The Club Membership Is Cancelled.
The Club Membership Is Cancelled.
'Frozen'
This club, which explores the ice element, boasts a history as old as the founding of Märchen Academy itself.
With over two hundred clubs on campus, it consistently ranked in the top ten in achievement reports, so it was no wonder Becky showed such keen interest.
That was how we found ourselves gathered today on the mountain behind the academy.
Apparently, even with all the cutting-edge facilities inside the academy, the basics still begin with freezing water that exists in its natural state.
'Not a wrong approach.'
In fact, it's rather close to the most orthodox method.
To malleate an ice element that doesn't yet exist is a highly advanced domain. It's right to begin by tempering naturally existing water and ice.
"And finally... Becky?"
At the club president's call, Becky, standing far off, quietly raised her hand.
"No vacancies, I see. I look forward to working with all of you!"
As the club president Kenneth spoke briskly, applause poured out. The third-year male student who served as president of Frozen was quite handsome.
If Martin had the kind of face that suggested he talked his way into walking around with girls, this one had the kind of face that drew women in just by standing still.
"Wow... The club president is so handsome."
"Right? I wonder if he has a girlfriend. Oh, of course he does."
Just as expected, the other female students were already ablaze with talk about Kenneth's looks.
Was he that good-looking?
He was. Beyond any doubt.
Yet I felt an inexplicable sense of unease from Kenneth. A subtle something — not anything as trifling as envy or jealousy.
At that moment, an overwhelmingly strong scent of roses pierced my nose. I grimaced involuntarily.
What kind of idiot would apply perfume so ridiculously heavily...
"Hey, Plan. You actually showed up...?"
I immediately understood the cause. The source of that strong scent was Becky.
Casual attire was allowed for club activities, so Becky showed up in plain clothes. However, her appearance was somewhat bizarre.
Her hair accessories like pins were excessive, her makeup was thick, her perfume was strong, and her skirt was short.
If I had to put it a certain way, she looked like a girl who had dressed up for the very first time in her life.
"What's with that outfit."
"What? I-is it weird? It's the first time we're meeting in casual clothes. I put in some effort."
After pondering for a moment what to say in response.
"Don't make a fuss."
"What, out of nowhere?"
I shook my head. Because this was already beyond the level of what could be solved with words.
"Frozen is an elemental club that boasts a long and distinguished tradition... It explores the ice element, and if the results are favorable, they sell for very high prices, making it a beneficial endeavor in many ways..."
Kenneth was a kind fellow. His speech, filled with great affection for Frozen, continued for a while.
Suddenly, Becky called out to me quietly.
"Hey, Plan."
"What."
"...Don't you have something to give me?"
Did I have something to give Becky? I thought for a moment, but there was nothing in particular.
"I do not."
"What do you mean you don't! Think harder!"
"Hm."
No matter how much I thought about it, I had nothing to give her. But if she insisted on receiving something, I could provide that.
"Becky."
"Yeah!"
Becky looked up at me with expectant eyes. It was something worth looking forward to.
"Destruction and Prejudice in Section C of the library. I will transfer you my borrowing rights. Read it and summarize the key points."
"I'm sorry. I was wrong. I'm really sorry."
She waved her hand with a pale face. I asked her another question.
"Becky."
"Huh?"
"Do you know about the Chejeon taking place in two weeks?"
"Chejeon? I don't know much about it. I only know that Louis is the first-year representative for the combat event."
"Louis... Isn't that the one Hailey is always tagging along behind."
"Yeah, yeah. That's right. Hailey's been boasting about it all over the place. Anyone would think she's his girlfriend."
I rubbed my chin briefly, thinking.
No matter how I thought about it, I should be the Chejeon representative.
"How was the representative selected."
"Probably by the professors' recommendation, right? Louis likely got it by unanimous vote."
"I'm curious if there are cases where the representative is replaced."
"Hm... Like, if they get injured so they can't compete, or if someone persuades the professors. If there's a situation like that, they'd probably be replaced, right?"
"Then I'll go with persuasion."
Since I couldn't exactly beat Louis into a state where he couldn't compete. Becky tilted her head at my words.
"Persuade what? Oh, but Plan! That's not what's important!"
Becky went up on her tiptoes and began whispering excitedly.
"They said today's club activity will be in pairs of two. Isn't that perfect? You and I can pair up and stick together — it's a perfect fit."
Eventually, she even started squirming.
"At this rate, I wonder if rumors will spread quickly. With all the seniors here too... hehe."
I checked my watch. I had already devised a plan for the most efficient way to spend the day.
"Becky."
"Yeah!"
"This club doesn't appeal to me. Membership is canceled."
"Huh...?"
"You should keep your distance from that club president as well."
"No, wait, wait, wait, Plan. What are you talking about? Cancel membership...?"
I meant exactly what I said.
The club president's vibe was far too unsettling; it put me off.
It wasn't a matter of mere preference where one can like or dislike something based on taste. It was like staring straight into an unpleasant valley.
That's the reason for canceling this club membership.
'Rather than that....'
The place I was standing happened to be near Tir Lake.
To be fully prepared for the Chejeon in two weeks, it would be far more beneficial to obtain an artifact more quickly.
Now that the membership was canceled, there was no reason to be tied down by club activities any longer.
"Hey... that's too cruel..."
Becky started to get teary-eyed.
The sight of her tearing up, combined with the bizarre casual outfit, was deeply displeasing. An assistant's face reflects on the master, after all....
This won't do. I'll have to do something about this outfit myself.
"Let's go buy some clothes together next time. Of course, you have no right to choose."
"Gasp, really?!"
"Your pathetic taste will also be excluded without consideration. Know that."
"U-uh, yeah."
I turned my back on her. For some reason, she looked happy.
I turned away, then turned back once more to add one more thing.
"And Destruction and Prejudice. Don't forget to summarize it."
◈
Märchen Academy has no regulations preventing students from entering dungeons.
However, it stipulates that in the event of an incident, the student bears full responsibility.
It's one of the regulations I personally favor. Because both the choice and the consequences are entirely one's own.
[* Are you just going to leave it stashed at the bottom of the lake? When are you going to get it?]
[* I'll wait as long as I can, then grab it. Without leaving a trail.]
Around the time unknown figures exchanged such words, I arrived at a dungeon formed like a cave nestled at the foot of the mountain.
Tir Lake is at the very end of this dungeon.
"...Unpleasant."
That was my first impression.
The humidity was severely high. So much so that I immediately understood why this place was chosen as a hiding spot.
In the end, I wrapped my clothes with a thin membrane of mana.
I couldn't help it; the water droplets plinking down from the ceiling were seriously irritating.
There was one more problem: the dungeon's scale was larger than I had expected.
'First, I suppose I'll just memorize the location.'
In the middle of calculating the optimal move while considering various conditions, a blue light suddenly emanated from the inside pocket of my jacket.
I had definitely turned off Trivia's notifications... I took it out from the inner pocket and unfolded it.
[ ▶ It's the club president, Kenneth ]
[ ▶ It's the first time we've talked since exchanging codes ]
[ ▶ Today's club activity will be over in about three hours ]
[ ▶ Can we talk, just the two of us, for a bit afterward? ]
[ ▶ It's a really important matter. ]
"This is..."
It's not my Trivia. It's Becky's Trivia.
Come to think of it, I hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention to the Trivia Becky handed me to exchange codes.
―Don't you have something to give me?
Was that what Becky meant? I only now realized what she had been talking about was the Trivia.
First, I closed the Trivia. Peeking at someone else's Trivia isn't a very wholesome act. I'll have to return it as soon as I leave the dungeon.
Still, I unintentionally obtained good information. Even for a deep dungeon, three hours is enough time to navigate through it.
Brushing away the water droplets that threatened to fall on me one by one, I began heading deeper.
Kyaaaak―!
Then, a few Kodomo Demon Beasts spotted me and lunged. Their heads were like lizards, but their humanoid bodies were rather repulsive.
These creatures, which greatly favor high humidity, naturally have almost no fire resistance.
I raised one hand.
The speed of these creatures charging at full tilt wasn't slow, but my magic casting was faster.
Fwoosh―!
With a snap of my fingers, they combusted without so much as a scream. Even a weak flame could kill them, so the mana consumption wasn't large.
To begin with, the ones who hid the object had already cleared a path through this dungeon once. Thanks to that, I could proceed without encountering strong enemies.
After walking for another thirty minutes like that, the lake finally came into view.
It was a beautiful lake. The lake, steeped in dense mana, shone even within the dark cave, acting as a blue lamp.
I examined the lake closely.
And after a moment, I murmured, dumbfounded.
"...Are you joking."
It was shallow. The lake was incredibly shallow.
At a depth where the bottom was clearly visible, I was lost for words. What's more, I could already see a red box with my naked eyes.
Could you even call this hidden?
Perhaps they stored it like this because it's a low-quality item. Were those guys just petty thieves...
"Haa."
I let out a deep sigh and extended my hand. Having come this far, it would only make sense to at least check it — to see if the effort was worth it.
I used telekinesis to pull the box out of the water. Not even a simple barrier to protect it from interference magic was set on this red box.
You can't treat an important item like this.
My mood soured rapidly at the thought of having wasted time. I slammed the box onto the ground with a thud.
And in that moment.
"...Ouch."
The voice of some young girl tickled my ear.
I furrowed my brow and examined the red box. Inside the cracked-open gap, there was a single white cotton glove.
"Hwaaah... What, who is it. What kind of bastard... Why are you messing with me when I'm sleeping..."
And the cotton glove was, unmistakably, the source of this voice.
"A spirit artifact."
Why they had kept the item in a shallow lake, why no barrier magic had been cast, and even so, why they had handled it with such care...
All those questions were resolved at once. If it's a spirit artifact, that would explain it.
Spirits only demonstrate their abilities when with a master they themselves have chosen.
Therefore, the spirit inhabiting an artifact itself serves as an excellent barrier. This is due to the spirit's nature of choosing its own master.
Using this cotton glove as a normal glove is something anyone can do. Touching it, wearing it... all of that is easy.
But to use it as an 'artifact,' one must pass through the barrier that is the 'spirit.'
The abilities it possesses vary vastly depending on what kind of spirit it is. In any case, it's undoubtedly a valuable item.
"Uhhng...? What, you want me too? Hyaam..."
I picked up the cotton glove and examined it. Inside the very thin white cotton, countless circuits were woven together.
The glove... no, should I call it 'her'? She yawned and mumbled.
"Just let go... I'm insensitive. I gave up on finding a master who could satisfy me long ago. I just want to sleep forever..."
Her ennui seemed to have good reason.
The complexity of the tangled mana circuits was considerable. Unless one is a mage of extremely high caliber, it would be difficult to be chosen by her.
It was obvious the ones who stole it had merely been lucky to get their hands on it. Since they couldn't handle it themselves, they probably stashed it first and worried about handling it later.
I parted my lips and spoke lowly.
"Your name, possessed abilities, previous masters, and so on — report everything to me without omission."
"Until now, not a single mage has satisfied me. You should just give up too... Ahh, I'm sleepy."
"I will order you only twice."
But no answer came back after that.
Just in case, I held the cotton glove to my ear and heard the sound of soft breathing. She had fallen asleep in that short time.
"You're out of your mind."
I acknowledge that the effects of spirit artifacts are quite remarkable. In fact, excellent spirits can raise an ordinary mage's rank by several stages.
But ultimately, these are mere spirits dwelling in artifacts. Do you mean to say a mere tool dares to take an attitude of disrespecting a mage?
"I believe I said I would only give two orders."
How many mages this one has brought to despair until now is irrelevant. What matters is that, at this moment, she has encountered me.
I would pour out the entirety of my remaining mana.
I placed the glove on my palm. The moment sharply honed mana surged up energetically—
"...Insolent thing."
I clenched my fist with all my might and stabbed the exceptionally sharp mana in like a sword.
"U-uek?"
Immediately, the creature let out a strange noise.
"S-stop it! That's a really s-sen... sensi... sensitive part!"
The calculation was perfect and there was no margin of error.
My intention is to shatter this 'insensitivity' she spoke of so arrogantly.
"Just answer the question."
This wasn't a gentle 'understanding' of reading her circuits. I recklessly drove sharp mana into her circuits.
"Th-this is the first time being touched like this! S-stop it! What are you doing!"
I wrapped each deeply driven strand of mana around her circuits one by one. I adjusted my breathing so I could tighten them at any moment.
A pitiful wail was heard.
"L-let's talk. This feeling is too strange... I've never experienced anything like this before!"
I shook my head. An answer still hadn't come out.
"Answer."
I inhaled and tightened my grip around her circuit with all my strength. Tight enough that mana wouldn't flow through.
"Hya, hyaaaaht?!"
About a second after the sharp scream burst out—
"H-Hera! It's Hera! That's my name!"
Now, the conversation finally began to flow.