Making cookies turned out to take far longer than I'd expected. I'd thought you just mixed the dough, shaped it, tossed it in the oven, and called it done—but apparently there were other steps involved. Most of the time seemed to be spent waiting.
"All finished!"
So while I'd been staring blankly, the cookies had somehow reached completion. At the news we'd all been waiting for, Erich and Ainter sidled closer.
Those two had just been spectating while the club director did all the work. Even if joining the club hadn't been about baking for them, wasn't this a bit too blatant? Fortunately for the pair, Luize seemed to genuinely enjoy the act of baking itself and showed no dissatisfaction with her two freeloading members.
'Pathetic bastard.'
Watching Erich, who'd become Freeloader Number One, I couldn't help but think exactly that. He was already handling the weakest position—shouldn't he be increasing even minor points of contact to create opportunities? If he'd just pretended to help alongside Luize, who was passionate about baking, he would've immediately gained the advantage of a shared hobby. But he wasn't doing it.
Astonishing. Even I, who'd only seen Luize a few times, could think of this much—yet here was the guy who supposedly liked her, acting like this. Ainter was the same kind of fool. Did falling in love cause intelligence to regress? If both of them were in a state of intellectual decline, I should slip Erich a hint. Idiot, you need to at least do this much to stay competitive.
"Here, everyone try some."
At Luize's expectant words, I shifted my gaze from Erich to the cookies. Since they'd been made, I should at least eat one.
As I reached for a cookie, Luize picked one up first and held it out to me. Respecting elders, perhaps? I was moved to see such Eastern etiquette in this bizarre romance fantasy world where everything was mixed together. Behind the gently smiling Luize, I could see two pairs of eyes shooting daggers at me. Don't try to drag me into your competition. And if you're going to be jealous, at least do your part first—you're freeloaders, for crying out loud.
"Thanks."
I took the cookie Luize offered and bit into it. Usually in works like this, the protagonist's cooking skills were either heavenly or hellish—fortunately, this was decently delicious.
"Ah."
"Mm..."
But the reactions of the two eating after me seemed off. The moment they bit down, they made sounds of contemplation while gauging Luize's reaction. What's with them? Why are they acting like that?
"It's good. You could sell these."
Ignoring their strange behavior, I offered my assessment. She'd made them all by herself—the least I could do was say that much. They actually were delicious, so I had nothing to feel guilty about. Pleased by my words, Luize beamed and turned to look at the two behind her. They startled and hurriedly managed their expressions.
"Yeah, mine's delicious too. You did well."
"They're delicious, Lady Luize."
But contrary to their words, their wavering eyes were honest. If Luize hadn't been too happy about the praise to notice, she would have caught the trembling in their gazes. The cookies were good—why were those two reacting like that? Did they have refined palates, or was my taste just crude? I bit into the cookie again. Still delicious.
At least my palate wasn't the problem. Unless the cookies were some kind of Russian roulette mix of winners and duds. But surely not—even if you tried to do that on purpose, you couldn't pull it off.
'Spoiled brats with full bellies.'
That's how the first club meeting wrapped up.
I had no idea the cookies I ate yesterday would become travel money for my sanity's journey to the afterlife.
"Oh, hello there. I came to apply for club membership."
At the cheerful voice, I silently looked up at its owner. The Third Prince of the Kingdom of Armein, Ryutis Robens, who had somehow tracked me down in the club room to inquire about joining. He'd gone out of his way to come this early in the morning and shatter the peaceful quiet of the Baking Club room I'd been using as my hideout.
"I'm in charge of the Baking Club."
"Then I came to the right place!"
At my just-in-case remark, the guy who looked like he could topple a building pillar with a single punch smiled and answered. Right, got it. You're Sacrifice Number Three. I'd heard this week was club selection week, so I'd been expecting the foreign trio to gather sooner or later. With a 'here we go' mentality, I accepted Ryutis's membership application.
"I was told to submit my Baking Club application to you."
About two hours after Ryutis left, satisfied with his approval and nodding his head, the Second Prince of the Yuben United Kingdom, Later Ostia, showed up this time.
"...."
'Did these bastards coordinate this?'
Two of them came in succession on the same day. What was with the two-hour interval? A tip to mentally prepare myself? What strange consideration. Anyway, unlike Ryutis, this one had a lean build—definitely Later. I nodded toward Later, who stared at me with cold eyes, and welcomed Sacrifice Number Four, entranced by the capybara.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Brother. I came because I heard you're the advisor for the Baking Club."
About two hours later, Number Five arrived. The thought I'd dismissed after seeing Later became reality. Why is it that positive thinking always turns out wrong while ominous predictions never miss?
"Here to join the club?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Name?"
"Tanian Enes of the Holy Church State."
I know. I was just asking out of courtesy.
I quietly scribbled Tanian's name at the bottom of the club member roster. To think the club's membership would double in just one day—Luize would be thrilled if she knew...
After confirming that Tanian, who wore a faint smile, had left the club room, I sank into my chair and stared at the member roster. On the second day since the club's establishment, all six persons of interest had gathered. It was an encouraging achievement. Now I had to monitor all six of them by myself. A horrifying future.
This is strange. In some game, you win when you collect five pieces, don't you? Didn't I exceed the goal by collecting six? So why do I have to suffer instead?
Feeling overwhelmed, I looked up at the ceiling and dragged both hands down my face. I'd let my guard down since there was still time left in the week, and then I got hit with an unbelievably miraculous triple strike. This really is unbelievable.
'She charmed all three of them in one day?'
How? Is that even physically possible? Is this that thing called plausibility or whatever? I've been stuck attracting only crazy people without a single lover, so why do you—
The resentment that had almost been directed at Luize suddenly pivoted sharply toward the Three Kingdoms forces. Come to think of it, those bastards are the problem. If it looks like a key personnel from their own country is hitting it off with a noble lady from a foreign country, they should cut it off themselves. What the hell are they doing?
But it was already too late. Those Three Kingdoms bastards failed to stop their key personnel's eccentric behavior, and I had no choice but to go along with the original story's flow. In just a few hours, all six would come flooding into the club room.
I quietly closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them again, I'd wake up back in the Inspection Department. How absurd that even if I escape from one devil's den, the place I'm headed is just another devil's den.
"As you can see, we have three new club members. Get along well with each other, and don't fight."
Please.
During club time, when all six members had gathered, I spoke to them with the desperate feelings of someone watching kindergarteners. Whether Ryutis understood my feelings or not, he burst out laughing. This bastard, laughing...?
"You worry too much! Everyone knows how to take care of themselves, so don't fret!"
I just nodded once at Ryutis, who spouted such deeply worrying words, and turned my gaze away. I could trust the self-restraint of royalty, but with the original story getting tangled up in it, my confidence plummeted drastically. My heart races wondering when the original story punch will suddenly assault my solar plexus.
"We meet again. So you were in this club too."
While I was unintentionally holding onto Ryutis, Later approached Luize and greeted her. He clearly came in knowing Luize was here, yet he's pretending not to know. How unseemly, Prince.
"Hello! You were... Later, right...?"
"You can comfortably call me Later."
Later's cold expression melted ever so slightly.
'Damn it.'
Having no interest in seeing such expressions on men's faces, I turned my gaze away, only to find the faces of the other guys entering my line of sight. Now that the crowd had grown, no matter where I looked, at least one of them was in view. How dreadful. Should I just walk around with my eyes closed?
In any case, perhaps because Later had made the first move, the other club members gradually sidled toward Luize as well. The existing member who had been wary of the new recruit and the new members who hadn't expected other joiners today besides themselves—after sizing each other up, they'd united in purpose.
'Why does this look so familiar?'
The sight of Luize surrounded by five men was like watching a politician campaigning in the marketplace. The only difference was whether it was voluntary or involuntary. I silently offered my condolences to Luize, who was flustered at being suddenly encircled. When I think of her as the root cause of my troubles, she sometimes gets on my nerves, but when I remember she means no harm, I can't help feeling sorry for her.
While I was mulling over these thoughts, I noticed someone hovering by the hallway window. It was the Vice Principal.
When our eyes met, he bowed in greeting and showed me a letter he was holding. What's this? Is there someone who would send me a letter? I glanced at the six-member group—they still seemed preoccupied with their introductions, so I slipped out into the hallway and approached the Vice Principal.
"What brings you all the way here?"
The Vice Principal, who was evolving into my personal messenger as punishment for having no assigned classes, handed me the letter he'd shown me earlier. Then he quietly added one more thing.
"It's correspondence from the Three Kingdoms."
That one sentence was enough. It seemed the Three Kingdoms forces stationed at the Academy had also noticed the strange incident where key personnel had been swept up right under their noses. After thanking the Vice Principal for delivering it, I checked the contents. Stripping away the pleasantries, the flowery language, and other trivial expressions, the main point could be summarized in a single sentence.
[ We would like to meet with the Inspector at the earliest opportunity. ]
'Inspector, not advisor.'
The nuance suggested they suspected this incident wasn't simply something that occurred at the Academy, but rather something the Empire had deliberately orchestrated. It was painfully obvious how flustered the Three Kingdoms must have been.
I glanced through the window at the six-member group in the club room. The Empire deliberately... gathered those people? It seemed I absolutely had to meet with them, if only to clear up the misunderstanding. Due to the six-member group assembling earlier than expected, the probing match with the Three Kingdoms had also occurred somewhat ahead of schedule.