Chapter 40: Benefits of Crownbearer
"What have I done to deserve this title now?" Vlad asked with a deep, weary sigh.
"I know you joined because of Spanky Girl," Chloe revealed in a low voice that only Vlad could hear.
’S-Spanky Girl? Is this the name she came up with for Seraphina?’ he gasped inwardly. He didn’t know whether to laugh at the ridiculous nickname or to cry for Chloe’s future if Seraphina ever heard it. He was too exhausted to give her any parenting lessons at the moment.
"Yeah, I joined because of her."
He certainly hadn’t chosen his words wisely. A frown appeared on Chloe’s face as she pinched his skin and twisted it.
"That really hurts, you know!" Vlad muttered, rubbing the reddened patch left behind.
Without another word, Chloe took the application form from Sophia’s hand, filled in her information, and submitted it as well.
"That is surprising. You didn’t agree to join the Student Council yesterday," Sophia said, equal parts happy and bewildered. She had approached her the previous night on their way back to the dorms, but Chloe had refused without hesitation. Sophia’s boundless energy had been too much for her, and she hadn’t wanted any extra headaches. But things were different now. She absolutely hated the idea of leaving oblivious Vlad and that vixen Spanky Girl together without any supervision.
Max, naturally, signed the form as well. Unlike the two of them, he had genuinely wanted to join the council from the start.
"Hehe, that went smoother than I expected," Sophia chuckled, tucking the three forms neatly under her arm.
She exchanged numbers with Vlad and Max. Before she could turn to leave, Vlad lightly tapped her arm.
"Senior, could I have a word with you?"
Sophia blinked, then tilted her head with a curious smile. "Oh? Sure."
They talked seperately from the group for a few minutes. She gave a single nod, as if an unspoken agreement had been reached between them. Sophia then left, taking Chloe with her toward the dorms.
---
"Why were you so excited about joining the council?" Vlad asked Max as the two walked beneath the bright lamps lining the stone path toward their dormitory.
"You joined without even knowing the benefits?" Max exclaimed, staring at him with an expression caught somewhere between shock and genuine concern. Realising Vlad was serious, he launched into an explanation, his tone brimming with excitement. "There are countless benefits. No student can mess with the members of the Student Council. The members receive a fixed amount of credits from the academy every month. On top of that, we can skip a certain number of lectures without facing any consequences. There are role-specific benefits as well, depending on the position you are assigned."
Vlad didn’t quite understand how skipping lectures counted as a benefit. Learning from the best was the sole reason he had enrolled at the academy. He didn’t particularly care about other students causing trouble either, since that would simply give him a chance to gauge the strength and wits of the country’s most promising talents. The monthly credits were the only genuinely useful perk, but he already had more than enough of those.
"You don’t seem very interested," Max said, noticing the unimpressed expression on Vlad’s face. He released a sigh and continued, "Why would you be? You are the Crownbearer, after all."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Vlad asked, his brows furrowing. He didn’t particularly care for the title, since it dragged along an unpleasant meeting with a terrifying tigress.
"Don’t tell me you don’t know anything about the Crownbearer either!"
Vlad shook his head. "Is there anything more to it than the title?"
"Bruhhhh!!!!!!!! How could you be so underinformed!?" Max exclaimed, grabbing him by both shoulders and shaking him before launching into a full explanation.
"Each year has a Crownbearer that the seniors select based on performance in the Orientation competition. Last year, Lady Cendral held the title. The student who earns it receives all the benefits of a Student Council member, along with exclusive access to certain sections of the Arcane Archives. Not only that, the Crownbearer receives a full scholarship and gains eligibility to participate in the Arena Rankings, though I wouldn’t recommend entering just yet."
The words ’full scholarship’ immediately wiped away his long face, his teeth gleaming with happiness. Elaria had given him two gold coins, the savings of many years, believing they might cover the academy fees for the first year. But after enrolling, Vlad realized that Argentum taels were useless here. The first semester was free, but from the second semester onward, the fees had to be paid in the form of Credits. So, a parent’s influence was useless here. The students were on their own when it came to surviving in the academy. And with the Crownbearer’s title, another one of Vlad’s headaches was now gone.
’I must return that gold coin to Mother during vacation,’ Vlad decided inwardly.
Meanwhile, Max paused briefly before delivering the final detail, his eyes shining with such intensity that Vlad almost felt blinded by them.
"The Crownbearer can request a personal meeting with the Principal, provided the reason is justified."
Now Vlad was even more interested. Interested was, in fact, a gross understatement for what surged through him in that moment. He could actually meet the Legend in person. The master of the Four Heroes. The one whom even The Legendary Knight held in reverence.
Lirien Argent Sigvorn, founder of the Arcane Academy, a mysterious figure who had presided over this vast campus for the past eight hundred years.
"Bro, you need a genuinely justified reason to request that meeting, or the consequences could be disastrous," Max added quickly, growing visibly uneasy at the unfiltered smile spreading across Vlad’s face.
"Yeah, I understand, man. Thanks for the information," Vlad said, clapping him on the shoulder before walking ahead.
’Did I make a mistake telling him that?’ Max whimpered inwardly, staring at Vlad’s retreating figure. ’I really hope he doesn’t cause any trouble.’
He hurried after him, followed by the mechanical whir of his bots and mini-cart moving behind him, and revealed,
"Bro, the title can be stripped away as well."
Vlad stopped for a moment, his expression turning serious as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"As I said, other students can challenge you for the title of Crownbearer. And if you lose to them, you’ll lose the title as well."
His voice turned grave with worry as he continued, "After the stunt you pulled today, the first-years will be out for both your blood and the title."
