Chapter 21: Club Activities (2)
If I were to follow the original story, Exipri should join the Baking Club.
However, considering how easy it was to build affection with her, joining a different club seemed like a better choice.
After all, Exipri was the kind of character who would happily follow anyone just for giving her candy. Leaving her alone was dangerous, as she easily trusted people and loved sweets.
That was why she ended up joining the Baking Club, which was full of delicious treats.
Honestly, it felt like she could be won over by simply giving her a single piece of candy every day. Although I felt like a bad person for thinking that, there wasn’t much I could do about it.
Now, the remaining candidates were the Magic Research Club or the Swordsmanship Club…
The Swordsmanship Club, where Anastasia was, seemed like the best option.
As for the Theology Club, its theme was so specific that most of its members were deeply religious, making it difficult to build relationships there.
To be precise, while building relationships was possible, it wouldn’t be much help in winning anyone over.
I considered joining the Theology Club because of Gloria, but I decided against it.
Once Stefania got fully involved, I’d naturally have opportunities to connect with Gloria, so it was unnecessary to go out of my way for that.
As for magic, I already had Georg as an outstanding mentor, so there wasn’t much point in learning more. Besides, I had no intention of stepping into a dreary, all-male group.
There were a few other clubs where heroines were present, but most required special conditions.
Therefore, the Swordsmanship Club, which didn’t have such prerequisites, seemed like the best choice.
For instance, Camilla was in a social club almost exclusively for girls, and Cecilia was in the Spirit Research Club, which required members to communicate with spirits.
Alternatively, there were characters like Iris, whose club affiliations were never even mentioned.
As I mulled over my options, I started wondering what kind of club Hoyeon might choose.
If possible, I wanted to join the same club to look after her. But if I paid her too much attention, I’d only get tied down unnecessarily.
Thinking this far, I felt a bit lost about the future. It was exhausting how one new element in my life could make things so complicated.
When I glanced at the seat next to me, I saw Hoyeon still pointedly ignoring me. Even when scanning the classroom, she stubbornly avoided looking in my direction.
I wondered what was wrong this time but quickly dismissed it. Though we’d only known each other for a day, she had already shown a tendency to swing between extremes. I figured this was just another extension of that.
Though I didn’t have to ask, I was curious. Even if she ignored me, I decided to bring it up.
At the very least, I wanted to know what club she was interested in.
“Have you thought about which club you’d like to join?”
“…A club?”
She looked slightly startled, perhaps because she was lost in thought, or maybe it was because I was speaking to her.
Her expression didn’t change, but her ears perked up slightly. That alone made her reaction seem noticeable.
More importantly, her tone suggested she hadn’t heard about this before.
“Yes. Today is the day to choose a club. Didn’t you know?”
“…I didn’t.”
Was she uninterested, or just unaware? Probably both. After a brief silence, as though pondering, she replied.
“A club… I see. No, I haven’t given it any thought.”
I almost suggested the Swordsmanship Club, but stopped myself. We weren’t close enough for me to recommend it outright, and it would have been too obvious. Perhaps a more indirect approach would work.
“Are you, by any chance, interested in swordsmanship?”
I asked subtly but made my intentions clear enough for her to notice.
While I didn’t say it outright, my question carried the suggestion that she join the Swordsmanship Club.
Her reaction, however, was underwhelming.
“Swordsmanship? I learned a bit from my father when I was younger. But it was more for fun than anything serious. I’m not even good enough to show others. Why do you ask?”
Whether she grasped my intentions or not, she didn’t seem particularly pleased. Her expression remained unchanged, making it hard to read her thoughts.
Still, the fact that she mentioned having practiced a little, only to downplay it as “just for fun,” suggested she wasn’t particularly interested.
“You seemed undecided, so I thought I’d recommend something if you had any interest.”
“…I’ll consider it. Thanks for the thought.”
At least she didn’t say, Who are you to tell me what to do? It seemed I hadn’t upset her, but getting her to join the Swordsmanship Club still felt like a failure.
Hoyeon stared ahead again, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. Since it was obvious she wanted me to stop talking, I decided not to push it further.
Unexpectedly, she had a polite side that didn’t suit her position.
As I mused over such trivial thoughts, Dorothy entered through the front door.
After a brief greeting, she delivered the announcement.
“Hello, everyone! As you all know, today is the day to pick your clubs. While it’s not mandatory, joining a club could be helpful after you graduate.
Plus, Amaurus Academy’s clubs are as prestigious as its regular classes. So if you’re interested, I encourage you to join!”
The rest of her announcement could be summarized as follows: all periods from first to sixth would feature club representatives giving presentations instead of regular classes; midterms were in a month, so start studying early; and there was a vote ongoing in the student council hall to decide the destination for the school trip, so cast your precious vote.
After finishing her announcements, Dorothy quickly left the classroom.
Shortly after, the bell rang for first period, and the club ambassadors entered to begin their presentations.
“The Swordsmanship Club’s room is in Gymnasium 1. If you’re interested, please visit after school.”
With the final bell signaling the end of sixth period, the Swordsmanship Club’s presentation concluded as well.
After hearing all the presentations, nothing stood out to me. The Magic Research Club’s demonstration briefly caught my attention, but it involved mana, which I found utterly unpleasant.
Other clubs, like the Spirit Research Club or social clubs, weren’t particularly appealing either.
When the Spirit Research Club’s ambassador summoned a spirit, I did briefly sense a divine presence that woke me from my stupor.
But it was so faint and twisted that I doubted myself. When I sent a message just in case, I got no response, which made me think it was either my imagination or something made from a fragment or remains of a god.
Back home, gods did occasionally die, though it was rare.
They might face punishment from the Mother for breaking too many of her laws or lose in battles where their divinity was at stake, resulting in absorption by the victor.
However, I’d never seen something like that spirit, which faintly retained divinity, being created.
Perhaps it had something to do with the divine energy or mana unique to this continent. The distortion felt similar.
In any case, that was that.
I still hadn’t decided which club to join. Since my goal in coming to the academy was to observe the protagonist, I thought about simply following wherever Dogeon went.
“Have you chosen a club yet?”
When I asked Dogeon, he hesitated briefly before replying.
“Ah… yes. I decided on the Swordsmanship Club.”
A fantasy protagonist being a swordsman—how predictable. While boring, I couldn’t deny that swords were undeniably cool. There was something about them that stirred a man’s heart.
“Then I suppose I’ll join the Swordsmanship Club as well.”
“Really?”
He looked at me with a delighted expression, which annoyed me slightly. It felt like I was moving according to his plans, but I still intended to join the Swordsmanship Club.
“You talk too much.”
I shot back, irritated. Seeing him shrink back like a scolded puppy improved my mood slightly.
“Hoyeon, are you in a good mood today? Your expression seems a bit relaxed.”
But his next words sent a chill down my spine. I’d felt somewhat at ease with the green ping-pong ball in my skirt pocket, but had he noticed it?
What should I do? I’d already felt guilty and avoided looking at him all morning. That look in his eyes only made me feel worse.
“…Just guide me to the gym where the Swordsmanship Club is.”
Feeling cornered, I proposed going to the clubroom to escape the situation.
Surprisingly, he seemed to be the type who would do anything if asked. Based on yesterday and now, that seemed plausible.
As we walked, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Glancing around, I spotted a silver-haired girl and a blond boy following us.
It was Anastasia and Goldsun.
They’d been glancing over since the first period. Had I caught Goldsun’s attention? A sense of unease crept in.
Considering his tendency to bother the nun, he seemed like the type to chase skirts. There was no other way to explain his gaze.
When we arrived, I realized why they were following us.
“Hello! Are you here because you’re interested in the Swordsmanship Club too?”
Apparently, they wanted to join the Swordsmanship Club as well.
TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES