✦ Chapter 44 — Clubs (1) ✦
「Translator — Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
A week has passed since my duel with the worm.
Naturally, the seven days following the duel were rife with consequences.
First, the academy erupted into a maelstrom of whispers and speculation; though many students had gathered to witness the duel, not all had been present to see the truth unfold firsthand.
“I’m telling you, it’s true! He toyed with Lophrey like a puppet on strings!”
“Come on~ It must have been just a lucky victory.”
The ripples of that day spread beyond the academy’s stone walls.
This was no mere clash between ordinary students — a prince of the Kingdom of Archen had wagered his academic career and lost, his pride shattered like autumn leaves in the wind.
The tale swept across the continent like wildfire, reducing the worm to little more than a cautionary jest.
Inevitably, he was expelled from the academy.
Whispers say he now trembles at the mere sight of a sword, his warrior’s spirit broken beyond repair.
His path as a swordsman has withered before it could truly bloom.
The Kingdom of Archen, of course, raised their voices in protest against the academy; their prince had returned home a hollow shell of his former self.
Yet every witness in that arena had seen the vermin’s murderous intent even after the duel’s end, and so the academy let the kingdom’s protests scatter like dust in the wind.
“Eek!”
As I walked through the academy grounds toward the Special Class, a student caught sight of me and fled in terror, like a startled rabbit before a wolf.
The fleeing figure was one of the worm’s former subordinates.
Every encounter in the academy’s halls ended the same way – they scattered at the mere sight of my approach.
The academy grounds, usually pristine and orderly, were bustling today, adorned with colorful banners and posters.
[History Club – Discover the Continent’s Legacy]
[Culinary Club – Crafting Flavors from Across Nations]
“Come build memories with friends at the Board Game Club!!!”
“Experience the mysteries of dungeon exploration with the Dungeon Explorer’s Club!!”
Senior students, presumably from various clubs, were enthusiastically advertising their groups, their voices echoing across the grounds.
‘Ah, it’s that time already—club recruitment season.’
Unless you were one of the renowned clubs like the Swordsmanship or Magic clubs, this was how recruitment had to be done — with banners held high and voices raised to the sky.
“Hey, which club are you joining?”
“I haven’t really decided yet.”
“How about the Disciplinary Committee? I heard all the seniors there are beautiful.”
“The Disciplinary Committee and Student Council aren’t places you can just walk into. You need to be personally invited by the club members.”
First-year students huddled in groups, their voices filled with dreams of club membership.
“Hey there, first-year! Come try our club activities – no commitment needed!”
“Our club is far more beneficial than that one – join us instead!”
“What did you say?!”
The recruiting students sometimes clashed like storm clouds, each trying to draw first-years to their respective causes.
“Hey!! That student already promised to join our club!”
“What nonsense is this? It’s not even selection day yet. Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?”
“Please, seniors, don’t fight because of me…”
“Hey! Are they yours or mine?”
I observed the unfolding drama from my perch on a nearby bench, finding amusement in the scene that played out like a daytime melodrama gone awry.
‘But why isn’t anyone approaching me?’
Whenever other first-year students passed by, club members would swarm them with pitches and invitations. But for some reason, no one approached me. Even when a senior seemed to be heading my way, they’d abruptly change direction the moment they realized it was me.
“Hey, what are you doing here, slacker?”
The familiar voice cut through my thoughts – only one person could address me with such casual irreverence.
“Miss Sepia.”
She casually took a seat next to me, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Just taking in the spectacle. Are you heading to class?”
“Yeah. What about you? When are you heading in?”
“I was planning to watch a bit longer. Want to go together in a bit?”
“As you wish.”
“Kyu, kyu…“
The spirits that had been perched on Sepia’s shoulders fluttered over to nestle against me, their presence soft as morning dew.
“I’m telling you, he’s joining our club!”
“Hah! You barely even know him!”
As I stroked the spirits, I continued to enjoy the spectacle of the seniors arguing.
“Did you get any club offers, Miss Sepia?” I asked.
“The Spirit Club and Merchant Club presidents both came with offers.”
The Spirit Club’s interest was natural — Sepia’s talent was legendary in its own right. The Merchant Club’s attention likely stemmed from the weight her Leviathan name carried.
“What about you, slacker? Any clubs in mind?”
I raised a finger to my lips in a conspiratorial gesture.
““That’s a secret.””
My words overlapped with Sepia’s.
Sepia released a knowing sigh, her lips curving into a smile.
“Of course you’d say that.”
Her eyes sparkled with understanding as she regarded me with gentle amusement.
“What? You didn’t think I could predict that?”
.
.
.
.
Today, I – no, we – found ourselves once again locked in battle with Professor Elysia.
CRASH—!
“Kuran, you still haven’t achieved complete mastery over your physical form.”
Everything had changed since our first encounter with Professor Elysia.
BOOM—!
CRASH—!
BANG—!
Professor Elysia’s fists shattered the flying boulders into dust. Where once Sepia’s spirits had cowered before her presence, now they attacked without hesitation, their fear transformed into determination.
“Sepia, like Clara, you need to be able to handle opponents who fight at close range to some extent.”
It had been quite some time since we started fighting Professor Elysia, but none of us had managed to land a proper hit. All the other Special Class students had fallen, and it was just Lucas and me left.
“Loki, about those magic artifacts you used against Prince Lophrey… Can’t you use them now?”
I had refrained from using the flash bombs and landmines in our battles with Professor Elysia.
“The magic artifacts I used then have a large range, so they wouldn’t be effective in a team fight,” I explained.
It would be more accurate to say I couldn’t use them. Whether flash bombs or mines, they’d likely hit the special class students fighting alongside me.
“Oh? You have enough leisure to engage in conversation?”
Professor Eliysia surged toward Lucas like a storm breaking upon the shore.
“Ugh!”
Her punch landed directly in Lucas’s stomach.
And he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.
“Now only you remain, Loki.”
Professor Elysia advanced toward me with measured steps, her voice calm but ominous.
Though I knew what her answer would be, I asked anyway, clinging to a thread of hope—
“I don’t suppose you’d accept my surrender?”
Her response came not in words, but in the form of her foot finding its mark in my gut.
.
.
.
“Take a decent rest before heading to cafeteria lunch.”
Professor Elysia left the classroom without a single bead of sweat marking her composed demeanor.
“Kuran, you’re looking as fit as ever today.”
“Hahaha, you’re looking quite impressive yourself, for a priest!”
After some time had passed, the students began chatting with each other without me needing to initiate anything.
At first, I was worried about Frederic, who was shy and might have trouble fitting in, but I didn’t need to worry after all.
“Frederic, come work out with us!”
“Eh?”
Frederic was invited to join Kuran and the muscular priest for exercise during lunch; the three of them had become so close that they even went out to eat together after school.
“Loki, what are your plans?”
“I have plans today, so I don’t think I can join.”
I occasionally exercised with those three. It was funny watching them teach Frederic how to work out on either side.
Among the special class students, there were still two who hadn’t really spoken much to the other students yet.
Clara and Sepia.
Since those two were the only girls in the special class, I thought it would be nice if they got closer, but unfortunately, neither of them was the type to start a conversation.
“Clara!”
I approached Clara, who was reading a book as usual, and tried to talk to her.
Clara looked up at me, signaling that I should get to the point.
“Have you decided which club you’ll be joining?”
“Not yet.”
“I had thought you would surely join the Magic Club.”
“The club president approached me earlier, but I have no particular interest in joining.”
“Why is that?”
Usually, most magicians would jump at the chance to join the Magic Club; to further develop their magic, joining a club like the Magic Club would normally be an obvious choice.
“I don’t believe being there would benefit me.”
From another’s lips, such words might have tasted of arrogance or conceit, but from Clara, they carried only the weight of simple truth.
“Oh? How perfect then, that you haven’t chosen a club yet.”
A shadow of wariness crossed Clara’s face at my words.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Please continue your reading,” I said evasively, walking away without offering any explanation.
“What clubs are the rest of you planning to join?”
I posed the question to our other Special Class members.
“Hand-to-hand Combat Club!”
Kuran and the muscular priest answered in perfect unison.
Wait, is it even appropriate for a priest to join something like that?
“I plan to join the Swordsmanship Club to study this continent’s blade arts.”
The swordsman from the East spoke with quiet determination. Professor Elysia’s counsel seemed to have loosened his rigid adherence to Eastern techniques.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Frederic admitted hesitantly.
“Ah! Then how about joining the Hand-to-Hand Combat Club with me?” Kuran suggested enthusiastically, patting Frederic’s shoulders with both hands.
Yet somehow, I doubted Frederic’s path would lead him to trading blows in the combat club.
“What about you, Lucas?”
“Like Frederic, I’m still undecided.”
“Hmm, I see.”
My mind turned like clockwork gears, calculating possibilities. Creating a club required a minimum of five members.
My ambition? To gather every special class student into the club I was planning to create.
I’d already chosen the perfect name—
‘The Clown’s Alliance Club.’
The name alone, I was certain, would bring smiles of satisfaction to their faces.
END of CHAPTER
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