Chapter 87 - Shadow (10)

"What's with you?"

"Nice to see you again. Thank you for last time."

"I told you to come visit the Art Club, not join it, didn't I?"

"Coming to the Art Club was my choice... it has nothing to do with you."

She stopped her brushwork abruptly as if lost in thought, then put her brush in its holder and said.

"...Really?"

"..."

"You didn't imagine some fateful encounter just because I helped you a bit and joined the Art Club on your own, did you?"

"..."

"Gloomy-looking kids always turn out like this when you're a bit nice to them... I'm quite sensitive about that. Just asking in case."

Looking back, my expression had been dark when accompanying this senior to find Liria. I never imagined that image would stick.

"Your concerns are excessive."

Earlier, Professor Georgia had mentioned that because there were many female members, students with impure intentions sometimes joined. Considering that, I could fully understand her sensitive reaction.

"Well, whatever. I'll trust you for now. I'm Fabella."

Since her right hand was covered in paint, she extended her left hand for a handshake instead. And on that hand's ring finger was a ring.

When I stared at that hand blankly, she seemed to notice my gaze and smiled slightly as she continued.

"Ah, this ring. My fiancé gave it to me. Pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"My fiancé is obsessive enough to come to Eternia, so be careful. I don't want any trouble."

Such conversations weren't too late to have after getting to know each other properly. In my experience, saying such things right after introductions should be understood as intending to draw clear boundaries. It could also be interpreted as showing off “how loved I am”... but my intuition said that was definitely not the case here.

I now had an external reason to keep an emotional distance from this woman. I should stay away until the first impression fades.

Seeing how lukewarm other members' attitudes were toward a new member after so long, it seemed best to keep quiet for a while. I came here to learn painting, and I could prove that through actions.

"By the way, why did you tell me to come to the Art Club?"

"Ah, I needed some extra help with something. I was planning to use you and send you back, but I didn't expect you'd actually join..."

Yet her tone suggesting she wasn't happy about me joining was strangely irritating.

"Are you displeased that I joined?"

"No... well, that's..."

Though she said that, displeasure seeped through Fabella's expression.

I spoke politely, "Please call me when you need help. I'll help then."

Then, I stood up and picked up my easel and chair.

Fabella spoke as if somewhat flustered, "What are... you doing?"

"There's a plant I want to paint, so I'm moving my seat."

"If that's the case, I can help..."

"It's fine."

I gathered my things and moved away from Fabella.

As I crossed through the members again to move to the opposite side, someone grabbed the back of my clothes.

Not just one person either.

Three different hands strongly grabbed my clothes, preventing me from passing.

"Sit down." 

"New guy, sit here." 

"Why are you wandering around so much?"

"...?"

Then they took my chair and put it beside them, patting it to indicate I should sit.

"This isn't painting time right now. Sit."

"..."

I had to reluctantly sit there, unable to resist their firm hands.

They even took my easel and moved it. I couldn't move freely, caught by three female seniors.

"Sit here quietly and wait."

This is a bit bewildering. Why are they acting like this?

Georgia, the only person who could help me in this unexpected situation, was distracted discussing something with members sitting in the front.

The members seemed to be strongly urging something from her. 

What’s happening?

"Professor!"

"It's Mount Grace training week now. When did you all hate training week, saying you didn't want to get dirt on your pretty clothes?"

"The weather's so nice, are we just going to sit here?"

"We're out of paint too!"

"We were supposed to have class in front of the Guardian Tree, but we couldn't because it's off-limits!"

Georgia spoke as if troubled, "Going to Mount Grace for training week with a new member?"

"He's from the Combat Department! He'll be fine!"

"What's wrong with that? We have to do it sometime anyway."

Georgia strongly rebuked, "Hey! You made someone run away doing that before!"

"That was a misunderstanding. He left because he was embarrassed after confessing and getting rejected on his own!"

"If we don't do the initiation ceremony, we won't welcome him!"

The female members all laughed brightly, excited about something.

Georgia sighed deeply, brushing her hair back, and called me, "Damian!"

When she gestured to me, only then did the seniors restraining me release their hold and pat my back as if telling me to go.

"Alright, go on!"

"..."

Freed, I stepped forward with a sour expression.

Georgia took me about twenty paces away from where the members were gathered and said, "Really can't live with these girls. They couldn't welcome you properly because they're worried you might switch to another department."

"Is it possible to switch departments?"

"Yes, you can switch until next week. More importantly Damian, have you dealt with many Planteras? Not the big scout Planteras, but weaker ones like in the entrance exam."

"...Who’s asking?"

"Do you know about training week? Eternia releases Planteras on Mount Grace every other week for student training. It'll be similar to the entrance exam."

"But is there any reason we need to go to Mount Grace?"

"We make all our dyes and brushes from materials collected at Mount Grace. Haa, we usually avoid training week, but these girls are protesting to go because you came."

"..."

"Think of it as a kind of initiation ceremony. If you get through this, they'll treat you well. The girls are actually all nice. And they take really good care of juniors like their own children?"

"That's all fine, but I didn't bring my sword..."

"Professor!"

Just then, a female student trotted over to us carrying a scabbard.

"I found this in the greenhouse. Seems like a really good sword without an owner~"

"..."

Georgia snatched the sword and waved her hand, signaling the student to go back. Then, she slightly drew the sword with its fancy handle. The brass-colored blade sparkled in the sunlight.

"They have everything ready, these cunning girls. This is a sword made of Biotain metal, called the Heart of the Mountain. It belongs to Haley, a third-year from the Combat Department. Your direct senior. Will this work?"

"Yes, it's possible."

Though I can do it, there are some concerns.

I'm more used to dismembering limbs with a sword than cutting Planteras.

I'm worried someone might recognize my habits from when I did that while wearing a mask during the entrance exam.

I'll have to be extremely careful not to show those habits.

"But is it okay to use lost property... as we please?"

Georgia gave a dry laugh and answered, "What lost property? Haley is our Art Club president. The blonde girl sitting in front with her hair tied back, pale face looking like a fox. Return it to her when we're done."

***

The Art Club members left the greenhouse and moved in line like they were going on a picnic. Their chattering never ceased; seeing them out in the yard was like watching excited baby chicks.

Around the foothills of Mount Grace, Planteras began appearing sporadically in the distance.

Professor Georgia led the dispirited male students, who were overwhelmed by the female students' energy, from the rear.

"Hey, you're all decent guys in your departments, why do you lose all energy when you come here?"

Excluding Damian, there were only five male Art Club members. One from the Magic Department, two from the Alchemy Department, and two from Magic Engineering Department. They were all young masters who only did research in their rooms.

In truth, Professor Georgia knew why they were so intimidated.

Large clubs like Drama and Dance were big enough to be divided into A and B classes. Yet the Art Club never fell behind them in school competitions. This was because of the strong spirit of the female Art Club members, enough to be called an elite few.

Though exclusive, they conversely had strong internal bonds. Once they accepted someone, they actively looked after juniors and never abandoned them.

The only shame was that these innocent boys were always intimidated due to being in such an intensely female-dominated group. Georgia put her arms around the male students' shoulders and encouraged them.

"You guys are the core of our Art Club. You know that?"

"..."

"Professor, will that friend be alright?"

One student looked worriedly at Damian.

Damian was currently busy dealing with Planteras at the very front of the formation.

They worried he might end up in the same situation as them after being worn down like this.

Georgia had instructed them to face Planteras in groups of five when they started.

One group of male students, and one group of quiet female students.

The remaining twenty or so... followed right behind Damian.

"Senior Haley is the strongest in the Art Club, but..."

Haley, the Art Club president who must have cut down hundreds of Planteras, was following behind Damian and screaming enthusiastically, "Eek! New guy, here!"

For the male students, seeing this side of her for the first time was utterly bewildering.

Another male student added, "Senior Zenia... usually handles five Planteras at once..."

Parts of Planteras that had been hit directly by Zenia's magic had once been found in the student plaza.

And Zenia, too, was screaming behind Damian.

"Mommy! New guy, over here too!"

Though Damian was being pulled in all directions, Georgia wasn't worried about him.

"Leave them be. They even talked about having to use beauty tactics like the Drama Club because no male members were joining, so imagine how excited they are now. Damian will be fine. I'm good at reading people, you know. There’s a subtle stubbornness and indomitable strength about him. I saw earlier, he didn't even get intimidated in the power struggle with Fabella."

"With Senior Fabella...?"

Fabella was just as strong-willed as Art Club president Haley. She hadn't come along to Mount Grace, citing poor health.

"Besides, he's someone Professor Silveryn brought directly. I've never seen anyone as strong-willed as that woman in my life, so imagine how he grew up under her."

A Magic Department male student exclaimed in surprise.

"He was Professor Silveryn's disciple?"

"Yes, keep your voice down."

"But, how... haa"

His sigh contained complex emotions mixing envy, jealousy, and self-deprecation.

The position of Silveryn's disciple was more than enough to draw envy from Magic Department students.

Georgia scolded him as she always did.

"No sighing. No lamenting. It makes you look weak, so stop it."

"..."

"You're all too young to understand. There are so many cases where people who seem to live such great and wonderful lives turn out to be the complete opposite when you look at their inner selves and past. There are even cases where they went through such painful processes that you'd think 'I couldn't live like that' even if offered wealth and honor."

Georgia intuitively felt it without needing to dig up the past. That Damian was a boy with many stories. It was greedy for children who had lived smooth lives to want to stand in Damian's position.

"How much hardship could a mere seventeen-year-old have gone through..."

She finally gave the Magic Department student a knock on the head.

***

I sweated for a while dealing with Planteras using an unfamiliar sword. Though it was tough covering for nearly twenty people, thanks to that, the cold silence of our first meeting was erased and the atmosphere changed to one of seeming acceptance.

The Art Club members gathered on a small hill with gentle slopes. It was a place with clear views having no trees, and flowers blooming everywhere.

I didn't know such a place existed near Eternia. It was a perfect location for the Art Club that pursued beauty. Even Planteras seemed to appreciate the scenery, not chasing us here to harass us.

The members seemed familiar with the place, spreading out and skillfully gathering flowers with practiced movements.

The Art Club vice president who introduced herself as Zenia grabbed my forearm and dragged me around here and there. Then, she taught me the basics of the Art Club.

"If flower names are hard to remember, just remember red, blue, green. Plus white. You can combine most colors by making dyes from those."

Sshe plucked a red flower and held it in front of me, asking, "What's this flower called?"

"Charlia. The blue one is Glorins, and the green is Peton herb."

She praised with an exaggerated expression, "Oh, so good! How can you be so good at catching Planteras and smart too?"

"..."

She patted my head with her palm and said, "You pass. Though the president hasn't acknowledged you yet, you’re a pass for me. Do you know how historic our Art Club is? If you get on our good side, your school life will bloom. If you have questions during joint class, come to the president or me. We'll really help you, so don't go anywhere else. Just put down roots here. Okay? Got it? Our president comes from a powerful family in the Empire, you know? She invites members for vacation during breaks and everything?"

Behind her cheerfulness lied the sorrow and desperation of being non-mainstream, making it impossible to say anything harsh.

"...I understand."

"And the Dance and Drama Club kids haven't come yet."

"...Pardon?"

"Looking at your expression, not yet. Yeah, those pig girls will come bother you soon. If it seems bad, call us. We'll drive them all away."

Pig... girls? Drive away?

Are they rivals with those departments?

I also wonder why they'd come looking for me. Since Trisha was in the Drama Club, I should ask her about it today.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Yeah, but where did our president go..."

Peace was broken at an unexpected moment. Suddenly, an explosion sound rang out from beyond the hill.

—BOOM!

Soon after, acrid smoke rose slowly into the sky.

And sharp screams echoed with it.

The startled members' gazes all turned toward where the boom had come from.

The vice president and I ran to the hilltop without anyone taking the lead. Climbing up there and looking down the hill, we saw five burning Planteras surrounding a fallen woman.

Gray hair, a familiar face. Though it had been a long time since we met, for various reasons we couldn't exchange pleasant greetings.

The person who had fallen was Lilith, the girl who had accompanied me during the entrance exam.