"You..."
The bespectacled boy stared blankly at Knox.
"...Aren't you Knox Aznable?"
"Hehe, that's me." Knox smiled and gave a casual wave. "Hello, you two. My name's Knox Aznable, but just call me Knox."
The two freshmen couldn't help but stare at him for a moment.
Compared to the cold, almost godlike figure who had overwhelmingly defeated Andre in the duel, the young man standing before them now felt like a completely different person. The gap between those two images was so absurd that it was hard to believe they belonged to the same individual.
"...Ahem."
The boy wearing glasses was the first to regain his composure.
"My name is Fitzgerald. I'm from Class M."
Fitzgerald was a first-year student aiming to major in Summonology. Judging from the way he carried himself, he was clearly the scholarly type who excelled in theories and research. Although he wasn't as outstanding across every subject as Knox or Meilyn, within Summonology alone, he was considered one of the top five first-years in the academy.
Knox then shifted his gaze toward Toto.
The poor boy had gone completely stiff, trembling ever so slightly like a frightened hamster. After taking several deep breaths to gather what little courage he had, Toto finally managed to introduce himself despite the fact that both he and Knox belonged to Class A.
With the introductions out of the way, the four first-years gradually settled into conversation while waiting for the seniors to return.
Naturally, once several boys who shared the same interests started talking, the discussion dragged on far longer than anyone expected. It was one of those strange mysteries of life.
Gather a group of boys together, and somehow, before anyone noticed, the conversation would eventually evolve into topics that sounded more like a meeting of veteran politicians than ordinary students.
"I've heard about your golem," Fitzgerald suddenly said as he looked toward Simon. "I have to admit, it's impressive."
He lightly pushed up his glasses before continuing.
"But during the final evaluation, I thought your strategy was rather inefficient. Once your opponent knows you're stacking golems outside the arena, it's not exactly difficult to prepare for it."
"I think so too." Simon nodded without showing the slightest hint of displeasure.
Fitzgerald raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by that response.
"Usually... people get upset when someone criticizes the thing they're most proud of."
"Why would I?" Simon smiled. "Criticism is always welcome. But since you think my strategy was inefficient... what would you have done instead?"
As though he had been waiting for that exact question, Fitzgerald answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I would've pretended to build the golem."
"...Huh?"
"I'd deliberately use the most famous golem strategy as bait, making the opponent focus all of their attention on it. Then, while they're busy preparing for that, I'd secure victory through an entirely different key strategy."
"...That's what I'd call an efficient battle plan."
Simon blinked. That was exactly what he had been thinking.
"As for you, Knox..." Fitzgerald turned his attention toward him. "I've heard you possess Death Knights among your summons. Unfortunately, I've never actually seen them myself."
He paused briefly.
"But, the summon that left the strongest impression on me was the one you used during the practical evaluation....that pink 'puppy'."
"Of course," he quickly added, "I don't mean to doubt your abilities."
"Hehe, don't worry about it." Knox laughed good-naturedly. "But let me correct one thing."
He raised a finger with a smile. "My partner's name is Mem, not 'Pink Puppy~.'"
Just as everyone chuckled...
Bang!
The clubroom door burst open.
"First-years! Sorry I'm late!"
Benya strode into the room with her usual boundless energy.
"...Huaaam."
Dio, who had once again fallen asleep on the sofa, slowly opened one eye before letting out a long yawn.
"You're back..."
He rubbed his eyes lazily before glancing around the room.
"...Where's the pig?"
"I didn't expect him to show up anyway!" Benya waved dismissively. "Let's just start with the four of them!"
"...Alright."
Dio slowly pushed himself to his feet like a zombie climbing out of a grave.
"This way."
The four first-years followed him deeper into the clubroom.
At first, they thought the shabby room was the club's entire headquarters. However, after Dio pushed aside one of the large bookshelves, a hidden door appeared behind it. Beyond the entrance lay a staircase leading underground, and at the bottom was a surprisingly spacious chamber illuminated by rows of mana-powered lights.
Knox, Simon, Fitzgerald, and Toto quietly lined up side by side.
Standing opposite them, Benya confidently crossed her arms as her long cream-colored hair swayed behind her. Beside her, Dio shuffled over while carrying a stack of documents, looking as lifeless as ever.
"Huuuuup!"
Benya planted both hands firmly on her waist before taking a dramatic deep breath.
"Nice to meet you, first-years!!!"
Her booming voice echoed throughout the entire underground room.
The sheer volume was so overwhelming that one could easily mistake her for a professional opera singer rather than a Kizen student.
"My name is Benya Vanilla!"
She proudly raised her index finger toward the ceiling.
"I'm a second-year Summonology major!"
"My dream..."
"...is world domination!"
"Nice to meet you!!"
"...?"
Simon blinked several times.
...Was she really a second-year at Kizen?
Not an overexcited middle schooler?
Dio sighed deeply.
"As you can probably tell, this kind of person is our club president. Honestly, you'd probably be better off joining a norm-"
"Guhk!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Benya's flying side kick slammed squarely into his face. His body shot several meters across the room before crashing into the wall.
Fortunately, the underground chamber was lined with thick padded mats instead of stone, softening the impact considerably. Even so, Dio slid down onto the floor like a dried fish before lying there completely motionless.
Benya landed gracefully before dusting off her hands.
"That walking pile of zero motivation is Dio Patel."
She gave him a casual thumbs-up.
"Just ignore him. He's my underling."
"Senior!"
Knox suddenly stepped forward, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"What a coincidence, although my dream isn't world domination, I think world domination is an incredibly respectable romance!"
"...?!"
Benya's eyes widened.
"Junior Knox... no, Knox! You... you're interested in world domination too?!"
"Yes!" Knox answered without the slightest hesitation.
The two stared at each other for a brief moment. Then, without another word, they firmly shook hands.
A handshake that somehow felt as though it marked the birth of a great alliance.
"Comrade!"
"Comrade!"
The two declared simultaneously.
Silence filled the underground room. Nobody knew how they were supposed to react to the bizarre scene unfolding before them.
Dio, in particular, slowly covered his face.
Having Benya alone was already enough to give him a constant headache. Now, another eccentric had appeared. Great!
The worst part wasn't that Knox shared Benya's strange dream. It was that the two of them clicked almost instantly.
This was the same as one plus one no longer equaling two. Instead, it equaled three.
"Ahem."
Fitzgerald quietly raised a hand, unintentionally bringing the atmosphere of the newly formed alliance to an end.
Seeing that, Benya immediately beamed and pointed at him with an enthusiastic smile.
"I like students who ask questions! What's your question?"
"I'm curious about the purpose behind your dream of world domination, Senior."
Fitzgerald adjusted his glasses before continuing.
"Throughout the continent's history, no hero has ever successfully conquered the world through military force. Even the great Lady Neftis was unable to overcome the Holy Federation, which remains protected by the Seven Priests."
"Very sharp question!"
Benya nodded repeatedly, looking delighted rather than challenged.
"I don't really like conquering people by force either!"
She raised a finger proudly.
"I'll conquer the world... with undead!"
"...Undead?"
"That's right!"
Her eyes sparkled as she spread both arms wide.
"People simply don't understand the true value of undead! Think about it! Is there anything in this world that's more cost-efficient than labor that doesn't complain, doesn't get tired, and works around the clock? Undead are the continent's greatest gift!"
Her voice grew louder with every sentence.
"Of course, I know there are problems. Their appearance isn't exactly appealing, people instinctively fear the dead, and worst of all, they're naturally hostile toward humans. That's why only necromancers who have unlocked their Core can safely control them."
She clenched her fist with unwavering determination.
"But I won't let things stay that way! I'll popularize the use of undead even in civilian industries and make this continent far more prosperous!"
Her declaration echoed throughout the underground chamber.
"Conquest through violence sacrifices ninety-nine people for the sake of one ruler."
She shook her head firmly.
"That's not real conquest! I'll make even the people of the Holy Federation recognize the value of my undead!"
"..."
Silence filled the room.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Among everyone present, only two people applauded.
Fitzgerald clapped with an expression so serious that it almost looked as though he had just listened to a groundbreaking academic presentation.
Beside him, Knox also applauded enthusiastically, clearly enjoying every second of it.
"How wonderful! It almost sounds like another dream of mine, where every single day is a rest day, something I like to call 'Seven Rest Days'!"
He nodded seriously, as though he had just described the greatest idea in human history.
Don't worry, Brother-in-Law Sunday! Even now, I'm still one of your strongest supporters!
Hearing this, everyone looked at Knox with mixed feelings. Sure, having every day be a holiday sounded amazing, but wouldn't that eventually turn all of them into the ultimate lazybums?
Yet the longer they thought about it, the more tempting the idea became. No work, no classes, and seven rest days every single week...
Actually, that didn't sound so bad at all.
"Cough, senior, I'd like to join this club."
Fitzgerald's sudden voice snapped everyone out of their daydreams. While the others were still imagining the wonderful life of having seven rest days every week, he had apparently already made up his mind.
There wasn't the slightest trace of hesitation on his face. His tone carried absolute conviction.
"Great!"
Benya pumped a fist into the air in celebration.
Simon simply stood there in silence, feeling as though his brain had completely stopped processing what had just happened.
Do eccentrics naturally understand one another?
He looked at the three people in front of him.
Benya. Fitzgerald. Knox.
This club is definitely not normal...