"......Sorry."Mei-rin, with her hands on her knees, bowed her head deeply beside Simon, who was groaning and sitting down.Simon forced a smile and said, "It's okay. You didn't do it on purpose...... Ugh!""Ah! Are you really okay? I told you to just go to the infirmary!"Simon forced a smile, pretending to be fine. If he went there, and the doctor ordered him to stop classes, it would be truly unfair. It was better to just endure it."Ah."He met Kamibarez's gaze from the opposite seat.With a mix of worry and welcome, she smiled shyly and greeted him. "Hello, Simon~""Hi. You've been fine too, Kami?""Yes!"Just then, Dick dramatically took off his school uniform jacket."Anyway, back to what we were talking about......"He then began pulling out club flyers from various pockets on his clothes."This club season is the only time throughout the entire year when the second-years treat us well."It seemed they were also talking about clubs. Simon, curious, asked, "They're not just treating us well. Why are they so desperate for first-year recruits?"Dick chuckled and made a coin shape with his fingers. "Isn't it all about money? The club's funding varies greatly depending on the number of new members.""......Aha."Simon immediately understood. Funding was crucial in Kizen life."As the semester goes on, some first-years do withdraw from clubs or get expelled from Kizen, but the reduction in funding for withdrawals is small. So, the general trend is to secure as many kids as possible first! Ugh, how did I even get a flyer in my back pocket?"Dick grumbled, pulling a flyer from his back pocket. Indeed, every single pocket was stuffed with flyers."And."Mei-rin tapped her own shoulder and continued, "They say it's common for them to treat you like dirt as soon as the club recruitment season ends. So, don't even look at strange places. It's safer to join a somewhat major club.""Which ones did you guys join?"At Simon's question, Kamibarez raised her hand brightly. "I joined 'Sadam', the Hemomancy Research Society!""Ah, that one."Simon gave a wry smile."I joined the Pure Magic Research Society." Mei-rin said.Pure magic was the old style of magic that used only mana to draw magic circles, not Jet Black."Pure Magic Research Society? Why there?"At Simon's question, Dick also looked up. "I wanted to ask too. Why suddenly learn pure magic?""I'm from the Ivory Tower, so I'm interested, and no matter what, it's the origin of Jet Black Elemental Magic, isn't it? I heard you can gain a lot of inspiration by studying it."Both of them chose clubs that matched their desired subjects or specialties.Simon turned his head. "What about you, Dick?"Dick shrugged. "Hehe! I created a new club entirely!""Really? What kind of club?""Rochester Startup Support Association!""......Ugh."Mei-rin made a disgusted face. "Are there really people who would join a place like that? Don't they only allow establishment if there are at least three members?""I found them quickly. I just went to kids who weren't interested in clubs and told them if they just put their name down, I'd give them a cut of the funding, and they all rushed in!""......Your life is full of tricks, as always.""Call it a shortcut."Kamibarez leaned forward and said, "What about you, Simon? Have you decided where to go?""I'm still thinking."Simon said, putting a potato chip into his mouth. It was a spicy potato chip, heavily sprinkled with chili powder, just like Dick's preference."But Simon, did you perhaps get a recruitment offer from 'Noble'?"At Dick's question, Simon's expression twitched. "Oh, I did get one.""Kuh, as expected! I heard Special Admission Student No. 1 was also a target for recruitment!""Noble? Isn't that the club where the Prince is?""That's right. A gathering of power brokers."Dick crossed his arms. "It's a very arrogant place, but there's no harm in joining. The various benefits go without saying, and you can form a powerful faction with the second-years. They say if anyone messes with their juniors, the second-years will step in and crush them all?""Ugh, how petty. How petty."Mei-rin shook her head. Dick then glared at her with a serious expression."You wouldn't know, having the huge background of the Ivory Tower, but in Kizen life, having 'connections' or not makes a huge difference. If you have Noble behind you, people's attitudes around you change.""Connections or whatever, it ultimately stems from a weak desire to rely on something, doesn't it? In the end, the only thing you can trust is yourself.""That's why you, with the Ivory Tower......"While the three of them were talking, Simon was seriously contemplating which club to join.His gaze drifted to the flyer for the 'Special Undead Research Society' he had just received from a second-year.* * *'Should I at least hear them out?'In the end, Simon was heading to the clubroom of the Special Undead Research Society, 'Mutant'.The building where the clubroom was located was a little far from the main first-year campus. It was a building close to the central area where restaurants and cafes were concentrated."Hey, wait a minute!"Simon turned his head. A female student with long, cream-colored hair flowing down to her waist was approaching."She's a second-year."She had taken off her school uniform jacket and tied it around her waist, but he could tell just from her background information without seeing the red mark.Unlike the first-year female students who wore relatively light makeup, she had overall heavy makeup, high-level eye makeup, and a short skirt.Second-years boldly altered their Kizen uniforms to their own style.Male students made their pants tighter, and female students shortened their skirts. Still, the barrier embedded in the uniform provided full-body protection, so there was no problem."Did you call, Senior?"Simon bowed respectfully. She approached with confident strides, crossed her arms, and smiled."Seeing you've come all this way, you must have already decided on a club?""Ah, no. I haven't decided yet, I just came to hear an explanation."Just then, her gaze went to the flyer in Simon's hand."Oh! Oh! Oh! That! That!"She suddenly rushed forward, closing the distance. Simon slightly pulled his neck back as the distance abruptly shortened."Are you perhaps thinking of joining 'Mutant'?""I just came to hear an explana......""Hahahaha! Good! Very good!"She laughed cheerfully and slapped Simon's back! Hard!The force was incomparable to when Mei-rin hit him, and Simon almost screamed."Huh, what's wrong with you? Why are your eyes welling up with tears?""......It's nothing.""Are you that moved to join my club? Kya hahahaha! Of course, of course!""First, if I could just hear the explana......"She grabbed Simon's wrist with strong force and pulled him, shouting, "Let's go!"She was the type who rarely listened to others.On top of that, she was extremely moody, had a high-pitched voice, and her expression exuded sky-high confidence.She walked with long strides, her short uniform skirt fluttering carelessly, as she pulled Simon along by the wrist to a shabby clubroom.A piece of paper with the crookedly written words 'Mutant' was taped to the door, with colors smudged in places and the tape haphazardly applied."Come on in!""Thank you."The clubroom was a bit older and shabbier than he expected. He had heard that Kizen's clubs were large, grand, and flashy, but at least this one was different from that rumor.But it wasn't bad. It felt like a hideout, and he liked the comfortable atmosphere.Simon's taste had always been for simple, well-worn things rather than flashy ones."......You're here?"A second-year male student, who had been lying on the sofa, sat up, rubbing his messy hair.Simon immediately recognized him. It was the dark-circled male student who had given him the flyer."What are you doing, Dio! Today's the last day!""......I'm sleepy. And anyway, even if I hand out flyers, not many people will come.""Not many people? Look who's here!"She pointed at Simon and shouted. The man, called Dio, belatedly noticed Simon."Oh...... you're......""Good to see you again, Senior."Simon showed him the flyer he had received and bowed respectfully."You two stay here for a bit! I'm going to go back to the first-year area one more time!""......I told you to just stay.""I'm going!"She quickly closed the clubroom door and left. Dio sighed softly and then looked at Simon."......You make yourself comfortable too.""Huh?"He lay back down on the sofa and said, "......We'll have the interview soon, so until then...... *mumble mumble*."And then he fell asleep. Thinking they were eccentric people, Simon moved his head.'Should I take a quick look around?'Simon examined every corner of the clubroom.The further back he looked, the more professional it smelled. It felt more like a workshop than just a place for relaxation.Perhaps they developed undead directly here, as various undead materials, comparable to those in a necromancer shop, were displayed on shelves. On the desks, various blueprints, knives, scissors, and even carved bones were scattered. 'So this is why the clubroom seemed small.'There were even machines in the back of the room.An automatic banding machine powered by magic stones, and even a cold-treatment machine.Simon looked around with a curious expression. If he could just use these machines, the benefits of joining this club seemed sufficient.Knock, knock.Just then, there was a knock at the door. Dio was still asleep and unresponsive, so Simon answered instead."Yes, come in."Click.The door opened, and a man with a cold expression and glasses entered.He was wearing a hooded shirt under his school uniform jacket, and the hood was pulled down, emphasizing his bangs while giving him a closed-off and rigid impression.'He's a first-year.'Seeing him look around curiously as soon as he entered, Simon spoke."The seniors said they'll start a little later. They told us to sit down and relax, right?"He nodded lightly and sat comfortably on the sofa as if it were his own home. Then he took out a book from his subspace and silently flipped through the pages, scanning them with his eyes.Simon subtly glanced at the book's title.<Why Can't Chimpanzees Be Philosophers?>'......What kind of book is that?'Just as he was thinking that this guy was a bit strange, a second knock sounded."Yes, come in."The door opened slightly, and a short boy peeked his face in. Then he saw Simon, and his eyes widened."Ah, Simon!""Toto!"It was Toto Amory, a fellow Summoning Studies major from Class A. He had been very nervous, but now he smiled brightly with relief and said, "Simon! Are you joining here too?""Huh? Oh. I haven't decided yet."Meeting someone he knew in an unfamiliar place eased the atmosphere considerably.The two chatted animatedly. The glasses-wearing guy didn't seem interested, still engrossed in his reading."I came all this way just to see one senior."Toto said with an excited voice."Which senior?""I heard a rumor."Toto lowered his voice and said, "The president of this club is the famous......""Second-year, Special Admission Student No. 5, currently a member of the student council, Benya Vanilla."Both of their heads snapped up. The glasses-wearing guy, who had taken his eyes off his book, was now looking at Simon and Toto as he spoke.Simon's eyes widened at the familiar name."Wait a minute! Vanilla, as in that......""Yeah."The glasses-wearing guy's eyes gleamed. "The granddaughter of the Vanilla Group chairman is the president of this club."
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