For the Club
“Usually in situations like this, don’t people say things like ‘It’s for your sake’ or ‘I won’t ask for anything in return’?”
“Is that what you were hoping for?”
Isana shook her head, but her expression was clearly tinged with secret expectation.
“Still, even if I said something like that, you’d probably just brush it off by saying I’m a mere commoner.”
She radiated clear disappointment.
She wasn’t actually bothered at all, but she felt like acting that way anyway.
“Th-that’s… because you’re a commoner… so…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, like an ant crawling away, the more she tried to explain.
“How tragic. Weren’t we comrades who once shared the same pot of rice? Was our relationship only worth that much?”
“I don’t know what ‘sharing the same pot of rice’ means, but yeah, our relationship is exactly that much, isn’t it? I was just… a little grateful this time, that’s all.”
Isana grumbled, then suddenly frowned as if she’d noticed something strange.
“Now that I think about it, commoner. Was our relationship really only that shallow? Hen-sot? Hon-sot? Whatever it was, we did eat together, yet here you are trying to wring points out of me.”
So this was the mirror therapy.
Isana grinned from ear to ear, clearly delighted that she’d found a weakness.
But even in those words, there was clearly an opening to attack.
“Did it hurt your feelings? That a commoner like me would treat you so coldly? You talk about how I’m just a commoner, but it seems you actually trusted me after all.”
“Hmph! I was only annoyed that a mere commoner was taking my points!”
“Then hand them over.”
“…Seventy percent?”
“Ninety percent.”
I was being incredibly generous.
Since Isana hadn’t done anything in the fight, it would’ve been perfectly normal to take all one hundred percent.
Still, I felt a little bad about tying her with that trash prince.
“Please make it eighty percent. Commoner, you must have tons of points already. Do you really need to go this far?”
“Sorry, but I don’t have any saved up.”
“You mean to tell me you just played around the entire exam?”
“There were circumstances.”
“D-d-d… don’t tell me!?”
Suddenly, Isana lost her mind.
Was snatching ninety percent of her points the trigger for her madness?
Damn it.
I hadn’t realized she was this serious about points.
If she went crazy before I could turn her into a slave, it would be a real pain to deal with.
Wait a second. Is she actually crazy?
I took a closer look at Isana, who was throwing a fit all by herself.
Her face flushed bright red as she glanced back and forth between me and Linea.
Oh my god.
I think I know what misunderstanding she’s having.
“It’s not that. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
“Of course it isn’t. You perverted commoner.”
“I’m not a pervert.”
“You must have silenced Linea with an imprint. How typical of a pervert. I’m so disappointed in myself for trusting you even a little!”
After throwing that jab at me, Isana tried to leave.
She moved as if trying to slip away from me like water flowing downstream.
Absolutely not.
Did she really think I’d fall for her little act of pretending to be disappointed?
“Did you think I wouldn’t see through you? Leave the points behind.”
“Tch.”
Isana clicked her tongue like she’d been caught and handed over the points.
“So what are you going to do now? I’m planning to gather points with whatever time I have left.”
“We’ll have to hunt more.”
“Well, if it’s you, you should be able to take a lot. Good luck.”
This time, Isana really seemed ready to leave as she walked over to Rachel.
“Even if I hate you, we’re still a team.”
Isana grabbed Rachel like she was picking up food waste and waved her hand.
“See you after it’s over.”
“If we run into each other midway, I’ll take your points again.”
“You rotten commoner.”
“Just kidding.”
I gave her a grin.
Isana looked at me with an expression that said she was sick of me, then turned her gaze to the quietly standing Linea.
“Take care.”
“Yeah… I mean, yes.”
“You look better than when I last saw you. I’m glad.”
Isana continued in a wistful tone.
“…Yes. You don’t need to worry about me too much either, Lady Isana.”
Linea nodded as she replied.
What are these two doing?
Anyone watching would think they were tragic lovers.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Yes. I’ll pray that you recover your points… too.”
Even as they left, Rachel and Isana kept their eyes locked on each other.
“You two seem pretty close.”
“Idiot.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“Idiot.”
I feel so unfairly treated.
Even after that, I continued stirring up chaos.
But the dopamine was minimal.
It made sense. This practical exam had only gathered students from the Magic Department.
The prince I’d caught first was the top-ranked student in the entire Magic Department.
He was essentially the final boss of the exam.
Katrina had been there too, at least.
The moment she saw me, she immediately handed over her points.
A commoner receiving points from an imperial princess.
It was the height of disrespect, yet Katrina didn’t seem to mind at all.
After easily taking down even the hidden boss that was her, I ended up in first place.
“First place, huh.”
“Indeed.”
I’d somehow become first place in a complete mess.
Of course, it wasn’t officially confirmed yet.
The professors, who had realized the situation too late, kept hounding us about the restraints on Linea.
They emphasized that it was a clear violation of the rules.
Because a commoner can’t be allowed to take first place.
Since it had the special designation, this practical would have a huge impact on our grades.
For a commoner to take first place over both the prince and princess in such an exam?
Given that the academy received support from the imperial family, they couldn’t ignore the implications.
If the no-nonsense chancellor had been here, she would have slammed down a decision, but she still hadn’t finished her business at the temple.
The professor who would take my side was, of course—
“There are things you should and shouldn’t say in front of students!”
—Seah.
She was both my and Linea’s teacher, but beyond that, she simply couldn’t stand injustice.
“Professor Seah. Aren’t you that student’s teacher? Don’t forget to remain impartial.”
“Even if I weren’t her teacher, I still couldn’t accept this outcome. She was summoned to an ancient ruin, and you’re saying it’s reasonable to make her wear restraints even there?”
“Ahem. Then we should hold a faculty meeting…”
“Fine. The student must be exhausted after going through so much. We should let her rest.”
There wasn’t a single trace of Seah’s usual airheaded behavior.
She burned with fiery eyes, looking ready to take on a hundred people by herself.
“Ethan. Don’t worry, my dear. An unjust result will not be allowed.”
Seah reassured me and flicked her tongue.
I’d heard that when she flicked her tongue, she was truly angry.
She really did seem on the verge of genuine rage.
So much so that every professor who opposed me was watching her nervously.
She looks cool.
Is this the charm of an older woman…?
It was an emotion I had never once felt toward Linea.
“Children need to sleep early. When you wake up, everything will be resolved.”
“Don’t I seem a bit too old to be called a child?”
No matter how you looked at it, I was well past the age of being called a child.
“To me, you’re still a child.”
Seah ruffled my hair.
“Get plenty of rest tonight. No studying.”
“What about you, Professor?”
“I need to show them who’s boss.”
With a mischievous smile, Seah strode confidently toward the other professors.
“Shall we? There’s no need to drag this out.”
Like Guan Yu declaring he would return with the enemy general’s head before his tea grew cold, Seah looked ready to cut down the entire faculty before I could even stand up.
And then a day passed.
Just as Seah had declared, I was not disqualified.
The fact that I had been dragged into an ancient ruin connected to the Holy Empire had been taken into consideration.
But who the hell summoned me?
Unless their level was exceptionally high, there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed something strange.
Even the chancellor’s forced transport had been within a realm I could understand.
But being summoned to an ancient ruin was completely incomprehensible.
I couldn’t even guess what had intervened.
I’ll have to talk with the chancellor later.
Brooding over it alone wouldn’t yield any answers.
“Ethan! Ethan!”
“Yes.”
I shook off my thoughts and answered Seah, who seemed unusually excited.
“You know that club recruitment starts today, right?”
“Clubs?”
I did know.
After all, they were the flower of academy life in romance fantasy settings.
In the original novel, clubs had played a fairly significant role.
They provided the perfect environment to develop stories between Rachel and the male leads.
“Yeah! You looked like you weren’t paying any attention to it.”
I felt a sting of guilt.
Just as Seah said, I hadn’t given much thought to clubs.
It felt awkward to join a club and laugh and chat with everyone.
It wasn’t like I was in love with Rachel like the other male leads, ready to offer her my heart and soul.
“Clubs are really important in academy life. Especially since love often blossoms within them. Ahh, isn’t it so romantic?”
“Have you ever experienced that kind of love in a club, Professor?”
“Uh, um… I… actually never joined a club.”
“Then why are you promoting them so enthusiastically?”
“Because I’m creating a new club this time! I need a minimum number of members to do that.”
The club system at Rosewood Academy was a bit unique.
Students could create clubs, but professors could as well if they wanted.
Of course, being a professor didn’t grant any special treatment.
You still needed to gather the minimum required members to operate.
“So you’re asking me to join, right?”
“Yes. And while you’re at it, maybe bring a few more people…”
“Hmm.”
If news spread that Seah was starting a club, there was no way she would lack for members.
“What’s the club’s purpose?”
“To explore the fundamental principles behind magic activation and, based on that, publish papers for the Magic Society…”
“…Yeah, that’s not going to work.”
I had been wrong.
No one would come.
Who would want to study even inside a club?
And not just study—they were expected to publish papers for an academic society.
It was worse than supplementary classes.
Even Seah’s explosive popularity wouldn’t be enough to cover for that.
What should I do?
I hadn’t been interested in clubs.
Until just now, that is.
Rachel is bothering me.
The ‘World’s Will’ I had felt from Rachel was too unsettling to ignore.
Even in the ancient ruin, Linea had said something similar.
That it had to be done.
I wasn’t sure if it was related to the World’s Will, but the context felt similar.
That was why I had just decided to join the club Rachel would belong to.
It was a decision made in an instant, but joining a club wasn’t exactly a big deal.
It was a shame that I wouldn’t be able to join Seah’s, though.
Or so I had thought.
“If you already have somewhere else in mind, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
The dejected look on Seah’s face was too pitiful.
If I said I wasn’t joining, she would probably cancel the club altogether.
After everything she’s done for me…
My conscience wouldn’t let me ignore that.
“No. I’ll join your club, Professor.”
“Really?!”
Seah grabbed both my hands and jumped up and down.
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
“Haha…”
Her overwhelming reaction made me laugh awkwardly.
“Then… maybe you could bring someone else too…?”
“Yes. I think that’s possible.”
There was someone who would obey my every word without question.
And someone who could solve Rachel’s issue in one go.
There existed a universal key like that.
“I don’t want to go in. And you want me to convince a commoner? What exactly do you take me for?”
“If it’s you, it should be possible.”
If it was Isana, she could definitely bring Rachel.
“No, of course I could drag in a mere commoner like that. But there’s no reason I should have to do it!”
“You haven’t forgotten our duel, have you?”
“No. What about it?”
“At that time, I earned the right to ask you for three favors you cannot refuse. Do you remember?”
“I remember, but… I can refuse if it’s a request that crosses the line.”
“Does this request cross the line?”
From Isana’s perspective, there wasn’t much to lose.
There was no reason for her to refuse.
“…No, it doesn’t.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Time to go convince her.
What are you still doing here?