Chapter 104
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Suspiciously Wealthy Grand Mage (3)
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The old library building, usually so quiet with scant foot traffic, was unusually rowdy today.
"Ugh... What in the world is going on..."
Thomas, the vice president of the Ghost Story Research Club and an utterly ordinary second-year Economics student, grumbled to himself with a miserable expression.
Honestly, the air hung so heavy it felt like it could choke the life out of you.
The already cramped clubroom had been neatly bisected by an invisible line.
Thankfully, the side where Thomas stood had some physical space to spare.
Sylvia the president, Claire the member, and himself made four in total—that was it.
The problem was the other side.
"..."
"..."
Students who had zero connection to ghost stories had swarmed in like a pack.
And not just any pack—the lineup was intimidating as hell.
That guy over there was the third-year runner-up in Political Science; that girl was the pampered only daughter of a powerful earl's family.
In short, they were all top of the Elterion Academy grade sheets or flashy scions of noble blood.
And at the center of that elite pack...
"Well, this is... unexpected, Princess Celestina."
stood Miriel Adrian, the most glamorous and haughty queen bee of Elterion.
"I'd heard you'd joined the Ghost Story Research Club—a group that could tarnish the royal name—but I never imagined you'd still be active in it."
Miriel covered her mouth gracefully as she spoke.
Her barbed words were neatly wrapped in polite phrasing.
"Hehe, that's how charming it is."
Princess Celestina, seated across from her, shot back with a bright smile, refusing to yield.
"That's why even you, Senior Miriel, took notice and brought along all these other students, right?"
Invisible sparks crackled in the air.
It was a battle of nerves between the top two in status at Elterion Academy: the princess and the duke's daughter.
Their glares were positively lethal.
Truth be told, it hadn't been this intense back in the first semester.
Celestina had lacked confidence in herself then, often folding under Miriel's momentum.
But now? Things were different.
The princess no longer backed down.
She sat ramrod straight, meeting Miriel's gaze head-on.
That bold presence even had Miriel subtly giving ground.
Not bad, Miriel tsked inwardly.
She'd dismissed her as a fallen princess who'd fled to the academy after losing the crown race. Had hanging around Lunaris taught her that brazenness?
Miriel forced a relaxed expression and changed the subject.
"Anyway, it's been ages since we last met, Princess."
"Yes. The break was rather long, after all."
"Even so, I figured you'd attend the Grand Mage induction ceremony."
Miriel gave a sour smile as she pressed on.
"But you didn't show. Wasn't it your closest friend getting inducted?"
She dangled their friendship while jabbing at the no-show—blunt sarcasm.
But Princess Celestina didn't bat an eye.
"Other commitments, I'm afraid."
"What imperial duty could possibly trump your friend's big moment?"
"I don't see why I'd share my personal schedule. Anyway, I made time to celebrate privately."
The princess's lips curved smugly.
"Better than a perfunctory congrats in a crowd... I wanted to share my real feelings one-on-one."
"...!"
"Lunaris preferred it that way, too."
Miriel's eyes twitched faintly.
One-on-one. Privately.
Those words grated oddly.
She had so many questions.
Had she truly pulled Lunaris into her faction? How deep had their heart-to-hearts gone?
"I've heard you've been hanging around Junior Lunaris a lot lately."
Miriel swallowed her curiosity and drew out her words slowly.
"But... she's not here today?"
"Oh, Lunaris isn't coming today."
At that moment, Claire, who had been standing behind Princess Celestina, chimed in.
Miriel narrowed her eyes and shot her a glare, making Claire yelp and duck behind Sylvia.
Then, infuriatingly, she added:
"She said she's off visiting another club."
"...What?"
Miriel's poker face crumbled in an instant.
She looked like she'd been slapped as she repeated herself.
"V-Visiting? Lunaris...?"
"Yeah. Not sure if she'll join, but she's just checking it out..."
This timing? Really?
Worse, Lunaris was thinking of joining another club?
"...Where did she go?"
"Uh... the Drama Club..."
"...?"
"Hey, that's her, right? The infamous Grand Mage."
"Yeah. Top of the entire freshman class. Lunaris Evermoon."
"...Why's she here?"
"I-I don't know. Scary..."
As I wandered the auditorium, whispers followed me.
My reputation around the academy lately seemed to be that of a walking disaster or the worst natural calamity ever.
Whatever. Not my problem. If they're scared enough to steer clear, good for me.
Then, a male student approached cautiously from the stage area.
"Um... what brings you here?"
His tense expression was painfully awkward.
I'm not the type to drop stars from the sky willy-nilly, you know.
"Here to check out the club. And speak casually—it's fine."
"Ah, sure... Uh, no. Er..."
He's choking up too.
"Anyway, about the visit... Are you thinking of joining our Drama Club?"
"I'll think about it. Mind showing me around first?"
"Uh, y-yeah."
"Club visit period's still ongoing, right?"
"Second week, so it's the final stretch... We were just rehearsing—want to watch?"
I nodded, and he let out a relieved sigh.
Good, his face relaxed a bit.
"By the way, I'm Darren, third-year Magic Department, Drama Club president."
"Ah, I'm..."
"I know. No one in Magic or Ma Engineering forgets the name Lunaris Evermoon."
"So, what'd you think? Decent?"
An hour of acting practice.
As I watched silently, Senior Darren handed me a water bottle and asked point-blank.
I rested my chin on my hand and gave my honest take.
"Hm, it's kind of boring, honestly."
To be blunt, the theater level here was school play at best.
Too many shortcomings for a genre limitation.
Sets were slapped-together plywood; actors just read lines.
And the stories? Flat.
No thrill, no dopamine hit.
Still, more enjoyable than expected.
No real direction meant it all hinged on the actors. Weak skills? Total snooze-fest.
Like healthy food—good ingredients, just needs seasoning to shine.
"Ever thought of special effects for staging?"
"Special effects?"
"Yeah. Magic backgrounds or fire spells for explosions."
Darren gave a troubled laugh.
"Not that we haven't considered it... but sustaining academy-wide stage magic is beyond us."
He glanced my way slyly.
"If a talented Grand Mage helped out, though..."
Blatant recruitment pitch.
I chuckled and stood.
"Can I see more acting? Or the script if that's tough."
"Script? Hold on. Hey! Someone grab the scripts!"
At his gesture, a dusty stack arrived.
I flipped through rapidly.
"...You actually reading that?"
"Yep. Thoroughly."
Confirmed my hunch.
Potential here.
Fresh stories, punchy dialogue.
Raw gems—I polish 'em (and fund 'em), and boom: hit.
I closed the last one and looked up.
"I'm joining the Drama Club."
"R-Really?!"
"But no acting from me. Call me when sets are set. I'll help with direction and effects."
Darren's face flushed with excitement.
"Oh, and."
I pulled two scripts from the pile.
"Who wrote these? And the actors playing leads earlier."
"Huh? Easy to share, but... why?"
"Just keeping an eye on them."
"...?"