Chapter 191: Proof 13
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 191: Proof 13
"Our club is doomed!"
That was the unanimous thought echoing through the minds of the Special Class students.
The club president and the faculty advisor were currently bragging at the top of their lungs about the small fortune they’d won by gambling on their own club’s entrance exam.
As the founding members, the Special Class students could only stare at them with expressions of utter disbelief.
"Hehe! My paycheck is multiplying before my very eyes!"
Idra was practically hopping for joy, ecstatic that her salary had doubled in an instant.
"Technically, you wouldn't have won a cent if I hadn't founded this club in the first place. Don't you think you owe me a meal, Professor?"
Beside her stood Loki, clutching a massive bundle stuffed to the brim with cash.
"You won a lot too, Student Loki! I really needed these funds because I’m planning to develop a new magic tool soon."
"Even if I won a lot, it couldn't possibly compare to you, Professor Idra. You bet your entire salary, after all."
"Well, that’s your fault for being so timid with your stakes, Loki."
"Believe me, I wanted to go all-in, but the Newspaper Club set a maximum limit for students. I couldn't bet any more."
"Hehe! This is what it means to be an adult! Ahem!"
"An adult who grows their wealth by wagering their entire livelihood on a gamble... How truly impressive!"
"Hehe, you’ll be able to become a cool adult like me someday too, Loki."
Loki and Idra continued to chatter about their winnings until Elicia finally raised a threatening fist. Only then did the two of them scramble back down to the first floor.
Watching Loki skip toward them with the heavy bundle slung over his shoulder, the Special Class students opened their mouths to say something, then promptly thought better of it.
‘Let’s not provoke him.’
They hadn't forgotten the time they teased him in the cafeteria, claiming the name "Clown Union Club" was weird. In retaliation, he had officially changed the name to: “A Clown-created Union of members who plan to defeat Professor Elicia, make Frederick exercise, and occasionally raid dungeons and find artifacts along the way Club”
That incident had taught them a valuable lesson: no matter how low you think someone can go, there is always a basement underneath.
"Weren't you all bored while I was gone?" Loki asked brightly.
Honestly, being bored would have been a mercy.
"Anyway, it’s lucky the Principal showed up right on time. I almost missed Sepia’s match. I really do have the best luck, don't I?"
Lucas glanced over at the Newspaper Club, which was systematically managing the bets.
"By the way, looking at that... it doesn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment thing. When did you even talk to them?"
"Oh, that? On my way to ask Professor Idra to preside over the entrance exam, the Newspaper Club President approached me and asked if they could run a book. I thought it sounded fun, so I gave them permission."
"Really? I naturally assumed you were the one who went to them and suggested it."
Loki waved his hand dismissively at Lucas’s remark.
"Oh, come on—what do you take me for? I don't even like gambling."
Lucas’s gaze naturally drifted to the bundle on Loki’s shoulder. The fabric was stretched so tight that it was easy to guess just how much cash was packed inside.
"For someone who claims to hate gambling, you seem to have done quite well for yourself. Just how much did you make?"
"Hehe, curious? Want to see the spoils?"
Loki set the bundle down on the floor.
"Go ahead, take a peek."
Eager to see the mountain of gold, the other Special Class students crowded around.
"Only you guys get to see this," Loki whispered conspiratorially as he pulled it open.
"......!"
"What the hell is this?!"
The students gasped in shock. Was it because Loki had made more money than they could imagine?
No.
"It’s empty!"
The bundle Loki opened was completely hollow.
The Special Class students stared at him, demanding an explanation. Loki scratched his head and lowered his voice.
"Well... the truth is, I didn't actually bet any money."
"What?"
The students were more shocked now than they would have been if he’d actually won a fortune.
"I told you. I don't like gambling. Why would I do something I hate?"
"Th-then what was all that money we saw on the second floor?" Kuran, usually the most composed of the group, actually stammered in confusion.
"That was just my own pocket money mixed with a bit of illusion magic," Loki explained candidly. "To be honest, I was certain Clara would win, so I would have made a killing if I’d bet on her. But gambling is dangerous."
Of course, considering the massive sums he’d received from the Emperor, losing a bit wouldn't have been a major blow, but to Loki, unnecessary risk was still risk.
The Special Class students couldn't fathom why someone who hated gambling would go through the effort of using illusions to brag about a fake win.
"Is there a reason you went that far?"
"If I make it look like I won big, won't other students think, ‘Maybe I can too?’ and participate more?"
Lucas and Sepia caught on to his meaning immediately, but the others were still lost. "What does an increase in bettors have to do with you?"
"When the Newspaper Club President asked to run the bets, I told them I’d allow it—on the condition that they gave me a generous cut of the commission."
He had also instructed them to set a cap so students wouldn't lose their entire life savings, but he didn't feel the need to mention that part.
Only then did the students understand Loki’s performance on the second floor. And by extension, they assumed the same of the faculty advisor.
"Then was Professor Idra in on it with you?"
"Right, that makes sense. No sane professor would actually dump their entire salary into a bet."
Since Loki said he’d talked to the Newspaper Club on his way to see Idra, it stood to reason that he’d asked her to play along.
However, Loki shook his head.
"No. The Professor was for real. Even I was shocked back there."
"Then...?"
"Yes. Professor Idra really did bet her entire salary."
"..."
The silence was deafening.
* * *
"Ahem."
Idra let out a small, sheepish cough from the auditorium stage. A fresh bump, which hadn't been there moments ago, now sat prominently on her head.
"There was a bit of a commotion, wasn't there? Well then, we’ll start the exam for Student Sepia and the eleven challengers in exactly ten minutes!"
The bump was a "gift" from Professor Elicia; apparently, Idra had been so busy gloating over her winnings that she’d forgotten she was supposed to be running the exam.
With the announcement of the ten-minute break, some students headed for the restrooms, but the majority flocked to the Newspaper Club’s betting booth.
The maximum bet was limited, and for the noble students, it wasn't a particularly large sum. Perhaps because they’d seen Loki "win" so much earlier, the participation rate skyrocketed.
Gashurin and Kuran headed toward the second floor to join in for fun, but they scrambled back down immediately when Professor Elicia glared at them with eyes that promised a slow death.
"Pfft! I told you not to do it."
As Loki watched them with a laugh, Sepia approached him.
Loki was already certain Sepia would win, but just as he was about to offer some words of encouragement, she spoke first.
"What did you talk about when you went out with Clara earlier?"
"Nothing much."
"I’m asking what you said to her."
He couldn't exactly say he went to comfort Clara because she was crying over Joden’s harsh words—calling her arrogant instead of praising her victory. As Loki scrambled for an answer, a plausible excuse popped into his head.
"Clara won overwhelmingly against seven opponents, didn't she? I just told her she looked cool. That’s all."
Unfortunately, it was the worst possible thing to say to Sepia.
"Cool?"
Failing to notice the dangerous drop in Sepia’s voice, Loki continued enthusiastically.
"Yeah! Didn't Clara look amazing earlier? Especially when she told everyone to just come at her at once because they were stalling. Man, I almost fell for her!"
When Loki said he "almost fell for her," he meant he was impressed by her charisma.
But the person listening was Sepia, who harbored genuine feelings for him.
"What?!"
Loki flinched at her unexpectedly sharp reaction.
"Uh..."
"What’s so great about that? You’re going to fall for her over something like that? Do you think I can't handle everyone at once too?"
Before Loki could even get a word out, Sepia was already stomping toward Idra with visible fury in her stride.
He was too far away to hear the exact conversation, but seeing Idra’s eyes light up as she rubbed the bump on her head, it wasn't hard to guess the outcome.
A moment later, Idra’s voice, amplified by magic, echoed through the auditorium.
"Attention! Student Sepia has also declared that, like Student Clara, she will take on all nine challengers at once!"