Chapter 99: Second Year (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Second Year (6)
I had to clear up the misunderstanding.
No matter how much I had helped the Empire, I didn't want to be suspected of involvement in an admissions scandal.
Uncle Aeryun seemed to feel the same way, as he moved quickly. He soon found out exactly how our junior had managed to get in.
"It was the result of a combination of Imperial Academy policy and a mistake by the administrative officer."
"What does that mean?"
"The Imperial Academy has a special policy..."
It was a complicated story, but to put it simply, applicants from underprivileged backgrounds receive bonus points.
It was a decent policy. Even with the same level of talent, a person's environment can prevent that talent from ever blooming. If a commoner, who has no support and barely any time to practice, reaches the same level as a noble receiving massive support, the commoner likely possesses far greater raw talent.
The problem was that our junior didn't get in through the social welfare track, but the regional track.
In short, he was a Rural Special Talent Student.
"The bonus points for Leon’s Magic Department... are among the highest on the continent."
They were equal to or even higher than those of obscure, tiny nations. Apparently, that was the level of bonus points Leon commanded.
"……"
I was about to argue, but thinking about the state of Leon’s mages, I couldn't find the words to refute it.
"Then what was the administrative officer's mistake?"
Even with bonus points, he shouldn't have been admitted so easily. The Imperial Academy has interviews, after all. No matter how many rural bonus points he had, there was no way the Academy would recruit someone who marveled at my 'Magic Wannabe' antics.
"...They said that since he was from Leon, they naturally assumed he was applying for the Swordsmanship Department."
"……?"
"So, they tested his swordsmanship during the interview. Apparently, he was quite good."
Wait, why is he good at that?
I stared at the junior with an incredulous expression. Elian scratched his head awkwardly and replied.
"Well... there's this morning exercise we do every day at the Leon Magic Tower."
"……!"
Morning exercises at a Magic Tower!
The Fire Spammer’s jaw dropped in horror at the thought, but she nearly fainted at the words that followed.
"It was surprisingly effective, and the instructor suggested I learn the sword for self-defense..."
"The Leon Magic Tower isn't a magic tower."
"I told you."
They’re just Magic Tower Wannabes.
"Anyway. So, they admitted him thinking he was in the Swordsmanship Department."
The mystery of how a junior with pathetic magic skills got into the Magic Department was solved. He was actually the type of guy who would claim to be a mage and then just stab you with a blade.
It was a very Leon-esque conclusion.
"Imperial Academy. Is it really okay like this?"
Since this was ultimately a blunder by the Empire, I looked at Uncle Aeryun.
"……"
"……"
"……"
Everyone’s eyes turned toward him.
"...Hey, wait a minute. Taylor, you bastard. You're an Imperial citizen too!"
The Empire. Is it really going to be okay?
"It's a Dark Mage!"
...It really didn't seem okay.
Dark mages appearing wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. Last year, they popped up whenever they felt like it. As long as the RoFan Female Lead was here, all the world's unfairness would naturally gravitate toward the Academy. I wasn't about to be surprised by a mere dark mage now.
The problem was...
"Hmm. A dark mage, huh?"
A dark mage had appeared right in the middle of the Empire, in the heart of the Academy, yet Uncle Aeryun was perfectly calm. I mean, I get it... but even so, he shouldn't be this indifferent. As an agent of the Empire, shouldn't he be a bit flustered? Shouldn't he be angry about how these bastards managed to sneak in?
"Ah. A dark mage has invaded. Freshmen, please evacuate under the guidance of your seniors."
Even the current Student Council was acting strangely composed.
"……?"
Look at that. Even the invading dark mage looked confused.
"You bastards, do you think this is a joke—!"
Thwack!
The snarling dark mage suddenly stared down at his own heart. Before anyone realized it, a blade had closed the distance and was 'kissing' his chest.
"Kyaaaah!"
A female student screamed at the sudden fountain of blood. Judging by her shock, she was definitely a freshman.
"...Huh?"
However, I couldn't help but be surprised when I saw who had stabbed the dark mage.
"Uncle."
"Yeah?"
"That's Daisy."
"Huh...?"
Uncle Aeryun, looking like he’d just heard total nonsense, turned his head and froze as he saw the blonde female swordsman who had run the dark mage through.
"It really is her."
The RoFan Male Leads are all doomed.
Usually, this is the part where a male lead is supposed to step in, right? Seeing her identify the enemy and stab them without a moment's hesitation, it seemed her journey to the Holy Kingdom had been quite grueling.
...I’d heard as much from Violet, but I didn't expect it to be this extreme.
"She transferred departments this year, right?"
"Yeah."
"Can you beat her?"
"I don't plan on losing, but..."
To be honest, I was a little intimidated. Stabbing someone so ruthlessly is no easy feat. She did it so naturally that even the victim could only gape in disbelief as he died.
Wait, was that it?
"Everyone, get back!"
True to his nature as a dark mage, he seemed to be attempting to cast an Echo of Death.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
But his opponent was the worst possible match for him. She was the Saintess, the literal hard counter to dark mages. The dark energy the mage tried to use for a self-destructive blast was naturally dispelled... no, absorbed by the power in Daisy's hand.
"That broken magic sword."
The dark mage died with a look of pure resentment, having even his final struggle stolen from him. However, his power remained at the tip of Daisy's sword. A small but intense aura flickered elegantly along the blade.
"……?"
She's going to fire that?
I was surprised by how naturally she swung the sword. And I was surprised again by how naturally she swung it. I’d heard she awakened her Sword Energy this winter, but I was shocked she could project it so well. And even if she could, I was stunned that she would fire such compressed power toward a crowd of people without hesitation.
Seriously, what happened in the Holy Kingdom? I am definitely never going there.
"Something else is popping out."
"I see it."
What was even more surprising was that dark energy erupted from the exact spot Daisy had aimed her attack.
"Those guys were hiding among the students."
"We're screwed."
"It's fine if they were in disguise, but they weren't officially enrolled, right?"
"...Who knows."
"What if they actually passed the entrance exam?"
"What do you mean 'what if'? We're all dead."
Meaning us.
I shook my head as I watched Uncle Aeryun mutter those words.
"I survived."
The day after Daisy had cleanly taken out three dark mages, Uncle Aeryun spoke with a smile that was overshadowed by deep dark circles.
"They were just guys in disguise."
"Oh."
"I mean, no matter how much the Academy's security has slipped, there's no way the admissions process would—"
Uncle Aeryun, who had been smiling brightly despite his appearance, suddenly turned his head. His gaze landed on Elian, who was sitting stiffly, still clearly unadjusted to his surroundings.
"...There shouldn't be any major problems, right?"
"Why are you asking me?"
Uncle Aeryun’s question was absurd, but I decided to be understanding. If I were in his shoes and this happened in Leon, I’d be losing my mind too.
"Anyway, we have something to celebrate."
Something for us to celebrate?
"Is Daisy transferring schools?"
"Is the Flower Arrangement Club being disbanded?"
"Is the Academy closing down?"
As these words naturally spilled out of our mouths, Elian looked dazed.
"Unfortunately, no such miracles occurred!"
Accustomed to our nonsense, Uncle Aeryun ignored us and continued.
"We have more applications for new members!"
"Finally, our After-School Dessert Club—!"
"You bastard, we haven't decided on the name yet! Stop trying to sneak it in!"
"Honestly, we have nothing else to do. Let's just go with it."
Wasn't the temporary name the 'Gourmet Tour Club'? Since we don't really eat full meals anyway, 'Dessert Club' seemed fitting.
"Wait for the new recruits and then vote. Don't you know what democracy is?"
"Why don't you try saying that in front of the Emperor?"
An Imperial agent shouting about democracy in a monarchy. It was the kind of statement that would make me unsurprised to see Uncle Aeryun at the guillotine the day after tomorrow.
"I have no intention of dying."
With that, Uncle Aeryun showed us five sets of documents.
"Five people?"
At Taylor's words, my eyes met the Fire Spammer's. Like a mirror, I saw my own expression reflected in her. Basically, the face of someone who had just stepped in something unpleasant.
That’s right.
"We're doomed."
Five new members. That meant five more dangerous individuals had entered the fray.
"……They all applied for the Flower Arrangement Club."
"Dammit."
And that was because every single one of them was connected to the RoFan madness.
Although there were many important figures, including royalty, who enrolled this year, we didn't advertise our club to their 'shadows.' Usually, having agents from different nations gather in one place brings more disadvantages than benefits.
What is a special agent, after all? They aren't people who operate officially in the light; most of them work unofficially in the shadows.
The prime example was Uncle Aeryun, who had been (forcibly) appointed as our club president. Just look at that face. He looks nothing like a student, yet he insists he's the same age as us!
When people like that gather, it’s usually not surprising if all sorts of murky things start happening. The reason we could spend our time playing at WWE instead of fighting in the UFC was that we shared a sense of camaraderie.
The camaraderie of being associated with the 'Golden Generation'—the troublesome leads caught in the clutches of the RoFan heroine, Daisy!
We had bonded over hunting down the 'rare beasts' known as dark mages and watching the main characters' blunders. The shared experience of looking at Daisy’s achievements and thinking, 'What the hell is this?' or 'I don't know, I'm scared...' created a bond that was anything but ordinary.
Therefore, excluding the junior who had already half-joined my line, all our prospective club members were inevitably those connected to the Flower Arrangement Club.
Of course, they couldn't just walk in.
"It's too strange. If the opponent weren't the Saintess, I would have no choice but to think she used hypnosis. This never happened back in the Kingdom... It's like the Prince suddenly became an idiot!"
"Accepted."
"……?"
One was accepted, but that didn't mean the others would be...
"The Princess is acting weird. She saw the Saintess's true nature at the entrance ceremony with her own eyes, yet she's antagonizing the Saintess over some guy..."
"Accepted."
"……?"
Two were accepted, but that didn't mean...
"He happened to pick up a handkerchief someone dropped, and it turned out to be the Saintess's. When he returned it, she smiled and thanked him... and apparently, he fell in love. Does this make any sense?"
"...Accepted."
"Huh?"
More than half were accepted, but still...
"This Academy is weird. It doesn't make sense."
"Accepted."
"Seriously, what is this?!"
Only one person was left, but..."
"Sigh... it's so hard."
"Accepted."
"……"
"……"
And so, with Uncle Aeryun’s full support, I, who was in charge of the new member screening, decided to accept everyone who had submitted an application. Now, all that was left was to change the club name to the After-School Dessert Club.
"……This isn't allowed?"
"No matter how you look at it, 'Dining Culture Research Society' is a bit much."
"What's wrong with it..."
The result was a unanimous vote, minus one.
And so, the first activity of the Bandibu...
"Dammit."
...began with a massive event for the Flower Arrangement Club.