Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The Original Troll Appears (4)
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If clubs were just casual spots to hang out and bond with friends,
then the clubs at Kingswell Royal Academy held a very different meaning.
"Why on earth do clubs of all things affect our grades?"
"Beats me."
Academy club activities essentially filled the half-day slots not taken by classes.
It went without saying that a top-tier academy like Kingswell wasn't handing out that time just for students to goof off with empty heads.
No, it was official class time granted for the clichéd purpose of engaging in proactive activities to cultivate their minds and spirits...
As such, club activities directly tied into their grades.
For example, the volunteer club that the Saintess of Compassion, Celestina, belonged to logged volunteer hours in students' records, which helped later if they aimed for a clerical career.
Alchemy-focused clubs paved the way to becoming artisans or pharmacists, while knightly clubs or swordsmanship training groups offered bonus points when applying to knight orders or the Royal Guard.
Plus, since club time replaced regular classes and felt like autonomous activity,
skipping out or slacking off during it would naturally hit attendance records hard.
Thus, joining a club at Kingswell Royal Academy was practically mandatory.
Unless some unforeseeable circumstance arose, or one had a reason convincing enough for the dean.
I had none of that.
Already hammered with a week's suspension that wrecked my attendance, skipping clubs would spell disaster.
And right now, I was one step away from that exact catastrophe.
"Damn it...!"
In front of the bulletin board in the main building's hallway, I rifled through club recruitment flyers, desperately hunting for an opening.
Most were swordsmanship training clubs.
As a Swordsmanship Department student, practical sword training directly boosted my practical exam scores, so it made perfect sense.
"Who... Hmm? You..."
"Swordsmanship Department, 1st Year A-Class, Leonard Percival Blackmere. I'd like to join your club."
"Sorry. We're at full capacity."
But things never went my way.
Whether because I'd dragged my feet too long or because of the notoriety tied to the Blackmere name plastered on my entrance records, I couldn't say.
Every club I approached glared at me before awkwardly averting their eyes, not even allowing a trial visit.
It wasn't exactly fair to blame karma for this one.
Nearly four weeks had passed since orientation; of course, decent clubs were already full by now.
Academy club budgets weren't infinite, so spots were limited.
Narrow it down to sword training clubs among those limited options, and options dried up completely.
How many Swordsmanship Department students were there? Barely a handful of sword clubs, and expecting vacancies forever was delusional.
"Sorry, Blackmere. The members don't want you joining. No spots open anyway."
"...Understood."
After the final rejection from the last club I tried,
I slumped onto a bench along the tree-lined path in front of the main building.
'Ah...'
The sky I stared up at blankly was a mockingly vivid blue.
I longed to drift away as a lazy cloud.
Why was I the one running around like my heels were on fire, getting the cold shoulder from every club president?
Leonard’s laziness drew endless sighs.
'What the hell did you do for those four weeks?'
What an idiot.
Even now, time ticked on, and today was the absolute last day to apply for clubs.
Yet here I was, hopeless, just wishing the clock would run out.
What could I do when no one would take me?
Even the Going-Home Club required proving yourself in practicals and theory.
"Charlotte, which club are you in?"
"Huh?"
Charlotte, sitting beside me and blankly cloud-watching like me, turned my way.
"None for me."
"...What?"
"Going-Home Club. Got the dean's permission."
Permission to skip club activities outright?
Knowing how stringent those conditions were, I gaped at her.
"...How?"
At my question, Charlotte hesitated, lips twitching as if debating what to say.
"Just... personal reasons."
She gave that curt reply and flicked her gaze away.
Fidgeting.
Her slightly pouty lips worked cutely, swallowing back whatever she almost said.
That reaction told me it was genuinely unavoidable.
No point prying; it wouldn't change my fate anyway.
And so, sitting blankly on the bench, idly cursing this cruel world that rejected me,
"Huh? Leonard?"
"...Vincent?"
Vincent Oswald, my campus volunteer buddy, appeared before me.
"Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Just taking a break."
"Lurking at a prime spot to shake down passing students for cash? Classic Blackmere delinquent... disgrace of the Swordsmanship Department, shameless commoner butcher..."
"Vincent, I'm starting to genuinely look forward to our sparring match."
What a timid guy, landing gut-punch zingers like that.
Thanks to Vincent, my blood boiled and my head cleared.
Glancing him over, I noticed the towering stack of books cradled in his arms.
"What's that?"
"Hey."
Apparently academy library books, reclaimed from research students for return.
I was surprised the borrowers hadn't returned them themselves, and even more why Vincent was handling it.
"Research students are busy with professors on studies and papers... They often miss return deadlines. Or lose or damage them..."
"Got it. But why you?"
"It's... club business. I'm just transporting them."
"Club activity, huh."
Club activity. Hm.
.....
Wait.
"W-well, I should get going then..."
"...Hold up."
"Eek?!"
I grabbed Vincent's arm firmly, and he whipped around with a tearful face.
"Wh-why...? Finally showing your true colors...! Blackmere's human slaughterhouse, pathetic disgrace, worthless punk, total nerd...!"
"I know for a fact that last one isn't a nickname. Vincent."
"Ahh...!"
Charlotte looked up at me curiously from beside me.
Her eyes asking, 'What's with this idiot?'
I shrugged lightly, then released Vincent's arm.
"Hey, Vincent."
"Y-yeah...?"
"Your club got any open spots?"
At my question, Vincent paled again.
But I had no intention of letting him go.
"Y-yeah... there is..."
A reading club wouldn't be at capacity anyway.
The library at Kingswell Royal Academy—the Royal Academic Library.
True to its grand name, the massive interior rivaled the academy buildings themselves, packed floor-to-ceiling with books.
Stepping through the huge doors revealed towering bookshelves stretching up to the dizzyingly high glass ceiling.
The sharp scent of paper mingled with aged coffee aromas, while a few students climbed ladders or stairs to grab books.
It was a sight to behold. I stood frozen, breath caught, drinking in this majestic repository of knowledge.
'This is... way more than I expected.'
No wonder it wasn't just 'Academy Library' or 'Kingswell Library'—it was the 'Royal Academic Library.'
This place belonged to the academy but also drew renowned scholars sponsored by the royals for debates and knowledge-sharing.
This was a key reason Kingswell stood head and shoulders above other academies.
Of course, there were countless other top-tier factors, but having field-leading experts drop in to sip coffee, read, debate, and even donate works? That was huge.
In this eerily quiet yet awe-inspiring library, Vincent trudged beside me, struggling with a book stack taller than himself.
"I could've helped."
"N-no, it's fine... More importantly, what about that girl earlier?"
"Charlotte had somewhere else to be. So, where to now?"
"That way."
I hurried after Vincent.
The atmosphere was such that no one spared a glance at a notorious delinquent like me.
To the studious types here, I was just riffraff.
We reached the circulation desk, where a female student buried in books looked up with tousled hair.
Sleepy hazel eyes half-lidded, messy bun with stray hairs poking out.
And a necktie of a different color from ours—2nd year.
"Returns?"
"Yes, senpai... Ungh...!"
"Good work. Set them here."
Her languid tone was distinctive. Then she turned to me.
"Who's this?"
"Ah, senpai. This is my, my friend... Damn it...!"
"...Vincent. Why are you mad that he's your friend?"
"My, my friend Leonard."
"Leonard Percival Blackmere."
Senior was senior, even if a stranger.
I bowed politely in greeting, and she propped her chin, eyeing me before speaking.
"Abel Hayes. Alchemy Department, 2nd Year B-Class. I also handle librarian duties for the Royal Academic Library."
"Hayes-senpai."
"Just Abel's fine. So, what brings you here?"
"Yes, Abel-senpai. I heard your club is still recruiting."
Abel-senpai glanced at Vincent upon hearing me.
He startled at eye contact and looked away.
His ear tips flushed persimmon-red.
'...Ah, I see how it is.'
Reading Vincent's vibe, I spoke to Abel-senpai to draw her gaze back.
"If it's not too much trouble, could I apply to join the club?"
"Sure. But you'll need the club president's okay, right?"
"Where's the president...?"
"That's me."
"...?"
What?
I stared, and Abel-senpai grinned.
"We're Kingswell's one and only reading club. Only we use the library as our clubroom."
"Oh..."
"It's reading club in name, but you help with library tasks like Vincent. We prep for academic conferences too."
"No problem."
Abel-senpai's eyes narrowed slightly.
She sized me up slowly from head to toe, then smiled and handed me a sheet.
"Membership form. Fill it quick and submit to the admin office. Deadline's in about five minutes."
"So that means..."
"Welcome to Kingswell's one and only reading club, 'Let's Read Books.' New member."
"Thank you."
I snatched the form, scribbled furiously, bolted from the library, and reached the admin office with 30 seconds to spare.
"Phew..."
Leonard, you lived.