Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Weekend
“You… are you an idiot?”
I couldn’t answer.
My stomach was still churning. After barely a few days of training, attempting consecutive acceleration had been too much.
I knew it. Aile had even warned me. And I still did it anyway.
“You knew this would happen, and you still went and cornered yourself like that?”
I knew.
Aron had been looking down at me like I was pathetic from the start. Leaning against the wall helped a little. The cold metal felt better against my back.
The other simulation matches were still going on. Titan battles usually took around fifteen minutes. Ranged exchanges, gradual close-in pressure, shifting advantage.
Finishing a fight in three minutes wasn’t supposed to exist.
“Your strategy is a mess, that garbage Titan that only works in simulations is ridiculous, and you even made it kick people with a Titan?”
“Th-that’s…”
You did it too.
Before I could speak, Aron cut in.
“Yeah. I did. That’s true.”
Tap.
The hand covering my mouth moved away. A water bottle was placed in it. When I looked up, Aron was making that same exasperated face as before.
But this time, he was smiling.
“Commoner… I take back what I said. You’re definitely noticeable. I don’t like your method, but still.”
I didn’t want to be noticeable at all. I understood that he didn’t mean to ignore me, but I really wished I could just disappear.
“But don’t get noticed by the princess. You’ll just end up exhausted. That attention is mine alone as her fiancé.”
Strange.
The princess had said that loveless engagements were common in the Empire. Aron’s expression also seemed similar. It didn’t look like love. More like something practical.
“Aron… do you… love the princess?”
Aron closed his eyes briefly, then stayed silent for a moment, resting his chin on his hand.
His answer came late.
“I’m trying to.”
“W-why…?”
“Why, you ask…”
He looked disgusted.
“Because a bride who isn’t loved shouldn’t exist in this world.”
Oh.
Before I could even react, Aron held out his hand.
“Hey, commoner! Next duel. The desert was my advantage. Use a proper Titan next time instead of that weird thing!”
Just like Aron had taken back calling me “not typical,” I felt like I had to take something back too.
Aron Dyke wasn’t that unpleasant.
I like pure romance.
“To be honest, I think you almost lost, so you shouldn’t be saying that.”
“…What did you just say, commoner?”
For first-year students at Bethesda Academy, the first weekend was important.
At least, that’s what Ran told me. I was a little grateful she kept looking out for me just because we were both commoners.
From the second week onward, club activities began in earnest. Building connections between students meant choosing the right club.
Of course, the highest priority was finding a club that would even accept a commoner.
“I can’t find anything.”
“There’s nothing. Yeah, nothing. Not here either. Not there either.”
As expected, there was no such information anywhere.
Of course there wasn’t. Bethesda Academy claimed equality for all classes, at least on the surface.
So official central clubs couldn’t openly state discrimination in their descriptions. They probably couldn’t even officially block membership.
Instead, they would whisper it among themselves, apply pressure subtly and continuously, and eventually force people to quit.
I was already sick of dealing with things like that.
Aile sighed while scrolling through the academy portal.
“This is exhausting. Why does class matter so much? Everyone’s just people.”
I didn’t have an easy answer.
Because I only remembered a life without classes.
“We still have to look.”
Club activity was mandatory at Bethesda Academy.
Mandatory, required—whatever word fit, participation was compulsory.
They called it friendship between students, character development, camaraderie. But honestly, it was clearly a system to control free time.
In other words, it filled even weekends with school obligations.
If I had no choice, I had to pick something that benefited me.
“But Deep, do you even want to do club activities?”
“I don’t.”
I hated it.
I had gotten better at saying that word.
I didn’t want to meet strangers. I didn’t want conversations. And if I had to join a club, I definitely didn’t want anything physical.
“Because your legs?”
My thoughts stopped.
When I froze and looked at my smartwatch, Aile answered quickly.
“Sensitive topic?”
“Yes.”
“Okay! I won’t bring it up again! But that is part of it, right?”
“Yes.”
Aile was perceptive, but also unable to resist curiosity. If she got an answer, she was satisfied enough.
If other people had respected boundaries like that, I might not hate club activities so much.
“Anyway! If you need it, I’ll keep looking! Though I doubt anything will show up!”
“I know, but please.”
“More?”
“Please. You’re the only one I can rely on.”
“Ehehe, okay!”
BEEP BEEP.
A notification rang. I frowned. I hadn’t set a cute notification sound like that.
But it was definitely coming from my smartwatch.
“Ah! I changed it! Not too cute, just in line with your taste!”
That’s unauthorized.
“You’ve got messages. Should I read them?”
It wasn’t loud or flashy, so it was fine.
“Yes, please.”
“Okay. There are two messages, from two different people… huh?”
Aile paused, then suddenly laughed.
“You don’t even need to find a club anymore!”
“What?”
“Professor Zeke and Professor Sumeragi both contacted you at the same time. They’re both asking if you’ll join their clubs.”
That…
“Deep, you’re so popular! That’s awesome!”
What is she talking about?
The café was quiet inside.
Occasionally, staff dressed as butlers or maids moved around. Not cute French maid outfits, but classic Victorian ones.
Was this a butler café or a maid café?
Professor Zeke, who had called me here, seemed very comfortable in this atmosphere.
He didn’t look like it, but maybe he was a regular here.
“You probably already know this.”
I don’t.
“You saw the academic notice. You must choose a club by next Tuesday and submit it. So club advisors are contacting freshmen.”
I only just learned that.
Professor Zeke stared at me and sighed.
“Pay more attention to notices. If you can’t, at least ask your AI to check.”
“O-okay…”
“Good. But your quick response is impressive.”
Professor Sumeragi, sitting beside him, set down her teacup.
“Exactly. Most freshmen are too busy partying or meeting new friends to reply to professors.”
I almost responded, then closed my mouth.
She was basically saying I had no friends.
Realizing that too late, she coughed awkwardly.
“Anyway, we called you here for club recruitment.”
Zeke and Sumeragi each headed a club.
At least both seemed favorable toward me.
Sumeragi quickly continued.
“We saw potential in you, Deep.”
“T-thank you…”
“So, reconsider the assistant position?”
“N-no.”
Her expression stiffened slightly. Zeke glanced at her and shrugged.
“My club is a servant club.”
Servant club?
Seeing my expression, he explained.
“In the academy, commoners and nobles build connections. Sometimes nobles hire commoners they like as staff.”
He placed his cup down.
“It’s a place to learn etiquette and prepare for that possibility, even if you don’t intend to become one.”
For a moment, I imagined Professor Zeke in a maid outfit.
It didn’t fit.
Neither did a butler outfit.
While I was thinking that, Zeke pointed around.
“This café is also operated by members of my club.”
So that’s why there were maids and butlers.
Sumeragi widened her eyes.
“That’s cheating!”
“It isn’t.”
“It totally is! Deep, listen to me too!”
She hurriedly pulled out a strangely shaped hologram projector.
“I believe pilots should understand engineering. This device was made by my club members. Come learn engineering with us!”
“You just picked something completely unrelated to Titans.”
“It’s an interface tool for Titan control systems!”
Two professors were arguing over me.
Why.
I felt like I was going insane.