Chapter 101: Volunteer? Activity (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Volunteer? Activity (2)
The Academy’s commercial district was quite prosperous.
More than half of the students attending the Academy were children of wealthy noble families. Even those who weren't typically received sponsorships from the Imperial Family, various nobles, or merchants, so their spending habits were far from modest.
Furthermore, because it was an official Academy established by the Imperial Family, public security was excellent.
…At least, it had been until last year.
Anyway, thanks to those factors and its location right along the route through the Imperial Capital, it was a place where money naturally gathered. And where there’s the scent of money, people tend to swarm.
People looking to make a fortune, people looking to swindle those people, people looking to build connections, and so on.
With such a diverse crowd gathered, incidents and accidents were bound to happen. Naturally, some experienced failure and fell to the very bottom.
The slums.
In that place, born of natural necessity, lived those who had lost their dreams and were ready to give up on life—alongside those who were desperately trying to claw their way out of the gutter.
The ones who moved to help these people were the members of the Goddess Church Academy Cathedral.
“And to support a good cause, the Academy periodically sends students to perform volunteer work. That is the crux of the problem in this incident.”
Volunteer work itself wasn't a bad thing.
The Church and the Academy could maintain a positive public image. Those who had fallen into the slums could get a meal and a chance at job recommendations or rehabilitation training. As for the Academy students, they could witness the hardships of the underprivileged firsthand and fulfill their 'noble responsibility'… or more accurately, secure volunteer points and various extra credits.
The problem was…
“The Flower Arrangement Club… is reportedly participating in its entirety!”
High-ranking individuals doing volunteer work? It actually happened quite often.
A prime example was Senior Loreliya.
She was the 'Villainess Wannabe' officially recognized by Boradori—a Duke’s daughter who regularly engaged in volunteer service. Apparently, there were quite a few noble ladies who followed her lead.
The problem was!
“…They don’t know when to stop! They just don’t!”
The members of the Flower Arrangement Club were humans who existed far outside the standard scale.
Senior Loreliya? Sure, she was from a Ducal House, a position far above other nobles, but in the end, she was just one person. Even the ladies who accompanied her were from Count families at best. Moreover, since Loreliya volunteered regularly, many people were already used to her presence.
But the Flower Arrangement Club was different.
Despite joining out of the blue, they had an Imperial Prince and the Saintess of the Goddess Church, who would be treated with reverence anywhere on the continent.
Was that all? The people flanking them were princes and princesses from various kingdoms. They were a group that made the second son of the Rias Border Count and the future heir of Ilias—one of the three great merchant guilds on the continent—look like mere commoners.
Even if such individuals moved one by one, it would be enough to give the organizers a migraine. But they were going all at once, hand in hand.
We were in trouble, but the Goddess Church Cathedral and other officials must have been in a state of total emergency.
“Well, at least we won’t be dying alone.”
“Yeah. We aren’t the only ones on fire.”
As we snickered, the newbies looked at us as if we were madmen. It wouldn't take long for them to become just like us, though.
…Or they’d quit halfway through.
“Anyway, I’ve made contact with the Cathedral. Thanks to that, even though we didn't sign up in advance, we’re now able to participate in the volunteer work.”
“But what does a Dessert Club do for volunteer work?”
“We have to bake cookies or something. Anyone here know how to bake cookies?”
“……”
“……”
“……”
Everyone fell silent at Uncle Aeryun’s question. It seemed everyone was an expert at kneading people like dough, but none of them could handle actual cookie dough.
“None, I see. We’ll just buy some then.”
It seemed Uncle Aeryun hadn't expected much either, as he calmly opted for a donation-based contribution.
“Now, let’s decide on roles. First, a 'face' to hand out the cookies.”
“……”
“……”
“Just so you know, this is the easiest job, okay?”
“What are the other roles?”
At Aeryun’s words, the newbie who had snatched the title of 'only female' from the Fire Spammer asked cautiously.
Her name was Irene.
According to Boradori, she was the secret guard of Princess Meriya, a junior rival character inserted specifically to give Daisy a sense of crisis.
“The next most difficult role is, naturally, the Anti-Dark Mage Unit.”
“Was there news that Dark Mages would show up at a volunteer event?!”
Her eyes widened at the mention of Dark Mages. The other newbies reacted similarly.
However…
“No?”
Aeryun shook his head nonchalantly. At the very least, there was no mention of Dark Mages in the Imperial Intelligence Bureau’s reports.
“Huh?”
“You’re preparing for Dark Mages that aren't even in the reports?”
The newbies were flustered, but Aeryun remained confident.
“The Dark Mages will come.”
He boldly declared that the Dark Mages would invade.
“…Is it a hunch?”
Seeing his unwavering conviction, one of the newbies nodded with a serious expression. The sixth sense of an agent who had survived all sorts of hardships in a massive nation like the Empire! An agent’s natural intuition could be more valuable than dozens of reports!
…Or so it seemed.
“No?”
“What?”
Contrary to his usual behavior, Aeryun was a fairly cold and analytical person. Certainly, intuition was an element that could help a top-tier agent make a decision in moments of uncertainty. But it was exactly that—a weight to tip the scales during uncertain moments. A person who moved based on hunches at any given time could never be a great agent.
So, why was Aeryun so certain that Dark Mages would show up?
“It’s called Big Data.”
“……?”
“In a large-scale event like this, there’s no way those diligent bastards would fail to show up!”
“???????”
The newbies looked like they couldn't understand a word they were hearing, but the Fire Spammer and Taylor were both nodding in agreement.
Diligent Dark Mages.
Ordinary people would ask why such diligent people became Dark Mages in the first place, but to agents who had spent a year in a RoFan Academy world, it was a term they couldn't help but empathize with.
“You won't understand. I don't intend to force you to, either. Just live in the Academy for half a year, and the moment of realization will come to you too.”
Anyway, the Dark Mages were coming!
As the newbies stared skeptically at the asserting Aeryun, one of them cautiously raised a hand.
“Right. Balter, was it?”
“Yes. I have a question.”
The junior who had argued for the 'Daisy Hypnosis App Theory' during the club interview asked Aeryun with a stiff expression.
“If that’s the next most difficult… does that mean there’s a mission even harder than dealing with Dark Mages?”
The other newbies’ expressions froze. An opponent more difficult than a Dark Mage? Their faces screamed, Does such a thing even exist?
“That’s right.”
Seeing the newbies' reactions, Aeryun nodded with a grim face, causing them to swallow hard. An opponent harder than a Dark Mage. Could it be that the legendary Demons actually existed?
To the newbies who were likely thinking such things, Aeryun revealed the terrifying truth.
“It’s the task of dealing with the Flower Arrangement Club.”
“…Excuse me?”
“You have to handle the Imperial and Royal families, centered around Saintess Daisy.”
“……?”
The newbies’ faces twisted into bizarre expressions. Some looked like they suspected he was joking at a time like this.
“Sigh.”
But Aeryun was dead serious. We knew that all too well.
“Dark Mages are surprisingly easy to deal with.”
“What?”
“They’re strong, annoying, and you might die if you’re not careful. But the same goes for them.”
That was true. Dark Mages were enemies. And not just any enemies, but clear enemies of humanity. To put it in perspective, even if an order was given to capture one alive, if you just killed them and said it couldn't be helped, the higher-ups would just shrug and say, “Well, nothing to be done then.”
“However, the Flower Arrangement Club is a group we have to protect.”
“……”
“No matter what kind of crazy shit they pull… there’s nothing we can do!”
“……!”
“We are the absolute underdogs! And besides, they aren't the people you used to know!”
“Ah.”
At that, Balter, the proponent of the Hypnosis App Theory, had an epiphany.
“It doesn't matter what kind of person your lord was back in your kingdom. Once they are ensnared by the magic of their first love, they are no longer the people you knew!”
They were people who had voluntarily joined the Flower Arrangement Club after falling into the clutches of RoFan. It was better to face a Dark Mage than to deal with them.
“So, let’s have just two people sacrifice themselves along with Adam!”
“…Wait, what?”
Why am I an automatic participant? When I looked at Aeryun with that expression, he looked back as if I was the one being absurd.
“The boyfriend of the Flower Arrangement Club’s president has to go. Who else would?”
“You, Uncle.”
“I have to supervise the Imperial agents and hunt for Dark Mages.”
“No, but…”
Since they were Imperial agents, it made sense for an Imperial figure to manage them, but still. Is this right?
“When the President isn't around, the Vice President should naturally move with the other club presidents.”
“Vice President?”
I narrowed my eyes at the Fire Spammer’s sudden interjection, but…
“That’s right.”
“……?”
Seeing Taylor nodding beside him, I realized something had gone horribly wrong.
“Uncle?”
“Hmm……”
“You didn't, right?”
“The Vice President should put in some work.”
“You people…!”
When I asked when on earth they had promoted me to Vice President, Aeryun answered in a nonchalant voice.
“When we officially registered the club name.”
“……”
“If you’re the one who picked the name, you should at least do that much.”
“He’s right.”
Looking at Taylor and the Fire Spammer nodding, I gave up on escaping. Instead…
“I get to choose the person who dies with me, right?”
I cast my Death Echo.
I wanted to take both Taylor and the Fire Spammer with me, but since that would leave only the juniors behind, I decided to spare one.
The person I chose was…
“Adam. I was wrong about everything…”
It was the Fire Spammer.
There were no personal feelings involved. The Fire Spammer had argued that a woman would be better as the 'face' of the club, so I brought her along to enlighten her on the philosophy of gender equality.
“Seriously, I’ll be good from now on…”
The dragged-along Fire Spammer clung to me with a tearful face.
“Save me…”
Not a chance.
The junior who had overconfidently volunteered for the most dangerous mission had long since collapsed. If the Fire Spammer disappeared too, it meant I’d have to endure this hell all by myself. No matter how much I was recognized in the Leon Kingdom, that was asking too much. Truly too much.
“Let’s go to hell together.”
“Ah…”
At my words, the light died in the Fire Spammer’s eyes. And at that exact moment…
“Did you wait long? So many people were looking for me on the way.”
“Hmph. It was the same for me.”
The door opened, and a smiling Daisy and Senior Loreliya walked in.
Indeed. If there was a hell in a RoFan world, what else could it be?
This must be it.