Chapter 87 The Shadow (10)
What do you want?
Good to see you again. Thank you for last time.
I told you to visit the art club once, not to join it, right?
My joining the art club was my choice Its unrelated to you.
She abruptly stopped her brushwork, seemingly lost in thought, before placing her brush in the jar and speaking.
Is that so?
You didnt join the art club because you think we have some fateful connection after I helped you, did you?
Im a bit sensitive, you see. People who look shady, when youre nice to them, they tend to get the wrong idea. Just checking.
Looking back on when we were searching for Liria, my expression must have been dark indeed. I never imagined it would leave such an impression.
Youre worrying too much.
Previously, Professor Georgia did say some students joined with less than pure intentions because of the number of female members. Considering that, I could understand why shed be on edge.
Alright, what can I do? Ill give you the benefit of the doubt. Im Pavela.
Her right hand was stained with paint, so she extended her left for a handshake instead, and I noticed a ring on her ring finger.
As I looked at her hand, she noticed my gaze and laughed briefly, continuing,
Ah, this ring. It was given to me by my fianc. Pretty, isnt it?
Yes, it is.
My fianc is obsessively possessive enough to come to Eternia, so youd better be careful. I dont want to cause a fuss, you see.
These kinds of things could wait until we knew each other better. From my experience, if someone says this right after youve just met, you should take it as a clear sign they want to draw a boundary. It could also be interpreted as a show-off, boasting about how much theyre loved but my gut feeling tells me its definitely not that.
Now I had a public excuse to keep my distance from this woman. Until the first impression fades, it might be best to stay away.
Considering the lukewarm reception from the other club members, it seemed wise to keep things quiet for a while. I came here to learn painting, after all. My actions should prove that.
By the way, why did you ask me to come to the art club?
Oh, I needed an extra pair of hands for something. I was going to use you and send you back, but now that youve joined
I find her tone, somehow suggesting shes not thrilled about my joining, a bit irksome.
Does my membership bother you?
Nowell, its not that
Despite her words, reluctance seemed to seep from Pavelas expression.
I spoke politely.
Please call me when you need help. Ill be there to assist.
Then, I stood up and took hold of the easel and chair.
Pavela, looking slightly flustered, asked,
What are you doing?
I found a flower I want to paint, so Im going to move to another spot.
I can help with that
No, thank you.
Taking my belongings, I moved away from Pavela.
As I crossed through the club members to find a new location, someone grasped the tail of my coat. Not just one person, but three different hands held on tightly, preventing me from passing.
Sit down. Hey, freshman, sit here. Why are you wandering around like that?
?
They snatched my chair away, placed it beside them, and patted it, signaling me to sit.
Its not time for painting now. Sit down.
I was forced to sit by their persistent grip.
Even my easel was taken and moved to the back. Held captive by three female seniors, I couldnt move freely.
Sit quietly here and wait.
I was a bit baffled. Why are they doing this?
In this sudden situation, the only person who could help me, Georgia, was engrossed in discussing something with the club members at the front.
The club members seemed to be pressing her strongly about something. Whats going on?
Professor Georgiia!
Training at Mount Grace now? Didnt you say you didnt want to go during the last training period? Complaining about getting dirt on your nice clothes, right?
The weather is so nice, why sit still?
Weve run out of paint.
We were supposed to have class in front of the Guardian Tree, but since its off-limits, we couldnt go this time.
Georgia looked troubled as she spoke.
New members have come, and you want to go to Mount Grace for training?
Hes from the Combat Department! Hell do fine.
So what? Well have to do it someday.
Georgia reprimanded them strongly.
Hey! Last time one of you ran away, remember?
That was a misunderstanding. He confessed and got rejected, so he left out of embarrassment.
If we dont have an initiation, no welcome for you.
The female members, seemingly excited by the topic, burst into laughter.
Georgia took a deep breath, pushed her hair back, and called for me.
Damian!
She signaled me with her hand, and the seniors who had held me finally loosened their grip and patted my back, signaling me to go.
Enough. Go on!
Now free, I proceeded forward with a grim expression.
Georgia led me a good twenty steps away from where the club members gathered and then spoke.
I cant live with those girls, seriously. It seems they couldnt welcome you properly because they were worried you might go to another club.
Is it possible for me to transfer to another club?
Yeah, you can move to another club until next week. But more importantly, Damian, have you dealt with Plantaras much? Not the big ones like the scout Plantaras, but the weaker ones you encountered during the entrance exam.
Why are you asking me that?
Have you heard about training week? Eternia puts Plantaras on Mount Grace every other week for students to train. Itll be similar to the entrance exam.
But why should we enter Mount Grace?
We make our dyes and brushes from materials collected directly from Mount Grace. Ugh, we normally avoid training week, but these girls have been insisting on going because you arrived.
Think of it as a kind of initiation. If you can get past this, theyll be nice to you. The kids here are actually all good-natured and look after their juniors like their own children.
Thats all fine, but I didnt bring my sword
Professor Georgiia!
In the midst of this, a female student approached with a sheathed sword.
I found this in the greenhouse. It looks like a nice sword but no one claimed it~
Georgia snatched the sword away and waved the student off with a dismissive gesture. Then she held the fancy hilt and slightly unsheathed it. The brass-colored blade glistened in the sunlight.
No shortage of things here. These cunning brats. The swords made from Vyotian metal, known as the Heart of the Mountains. It belongs to Haley, a third-year from the Combat Department and your direct senior. Will this do?
Yes, that should be sufficient.
I can manage, but theres something Im worried about.
Im more accustomed to dismembering limbs with a sword than slaying Plantaras.
Im wary people might recognize my habit from the entrance exam when I did all that masked and disguised.
Ill have to be extremely careful not to let my habit slip.
But is it alright to use someone elses lost property like this?
Georgia chuckled and replied.
Lost property? No, thats Haleys, our art club president. The blonde who had her hair tied back and a face as pale and fox-like as any. After we finish, just return it to her.
***
The art club members exited the greenhouse, moving in line like they were off on a picnic, chatting endlessly. Once they reached the courtyard, it felt like watching a flock of excited chicks.
As we neared the foothills close to Mount Grace, Plantaras began to sporadically appear in the distance.
Professor Georgia led from the rear, her spirit dampened by the aggressive girls as she escorted the dispirited male students.
Hey, you guys are alright in your departments, so why do you lose your spirits here?
There were only five male students in the art club, excluding Damian. One from the Magic Department, two from the Alchemy Department, and two from the Magical Engineering Department. All typically noblemen holed up in their studies.
In truth, Georgia knew why their spirits were deflated.
Large organizations like the theatre and dance clubs are so big they divide into A and B teams. However, in school competitions, the art club never falls behind them. Its due to the formidable spirit of the female art club members, often referred to as a small elite.
Although theyre exclusive, internally the cohesion is strong. Once accepted, they actively care for the juniors without neglect.
It was just a pity to see these blameless boys so intimidated by this extreme matriarchal group. Georgia slung her arms around the boys shoulders, offering encouragement.
You guys are the heart of our art club. Understand?
Professor, do you think that guy will be okay?
One student looked at Damian with concern.
Damian was busy at the forefront, dealing with Plantaras.
They worried whether he might end up just like them, enduring such strife.
Georgia had given the order to group in teams of five to face the Plantaras.
One group of male students, one group of quiet females.
The remaining twenty or so followed Damian closely.
Haley, our club president, is the strongest in the art club. But now
The Plantaras that the art club president Haley, likely slayed by the hundreds, were surrounding her as she screamed fervently from behind Damian.
The male students were perturbed by their first encounter with this situation.
Eek! Freshman, over here!
Another male student added,
Jenia, our deputy club president usually faces five Plantaras at once
Parts of a Plantara blasted away by Jenias magic were once found in the student plaza.
And Jenia, too, was screaming from behind Damian.
Mommy! Freshman, over here too!
Although Damian was frantically busy, Georgia wasnt worried about him.
Let him be, the girls are excited now that we finally have a male club member. They even suggested luring guys in like the drama club does. Damian will be fine. I have a good eye for people. Hes stubborn and has backbone. Just a while ago, he stood his ground in a stare-down with Pavela.
With Pavela?
Pavela was just as formidable as the club president Haley. Due to some issue, she claimed to be unwell and did not accompany the group to Mount Grace.
Besides, that kid was personally brought in by Professor Silveryn. Ive never seen anyone as strong-willed as that woman, and if he was raised by her, imagine how tough he must be.
A Magic Department male student exclaimed loudly, surprise clear in his voice.
Hes a disciple of Professor Silveryn?
Keep your voice down.
But really sigh.
A deep sigh encapsulated his mix of envy, jealousy, and self-reproach.
Being a disciple of Silveryn was beyond enviable among the students of the Magic Department.
Georgia chided him the same way she always did.
No sighing. No lamenting. It makes you look needy. Stop it.
Youre too young to understand. You think someones life might be so great and impressive, but if you probe into that persons past and inner world, it often turns out to be the complete opposite. There have even been those who, despite being offered wealth and fame, have gone through such painful trials that theyd say, I could never live like this.
Georgia felt intuitively, without having to delve into his history, that Damian was a boy with a complicated past. Those whove lived an easy life coveting Damians position its sheer greed.
But what great hardships could he have faced at just seventeen
In the end, she flicked the Magic Department student on the forehead.
***
It was no small effort to deal with Plantaras using an unfamiliar sword. Covering for the large group was tough, but it helped erase the initial chilly silence, and the mood shifted as they seemed to accept me.
The art club members gathered on a gently sloping hill decked with blooming flowers. With a clear view, devoid of trees, it was a place that harmonized perfectly with the art clubs pursuit of beauty. Even the Plantaras seemed to appreciate the finer things in life, not harassing us up here.
The members, familiar with the area, dispersed and deftly began to collect flowers.
Jenia, who introduced herself as the deputy club president, dragged me here and there by the arm and shared the basics of the club with me.
If you find it hard to remember the names of the flowers, just think of terms like red, blue, and green, and add white to that. With those, you can create most colors for dyes.
She plucked a red flower and held it in front of me, asking,
Whats the name of this one?
Charlia. Blue is Glorins, green is the Peton herb.
She exaggerated her approval,
Wow, good job. How can you be so smart and handle Plantaras so well?
She tapped the top of my head with her palm and said,
Youve passed the art club. You havent gained the presidents acceptance yet, but youve passed with me. You dont know how prestigious our club is, do you? Get on our good side, and youve got it made here at school. If you have questions during the joint class, come to me or the president. Well take really good care of you, so dont go anywhere else. Just plant your roots here, okay? Got it? Our president comes from an influential imperial family. The club members even spend vacations together, you know?
There was an air of desperation and the bitterness of an outcast beneath her cheerfulness that I couldnt bring myself to say anything negative.
Understood.
And the dance and drama club girls havent come looking for you yet.
Pardon?
From the look on your face, not yet. Those piggish girls will come bothering you soon. If it gets bad, call us. Well chase them away.
Piggish girls? Do they have some sort of feud?
Why would they come looking for me? Since Trisha is in the drama club, I should ask her about this today.
Ill keep that in mind.
But where did our president go
The peace broke at an unexpected moment. Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed over from beyond the hill.
Boom!
Shortly after, acrid smoke wound its way to the sky.
A piercing scream echoed in tandem.
The startled club members all turned their gaze toward the source of the commotion.
Jenia and I, without a word, raced to the peak of the hill. Upon reaching the top and looking down, we saw a woman surrounded by five Plantaras that had caught fire and collapsed.
Ashen hair, a familiar face. It was quite a reunion, but for many reasons, not one conducive to a cheerful greeting.
The person lying on the ground was Lilith, the girl who had accompanied me during the entrance examination.
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