Here’s the yearly update, see you again in 2021 (assuming we make it through 2020). For the manga, we decided to go with the tank version due to updated art. The new version of chapter 1 was uploaded to Mangadex a few days ago. The whole tank has been translated since last month so go bother Marv if you want to see the rest faster.
As always, please support the author/illustrator by buying the book. I know some of you like the doodles by muge but the actual illustrations are really nice.
(Fun fact: The illustrator, Nagishiro Mito, is also the character designer for Shirakami Fubuki so just buy the books and treat it as supporting FBK’s papa.)
Editor: muge
Dumb jojo meme: muge
P.S. Please watch and subscribe to Suisei.
Chapter 3: The Magic Club
It had been a day since the research facility’s visit, and Leticiel, along with Mirandalette and Sieg, were practicing Magecraft after school. As the testing ground on top of the research facility was still under construction, the trio were in their usual spot in the Magic Training Field.
“Did you get that bracelet recently, Mira?” asked Leticiel out of curiosity as she noticed an unfamiliar bracelet on Mirandelette’s wrist.
“Indeed, the father of my fiancé gifted it to me yesterday. It’s been a while since he last visited my household.”
Mirandalette’s answer revealed why she had been busy the previous day.
“Fiancé? You have one as well?”
“Yes. Our houses get along, so we often played together in the past. But, while Leif is my fiancé, I… I can’t think of him as anything more than a childhood friend!” Mirandalette’s eyes darted about.
“It’s not that unusual for childhood friends to become betrothed among nobles,” Sieg chimed in.
“That does make sense, since they would know each other already. What about you? Do you have a fiancée, Sieg?”
“I’m just a commoner. It’s a foreign concept for us.”
In the commoner’s world, only a portion among the most wealthy entertained the notion of arranged marriage. As Sieg was always with her, coupled with his looks and brains, the fact that he was a commoner had slipped Leticiel’s mind.
“Ah, that’s right. You’re really amazing, Sieg. Even as a commoner, you’re more knowledgeable about these topics than I am.”
“I think it’s more that you know too little…”
Looks like he was surprised by my reaction. But how could I have known that, I thought that having the bare minimum amount of knowledge was good enough. As it was still break time, Leticiel began asking Sieg various things about noble society.
“Apparently, some nobles use each other’s middle names if they have a close relationship.”
“My, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, I learned it from a teacher in my research building. She works alongside her husband, so I often hear them call each other by their middle names.”
However, it wasn’t an indication of two people being lovers or married, as close friends and siblings could also be on a middle-name basis.
Having now learned of this practice, Leticiel mulled over how natural it was for her and the First Prince, along with her sisters, to be only on a first-name basis considering their soured relationships. Suddenly, she noticed that Mirandalette was hanging her head. The girl was gripping her shirttail as if she was trying to endure something.
“…Ah, uh, I’m sorry. Did I say something I shouldn’t have?” Sieg nervously asked.
“N-No, it’s nothing at all! Don’t worry about me!” Mirandalette let out a laugh and waved her hands, but it was clear as day that the conversation from earlier had affected her.
“Hey! Get your butt out here right now!”
As Leticiel just began to retrace her memory, someone suddenly banged on the booth’s door. Again? A frown immediately formed on her face.
“…I’ll go take a look.”
“T-Take care…” Mirandalette stuttered from the displeased aura clearly radiating from Leticiel.
The silver-haired girl undid the Magecraft lock she had placed to prevent unrelated people from barging in, and opened the door. Standing before her was a male student with dark orange hair.
“How may I help you?”
“Stop playing coy! Today will be the day I deal with you!” The male student snapped.
He should be a second year student judging from his peony badge. What’s with the harsh language, this is the first time we’ve met.
“I think you’ve got the wrong person. Please try looking somewhere else.”
“Stop! Don’t try to pretend! I’m clearly talking to you, Drossel Noa Filiaregis!” The male student pointed directly at Leticiel’s face, thwarting her attempt to cut the conversation short. “I’ve heard countless testimonies from other students! I’m certain that you’ve been monopolizing this space by driving all the other students away!”
“…”
“Not only that, you even put a lock on the door. Your tyranny has gone too far! This place is meant to be shared by every stu—”
“If you don’t have any business with me, then please leave.”
“…Listen to me!”
Leticiel tried to close the door, but the male student grabbed the door knob before she could. A clear look of displeasure appeared on her face. However, it seemed to have gone over his head, as the male student continued to push his one-sided perspective.
“This facility should be shared equally among the students! Who gave you the permission to hog it all to yourself!”
But I’m not hogging anything. And there are more than enough empty booths. Why are you going out of your way to this secluded booth just to complain?
“Permission? I do have the Dean’s permission, you know?”
“What!?” The student’s eyes were bulging, the words ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’ were clearly written on his face. “Stop spouting nonsense! You’ll be busted the moment the Dean catches wind of this!”
“Then please do try asking him. He should still be in his office right now.”
Leticiel was telling the truth. She was using the booth in question to practice Magecraft because Lucas had given her priority over it. However, she would never have forced anyone who was using it before her out.
“Huh!? Th-That’s it! We’re done talking here!”
“Sigh… Okay?”
The male student’s face turned beet red from Leticiel’s response, and stormed away without saying another word. Confused by his unreasonable attitude from start to finish, Leticiel simply gazed at the boy’s back.
“What was that…?”
In the end, Leticiel shut the door without knowing what the male student wanted from her in the first place. She felt that the amount of people who came to pick a fight with her had increased since the Beast incident. And while it had been easy to drive them away, it had begun to take a toll on her nerves.
“Who was that?” Mirandalette was the first one to raise her voice.
“Some random person. He had a peony badge on, so he should be an upperclassman.”
“It feels like a lot more people have been barging in here lately…” Sieg pondered after firing off the Light Magecraft that was in his hand.
“Indeed, this is the third time since classes resumed.”
“It’s so strange.”
“I wonder why? Maybe because of the incident, everyone wanted to improve their self-defen—”
“Excuse me! I was told that Drossel Noa Filiaregis would be here after school!”
Just as Leticiel was about to lock the door, it suddenly swung open and loudly slammed into the wall — barely missing her face.
“…Ah!”
A boy with pale green close-cropped hair entered the room. His round, light brown eyes gave off an energetic and cheerful air. Leticiel judged that he was in the same year as her from his lilac badge, but she had never seen before. The boy began to close the door he had just kicked while checking for any damage. Leticiel’s first impression of him was an upright person… not.
Leticiel turned toward Sieg, but he also had a confused look on his face.As neither student of class One and Two recognized him, the unknown boy should be from class Three
“Um… I’m Drossel, do you have any business with me?” Leticiel was slightly on guard.
“Yes! Can you let me join your after-school activities!? I beg of you! Or rather, I won’t leave if you refuse!” Contrary to her expectations, the boy suddenly kneeled on the ground with a smile beaming on his face.
The trio was frozen in shock by the boy’s absurd words and actions.
“…No, no! You can’t just barge in here and ask something like that out of the blue!?”
The first person to recover was Mirandalette. Her retort helped Leticiel to also come to her senses.
“I’m of the same opinion as Mira. Can you at least tell us your name first…?”
“Ah, that’s right! Where are my manners? I’m the eldest son of Viscount Guerre, Hilmes Leif Guerre.” Having realized his mistake, the boy corrected his posture and introduced himself.
Wait… Leif? Didn’t that name come up just earli—
“Leif, how did you find out about this place?”
Before Leticiel could say anything, Mirandalette shot a question in an astonished voice.
“Lulu! I was right, you’ve been spending your time here! So this is why you haven’t been returning home with me recently!”
“W-Well I was in the wrong for not telling you… but, wait, you’re getting the wrong idea here!”
The two continued their lover’s quarrel. While Hilmes was acting nonchalantly, Mirandalette was restless as she displayed a wide range of emotions. Indeed, “Leif” was the name of her fiancé.
“I see, so he was the guy she mentioned earlier.”
“Yeah, that seems to be the case.”
Mirandalette’s middle name was “Lulu”, and by calling each other by their middle names, the betrothed couple showed that they actually got along very well. Perhaps the reason why Mirandalette had gotten so flustered earlier was due to Hilmes.
“Though I have to say, I didn’t think we would be able to meet Mira’s fiancé so soon.”
“H-Huh? I-It’s not like I didn’t want you two to meet him… I-It’s not a big deal at all…”
Mirandalette’s face reddened as she mumbled. Noticing the change in the complexion of his fiancée, who couldn’t seem to be honest with herself, a worried look appeared on Hilmes’ face.
“L-Lulu? Are you feeling alright? You seem to be getting a bit sunburnt.”
The moment their eyes met, Mirandalette immediately turned the other way, the motion akin to a small animal chasing its own tail.
Maybe he’s the dense type?
As she watched the scene unfold before her, the image of a dog running around its owner entered Leticiel’s mind. She then shook her head to erase that image in a fluster. Sieg — who was standing next to her — gave her a puzzled look.
“Oh, wait! I didn’t come here for this!” Leticiel’s movements caught Hilmes’ eyes, reminding him of the reason he was here. “Let me ask you again, Drossel! Please let me join your group!”
Leticiel felt that he was rather scatter-brained but decided to keep that thought to herself.
“Uh… Could you first tell me why, Hilmes?”
“For a lot of reasons!” He placed his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out.
“…Um,” Leticiel was at a loss for words, “We won’t know anything if you leave it as that. It’d be nice if you could list the reasons.”
Upon hearing that, Hilmes simply stood there, dumbfounded.
“Oooh! You’re right! I’m sorry about that!” He started scratching his head to hide his embarrassment. “I came here because I want you to teach me swordsmanship.”
“Huh?” Leticiel was caught off guard. “You know, I’m not instructing anyone at the moment…”
“I know that! But I still want to learn from you, Drossel!”
“First off, could you tell me how you found out I could use the sword?”
While Leticiel had an interest in the sword, she had never thought that she was good enough to teach others. And to begin with, she had never spoken of nor displayed her skills to anyone.
According to Hilmes, he first saw the mysterious swordswoman half a month ago during a class in the Swordplay Training Hall. He had gone to pick up something he had forgotten to bring with him, and ended up walking past the booth next to his class. As the booths didn’t have any doors, he caught sight of a girl swinging her wooden training sword. That girl happened to be Drossel.
At first, he was simply amazed by the fact that she was using the sword. However, as he kept watching her form, he realized that her swordsmanship was more beautiful than any he had ever seen. It had no wasted movements or openings, he was entranced by the sword with the sole purpose of cutting enemies down.
Hilmes had been quite confident in his swordplay before. However, witnessing the swordswoman’s refined techniques had been an eye-opening experience for him.
“After that, every time I had class in the training hall, I’d take a peek at the booth next door, in hope of being able to observe your techniques again!”
“…I didn’t think that someone would be watching.”
Leticiel reflected on her carelessness. She had forgotten about the fact that there were no doors and had let her guard down as it was during class time.
“As the oldest of three siblings, I thought that I was the strongest. And outside of my family, I was also full of myself, believing that there was basically no one stronger than me around my age. But I have realized that I’m nothing but a frog in a well!”
Hilmes’ high praises made Leticiel feel both uncomfortable and happy. No one has ever praised her sword as it was only at the level for self-defense. And yet, it had managed to influence someone’s path.
“But before long, watching your sword alone wasn’t enough for me,” Hilmes continued, “While I was debating on what to do, yesterday, my father returned from Lulu’s house and told me that she has been studying with you after school. And then it finally dawned on me!”
“I see, so that was why you came here.”
“Yep! On top of that, I haven’t been able to spend as much time with Lulu lately, so having her here is a big plus too. And, I also want to get to know her friends!”
Leticiel tilted her head upon hearing more of his reasoning.
“Leif, so in the end, the reason you came here is…” Mirandalette chimed in with a dumbfounded look on her face.
“Yeah! I get to train with Drossel, spend more time with you, and then we can return home together just like before! It’s like killing three birds with one stone!”
Hilmes stated without a moment’s hesitation, his face was full of confidence. It was super effective against Mirandalette as her cheeks reddened in a flash.
“D-Dummy! Leif is truly a dummy! How could you say something like that so easily!?”
“Eh? H-Huh? Did I say something strange just now?”
“…How should I put it… Uh, it’s good to see that they get along so well.”
“Y-Yeah…”
“You two! Don’t add your own commentary to this!”
“Ah, well, yeah, I’m sorry?”
Caught off guard by an uncharacteristic glare from Mirandalette, Leticiel reflexively apologized. Next to her, Sieg burst into muffled laughter.
What’s so funny about this situation? And wait, how did we get to this point in the first place? I was just asking Hilmes about his reasons to come here.
“Anyway!” Leticiel loudly clapped to dispel the strange atmosphere. “I don’t think my abilities are worthy of your praise.”
“What are you talking about!? I’ve never seen such beautiful and efficient swordsmanship before! Even my father’s swordplay is inferior to it.”
“Sigh… Thank you very much?”
Hilmes continued to praise her skills but he wasn’t getting through to Leticiel. It was impossible for her to accept such rave reviews for a hobby she practiced up in her previous life.
“I just can’t be content with just watching anymore! I want to learn swordsmanship directly from you! Please, let me join your group! But, if it’s impossible, then please at least let me have a match with you!”
Hilmes suddenly thrust out something. They were two dark brown objects. Long, thin and slightly curved. Indeed they were…
“Why do you have those?”
“I took them from the Swordplay Training Hall, of course!”
“…Yes, I can see that. But I’m sure they’re not to be removed from the hall.”
Leticiel tried to imply that he should return the wooden swords, but Hilmes showed no sign of relenting.
“I didn’t know that you could use the sword too. I want to see!”
“Huh?”
“I’m a bit interested too…”
And before Leticiel could say anything else, her escape route had been blocked off by Mirandalette and Sieg. Accepting her fate, she took a wooden sword from Hilmes’ hand.
“I’ll say this before we start. I only practice the sword for some light self-defense and out of my own interest.”
“That’s fine by me! I just want to fight the person whose swordplay has charmed me!”
Leticiel still couldn’t see why Hilmes thought that her swordsmanship was good. However, as the die had been cast, there was no use in thinking about it anymore.
The two moved to an open area and prepared their wooden swords. Sieg was tasked with giving them the start signal.
“Ready, set… go!”
“Haaaaah!”
The person who made the first move was Hilmes. His well-trained body rushed towards Leticiel as soon as the signal was given and let out a fast slash.
Leticiel tilted her sword and faced the attack head-on as the sound of wooden swords clashing reverberated through Magic Training Field.
Having had his slash repelled, Hilmes immediately withdrew his sword before launching another attack. On the contrary, Leticiel made no moves as she focused on defending while observing his movements.
From the girl’s point of view, Hilmes was a skilled swordsman. While his movements were rather sloppy due to lack of experience, he had the potential to become a master with more training.
However, she also felt that something was off about his swordsmanship. And the answer was that he was avoiding her vitals. The boy had never cut down someone before, in other words, his swordsmanship was meant to only be used within the training hall.
Well, there’s no reason to attack with the intention to kill in a peaceful world, with precise movements, Leticiel leapt away from Hilmes’ attack range.
“Haaa!”
Hilmes quickly kicked off the ground and chased after her with an overhead slash. Having ascertained his intentions, Leticiel held out her sword sideways and took a step back.
When the two swords clashed, Hilmes stumbled backwards as he was unable to suppress the recoil from his momentum.
His swordsmanship isn’t bad at all, his attacks also have weight behind them, and he has good intuition. But it’s too easy to counterattack when he keeps making large swings like this. They might have a use during group battles, however, he’s still too full of openings.
The match continued for almost five minutes with only Hilmes on the offensive. Leticiel simply stood there, repelling all his attacks. Little by little, his face was filled with impatience.
And how could anyone blame him for it. The reason he had come all the way to the booth and thrown down the gauntlet was to experience Leticiel in combat first hand. Yet, his swordsmanship couldn’t even make her break a sweat. Even Sieg and Mirandalette were at a loss for words with the scene unfolding before them.
Alongside his impatience, Hilmes’ movement grew more erratic and his number of attacks increased. Rather than focusing on an attack at a time, he had changed to a style that focused on speed.
Ah… how nostalgic, Leticiel unconsciously let out a smile amidst the fierce match. Even though she rarely had to use her sword in battle, there were still times where a strong opponent slipped through her Magecraft bombardment and challenged her to a sword fight.
And while she wasn’t using Magecraft alongside her sword like the past, the semblance of the moment was enough to give her some joy.
Hilmes cut through the air as he charged forward with a thrust. Leticiel defended with the hilt of her sword and — against everyone’s expectation — went on the offensive for the first time in the match with a sweep towards Hilmes’ defenseless feet.
Unable to react, Hilmes lost his balance and fell into the ground. Before he could regain his bearings, Leticiel swung her sword down for a follow up strike. However, Hilmes managed to roll away within a hair’s breadth.
From that moment on, the tables had turned. Before the boy could regain his footing, Leticiel shot straight at him.
Her speed and strength were beyond his expectations, and Hilmes clenched his teeth and focused his entire being on defending against her assault.
Their swords only clashed for a brief moment, and yet, it felt like an eternity to Hilmes. My only chance is the moment when she lets down her guard after an attack, he swiftly jumped back and readied himself to face the swordswoman before him.
While he was gasping for air, the girl was calmly taking deep breaths. Hilmes’ eyes were filled with fear and admiration for her monstrous strength. His chest was burning with the desire to win against her.
As if to bet everything on the attack, Hilmes changed his stance. Holding the sword with both hands, he drew it back to his right shoulder and lowered his center of gravity. And once again, a faint smile appeared on Leticiel’s face as she held her sword horizontally before her.
“Hngaaaaah!!”
Hilmes raised a battle cry and poured strength into his whole body. He closed the distance between the two and raised his sword straight towards the sky before swinging it down with all he had. It was another overhead slash, but unlike before, it was void of any excess movement. And in that same moment, Leticiel swung her sword.
The sound of wooden swords clashing rang through the field once again and Hilmes’ sword flew out of his hands — towards the heavens. By the time his sword pierced into the ground, another sword had already appeared by his throat.
Leticiel had moved behind Hilmes before he even noticed. And in just an instant, the color drained from his face from the sensation of the cold wooden sword. If this were a real battlefield, he’d have been dead by now.
“…I give up,” Hilmes raised both his hands, his declaration helped Leticiel return to her senses.
“M-My bad. Are you okay?”
Realizing that her wooden sword was slightly touching his throat, Leticiel quickly dropped her sword before reaching out to Hilmes — who had dropped down onto the ground. Fighting against him was more fun than she expected, and Leticiel ended up getting serious halfway through.
“That was my complete loss. You’re really amazing, Drossel!” Hilmes took her hand. Contrary to his words, there was not a single sign of bitterness on his face.
“Did that just happen? A sheltered noble girl beat someone who’s practiced swordsmanship his whole life?”
“…I’ve never seen techniques of that caliber before. Where in the world did she learn them?”
Mirandalette was up next, followed by a dumbfounded Sieg. Leticiel turned her head towards the two while repairing the damaged wooden swords.
“Oh, you flatter me. Well… I made a small mistake in adjusting my power but it should still be within the average level.”
Back in Leticiel’s days, the art of self-defense placed its utmost importance on quickly and accurately dispatching enemies as efficiently as possible. It wasn’t uncommon for the enemy to be killed in the process, and was something that both commoners and nobles needed to be capable of. Those who had guards surrounding them were the strange ones.
No way, that wasn’t average at all…
The past was just the past. In the current age, it was unthinkable that someone outside of the military would have an interest in martial arts. Not only that, there was no reason for such advanced techniques to exist in a peaceful world. Leticiel’s swordsmanship was simply on another level compared to that of the modern day.
But looking at how oblivious Leticiel was to how abnormal she was, the three could only retort in their heads in union.
“However, you’re quite skillful yourself, Hilmes.”
“You mean it!?”
“Yes. I believe you will become a fine swordsman with more training.”
“You’ll train me!? Thank you very much!”
“…Huh?”
Leticiel’s judgement of Hilmes’ skill wasn’t mere flattery. She truly believed that he only needed more training and experience. However, she was at a loss on how he came to such a conclusion.
“Please wait a minute. I did say that you can become a fine swordsman, but I never said anything about teaching yo—”
“I promise to do my best, Master!”
“…”
Hilmes’ face was beaming without a care of what Leticiel was trying to say. It was clear that he was on cloud nine and that Leticiel’s fate had been sealed.
“…Fine, I got it. But please keep your expectations in check.”
“Roger!”
This is the same as Nicole too. Maybe I’m weak against pressure, she could only let out a sigh before giving in to his whim.
“How long have you been studying the blade, Hilmes?” Leticiel handed a cup of water to Hilmes, who was still sitting on the ground.
“Since as long as I can remember!” Hilmes readily replied after taking a gulp of water.
“That’s really impressive. Perhaps your parents are also interested in swordsmanship?”
“Indeed! While I’m the eldest of three siblings, I’m still a knight protégé!”
“…Knight protégé? What is that?” Leticiel tilted her head.
“Leif’s family, the Guerre Viscount, is a household known for producing knights generation after generation.”
“Oh, I see.”
The person who stepped up to fill in the blank was Mirandalette. It seemed that the term was for children with a knight lineage.
“But, a noble’s eldest son has to go to Lucrezia Academy, so that’s why he’s here…”
“Don’t put it like that! I was able to meet a strong warrior like Drossel because of this academy so I’m not dissatisfied at all!”
“You’re saying this now? Then who was the person who kept going on and on about how he wanted to go to Heingel Academy up until just a while ago?”
“Th-Th-That’s in the past already!”
Hilmes jumped up, it was obvious that he didn’t want the topic to be brought up. However, a certain word caught Leticiel’s attention.
“Heingel Academy?” She thought that there had only been one academy.
“Ah, yes! While it’s another academy in the capital, Heingel is a military academy!” Hilmes regained his composure in an instant and began explaining with a proud look on his face. “Originally, the institution was founded by the Sword Saint, Dietrich Heingel, to nurture his elite troops. After his death, it was restructured into an academy for soldiers and knights, defenders of the kingdom. Heingel Academy was named after him, in recognition of the Sword Saint’s accomplishments! The academy was the birthplace of many noble households with a long military lineage such as the Marquis Horacio, Viscount Cologne, and Count Beta. And apart from them, countless numbers of excellent soldiers and knights also came from that academy!”
I see, so just as Lucrezia Academy is the place to obtain knowledge, Heingel is the place to learn military arts, Leticiel concluded as Hilmes continued on with his seemingly endless lecture.
“Moreover, classes in Heingel Academy are split between the general curriculum and the special curriculum. The special curriculum focuses on fighting by imbuing your sword with Magic and only elites that have over a certain amount of Magic Power can enroll! That’s because the minimum requirement is to be able to use Magic alongside your sword. However, it’s extremeeely difficult, so being able to enter the special curriculum generation after generation like the Viscount Cologne household is extraordinary! It must be nice, if only I had that much Magic Power, then I could do moves like this!”
“O-Oh, I see…”
Leticiel could only offer some words as Hilmes began moving his hands as if he was wielding an imaginary sword.
As eldest sons had to succeed the house, they were obligated to enter Lucrezia to acquire the necessary knowledge. On the other hand, the other sons had no such obligations, so Hilmes’ brothers were free to attend Heingel Academy as they wished.
“That was a very detailed explanation, Hilmes, you must really like Heingel Academy..”
“…Wait, no!”
Leticiel made a wry smile as Hilmes realized he had dug his own grave. While he was a bit chaotic, she couldn’t bring herself to dislike him.
“W-Well! We also have the ‘Azure Lion’ in Lucrezia Academy so I don’t regret it at all! I’ve always looked up to him!”
“Azure… Lion’?
Leticiel was simply asking about a nickname she’d never heard before, but for some reason the other three stared at her in shock.
“Um, Drossel, you don’t know about the ‘Azure Lion’!?”
“Yes, I’ve never heard that name before… There’s someone like that in this academy?”
“‘Not just ‘someone’, it’s the Dean’s nickname.”
Leticiel blinked after hearing Sieg’s reply.
“…The Dean?”
“Yes, that’s the nickname he was given eleven years ago due to his heroic achievements on the front line in the war.”
I’ve never heard of that before, Leticiel was only told that Lucas had to retire from the army due to an injury and was put in charge of Lucrezia Academy to guide the next generation.
“That’s right! And not only that, Marquis Horacio is a prestigious household that has been serving the kingdom from time immemorial! It has produced the most captains for the Knight Order, which is in charge of protecting the royal family and the area surrounding the capital! He’s one of the elite among the elites! As the leader of the cavalry, his leadership was without equal, and not only that, with his superior Magic Power, he also fought gallantly on the battlefield himself! As a result, he earned countless achievements during the Sphilia War! It’s no exaggeration to say that he’s the role model for anyone who wants to become a knight!”
Hilmes’ breathing intensified as he poured his heart out. However, it seemed to backfire with Leticiel feeling put off by his fervent reply.
“A-Ah, I see. I’d never have guessed that the Dean had such an impressive nickname like that.”
“What do you think of him, Drossel…” Sieg formed an exasperated smile at an almost too frank Leticiel.
“Anyway, if you promise me you won’t tell anyone about what happens in this place, then you’re free to come here.”
“Seriously!?”
“Yes, as long as you keep your prom—”
“Thank you very much! I swear upon my name that I won’t tell a soul about what I saw and heard here!”
Hilmes shook his head so hard that Leticiel was worried it might come off. His eagerness made her feel worried about the future.
“It’s okay, I’ll try my best to keep watch of him too…” Mirandalette chimed in with a hopeless tone in her voice after her fiancée had begun doing practice swings in full force.
“…Okay, thank you.”
However, Leticiel’s worries only intensified as she watched the wooden sword slip from Hilmes’ hands and went to chase after it.
“And this means I’m a member of your club from now on!” He returned and cheerfully exclaimed.
“Club?” But Leticiel simply gave him a blank look.
“Uh? Aren’t you coming here for your club activities?”
“What?”
“Huh, I thought that was the case for sure.”
An awkward atmosphere enveloped the four. Leticiel, Mirandalette and Sieg looked at each other. They had finally realized that their daily training could easily be mistaken as club activities. Meanwhile, Hilmes, who was out of the loop, could only gaze on as question marks sprouted out of his head.
“I want to ask you something, Hilmes.”
“Yes?”
“Did you come here because you thought we were holding club activities in this booth?”
“Yes, I said it earlier.”
Leticiel let out a sigh when Hilmes looked at her like it was the most obvious thing. The sigh wasn’t aimed at him, but rather at herself.
“I didn’t think of that at all. And now that you mentioned it, I did hear about the ‘club’ thing before…”
Leticiel remembered that Lucas had explained it to her quite a long time ago, but she’d completely forgotten it. While it didn’t bother her, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable with people assuming things that she hadn’t done.
”Do you want to just make it official?”
Leticiel and Mirandalette turned towards Sieg after his sudden proposal.
“I don’t care either way. Is there any benefit to it?”
“If we’re talking about benefits, clubs do get priority in facilities and equipment usage. Furthermore, you’re free to act in public capacity.”
“Public capacity, huh…”
Leticiel began to weigh her options. As it was, her group looked like a bunch of hardworking students staying after school on their own volition. But as a result, there was a good chance that they’d be bothered by strange people like the upperclassmen from before.
Of course, she could just send them away if they wanted to pick a fight. However, she’d rather not deal with them in the first place. And along that line of thought, if she turned it into official club activities, it’d remove the basis for their pointless quibbles.
“Moreover, we can prevent strange rumors from forming if we make a club.”
“That does make sense. So we can use it as both an excuse and a front, right?”
If we form a club, there’s a chance that we will have a new type of enemies, people who want to join it. Well, we can just have a swordsmanship qualification test to beat them u…or rather, disqualify them.
“Okay, no time like the present, let’s go to the Student Council to form a club.”
“Wait, we’re going right now!?” Despite the wry smile on her face, Mirandalette promptly followed after Leticiel.
Before leaving, Leticiel placed a Magecraft lock on the door to prevent anyone from taking the booth.
“You mentioned an application, right? Where can we get that?”
“They’re in the reception desk by the entrance. We just need to fill and deliver it to the Student Council.”
“And they’re still open at this hour?”
“I believe so. The Student Council performs the final check on locks so they should be around until the last bell.”
The group came to the entrance hall following Mirandalette’s directions. While the reception desk itself had closed, documents were placed outside for anyone to take.
“So for members, it’s Mirandalette, Sieg, me and then Hilmes?”
“That’s right. The minimum requirement to form a club is to have three members so we should have no issue.”
Can I just tell them we’re forming a club and get it over with? Leticiel frowned as she looked at the application. There were many items she had to fill such as the club’s name, its members, its activities, its location, and on which days a week they’d meet.
Incidentally, they decided to name the club “Magic Club” to keep Magecraft a secret. With such a name, the group could practice without the other students growing suspicious.
“And then, who will be the club’s representative?”
While on the way to the Student Council, Leticiel’s eyes stopped upon the line that said “Club’s Representative”. The other three looked at each other without saying a single word before facing Leticiel.
“It’s you, Drossel.”
Yes, that’s right, it has to be you!”
The betrothed couple nodded and stated without any hesitation.
“Oh?” A surprised half-smile appeared on Leticiel’s face.
“It’s a club for us to learn from you, so the representative could only be you…”
“H-Huh?”
Even with some reservation in his tone, Sieg still joined in on the offensive. Leticiel’s fate as the club’s representative had been sealed from the very start.