Chapter 138
"Are these all the urgent ones?"
Having completed the delayed approvals, Pastel sprawled out on the desk. Pink Hair covered the desk.
"Phew! It does feel a bit wrong to just leave my seat empty for so long. Though I had no choice but to hurry since it was an Order to Enter the Palace from His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!"
"Even if you leave the Approval Stamp behind, there will always be matters you have to approve yourself due to your position."
Ellie organized the Approval Documents that had been scattered when her Superior sprawled out.
"That's truuue."
Pastel rubbed her cheek against the cool surface of the desk.
Feeling cold~, feeling cool~.
"So, since I've received the Governorship, I think we need to do an Organizational Restructuring."
"You're going to establish the Governor-General's Office, right? I've already selected some potential sites for the building. Melissa."
"Yes."
Melissa tried to bring over the prepared report.
"No, no! You worked hard, but we don't need a site."
Pastel hurriedly waved her hands in denial.
"I'm only going to create the Governor-General's Office as a formality. Just on paper."
She flipped over a Rejection of Approval document and drew an organizational chart on the back with a fountain pen.
"Right now, because the Imperial Family abolished the Governor-General's Office and then neglected it because cleaning up the mess was too bothersome, we've had this rule-of-thumb system where the Academy Chancellor manages the Sky Island Administration. But now, we'll create related titles and departments under the Governor-General's Office, and have Chancellor Horace hold concurrent positions to neatly organize the scope and authority as a formality. Without much difference in the actual work or personnel!"
You could say it's getting a bit closer to a Modern Bureaucracy.
Ellie peered at the organizational chart.
"Like this? Isn't it worth trying a bold reform? Even though the Sky Island is vast, the residential areas are clustered together, so it would be worth trying to strengthen the Centralization of Power."
"Even so, this is no-risk in the long run. Ellie, you seem to be under some illusion because we're wielding power so freely, but it hasn't even been a year for us. Strengthening Foundations is more important."
"Ah. Is that so."
Melissa Stealthily approached and hovered around like a New Employee eavesdropping on a conversation between her Superior and mentor.
Then, seeing the organizational chart doodled on the very proposal where she had suggested the brilliant idea of having all students do dawn exercises to increase learning efficiency—which Pastel had smilingly crossed out with an X—she became slightly sullen.
Pastel looked at Melissa.
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
"No... It's just, listening to this, I don't understand. You've become the Governor-General, but you're saying you'll only neatly organize the existing tangled duties and keep things as they were?"
"Yep, yep! You catch on fast!"
"Instead of doing that, can't we build the Governor-General's Office?"
She had worked hard on selecting a site while Pastel was returning, so she seemed somewhat disappointed now that it had become unnecessary work.
"Authority and dignity aren't created by a title alone. Even with Your Imperial Majesty's sword by your side, concepts cannot shatter all ignorance. Sometimes, you need to express it with something visible."
Melissa pointed in the direction of the Capital.
"Just as the Imperial Palace must be splendid and grand to uphold the dignity of the Imperial Family, there must be a Governor-General's Office building for the dignity of the Governor-General. Because there is no visible change as certain as Civil Engineering Work."
Wow!
A remark that would make the Republican Pastel furious, thinking: Are you suggesting we build a Popular Person Pastel Statue?! That's a great, no, a terrible idea! An absolutely terrible idea! But if someone else builds it for me, it would be a waste of the money spent, so I might just have to accept it~!
Fury!
Fuuury!
Expressing her anger by clenching both fists tightly, Pastel enthusiastically imagined the Popular Person Pastel Statue.
A Banjjakbanjjak Pastel Statue.
The corners of her mouth loosened into a Grinning expression.
When there was no answer, Ellie replied instead.
"I agree. But as Pastel said, we aren't even in our first year of power yet. The Academy, which is the core of our power, isn't perfectly secured yet, so there's no need to unnecessarily give off the nuance that we're transferring power over there by building a Governor-General's Office."
"Aha. It's similar to how an Imperial Commander would deliberately stay on-site during a Noble Alliance Troops deployment to ensure there's no Command Dispute. Thanks to Pastel residing in the Academy and showing her presence, no unsavory conflicts or backlash arise within the Academy."
"Right. Our period in power hasn't been long enough for us to feel secure about managing our house without residing close by."
"Yep, yep! That's it!"
Although Ellie's explanation was lacking in some parts, Pastel roughly agreed to save the dignity of her Senior-most Mentor and stretched widely.
"Uwaaang!"
Her arms stretched all the way out and then relaxed.
"Haa! That's refreshing."
She looked over the approved Bundle of Documents.
"There are no more documents to approve, right?"
"No more."
"Anything to report?"
"Nothing."
"Really? Alcier!"
The silver-haired girl, who had been rejected from office work due to her terrible handwriting and was instead watering the potted plants on the Window Sill, looked back.
"Hm?"
"I saw that an Application for Leave of Absence hasn't been submitted?"
"Hm?"
"Application for Leave of Absence!"
"Hm?"
"Hm?"
Pastel and Alcier both ended up in a state of confusion.
Ueh.
"Is something the matter?"
Melissa wondered.
Oing.
From what I heard from His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, the Eldest Son of House Bellamont unfortunately died due to an Assassination by Radical Demons, right?
I naturally thought Alcier would have submitted an Application for Leave of Absence and prepared to return to the Ducal Family, but she hadn't.
Why is her reaction like this?
It's serious news, so Melissa, who should have found out alongside her, didn't seem to know at all either.
If so, the cause is...
Pastel looked around the Student Council Room. Her gaze went to Melissa, Ellie, and Alcier before landing on Dustin, who was just standing there.
"Dustin! Go fetch some water!"
"Huh?"
"Our potted plant friend says it wants to drink more water! Go fetch some water! And while you're at it, climb the back mountain and get some good river water from the very peak!"
"What river water from the very peak...?"
"Hurry! Hurry!"
"What are you doing not going?"
When Ellie scolded him, Dustin moved in bewilderment.
"No, the very peak is, no."
The door to the Student Council Room closed.
Pastel looked back at Alcier again.
"Alcier! An Application for Leave of Absence hasn't been submitted?"
The silver-haired girl tilted her head.
"Why the same words?"
Oing.
Pastel's expression turned serious. She crossed her arms and pondered deeply before looking back and forth between Melissa and Ellie.
Her gaze stopped on Melissa.
"Melissa! You also go get river water from the very peak—"
"If you're going to talk about a secret, please be direct."
Ellie lightly tapped her pink crown with the Bundle of Documents.
"Ouch!"
Pastel rubbed the top of her head. Her face instantly turned into a crying expression.
Uwaaang!
I've suffered insubordination...!
I like doing it, but I hate having it done to me...!
Ellie looked at Alcier.
"It seems something happened that warrants submitting an Application for Leave of Absence, what is it? If it's difficult to talk about, should we all step out except for Pastel?"
"Hm?"
Alcier thought for a moment, then put on a look of realization.
"That? I don't mind talking about it."
"Ah, really?"
Then Dustin went out for nothing!
I hope the river water from the very peak is tasty!
Pastel cleared her throat.
"Ahem!"
She put on a serious expression.
"There's unfortunate news. House Bellamont was attacked by terrorists, and Alcier's Older Brother? Rival? Anyway, someone like that passed away."
"Yeah."
A calm reaction.
"What?!"
Melissa was more surprised than the person involved.
"What kind of tragedy is that? No, more importantly, Bellamont. You seemed to already know, so why haven't you told us until now?"
"Hm?"
Alcier looked at her quizzically.
"Why should I?"
"Pardon? We're friends, aren't we."
Alcier's expression turned serious. She pondered during a moment of silence, then slowly nodded.
"That is true."
"Did you just have to think about that?!"
Uwat.
"Wait! Wait!"
Pastel hurriedly blocked the space between the two.
"We're in the middle of work, so nooo more personal conversations!"
When the conversation stopped, Pastel cleared her throat again.
"Ahem!"
How should I put it.
"Anyway, because of that, I thought you would have submitted an Application for Leave of Absence, but it wasn't there. What happened? Don't you have to return to the Northern Mountains?"
Isn't it an urgent matter since it's a massive incident that tangles up the Succession Structure too?
No, more than that, it's a matter of a family member dying.
Oing.
Come to think of it, since it was a Blood Relative Rival who tried to Assassinate Alcier, maybe it's a waste to call him family?
Alcier finally showed a different reaction. She hesitated, then muttered in a drained voice.
"I don't know. My older sister did send a letter telling me to return quickly, but..."
She had a somewhat exhausted expression.
Ah, I see.
True, she was Restrained by her own flesh and blood, eventually chased out of the Northern Mountains to the Academy, and even faced an Assassination Threat after that.
Rather than feeling motivated, it made sense that she would want to distance herself completely from this matter and find peace of mind.
Pastel held Alcier's hands.
The snowflake-like friend born in the Northern Mountains had a cool body temperature, just like her origins.
"If you don't want to, you don't have to go! Forget about such headache-inducing things and let's have fun here! It's always fun when you play with me!"
Alcier stared blankly.
"Is it...?"
"Of course!"
The pink girl smiled brightly.
"Sit here! I'll make you some warm cocoa—"
"No. You must go."
Melissa stopped Pastel's actions. Her Blue Eyes looked firmly at Alcier.
"Everything you wore and grew up with was thanks to the sacrifices of the Vassals. Even if you are soiled in mud and roll down mountain paths, it wouldn't be more valuable than the drops of blood that fed and kept you alive. Do not run away; prove your worth as a Noble, Alcier Bellamont."
Oh.
Alcier silently stared at Melissa for a while.
Then, she formed a subtle smile.
"That's true."
It didn't take long for the girl to pack her bags and leave.
Evening shadows fell over the Student Council Room.
Pastel leaned deeply into her chair.
Resting her chin on her hand, she thought for a moment before smiling softly.
"How scary~."