Chapter 34:
Friends, You Know
Suddenly, a club?
As Riche swallowed a sip of juice brought by Robenharp, she remembered she had something to say.
“Oh, right. I heard from Phillip. Thanks for helping me last time. Robenharp oppa.”
When Phillip couldn’t find Ian’s room and was wandering in the hallway, Robenharp happened to find him and helped him out.
More accurately, Phillip had trespassed into Robenharp’s room.
Since Phillip, in his conversation with Robenharp, had matched their stories, Riche considered herself lucky that day.
“Don’t worry about it. Riche knows him, so it’s not a big deal.”
“What did you help with?”
As Deon, who had been lying on the desk, opened his eyes slightly and joined their conversation.
That uncomfortable gaze.
Robenharp rested his chin on his raised hand and raised the corner of his mouth towards Deon.
“I won’t tell you.”
“He’s my little brother, so if you-.”
About to start another fight. Riche quickly stuffed a cookie into Deon’s mouth.
With his mouth full, Deon glanced at Riche, but she pretended not to notice and asked Robenharp a question.
“So, Robenharp oppa, are you starting a new club?”
“Yeah. Club membership is mandatory for third-year students. Optional for first and second-year students.”
So, since Deon was now in his third year, he had to join a club.
The problem was that students were scared of Deon in every club they visited for tryouts.
With stories circulating about kids running away from Deon’s club after only a day, Deon’s notoriety had only grown.
“The club that Derkedion visited handed in withdrawal forms to the head.”
“…Our brother isn’t that bad.”
It was disheartening that people avoided Deon for no reason.
Riche patted Deon’s back with pursed lips.
But Deon himself didn’t seem to care.
“Well, it’s fine to be alone. It’s better. No one’s there.”
“Then it’s going to disband.”
Robenharp was right. Even if there were clubs willing to accept Deon as a member within the academy, they would eventually disband.
But the professors weren’t going to let the top student like Deon go without a club.
So, Robenharp, who was Riche’s brother and his friend, decided to make an effort for Deon.
“The club members are Derkedion, me, and Zeekbert also joined.”
Gathering people who weren’t afraid of Deon led to that combination.
All from noble families. Riche asked Robenharp.
“…A club for talented people?”
“No. Riche is a commoner.”
It seemed she was already confirmed to join.
Since she heard Deon’s story, she hadn’t even considered refusing.
Riche nodded in response to Robenharp’s words, indicating her willingness to join.
“But what kind of club is it?”
She hadn’t heard the name of the club yet.
Even if it was a club made for Deon, there should be a purpose for its activities. That’s how they would get approval for club establishment.
Robenharp pointed to the dessert basket on the desk.
“Dessert Research Society.”
“Research?”
For dessert research, wouldn’t specialized knowledge be necessary?
Surprised, Riche asked Robenharp.
“And we’re doing that?”
“Yeah. It’s a club where we eat delicious things and goof around.”
“I see.”
It wasn’t bad, but could a club with such impure intentions get approval for establishment?
But the problem was more basic than what Riche was worrying about.
“To submit the application, we need at least five members.”
“Five members?”
“Yeah. We only have four right now, so we’re one short. No one in the third year is willing to join…”
Not just unwilling.
Since the news spread throughout the academy that Deon was a member of the club Robenharp was trying to start, even just mentioning the letter ‘D’ made everyone run away.
“It might be better if someone less well-known brings it up…”
Robenharp asked Riche.
“Riche, do you have any friends?”
“Uh…?”
“It’s been about a week since we transferred to the Magic Department, right?”
Riche nodded.
They had transferred to the Magic Department last Monday.
The day before, Phillip, who had visited the Hwangdo Mansion, received a letter from Blake saying that it would be okay to join the Magic Department.
“If you want to, give it a try. Your opinion matters.”
So, when Riche went to the principal’s office and said she wanted to learn magic, Professor Rumblera was called in as if she had been waiting. After receiving various items, signing documents, and coming to her senses, she found herself introducing herself in the magic classroom.
“That part went smoothly.”
But even though two weeks had passed since the entrance ceremony, she still hadn’t made any friends.
The problem was that Blake had written in his letter that he was getting along well with his friends.
She felt Deon’s gaze on her, resting his cheek on the desk and looking at her.
She wondered what she would answer to the question about having friends.
“I don’t have any friends.”
If Blake and Deon knew she was alone, would they be disappointed?
After all, the reason she came to the Rodwick Mansion was for Deon’s socialization.
That’s why I…
“Riche?”
“Yeah. Friends.”
Good. Robenharp smiled innocently and said.
“Then I’ll bring someone next time?”
***
Now that it had been decided, she had to bring a friend to Robenharp.
Riche looked around at the twelve classmates in her class.
As their eyes met hers, they quickly looked away.
At first, she thought things would get better over time, but a week ago and now were no different.
“So I have to spend eight years with this class…?”
The only one who occasionally talked to her seemed to be a girl who treated her like a rival.
“Tiari Che, want to see this?”
Riche looked at the paper proudly presented by the girl sitting next to her.
It was a magic affinity test sheet just received from Professor Rumblera.
Name: Izzra Cont
…
Magic Affinity: 43
It was a higher number than the average magician’s. It was something to be proud of.
“I knew I was a genius!” The thought showed on her beaming face.
Izzra snatched the test sheet from Riche’s hand.
“I showed you mine, so show me yours.”
“Um… Izzra.”
Riche called out to Izzra, taken aback by the test sheet snatched from her.
“Is it okay to show it?”
The test sheets had been given to the students today.
In other words, revealing Riche’s magic affinity score meant only the professors knew about it.
But as soon as she saw Riche’s test sheet, the smile disappeared from Izzra’s face.
“…What’s this?”
She was still ten years old.
The tears welled up in Izzra’s eyes at the daunting large number.
“Magic was… always my… best subject.”
Her pride as a child who had never lost was hurt.
Unable to bear Izzra’s tears, Riche took out a handkerchief.
“Izzra, are you okay?”
“Tiari Che, is your magic affinity ninety-eight?”
Izzra’s voice trembled.
The heads of the students, who had been listening in on Riche’s score out of curiosity, turned to her at once.
“Ninety-eight?”
“Is it Tiari Che?”
“…Then, Tiari Che, are you going to become an archmage in the future?”
The classroom buzzed with astonishment from the kids.
“Quiet, please.”
Professor Rumblera’s words quieted the classroom. However, the atmosphere had unavoidably changed.
Although they exchanged glances with each other, the heads held high in front clearly showed the determination never to meet Riche’s eyes.
Seeing their reaction, Riche inwardly sighed.
It seemed making friends was out of the question after all.
***
“You have a friend, don’t you?”
A bench in the sparsely populated academy garden.
Riche was sitting next to Zieckbert, whom she had met while walking down the path.
Zieckbert usually wandered alone without any attendants, and Phillip was sitting far away on a bench soaking up the sunlight.
Thanks to that, there was no one to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Me?”
As if hearing the story for the first time, Riche blinked.
Zieckbert pointed to himself confidently.
“Me.”
There was no doubt in his demeanor that he was Riche’s friend.
Riche nodded.
“Yeah. But Zieck already decided to join a club. We need a new friend who can join the club with us…”
There wasn’t anyone. Before finding someone who wasn’t afraid of Deon, she had to find someone who didn’t avoid her.
“Am I scary?”
Or maybe it was because she was a commoner.
Riche thought the latter was more likely, but she didn’t say it out loud.
Calling herself a commoner felt like making fun of Blake or Deon.
Because these imperial nobles ignored commoners.
“…”
Zieckbert silently looked at Riche’s troubled profile.
“Tiari Che Rodwick is really pretty.”
There were many stories one could hear while roaming around the campus in various animal forms.
There were quite a few stories about Riche, too.
“Your heart is pounding so much you can’t even look me in the eye.”
“Am I the only one? You’re like that too.”
…
“Magic? They say you need to have not only high magic affinity but also high scores on the entrance exams to get in there.”
“You must be smart. Should I say hi to you next time?”
“Hey, we shouldn’t say hi to her. Remember when we watched the Celine incident and she made us kneel to the knight? She still hasn’t apologized.”
“That’s… true.”
Among them were comments about Riche being scary or a commoner, as Riche had mentioned.
But the reason students avoided Riche wasn’t just because of what Riche thought was a bad reason.
“…”
She wanted to say that, but she couldn’t find the right words to explain.
“No.”
Zieckbert answered Riche’s muttering about whether he was scary or not simply.
“Thanks, Zieck. You’re the only one.”
Riche realized that Zieckbert’s awkward consolation was his way of trying to help her.
Zieckbert thought hard about what he could do to help Riche.
Then one thing came to mind.
“Riche, should I bring someone?”
“Who?”
“A friend.”
“…Really?”
Riche’s face brightened up.
And that afternoon.
They all gathered to discuss club-related matters.
In front of the closed door of the empty classroom.
“…”
“I brought a friend.”
“Hello, Tiari Che.”
Riche looked up absentmindedly at the boy Zieckbert brought, sitting next to him.
‘Oh no.’
Among all the students in the school, there was only one.
There was someone who wasn’t okay.
Why had she forgotten that they were in the same grade?
As the first to arrive, Deon opened the door sensing the atmosphere.
He frowned at Riche’s bewildered face.
