily. But what do you think happens when thousands of outsiders, mercenaries, nobles, and people from different backgrounds and races suddenly gather in a single place?”

”It turns into absolute chaos,” I muttered dryly.

”Exactly,” Elian clapped his hands together, his golden eyes flashing.

”You really are a genius, Leo. That is where the student council comes in. Our duty for the next three days of the public festival is simple. We have to guard both the academy campus and the city affairs. If any fights break out, or if any suspicious activity occurs, we have to foresee it and suppress it immediately.”

He leaned forward, gesturing to the four of us sitting at the table. ”And that is where you all come in. I want the four first-year class leaders to assist us in patrolling and maintaining security.”

I frowned, looking at him. ”Alright, but how does that relate to me being the Primus? Why do I have to be dragged into this labor?”

”What do you think it means to hold the title of Primus, Leo?” Elian asked back, tilting his head.

”To be above everyone else,” I stated flatly.

”In a sense, you’re right. But no,” Elian shook his head.

”The Primus holds the highest authority among the first years, but that authority comes with actual duties. You are responsible for watching over the entire first-year students, maintaining order among them, and handling internal disputes when the faculty isn’t around. Tell me, how many of your official Primus duties have you actually performed since the semester started?”

I stiffened slightly, a brief silence settling over me. Internally, I started sweating. Have I done any? I ran through my memories. I had beaten up a few people, ignored a lot of rules, and spent most of my time trying to avoid responsibility.

I let out a fake, controlled cough, looking away from his piercing gaze. ”...Maybe one or two? I don’t really keep track.”

Sylvia let out a sharp, irritated scoff from across the room, clearly knowing I hadn’t done a single bit of work.

”You haven’t done any,” Elian exposed me directly, laughing softly. ”So consider this your official contribution. Besides, it isn’t free labor. You will all receive a massive amount of personal credit points, and your respective classes will also gain a significant boost in class points.”

Hearing about the class points, my mind immediately flashed back to Professor Morgana. If I refused this and we lost out on these points, she would definitely increase my training.

I bit the inside of my cheek, realizing I was completely cornered. ”...Fine. But I am setting a condition. I am not working overtime. The moment my shift ends, I am walking away, and you can’t stop me.”

Elian nodded approvingly. ”That is perfectly acceptable. We already have a structured rotation.”

_

With the agreement set, the meeting moved to security plans.

Elian introduced a few senior council members who would oversee different zones — like Bram, a dwarven senior who handled the defensive barriers, and Drake, a sharp-eyed vampire senior who ran the night patrols.

”Your jobs are simple,” Elian said, pointing to a tray on the table.

”Each of you will get a Student Council Enforcement Badge. This badge proves who you are and lets you step in during public disputes. You can also bring one or two trusted classmates to help you on your routes.”

The badges were passed around. I picked mine up — the silver metal was cold in my hand.

”Leo, your route will cover the main shopping district from morning to early evening,” Elian continued, looking at a map.

”Keep in mind, the daytime is busy, but the festival’s main events usually peak at night. So you need to be extra careful toward the end of your shift when the crowds get rowdy. If anything dangerous happens, you can call for backup right away.”

He tapped his own badge. ”Your mana signatures are already linked to the communication channel in these badges. You will get live updates and can talk directly to your assigned squads.”

Elian stood up, straightening his uniform. ”Tomorrow morning, I will finalize your team assignments and pair you with the seniors you will work under. For now, focus on your class prep. You are dismissed.”

Arthur, Cordelia, and Riven stood up, bowed slightly to the seniors, and left. I stood too, tossing the badge lightly in my hand before shoving it into my pocket. I didn’t say a word. I turned and walked out, my mind already weighed down by the exhausting days ahead.

First a chaotic food stall. Then dealing with annoying tourists. And then a date—no, I mean a dinner with Seris.

I sighed heavily as the doors shut behind me.