Chapter 686: LWH Chapter 674: It Wasn't Written by AI at All!

“Sorry for the intrusion!”

Amakusa Shino stood at the doorway of the activity room with hands on her hips, her tone light and confident, her face showing not a trace of apology for intruding on others, feeling as at ease as if she had arrived at her own familiar turf.

“That’s something you should say before entering,” Asakura raised his hand to close the video playing in the upper right corner of the computer, his movements methodical and his tone carrying a bit of customary jab.

After all, as Sobu High’s ‘Shadow Student Council President’, he still possessed at least this much poise.

“Does the Student Council President have some business at the Service Club?”

Yukino gently closed the open textbook in her hands and looked up at the visitor, asking in a calm tone.

“I came looking for Asakura.”

Amakusa Shino answered crisply.

A visibly speechlessly exasperated look of ‘I knew it’ appeared on Yukino’s face.

Though by now, many things had ceased to matter to her anyway.

Having witnessed those supernatural powers hidden beneath the world’s surface, she had long stopped clinging to the so-called real thing as she used to.

Yet as the original owner of this activity room, whenever someone ran over here looking for someone to talk to, only for it to be completely unrelated to the Service Club itself, she still couldn’t help but feel helpless.

Maybe I should mention it to Hiratsuka-sensei and find another classroom for Asakura and his Magic Club to use as an activity room.

The girl thought so in her heart. But when she instinctively looked toward Asakura and the others, imagining—or rather recalling—the empty and desolate look of the activity room when those people weren’t around, she immediately tossed that thought deep into the recycling bin in her mind labeled non-recyclable.

It’s not that I’m reluctant to part with them; it’s just that an environment with a bit of white noise makes it easier to concentrate, that’s all, the girl told herself in her heart.

“Are you looking for the Student Council President’s spare seal? Let me check where it was put…”

Asakura spoke casually while bending down to rummage through the cabinet beside the computer desk.

In the end, he only pulled out a large stash of cheap snacks used to deal with Yanami, their colorful packaging piled into a quite magnificent little mountain on the desk.

“Looks like I have reasonable cause to suspect your club budget has been spent in strange places,” Amakusa Shino teased with great interest, gazing at the pile of snacks.

“Unfortunately, whether it’s the Magic Club or the Service Club, neither possesses such a thing as a club budget,” Yukino said clearly.

“No, actually the Magic Club does have a club budget,” Asakura chimed in out of nowhere.

Yukino instantly shot him a gaze that almost looked at a traitor.

“Though it’s very little, probably only enough to buy two cups of instant noodles,” Asakura spread his hands.

A large portion of which had already gone into Yanami’s stomach.

From that perspective, Amakusa Shino’s suspicion wasn’t actually wrong…

“Speaking of which, the Magic Club can actually already apply to the student council for an increased club budget, right?” Asagumo pressed a finger against her lower lip, speaking thoughtfully, “The club membership has fully met the standard, the advisor is registered under Hiratsuka-sensei, and club activities are being properly conducted…”

Amakusa Shino looked at the snack mountain on the desk, then glanced at Yanami, who was secretly stuffing snacks into her own pocket, her eyebrows raising slightly as she made a classic Dwayne Johnson-esque furrowed-brow confused expression, “…Club activities?”

“That is purely Yanami-san’s personal behavior,” Asagumo said without hesitation.

“Instantly cut ties?!” Yanami was shocked. “I joined the Magic Club in the first place because Asakura-kun said snacks would be provided! Now I can only get a bit per day… feels like a bit of a loss…” The girl grumbled on and on, turning toward the wall to mutter in low spirits for some reason.

“By the way, what are the Magic Club’s club activities again?” Anon asked Yui in a low voice beside her.

A pure expression completely uncontaminated by knowledge also appeared on Yui’s face as she shook her head lightly.

“They’re essentially academic reports. Recently, if I remember correctly, it should be reports on the transition of magic in modern occult definitions, as well as some magic decryption reports,” Asagumo explained out loud. “I’ve submitted them all to the student council on time.”

“Well, now that you mention it, there does seem to be such a thing…”

As Student Council President, Amakusa Shino didn’t really review such club reports personally, leaving most of them directly to other student council members to process, so she could only mumble vaguely.

Under the desk, Asakura quietly gave Asagumo a thumb’s up.

After all, things like club activity reports were supposed to be his job as president, except he had long forgotten about it completely.

Fortunately, with Miss Asagumo, the true pillar of the Magic Club, silently cleaning up his messes, he was saved.

Without Miss Asagumo, this family would fall apart.

Asagumo gave Asakura a charming, bright smile.

“Excellent! Then at the next club meeting, I will lead an elegant rebellion against the student council!” Asakura withdrew his gaze and announced in all seriousness.

“Then I’ll just disband your club! President Nijima has retired, and my power as Student Council President now is unlimited!”

Amakusa Shino also matched Asakura’s antics enthusiastically.

“If possible, please do not make a racket in someone else’s activity room,” Yukino, getting a bit of a headache from the noise, lightly rubbed her temples, “President Amakusa, you coming all the way here wasn’t just to put on this kind of boring skit with Asakura-kun, right?”

“Ah right, I almost forgot main business. Since Asagumo and Yukinoshita are both here, let’s just discuss it together,” Amakusa Shino reined in her joking demeanor. “Actually, as for what I came to find you for this time, I reckon you’ve probably guessed it already.”

“The first part of the Triwizard Tournament, the three-school joint exam,” Asakura nodded, offhandedly pointing out her purpose, “Right?”

“Mm, specifically the exam portion of the tournament. First off are some exam tricks—let me confirm first: doing the true/false, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank questions at the front first, and immediately requesting the next test paper upon finishing them—you’re all well aware of this basic technique, right?” Amakusa Shino asked everyone.

“Is there a trick to that?” Yui asked.

“Because generally speaking, the front portion of a test paper accounts for 60% of the total score, but the actual time required is usually only around 40% of the entire exam duration, making it the section with the highest value for time,” Yukino explained offhandedly: “If it’s purely for scores, desperately doing these simple problems within the time limit to rake in as many points as possible is the optimal strategy.”

“Then do we just give up on the points in the back?” Yui was a bit surprised.

“Leave aside whether it’s even possible to finish every single paper within the exam time limit, even if one actually could, the proctors wouldn’t possibly forbid you from ‘checking the parts you’ve already completed.’ At that time, you can just go back and fill in some simple, high-value-for-time big questions.”

Asakura also chimed in.

Although Sobu High’s top students hadn’t specifically discussed this beforehand, anyone who could score up to this ranking surely shared a similar consensus to some extent.

“Exactly. So regarding exam techniques, I have nothing more to add. Next up are the rules of the exam… Well, although they are mostly basic exam room guidelines, Shuchiin probably wants to show off some of their generosity and poise or whatever. In short, our side is also allowed to propose or modify some of the competition rules.” Amakusa Shino pulled out several handouts from who-knows-where, speaking as she handed them to Asakura, “Do you have any suggestions you’d like to bring up regarding this?”

Asakura took the handouts and casually passed one of them to Asagumo.

Asagumo, wearing a gentle smile, passed the paper printed with the current competition rules on to Yukino.

Facing the gaze Yukino cast her way, she said in an easygoing tone: “Takuma-kun and I can just share one copy; Yukinoshita-san, you can have this one.”

Yukino said nothing, merely accepting the handout in silence.

“Yukinon, I want to see too!” Then, Yui leaned over innocently like a docile golden retriever.

Yukino: “…”

“Actually, there’s no need to be so courteous. If there aren’t enough, I actually brought a few more copies…” Amakusa Shino was just about to keep pulling out more when she was interrupted by a smiling Asagumo.

“That won’t be necessary.” She had already picked up her chair and naturally sat right next to Asakura.

“Is it really not needed?” Amakusa Shino had already pulled out a fresh handout from her chest—a move that caused her originally tight and erect chest to deflate instantly, carrying an extraordinarily huge visual impact.

“It. Is. Not. Necessary.” Asagumo maintained her gentle smile, yet the momentum behind that smile was abnormally intense.

“…”

And so Amakusa Shino could only silently spread out the extra handout—which faintly carried a subtle fragrance—in front of herself.

“Huh, don’t we need one?” Anon pointed at herself in confusion.

After all, apart from Yui, the only one in the activity room receiving similar treatment to hers was Yanami.

“Anon-san, right? Although your grades as a transfer student are pretty decent, among the first-years you’re only upper-middle tier at best. Right now, you aren’t considered battle strength, so it’s fine if you don’t look at it.”

Amakusa Shino said in a rather businesslike manner.

Anon, who in middle school was also a top-performing student council president excelling in both academics and sports, felt the world’s harsh disparity so clearly for the very first time.

Dammit, if I hadn’t wasted my studies during my time studying abroad because I couldn’t understand what the teacher was gibbering about…

“It’s all London’s fault…” The pink-haired girl gritted her tiny tiger fangs and muttered in a low voice.

“Isn’t the scale of the blamed target a bit too large?” Amakusa Shino calmly jabbed, then looked over at Asakura, “So, Asakura-kun, do you have any ideas?”

“Regarding the clause ‘pets are not allowed in the examination room,’ I have my doubts,” Asakura said with a solemn face, “Can it be abolished?”

“…You wouldn’t happen to be thinking of bringing Hiratsuka-sensei into the exam room, claiming she’s your pet, and then having her solve the questions for you, would you?” Amakusa Shino narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Of course not,” Asakura shook his head, “Except for Japanese, her scores in other subjects might not even be as high as mine.”

“Then what specifically are you dissatisfied with? After all, the final approval authority for this set of rules rests with Shuchiin. So even I can’t just say ‘Sure, let’s delete it~’ and directly modify it for you,” Amakusa Shino said. “It’d be best if you had specific objections.”

Asakura said in all seriousness: “If pets aren’t allowed, then wouldn’t there be no way to bring Akam*ru onto the field? K*ba wouldn’t be able to participate in the exam then.”

“Regrettably, the scope of this exam does not include ninjutsu.”

Toward Asakura playing dumb, Amakusa Shino jabbed without a shred of mercy.

“Then taking a step back… Yanami wouldn’t be able to enter the exam room either, would she?” Asakura continued with righteous severity.

“Huh? Am I a pet too?” Yanami froze completely.

“You’re a mascot,” Asakura replied earnestly.

“Well, it is that Yanami after all,” Amakusa Shino also nodded in all seriousness.

“Why does the Student Council President have an ‘I understand~’ expression too?! Am I actually this famous in school?!” Yanami was shocked.

“After all, before summer break, someone in the student council even bet on when the Magic Club would be eaten into bankruptcy by you and forced to disband.”

“I feel like everyone has a massive misunderstanding about me!” Yanami slammed the table indignantly.

The snacks on the table also bounced up and down along with her movement.

“It’d be great if it really were a misunderstanding,” Asakura said plainly.

“What’s with that meaningful tone?! It is a misunderstanding!” Yanami said with teary eyes.

“How about this proposal, can it pass?” Asakura ignored the tearful girl, turning to ask Amakusa Shino instead.

“Although I’d like to say ‘No problem! Leave it to me!’, looking at it right now, I’m afraid there’s no way to convince Shuchiin,” Amakusa Shino shook her head.

“Then taking a step back, let them delete the rule ‘banning strange clothing and accessories from entering the exam room’,” Asakura said, seizing the momentum.

“Why…” Amakusa Shino was just about to ask when her gaze swept over Asakura’s outfit of bandages plus an eyepatch. She then nodded in sudden realization, “Mm, okay, I’ll give it a try.”

Although he was once again taken for a chuunibyou, Asakura thought nothing of it.

Rather, seeing that his objective had been achieved, the corners of Asakura’s mouth curled up in an imperceptible smirk.

In truth, this single clause was his target from the very beginning.

Although Asakura currently held a firm grip on the rank one spot in his grade, he was no true academic god in the absolute sense.

Behind his composure, aside from the lingering benefits of having successfully gotten into a decent university in his past life, he mostly relied on his stronger mental power and willpower as a magician compared to ordinary people (which was why Asakura had only been near the top previously, and only officially surpassed Yukino to become rank one in his grade after acquiring magic), coupled with the efficiency forcefully stacked up during study sessions by the Sorting Hat’s built-in mind-refreshing effect.

If there were no opportunity, then so be it. But now that there was a chance to make reasonable use of the rules, Asakura naturally had to secure an advantageous position for himself within the rules.

When the time comes to directly wear the Sorting Hat while taking the joint exam, his grasp on seizing victory will surely be several points greater.