Chapter 50: Negotiation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: Negotiation (2)
With only a week left until the Empire’s Founding Festival, I finally joined a club.
“Joining a club at a time like this? That’s unusual.”
As Prince Ellen pointed out, this was normally a period when joining or transferring clubs was forbidden. The only things allowed were founding a new one or withdrawing entirely.
Supposedly, students used to be able to move between clubs freely in the past, but the rules were changed due to several side effects…
Honestly, I couldn't help but see it as a plot device specifically for the Flower Arrangement Club.
Think about it: right after the application period ends, a club is suddenly joined by princes from various nations, including the Imperial Prince. Then, a female student who was thought to be a nobody suddenly awakens as the Saintess…
If club registration had been open at any time, the Flower Arrangement Club would have been swarmed by social climbers like moths to a flame. That would have definitely caused problems for the RoFan development.
I suspected the system was designed to wait until the mastermind—no, the Narrow-Eyed Senior—graduated and the RoFan party took full control of the Flower Arrangement Club.
“I just happened to form a club with some like-minded people this time.”
It wasn't a lie. We were all united by the common goal of managing the Golden Children.
“Even though you wouldn't join the Flower Arrangement Club.”
Prince Ellen expressed his lingering disappointment. Despite his persistent invitations at the start of the Academy term, I had refused to join his club, only to join a brand-new one now.
“Should I join now and work harder at playing Daisy’s boyfriend?”
“Regrettably, that’s all in the past now!”
His immediate pivot at a single remark was a testament to his growth as a proper RoFan male lead.
“I’m joking. It’s not even the registration period anyway.”
“True.”
In reality, if Uncle Aeryun pulled some strings, I could easily join the Flower Arrangement Club through the Academy Director. However, I was already entangled enough with the RoFan female lead; I had no intention of overlapping our activities further. I decided to stop at just teasing Prince Ellen a bit.
“By the way, what kind of club is it?”
There was still a lot of debate over the name, but to summarize the content:
“It’s a club where we just eat desserts after school.”
In short, it was Bandibu.
The After-School Dessert Club, the Gourmet Tour Club—the club of shadows whose name hadn't been finalized yet.
What the club actually did wasn't anything special. We just did exactly what we usually did when we gathered.
However, now that we were recognized as an official club, one thing had changed.
“It means we can legally fleece the Empire.”
“Oh…”
The Empire was wealthy. The massive merchant guilds that were considered the greatest on the continent were all based here. Even powerful nations like Leon and Dale marveled at the resources produced from its vast territories.
Thus, there was no hesitation in being extravagant. After all, the Academy provided support through club activity funds.
“As expected, coffee is the only way to start the morning.”
“Why are you pouring coffee brewed from such high-quality beans into ice water?!”
Leaving behind the Fire Spammer, whose face looked like it could rival Munch’s The Scream, I sipped the soul food of Koreans through a straw.
The Iced Americano sold at the Academy’s snack bar area was decent, but it seemed it couldn't beat the difference in raw ingredients.
“Crazy, how can coffee beans be this expensive…”
Beside me, Uncle Aeryun was clutching his head while negotiating the club budget with the Academy Director. Still, this was a small price to pay for the information I was providing about future events.
“Just enjoy it, Uncle Aeryun.”
“When I think about the fit the Director is going to throw, I can’t even swallow this.”
“Really? The desserts are delicious, though.”
I replied while popping a top-tier dessert—worth one gold coin each—into my mouth.
“Doesn't your kingdom pay its agents enough for meals?”
Uncle Aeryun let out a deep sigh and finally picked up a dessert himself. He figured if everyone else was going to eat them anyway, he might as well have some to feel less cheated.
“They pay well if you ask, but isn't it better to just take the meal allowance in cash?”
Of course, since I held a significant position in the Leon Royal Family, I could afford this kind of food if I really wanted to. But because my salary from the kingdom was quite high, I had to be mindful of appearances.
In contrast, the money used for club expenses was all the Empire’s money. Since we were continuously resolving incidents occurring within the Empire, I could spend it with a very light heart.
“Ah, that one’s good, isn't it?”
“It’s damn delicious.”
Watching Uncle Aeryun’s bizarre expression—eyes narrowed in a grimace while his mouth smiled as he chewed a cookie—I decided it was time to start our club activities. Out of conscience, we had to work as much as we ate.
“First of all, during the Founding Festival, a terrorist group is scheduled to invade the Academy. Ideally, the Empire would eliminate them all in advance, but… honestly, I have no faith in that.”
At my words, everyone except the Imperial natives nodded.
“We’ll stop them! We’re really going to stop them this time!”
Uncle Aeryun, the representative of the Empire, shouted with a flushed face, but…
“I think you said that last time.”
“And the time before that.”
He immediately sank at the combined rebuttal from me and the Fire Spammer as we sipped our Iced Americano and espresso, respectively.
“For now, assuming the enemy has already infiltrated the Academy, we plan to conduct casual patrols.”
Well, calling it a patrol was just an excuse to enjoy the festival. Spending the club funds like water was a bonus.
“That’s the extent of the agreed-upon club activities, but… you all know, right? I have to go on a date with Daisy for two days.”
Gulp.
Everyone swallowed hard and looked at me. A date with Daisy. They all knew exactly what that implied.
“It would be great if you could manage your respective lords.”
A staple of RoFan—no, subculture in general: if the male or female lead is on a date with someone else, it’s standard for the harem members to tail them.
Terrorist attacks were already scheduled, and now we had the RoFan male leads stalking the RoFan heroine at the center of the incident. Something was bound to happen.
“If they can’t be managed, I’ll just use them appropriately.”
“Use what?”
“You’ll find out when the time comes.”
Since it seemed unlikely they could be managed anyway, I kindly gave them advance notice that I’d be putting them to use.
The Founding Festival finally began.
The event lasted for a total of two weeks—one week before and one week after the actual anniversary. However, the first week was the real deal, while the second week felt more like a cleanup period. Thus, the Academy was scheduled to be open and hold events only during the first half.
And on that monumental first day, my task was…
“Hmm, it’s been a while?”
“Yes. Please go have your touching reunion with your long-lost brother over there.”
“Hey, wait!”
Hmph.
I snorted and shoved Princess Hestia, who was tilting her head arrogantly, toward Prince Ellen.
“I’m busy because I have to work.”
“What are you so busy with?!”
“Look at this. Event staff.”
“No, why are you acting as event staff for an Imperial event?!”
Princess Hestia looked at me with an incredulous expression… and she wasn't wrong. It was unheard of for a foreign student to be event staff unless they were part of the Student Council.
“It’s a club activity.”
However, given the nature of our club members, the status of event staff—which allowed us to move freely during the festival—was a necessity, not a choice.
“Didn't you say you weren't going to join a club?”
“I joined one in the second semester.”
“The Swordsmanship Club?”
“The Gourmet Tour Club.”
“Why?!”
“Uh, well. Because I wanted to eat delicious food?”
“You’re not even training properly. Have you gone soft lately?”
“I could still beat you, Princess…”
“Bring it on!”
As expected of Princess Hestia, she reached for her sword the moment I provoked her slightly.
“I told you, I’m busy.”
“Are you running away because you’re scared?”
She tried to taunt me back, but I had already anticipated this.
“I’m really busy. Tell you what, go beat the person over there first, then I’ll consider it.”
“Ellen?”
“I can’t even beat Prince Ellen. How could you?”
“I used to beat him in the past…”
As Princess Hestia pouted while reminiscing about her past glory, I called over the people I had prepared in advance.
“Uh…?”
At the sight of them, even the great Princess Hestia stood there with her mouth agape.
“The Sword Emperor?”
The Princess of Leon had brought students from her Academy to the Empire’s greatest festival under the pretext of an academic exchange. That gave the Empire more than enough justification to dispatch the Sword Emperor.
Of course, if the Sword Emperor had refused, it would have been difficult for the Empire to move him. But thanks to my efforts as his sandbag and slowly building up his favor, he agreed to meet the students of the Leon Kingdom at my request.
And as a bonus…
“Your opponent isn't the Sword Emperor, but the person next to him.”
“Wh-who is that?”
“The Minor Sword Emperor.”
I was able to offload one more RoFan male lead.
I dumped Prince Ellen onto Senior Lucia.
I dumped Princess Hestia and the other Leon Academy students onto the Sword Emperor and the Minor Sword Emperor.
With that, two RoFan male leads were retired.
Meanwhile, Imperial figures like Prince Esid would be dragged around like dogs on the first day of the festival.
Since the remaining Magic Spammer was scheduled for a date with the Fire Spammer…
“Let’s get on with our date.”
I began my date with Daisy.
“…From the very first day?”
I nodded at Daisy’s hollow-eyed question. According to Violet, Daisy had been dragged into the opening ceremony events since dawn.
Her situation was pitiful, but it was Daisy who had given me the priority for the first day of the date.
“It’s just a rehearsal anyway. Let’s just enjoy it lightly and get it over with.”
The first day of the date was a practice run. The real deal would be the date after the Pope arrived, for which Daisy had the priority.
“Sigh. To think my first-ever boyfriend would have so little sense of romance.”
Knowing this, Daisy let out a deep sigh but still reached out her hand.
“Should I hold your hand?”
“It’s a date. We should at least do this much.”
At Daisy’s remark that we needed the practice, I let out a sigh of my own and took her hand.
“This is unexpected.”
“What is?”
“For someone who supposedly used a slash that split the Holy Kingdom in half… you don’t have any calluses or anything.”
“…I never did anything like that?!”
Her hands were exactly what you’d expect from a RoFan heroine, but in my mind, Daisy was someone who split mountains with a sword and beat down the Demon King with her fists, so it really was a surprise.
“Stop talking nonsense and let’s go. You did prepare a date course, right?”
“Of course.”
Just as Daisy expected, I had prepared a truly perfect date course.
“This is delicious.”
“Try this too.”
“This is surprising. I heard nobles don’t usually eat things like this. You’re from a noble family too, Adam.”
“You’re talking as if you aren't one yourself.”
“I’m just from a rural barony. It’s different from you, coming from a count’s house.”
We walked along, munching on chicken skewers and tanghulu—which I had no idea why they existed in a medieval fantasy setting.
“Wow! How cool!”
We watched the small events being held in every corner.
“Ah! To purify the fallen light of the Holy Kingdom! Saintess Daisy did…”
“St-stop right there! Ugh, let’s just go!”
We even listened to bards singing of legends—or rather, someone’s dark past…
“What’s that?”
“A dark mage.”
“Pardon?”
Using the RoFan heroine’s innate attributes, we even discovered a dark mage ahead of schedule.