"All the troops led under the banners of House Frost had been found unconscious in the middle of the street. The residents had reported that they were evacuated as a man in black had blocked the path for the troops. Maybe there had been a confrontation between the two, but the incident had caught everyone off guard..."
"All the troops under the Frosts were led by a Diamond 1 named Danzi, who many of you might be aware of. He is the same..."
"There have also been reports of the authorities that had participated in the rescue mission being subdued beside the Frost troops. Officer Remrys being the one to lead themâ"
The screen was abruptly shut down, as silence once again enveloped the student council room.
The same news had been repeated several times in the last few days, as it had become a topic of discussion for everyone to comment on.
Victoria sat behind her desk as usual, her eyes closed, as she tried to distract herself from the news.
"These things tend to happen from time to time, so just forget about it."
A soft voice spoke from the side, making Victoria give a small sigh.
"Do they?"
Ella just blinked her eyes at Victoriaâs question.
"Well... I know this was a first, but you donât have to worryâ"
"What are the reactions from the public?"
Victoria leaned back in her chair as she asked the question.
Ella didnât reply as she found it hard to give an answer that would be the most strategic in this case.
The peopleâ
"Within some days everyone would forget about it."
That was all that Ella could say.
"And the students?"
Victoria, seeing that Ella was being careful with her words, maintained the core of the question while changing its direction.
Ella shook her head before sitting on a chair across Victoriaâs desk.
"Have you ever heard about a Vulture?"
On Ellaâs question, Victoria just looked blankly at her friend, as she thought about the word.
"Some monster?"
Victoria had read the word somewhere, but at the moment, with her mind being filled with distractions, she couldnât exactly pinpoint the meaning.
"Not exactly, but maybe... you could call it that."
Even Ella wasnât sure about the exact origin of the word, though she knew how to use it in the current scenario.
"I had read it in some book. It was a bird in the past, or you could call it a monster too... Its source of food had always been the dead."
"..."
It didnât take Victoria long to understand what Ella was trying to say.
"You see, these students and the public... the ones without actual power are like Vultures... trying to prey on those that have fallen out of power or are in their worst phase of life. Soâ"
"So?"
"You donât have to concern yourself with what these Vultures say or think about you or your house. Itâs not like the Frosts have been defeated. A variable had emerged, and that had led to this situation... No one can be blamed, so rest easy."
Ella let out her breath at the end.
She wasnât the best at consoling others, but at the moment she had somehow been able to present the best reference that she could give in this situation.
Silence enveloped the room once again, as Ellaâs words made themselves comfortable within the four walls.
"I am curious how the students will react if they know that they are being referred to as vultures by one of the queensâ"
"Will you please stop with that!"
Ella interrupted Victoria with a shout as her face had turned a deep shade of red.
Victoria, on her part, just gave a slight chuckle. She really liked teasing her friend.
"Still... tell me?"
The mood had once again turned serious, as Victoria wasnât one to divert herself from the topic at hand.
"Victoriaâ"
"I want to know."
Victoriaâs words were final.
Ella observed her friend and junior for a while before sighing once again.
"The students... they have mixed reactions."
Victoria didnât reply as she simply closed her eyes, waiting for Ella to finish her statement.
Truth has always been bitter, and Victoria wasnât one to shy away from it.
"Many are neutral on the news, while someâ"
Ella paused as she debated whether to speak the words, but knowing that Victoria was the one who had asked for the report, she couldnât keep it a secret either.
Not that Victoria was completely ignorant about the matter.
It was just Victoriaâs way of confirming things with herself and coming back to the harsh reality.
After all, the Frosts had really been humiliated in the attack.
If there had been any deaths, then at least the majority would have sympathized with them, butâ
Not a single soldier had been killed.
Every last one of them had been knocked unconscious...
Not a single stall or any other infrastructure in the area had been destroyed, resulting in a clear message being sent to the world.
The Frosts... they had been completely dominated without being able to show even the slightest hint of resistance.
"Some are mocking the competence of the authorities and the Frosts for not being able to stop a single man despite having two elite Diamond cores with them."
That was the summary of everything that had been going on in the background, not the actual words that were discussed behind their backs.
The real discussions by the students were far more brutal.
"Still... the students are being somewhat supportive and defending the Frosts due to your popularity and alsoâ"
Victoria opened her eyes as Ella paused midway.
Feeling Victoriaâs gaze, Ella averted her eyes.
"Your brotherâs popularity is being a dominant factor in the gossip being curtailed. The Frosts are still seen as a powerhouse, knowing that... two siblings are now dominating the politics at the academy."
Silence.
"Siblings, huh."
The words felt unfamiliar on her tongue.
Victoria couldnât help but give a bitter smile.
Ella remained silent, as she knew the thoughts that might have been going through Victoriaâs head.
After all, the very person that she detested... the person that had no place in her house, was now the one helping them, and that too without any active efforts.
As if there could be any bitter pill than that...