Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: Club
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“...”
“...”
Silence stretched out inside the chancellor’s office.
I was the first to speak.
“...Why not ask how I enjoyed my vacation?”
“I don’t tend to ask meaningless questions.”
“...”
Got it.
Looks like she’s finished all her learning now too. She’s right, so I can’t argue.
“How was the Tristan Duchy, Dawood?”
“...Not bad.”
Really, it wasn’t bad.
Aside from leaving my father there, that is.
“...? Why didn’t Campbell Viscount...?”
“The family head said he had something to tell you himself and held him back. Said he had things to teach you.”
That’s what Leonida told me directly. He suggested keeping Father close by to teach him slowly, so maybe it’d be best if he didn’t leave the territory for a while.
He insisted it wasn’t an order, repeating it several times, but given Father’s personality, he’d have agreed in a panic at the thought of any sparks flying back to the territory.
“...”
Atalante stared at me with a horrified look upon hearing that.
As if asking if I really didn’t know what it meant.
“...Isn’t that marriage prep?”
“Pardon?”
“It’s a common situation when a great noble marries someone from a much lower rank. Traditional stuff when taking in a son-in-law. They teach you the precautions and risks that come with marriage ahead of time.”
“...”
“Maybe they called you there for that from the start...?”
“...But here’s the thing.”
A chill ran down my spine, so I quickly changed the subject.
“What’s got you so full of energy, Chancellor?”
And it wasn’t a lie—her skin was practically glowing right now.
Something unimaginable for the usual Atalante, who’d been pushed to the brink of collapse from overwork since meeting me.
“...Oh, this?”
Atalante smiled brightly at my words.
She seemed pleased to hear it.
“...”
If only her eyes weren’t those dead, unfocused ones, I’d agree.
“I used a spell. Flesh regeneration.”
“...Pardon?”
“It’s a technique for emergencies. You end up needing it now and then after living a long life. It trades your future for the present, though...”
“...”
I sat there speechless for a moment before finally managing to open my mouth.
“...Isn’t that a combat spell?”
“It’s a combat spell, sure.”
“...”
People probably think it’s something only for those on death’s door.
And she used it while sitting at her desk handling paperwork.
“...What kind of workload have you been dealing with?”
At my question, Atalante let out a detached laugh.
I could guess the meaning behind it.
‘If I could tell you, I would’ve already.’
“...”
Which, put another way...
Even the person building a continental-scale effort to stop demons with me at the center couldn’t tell me.
“...Is it that serious?”
Atalante shot me a furious glare this time.
Her expression screamed, ‘You’re asking me that?’
As if I were the cause.
“It’s serious, but you’ll flip it all on its head anyway, so no worries.”
“...”
“My suffering’s over now. All that’s left is yours.”
“...”
“Joking.”
I watched her grinning chancellor self with cold sweat.
Half of that didn’t sound like a joke.
Before I could respond, she sighed and continued.
“...Rebound’ll hit my body in about a month. I won’t be able to move for a few days, so I need to wrap up the urgent stuff beforehand.”
With that, Atalante slid something across the desk toward me.
I eyed the badge-like item that came flying my way.
A dark badge emblazoned with Elpante’s crest. Designed to pin on a uniform.
“...What’s this?”
“You know you’re in the 3rd academic group now, right?”
Atalante yawned as she replied.
“Elpante goes up to 6 groups total. From the 3rd, you’re officially treated as an upperclassman. That’s the ID you wear starting then.”
Oh, right.
There was that setting.
And if memory served, what came with it was...
“Unlike before, it means you’ve got ‘duties’ now too.”
Atalante rubbed her eyes and went on.
“You’re in a position to guide the ‘lowerclassmen’ from here on. Better watch your every move.”
“...Is that so?”
“No. I mean, that’s the general rule.”
“...”
“You’re the exception. Keep doing what you’ve been doing—run around like a beast chasing skirts.”
“...”
It just hit me.
She’s even given up on euphemisms with me now.
“But there’s one catch. School rules make one thing mandatory.”
“...”
My expression hardened the moment she said it.
I had a rough idea what it was.
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Thinking about it, I’ve never really been diligent with academy life.
Back in the day, around this time, the chancellor even warned me I could get held back if I didn’t study. That’s how bad it was.
In that sense...
“...A club, huh.”
I scratched my head and glanced at the badge pinned to my uniform.
Once you hit upper years, you can’t just freely attend classes around campus anymore—you’ve got to ‘belong’ somewhere.
In other words, pick where you’ll build your ‘connections.’ At a place like Elpante, the odds of meeting the same people in society later are sky-high.
‘Doesn’t really matter where I join...’
Honestly, joining somewhere isn’t a big deal. Nothing wrong with me, so I’d blend in fine anywhere.
The problem is...
‘This is an ending branch point.’
This club-joining thing might seem minor, but it’s the starting point for picking the ‘events’ that run through the whole game.
It doesn’t lock in the ending right away, but it definitely influences it directly.
Each club has set characters you can meet, so it’s like deciding whose affection you’ll raise first.
Knight Faculty’d be Liru and Seras, Magic Faculty Fainol, Divine Faculty Lucien and Yuria...
Events with characters specialized for those clubs.
It’s about choosing who you’ll spend the ‘most time’ with.
Makes sense, but from my position, picking one is tricky.
As I walked the hall thinking that...
“Teaaach~!”
A voice like that, and someone slammed into my back, pinning me.
Then, steadying my wobbling body with hers, she covered my eyes with one hand.
“Who is it?”
“...”
“Guess right and there’s a prize!”
Come on.
The teacher thing, and the voice—it’s obviously Eliya.
“Eliya, my back hurts where you hit—ow!”
“You got it right.”
With that, Eliya slowly lowered the hand over my eyes.
It trailed down my neck to the collar of my uniform top.
“Time for your prize?”
“...”
This girl.
She was so well-behaved in the Tristan Duchy up to the harvest festival, but in that time, she must’ve made some serious ‘resolve.’
Like, since someone else took my first, she’s gotta catch up fast no matter what.
The second there’s an excuse, she comes charging in for sticky skinship like this. Scary how aggressive.
“...Actually, on second thought, it feels like someone else—”
“Wrong answer means punishment.”
“...”
Are you a thug?
What do you even want from me?
I took a deep breath against the sensation groping stickily down my body.
“...Eliya, cut it out—”
“Aww, just kidding.”
I’d put a bit of real seriousness in my voice thinking it might go too far, but she picked up on it and pulled back in a flash.
“...”
I stared wordlessly at Eliya, smirking on her face.
She’s always like this lately, making her hard to handle.
She comes at me so aggressively it’s troublesome, but she backs off on her own before crossing into unpleasant territory, so I can’t even refuse.
“But, something bothering you? Your face looks worse than usual.”
“...”
I sighed inwardly at Eliya, now seriously scanning my expression.
No escaping her. Really.
Since I awakened as the hero, her obsession with me rivals Elnor’s.
[She’s my little sister, but yeah. She’s always had that foxy side.]
‘...Then tell me how to shake her off.’
[Uh, I’ve never seen her fail at something she sets her mind to, so no clue.]
‘...’
Not helpful at all, this one.
I answered honestly.
“No, it’s about the club.”
“...Oh, aha...”
Eliya tapped her chin at my words, humming as she pondered.
“Stuck suffering between the girls again this time?”
“...”
Spot-on description.
No matter which I pick, someone’ll be unhappy.
I sighed.
“Got any good ideas?”
“Well, not sure I’d call it an idea...”
Eliya scratched her head.
“But if joining any faculty club’s a hassle, why not just make your own, Teacher?”
“...”
“I hear you get that right from 3rd year?”
Huh.
Wait.
What?
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