Chapter 34: Provocation 8
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Provocation 8
The Academy was home to dozens of clubs.
These organizations were broadly categorized into two types: combat and non-combat. The combat category featured heavy hitters like the Swordsmanship Club, the Magic Research Club, the Spear Techniques Club, the Magical Beast Hunting Club, and the Hand-to-Hand Combat Club. Among them, the Swordsmanship and Magic Research clubs reigned supreme in terms of scale.
The Disciplinary Committee also fell under the combat category, though unlike the others, they were extremely selective with their membership.
On the other hand, non-combat clubs included the Cooking Club, Board Game Club, Newspaper Club, and the Theology Club. The largest of these used to be the Social Club.
Yes, that was in the past. The Social Club no longer existed at the Academy.
Back then, it was an exclusive circle reserved for nobles, intended for networking and high-society posturing. Since commoners were a rare breed among the student body, it naturally became the largest non-combat organization on campus. Because of its sheer size, the club received an astronomical amount of funding from the Academy.
Its exclusivity wasn't the primary issue, however. The Social Club was plagued by far deeper rot.
The first problem was its extreme cliquishness. One might argue that a club built for socializing is supposed to be cliquey, but they took it a step further, forming a faction that systematically bullied any student who drew their ire. Their victims were almost always lower-ranking nobles or commoners.
It took only two people to sweep the Social Club out of the Academy for good.
Simon Nicholas, a member of the Newspaper Club, had realized something was rotten while investigating the group.
"President, I’ve heard rumors that the Social Club is systematically bullying other students. I did some digging... and their financial records are bizarre."
"Simon, I told you not to investigate them. Don't you dare touch the Social Club again. If you look into them one more time, you’re out of the Newspaper Club."
"I understand. I won't investigate them further."
In that moment, as Simon looked at his club president, a single thought crossed his mind: This man is useless.
Simon didn't waste another word on the president. He simply took his investigation underground. He knew that talking would change nothing.
"Information is people, and people are information."
Muttering the words his father—a high-ranking member of the Imperial Intelligence Department—habitually said, Simon continued his solo investigation. What he uncovered was staggering.
"Wow... they’ve embezzled a fortune."
They were siphoning off massive amounts of the activity funds provided by the Academy.
"There’s no way the Social Club pulled this off alone. Is the Student Council in on it too?"
Embezzling Academy funds was nearly impossible under normal circumstances, but if the Student Council was complicit, the game changed. The Council would manipulate the allocation of funds, allowing the Social Club to receive an inflated budget, and the two groups would split the illicit profit.
Simon was only able to dig this deep because of his vast network. Being friendly with both commoners and nobles allowed him to hear the whispers others missed.
"It’ll be a bit tough to blow the lid off this by myself."
Simon’s family held the rank of Count within the Empire—a prestigious position—but the Social Club and Student Council were backed by Marquises and Dukes from various other kingdoms.
However, he had an ace up his sleeve. Simon headed straight for the Magic Research Club.
"Joden, let’s cause some trouble."
"Simon, speak clearly so I can understand you."
Simon laid out everything he had discovered.
"Tsk. What do you need me to do?"
"There’s a secret compartment in the Student Council Room. There’s a high probability the evidence is hidden there."
Simon’s plan was to alert the professors beforehand and then seize the definitive evidence from the Council Room.
"In other words, I just need to subdue everyone in the room."
With those words, Joden began to walk.
"Where are you going?"
"To break into the Student Council Room."
"What? By yourself?"
Joden didn't bother answering. He kept walking, ignoring Simon’s frantic attempts to stop him until they reached their destination.
"What is your business here?" the student guarding the door asked warily as Joden approached.
"Move."
Joden ignored the guard and walked straight inside. The Council appeared to be in the middle of a meeting, as the room was packed.
"Are all the bastards involved in this room right now?" Joden asked, looking at Simon while ignoring the dozens of eyes fixed on him.
"Yeah, that’s all of them."
"What is this rudeness—!"
One student started to shout, but the words died in his throat. His entire body was instantly frozen solid.
"What the—!"
"Young Master Adelian!"
The room erupted in chaos at the sudden display of force.
"Quiet."
In an instant, everyone in the Student Council Room was frozen in place, unable to offer even a hint of resistance.
That day, a massive wave of expulsions hit the Academy, and the Social Club vanished into history. Joden became the first freshman in the Academy's history to be appointed Student Council President.
* * *
I was currently heading to the cafeteria with Lucas to grab some lunch.
Vermin, who had been desperately trying to corner Lucas all morning, had finally retreated with his subordinates after Lucas told him to get lost.
"Was asking Frederick for a favor earlier just so you could meet the Newspaper Club President?" Lucas asked.
Frederick was a sorcerer in the Special Class—full name Frederick Nicholas. He was the younger brother of Simon Nicholas, the President of the Newspaper Club.
"Yes, exactly!"
"Thanks to that, I ended up getting splashed with a drink."
"I do feel bad about that. Honestly, I didn't think he'd go quite that far."
"Don't worry about it. More importantly, is this the 'method' you mentioned for handling things within a week?"
"Think of this as just the build-up. There's still one final step left."
"What's the final step?"
"I'll tell you, since it's you, Lucas."
Feeling a bit guilty that Lucas had taken a drink to the face because of me, I shared the rest of the plan. Lucas looked horrified as he listened.
"You really think that'll work?"
"Just watch."
* * *
After lunch, I took a short walk around the Academy grounds with Lucas.
"Loki, isn't there a crowd gathered over there?"
Just as Lucas noted, a swarm of students was huddled around a bulletin board, buzzing with excitement. As we drew closer, the cause became clear. It was the latest edition of the school newspaper.
[Prince of Archen Kingdom Douses Imperial Crown Prince! Insults Hurled!]
The headline was so provocative it was impossible to ignore.
"Wow, that was fast."
It looked like the Newspaper Club had skipped lunch to get this out.
"And when did they even take the photo?" Lucas muttered.
The paper featured a crystal-clear shot of Lucas drenched in the drink while Vermin shouted at him.
"Is this a lie?"
"I’m telling you! Does that even make sense?"
At first, the students were skeptical. It was unthinkable for a prince of a mere kingdom to assault the Crown Prince of the Empire.
"Look at the photo, though. It doesn't look staged at all."
"The current Newspaper Club President has never published a lie."
"He’s the one who exposed the Social Club two years ago."
The combination of the photographic evidence and Simon Nicholas’s ironclad reputation forced the students to accept the truth.
[This article was written based on the direct observations of Newspaper Club President Simon Nicholas and contains no falsehoods.]
That final sentence sealed the deal.
"What? Then it's true!"
"How dare he do that to the Crown Prince!"
Since Croa Academy was the premier institution on the continent, it hosted students from many nations, but the vast majority were Imperial citizens. Not a single citizen of the Empire could remain calm after hearing their future emperor had been insulted so brazenly.
"I never liked that guy!"
"I saw him loitering around the Special Class area earlier!"
"You mean he targeted the Crown Prince on purpose?"
"He even picked a fight with Lady Johanna and Lord Joden in the cafeteria yesterday!"
The furor showed no signs of cooling down. By the time classes ended for the day, the atmosphere was electric. The Archen Kingdom students who had tried to intimidate me yesterday remained deathly silent; they knew that opening their mouths now would be social suicide.
"From now on, we will protect the Crown Prince!"
A group of students claiming to be the "Lucas Fan Club" suddenly appeared to escort him. Surrounded by his new "bodyguards," Lucas shot me a look of pure resentment.
The fan club you chose... wait, no, you didn't choose them. Anyway, just suck it up and endure.
The other Special Class students looked at Lucas with pity, though their sympathy didn't extend to me. Unable to bear the attention, Lucas eventually hissed to the others that this was all my plan.
Upon hearing that, the Special Class students began to look at me like I was a complete lunatic.
"Even if I am handsome, it's embarrassing when you stare like that," I quipped.
".........."
* * *
After another "ordinary" day of Academy life, I lay on my bed and pulled out the communication device to contact Yerika. I needed to know for sure if she possessed that trait.
Ring— Ring— Click.
The connection went through, and I heard the soft sound of the receiver being picked up.
"Princess."
[............]
Silence. I called out again, wondering if the connection was unstable.
"Princess?"
[............]
Suddenly, I remembered what Yerika had said yesterday before the call cut off.
["Next time, please just call me Yerika comfortably."]
Could it be?
"Lady Yerika?"
[...........]
"Miss Yerika?"
[............]
"Yerika?"
[Yes!]
