Chapter 173: Clown Union Club 20
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Clown Union Club 20
By the time Loki finally opened his eyes, Elicia had already departed, and the students of the Special Class were resting in their own ways.
Leaning on his staff like a crutch, Loki limped painfully over to where Lucas was sitting.
"Oof... my body. I’m still young, but I feel like every bone in my body is aching. Lucas, did the professor leave?"
"Yeah, she headed out a few minutes ago. Anyway, how are you feeling? You took a direct hit from Professor Elicia at the very end and went flying quite spectacularly."
"Can't you tell just by looking at my expression?"
Lucas let out a hollow, dumbfounded laugh.
"I’ve told you before—take off that mask before you say things like that. You wear it 24/7, yet you’re always talking about your 'expression' or how 'handsome' your face is. How am I supposed to believe any of it?"
Loki shrugged silently and slumped down next to Lucas.
"More importantly, is Professor Elicia busy with something? Looking at the clock, the period only just ended. That’s strange."
Usually, when a Special Class student fainted during a session with Elicia, they would wake up before the class was over. Occasionally, they’d come to just as the bell rang. Regardless of the timing, Elicia always stayed behind to give feedback on the day’s combat or answer every single question before leaving the room.
So why did she leave first today?
Loki’s curiosity was quickly satisfied by Lucas’s next words.
"Ah, about that. The professor said you only ask useless questions anyway, so she just gave us a few pointers and left."
"What? What kind of...! Wow! This is truly unfair! When have I ever asked a useless question...?"
Lucas mentally reviewed the questions Loki had lobbed at Professor Elicia in the past.
— 'Professor! Professor! It’s an emergency! I’m just too handsome, what should I do?'
— 'Professor Elicia! I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious this time, but do spirits count toward the minimum member count for a club?'
— 'Professor, Professor!'
— 'Huh? Stop talking about useless things? Okay. But do you happen to know what’s for lunch today?'
He really did only ask useless questions, didn't he?
Lucas actually thought Professor Elicia was incredible for putting up with him this long without ignoring him entirely. Unaware of Lucas’s internal critique, Loki continued to grumble.
"I had an incredibly important question today. Professor Elicia is really too much."
"Oh, come to think of it, she did say that if you have a 'serious' question, you should come to her office and tell her."
"Well, I suppose she did prepare for it in her own way. Since I'm going anyway, I should go complain about why she left while I was the only one unconscious."
"But she also said if you come and ask a useless question, she’ll pick up right where that 'consultation' from earlier left off."
"On second thought, it’s a question that doesn't necessarily need to be asked today."
Loki, who had jumped up as if ready to storm her office that very second, quietly sat back down.
Normally, Lucas would have laughed or looked at him with disbelief, but his face was currently clouded with gloom.
He’s trying his best not to show it, but he can’t hide it from my eyes.
And Loki wasn't the type to miss such a reaction. Looking around, the expressions of the other students weren't much better than Lucas’s.
Looks like everyone took quite a shock.
No matter how outstanding their talent, they were still just kids. Or perhaps, because their talent was so great, the shock of failure was even worse.
Losing to Professor Elicia was a daily occurrence. However, they usually lost after giving 100% of their ability. It wasn't that the Special Class students had fought half-heartedly today, but fighting with all your might and fighting at your best are two different things.
Today, every single student in the Special Class had been struck down by Professor Elicia before they could even draw out the full extent of their skill.
Losing normally? It was frustrating, but they could accept it because Professor Elicia was strong. But today’s loss? Setting aside strength or weakness, they had simply fought poorly.
They’d probably overcome it on their own if I just left them be.
These were the people the world had chosen as its protagonists. Losing their composure during a lesson and failing to fight properly? Compared to the crises they would face in the future, this was nothing. In fact, Loki thought this could serve as the foundation for further growth.
"Sigh..."
He had literally just been thinking that he should stay quiet and let them stand up on their own.
Maybe I’ve grown too attached.
Seeing the depressed state of the Special Class students made him feel uneasy.
"Let’s see, let’s see. Now where was that?"
Loki reached into his Pocket Dimension and pulled out a tool he had made a while ago—something useless for combat, created purely out of boredom. It was a small cone-shaped object with a string attached to the end.
If there were another "possessor" here, they would have recognized it as a party popper often given with birthday cakes, but Loki was the only one in this world.
With only Lucas noticing the popper in his hand, Loki grinned behind his mask and pulled the string.
— Bang!
"!!!!!!!"
Compared to the bombs Loki used in battle, the sound was small, but it was more than enough to echo through the silent classroom. Loki confirmed that everyone was staring at him with startled eyes, then shrugged.
"It was so quiet I thought I’d liven up the atmosphere. If someone walked in right now and saw you all, they’d think someone had died."
Before anyone could say a word, Loki stood up and began to move.
"Honestly, there are only eight students, so why are there so many desks? It’s a hassle to clear them. Heave-ho!"
Using his threads, he tossed all the desks into the corners, except for the ones in the center.
"Kuran, could you move aside for a moment?"
Even the desks the Special Class students were leaning against were no exception. Though all the students had been staring at him with bewildered eyes since the moment the popper went off, Loki didn't stop moving. Neither his mouth nor his body.
"Honestly, do you think an answer will appear just because everyone stays silent? You’ll just be eight quiet people. Ah, since I’m still talking, I guess that makes seven of you?"
He pushed the remaining center desks together and began placing various snacks and drinks on top of them.
"It’s a shame to talk without something to eat, so I brought out a little something I had. It’s modest, but enjoy."
Having finished setting up the tea party in the middle of the room in an instant, Loki popped a snack into his mouth and gestured toward the students.
"What are you all doing? Everyone, bring a chair and sit down."
"........................"
"Ah, don't tell me you're worried I'll charge you? My, my... would I really take money from you guys? Well, normally I would, but today I’ll give you a special discount. Come on! Sit, sit. This kind of stuff tastes best right after it’s served."
Hearing Loki’s words, the Special Class students hesitantly gathered around the center desks one by one. Clara stood up, but instead of moving to the desks, she stared intently at Loki.
"Clara, please just humor me this once. Okay? If we keep going like this, you might lose to the professor even faster next week. You don't want that, do you?"
Eventually, even Clara listened to Loki and moved to the desks. The Special Class students sat in a circle around the snack-laden table.
"......................."
While everyone was feeling awkward and flustered by this sudden gathering, Loki picked up a cold drink and filled the glasses placed in front of the students.
"First off, everyone’s been sweating a lot, so take a refreshing gulp."
When no one reached for a glass, watching each other’s reactions, Loki drank his first. Seeing that, the students began to drink one by one.
"How is it? Tastes good, right?"
Perhaps it was because they had sweated so much, but the drink felt exceptionally cool and sweet.
"Actually, the drink you just had was poisoned."
"Pfft!"
"Just kidding! It’s a joke! Clown-style humor. How was it?"
Loki said as he handed a handkerchief to Frederick, who had spat out his drink. Sepia was about to say the joke wasn't funny, but Loki was faster to speak.
"Practice like it’s the real thing. You’ve all heard that saying at least once, right?"
The Special Class students instinctively nodded. Even if it wasn't an Academy professor, it was one of those things any educator would say frequently.
"That’s total bullshit."
Having instantly turned all professors and instructors into liars, Loki continued.
"Practice is practice. What nonsense! If that were true, are you going to actually die just because you lost in practice?"
That’s not usually what that phrase means, is it?
Noticing the students were about to interject, Loki quickly cut them off.
"So, what I’m trying to say is, don't get so discouraged just because you lost in practice. Think of it positively... is what I’d like to say, but there’s no way you guys would think positively!"
"................................"
"For the sake of you pessimistic lot, I’ll elaborate a bit more. Lucas, in a life-or-death battle, you slipped on a puddle and the opponent’s blade reached your neck. What happens?"
"..... I’d die, right?"
"Correct! Then, Gashurin? In a practice session with wooden swords, you slipped on a puddle and the opponent’s wooden sword touched your neck. What happens?"
"..............Since it is a wooden sword, would I not live?"
"Correct again! Then finally, Kuran! If you lose for that reason in practice, what would you think?"
"I’d think to be careful of puddles next time!"
"Oh! Correct. Then truly for the last one, Frederick. What would a person who suffered that in a real battle think?"
"Huh? M-me? Uh... wouldn't that person also th-think to be c-careful of puddles next time?"
"Bzzzt! Wrong! How can a dead person think?"
"............................"
"I trust you all roughly understand what I’m trying to say now. In practice, the person who loses is actually the one who gains more. Why? Because that’s how you learn. You can't learn anything if you're dead."