Chapter 170: Clown Union Club 17
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: Clown Union Club 17
Everyone has memories that refuse to fade away.
Memories that force their way to the surface regardless of what you’re doing—whether you’re eating a delicious meal, hanging out with friends, trying to fall asleep, or even in the middle of a workout.
Unfortunately, most of these intrusive memories aren't happy or pleasant; they are painful and bitter. Humans tend to remember sorrow far longer than joy.
Sepia was no different.
She had a memory that haunted her no matter what she did.
A small, unremarkable village like any other. A peaceful daily life where the villagers laughed and found happiness in the smallest things. Then, the slaughter. Her family and neighbors, all butchered by a Necromancer’s cruel whim.
And herself—the sole survivor of that same twisted whim.
The pathetic version of herself who burned for revenge but was too weak to act, not even knowing where that Necromancer was.
She was grateful to have been adopted into a Marquis household and for her current parents who treated her so well, yet the memories still returned. Even when she felt miserable after being insulted by Darun, those memories would resurface. Even when she was having fun playing with her cute younger sibling, those memories never vanished.
Then she met a strange man wearing a mask at the Academy. She had been flustered, experienced absurd situations, and felt frustrated at times—but she had also been joyful and happy. And yet...
That memory would still show its face, as if telling her never to forget.
If anyone were to ask what that recurring memory was, she would have answered like this: An inescapable trauma. A nightmare from which one never wakes.
But that was no longer the case.
The memory that came to mind now wasn't of the villagers dying or her surviving by a Necromancer’s whim. Lately, the memory that surfaced no matter what she was doing was different.
It was the man who had approached her when she was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions—knowing she had to get revenge but having no leads—and gave her the information she craved.
It was the voice that spoke harsh words, telling her she could never achieve revenge in her current state, yet was laced with deep concern.
It was the special training that was grueling, but bearable because she was no longer alone.
It was the tea they drank together in a quiet spot.
It was the man who told her that revenge must be taken by one's own hands, promising to stay out of the fight and keep his distance.
But it was also the man who, contrary to his words, hid nearby and watched over her with worried eyes.
It was Loki, who offered playful yet sincere comfort after she finally achieved her revenge, telling her not to cry as he took off his mask and placed it on her face.
And what she saw then was his bare face, unmasked.
How should she describe this recurring thought? It wasn't trauma, nor was it a nightmare.
Yes, a memory. A precious memory.
It wasn't a trauma that brought sadness, anger, or negativity whenever it surfaced. Instead, it was something that made her smile, made her face flush, and made her heart flutter strangely every time she thought of it.
“I can’t keep acting like this forever. Get it together.”
She muttered to herself in front of the mirror, checking her hair, her skin, and the state of her uniform. While it was much better than a negative trauma, this recurring precious memory had one small but fatal flaw.
“Today, for sure, I’m going to look him in the eye and have a proper conversation.”
Forget having a conversation—her heart beat so fast she could barely even look Loki in the eye. He occupied her thoughts even when she was doing other things, but seeing his face in person made her feel like her heart was going to explode. Even when he was wearing his mask, that face she had seen just once naturally kept coming to mind.
Perhaps that was why, even though she wanted to talk to him and share tea again, her body instinctively avoided him whenever they locked eyes.
“Right. What? It’s not like I’m lacking in anything. I’ll be confident.”
She spoke while stroking the spirit that had hopped onto her shoulder to act cute. She had always communicated well with spirits, but her bond with them had grown even deeper after achieving Spirit Realm Manifestation.
“It should be about time to head out, right?”
Loki always arrived at the Special Class at the exact same time, so predicting when he would leave the dormitory wasn't difficult.
“Let’s go, guys!”
As Sepia left her room, her face didn't wear the expression of the girl who had survived her village alone, gripped by guilt and a thirst for revenge even in happy moments. Instead, it bore the bright smile of a girl her age who had fallen in love.
* * *
While the Special Class students and Professor Idra were busy grinding their teeth in the classroom because they missed Loki so much—albeit in a very different sense than Sepia—Loki had just finished his busy morning routine of training and patrolling the Academy grounds. He had just finished getting ready for school and stepped out of the dormitory.
“Ah, I left my wallet.”
He went back inside.
While he was at it, he meticulously checked to see if he’d forgotten anything else before stepping out of the dormitory again.
“Yaaaawn.”
The good thing about wearing a mask? You can yawn as much as you want.
Usually, a shower would wash away all his sleepiness. But lately, he felt drowsy even after showering.
I’ll push a few desks together and take a nap after Professor Elicia’s class.
Loki had often thought about skipping his morning training, but he had never actually missed a session. The reason Loki—who had absolutely no relationship with exercise before his reincarnation—was able to wake up at dawn every day to work out wasn't because of a sense of duty to save the world... it was because of Duke Adelian.
Before entering Croa Academy. Back when he was learning how to fight from Duke Adelian as payment for treating the Duchess.
‘Before I teach you anything, I need to know your level. Come at me.’
At that time, Loki had used everything at his disposal against Duke Adelian: his sword-stick, Shadow Step, magic tools, and even illusions.
‘Ho! This is quite surprising.’
Duke Adelian had been impressed by Loki’s level.
‘It’s a total mess. I knew you were weak, but I didn't expect it to be this disastrous. What’s the point of having so many tricks when they’re all mediocre? You haven't mastered a single one.’
It was because Loki’s level was even more pathetic than expected. Since he had never learned swordsmanship, his use of the sword-stick was on par with a neighborhood kid swinging a branch. His proficiency with Shadow Step was so low he might as well have been flailing around. The magic tools he’d made because he was broke were crude, and he struggled even to maintain the form of his illusions.
‘Let’s start by building your basic physical strength. You need at least some stamina for me to teach you anything. I’m starting your physical training tomorrow morning, so be ready.’
‘You’re still sleeping? Get up. What? It’s the middle of the night? I’m awake, aren't I? Then it’s morning.’
Duke Adelian always showed up at the same time every dawn, and if Loki was still sleeping, he used magic to wake him up.
The "wake-up magic" was simple. If you imbue a fist with fire magic and punch the bed, the person has no choice but to wake up. And if he failed to wake up past the training time? Then his high-grade bed would turn into high-grade ash.
After experiencing the sensation of his back burning and falling off the bed a few times, his body learned to wake up on its own when it was time for training.
“Loki!”
At the loud voice calling his name, Loki snapped out of his reminiscence and turned toward the sound.
An Academy uniform. Pink hair. The four elemental spirits—which others found difficult to contract with even one of—resting comfortably on her shoulders. A yellow bird perched on her head. And an expression that finally looked at peace, free from the burden of revenge.
For some reason, Sepia—who had been running away every time they crossed paths lately—was standing right behind him.
“Huh? Miss Sepia? Since when were you behind me? Did you perhaps learn teleportation magic in that short time?! If so, please teach me! I’ll serve you as my master for the rest of my life!”
“Teleportation, my foot. What on earth were you thinking about that you didn't answer even though I kept calling you? You’re not fully awake yet, are you?”
“You’re right, Miss Sepia. I’m actually dying right now. Could you perhaps give me a piggyback ride?”
Loki pleaded, lowering his posture and looking up at her with his hands clasped as if in prayer. To anyone else, it would have looked bizarre because of the mask, but in Sepia’s eyes, it wasn't the mask she saw, but Loki’s unmasked face.
“Ugh, stop talking nonsense and just walk!”
Sepia raised her voice on purpose to hide her blushing face. She didn't run away this time. Her heart was still beating fast enough to explode, but she wanted to talk to him a little longer.
Sepia continued her conversation with Loki, feeling anxious that he might hear her heartbeat. Then, they noticed a crowd of people gathered in front of the bulletin board. There weren't as many people as before since class was starting soon, but conversely, it meant quite a few students were still lingering to look despite the impending start of lessons.
“Oh? People are gathered over there. Do you know why?”
“Yes, I do. Didn't I create a club this time? I finally got permission from the faculty, so our club is probably listed on the bulletin board.”
A club...
In truth, she had intended to join whatever club Loki made from the very beginning. Even if Loki hadn't made one, she had planned to join whichever club he chose.
The reason she hadn't said she would join immediately when Loki first mentioned creating one was that the other Special Class students said they wouldn't join, and she felt embarrassed to be the only one to say yes. She was afraid her feelings and emotions would be too obvious.
But now that four people had already joined, it wouldn't stand out, right? But how should she bring it up?
“Hey... um... would you like it if I joined the club?”
“Of course! If you joined, Miss Sepia, I wouldn't need any other wish in the world!”
She knew those words were an exaggeration, as Loki’s words always were, but they still made her feel good.
“Hmph. Well, if you want it that much, I’ll joi—”
In the middle of saying she would join the club, Sepia saw it.
[Club Name: The Club Created by a Clown Where Members Unite to Plot Against Professor Elicia, Force Frederick to Exercise, and Occasionally Head Out to Raid Dungeons and Find Artifacts While They're at It]
“Miss Sepia?”
“Sorry, I think I’ll have to think about joining.”
No matter how much she liked him, that was just too much.