Our club president had finally lost her mind for good.
First she cried, then suddenly struck a pose, then laughed, slammed the desk with a bang, and said—
She wanted to use that dungeon over there as the club’s research room?
"So now, we’ll be entering the spatial-power business."
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
And you—your eyes are glazed over right now.
I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, but she was still an imperial princess, so I could not exactly put my hands on her.
No, more importantly, that was the dungeon secret societies had used for terrorist attacks.
Where on earth had she gotten the idea of using it as a research room?
Naturally, there had been no such dungeon-expansion event in the game.
There had not even been an option to use a dungeon as another kind of space.
It was not as if I had never thought that using an empty dungeon as a research room might be a pretty interesting idea.
But I was not even sure whether it was right to keep the dungeon intact.
The reason being, no information about this dungeon had ever been revealed in the game.
To begin with, the Ancient Documents Club had long since been treated as defunct at Dawnstar Academia, and after this dungeon fulfilled its role of summoning terrorists, its core was destroyed and it exited the story.
If we left the core alone instead of destroying it, it might connect to the Dawn Troupe again and spit enemies back out here.
Of course, after failing the academy attack, the Dawn Troupe did not openly infiltrate the academy like before.
Still, was something not strange here?
The principal might be one thing, but the Empire was really going to readily permit an ordinary club to use this dungeon as its research room?
"Wouldn’t the Empire and the principal have opposed it?"
Important figures from foreign nations had been harmed because of the Dawn Troupe. The higher-ups of the Empire would not simply leave alone a dungeon connected to that Dawn Troupe, which had served as the means of their infiltration.
Wouldn’t they just get rid of it?
"Well, there was some resistance, if you could call it that."
With that, President Eileen confidently raised a thumb at me.
"First of all, the principal gave permission."
Hm?
"The investigation found that it was no longer connected to the Dawn Troupe in any meaningful way. Besides, a dungeon spawned right in the middle of the clubroom because of her own negligence, so she said that, as a matter of taking responsibility, she did not particularly care whether we used it as a research room or not!"
No, you crazy woman. Why the hell would you permit that?
"And... Professor Luke also strongly supported the idea, saying it seemed like it would make for quite interesting research material. So that’s how this happened."
President Eileen puffed out her chest with glazed eyes and gave an "ahem."
They were troublesome, but the strongest.
In the end, their collaboration had led to the conclusion that we would use a dungeon—which might well be a ticking time bomb—as the club’s research room.
Excuse me, we are the Ancient Documents Club, not the Dungeon Research Club.
"Well, what’s good is good, isn’t it?"
Clink.
Along with the sound of a small teacup being set down, Isabella, who had merely listened quietly until now, finally spoke.
"The idea of using a dungeon as a research room is interesting in its own way, and it would be a valuable experience that one ordinarily could not have. More than anything..."
More than anything?
"This club has no distinguishing feature at all."
A distinguishing feature?
I made a face that said I could not believe her answer, but whether she understood what I was thinking or not, she maintained an attitude of not caring in the slightest and continued.
"Does this club have anything we can make use of at the festival?"
Excuse me?
"I heard that at last year’s festival, this club did nothing at all and merely went around watching the festivities?"
"H-how did you know that?!"
President Eileen recoiled at her pointed accusation.
No, was that really what mattered right now?
I barely managed to hold on to my sanity as the skit unfolding before my eyes nearly made me lose it.
"If we have this dungeon, then at least our Ancient Documents Club will have something to present at the festival."
I am telling you, we are not a club related to dungeons.
Looking at Isabella, who had already developed a bizarre sense of belonging to the club, I swallowed the objection that had nearly leapt out of my mouth.
Clink.
Then came the sound of another small teacup being set down.
"So, to get to the point, what exactly was the reason you called us here, President?"
This time, it was Dolnesia who spoke in a low voice.
Perhaps she was tired of the skit, because Dolnesia’s voice was exceedingly flat.
"Ah, I should explain that first, shouldn’t I?"
As if she had never said anything absurd, the president calmly changed her expression.
After clearing her throat with a couple of "ahems," she straightened the stack of papers on the desk with a few pats.
"Anyway, I called everyone to the club not only to tell you this, but because we need to put things in order in there as well... Haha, there’s a lot to discuss."
The president gave a small hollow laugh and wiped away a bead of cold sweat.
"Still, I should say this first."
Setting the stack of documents down on the desk, she struck another grand pose as if something important was coming.
"We have not decided something important yet."
There she went again. She was about to say something pointless.
Whenever that woman struck a pose, nothing but useless words came out of her mouth.
Fine. Let us hear what nonsense she had to say.
"Haven’t we decided everything? We have a clubroom, we have gathered the minimum number of members, and we even have an advisor."
"No, there’s one thing we don’t have."
She raised her index finger toward the sky and boldly opened her mouth.
"We haven’t chosen the club’s vice president."
Huh?
"Why does that matter?"
She wanted to choose a vice president now?
At my blunt question, the president slammed the desk with a bang, as if deeply wronged.
"What do you mean, why does it matter?! It’s incredibly important! Naturally, I need a lacke—no, a vice president to fully assist me as I lead this Ancient Documents Club!"
You were just about to call them a lackey, weren’t you?
Why on earth did this tiny club even need a vice president?
"Therefore, we will now choose a vice president. So, who wants to do it?"
The president pressed ahead forcefully, as if she would accept no more objections.
Naturally.
Not a single person raised their hand.
"Why?"
At that sight, the president clutched her head and slumped into gloomy despair.
Then she buried her face in the desk and began bawling her eyes out.
Was she a child or something?
At this rate, she would start throwing a tantrum before long.
She grinned like a lunatic, her eyes were glazed over, and now she was suddenly crying.
【Eileen de Astoria】
◈ Level: 42
◈ The target is currently acting.
Even the tears were an act.
At this point, would it not be better to start a drama club instead of an Ancient Documents Club?
Who the hell would take that for the First Imperial Princess?
Sadly, however, there was no one in this club suited to wear the vice president’s mantle.
Angelica, who let her sword speak before words, was not the sort of person to do this.
Dolnesia simply seemed uninterested in the situation itself.
Isabella might have developed a strange sense of belonging to this club, but she clearly found the prospect of waiting on Eileen extremely bothersome.
Me?
Why would I do something so troublesome?
There was no way I would willingly take on a job like leading a group project, not even if I died—
"Wouldn’t it be best if Student Ian did it?"
Rustle.
A rustling sound suddenly came from somewhere, followed by the sound of someone crunching down on something.
When I turned my head, Professor Luke was standing in the corner, though I had no idea when he had come in, taking snacks from a bag and bringing them to his pale jawbone.
At the skeleton’s appearance, Isabella looked thoroughly displeased, and Dolnesia did not look especially happy to see him either.
Well, he had openly neglected his duties, so that was only natural.
And President Eileen had stopped crying.
But what did he just say?
"Why me?"
What was this crazy skeleton talking about?
Who was he trying to paint blue?
"But is there really anyone more suitable than Ian?"
The skeleton’s blue flames flared within his eye sockets, and he grabbed another handful of snacks from the bag and poured them into his jawbone.
But by what mechanism was he even eating those crackers?
His ribs were fully visible, yet not a single crumb fell to the floor.
"Was it not Student Ian himself who ultimately brought Student Isabella, Student Angelica, and Student Dolnesia into this club?"
Professor Luke continued as he stroked his white jaw.
"And though you are an illegitimate son, you are still a child of the Logres family, one of the Empire’s Five Dukes... Even in terms of status, you would have no reason to feel inferior standing beside the president, who is an imperial princess."
"But Lady Isabella is here too, isn’t she?"
Angelica was publicly from a count’s family, and Dolnesia was the adopted daughter of a ducal family, but—
Isabella was, like me, a child of one of the Five Duke families.
And she was the only child, which made her the legitimate heir.
If we were talking grounds for it, would it not make more sense for Isabella to be vice president?
"You need not worry so much. Taking the post of vice president will not put you at any disadvantage."
No, I am saying I will not do it.
Regardless, Professor Luke raised one index finger on his bony hand and opened his jaw.
"If Student Ian becomes vice president, I will teach you one of the miscellaneous techniques I use often."
At Professor Luke’s bombshell declaration, the atmosphere in the clubroom instantly sank.
Even Angelica, who had only watched without expression, opened her eyes wide. Isabella and Dolnesia did the same.
President Eileen had also raised her head at some point, her mouth hanging open as she stared only at Professor Luke.
I was no different.
I was confused as to whether I had really heard what had just come out of that skeleton’s jawbone.
"Hm? Did you not hear me?"
Professor Luke crumpled the bag in his hand, tossed it into the trash can, and opened his jaw once more.
"I said that if Student Ian becomes this club’s vice president, I will teach you one of the miscellaneous techniques I know."
Then the blue flame in his eye sockets blazed fiercely for a moment.
Before long, the flames curved playfully like crescents, tracing strange arcs.
"Is that clear now?"
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