Chapter 37: Prize of Suffering (1) |
"Uh..."
A person was falling.
There was no time to think.
I left the gun case on the ground and hurriedly checked the pulse of the fallen kid, giving him a couple of slaps on the cheek.
"Yah! Medical hall! The hospital building?"
Slap! Slap!
The boy who fell down was motionless---the pale look, the green hair swaying helplessly in the light, like a bird's tail feathers.
"Hahahaha."
"Elijah Allison."
"Open your eyes! Elijah!"
"Open~"
Dylan halfheartedly shook the cadet away, hovering next to me as if this were a joke.
I was shocked and wondered why there were people like this.
'This cannot be.'
It was a critical moment, demanding immediate assistance for the helpless cadet, Elijah. Dylan put his arm under Elijah's armpit, who was on my back, and sat him up in the chair, clapping loudly right in front of me.
"Eukk..."
"Look now, get up, lazy one."
"Hey, you cannot treat a patient like this. If you treat them like this..."
"Hmm..."
"Elijah."
It was strange that even after getting slapped, Cadet Elijah didn't respond, and yet this person was trying to wake him up. There's no reason he shouldn't wake up.
'Is he a psycho? If this continues, I will have to step in.'
I bent down to carry the cadet again. There is no time to waste, and at that moment when I thought that,
"C-cheek hurts..."
"Right, that is the sincerity of Cadet Arma Cruz."
"What are you saying? That is..."
Cadet Elijah, who I thought was passed out, woke up.
"... eh?"
"Because of you, the first impression got ruined. What are you going to do?"
"Blaming others..."
The closed eyes opened, revealing light green eyes from the narrow slits. I watched in silence, shocked by this sight.
"Did you bring him here? Hmm..."
"What's with that way of speaking? I already mentioned it! He is the ideal cadet for us!"
"Whether it fully matches or half matches, who would want to join an unofficial club located in a falling building?"
His speech was long and drawn out, like he would fall asleep at any moment. But the sight of Elijah finally opening his eyes felt familiar, for some reason.
"Ah!"
The pale-looking cadet who was following Dylan when I first met him---that is Elijah Allison, a cadet.
"What even is this? I thought you collapsed."
"This guy is a bit lazy to the point where he cannot be saved. Must have fainted from starvation. Right?"
Elijah stopped speaking, and his partially opened eyes revealed dark circles underneath. The way his eyes moved gave the impression that what Dylan had said was true.
"Ahh, what is that?"
After feeling relieved, I pulled out a chair across from Elijah and flopped onto it. Leaning back, I gazed upwards, expecting to see the sky, but instead, I observed the ceiling adorned with spider webs and dust.
'Oh my. Is that all far?'
I instinctively covered my nose and mouth. The ceiling, adorned with clover-shaped plaster, showed signs of damage, making it challenging to discern its original shape and design. The ceiling belonged to the north annex, rumored to have been constructed a century ago, and retained its old-fashioned appearance, distinct from the more recently built ones.
"I apologize if this shocked you. I am going to make some tea now, so just wait here, and Elijah, have something now."
"Yes..."
This was a classical music club, and I felt exhausted already. I wanted to refuse the tea that Dylan offered, but I thought that wouldn't be polite, so I nodded weakly.
'Is this something else?'
If it was intentional, it was an impressive trick because I feel like I'm losing my soul now. When I belatedly regained awareness and corrected my posture, Dylan appeared to have caught on to my reaction and smiled without turning back.
Dylan ignited the flame on the stove and placed the kettle on top, disregarding the academy rules. Although it was a bit early for a serving of warm tea, as the heat hadn't completely dissipated, my fingers felt cold due to nervousness, making it an opportune time for a hot beverage.
"Did the president send an invitation?"
Elijah opened the nightstand by the window and retrieved some snacks. He placed half of them on a plate, extended it towards me, and then stuffed the other half into his mouth like a rodent, displaying an extreme efficiency typical of people who find eating challenging.
"If you consider it an invitation to join the classical music club, then yes."
"I told you to stop because it felt too suspicious."
"Uh. Your sincerity is too much."
"Is that what sincerity means? Being too wary of...
Mumble.
Elijah, having finished eating the snacks, sat across from me with a slightly better expression. Despite still appearing pale and exhausted, upon closer inspection, I got the impression that he looked a bit similar to Theodore or a little younger.
Dylan ignored Elijah's scolding and returned with a fragrant kettle.
"Well, the environment is poor, but the tea leaves are really good. It's made from the young tea leaves that grew this spring."
"Thank you."
I was handed a surprisingly neatly handled teacup.
The white teacup with a gold rim was polished with no chips, and everything between the handle and the inside was cleaned.
'This is surprising again.'
Upon closer inspection, I could sense the presence of someone who knew how to host guests, even in the details like the plate from which Elijah took snacks. Honestly, I never expected to be treated like this, as Dylan's affable demeanor had naturally led me to harbor preconceived notions.
"Delicious. I was feeling hungry, so I am grateful for this."
"Young Master Arma Cruz is a typical model student."
"Hahaha."
I couldn't ignore the feeling that it was akin to a new society interviewing me. Dylan rested his chin on his hand, contemplating and evidently observing me as well.
"Then, let's listen till the end."
I put down my cup and spoke at just the right moment, knowing everyone had to speak.
"I've written it concisely on the invitation, Cadet Arma. We, from the <Ashen Dawn>, would like to invite you to join the classical culture club."
"Classical culture club? Not a classic literature club?"
"We engage with things that are a little more high-level than that."
"Example?"
"For example, the customs of the Lichten region, where the <Aegis Creation Myth Liechten Yvonne> was discovered."
clack
The teacup, which I thought was properly placed, hadn't been, causing it to spin as it settled.
"That... that part. The book you sent me."
"Ah?"
Countless versions of the creation myth exist, ranging from small versions with minor errors to full-fledged books with descriptions of unspeakable beings, like the Lichten region version gifted by Dylan. Since there are approximately 250 different versions in existence, the likelihood of accidentally gifting the exact copy from the Lichten region that I had borrowed among the many copies was low.
Instead of hastily asking questions and revealing my true feelings, I waited until Dylan opened his mouth on his own.
However, Dylan looked puzzled, and his eyes widened. It seemed like he wasn't going to speak first.
"Why are you so worried? It means that giving the book felt like a suspicious gift."
"Uh? Why?!"
"Why? Senior Arma Cruz doesn't know that President Dylan managed the library circulation ledger that day."
"Ah."
Elijah's words cleared up the doubts for both me and Dylan.
"Ah~ then! From Arma's perspective."
"He might feel a little bad. First of all, just looking at the ledger is unpleasant."
"Were you offended?!"
Dylan leaned on the table and moved his upper body towards me. Startled, I took a slight step back.
"I guess a little."
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel bad. I nodded awkwardly. Dylan let out a groan, covered his face, and then tried to hide.
"I didn't mean to offend, but I do know it is rude."
I, too, took a sip of the tea, looking at Dylan in embarrassment.
'Right. There is my record in the library ledger.'
That was why he suddenly could send me what I needed and mentioned the culture I was looking for. I sighed in shock.
"I had trouble sleeping for no reason."
"Sleep?! Why?!"
"I guess he was afraid of being attacked by this shady man who is prying on other people's backs."
"This guy! From before, you are constantly!"
"Euk!"
Dylan looked at me with a slightly flushed expression, while Elijah continued to playfully tease him.
Of course, the embarrassment wouldn't easily fade away. Even after receiving their invitation, I felt a lingering worry that something might happen.
'I'm glad this wasn't something huge.'
When I smiled slightly to indicate that I wasn't angry, Dylan could finally relax his stiff look and ran his hand through the back of his head.
"I unintentionally let my mind get ahead and made a mistake. It isn't like I was following Cadet Arma Cruz or something..."
"Yes, from what Cadet Allison said, I am sure of that."
"If you forgive that easily, it will happen again."
Elijah grumbled. After that, the atmosphere became much softer than when we first met, and we were able to chat quite a bit.
I found out that the club was actually unauthorized and that they were recruiting new members to receive official permission but were constantly facing challenges.
"Isn't this really unfair?! To get out of an unpopular club, we have to be a formal club, and a formal club happens when there are members."
"Such a challenge."
I couldn't tell if Dylan was expressing his sadness about this situation, but it was his fault for not choosing a mainstream club. Besides, he didn't really seek an answer; he was just expressing his thoughts. I nodded and got up.
"Anyway, I get it. I also apologize for making a hasty decision and causing a misunderstanding."
"There is no need to apologize, but instead, sign this membership application form."
"I am sorry for that too."
"Oh, heavens."
"Sorry."
"You apologized twice."
Dylan clutched his heart in an exaggerated manner, showing signs of hurt.
However, that didn't mean that seniors who would graduate next year could sign club memberships suddenly.
"I will think about what you said, but please don't expect too much."
"Ah! Are you thinking about it? That is more than enough!"
Dylan, who changed his attitude like a flipping coin, got up and saw me off. I grabbed the gun, which was placed in the corner when I rushed in to save Elijah, and turned around.
Elijah was organizing the books that had been lying down. The text written on the stylish gold leaf on the black cover is 'Gold Knows'. It was an introduction to a once-famous school of shabby mysticism.
'There's a weirdo here too.'
I wanted to make a good impression on my way out, so I waved my hand and continued to smile, and Elijah lowered his eyes and bowed his head. I barely managed to turn Dylan away, who was about to cling to me by my pants and ask me to sign.
"Elijah."
Dylan, who had been watching Arma walk out, returned to the silent club room. Even though only one person left, the silence took over in the room.
"That guy, what do you think?"
Elijah closed the book he had been reading without much interest and rested his chin on his hands. The face, without a smile, looked pale and gloomy.
"It is a reward for suffering. It is better to not get involved."
Dylan chuckled at Elijah's words.
"But that will be difficult."
"It is such a challenge."
Elijah echoed what Arma Cruz said a moment ago with a smile. It really is an academy where there are no quiet days, he thought.
