“Ahahaha!”
The clear and youthfulughter of a boy filled the air.
Yet thatughter soon shattered, dispersing coldly against the stone walls.
Inquisitor Javert.
The boy crouched down, wiping away blood stter from his face.
“Brother—no, straymb, you don’t want to end up like that sheep over there, stripped of not just its wool but its skin, do you?”
“Mmmph! Mmmph!”
“Then just speak honestly. What are you releasing in Lichten?”
“I-I don’t know…!”“Haa. This won’t do.”
There was no visible movement.
Javert’s hands didn’t even stir.
Yet—
<em>Thud!</em>
With a dull sound, arge man copsed onto the stone floor.
“If only everyone would talk when I ask nicely, I wouldn’t have to keep searching for new people.”
Javert looked up at the blood-stained stone wall and grinned brightly.
◆
“A gathering. Hosting a gathering for the first time.”
Elena muttered absentmindedly, walking aimlessly after leaving the student council hall.
“Have there been gatherings before?”
“Yes, there have been a few small ones! Usually, gatherings are considered minor headaches for the student council. Neers like me would just ask the participants to disperse, and it’d usually end quickly. Sometimes, there wasn’t even a need to step in.”
“Hmm. Do they usually not attract many people?”
“Exactly! I’ve been dispatched twice, and both times, there were fewer than three attendees. So, to be honest, I’m scared. Gathering 300 people feels impossible.”
I see.
Indeed, most of the students at Lichten Academy are sharp ande from influential families.
Convincing such people isn’t easy.
Now we’re tasked with gathering 300 of them.
“<em>Haah</em>…”
It wasn’t me but Elena who sighed.
“As a member of the student council, participating in a gathering feels… unsettling.”
“Understandable, I suppose.”
“In that case, I’ll just slip away quietly—”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Ugh!”
You’re not going anywhere.
Every person counts.
“But can’t we just pay people to gather?”
At my question, Elena looked horrified.
“Absolutely not! That’s out of the question!”
“Why?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but anyway, no!”
Silvia stepped in to exin instead of Elena.
“You could be prosecuted under imperialw for conscripting private forces.”
“Conscripting private forces?”
“Yes. Offering money to gather people in a public space, for any reason, is strictly prohibited by imperialw. This isn’t just a matter of school regtions.”
“What a shame.”
“It is.”
Beside us, Elena stomped her feet anxiously.
“What should we do, brother? I don’t know how to hold a gathering! I don’t even know how to bring people together!”
Elena spoke, but Lina seemed to agree silently.
Meanwhile, ckie, perched on my shoulder, was dozing off.
Silvia crossed her arms, her expression serious.
“We have less than six hours left. Gathering 300 people won’t be easy, especially if it’s for a politically charged purpose. We need to act quickly.”
A cold, calcted analysis.
Silvia’s icy tone hit the core of the issue.
It was a sharp reminder that we were alreadyte.
Considering the peculiarities of Lichten Academy—where gathering people is particrly challenging—it was clear that our situation was dire.
“But I decided to take a slightly different approach.”
“A different approach?”
Silvia tilted her head in curiosity.
“We’re not going to hold a gathering.”
“Then what are we doing?”
“A protest.”
“A protest…?”
Silvia narrowed her eyes as if questioning the distinction. Unable to hold back, Elena interjected.
“What exactly is a protest?”
“It’s a bit more intense and fun than a gathering. We gather, sing songs, and light candles when it gets dark.”
“Oh—.”
Elena, ever simple and excitable, was immediately intrigued by the idea.
That’s what a protest is like.
From the outside, it may seem intimidating, but once you step in and participate, it’s often fun.
Humans are social creatures, and emotions spread easily in such settings.
Sometimes, protests escte to violence, but I don’t n to go that far.
The goal is just to create a space where people cane together and have fun.
With a few meaningful slogans and signs, of course.
“But this seems prettyplicated. Will people really gather in suchrge numbers within six hours? If I saw a big crowd, I might feel a bit intimidated myself.”
Lina tilted her head, raising a fair point—she had a knack for understanding social dynamics.
“A protest isn’t all thatplicated.”
“Notplicated? How so?”
The group, except for Danya, looked at me with puzzled expressions. Silvia was among them, her curiosity evident.
“Protests are a form of <em>fashion</em>.”
“… What?”
“It’s about making participants feel cool and important for being part of something.”
A well-designed sign with a catchy slogan.
Holding it gives participants a sense of superiority, like they’re part of something meaningful.
The sense of belonging from being surrounded by like-minded people eventually pulls them into the protest itself.
“Isn’t that a bit materialistic?”
Silvia’s critique was sharp, and I nodded.
“In a proper protest, it’s true that people gather out of genuine conviction. But.”
“But?”
“What we’re doing is different. We need to gather as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.”
“Right.”
“If we can’t make them understand our purpose right away, we’ll appeal to their sense of style instead.”
Silvia tapped her chin thoughtfully and murmured.
“… That sounds almost too urate.”
“Right?”
“Ian… you might actually be a genius.”
… What?
Caught off guard by the unexpectedpliment, I barely noticed Elena sidling up to me with sparkling eyes.
“So, how do we do this protest? It’s my first time!”
Her eager gaze sparkled like stars.
With that kind of enthusiasm, there was nothing to worry about.
Before arriving here, I had seen and learned plenty of things.
That’s why I sent Silvia ahead earlier—to prepare for this moment.
“Silvia, did you bring the things I asked for?”
“Yes, they should be delivered to the za by now.”
As she said, the supplies had arrived at the central za.
ck signs with white letters—perfectly Instagrammable.
They looked great for photos but also suited the silent protest concept we were aiming for.
ck disposable masks to match the theme of a quiet, solemn demonstration.
And candles to light as night fell.
With this, everything was ready.
“Oh, right.”
I opened Kirtos and searched for a name.
◆
Lichten Academy Newspaper Club.
Chief Editor: Brody.
Upon receiving Ian’s message, Brody grabbed her camera and rushed to the central za in front of the academy’s main student council building.
“<em>Huff, huff</em>!”
Brody adored Ian ckangers.
Absolutely adored him.
Wherever he goes, he creates stories worth writing about.
The revival of the Lichten Academy Newspaper Club—its newfound glory—is over 90% thanks to Ian ckangers.
“What kind of stunt is he pulling this time?”
Was her heart pounding from running, or from the anticipation of Ian’s next unpredictable move?
Brody couldn’t tell.
She arrived at the central za, panting heavily.
“<em>Huff… Huff</em>!”
Bending over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath, Brody finally raised her head.
And she was stunned.
The once in and boring za had been transformed into something extraordinary.
The dimming sunlight blended with warm orange halogen lights, casting an atmospheric glow.
In this moody setting, a girl bustled about energetically.
“Many cats are being driven to their doom. Why not extend a small hand of kindness? Join us and help save these poor cats!”
ck cat ears.
A ck mask.
A ck tail.
It was Lina Rosewell, holding signs and masks in her hands as she moved through the crowd.
— <em>Click!</em>
Without realizing it, Brody raised her magitech camera and captured the moment.
The image of Lina on her camera was wless, like a magazine photoshoot.
Her striking appearance was part of it, but more than that, the entire atmosphere of the ce was captivating.
Passersby began to gather, drawn by the scene’s unique charm.
Then, a young girl rushed over to Brody.
“Donations can be made over he—ugh!”
The girl’s enthusiasm was abruptly interrupted as Ian ckangers, the very man who had summoned Brody, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.
“Calm down, Elena. You made it, Brody? Ignore her; she’s too excited and doesn’t even realize what she’s doing.”
“Ah… yeah.”
Still dazed, Brody shook her head and asked Ian.
“Is this… some kind of festival?”
“No. It’s not a festival—it’s a protest.”
“A protest?”
“Exactly.”
Ian began to exin.
“You’ve heard about the Academy’s announcement to dispose of stray cats, right?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“I want to stop it. Cats are precious living beings. Actually, it’s not just cats—all life is precious, no matter how small.”
“Ah.”
“For the sake of all life, I want to protect the cats.”
Ian nced around, and Brody followed his gaze.
More than 100 people had gathered.
All wearing ck masks.
Holding candles.
Carrying ck signs with elegant lettering.
[ <em>Together with Cats</em> ]
[ <em>Even Small Lives Matter</em> ]
[ <em>Stop the Removal of Cats</em> ]
Brody, who had been snapping photos fervently, suddenly thought…
“Ah.”
She wanted to join the protest herself.
◆
“<em>Mmmng!</em>”
Beckett stretched and nced at the documents she had been reviewing.
[ 19:00 ]
The clock’s hands pointed to 7 PM.
Ian ckangers had only one hour left of the 24 hours given to him.
Beckett stood and stepped out of the student council building, heading for the central za.
“Three hundred people? There’s no way he could’ve done it. Honestly, I bet he couldn’t even gather ten.”
<em>Pfft!</em>
With a light scoff, Beckett quickened her pace toward where Ian was supposed to be.