Chapter 154: Clown Union Club
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 154: Clown Union Club
Click.
"Ugh... there’s no place like home."
After dragging myself out of the shower, I squeezed out the last of my strength to collapse onto my dormitory bed.
Happiness doesn't have to be grand.
Breaking a sweat, chatting with Johanna, then washing up and falling into bed—these little things are what true happiness is all about.
Though, I nearly died of exhaustion just trying to get clean.
When I train with Johanna on weekdays, I can't stay long because I have to go on Disciplinary Committee patrols and attend Academy classes. But today was the weekend. Normally, we would have talked for a long time after training and then headed to the market to snack on something delicious.
Today, however, both Johanna and I were in such bad shape that we just retreated to our respective dorms.
No matter how much I enjoy being with Johanna, it’s not easy to sleep comfortably at the training ground. Besides, as time passes, other students eventually start showing up. And Johanna, with her face flushed and drenched in sweat... I couldn't let anyone else see her like that.
‘In the end, I didn't get to hear her call me Oppa.’
To be honest, I hadn't planned on using that as my wish from the start. The bet itself was just something I’d blurted out in the heat of the moment. But the words had slipped out while we were sparring, and then I thought, ‘Wait, that’s actually not a bad idea,’ so I made it my official wish.
“...I need time to prepare myself mentally.”
Johanna was seriously adorable when she muttered that with a bright red face. An odd condition was attached—that I had to call her Noona in return—but I didn't mind.
‘Noona, Senior... they’re basically the same thing.’
Come to think of it, while Johanna is a year older than me now, if I go by my age before I was reincarnated, I really am the older one.
‘I said the wish only lasts until the start of vacation, but I’ll slowly get her used to it so she keeps calling me Oppa.’
I had used every ounce of my energy to wash up so I could sleep peacefully, but now that I was actually in bed, sleep eluded me. Honestly, I had a lot to do today. I just didn't want to do any of it.
I needed to check if the blades of the daggers I used while fighting Johanna had dulled. I also had to craft more flashbangs and bombs since I’d used them all up. If the crafting process were simple, it wouldn't be a problem, but making them one by one takes quite a bit of time.
‘Wait, wasn't the batch of materials I used last time the last of it?’
That meant I’d have to go back out to buy more. I really didn't want to step foot outside again today. Logically, the right move was to rush out now, buy the materials, come back for a nap, and then start crafting when I woke up.
The problem was that I was lazy. And I didn't have the strength to move. The only silver lining was that it was only noon. This is the perk of starting the day early.
"Let's just sleep for now."
Even if I wasn't tired, if I closed my eyes and cleared my mind, sleep would eventually come.
Alright, eyes closed. Mind empty. Sleep...
...is what I tried to do.
"Sigh..."
Why now, of all times?
Could he not have come a little later? It’s the weekend. Or he could have just come yesterday. The presence was still faint, but having felt it so often, I was now quite familiar with it.
"I don't know how you keep getting in here, but how about knocking from now on? What if I was naked?"
As soon as I finished speaking, a figure as black as a shadow appeared before me. It was the person who always kindly kidnapped me whenever the Emperor summoned me.
The first time, I was flustered. The second time, I was amazed. The third time, I was fascinated that I could actually sense his presence.
Now, I was just annoyed.
"His Majesty the Emperor summons you."
Honestly, I didn't want to go. The aftereffects of the sparring match were still lingering, making every movement a chore. But there was no point in telling this man I didn't want to go. To him, the Emperor’s command was the absolute priority.
"Fine. I'm coming. Yes, I'll go."
Whatever. I’m running low on funds anyway; I might as well go and get paid. It’ll be even better if I get to see Yerika’s face.
* * *
On a throne crafted for only one person in the Empire—the symbol of the highest power—the Emperor sat waiting for Loki.
From the perspective of a father, Loki was an absolute scoundrel who had appeared out of nowhere and bewitched his precious daughter. When they first met, there hadn't been a hint of such a vibe, so he couldn't fathom why his daughter liked that boy so much.
It wasn't just because she was his daughter; Yerika had genuinely never shown any interest in men before. She hadn't cared much for makeup or clothing; in fact, her maids had been more concerned with her appearance than she was. But at some point, Yerika had started asking the maids to dress her up or began learning how to apply makeup herself.
Of course, Yerika had asked the maids to keep it a secret, but no maid in the world could lie when the Emperor summoned them for a one-on-one interrogation.
‘It probably started back then.’
Before Loki moved into the dormitory. Back when he was staying at the Imperial Palace and first learning Shadow Step from the Emperor. Loki had been injured frequently while training under him, and Yerika had treated him every time. The Emperor knew the two of them talked during those sessions.
However, as far as the Emperor knew, nothing special had happened between them. Then, on the day Loki left the palace to move into the Academy dormitory, Yerika had asked:
“Father, when is the Clown coming back?”
And more recently, when the Emperor was about to head to the Academy for Loki’s Disciplinary Board hearing:
“Father, where are you going? What? You’re going to see the Clown? I—I’m coming too! Wait, please wait for me!”
‘Thinking about it makes me annoyed all over again. Still, he’s much better than those other hollow-headed noble brats.’
That was Loki from the perspective of a father. But what about Loki from the perspective of the Emperor?
Initially, he had taught him out of simple curiosity. Loki used the same Shadow Step as he did, and since he had heard the boy had learned from Duke Adelian before entering the Academy, he was curious. He also thought Loki would be a good stimulus for Lucas. He figured if he raised him well, the boy would be a great asset to the Empire.
That simple curiosity shifted when Loki took down his first Necromancer.
A Necromancer—a class of being everyone believed had gone extinct. Loki had taken one down alone. It was true that the Emperor had high expectations for Loki, but those expectations were for the future. He thought Loki would be helpful to the Empire’s future once he graduated from the Academy and gained more experience.
By taking down a single Necromancer, Loki had already far exceeded the Emperor’s expectations.
"But to think he would take down two more."
Of course, it wasn't as if the Emperor had never doubted Loki. The boy had more than a few suspicious qualities. First of all, there was almost no information on him. There was virtually nothing about his life before he began learning from Duke Adelian. A few weeks before he started training with the Duke, some people claimed to have seen a masked man in a remote village, but other than that, no one knew who Loki was.
There was another suspicious point: he knew too much. Finding and killing the first Necromancer could be dismissed as a coincidence. But this time, Loki had known exactly where the Necromancers were.
Loki had dealt with three Necromancers in total. Granted, Sepia had handled one of them, but they wouldn't have even been discovered if it weren't for Loki. Taking down a single Necromancer was an achievement worthy of a noble title, and he had taken down three.
Under these circumstances, even the Emperor couldn't help but be fond of the boy who had stolen Yerika’s heart. I mean, the kid was solving problems without the Emperor even having to lift a finger.
Loki—a boy with no background but an abundance of information. To think of him as a spy made no sense, as Loki gained nothing from it.
Normally, the Emperor would have summoned him to the palace the very day the Necromancers were dealt with. The fact that he hadn't called for him yesterday but was doing so now was the Emperor’s own form of consideration.
‘No matter how tired he was yesterday, he should be awake and alert by now.’
“..........”
“...........”
“...Your Majesty, I heard... you summoned me.”
Loki looked like he was struggling just to stand. He nearly tripped while bowing to the Emperor. He managed to catch his balance, but he was still swaying. Even speaking seemed to require a monumental effort, as his words came out incredibly slowly.
‘Professor Elicia said he wasn't injured.’
Though his face was hidden by the mask, it was obvious to anyone that he was not in a normal state.
"Ahem! Yes, you've done well."
“...Yes.”
The boy, who would usually be putting on all sorts of antics, was so quiet that the Emperor cleared his throat before speaking again.
"Is there anything you desire? If you wish, I can grant you the title of Count. Of course, I cannot publicly announce that you took down Necromancers, so I will have to fabricate another reason, but no one will be able to look down on you."
“...Your Majesty.”
"Speak."
Normally, Loki would have maintained his etiquette even while acting like a clown, but right now, he was half out of his mind.
"I'm really sorry, but... could you just give it to me in cash?"
Fortunately, Loki was able to receive a massive amount of money from the Emperor. How much, you ask?
"Oh! I shall graciously accept Your Majesty's bounty! Long live the Emperor! If anything happens in the future, please just call for me, no matter where I am!"
* * *
Time flowed smoothly after that.
During the usual Professor Elicia Raids, Sepia surprised everyone by activating Spirit Realm Manifestation.
Johanna turned the Academy upside down by calling me Oppa while we were eating lunch. On my way home, I had to run for my life when a Disciplinary Committee member chased me with murderous intent.
Furthermore, Yerika somehow found out and contacted me that night, pouting and asking if I liked being called Oppa that much, and I had to spend time soothing her.
While not as intense as before, I occasionally sparred with Johanna, and we gave each other feedback.
And so, time passed until...
The final day of the Club Experience Period arrived.