Last Gun Alchemist

Chapter 296: Orientation Week XIII

After paying for their meals, Ezra and Lucy quietly left the restaurant, while Cyrus settled his own bill before following behind them.

As they stepped away, Ezra casually glanced over his shoulder.

Vera and Diane had already taken over the table they had just vacated. A waitress stood beside them with an excited smile, eagerly writing down their orders. Judging by the way the young staff member tried to remain composed while serving the two young ladies, it was obvious she recognized exactly who they were.

Ezra only looked for a brief moment before withdrawing his gaze.

The three continued walking through the Club Mix Arena.

The lively atmosphere that had filled the academy throughout the afternoon was slowly beginning to settle.

The sun had already started sinking toward the horizon, painting the distant buildings in shades of orange and gold. Long shadows stretched across the stone walkways as students gradually left one club after another.

Club members stood outside their booths, thanking visitors for stopping by.

Some carefully packed away inventions and research materials.

Others folded banners, carried tables back inside, or laughed with fellow members as they discussed the day’s recruitment.

Orientation Week’s club exhibition had finally come to an end.

One after another...

The club buildings began closing their doors.

Students returned toward their dormitories or noble residences scattered throughout the academy.

The excitement that had filled the academy all day slowly faded into the calm rhythm of evening.

Unlike the quiet atmosphere spreading across the academy...

The headquarters of the Silver Circle Club remained brightly lit.

Inside the main discussion room, several core members sat around a polished oval table.

Stacks of reports, club documents, and recruitment records were spread neatly before them.

Hovering above the center of the table was a floating holographic screen projected from a Zphone resting in front of one of the members.

Displayed upon it was the image of the club’s president.

Although he wasn’t physically present...

His calm expression alone carried enough authority to command everyone’s attention.

The discussion came to an abrupt halt when the meeting room doors burst open.

Bang!

A senior club member hurried inside.

He bent forward with both hands resting on his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

"Guys..."

He inhaled deeply.

"I’ve got it..."

One of the core members frowned.

"What happened?"

"You should calm down first."

Another member leaned back in his chair with an amused smile.

"It’s not as though someone was chasing you."

The room filled with quiet laughter.

The upperclassman shook his head.

"How could I not rush?"

He finally straightened himself.

"I’ve just confirmed the information President Louis asked me to investigate."

His breathing gradually steadied.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes immediately settled on him.

The relaxed atmosphere disappeared.

Even those who had been casually chatting a moment earlier became attentive.

The President’s deep voice echoed from the holographic screen.

"You’ve confirmed it?"

"Yes."

The upperclassman nodded.

"And..."

He couldn’t help taking another breath.

"It’s even stranger than any of us expected."

Several of the core members exchanged puzzled looks.

The Vice President quietly folded her arms.

The President rested both elbows on the table before interlocking his fingers.

"Speak."

The single word carried enough weight to silence the room completely.

The upperclassman nodded.

"Ezra Ashenlocke... joined the Craft & Research Seekers Club."

Silence.

Several core members visibly twitched.

The information landed far harder than anyone had anticipated.

A female core member frowned.

"When did that even happen? And How?!"

"So that’s why he never visited our booth."

Another member rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I honestly believed he’d at least consider joining the Lunar Inventors. Especially since it’s The Eclipse that purchased the rights to his invention, who own’s the club."

A male member slowly shook his head.

"What a foolish decision."

The President’s expression remained unchanged.

"Is that all?"

"No."

The upperclassman answered immediately.

"It wasn’t just Ezra. There were several others."

A female member raised an eyebrow.

"There’s more?"

He nodded.

"Cyrus Burnwick also joined."

A few members reacted with surprise.

Although unexpected...

That alone wasn’t enough to shake the room.

Then he continued.

"But that’s not the biggest news."

His voice lowered slightly.

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke, Lady Diane Bergwyn. And... the Commoner first-year named Maxwell who made the stupid declaration during the orientation briefing. They all joined the Craft & Research Seekers Club."

Complete silence.

This time...

Even the Vice President lost her composure for a brief moment.

The President’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"What...?"

A female core member was the first to speak.

"Lady Vera?"

Her voice carried open disbelief.

"How is that possible?"

"I thought that she would still join the Student Council even though they didn’t recruit her personally."

Another member slowly shook his head.

"No... That isn’t the strange part. The strange part is... Why would she choose Professor Nine’s club of all places?"

The room instantly erupted into discussion.

Questions flew from one side of the table to the other.

Everyone tried piecing together an explanation.

None of it made sense.

Lady Vera Ashenlocke and Lady Diane Bergwyn.

Those weren’t ordinary first-year students.

They were among the academy’s brightest talents.

The future pillars of Britannia.

One of the male members quietly spoke.

"Diane is already recognized as the strongest female among the first years, with only Ravenor Burnwick, who is generally considered the strongest amongst the male first years and also overall. And after Diane...Fatima Drake."

The President silently listened.

His fingers lightly tapped against one another.

Every piece of information only made the situation harder to understand.

Why...?

Why would those two willingly place themselves under Professor Nine?

Simply thinking about it was enough to give him a headache.

He slowly rubbed his forehead.

The Vice President noticed immediately.

"Take it easy, President."

"I’m fine."

Louis lowered his hand before looking back toward the messenger.

"What about my sister? Has Grace begun approaching Ezra?"

The upperclassman immediately lowered his head.

"No, President. Lady Grace hasn’t made her move yet."

Louis frowned.

"Why?"

The room instantly became colder.

It wasn’t because Louis raised his voice.

He didn’t.

He just simply looked at the messenger.

Yet that calm gaze alone made the upperclassman’s palms begin to sweat.

Even standing before the gathered core members was already stressful enough.

Now...

Both the President and Vice President were watching only him.

His throat suddenly felt dry.

He forced himself to continue.

"Lady Grace said... Lady Vera privately warned all the first-year girls."

He swallowed nervously.

"She told them to stay several meters away from Ezra Ashenlocke during Orientation Week... unless they wanted to end up on her bad side."

The meeting room fell silent once again.

Every core member in the room fell silent.

Even Vice President Hanna Greyford and President Louis Evergrey looked genuinely stunned.

The revelation had caught all of them completely off guard.

Even the lower-ranking member who had delivered the report still found the information difficult to believe.

He had repeated it several times while making his way back to the club headquarters, yet it still sounded unbelievable every time he thought about it.

For a few moments...

No one spoke.

Then...

"Hahaha..."

Louis suddenly laughed.

The quiet laughter echoed through the room, immediately drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

He leaned comfortably against his chair and let out a slow breath.

"This..."

He smiled faintly.

"...is actually quite amusing."

His calm reaction only made the others more confused.

The laughter soon disappeared from his face, replaced by his usual composed expression.

"Send word to Grace Evergrey."

His voice remained steady.

"Tell her to begin the mission immediately."

He rested one arm on the table.

"I don’t care if it means making an enemy of Vera Ashenlocke."

The lower-ranking member instinctively raised his head.

"But..."

He hesitated.

"Sir... We’re talking about Lady Vera Ashenlocke."

His voice carried obvious concern.

Before he could continue...

Bang!

Louis’s palm struck the polished wooden table.

The sharp sound echoed throughout the meeting room.

"Quiet."

His voice wasn’t loud.

If anything...

It was frighteningly calm.

The lower-ranking member immediately lowered his head until he was almost staring at the floor.

Cold sweat formed across his forehead.

"I... I’m sorry, President."

Louis slowly leaned back into his chair.

His expression showed nothing but indifference.

"Vera Ashenlocke isn’t nearly as troublesome as you think."

His fingers lightly tapped against the armrest.

"Especially because she’s already being watched. Not by any ordinary students... But by the true monsters of this academy."

His eyes swept across everyone seated around the table.

"Or have all of you forgotten? The Second Prince...Sir Daniel Brittan. Sir Drax Drake. Sir Carmine Bergwyn. Cassian Evermont. Sir Lucien Derlis. And Leofirc Hawthorne."

One by one...

The names settled heavily inside the room.

No one interrupted.

Every student he had mentioned belonged among the academy’s top ranks in the Third year and Second year list.

Students whose influence extended far beyond the Royal Academy itself.

Students who would one day stand near the very peak of Britannia.

Louis calmly folded his hands together.

"Every single one of them has their eyes fixed on the same objective. And every one of them is willing to remove anyone standing in their way."

A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.

"By making such an obvious move..."

He looked toward the window overlooking the academy grounds.

"Vera has unknowingly placed that Lowline Ezra Ashenlocke directly beneath their attention."

The smile on his lips widened ever so slightly.

"Whether that’s fortunate...or unfortunate...We’ll soon find out."

Vice President Hanna nodded thoughtfully.

"We can use that to our advantage, President Louis."

A male core member immediately agreed.

"Vice President Hanna is right. If Ezra attracts enough attention from those people... We won’t even need to dirty our own hands if he refuses to join your family."

Several other core members quietly nodded.

The atmosphere inside the room gradually became calmer.

Louis looked pleased.

"That was already part of my plan."

He gently stroked his chin while thinking several moves ahead.

"I was considering informing the Second Prince myself."

Hanna frowned slightly.

"But... If His Highness acts too aggressively against Ezra... Our family will lose the chance of recruiting him."

Louis nodded.

"I know that. Which is exactly why..."

His gaze slowly shifted back toward the trembling lower-ranking member.

"I want Grace to begin her assignment immediately."

The lower-ranking member immediately straightened himself.

"Yes, President."

"We need to determine one thing before making our final decision."

Louis calmly clasped his hands together.

"Is Ezra Ashenlocke even someone worth bringing into the Evergrey Family’s circle... or someone who should disappear before becoming a future threat?"

Those words caused the room to become noticeably quieter.

Even the core members unconsciously straightened their backs.

A faint smile slowly spread across Louis’s face.

"In the Royal Academy..."

He calmly folded his hands together as he leaned back into his chair again.

"It may be a place filled with rules and regulations that govern every action we students take."

A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.

"But..."

His eyes gradually turned colder.

"Killing a bug that believes it’s a dragon isn’t difficult."

His gaze drifted toward the window, overlooking the academy grounds in the distance.

"So, Ezra Ashenlocke... I sincerely hope you’re every bit as intelligent as the whole of Britannia believes you to be. Choose the right path."

His smile widened slightly.

"Otherwise... someone else will choose it for you."

The room fell into silence.

No one questioned his words.

The lower-ranking member quietly swallowed before lowering his head.

"Y-Yes, President."

He bowed deeply.

Once.

Then a second time.

Only after receiving a small wave from Louis did he slowly back away from the table. He carefully opened the meeting room door before quietly leaving, making sure not to disturb the discussion that would continue after his departure.

The heavy wooden door closed with a soft click.

For a few moments, no one spoke.

Every core member remained deep in thought.

Some considered Ezra Ashenlocke’s value.

Others wondered whether the young inventor would become an ally...

Or an obstacle.

Whatever the answer turned out to be...

One thing had become certain.

The peaceful days of Orientation Week were quietly coming to an end.

Like that...

The Royal Academy’s annual club recruitment officially concluded.

Across the academy grounds, first-year students returned to their residences with completely different emotions.

Many wore satisfied smiles after successfully joining the clubs they had worked so hard to enter.

Some excitedly discussed future projects with their new teammates.

Others proudly showed off the club badges they had received.

Not everyone was fortunate enough to celebrate.

Several students walked back in silence.

Because of their family status, lack of influence, or weak recommendations, they had been forced to settle for lower-tier clubs instead of the ones they truly wanted.

For many of them, that wasn’t merely a matter of pride.

Within the Royal Academy, a club’s reputation directly affected the opportunities available to its members.

Better clubs received greater funding.

Access to more research projects.

Meeting Higher-ranking professors.

Most importantly...

More chances to earn valuable Academy Points.

Choosing the wrong club could quietly widen the gap between students long before their first examinations even began.

Without most of the first years realizing it...

The end of club recruitment wasn’t simply the final event of Orientation Week.

It was another important step toward the beginning of their true academy life.

The pieces had already been placed upon the board.

Now...

The game itself was about to begin.

***

The Next Day in the North Wing, Residence of Felix Ashenlocke.

Morning sunlight poured through the tall windows of Felix’s residence in the North Wing, filling the spacious reception hall with a warm glow.

The room had already been prepared for distinguished guests.

A long-polished table stood at the center, surrounded by finely crafted chairs, while silver trays carrying fresh pastries, fruit, and expensive fruit wine rested neatly along the sides.

Several maids and butlers quietly moved throughout the room with practiced elegance, serving refreshments to the young nobles without interrupting their conversation.

Despite their young age...

Everyone gathered inside carried a status that would one day influence Britannia itself.

Felix Ashenlocke lazily leaned back in his chair before letting out a quiet sigh.

"So..."

He looked across the table toward the young prince with a faintly annoyed expression.

"If I may complain for a moment, Prince Tristin... Why exactly are we holding this meeting inside my house?"

Before Tristin could answer, laughter echoed from the side.

The young Mainline noble of House Derlis picked up a glass cup of colorless fuzzy fruit wine before grinning.

"At least we’re not helping ourselves to those expensive refreshments you’ve been hiding away."

He laughed playfully.

"You’re unbelievably stingy, Felix."

Still smiling, he leaned over and poked Felix’s cheek with a finger.

Felix immediately brushed his hand away with obvious annoyance.

"Keep your hands to yourself."

The others around the table chuckled.

Another young noble suddenly looked around the room before clicking his tongue.

"Something feels off."

He rested one arm across the back of his chair.

"Why aren’t there any girls here?"

A lustful grin slowly spread across his face.

"Knowing you, Felix... I thought you would’ve already charmed a few first-year girls by now."

Felix snorted.

His eyes slowly moved toward the speaker.

"Coming from the man who can’t even win over a maggot Commoner... despite throwing piles of money around."

He looked Basil up and down without hiding the mockery in his eyes.

"Maybe it’s because of that oversized body of yours. Basil Evermont."

Laughter immediately erupted around the table.

Even a few of the servants lowered their heads to hide their smiles.

"You!"

Basil shot to his feet so suddenly that his chair scraped loudly across the wooden floor.

His face turned bright red.

Before another word could leave his mouth...

"Calm yourself, Basil."

Gareth spoke in his usual calm voice.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of urgency.

Yet those simple words immediately drew Basil’s attention.

The angry young noble glared at Gareth for a brief moment.

Then...

He slowly let out a long breath.

"...Tch."

With obvious reluctance, he dropped back into his seat.

The room gradually settled again.

The young noble from House Derlis chuckled before continuing the conversation.

"Speaking of girls..."

He leaned forward with renewed curiosity.

"Did either of you happen to see Diane and Vera yesterday?"

"Forget about the girls, Demond."

Prince Tristin interrupted before the conversation could drift further.

His calm voice immediately silenced the room.

The playful mood disappeared almost instantly.

He slowly turned toward Felix.

"Felix."

His expression remained composed.

"Is what you told me yesterday... actually true?"

His sharp eyes remained fixed on Felix.

"Has Vera really become that close to that Lowline... the same way she once became close to that dead trash named Palmer?"