Chapter 177: Clown Union Club 24
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Clown Union Club 24
Since I’d had lunch with the Special Class yesterday and Johanna had eaten with the Disciplinary Committee, we had agreed during our morning training to have lunch just the two of us today.
Our meeting spot was the grand fountain on the way to the cafeteria.
It had been one of my favorite locations back when I played the game, but seeing it in person made me love it even more. Perhaps it was because I was on my way to meet Johanna, but my steps felt lighter than usual as the fountain came into view.
Water shot high into the air from the center of the Academy campus. The rising droplets caught the sunlight, sparkling with crystalline clarity for a fleeting moment before cascading back down. Then, the water surged even higher than before. The droplets, suspended in the air longer than the last burst, fell once again.
It was undoubtedly a beautiful sight, but it wasn't the water that captured my attention.
“................”
A low stone wall surrounded the fountain, and a woman was perched upon it.
Like the water droplets shimmering in the air, her platinum-blonde hair glowed brilliantly under the sunlight. Perhaps because she was staring blankly at the rising and falling water, she didn't notice me watching her intently.
She held her palm out toward the fountain. A small, stray droplet landed on that tiny, porcelain-white palm—a hand so delicate it was hard to believe it belonged to someone who wielded a sword. Every time the fountain surged and scattered, tiny beads of water splashed onto her face, but she didn't seem to mind, her gaze fixed entirely on the droplet in her hand.
Normally, I would have called out Johanna’s name and run over the moment I spotted her. But I wanted to linger on this scene a little longer, so I stopped in my tracks—or rather, I had no choice but to stop.
There are many people at the Academy who have been helped by Johanna. She probably doesn't remember all of them, but those who received her help would never be able to forget her. Just as I have never forgotten the moment I was comforted by Johanna, even across dimensions.
A small gesture or a word spoken without much thought can become despair for one person and hope for another.
By the way, I’d headed here the moment I heard the broadcast announcing the lunch break, so just how early did Johanna get here? If I’d known, I would have come straight here to wait after finishing my conversation with Professor Idra.
No, wait. If I had, I wouldn't have seen Johanna watching the fountain like this.
“Loki.”
Johanna, who had been watching the fountain just a moment ago, was suddenly standing right in front of me. She must have been by the fountain for quite a while; up close, I could see tiny droplets of water clinging to her face, hair, and school uniform.
“How long have you been here? You should have said something.”
Johanna spoke as she reached out to caress my face. Since I was wearing my mask, her hand touched the cold surface of the White Mask. It seemed that stroking my face during our morning sessions had already become a habit for her.
“I was watching for a bit because you looked beautiful.”
At my words, Johanna turned her head to look back at the fountain.
“Mm... It is beautiful. This is my favorite place. Do you like it too, Loki?”
I looked at Johanna as she stared at the fountain and replied.
“Yes, I like it very much.”
Because I like it so much, I have to protect it. The anxiety I felt earlier vanished. That’s right. Whether I can protect it isn't what matters. I must protect it.
“Shall we head to the cafeteria now?”
“Okay.”
Johanna and I walked toward the cafeteria, chatting as we went. The conversation flowed effortlessly; we had shared many stories already, but I still had so much I wanted to know.
We didn't talk about anything particularly important—what we had for dinner last night, what we learned in class today, what we should eat during tomorrow's patrol. They weren't significant topics, but I was still deeply curious about them.
Most students had already headed to the cafeteria, so there weren't many people wandering around outside. The few students who were there whispered as they saw Johanna and me. Since both Johanna and I are famous, it was common for students to gossip when they saw us.
But today, it felt different than usual.
“Hey, you go talk to him. Ask if it’s true.”
“How can I go over there when Lady Freya is with him? You go.”
“Damn it. If I wait any longer, I won't even get a chance to talk to him.”
They were too far away for me to hear exactly what they were saying. Of course, I could have heard them easily if I used mana to enhance my senses, but Johanna didn't seem to care, so I ignored them and kept talking to her.
However, the moment we stepped into the crowded cafeteria, I was certain. Something was up.
As soon as Johanna and I entered, every student eating lunch suddenly turned to look at me, and the cafeteria instantly became noisy. Ever since it became known that I was the Emperor’s disciple, the number of people staring at me had increased, but that was old news. Enough time had passed that while people might still look, it shouldn't be to the point where every single student was whispering like this.
I saw Lucas eating with Gashurin, Ren, and Kuran in the distance and waved my hand.
“..............”
But Lucas turned his head away, avoiding my gaze.
What the? Did something happen in that short window of time?
Just as I was about to ask Johanna what was going on, a student walked up to me. I had never spoken to him, but I remembered seeing him in one of my afternoon classes, so I knew he was a fellow first-year. Normally, I would have simply thought he was trying to get close to me because I was the Emperor’s disciple, but at this point, it was clear there was something I didn't know.
The words the male student spoke were completely unexpected.
“Can I join your club?”
“Excuse me?”
Before I could even ask "Suddenly?", the other students in the cafeteria came swarming over.
“Are there specific requirements to join?”
“I’m ranked 36th among the second-years, and my specialty is the bow. I’m confident in my ability to snipe stealthily.”
“My family specializes in hunting, so I’ll definitely be a help during dungeon explorations!”
“You said you’re looking for artifacts too, right? I know a place that deals in artifacts. How about me?”
“I know where there’s a good dungeon. What about me?”
* * *
While Loki and the Special Class students were busy being thrashed by Professor Elicia...
Because the Special Class room was located in the basement, Loki and the others didn't know, but the Academy was in an uproar. The reason was the club Loki had created.
[Club Name – The club created by a clown where members unite to strategize on how to catch Professor Elicia, make Frederick exercise, and occasionally head out to raid dungeons and find artifacts along the way.]
“Hey, did you see it?”
“Of course. How could anyone miss that?”
“Pfft! Ah, that’s hilarious.”
Students who first saw the name of the club Loki created on the bulletin board were either bewildered or burst out laughing.
[President – Loki]
“Wait, isn't Loki the disciple of His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Wow. I knew he was a weirdo since the midterm exams, but to make a club like that... Pfft!”
“Why did His Majesty take such a strange guy as his disciple?”
“Why? Because he’s strong. Isn't that why?”
“You idiot, he’s strong because he’s the Emperor’s disciple. If I had learned from His Majesty, I’d be able to do at least that much as a baseline.”
“Yeah, right. No way.”
Even after realizing the club president was Loki, the students' reactions didn't change much. Honestly, the students thought there was only one person in the entire Academy who would create a club with a name like that.
The reason the Academy was in such an uproar—beyond just being bewildered, amused, or surprised—was because of the information listed below that.
[Members – Lucas Leonhart, Kuran Isar, Ren, Frederick Nicholas.]
“Huh? Why is the Crown Prince’s name there?”
“Stop bullshitting—wait, why is this real?”
“Weren't Kuran and Ren going to join the Hand-to-Hand Combat Club? I joined that club because I thought for sure they would.”
It was shocking that four students from the Special Class, whom almost every club was scouting, had joined a club with such a bizarre name.
“Don't tell me everyone in the Special Class is joining that club?”
“Hey, talk some sense.”
“And the Crown Prince and the other three joining that club makes sense?”
“True. But still, it’s realistically impossible for all of them to join.”
“Has anyone else from the Special Class joined another club?”
“I heard the Spirit Club and the Merchant Club practically begged Lady Rivayden, but she turned them down.”
“There was a whole fuss recently because Lady Adelian said she wouldn't join the Magic Research Club either.”
“The Swordsmanship Club asked Gashurin to join, but he only said he’d think about it.”
As the chatter continued throughout the morning, a rumor spread through the Academy: The Special Class students are gathering to form a single club.
These were the Special Class students, evaluated as possessing the greatest talents in history. Except for one, all of them were famous even before entering the Academy. Before enrollment, the current first-years had imagined getting close to them, becoming friends, or even lovers.
In reality, far from becoming friends, they barely had a chance to exchange words. To become friends, you have to meet often. But there were almost no opportunities to meet the Special Class students.
The Special Class students took separate classes in the basement during the morning. While they sometimes took the same classes in the afternoon, the Special Class students' schedules changed so frequently that it was impossible to see them regularly.
Thus, to the first-year students, the Special Class was a group they wanted to befriend but had zero points of contact with. But what if they were in the same club? Then they would be forced to meet regularly during club hours, making it possible to become close.
And who grants permission for club members? That is the authority of the club president.
They took separate classes in the basement in the morning, and no one knew what classes they would take in the afternoon. So, the time the students targeted was the lunch break.
* * *
“But is Lady Adelian really joining the club too?”
“I heard a rumor that if you join the club, your affiliation changes to the Special Class. Is that true?”
Aha, no wonder things felt weird.
At first, I was startled when people swarmed me saying they wanted to join the club, but after hearing their questions, I finally grasped the situation.
“Ahaha! Everyone, if you all ask questions at once, it’s difficult for me to answer. First, let’s talk over— Whoa?! What is that doing here?!”
Since everyone was looking at me, their heads naturally turned toward where I was pointing in shock.
In the direction I was pointing... there was nothing.
“There’s nothing there.......”
When they turned back, I was gone too.