Chapter 3: Recruiting & the Group of Weirdos
CHAPTER 3 Recruiting & the Group of Weirdos
One week had passed since the duel with Reyes Volgan.
Every day followed the same routine—we spent all our time in class on Soul Attire training, I devoted myself to swinging my sword after school, and once I got home, I performed strict physical conditioning. My days were exhausting but fulfilling.
I’m still a long way from obtaining my Soul Attire…
Every time I faced my Spirit Core, I ended up losing miserably.
…but that doesn’t mean I’ve made no progress.
Although my Spirit Core was so strong that he seemed invincible, in the last few days, he’d begun to occasionally dodge my blade. He did so about once out of every hundred attacks. Now I could pull off slashes that left even me impressed, and those were always the ones he dodged.
He probably evades them because he thinks I’ll actually hurt him.
The mere thought raised my spirits. I couldn’t even dent him before, but now I was actually capable of causing him pain. I felt like I’d truly grown. This was the same happiness from when I’d first cut through the space of the World of Time.
If I keep practicing, I’ll definitely be able to defeat him someday. And then I’ll finally be able to manifest my Soul Attire!
My chest swelled with hope as I waited for Lia by the dorm entrance. She arrived a few minutes later.
“Sorry, Allen. I overslept a bit.”
She rushed toward me with an apologetic expression.
“It’s fine, we have time.”
First period started in fifteen minutes. Our dorm was located on campus, so our classroom was only five minutes away. We still had plenty of leeway.
“Are you feeling okay? You haven’t been sleeping well lately,” I asked.
Her rest had been a little rough since around the time we’d started taking the Soul Attire course. She always whimpered and thrashed in bed after nodding off.
“U-um…can you please not watch me while I sleep…?” Lia responded, blushing and staring at the ground.
“Oh, uh, s-sorry about that…”
That was probably a rude thing to say to a girl your age. I struggled for some words to follow up with, but Lia spoke up before I could.
“D-did I make any weird faces…?” she asked timidly.
“No, don’t worry about that. You always look beautiful when you’re sleeping,” I assured her.
“Oh, uh…th-thank you…”
“…”
“…”
Lia fell quiet, and I followed suit. A strange atmosphere befell us that made it difficult to talk. The ticking from the second hand of the clock on the wall felt absurdly loud.
This is awkward… I’m the one responsible for this, so I need to find a way to fix it! I thought.
What should I do?! This just got really uncomfortable! thought Lia.
I finally broke the silence by speaking in an overly loud and forced voice.
“I-it’s almost time to go! Let’s get to class!”
“S-sure, let’s go!”
Lia jumped on my suggestion, and we escaped from our odd deadlock. With a weird tension still hanging between us, we headed for Class 1-A.
A surprise greeted us when we arrived on campus.
“Swimming Club! Come join the Swimming Club!”
“Wanna master the blade? The Swordcraft Club would be perfect for you!”
“Run to your heart’s content with the Track-and-Field Club! Come and feel the wind on your face!”
Some upperclassmen who were wearing a variety of outfits, including competition swimsuits, martial-arts robes, and athletic shorts, handed us countless flyers.
“Wh-what’s going on?” I asked.
“I think they’re recruiting for clubs?” Lia answered.
We were both befuddled by the unusual sight.
“Wow, you’re really fit! You should join the Judo Club!”
“Omigod, you’re so cute! Wanna join the Cheerleading Club?! We have lots of adorable outfits!”
“Hey, you two, how about the Mountaineering Club? Nothing beats the scenery of a steep mountain you just hiked!”
Even more upperclassmen swarmed us and shoved flyers into our hands.
“H-huh?! Me…?!”
“L-let’s go, Lia!”
I took her hand, and we ran for the main building. It looked like recruiting was forbidden indoors, so they moved on to the next target.
“Phew…”
“Th-that startled me…”
Only now did I notice that they’d stuffed my unform pockets chock-full of handouts. They’d shoved a ridiculous number of leaflets into Lia’s free left hand as well.
“They’re recruiting, aren’t they?” I mused.
“I think so…,” Lia responded.
We moved on to the classroom and entered to find our classmates looking like they’d finished a marathon.
“I guess they all went through the same thing.”
“Seems that way…”
They must have met some fierce recruiting to end up this exhausted.
Lia and I sat in our usual places, and Tessa approached me, looking dejected.
“Hey, Allen. Did they get you, too?” he asked.
“Yeah. I can see you also got it rough…”
He looked pale. The dense stack of flyers on his desk told a tale of great mental damage.
“Heh-heh, isn’t that insane? Almost all those are for the Judo Club. Apparently, I have a perfect body for the sport,” Tessa said, pointing at his desk with a pained smile. “I thought I was gonna die back there. I was just walking to class when ten sweaty upperclassmen all wearing judo uniforms jumped me out of nowhere. They stank so much that I almost passed out…”
“Th-that sounds awful.”
Just imagining that felt like hell.
The New Student–Recruiting Period—or just Recruiting for short—began in May at Thousand Blade Academy and the other Elite Five Academies. Chairwoman Reia had told us about it beforehand. She’d said that recruiting for new clubs was prohibited for the first month of the school year in April so that new students could focus on Soul Attire lessons.
“We have to put up with this for another week. They’re gonna pounce on us when we go to and from school, and at lunch, too. We’re not gonna get a break. Good luck to us all, I guess…,” Tessa said gloomily, sitting down at his desk, which had been converted into a tower of Judo Club flyers.
“This is going to be a nightmare…,” I muttered.
“I’d heard that Recruiting at the Elite Five Academies was crazy, but I never would have imagined this,” shared Lia.
The door rattled open, and a mass of leaflets walked into the room. I couldn’t tell who was inside it, but they had obviously suffered greatly.
The pile of handouts slowly approached us and sat in the seat in front of me.
“…Phoo.”
Rose’s face emerged from the mountain of flyers. As per usual, she had an impressive case of bedhead. She was a horrible morning person, so she’d probably staggered to class half asleep and ended up like this before she knew what had hit her.
“Good morning, Rose. They really took it out on you,” I remarked.
“I think you got more leaflets than anyone in the whole class,” observed Lia.
We struggled to hold back our laughter.
“Nnrgh, yawn… Mornin’,” Rose responded.
She stretched and yawned. Her extreme drowsiness apparently outweighed her annoyance at the papers.
“Recruiting is so intense… Which clubs are you joining?” Rose asked, rubbing her eyes and changing the subject.
“Honestly, I still haven’t decided on one,” I responded.
“I haven’t found any tempting options yet, either,” added Lia.
I did want to enter a club to experience one of the joys of student life, but currently, I didn’t see any that spoke to me. The only one I had any interest in was the Swordcraft Club, but that was simply because of the name.
“Oh, good. I actually haven’t settled on anything as well. Want to go look around together after school?” offered Rose.
“Sounds great,” I answered.
“Yeah, let’s do it!” added Lia.
Just like that, we’d made plans to walk around and survey the clubs after school.
We performed strict Soul Attire training under Chairwoman Reia’s supervision from first to fifth period, then wrapped up the day with afternoon homeroom. Lia, Rose, and I were currently taking a rest in our classroom.
“Man, that was another long day,” I grumbled after exhaling deeply.
“Soul Attire class is more draining mentally than it is physically,” said Lia.
“I feel dead,” expressed Rose.
They both took a sip from their water bottles.
We spent some time resting in our seats. Once we’d recovered enough from our exhaustion, we got up.
“Let’s go look at the clubs!” I proposed.
“Yeah, let’s do it!” Lia agreed.
“I’m ready,” answered Rose.
We left Class 1-A.
The three of us knew almost nothing about Thousand Blade Academy’s student organizations, so we decided to do a full lap of all the offerings first. We started with the Cheerleading Club, which was stationed right in front of the main building.
“Let’s fight, fight, get it done! TBA is number one!”
The girls were each chanting with strong voices that they projected from the bottom of their stomach, and their routine was perfectly coordinated. I was sure that it was the result of hard practice. The performance was so good that it instinctively made me want to start clapping my hands and cheering with them.
One thing worried me about this club, though—the amount of skin they were showing. Their outfits were extremely daring, liberally exposing their backs and legs. Staring at them made me feel more than a little awkward.
“I’m not sure about this club. Those outfits are a little much…,” noted Lia, shaking her head. She definitely would have been embarrassed wearing those.
“You think so? They look cute to me,” Rose disagreed. She didn’t mind the skimpiness.
Oh yeah, her personal clothes were a little showy…
When I’d met her at the Sword Fighting Festival, she’d been wearing a top that completely bared her midriff up to her lower chest, and black athletic shorts.
Her outfit was so revealing that I was afraid to look at her.
Next, we checked out the Swimming Club. There was an outdoor pool on campus with seven twenty-five-meter lanes. It was a meter deep at its most shallow, and over five meters at its deepest. The pamphlet we received when we first joined the academy said that it was used for a variety of activities, from snorkeling to water weight training.
“Hmm… I used to race Ol’ Bamboo in the river at Goza Village all the time,” I reminisced.
There was a large river near Goza Village with water so clear that you could see the bottom. During the summer, I would often swim there with everyone from the village. Every once in a while, I would also go fishing with Mom to catch the river’s delicious bounties.
“The Swimming Club sounds fun!”
“Yeah, it might be nice.”
The organization made a good impression on both Lia and Rose. After watching its members swim for a little while, we decided to move on. We continued to observe a variety of clubs until we arrived at the final one, which happened to be the one I was most interested in—the Swordcraft Club.
“Th-there are so many people…”
The gymnasium, which was where the Swordcraft Club met, was packed with over one hundred members, all intently swinging their blades. They boasted a higher number of participants than any group we’d seen so far.
“Hah! Hiyah! Hah!”
The students shouted and swung their swords together at a predetermined rhythm.
“Next, triple strike!” one person called out.
“ “ “Okay!” ” ” everyone else responded.
A giant drum in the middle of the gym was used to tell everyone to move on to a different technique.
“I don’t know about this…”
“Yeah, it’s a little…”
“A little stiff.”
Just as Rose had pointed out, this club had a rigid formality to it.
I want swordcraft to be free and fun.
I didn’t need the Swordcraft Club or a predetermined practice schedule to get me to work at the blade. I practiced simply for its own sake, and because I wanted to get stronger. It felt like their thinking and approach to swordcraft differed slightly from mine.
“Want to return to the classroom for now?” I suggested.
“Yeah, let’s take some time to think about it,” answered Lia.
“Sure,” responded Rose.
They both nodded in agreement.
After finishing our observation of all the clubs, we started to head back to our classroom.
“Wait, are you Allen?!”
Suddenly, someone called out to me from behind. I turned around to see who it was.
“Hey, it is you! I’m happy to see you took an interest in the Swordcraft Club! Whaddaya think of our practice routine?”
The female student who’d been beating the giant drum ran over to me with shining eyes.
“Uh, well…”
I couldn’t tell her to her face that it wasn’t the right fit for me.
“Whoops, I haven’t introduced myself! I’m Sirtie Rosette, the vice president of the Swordcraft Club. Nice to meet you, Allen!”
Sirtie was an energetic upperclassman with short, light-brown hair, big and beautiful eyes, and healthy, slightly tanned skin. Her protruding tooth gave her a bit of a wild feel.
“I’m Allen from Class 1-A. Nice to meet you, too.”
I bowed slightly, and Sirtie grabbed my right hand.
“Wow, look at your hand! How long do you have to practice with the blade to end up with a mitt like this?”
She stared at my blister-hardened palm in wonder.
“U-um…well, I’ve been practicing since I was five.”
“Wow, that’s around the same as me! But how’d yours get like this after just ten years?”
“Ah-ha-ha…I’ve put in a lot of effort.”
It was actually ten years plus another billion, but saying that would have led to too many questions, so I laughed and shrugged off her query.
“You’re good, Allen! I knew I would like you! Do you have any time right now? How about a practice match?” she offered.
“S-sorry, I have plans for today…,” I answered, politely turning her down.
I needed to converse with Lia and Rose about what clubs they liked. Although I felt bad about turning Sirtie’s invitation down, I really didn’t have time for a duel.
“…So, Allen, wanna get some sparring in?”
She asked nearly the exact same question, her smile never leaving her face.
“No, I—I really don’t have time—”
I tried to refuse more clearly, but Sirtie interrupted me by snapping her fingers. The next moment, some members of the Swordcraft Club stood in front of the entrance to the gymnasium to block my escape.
“Wh-what?”
“Sorry, Allen, but I can’t let you slip away. It’s not easy to come by a talent like you!” she insisted with a fiendish smile.
Haah…
I sighed internally. I’d been dragged into yet another fight I wanted no part of.
Sirtie beamed as I resigned myself to sparring.
“You’ll be fine, Allen! I won’t use my Soul Attire in this match!”
“…Thanks.”
That actually wasn’t what I wanted to say, but…well, whatever.
I need to think positively.
You didn’t get an opportunity to cross blades with the vice president of the Swordcraft Club every day. This would definitely be a good experience.
Sirtie isn’t going to listen to a word I say anyway…
The fastest way to get a handle on this situation was going to be dueling her.
“I’m good in this martial-art uniform, but what about you, Allen? Do you wanna change into one of these? Or are you okay with those clothes?”
“I’m fine with my uniform.”
The Thousand Blade uniform was very elastic, and much easier to move in than those martial-art uniforms. She must have been aware of that.
“Got it. Here, take this!” she said, handing me a wooden sword used for training.
“Thank you.”
As soon as we readied ourselves, the student acting as the referee raised his voice.
“This is a practice match between Sirtie Rosette and Allen Rodol! Both contestants, please move to the center of the gym!”
Sirtie and I walked where we were told.
“Are you two ready? On my mark…begin!”
We both adopted the middle stance as soon as the match began.
“…”
“…”
We stood in silence, observing each other. I analyzed her build and demeanor to try to deduce her style of combat.
I can tell through her uniform that her legs are quite developed… She must be pretty agile. I need to watch out for her thrusts.
One other thing caught my attention.
Her center of gravity is a little farther back than average.
She most likely fought with a defensive style. I guessed that she would focus on blocking and aim for counters. Once I finished my general analysis, I called out to her.
“Are you not going to come at me, Sirtie?”
“Ha-ha, it would be unbefitting of me as your upperclassman to be the aggressor. I’m giving you the first move.”
“I see. I’ll take you up on that. First Style—Flying Shadow!”
Without taking one step toward her, I released a projectile slash attack from a distance where she wouldn’t be able to counter. She laughed fearlessly in response.
“I was ready for that!”
Sirtie had probably watched my matches at the Elite Five Holy Festival, so she calmly deflected the approaching Flying Shadow. However, that was exactly what I’d expected her to do.
“That was a distraction,” I announced.
“?!”
I had hidden behind the Flying Shadow as it approached her, and then I slipped behind her.
“Eighth Style—Eight-Span Crow!”
“O-Open Circle Style—Circle of Wind!”
She spun her wooden sword to trace a circle and deflected all eight of the approaching slices. Not only were her movements polished, but she also used her sword almost like a staff.
“You caught me slightly off guard, but you’ll need to do better than that! You won’t break through my Open Circle School of Swordcraft with a move that toothless!”
“Apparently…”
The Open Circle School of Swordcraft was incredible. I never would have expected her to counter so perfectly from such a disadvantageous position. This style obviously specialized in defense.
This just got a little interesting!
All the opponents I’d crossed blades with until now, Dodriel and Shido included, had fought offensively. This was the first time I’d encountered an opponent like Sirtie, who used her sword defensively.
“Time to get serious!” I shouted.
“Ha-ha! Bring it on!” she responded.
I approached her with a single step, then struck at her with an ordinary swing. I didn’t use moves from any Schools of Swordcraft. Downward diagonal slices, vertical slashes, thrusts—I hounded her with only the most fundamental of techniques.
Our first interaction clearly showed me that moves like Eight-Span Crow that release multiple slashes at once won’t work against the Open Circle Style.
She would just deflect them with Circle of Wind again. With that in mind, I needed to flourish my weapon faster, heavier, and sharper than usual. I needed to keep pressing her with well-honed attacks!
“Haaaaaaaah!”
“Huh?! Y-you’re so fast!”
Sirtie’s guard steadily crumbled against my relentless chains of blows, and before long, a chance to break through her guard finally manifested.
“Take this!”
I executed a carefully aimed thrust.
“Wha—?! …Almost got me.”
However, she just barely deflected it with her wooden sword.
Shoot, that was close…
If my thrust had been less than half a second faster, I would have undoubtedly connected with her shoulder.
I’ll get her next time. I will break her defense!
I then took a forward-bent posture, and Sirtie told me to stop.
“W-wait, Allen…did you go easy on him in that duel?!”
I assumed she was referring to my duel with Shido.
“No, I always go all-out.”
A duel between sword wielders was serious business. I would never go easy on someone.
“R-really? I feel like you’ve gotten so much faster since then, though!”
“You think so? I’m happy to hear that.”
It genuinely delighted me to have other people acknowledge my growth. I felt a renewed desire to work even harder.
“I don’t have much time, so I’m gonna continue the match, okay?” I announced.
“…”
I slid half a step toward her, and she dropped her center of gravity to assume a perfect defense.
…Thank goodness.
If she was going to emphasize her guard that much, I wouldn’t need to worry about counters anymore. That meant I could put even more energy into my blows!
“Haaah!”
I rushed forward and swung my weapon down.
“Grrr…”
Sirtie stopped my wooden blade with hers. Now that there was no threat of a counter, I struck relentlessly, pushing her much harder than I had before.
“Haaaaaah!”
“A-Allen, stop! Stop, stop, stop!” Sirtie shouted repeatedly, maneuvering desperately to hold off my blade.
“What is it?” I asked without letting up one iota.
“S-stop, please! Can you give me some time to think? I need a quick time-out!”
“A-a time-out?”
If this had been a duel, I would have rejected her outright. This was a practice match, though, so…whatever.
“Haah, fine. Make it quick, though.”
“Th-thanks! I appreciate it, Allen!”
Sirtie took one, two, three steps back from me. What she didn’t know was that this was the worst mistake she could have possibly made.
“Sirtie, no!”
“Huh…? Bwah!”
She walked backward into one of the Hazy Moons I had set while we were sparring. It nailed her right on the back of the head.
“Wha…?”
The harsh blow took her completely by surprise. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
T-talk about unlucky.
I’d only set three Hazy Moons throughout the entire expanse of the gymnasium.
She didn’t even need to move away from me like that…
I stood there dumbfounded as I examined my fainted opponent.
“S-Sirtie?! What the hell just happened?!”
“A slash hit her! Look closely; there are others set throughout the gym!”
“S-someone get a stretcher, now!”
Some members of the Swordcraft Club rushed in to pick her up.
“V-victory goes to Allen Rodol!”
As the gym descended into panic, the referee loudly declared the result of the practice match.
“So do you want to return to the classroom?” I asked.
“Y-yeah. Let’s just…pretend that didn’t happen,” Lia responded.
“That was kind of a disaster,” said Rose, sighing.
Then while watching Sirtie be carried off to the infirmary, we went ahead and left.
“Phew…”
Once we’d reached the classroom, I was finally able to catch my breath.
“Good job, Allen. That must’ve been exhausting,” said Lia.
“She really forced you into that practice match,” remarked Rose.
“Ah-ha-ha, yeah. But it did end up being a good experience,” I responded.
I felt like I now had somewhat of a handle on breaking through defensive fighting styles.
After making a little small talk, we finally moved on to the main discussion—the club we would join.
“Which one are you going to pick, Allen?” asked Lia.
“I’m curious, too,” added Rose.
They both looked at me intently.
“Hmm…”
I thought back on all the student groups we saw while walking around.
“…I’m not going to join any of them.”
That was what I’d decided.
“So…you’re just going to be club-less?” Lia asked, looking confused.
“Yeah, I don’t see any reason to force myself into one,” I admitted.
I wanted to experience my student life to the fullest by signing up for a student organization, but…unfortunately, none of them jumped out at me.
And the only one I was interested in, the Swordcraft Club, didn’t feel right, either.
Since that was the case, I thought it might be preferable to just not join any of them.
“I see…”
“That’s a shame…”
For some reason, Lia and Rose both drooped their shoulders.
“…”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence fell between us as they sat there with gloomy expressions.
Uh…is this my fault?
I tried to come up with a new topic to break the uncomfortable silence, but Lia spoke up first.
“Oh yeah! What if you started a new group instead?!”
“That’s a great idea, Lia!”
Rose immediately agreed with Lia’s out-of-the-blue proposal.
“Y-you want me to create a club?”
“Yeah! You just want to swing your sword, right?”
“S-sure, but…”
She wasn’t wrong, but her wording made it sound as though swinging my blade was the only thing I had any interest in…
“Then you should go ahead and form a group where all you do is practice swings!”
Lia raised a finger as if to say, Great idea, right?
“If it gets recognized as a club, you’ll get a certain amount of free access to the academy grounds, and you’ll also receive a budget!” she continued.
“Hmm…”
I honestly didn’t care about a budget, but having some level of free access to the campus grounds was very attractive.
I wonder if I could even use the pool if I requested it.
Swinging my weapon and performing exercises with water resistance would certainly expand the breadth of my training.
“That does sound nice,” I said.
“Right? I’ll join, of course!” exclaimed Lia.
“Count me in, too,” added Rose.
“Are you sure about this? We really are going to do nothing but practice swings.”
“Yes, I don’t mind at all!”
Hooray! I just got an excuse to spend time with Allen for the next three years! Lia thought.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I want!”
Yes, I’ll be able to study swordcraft right by Allen’s side for three years! Rose thought.
They both nodded with a gleam in their eye. It seemed like they were also starved with a desire to get some swings in. I was overjoyed to feel a real fellowship with them.
“Sounds like a plan! Let’s get the paperwork done now!” proposed Lia.
“It’s best to move quickly!” concurred Rose.
They both dashed out of the classroom and returned just three minutes later.
“Good news, Allen! Reia told us she would be our adviser!” Lia announced.
She was grasping a paper titled New-Club Application in her right hand.
“You need at least three people to be recognized as a student group. That’s perfect,” added Rose.
She had a pamphlet titled General Club Rules in her left hand.
“I-I see…thanks.”
I hadn’t yet gotten up from my desk, but things were moving along quite quickly.
Lia then filled out the required fields in the New-Club Application form, and Rose carefully read the General Club Rules pamphlet.
“That does it! All we have left is the name. Have anything in mind, Allen?” Lia asked.
“You’re the president, so you should decide,” said Rose.
Since when did I become the club president?
“Hmm… Let’s keep it simple. How about the Practice-Swing Club?” I suggested.
I went for a simple name that clearly described what we would be doing.
“Practice-Swing Club… I like it!” Lia answered.
“No objection here. Simplicity is best,” agreed Rose.
As we took care of the paperwork, our classmates streamed back into the room, having finished touring the extracurricular offerings.
“Hey, what’re you up to, Allen?”
“Does that say Practice-Swing Club? Are you starting an organization of your own?”
“Wait, Allen’s starting a club?! Sign me up!”
“C-count me in, too!”
“Hey, Allen, I’m planning on becoming a member of the Swimming Club. Do you mind if I join both?”
Once I gave the okay for people to participate in other clubs in addition to mine, the entire class signed up for my group.
And thus, the Practice-Swing Club ballooned to thirty members immediately after its creation, which was certainly unusual for a brand-new association. It didn’t take long for us to build up a reputation throughout the academy as “that group of weirdos who swing their swords in silence every day in the recesses of campus.”
Once we’d finished another day of strict Soul Attire lessons, I returned to our classroom for afternoon homeroom. Chairwoman Reia performed her usual end-of-day address at her podium.
“I think that covers it for today. Oh yeah, the Club-Budget War is next week. All participating students should come ready to compete!”
“ “ “Yes, ma’am!” ” ”
“That’s all for now. You’re dismissed!”
The chairwoman left the classroom.
“…Club-Budget War?” I wondered aloud.
Everyone else seemed to be aware of it, but I was fairly ignorant about Thousand Blade and the Elite Five Academies, so I had no idea what it was.
Was that written in the pamphlet? I pondered while gathering my things.
“The Club-Budget War is almost here, Allen!”
“It’s gonna be intense!”
Lia and Rose hounded me excitedly.
“Sorry, I don’t actually know what that is…,” I admitted.
“Really?!” Lia responded, surprised.
“It’s one of the signature events of the year at each of the Elite Five Academies. It’s pretty famous,” explained Rose.
“I-it’s famous? Could you tell me about it?” I asked.
Lia obliged.
“The Club-Budget War is a competition that all student groups with a membership of ten or more people are required to participate in!”
Calling that a war sounded like an exaggeration.
“Each association picks three members, and they compete for the top club budget in the academy! The matches are one-on-one sword duels, of course!”
“I—I see…”
So essentially, it was a sword tournament with a club budget riding on it.
“Look at this,” Rose said.
She showed me a bundle of papers with the heading Club Budget-War Guidelines. They contained detailed rules for the event, as well as the budget multiplier that clubs would receive based on their finishing position.
Sixteenth place and lower all received the same funding. Eighth place through fifth place had their budget quadrupled. Third place had their budget multiplied by sixteen, second place had their budget multiplied by thirty-two, and incredibly, first place had their budget multiplied by sixty-four.
“First place receives sixty-four times more budget than sixteenth place and lower… This is a really big deal,” I observed.
“That’s right. If a large group like the Swordcraft Club were to place below sixteenth, it would be a disaster for them,” Rose added.
“Yeah, it would…”
They needed funding for equipment like wooden swords and armor, consumables like medicine and bandages, travel expenses, and more. To cover all these fees, they would have to aim for a high finishing place.
Lia continued her explanation.
“The three participants from each group must include a first-year. The Student Council doesn’t have that restriction because of their small size, but they’re the exception to the rule. It’s not an exaggeration to say the Club-Budget War is the reason that student associations put such a fierce effort into Recruiting!”
“Oh, so that’s why the upperclassmen have been going so crazy.”
I finally understood why they were in such a frenzy to recruit first-years.
Skimming through the Club Budget-War Guidelines bundle, I found two stipulations that caught my eye.
The use of Soul Attire is prohibited in matches involving first-years.
That rule must have been implemented out of consideration for first-years who couldn’t yet produce Soul Attire. This would give them a chance.
The other thing that caught my attention was that this wasn’t a knockout competition. Teams were composed of a first, a second, and a captain, just like in the Holy Festival, but unlike that tournament, the winner of the first match did not advance to fight the other team’s second.
The first only fought the other team’s first, the second only fought the other team’s second, and the final match was a showdown between each team’s captain. The first team to secure two victories won the round. The rules were very simple.
“Do we really need a budget, though? We’re just the Practice-Swing Club.”
All we required for our activities were swords and good health. I couldn’t imagine we would use too much money. Actually, I doubted we needed any at all.
“It’s always helpful to have as high a budget as possible. For example…we could use it to purchase the rights to use school grounds!” suggested Lia.
“We can do that?”
“Yeah. We could negotiate with the Swimming Club or the Swordcraft Club and give up a certain amount of our funds in order to borrow the pool or the gym.”
“Wow, that would be really nice!”
On second thought, it sounded like having a higher budget could really come in handy.
We then approached the other members—everyone in Class 1-A—to discuss who would participate in the competition. However, Tessa and the majority of our classmates had already registered to fight for other groups.
Guess I should’ve expected that.
Students at Thousand Blade Academy were placed into Class A through F depending on their ability with the sword. At least one first-year had to compete for each club. Since Soul Attire was forbidden in matches involving first-years, and because Class 1-A students were the most skilled of their grade, they were going to be in high demand.
As a result, the participants for the Practice-Swing Club ended up being none other than Lia, Rose, and me.
“The three of us are together again,” I said.
“Hmm-hmm, let’s win the whole thing!” beamed Lia.
“I’d never aim for anything less!” proclaimed Rose.
One week later, the Club-Budget War finally arrived. The event was held in Thousand Blade’s underground practice facility. A square stage surrounded by spectator seats had been set up in the middle of the room. This was where I’d fought Lia on the first day of school.
A great number of students filled the seats, and the place was abuzz with anticipation.
I didn’t expect us to make it this far.
Our first match had been against the Mountaineering Club, our second had been against the Cheerleading Club, our third had been against the Arm-Wrestling Club, and our fourth had been against the Judo Club. We defeated them all and advanced to the championship round.
“We’re doing amazingly!” Lia exclaimed.
“This is really impressive for our first tournament,” Rose concurred.
They both examined the bracket.
“M-man, you two are good…,” I said.
I hadn’t gotten to fight once on our path to the championship. Lia and Rose, whom we positioned as the first and second respectively, had taken every round so far in just two bouts.
I don’t think anyone expected a team of only first-years.
Soul Attire was not allowed in these matches, so the upperclassmen who’d participated hadn’t been able to duel according to plan, and they’d lost one after another.
“The championship round is about to begin! I’m sure you all are aware of this already, but just in case, I’m going to explain the special rule of this final round!”
The female student serving as the announcer began commentating with a loud, well-projected voice.
“Up until now, in sweeps—a single team claiming victory in both the first and second rounds of a match—the captain did not participate. In the championship bout, however, the captains go up against each other regardless of whether the round was already decided in the first two matches! I ask that our final contestants put their skills on display and set an example for each and every student with an excellent championship duel!”
She paused to take a breath, then continued in her booming voice.
“Now, it’s time to introduce the participants on each team! First, we have the total weirdos who swing their swords nonstop all over campus! They’re the dark horse of this year’s Club-Budget War—the Practice-Swing Club! Their first is the Black and White Princess, Lia Vesteria! Their second is the Bounty Hunter, Rose Valencia! Their captain is Thousand Blade Academy’s number one troublemaker, Allen Rodol!”
“Total weirdos”? She didn’t have to introduce us like that.
Also, where did that title that she gave me come from?
The three of us walked up onto the stage.
“Let’s go, Allen, Lia, and Rose! You can do it!”
“You’ve got this! We’re cheering for you!”
“It’d be a waste not to win it all now!”
We received loud cheers from a section of the crowd. I looked toward it and saw our classmates waving at us.
“On the other side, we have the behind-the-scenes rulers of Thousand Blade—the Student Council! Their first is the secretary, Lilim Chorine! Their second is their treasurer, Tirith Magdarote! Their captain is none other than our Student Council president, Shii Arkstoria! Let’s see…according to my information, their notorious vice president is currently out of the country due to a ‘penalty game’ and, thus, is absent for the Club-Budget War!”
Our opponents were all girls whom I’d seen around campus many times. If memory served, every one of them were second years. There were only four members in the Student Council, so unlike the other clubs, they were not required to put forward a first-year. That was written in the Club Budget-War Guidelines.
Did she say the vice president is out of the country due to losing a penalty game?
That sounded like a harsh punishment. Just what kind of game had they been playing?
“Without further ado, let’s get the first match started!”
The championship round between the Practice-Swing Club and the Student Council was about to begin.
The first two matches of the championship round were close, but we ended up losing both of them.
“…They’re really strong.”
I was referring to Secretary Lilim Chorine, and Treasurer Tirith Magdarote. Lia and Rose had been undefeated until now, but they fell one step short of winning us the championship.
“I-I’m so sorry, Allen…,” Lia apologized.
“Damn… Sorry, I’m ashamed,” said Rose.
They both drooped their shoulders, regret etched on their faces.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad neither of you got hurt.”
I glanced behind me at the other team.
“I knew you could do it, Lilim and Tirith! That gives us the championship!”
“Victory was ours for the taking!”
“They were stronger than I expected, though. Are they really first-years? I’m tempted to believe they’re lying about their age…”
The members of the Student Council joyfully exchanged high fives.
“The Practice-Swing Club has already been eliminated due to the Student Council’s victories in the first two matches, but as I said earlier, we’re going to go ahead with the final match anyway! It’s time for the captains to duke it out!”
The announcer resumed her commentary, and the crowd revved back up.
“Let’s get this started! On one side, we have the captain of the Practice-Swing Club! He overpowered Ice King Academy’s wonder boy at the Elite Five Holy Festival but was disqualified and suspended for unruly behavior! He’s Thousand Blade Academy’s number one problem child—Allen Rodol!”
Hmm… She hadn’t said anything fallacious, but she also didn’t have to go out of her way to make me sound so bad.
“Facing him, we have the mega prodigy who rose to the top of the student body in her second year! She’s your Student Council president—Shii Arkstoria!”
Shii had beautiful black hair that fell down to her back, skin as white as snow, and large, gentle eyes. I guessed she was around 163 centimeters tall. She had a very sweet face; she totally projected big sister vibes.
“Hee-hee, don’t go too hard on me, Allen,” she teased, holding out her right hand.
“Let’s have a good match, President,” I responded.
We exchanged a firm handshake.
She’s the leader of the two students who defeated Lia and Rose.
Shii was undoubtedly more skilled than me. I couldn’t let myself forget that.
The announcer spoke up again as soon as we took our positions at the center of the stage.
“Are you both ready? The captain match starts on my mark… Begin!”
I sprang to action as soon as she gave the signal.
“First Style—Flying Shadow!”
I hurled a giant projectile slash attack toward her, then approached her while hiding behind it. This was one of my best moves, and it was very difficult to deal with your first time against it.
“Moves that obstruct your opponent’s vision are best used as diversions, Allen.”
“Wha—?!”
The president calmly deflected the Flying Shadow and fixed her gaze on me.
Sh-she saw through me?!
“C-Cloudy Sky Style—Cirrocumulus Cloud!”
On a split-second decision, I fired four simultaneous slash attacks. It was a move I used for deception.
“Oh, Allen, four just isn’t going to cut it.”
She dodged two of the slashes gracefully, then easily deflected the other two. Her composure, vision, and swordcraft were all at a very high level.
She’s so strong. And unlike Shido, her strength stems entirely from her skill.
It was clear that superficial blows weren’t going to work against her.
“You’re not the president for nothing…but can you deal with this? Cherry Blossom Blade Secret Technique—Mirror Sakura Slash!”
I brought down four mirrored arcs from the left and right, making eight in total.
“Ooh, that’s beautiful! But still not good enough.”
She deflected all eight slashes faster than I could blink, without even using a move from a School of Swordcraft.
A-amazing…
I didn’t expect for a second that she would deal with Mirror Sakura Slash so perfectly. She clearly outclassed me in pure technique.
But I still have a card up my sleeve!
The attack that I’d used to cut through the World of Time and defeat Dodriel’s Shadow Sovereign!
“Fifth Style—World Render!”
This was the strongest tool in my arsenal, so powerful that it could slice through the fabric of a world.
“Wow, what an amazing move!”
But Shii dodged it effortlessly.
“…?!”
“The swing takes too long, though. No matter how mighty an attack is, it means nothing if you don’t connect.”
She’d easily deduced World Render’s biggest drawback. Just as she said, the technique was sensationally strong, but it was slow.
…I’m speechless.
She was so disciplined with the sword that I couldn’t find the words to praise her.
“Hmm-hmm. Come here, Allen.”
Shii wore an expression that made it look as though she were beckoning a small child.
“Oooohhhhh!”
I swung at her again and again for a while, but she dodged, parried, and deflected every strike. Not one of my blows connected.
The swordcraft I’d spent so much time honing was completely ineffective against her. The extent of my skill was being made abundantly clear.
Pfft, ah-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
It was thrilling to realize that I still had lots of room to grow. And so was flourishing my blade at full strength and squaring off against an opponent I couldn’t defeat no matter how hard I tried.
Ahhh, this is a blast… This is really goddamn fun!
At that moment—just for that teensy little moment—an enormous wave of power swelled through my body.
“Graaaah!”
“…Huh?”
The next instant, I delivered a ferociously strong, world-shattering maneuver that couldn’t have possibly come from me. Shii’s sword happened to be in place to deflect it, but she was unable to hold off the absurd strength, so it snapped in two.
“ “…?!” ”
The president and I sucked in our breath at the same time. Although I’d performed a completely ordinary horizontal sweep, it had boasted enormous potency.
Did he just emerge for a moment there…?
I put my hand to my chest but didn’t feel the stimulation that had occurred when I held a soul-crystal sword.
I must have imagined it…
I looked up to find the her standing there, petrified. She was cradling her broken blade.
“Um…what should we do?” I asked.
Personally, I wanted her to grab a new weapon so we could keep going.
“…”
A scowl flashed across her face, and she shook her head.
“I can’t deal with that. I surrender.”
“Shii Arkstoria withdraws! The bout goes to Allen Rodol!”
The referee declared the winner of the match, and the crowd went wild.
“Who knew Allen Rodol was packing that kind of punch?! I can’t believe my eyes! What a stunning upset! The Student Council president has lost!”
The announcer’s commentary incited the crowd to grow even louder.
The Club-Budget War came to an end, with the top budget going to the Student Council, the second highest going to the Practice-Swing Club, and the third highest going to the Judo Club. The Practice-Swing Club received thunderous applause from our upperclassmen and fellow first-years for the impressive feat of finishing second place in our first few weeks of existence.
I’d never been the object of adulation from so many people, and it made me genuinely happy.
I’m worried about her, though…
The president was glaring daggers at me.
Haah…I really don’t want any trouble…
Sighing internally, I pretended to not notice her.
It was the day after the Club-Budget War. I was eating lunch together with Lia and Rose as per usual when an announcement was broadcast throughout the school.
“Allen Rodol of Class 1-A, please report to the Student Council room immediately. Allen Rodol of Class 1-A…”
That was undoubtedly the voice of the Student Council president, whom I’d clashed with the day before.
It was as clear as day that this wasn’t an important matter, but…I couldn’t ignore summonses that were made over the intercom.
Thus, I dragged my feet to the Student Council room.
“So, Allen.”
“What is it, President?”
Shii began bombarding me with questions as soon as I reached the Student Council room, all the while wearing a terrifying smile on her face. Four people were there in total—me, the Student Council president, Secretary Lilim, and Treasurer Tirith. Lilim was sharpening her sword, and Tirith was snacking on sweets while engrossed in a fashion magazine. Neither of them showed any intention of calming their leader down.
“Can you tell me exactly what that was yesterday?” Shii asked from her elegant chair. I was standing on the other side of her desk.
“What are you talking about?”
“Playing dumb, are we? Then I’ll reword the question. Were you going easy on me at first?”
“No, not at all.”
I’d fought my hardest for the entirety of our match.
She slammed her hands on the desk and stood up.
“You liar! How do you explain that last attack, then? How did you break my sword?!”
“Um, well…”
Honestly, even I still didn’t know what that had been.
I don’t think he had anything to do with it…probably…
What I’d felt the previous day hadn’t been quite the same as the odd sensation from when my Spirit Core had possessed my body. The chief difference between the two was that I hadn’t perceived any stimulation in my soul.
“It must have been great staging that dramatic reversal after I dominated the entire match. You embarrassed me in front of the whole academy!”
“I was only trying to win…”
The president may have looked like the mature, older-sister type from the outside, but on the inside, she seemed a little childish. Steaming, she plumped back down into her chair.
“Do you enjoy bullying girls?”
“N-no, that wasn’t my intention at all…”
“…”
“…”
Shii suddenly fell silent. Her glare made me uncomfortable.
“…I see you’re not going to apologize.”
Apparently, she’d been waiting for me to say sorry. How was I supposed to know that?
“If you’re going to be that stubborn about it, then I challenge you to a game.”
“A game?”
I wasn’t sure what she meant.
“Durrrrrrrrrr…ta-daa!”
She made a horrible drumroll sound with her mouth, then produced a deck of cards from her desk drawer.
“Uh…do you mean a card game?”
“Exactly! Do you know how to play poker, Allen?”
“I know the rules…”
“Good.”
She took out twenty coins and handed me ten of them.
“What are these for…?”
“Hmm-hmm, those are your lives.”
With a strange smile, she began to explain how it was played.
“We’re going to bet these lives on a game of poker. The rules are extremely simple, so feel free to zone out during my explanation if you want.”
She paused before continuing:
“We both start by putting one life into the pot. Next, we draw five cards each, and then it’s time for the first betting interval. You can either raise the bet or put in the same amount. If your opponent raises the bet, you must match that amount the next turn.”
There was nothing particularly unusual about that. Just plain old poker.
“After that, we have one opportunity to exchange cards, and then we’ll enter the final betting interval. You can bet extra lives if you have a good hand, or you can fold if you have a bad one.”
“What happens if we fold?”
“You lose half of the lives you’ve bet that round. Decimals are rounded up. If neither of us fold, we’ll both show our hands faceup on the table. The person with the best hand wins and takes all the lives bet that round.”
Shii finished explaining the general rules.
“Put simply—we’re playing ordinary poker, and the first person to hit zero lives loses,” she clarified.
“Easy enough,” I responded.
Nothing stood out about the rules. You could find this type of poker anywhere.
I should look for a good place to lose on purpose…
She would only continue to pester me if I won this match.
The best way to end this with no ill will would be to lead most of the game and then lose in the end.
Shii then added some stakes that I wanted no part of.
“And the loser must listen to anything the winner says, no matter how ludicrous!”
“…Are you serious, President?”
“As earnest as can be. The loser must comply with any order the victor gives. Got it?”
“Okay, fine…”
I could see there was no way she was going to back down. In that case, the best thing to do was to go ahead and start playing.
Fortunately, I’m not bad at cards.
In fact, I was pretty sure I could beat her.
“All right, let’s begin our commemorative first game!”
We each placed one life in the center of the table.
“Hee-hee, my heart is pounding,” she said.
She picked up the deck and dealt us five cards each.
Oh…she’s cheating.
I clued into it as soon as the match began.
She’s the kind of person who’s childish enough to challenge someone to a competition and then cheat without feeling any sense of guilt…
She had ascended to the heights of Student Council president in only her second year—I supposed it shouldn’t have been surprising that she would be such a schemer.
This was making me feel nostalgic.
Ol’ Bamboo was great at cheating at cards.
When I was young, I would constantly pester him to teach me the tricks of the trade whenever he would spring one of his crooked techniques on me.
I reminisced on old times as we played. Luckily, Shii’s cheating was very basic. I had plenty of time to put my plan into action. After the fourth round, my preparation was complete.
That’ll do it… Now I just have to wait for her to make her move.
We went through a couple more rounds, taking turns stealing each other’s lives. It was a total back-and-forth match. Then when we advanced to the seventh round, she finally made her move.
“What’s that look, Allen…? You must have a good hand.”
“You’re good at this, President. It’s like you can read my mind.”
I had a pair of twos and a pair of fives in my hand. Furthermore, I hadn’t exchanged cards yet, so I had a good chance at a three of a kind or a full house.
“Ha-ha, it’s clear on your face.”
But it wasn’t me she was looking at… She wore a self-satisfied expression, not suspecting for a second that I’d figured out her deceit.
“I don’t want this seesaw game to go on forever. What do you say to us both betting it all this round?” she offered.
This was exactly what I expected. As I chuckled internally, I responded with total calm outwardly.
“Ah-ha-ha, you’re scaring me, President. You must have some really strong cards.”
“Hmm-hmm, I’m sure it’s about the same as yours.”
“…Okay. I like my hand, too, so I accept your challenge.”
“Great. I’m swapping out a card!”
She quickly—too quickly—exchanged a card. The one on top of the deck must have been the key to securing a powerful play.
“Go ahead and switch one if you want, Allen.”
The president was beaming; she thought her victory was guaranteed.
“I think I will.”
I discarded my entire hand…
“…Huh?”
…then drew five cards from the deck and laid them facedown on the table.
“Y-you replaced your entire hand?!”
“Ah-ha-ha! I like leaving it up to luck in big showdowns like this.”
“You haven’t even looked at your cards. Are you in your right mind?!”
“Yeah, I’m challenging you with this.”
“…”
Shii gulped.
“What are you going to do? You can fold if you want,” I proposed.
She could still get out of this by making a tactical retreat. That would allow her to escape defeat by losing only half of her lives.
“Ha…you’re not going to fluster me like that!”
Did he mess with the cards? No, that’s impossible! I dealt them myself and shuffled them before that. He’s had no opportunity to meddle with them. That means this is a guaranteed bluff! thought Shii.
“Really? Darn…”
That was her final chance, and she let it go.
“L-let’s show what we’ve got! I have four of a kind with four eights! Show me what you have!”
“Okay.”
I flipped over my five cards one by one.
Ten of spades. Jack of spades. Queen of spades. King of spades.
“No way!”
And the final card was—the ace of spades.
“Sorry, President. I have a royal flush—that gives me the win.”
It was four of a kind against a royal flush. I’d won in a landslide.
Lilim and Tirith, who had both been listening in, rushed over to us.
“That’s insane! He actually has a royal flush!”
“What are the odds of that, though…?!”
The president looked visibly upset after her unexpected defeat.
“That’s way too unlikely! You cheated, you cheated!” she accused, pointing at me with a trembling finger.
“Ah-ha-ha, you’re saying I’m the one who cheated?”
“…?! What are you insinuating?”
Shii feigned ignorance, so I pointed at one of the cards that was lying facedown.
“These are trick cards. You can tell the number from a pattern on the back.”
“…?!”
After I exposed her deception, her face paled as she shut her mouth.
The president fell silent for a few seconds after I pointed out her trick cards.
“H-how dare you accuse me of that! Do I look like the kind of person who would pull off such a rotten scheme?!”
Unable to hide her discomposure, she attempted to defend herself again, despite her lengthy pause.
She’s still trying to go through with this even after I exposed her ploy… That’s some real commitment.
Shii was more stubborn than she looked.
“There’s no way out of this, President. I have irrefutable proof.”
I directed my gaze to the deck of cards on the desk.
There were small, tightly packed X’s printed on the back of the cards moving from the top left to the bottom right. If you looked closely, you could see that one of the X’s on each card had a misprint—there was one line missing. You could tell the number on the front of the card by counting from the left to see which X had the misprint.
“I’ll demonstrate with the card on the top of the deck. Counting from the top left, it’s the seventh one. That’s the only X with a line missing. That means that this is…”
I flipped over the card.
“A seven. See?”
That was exactly what I expected.
“Wow, Allen! I can’t believe you saw through Shii’s trick cards so easily!” exclaimed Lilim.
“His eye is so good that it’s almost creepy…,” added Tirith.
They both patted me on the shoulder.
“Grrr…”
No longer trying to counter me, the president chewed her lip. She was finally admitting to her artifice.
“Wh-when did you notice?” she asked.
“From the beginning, of course,” I answered.
“Really?!”
“Yes. Ol’ Bamboo—er, a gaming expert I know taught me to never trust my opponent’s equipment. Which is why I thought to examine the cards, and sure enough…that was how I figured it out.”
Ol’ Bamboo taught me a lot about typical trick cards and common cheating techniques.
“Even if you noticed the secret of this deck, that doesn’t explain the royal flush! How did you do it? I dealt the cards and shuffled them. You never touched them once!” she accused, pointing to the cards in the middle of the desk.
Sh-should I tell her?
It wasn’t like Ol’ Bamboo ever swore me to secrecy…but revealing his trick felt icky to me.
“Uh, well…I didn’t really do anything—”
“You’re torturing me, Allen! Please tell me how you did it! I won’t be able to sleep tonight!” Shii pleaded, grabbing me across the table.
“T-too close… You’re too close, President…”
She was wearing slightly sweet perfume; my pulse quickened a little.
“Come on, Allen! Don’t be so stingy! Just tell us!”
“I really want to know, though!”
Lilim and Tirith circled around behind me and gently prodded me in the sides. I was outnumbered three to one, and unlikely to get out without giving them what they wanted.
“Haah…fine. But don’t tell anyone, okay?” I caved.
“Thanks, Allen!” said the president.
“Don’t worry, I can keep a secret!” assured Lilim.
“I definitely won’t tell anyone!” added Tirith.
I began to explain my technique. It honestly wasn’t that complicated. I’d just set about collecting the cards I needed at the beginning of the game.
The method was very simple. Whenever it was time for us to show our hands and then return our cards to the deck, I would take any of the ones I needed and hide them in the sleeve of my uniform. I repeated that until I had a royal flush squirreled away.
Then I waited until the right moment to discard my entire hand and simultaneously put my hidden five cards on the top of the deck. This assured that the next five cards I drew would make a royal flush, guaranteeing my victory.
“See? There are plenty of ways to get one over on someone without even touching the cards.”
A swindler never expects to get conned themselves. The president had been trying to keep her eyes off the trick cards so that I wouldn’t suspect her, which had made gathering the cards I needed a cinch.
“Th-that’s despicable, Allen! I never would have taken you for that kind of kid!”
Shii’s face went crimson with rage, and she shook me by the shoulders. But she really had no right to take offense; she was the one who’d cheated first.
“Ah-ha-ha, I was pretty sure you would want to win badly enough to cheat.”
I’d observed this side of her after our match in the Club-Budget War. She was so upset about her loss that she wouldn’t stop glaring at me. Typical behavior from a sore loser.
“Good lord! Are you hearing this, you two? Allen isn’t nearly as innocent as he looks!” the president exclaimed.
“I can see that… Behind that gentle facade lurks someone surprisingly tough,” agreed Lilim.
“I’m shocked he saw through you the first time, though… That idiot still hasn’t noticed after more than a year,” said Tirith, sighing.
I guessed they were talking about the vice president, who was currently out of the country due to a penalty game. Shii just kept duping them him with her cards… I felt kind of bad for him.
“We’re giving this win to me, right, President?” I asked.
“Urgh…”
She chewed her lip and nodded curtly. Not only had I seen through her ploy, but I had also successfully turned the tables to deceive her—she clearly had no choice but to acknowledge her loss.
“Hmm… Now what kind of order should I give you…?”
Rose had told me that the Student Council president possessed the authority to allot school grounds to clubs, and to hold events like school festivals and Christmas parties. By giving her an order, I could exercise some power over the entire academy.
That said, I don’t have any complaints with how things are right now…
Everyone in Class 1-A was a good person, and I was also very satisfied with the courses and facilities.
I can’t think of a single thing I want to ask of her.
I struggled to think of how to use this privilege I had no need for.
“H-hey! You’re thinking deviant thoughts, aren’t you? I can see it on your face! You’re going to tell me to do something lewd!”
She was being intentionally nasty to try to embarrass me.
Sigh, I can’t believe her…
If she was going to resort to that, I had the perfect response.
“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” I muttered.
“…Huh?”
She froze, her eyes wide.
“You said it yourself, President. The loser must comply with any order, no matter what it is… Am I wrong?”
“Uh, well, that was just…”
Her face flushed, and she shrank back a step. It seemed like she couldn’t handle being pushed around very well.
Geez, Allen is surprisingly aggressive, thought Lilim.
Shii is totally getting played by him… He’s skilled…, thought Tirith.
At this point, I thought it best to stop messing with her for what she’d said. Going too far might cause more trouble for me down the line.
“Ah-ha-ha, I’m joking. I wouldn’t do anything so terrible,” I assured her.
“C-come on, don’t bully your senior like that!” she whined.
“Sorry. You were the one who started it, though, so how about we call it even?”
I decided to put this privilege I had gained on hold for now. I figured there might be a time in the distant future when I could use it to my advantage.
“I’m heading out,” I announced.
Now that we were done gambling, I started to make my leave.
“W-wait, Allen!” Shii hurriedly called out to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Can I ask a favor?”
“A favor?”
She nodded.
“To be honest, I want you to join the Student Council as a clerk.”
“Huh? Me?”
“That’s right. We’ve always valued strength above all else. You saw how strong Lilim and Tirith are. I scouted them both personally.”
I looked at her fellow council members.
“Ha, I’m sure you saw my match. I’m really something!” bragged Lilim.
“You have no idea how persistent Shii was, though…,” added Tirith.
They both reacted differently to what the president had told me.
“I want you to join the Student Council more than anything, Allen… That’s why I challenged you to that game.”
“Oh, I see…”
She’d been planning on using her command to force me into the Student Council. That was a bit of an overbearing method, but it was very like her.
“Are you going to turn me down…?” she asked timidly.
“What if I used the privilege I just gained to avoid joining the Student Council?”
“You can’t do that! That would be way unfair!”
“…Okay.”
For someone who tried to come off as a mature upperclassman, Shii was actually quite the opposite. Despite being one year my senior, I couldn’t help but think of her as a little kid.
“D-did you just laugh? You laughed at me!” she yelled.
“Must have been your imagination, President,” I responded.
I then tried to get our derailed conversation back on track.
“Well, jokes aside…whether or not I should join the Student Council is something that’s not up to me.”
“It won’t get in the way of the Practice-Swing Club at all. We barely have any work that you’d have get done as a clerk. All you would have to do is show up at our regular meeting during lunch.”
“…All right. I’ll discuss it with my friends and give you my response later. Bye.”
Bringing our conversation to a close, I left the Student Council room for real this time.
After that, I returned to Class 1-A and told Lia and Rose about what happened with the Student Council.
“Sh-she asked you to join her?! You can’t do that!” exclaimed Lia.
“As a member of the Practice-Swing Club, I can’t allow her to steal our president,” said Rose, seething.
They were way more against it than I would have expected.
“G-got it. I’ll go turn her down,” I responded meekly.
There was still fifteen minutes left of lunch. Figuring it would be best to go ahead and alert Shii now, I got up from my seat to return to the Student Council room.
“Wait! I’m coming with you!”
“I’ll go, too. This is a very important matter.”
They were both really fired up about this.
“O-okay, thanks.”
I led them both to the Student Council room.
“Here it is,” I announced once we arrived.
Lia knocked three times without hesitation and barged in without waiting for a response.
“Excuse me!” yelled Lia.
“Coming in,” announced Rose.
Shii, Lilim, and Tirith were playing a friendly game of Tycoon inside the room.
“Ah, you’re both from the Practice-Swing Club,” noted Shii.
“Hmm… What were your names…?” Lilim wondered aloud.
“The Black and White Princess, Lia Vesteria, and the Bounty Hunter, Rose Valencia. They’re both pretty famous…,” finished Tirith.
As usual, their reactions were completely different.
“Our Allen is not joining the Student Council!” proclaimed Lia.
“We won’t let you steal him from us!” shouted Rose.
The president bolted up in response to their forceful assertions.
“Hmm…and why are you so against him accepting my invitation?” she asked.
“Because Allen is our club president!”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm, I’m sure you’ve already heard this from him, but the clerk really wouldn’t have any work to do. His joining would have no bearing on the Practice-Swing Club. All that would be required of him is attending our regular meetings at lunch.”
“A-Allen does that with us!”
“Sorry, but we won’t surrender that time!”
Lia and Rose doubled down.
“Oh…that’s what this is about.”
Shii nodded to herself as if she had come to some realization.
“Then how about this? You two can join the Student Council with him,” she offered.
“Huh? Us?”
“The Student Council?”
“That’s right. We still have open clerk positions, and considering your strength, you would both be more than welcome. We have a lot of fun here. For instance, we use our massive club budget to throw as many snack parties a month as we want!”
“Snack parties?”
“With Allen?”
The president was swaying them.
“You should be using the budget for the administration of the Student Council…,” I objected.
Shii ignored me completely and continued tempting Lia and Rose.
“The Student Council also goes on a lodging trip in the spring and summer. We’ve decided on a resort in the south for this summer. You’d be able to go to the beach and hold barbecues with Allen. The unforgettable experiences you’ll have will naturally bring you closer to him.”
“I can go to a resort with Allen…”
“And enjoy the beach and barbecues with him…”
This discussion was getting weird.
Hee-hee, just one more push! thought Shii.
The president approached Lia and Rose and whispered something in their ears.
“Also…you know how boys are. Once you change out of your formal uniforms and show him your assets in a revealing swimsuit…you’ll knock him dead.”
“ “…?!” ”
I had no idea what she’d just told them, but both of their faces flushed red.
“Allen, let’s join the Student Council!” exclaimed Lia.
“After some thought, it doesn’t sound so bad after all,” added Rose.
“…Huh?”
Before I knew it, my two trustworthy blades had joined the Student Council.
“…What did you fill their heads with, President?” I asked.
“That’s a secret! I won’t tell a naughty kid who cheats at cards!” she answered.
Shii huffed like a child. She still hadn’t gotten over our game.
“There’s nothing preventing you from entering the Student Council now, Allen! You’ll join, right?” she asked.
I looked at Lia and Rose, and they both nodded.
They were dead set against it before. What did Shii say to them?
Well, in any case, Lia and Rose were in favor. Personally, I didn’t see any reason to refuse if it didn’t take away from my time with the blade.
“Haah…fine. I’ll join the Student Council.”
“Yay! We got Allen!”
That was the beginning of my double-club life with the Practice-Swing Club and the Student Council.