Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

They say if coincidences repeat, it becomes fate.

There seemed to be no phrase more apt to describe my situation than that single line.

On a night with flickering candlelight…

I opened a grimoire for the first time in a while and picked up a palm-sized piece of paper that had been carefully tucked between its pages.

[To Bernhard, Werner]

It was the letter that I received from Mrs. Diemann when I set out on my journey as a stowaway.

After holding it up to the candlelight for a while and observing it from various angles, I put it down on the desk for a moment and picked up another piece of paper.

[Invitation to the Nocturne Club]

[Werner R. Diemann]

Unlike the letter that I had obtained four months ago, this paper was a relatively recent acquisition.

“……”

Three coincidences overlapped.

While having the same name could be easily dismissed as a coincidence, I tilted my head at the fact that he was a young man around my age and finally confirmed that even the surname was the same.

“Mrs. Diemann. I guess the federation is smaller than I thought.”

It was winter. 

It was a night when snowflakes had begun to fall one by one from the sky.

#January 22nd. Snow.

The encyclopedia, which was the source of my knowledge when I was in the Empire, didn’t just contain academic or technical content.

Rather, about half of the encyclopedia was occupied by content like art, such as paintings and music, and philosophy.

But at that time, I had little to no interest in such things.

It was natural.

There was no time for the defeated Empire to be distracted by trivial matters unrelated to survival.

Even I, who was in a slightly better situation, was the same. I couldn’t possibly be interested in the history of artwork I had never seen or music I had never heard.

Not to mention philosophy, which was full of pedantic language.

Literature was the only thing that piqued my interest, but even that was for the purpose of learning the Frauvian language.

I can then say that culture had long ceased to exist in my life.

However, the federation was different.

Street musicians are abundant everywhere, and most shops have a framed picture hanging on the wall.

There are libraries where many citizens enjoy expensive books and sometimes engage in discussions during meal times.

Such scenery gave me impressions no less impactful than steamships or trains.

On the other hand, the reason I’m suddenly talking about this is none other than…

[Invitation to the Nocturne Club]

[Werner R. Diemann]

…the fact that I received such an invitation from Werner.

December. Was it right after confirming the entrance exam results?

Suddenly, Werner took out a notebook and pencil from his bag, scribbled something furiously, tore out a piece of paper, and handed it to me. Then…

With these words, he laughed heartily and abruptly left the campus.

A month and a half has passed since that day.

At first, I had no idea what kind of invitation it was and didn’t even think about going, but through the information I’ve gathered since then, I’ve figured out its meaning to some extent.

The Nocturne Club.

A social gathering with almost all information shrouded in mystery.

Location unknown. Organizer unknown. Entry is only possible with a recommendation letter from a club member.

Befitting its secretive nature, it’s said to be a gathering where renowned artists and scholars from not only Frauzen but across the entire federation gather.

Judging from the circumstances, it seems Werner is also a member of the Nocturne Club, and he gave me a recommendation letter to participate in the Nocturne Club.

I thought it was a good opportunity.

After all, I needed to meet Werner personally to hand over Mrs. Diemann’s letter anyway.

Although I needed to devise a means not to be discovered as a stowaway from the Empire.

So, the day I had decided in my heart to take action was today, January 22nd.

However.

“No matter how I look at it, it’s suspicious.”

When the day actually came, a sigh escaped from my mouth.

There was a woman who looked at me with interest as I clutched my head with a troubled expression.

Lily Lovelace. The director of the telegraph bureau.

“Our assistant telegraph operator… I was wondering what you were doing during break time, but it seems you’ve gotten involved in something interesting, huh?”

“Does it look that way?”

“Yes. Your face is interesting.”

It was now break time at the Eastern Telegraph Bureau.

Usually, as soon as the bell signaling the break rang, it was the staff’s routine to rush to the tables and engage in conversation.

However, because of the director, who would sit down in front of me with her terribly strong pipe whenever she was bored, no one dared to approach the small table where I usually sat.

As a result, today, too, I ended up sitting face-to-face with the director.

“…Director, your face looks interesting too.”

“That so? That’s because it actually is interesting.”

The situation at the Eastern Telegraph Bureau had stabilized a lot.

The complexion of Director Lovelace, who had been worn out with fatigue, had improved greatly, but that decadent face with a mischievous smile showed no signs of disappearing.

The director crossed her legs and lit her pipe anew as she asked.

“So, what’s the matter?”

Should I tell her or not? 

After a moment’s hesitation, I spoke honestly.

“…Director. Have you ever heard of the Nocturne Club?”

“The Nocturne Club, you say.”

Whoosh.

The tobacco leaves caught fire, and smoke rose.

“Someone of the upper class like me couldn’t know about it even if I wanted to.”

“Do people usually call themselves upper class with their own mouth?”

“A group where intellectuals from all walks of life, promising students, or just rich people who’ve developed a taste for sponsoring such people gather, they say. In fact, while rumors are rampant, I’ve never actually seen anyone who claims to be a member of the Nocturne Club.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“Eugene, don’t tell me…”

Director Lovelace, who had been inhaling the smoke, suddenly widened her eyes, leaned forward until our noses almost touched, and whispered.

With her flowing blonde hair tickling my face, she whispered.

Every time she opened her mouth, I could smell the scent of burnt grass tickling my nose.

“Did you perhaps receive an invitation?”

“…When you say it like that, I feel scared now. Is this something I’ll be arrested for if I talk about it?”

“Pfft. It’s not like that. So you really did receive an invitation. Good gracious.”

The playfulness in the director’s face subsided slightly.

It was a genuinely surprised look, albeit a slight one.

“An invitation to the Nocturne Club… Eugene, what’s your true identity?”

“Pardon?”

True identity?

As I held my breath, the director continued with a serious expression.

“Has a rumor already spread that you’re a genius in magic studies? You only said you did well on the entrance exam. No, more than that, who gave you the invitation?”

Ah. That kind of identity.

I closed my mouth with internal relief. Somehow, it felt like I shouldn’t answer that question.

Soon after, disappointment filled Director Lovelace’s expression.

“Not telling me this… I was confident I could squeeze out a lot of investment money if I could just become a member.”

So that was her impure intention.

“Eugene. If you become a member later, invite me too. I’ll treat you well. Okay?”

Pretending to avoid the cigarette smoke, I gently ignored the director’s words and fell into thought.

If nothing else, judging from Director Lovelace’s reaction, the fame of the Nocturne Club seemed to be beyond imagination.

The words that came from the mouth of the director, who was undoubtedly a member of the upper class despite being a somewhat abandoned child, were more reliable than the rumors circulating among the public.

But.

“……”

It’s still suspicious, I say.

It’s not that I particularly distrust Director Lovelace or Werner.

What I’m concerned about is none other than the contents of the invitation.

Besides the meeting place of the Nocturne Club, there was one more thing written on the invitation Werner gave me, and its content was outrageous.

[Dress Code]

[Hat-wearing recommended.]

[Neckties strictly forbidden. Permanent entry ban for wearing bow ties.]

[For shirts, unbutton the third button.]

[Shoes must be mismatched.]

[Entry will not be permitted if the above items are violated.]

“……”

What on earth is this?

Although I had made up my mind long ago, this grotesque dress code clause was holding me back.

A group of intellectuals? This is just a group of clowns, isn’t it?

As I was pondering, inhaling the now-familiar scent of pipe tobacco.

I felt a presence right behind me.

“…Lena?”

“The Nocturne Club. An interesting topic of conversation, isn’t it, director, who has a mountain of work piled up?”

It was Lena.

Lena, who was invariably holding an armful of document folders to her chest, was glaring at Director Lovelace with sharp eyes.

I wonder how long she had been listening to the conversation.

Even the director, who had been exuding a seductive aura while enjoying her cigarette, stiffened when she received Lena’s cold gaze.

It means she felt guilty about something. Probably for abandoning her work and coming out to take a break.

Perhaps because it wasn’t a one-time occurrence, she didn’t feel it was worth reprimanding.

Lena heaved a deep sigh once, then spoke.

“Never mind. By the way, it’s not like there’s absolutely no one known to be a Nocturne Club member.”

It was a statement hard to ignore.

When I asked who that might be, Lena answered with a visibly contorted expression.

“The ruffian from School 4. Werner Ross Diemann.”

“……”

“He’s a famous figure in many ways. You could say he’s the type of person I would never get along with, even if I died.”

I agreed.

Although I hadn’t had a deep conversation with Werner yet, one could generally see the compatibility between people.

I laughed lightly.

Seeing Lena’s contorted expression, for some reason, I felt like laughing, and at the same time, my previous worries seemed pointless.

“Eugene. Why are you laughing?”

“Hahaha. No. It’s nothing. More importantly, let me help you carry some of those documents.”

“Ugh. I-I’m fine.”

Regardless of her protests, I forcibly took seven-tenths of the documents from Lena’s arms and then moved the documents to the director’s office with Lena.

Director Lovelace was half-forcibly transported into the director’s office, being dragged by one of Lena’s hands.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Eugene. Wait a moment.”

As I was about to return to work after putting down the documents on the desk in the director’s office, the director took something out of a drawer and handed it to me.

An elegant wooden box containing who knows what.

Even at a glance, it looked expensive.

“What is this?”

“A pipe.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re an adult now, right? Consider it a performance bonus and accept it.”

Director Lovelace grinned.

“I recommend taking it with you when you go to the Nocturne Club.”

That night. After informing Susan and Lena about my outing, I stepped outside…

…wearing a hat, with the third button of my shirt unbuttoned and no tie, wearing mismatched shoes, and holding a pipe in one hand.

T/N

Hello! Axiomatic here.

I’m changing the schedule for this novel to every weekend since my main translation (I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince) needs more of my attention. I might change the schedule in the future if I can allot more time, and it’s unfortunate I have to do this since I really like this novel as a reader. If I can come up with a feasible schedule that doesn’t compromise either of my novels, I’ll be sure to implement it right away.

Apologies for the inconvenience, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one!