Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Club (2)
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"Oh God! Please descend upon us as our club member! Please! PLEEEEASE!!"
"……!"
I had no idea what was going on, so all I could do was stand there awkwardly.
God... descend...? What the hell was this girl talking about?
Was this some kind of cult club?
As her shouts echoed loudly, one of the female students finally snapped out of it and stood up behind her.
She grabbed the arm of the purple-haired girl in a half-ponytail who was clutching my pant leg and tried to restrain her.
"Hey, hey, Elin...! Stop it!"
"Oh God...! Please! I need you—no one else!!"
"Y-Yeah...?"
When she wouldn't calm down, the rest of the female members reluctantly stood up and held her back.
"Argh! Let go! I said let go!"
"Ow, you idiot...! Hey, Dorothy! Grab her there!"
"Ugh, what a pain..."
The members wrapped their arms around her body.
They kicked open the clubroom door and dragged her off somewhere.
"Nooooooo! Don't do thiiiiiiiis—!!"
She looked just like a third-rate villain getting taken out by the hero right before the demon king's arrival.
"Phew... Finally, a moment's peace..."
"……."
I still couldn't follow what was happening and just stood there frozen in place.
The remaining female member noticed my bewilderment.
Now that we were alone in the clubroom, she seemed embarrassed and asked me,
"Sorry about that. You must've been shocked... That girl's a bit of an oddball. Are you here to inquire about joining the club?"
"Ah, yeah. Is this the Alchemy Club?"
"Yep, that's us. I'm the club president."
So it really was the Alchemy Club.
Good thing I'd found the right place. Whatever that was about earlier... I didn't really want to pry.
"So, what did you want to know?"
"Well, um..."
I pulled the mana stone I'd brought from my pocket.
"Can this mana stone be used in alchemy?"
Mana stones were typically used as materials for magical tools in alchemy, but the one I had was different.
It only reacted to the user's mana.
Normally, you'd carve it delicately with mana or melt it down and recombine it to fit tools, but since it only responded to my mana, I wasn't sure if that was possible.
"Uh..."
She looked utterly perplexed the moment she saw the mana stone I handed her.
"I've never seen this type before...? What attribute is it?"
"I'm not sure. It doesn't seem to be any of the standard ones..."
Usually, mana stones were fire, water, wind, or earth attributes, but this didn't fit any of those.
"...Not a standard attribute? Then what is it?"
"It... only reacts to my mana. And it seems like I can manipulate mana through it."
"What?!"
She jumped in surprise and continued.
"I've never heard of a mana stone like that! Where on earth did you get it...?"
"I picked it up while doing adventurer work. I wanted to have a blacksmith embed it in a weapon, but I don't know any, so I thought maybe alchemy could help."
"Whaaat?! You can't just embed a stone like that in a weapon! That's only for cheap attribute stones!"
"Oh... really?"
In the story, Hedi had embedded one in her weapon.
Was it because she lacked magical talent?
Maybe it was a heroine-exclusive item, and I just didn't have enough info.
"Being able to manipulate mana with it is huge! It could work with any attribute, and be super practical depending on the situation! So absolutely do not embed it in a weapon!"
"Y-Yeah..."
She leaned in way too close, making me uncomfortable.
"Anyway, now I get it. You want to process this stone, so you came to the Alchemy Club, right?"
"Exactly."
It was the profession most related to mana stones, after all.
Plus, I figured I could build connections to blacksmiths through them.
But they said no smelting... Unexpected info.
"So, can alchemy make a magical tool out of this mana stone?"
"Hmm..."
She turned around, crossed her arms.
She tapped one foot idly, then turned back once she'd thought it over.
"I can't do it."
Figured as much.
Since it only reacts to my mana, she probably couldn't process it.
Maybe I had to go to a blacksmith after all.
As I was thinking that, she spoke up again.
"But there's one member who might be able to."
"...! Really?"
"Yeah. Want an introduction?"
"Yes! I'd love that."
If it was true, it'd be a big boost to my specs.
I had a lot to prepare for down the line.
If things followed Ariel's story as I knew it...
A few years from now, the demon king would revive.
And as I'd said before, Cain would come after me for revenge over the bullying...
So I needed countermeasures.
The more items I had to protect myself, the better.
'After Cain awakens, there's that main quest where he gives Debauched Young Master Sian a thorough schooling and publicly humiliates him...'
The so-called "thrashing quest."
I was fated to get thrashed before long. So I had to prepare.
I might wash my identity clean enough that he wouldn't recognize me, but if he did, he'd definitely come demanding answers.
"I can introduce you. She's a friend of mine, after all. But I have a condition."
"A condition...?"
"Yep."
She grinned slyly, eyes sparkling.
"Hehe~."
What could the condition be to make her act like this?
She pointed at me with her finger and said,
"Join the club."
"Pardon?"
The condition was so underwhelming that I foolishly asked her to repeat it.
Join...? That was it?
I thought it was going to be something tough since she built it up.
But why insist on me joining? Were they that short on members?
...The professor did say we had to join at least one club anyway.
If she was even making introductions, of course I'd join.
I didn't have any clubs I liked, and who would turn down learning advanced alchemy?
"If you'll have me, I'd be happy to. But are there any entry requirements?"
"There are. Personality check and all... But after chatting a bit, you seem fine. Just join."
"Uh... okay."
"It's settled then! Nice to have you. I'm Ceria."
Things had progressed in a pretty haphazard way.
Eh, no big issues.
"...I'm Sian."
"This is my direct Stitch. Use it to contact me later for scheduling."
Shortly after joining the club was decided, the members returned. With Ceria's explanation, I officially became an Alchemy Club member.
Double clubbing was allowed, but they asked to be informed if I did.
I didn't have any clubs I wanted to join anyway, and this one wouldn't take much time, so no doubles for me.
And just like that, I'd awkwardly finished the welcome greetings.
I spent the remaining time in the training grounds researching the applied swordsmanship Laura had taught me alone, then met Hedi in the evening.
"I joined the Alchemy Club."
I told her as I took a bite of the sandwich I'd bought earlier.
We both weren't hungry today, so we'd decided to sit on a bench outside and eat sandwiches.
Hedi looked surprised at my words, chewing her sandwich and staring at me.
After swallowing,
"...You know alchemy too?"
"Nah. I joined to learn it on the side since I needed it."
"That's unusual... What do you need it for? Can't you just buy magical tools?"
True. No need to join and learn from the basics over a long time.
Like Hedi said, just buy what you need.
But my mana stone was special. No shop would have a magical tool made from it.
Without joining as a condition, I couldn't turn the stone from that underground labyrinth into a magical tool.
"I got a unique mana stone. They said I'd have to join if I wanted to commission it."
"...Join to commission it?"
Hedi paused mid-bite.
"Don't they usually just ask for money? Why join...?"
"No idea. Short on members? Saved me money, though..."
I didn't know why joining was the condition, but crafting a magical tool from this unique stone would've cost a fortune. Good deal.
"...What's the gender ratio in that club?"
"Hm?"
Hedi stared at me intently with an out-of-the-blue question.
"Seemed like more girls. Why?"
"……."
Hedi's eyes narrowed.
I kept eating my sandwich, puzzled, when she suddenly shot up from her seat.
"...?"
Then she oddly started walking toward the academy dorms.
"What? Where are you going?"
"……."
She ignored me and kept going.
'What's her deal...?'
I wondered if I'd done something to upset her, but I hadn't.
'No way it's because I said there were more girls...? Nah, impossible.'
Hedi was Cain's heroine.
At best, I was Friend #1 to her... So what had rubbed her the wrong way?
I pondered, but no answers came.
With one eyebrow twitching, I could only watch her retreating figure in confusion as I munched my sandwich.
Over the next few days, I exchanged Stitches with club president Ceria to set a time.
The person she was introducing me to had heard about my mana stone and was interested, asking to meet as soon as possible.
Four days later, the appointment was set. Today, I could finally meet them.
'Around this time, right...'
I walked down the hallway toward the far end of the third floor, where the clubrooms were.
Finally, things were coming together for how to use this mana stone.
I hoped it could be made practical for emergencies, given its mana manipulation.
I had a lot to prepare ahead.
I needed to grow stronger.
As I'd mentioned before, right now it was about building power to face the demon king's arrival.
The demon king would be hunted by the hero party, but his direct subordinates roaming the streets would each surpass normal specs.
...And on top of that, get strong enough not to get utterly humiliated and thrashed by Cain.
Lost in thought, I soon reached the clubroom door.
Through the window, I saw someone sitting alone.
'Must be the one I'm meeting.'
The silhouette looked female.
With that, I opened the door and went in.