Chapter 174: Clown Union Club 21
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: Clown Union Club 21
“As everyone is well aware, we all made various mistakes—some big, some small—while fighting Professor Elicia today. Those blunders snowballed, leading to a much faster defeat than usual. So, here’s a question! What should we be doing right now? Mr. Frederick, since you just gave a wrong answer, I expect a correct one this time.”
“Wh-what? Me again?”
Frederick, singled out twice in a row, protested his unfair treatment.
Loki ignored Frederick’s complaints and popped a snack into his mouth.
True to Yerika’s recommendation, the treats were a bit pricey, but they weren't overly sweet and were so delicious he couldn't stop reaching for more. He was glad he’d bought a large batch and stored them in his Pocket Dimension.
The shop owner had warned him they wouldn't taste as good once they cooled down, but since Loki’s Pocket Dimension preserved items in the exact state they were put in, it didn't matter.
“I’ll give you a hint: moping around with a look on your face like someone just died is definitely not the right answer.”
“That... we, we have to make sure... th-this never happens again...”
“You lacked a bit of confidence in your delivery, but that is the correct answer!”
“Phew...”
Seeing Frederick let out a sigh of relief, Loki reached for another snack, only to realize that no one else had touched them. Did they seriously get cold feet just because he’d joked earlier about them being poisoned?
“What’s everyone doing? Why aren't you eating? These aren't too sweet; they’re really good.”
As Loki urged them to try some, the Special Class students hesitated before finally reaching for the snacks.
“...!”
At first, they popped the treats into their mouths with skeptical expressions, but their faces soon shifted to looks of pure satisfaction.
“...Hmm?”
Lucas, however, wore a somewhat ambiguous expression, unlike the others. What is it? It doesn't look like he thinks they taste bad.
“Is something wrong, Lucas? Is there a problem?”
“It’s nothing. They’re delicious, they just... don't quite suit my palate.”
“Really? I have other varieties here, so try one that fits your taste.”
Loki pushed a different set of snacks toward Lucas while observing his reaction.
Hmm. That didn't look like the face of someone who just didn't like the taste. But then again, Lucas has no reason to lie about something like this.
As Loki suspected, Lucas’s conflicted expression wasn't because the snacks were bad. On the contrary, even as the Crown Prince, Lucas thought they were excellent.
I knew it.
The moment he tasted them, Lucas realized these were from the shop Yerika frequented. Was he the kind of brother who remembered his sister’s favorite snacks after just one bite?
Absolutely not.
‘Hey! Are you kidding me?! Why are you eating the ones I was saving for later?!’
‘Look, I asked you where you got those because they looked good, and you refused to tell me!’
‘Hah? Why should I tell you after I went through all the trouble of finding them?’
‘Your maids probably found them for you anyway.’
‘What?! I went around and found this place myself!’
Even now, he got goosebumps thinking about how she had tormented him for an entire day just because he’d swiped one of her snacks.
“Lord Loki, these are truly magnificent. Might you be able to tell me where they are sold?”
“Oh, that—”
Loki started to answer Ren’s question but caught himself.
‘I never tell my brother where this is, even when he asks, but I’m telling you specifically because you’re the Clown.’
‘Is it really that good?’
‘Of course! I’m sure you’ll love it, Mr. Clown. But you have to keep it a secret, okay?’
“Lord Loki?”
“Ah! Sorry. Well, I’m not really sure where they’re from. I received them as a gift.”
How did the conversation turn to snacks?
“Anyway,” Loki said, redirecting the group. “The conversation drifted toward snacks for a moment, but going back to what we were discussing—as Frederick said, we need to ensure today’s failure isn't repeated. To do that, I think we need to have a talk. Do you all agree?”
The Special Class students nodded.
“.......................”
And then, they said absolutely nothing.
Wait, are these guys for real? I said let’s talk, and nobody’s talking.
“Are you all not going to say anything?”
“.................”
Just as Loki was about to speak up first, the person he least expected to talk was the first to open his mouth.
“I... I fainted first, so the curse broke and we lost. I’m sorry.”
The problem was that those words were a long, long way off from the conversation Loki wanted to have.
“No! It is because I failed to stop the Professor!”
Even Kuran?
“No, it’s not your fault, Kuran. I was the one who charged in too recklessly—”
Good grief, now even Ren was joining in.
Clap!
Loki clapped his hands loudly, cutting Ren off. Seriously, why was the conversation going in this direction? If he left them be, they’d spend the whole time doing nothing but apologizing.
“Alright, alright! Everyone, I didn't set this up to find a culprit. Do you remember what I said during class? I said the biggest reason we lost today was that our strategy is always the same.”
Gashurin, who hadn't quite understood when Loki mentioned it earlier, asked a question.
“But haven't we changed quite a bit compared to when we first fought? In the past, none of us could withstand even a single exchange with the Professor, but I believe we hold our ground much better now.”
“What you’re saying isn't wrong, Gashurin, but that’s because our individual skills have improved. Our strategy itself has never changed. Frederick casts a curse first, Clara and Sepia provide long-range support, and the rest of you charge at the Professor. That’s it, isn't it?”
It was almost laughable to even call it a strategy. If this were football, it would be like a team whose only strategy was: 'Forwards, attack; defenders, defend; and goalkeeper, stop the ball.'
Lucas, who had been listening, spoke up.
“So, Loki, what you’re saying is that we need a more detailed strategy?”
“It doesn't end there. We also need to coordinate our movements better. Of course, since we fight Professor Elicia every day, we’ve instinctively learned how to attack without hitting our allies, but ‘good enough’ will never be enough to beat her.”
In Loki’s eyes, the way the Special Class students attacked during Professor Elicia’s daily lessons felt more like they were taking turns challenging her rather than attacking as a cohesive unit.
“Won't it take quite a bit of time? Both to devise a strategy and to coordinate our teamwork?”
“That’s why we’ll be doing it consistently from now on. It’s still the first semester. Shouldn't we at least make Professor Elicia use her mana?”
“He’s right! If we keep going like this, I won't be able to sleep out of pure frustration!”
“The Gods have said: even the ocean is nothing without time, but if a small droplet has time, it can pierce even a rock.”
The Special Class students all nodded or voiced their agreement with Loki’s words. Clara didn't nod or say anything out loud, but inwardly, she agreed that Loki was right.
“Then I’ll take that as everyone agreeing to join the club I created!”
However, she did not agree with that.
“...Eh?”
A strange sound escaped someone’s lips. Why was joining a club being brought up all of a sudden? Even Lucas, Frederick, Ren, and Kuran—who had already joined Loki’s ridiculously long-named club—stared at him with bewildered eyes.
“Everything was going so well, so why are you bringing up the club now?!”
Sepia, who had been secretly blushing at Loki’s uncharacteristically serious side, protested. Loki simply wagged his index finger back and forth.
“Tsk, tsk. You still don't understand?”
Why do I like a guy like this?!
Even if you brought the person with the best reading comprehension in the world here, they wouldn't understand what he was talking about.
“You all remember the name of the club I made, right?”
As if anyone could remember something that long! Instead of shouting that, Sepia asked a very simple question that any club president should be able to answer instantly.
“Do you even remember the club’s name? Say it right now!”
“.......................”
Does this jerk seriously not know the name of the club he created?
The students who had already joined were filled with regret, while those who hadn't let out sighs of relief.
“Ahem, of course I know it! But since the name is a bit long, you might get confused if I just say it, so I’ll show you the paper with the name written on it.”
Loki pulled a document from his Pocket Dimension.
[The Club Created by a Clown Where Club Members Unite to Devise Strategies to Defeat Professor Elicia, Put Frederick Through a Workout Routine, and Occasionally Venture Out to Raid Dungeons and Scavenge for Artifacts While We’re at It]
Looking at that absurdly long name, the Special Class students thought:
Looking at it again, he really just crammed every single word he could think of in there.
“See! Look here! The part about ‘devising strategies to defeat Professor Elicia’! Do you see this part? What does this mean? It means that from now on, we can spend every club session consistently planning strategies to take down the Professor or practicing our teamwork, and there will be absolutely no problem!”