I seriously don’t get it.
I have no idea what that skeleton is after.
Of course, an opportunity to learn that skeleton’s skills landing in my lap was something I should be welcoming with both arms raised.
Even if he was a gag character and not much information about him had been revealed in the game, he was still a monster who had reached Level 90.
In other words, an undead on par with the academy principal, one of the beings standing among the strongest in this world.
Luke called it a trick, but it could not possibly be an ordinary skill.
On top of that, I had the broken trait [Insight Eye], so unless it was a skill requiring racial traits or exclusive stats, there was no way I would fail to learn it.
I could even pass it on to Kafka, my squire. And with Angelica’s talent, teaching it to her would not be impossible either.
But that was exactly what I did not understand.
What was in it for that skeleton?
Why was he trying to put me in the position of vice president of this club, even offering to teach me his own skill?
He had nothing to do with this place.
Then—
Bang—. Something struck the floor, followed by a scraping skrrrk that echoed through the room.
"You cannot possibly be unaware of the implications of what you just said, can you?"
The source of the sound was Isabella.
She had risen from her seat with a startled expression, one hand braced on the desk as she stared Professor Luke straight in the eye.
The flames in Luke’s eye sockets changed as he looked at her.
As if he wanted to convey that he had narrowed his eyes, the flames burning within his sockets gradually shrank.
"I am… unaware of the implications?"
"Is that not practically the same as saying you intend to take Ian as your personal disciple?"
"It is merely a trick I use…"
"Countless people have passed through your tutelage."
A calm voice added to Isabella’s words.
"But among all the swordsmen who passed through your hands, not one has learned a technique directly from you. Not even the Sword Lord."
It was a level, dry voice devoid of emotion.
That was precisely why it carried such weight.
Because, astonishingly, its owner was Angelica.
She had never reacted to anything that did not interest her and had always maintained silence until now. Yet she had spoken.
I stared at her blankly.
"Charles used to say it so often my ears hurt. It just suddenly came to mind."
Without the slightest change in expression, Angelica offered that brief explanation in her usual even tone.
Professor Luke slowly folded his arms and spoke.
"But is that a problem?"
His tone was as glib as ever.
"It is a problem."
Isabella’s icy gaze cut through that glibness.
"Even if you are this club’s advisor, that is far too excessive a reward for appointing someone as the vice president of a mere club."
Isabella’s eyes were filled with distrust.
It was probably because of the reaction Professor Luke had shown us yesterday.
That attitude of his—when he could have stepped in, he chose not to.
Perhaps that was why she believed his intentions had to be impure if he was trying to put me in the vice president’s seat, even going so far as to pass down a technique he had never taught anyone, not even his disciples.
Distrust.
Her red eyes were filled with that one emotion alone.
Professor Luke fell silent.
"What are you plotting this time?"
Her emotions began spilling from her lips.
As the atmosphere turned ominous, Eileen, who had been pretending to act, stopped altogether and merely gulped down her saliva.
Dolnesia, too, carefully set down her teacup with a stiff expression.
I said nothing.
Because Isabella had already said everything I wanted to say.
I was curious.
What exactly was Professor Luke thinking?
Professor Luke, as seen through [Insight Eye], was clearly favorably disposed toward me.
Unlike in the game, he had only appeared after Arghalia died this time. He had not properly explained why he was late, but he had seemed full of the sense that it could not be helped.
There was also no reason to view his recommendation for club vice president negatively.
I did not particularly like the idea of becoming Eileen’s lackey, but if I could learn one of Professor Luke’s skills in return?
That was more than worth it.
There was only one problem.
Why now?
No matter how I thought about it, he had nothing to gain from me becoming vice president.
So why? Why was he trying to plant me in the vice president’s position of this club, at the cost of even teaching me one of his techniques when he had nothing to gain?
He had been like that in the game as well.
I did not know whether it had been for balancing purposes or to advance the story, but he had always taken a step back and faithfully played nothing more than the role of a gag character.
That was why nothing about his thoughts, intentions, or goals had ever been revealed in the game.
Goodwill was good. Fine, I got that.
But goodwill with unknowable intentions was bound to be unsettling.
All the more so when it came from a monster capable of ending your life with a flick of his finger.
Unlike the Stars of Knights, who, irritating as they were, favored me but could not intervene, the man before me stood close enough to take my life whenever he wished.
At that moment—
"It seems I am quite disliked."
A brief sigh escaped him.
"Well, it cannot be helped. Just think of it as my punishment."
"Back then… it was not that I did not step in because I did not want to."
The blue flames in his eye sockets slowly diminished to a single point before flaring up again.
"You are right, Student Isabella. It may be difficult to understand."
Professor Luke slowly opened his jaw.
"Why am I using a technique I have never passed on to anyone, merely to make Student Ian the vice president? It is only natural for you to question that."
"Especially since it is no different from openly defying Lumea’s principle of equality… You would not be wrong to call it preferential treatment."
Taking up his words, Isabella continued, adding her own thoughts.
Now that she had started speaking, she did not look as though she intended to stop.
"If someone other than Ian had said they wanted to become vice president, you would have opposed it, would you not? And even if they obtained the position, you would not have tried to teach them your technique."
Professor Luke slowly nodded, as though affirming her words.
"Why? Is it because of that precious flow you spoke of again?"
"Will you refuse to explain it again this time? Are you planning to slip away by saying it is simply the flow, that you have no choice but to do things this way in this life as well?"
Her voice steadily rose as the atmosphere heated up.
"Lady Isabella, enough."
It felt as though things were getting too heated, so I tried to stop her.
"You just stay—!"
She whirled around on me, about to raise her voice, but then shut her mouth.
And lowered her head deeply.
This was one step away from becoming a complete shitshow.
President Eileen trembled at the sight of Isabella.
Dolnesia watched Isabella with a stiff expression, apparently displeased by her raised voice.
And Angelica, unlike earlier, did not step in and merely watched everything unfold with an expressionless face.
Professor Luke, standing at the center of it all, met Isabella’s eyes for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Deep. Very deep, Student Isabella."
Having pulled over a chair and sat down at some point, he continued.
"I do not know what you saw that made you so angry… but I understand that those emotions arose because of me."
His teeth clicked together before Luke revealed his true feelings.
"The reason I am appointing him vice president, even offering to teach him a technique, is simple."
Professor Luke spoke calmly.
"I simply wanted to raise a disciple, and I happened to take a liking to him."
"But being vice president and raising a disciple are…"
"The vice presidency is the flow. Teaching him a technique is merely my own insistence, hitching a ride on that flow."
That made even less sense.
Back then, he had clearly seemed as though he was resigning himself to the flow.
He had said it was easier to follow the flow, that doing so was not a bad thing.
Far from rejecting it, he had seemed to affirm it.
No.
In a way, it had been closer to resignation.
But now he was saying he would resist the flow? That did not add up.
"As I said then, there is nothing wrong with complying with the flow. If it continually points to a single rail and tells you to follow it, then all you need to do is walk that path."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"That is why I simply follow the flow. Because I know what it is like to be unable to go somewhere, even when you want to and even when you can."
Then he looked at me.
"But that is why I like you, Student Ian."
A skeleton calmly confessed to me right in front of everyone.
Maybe that confession made me dizzy, but I could no longer keep up with the pace of the conversation.
"You matched Angelica blow for blow, dispelled magic with a single magical device, and, even with the Holy Maiden’s aid, defeated a Sword Master."
The blue flames in his eye sockets blazed fiercely.
"It has been one surprise after another. Whether it was the flow or not, Student Ian has broken one certainty after another. I envied that. I thought it was truly wonderful."
He nodded once and continued.
"Wanting to teach you a technique is simply my goodwill. In a sense, it is not a reward for becoming vice president, but a reward for a student who showed me vicarious satisfaction."
"Then the vice presidency…?"
"You will do it."
He firmly cut Dolnesia off.
I see. He really did intend to make me do that part.
"I can tell you this much: Student Ian, you will not particularly lose out by becoming vice president."
"How can I trust that?"
"Well. If you want me to make a [Mana Oath], I can do that."
Professor Luke placed a hand over his chest.
【Luke Eaenril】
◈ Level: 90
◈ Preparing a [Mana Oath].
As though to say he was not lying, he truly intended to do it.
"That will not be necessary."
I waved my hand.
"I will do it. The vice president thing."
"Are you sure? I would not mind doing it myself."
The words, Now you say that?, nearly burst out of my throat.
But I met Isabella’s fleeting gaze for a moment, then shook my head.
I still did not fully understand the skeleton’s intentions. Nor did I understand that sudden confession.
But his willingness to use a [Mana Oath] was genuine. His goodwill toward me was genuine, too.
Even if being vice president would be a hassle, if I could learn one of Luke’s skills, it was a profitable deal no matter what.
Even if it was goodwill whose motives I did not know.
If it was goodwill, could I not simply accept it?
And who knew? Maybe becoming vice president would unlock some hidden piece.
Just as I was entertaining that ridiculous thought—
Ding!
A bluish UI appeared before my eyes.
[You have been appointed vice president of the Ancient Documents Club.]
[You have fulfilled all hidden conditions required to unlock a club!]
[The [Club] feature has been unlocked!]
[Using the vice president’s authority, you may manipulate the interior space of the clubroom!]
………Excuse me?
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register