The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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If we’re following the original work, Exipri would indeed join the Baking Club, but she was just the sort of character that could easily gain favor, so it might be better for her to join a different club.

In truth, she was the type to follow someone around just for a piece of candy; it was dangerous to leave Exipri alone considering how well she got along with people, so she ended up in a club full of tasty sweets.

With her, it felt like even just offering her a single candy a day would inevitably lead to her being targeted. It felt like I was becoming a bad person, but it couldn’t be helped.

That left the remaining candidates as the Magic Research Club or Swordsmanship Club…

Naturally, the Swordsmanship Club with Anastasia would be preferable. The Theology Club, due to its theme, was filled with people who were all serious about their faith, making it difficult to form any kind of relationship.

To be more precise, while it was possible to build relationships there, it wouldn’t really help in any targeting.

I considered visiting the Theology Club for Gloria’s sake, but I figured any connection with her would naturally arise once Stephanie started making her move, so I crossed it off my list.

As for magic, I already had the excellent Georg as a mentor, so there didn’t seem to be a need to learn more. Besides, I had no intention of stepping into a gloomy field filled with nothing but men.

There were other clubs with female heroines, but most had some special requirements, so it looked like the Swordsmanship Club remained the best option.

There were clubs like Camilla’s, which only allowed females, and Cecilia’s Spirit Communication Club, which required knowledge of how to communicate with spirits.

Then there was Iris, who hadn’t even mentioned what club she joined at all.

As I kept mulling it over, I became curious about what club Ho-yeon would choose.

If possible, I wanted to join the same club and take care of her, but if I became too overly concerned, it would surely tie me down too much.

Thinking this way, my future seemed a bit bleak. How could something that didn’t even exist before become this exhausting?

Glancing to the side, I found Ho-yeon still ignoring me. Even while surveying the classroom, she stubbornly avoided looking toward my direction.

I wondered why she was being like this again, but quickly decided to let it go.

Even though we had only met for a day, she had already shown various signs of being indecisive, so I assumed this was just an extension of that nature.

There was no real need to ask, but out of curiosity, I decided to ask her, even at the risk of being ignored.

I definitely wanted to know what club she wanted to join, if nothing else.

“Do you have any clubs in mind?”

“…A club, you say?”

Startled by my sudden question, she looked a bit surprised, as if she had been lost in thought.

Her expression didn’t change, but her ears perked up slightly, lending credence to my assumption.

Above all, her tone suggested that it was the first time she had heard such a thing.

“Yes. Today is the day for choosing clubs; did you not know?”

“…I see.”

I couldn’t tell if she was uninterested or unaware. Probably both. After a moment of silence as if she was contemplating, she finally replied.

“A club… No. I haven’t thought about it.”

In that case, I almost suggested the Swordsmanship Club but held back. We didn’t seem close enough for that, and besides, it felt too blatant. So I thought of approaching it indirectly.

“Are you perhaps interested in swordsmanship?”

In a subtle way, I tried to convey my intentions without directly asking if she would join the Swordsmanship Club.

However, her response was far from enthusiastic.

“Swordsmanship, huh? The only thing I learned as a child from my father was just a dabble. Even that was just playing around, nothing worth showing to others. Why do you ask?”

I couldn’t tell if she had caught my drift, but she didn’t seem too pleased. Her expression remained unchanged, making it impossible to gauge her inner thoughts.

However, her mentioning that she had only dabbled in it as a child and downplaying it seemed to suggest that swordsmanship wasn’t exactly something she wanted to pursue.

“I noticed you haven’t settled on a club yet, so I thought I’d inquire to see if you had any interests.”

“…I may consider it. Thank you for your concern.”

It didn’t sound like she was dismissing me with an “Who do you think you are?” tone, so it seemed I hadn’t made her dislike me. But it was clear that coaxing her into the Swordsmanship Club was a failure.

Ho-yeon didn’t seem inclined to continue speaking and was, once again, staring blankly ahead. Since it was clear she was signaling that it was time to stop talking, I refrained from pressing further to avoid annoying her.

By the way, it was surprisingly polite of her, considering her position.

As I was lost in thought about these trivial things, soon after, Teacher Dorothy entered through the front door.

After a quick greeting, she announced an important notice.

“Um… Nice to meet you! Students, as you all know, today is the day to select clubs. While it’s not mandatory, it could help you when you eventually leave the academy, and since they are clubs with a long-standing history in the prestigious Amauros Academy, I recommend joining if you’re interested!”

Summarizing the various announcements that followed, today was the day when representatives from all clubs would come to explain their offerings from the first to the sixth period, so there would be no classes. A month later was midterms, so students should study ahead, and the student council was conducting a vote on where the school trip would go, so please make sure to cast your precious vote.

Once she finished her speech, the teacher quickly exited the classroom.

A little later, with the bell signaling the end of the first period, a club promotional ambassador entered the classroom.

“Attention: The Swordsmanship Club’s room is located in Gymnasium No. 1. Those interested, please visit after school.”

With the bell marking the end of the sixth period, the promotions for the Swordsmanship Club concluded.

I listened to everything, but nothing really struck a chord. The magic of the Magic Research Club had briefly caught my eye, but ultimately, it was just mana use, and I found it frustrating.

The Spirit Communication Club and the Social Club didn’t seem all that appealing either.

At least when the Spirit Communication Club ambassador first summoned a spirit, I felt the presence of a God, which briefly jolted me awake.

Still, even that felt warped and weak, leaving me to question whether I really felt anything at all.

Even sending a note didn’t yield any response, which made me suspect it was either my imagination or something made from the remnants or remains of a God.

Though it was very rare, even Gods could die back home.

My mother often faced punishment for transgressing too many of the established laws, or there were cases where two conflicting Gods would end up fighting and one would absorb the other after losing.

Yet, I had never seen a being created that even faintly carried divine presence like that ‘spirit.’

It might somehow be related to the holy power or mana present in this continent. I sensed a similar distortion there.

Well, that was that.

In the end, I still hadn’t decided on which club to join. The reason I came to the academy was to watch what the protagonist would do, so I started thinking maybe I should just follow Dokan wherever he goes.

“Do you have a club you’ve decided on?”

I asked Dokan, sitting next to me. He hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Ah… yes. I decided on the Swordsmanship Club.”

Just as expected, a fantasy protagonist is a sword-wielder. It was boring, but still, swords are undeniably cool. There was something that tugged at the hearts of men.

“Then I guess I’ll try the Swordsmanship Club too.”

“Really?”

He looked at me with that expression of having hit the jackpot. It felt strange, as if I was moving according to what he wanted, but even so, I was set on joining the Swordsmanship Club.

“You talk too much.”

I couldn’t help but comment when something didn’t sit right with me. Seeing him flinch like a puppy put me in a slightly better mood.

“Ho-yeon, are you feeling good about something? Your expression seems a bit lighter.”

However, I froze when I heard what followed. I managed to breathe easy, since I had a green ping-pong ball in my skirt pocket, but did she notice?

What should I do? I had been feeling guilty since this morning and hadn’t even dared to look at her. If she looked at me with those eyes, it would break my heart even more.

“…Lead the way to the gym where the Swordsmanship Club is located.”

Feeling a pinch, I suggested heading to the clubroom to avert the awkward situation.

Unexpectedly, she was more likely the type to help with requests. After how she responded yesterday and now, it seemed plausible.

As I followed her guidance, I felt like someone had been watching us since before. Looking around, I saw a silver-haired girl and a blonde young man tailing us.

It was Anastasia and Golden Sun.

They had been glancing in our direction since the first period. Was Golden Sun really eyeing me? I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me.

It seemed she had that sort of charm that drew people in, not to mention how she was constantly encroaching upon Sister.

When we arrived and reached the gym, I finally understood why they were approaching us.

“Hi! Are you guys interested in the Swordsmanship Club too?”