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"Can you match that, Kendo Club girl?" Nero raised her chin high, looking proudly at the Kendo Club's Leader beside her.
Artoria was utterly stunned.
This was practically a confession to Ryoji in front of everyone!
"Th-That's… that's far too shameless!" Her face flushed crimson, burning with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
She held a deep admiration for Ryoji, but it was only for his character and swordsmanship, not romantic affection. In her conservative eyes, to declare feelings so brazenly upon first meeting was utterly indecent, far beyond anything she could accept!
At the very least, such words should come only after spending time together, not immediately like this!
"Love between men and women is the most natural thing in the world, you relic."
Like a victorious peacock spreading its tail, Nero stood hands on hips, nose proudly in the air.
"Uh…"
"Hold it right there!"
Ryoji opened his mouth, but Nero suddenly raised her hand to cut him off.
"Come here. I have a secret to tell you." She seized his arm without hesitation and pulled him toward the corner of the dojo, where the two began whispering conspiratorially.
"I've done my research. You dislike attending classes, yes? The Student Council just so happens to free you from attendance requirements; you can skip lessons as you please."
"…There's really a perk like that?"
"Indeed. The Student Council at TYPE-MOON Academy wields far greater authority than you imagine!"
Nero's voice brimmed with cunning confidence.
The Academy itself had unfathomable depths, mysteries, secrets, legends. Even she, the golden daughter of the Roman Consortium, could not act recklessly here. That alone spoke volumes.
Even so, the power of the Consortium rivaled the Academy's board. As a result, the Student Council, backed by her family, possessed authority surpassing that of most instructors.
Student Council members never needed to worry about attendance. Once you joined, graduation was virtually guaranteed, and you might even leave with a recommendation to a prestigious university.
Of course, if fate saddled you with a Spartan monster of a teacher like Scáthach, well… that was just bad luck.
Still, Ryoji's heart skipped at the prospect.
"And of course," Nero added smoothly, "I've heard your family isn't wealthy. If you join me, I'll cover your expenses. I'll even take care of your family, after all, they'll naturally become my family as well."
Duang!
It was as if a massive hammer slammed into Ryoji's chest.
Listen, !
How sweet, how utterly sincere those words sounded!
"I'm not the type to be swayed by money."
Ryoji furrowed his brows, adopting the righteous look of someone unbending to material temptation.
"But… your sincerity has truly moved me. I've decided, I'll join the Student Council."
"Umu! I am always sincere!"
Nero's face blossomed with joy as she nodded in satisfaction.
"In that case, come by the Student Council room after school today. I'll introduce you to the other members, details can wait until then."
With the matter settled, Nero strode proudly out of the dojo, head held high. She cast Artoria a triumphant, gloating glance before leaving under the astonished gazes of the crowd.
"So… the President has claimed God for herself?"
"Damn, I'm jealous!"
"It's over. My heart's broken."
Claimed?
What nonsense were they spouting?
This wasn't him being taken by a rich woman, this was a rich woman kneeling beneath his jeans!
"…Who'd have thought. In another world, and I've ended up eating soft rice again."
Ryoji sighed with a complicated expression, feelings tangled deep within.
"If it were the ancient days, you'd be a Helen… or a Yang Guifei at the very least."
Scáthach left those cryptic words behind as she departed.
"Of course, even in the modern era, you're remarkable. Perhaps even more so in the future… I'll be looking forward to the surprises you bring me."
Her gaze lingered, filled with amusement and hidden meaning.
"…About joining the Kendo Club…"
Artoria-senpai clung to her last shred of hope, looking up at Ryoji with eyes so pitiful it could melt stone.
"Farewell!"
Ryoji clasped his fists together and vanished like the wind, leaving only the Kendo Club's proud flower frozen in place, petrified like a defeated dog swaying helplessly in the storm.
Golden-Haired Defeated Dog.jpg
The day passed like a fleeting shadow.
Classes slipped by in dull monotony. When the dismissal bell rang, Ryoji left the classroom without hesitation, ignoring the betrayed glare of Akick that screamed, You've forsaken me, brother!
"Whoa… this building is huge?"
After asking a couple of students for directions, Ryoji finally arrived at the Student Council building for the high school division.
Yes, an entire building. The Student Council actually occupied an entire building of its own!
It was only two floors tall, but its grandeur far outshone even the faculty offices. Gleaming white marble walls and eaves rose above him, supported by rows of round columns at the entrance, an architectural homage to a Greek temple.
How many of you are in the Student Council, exactly? Do you really need a palace to yourselves?
Ryoji walked forward and knocked on the enormous double doors, painted a deep brown, towering two to three meters high.
"Coming, coming!"
A lively female voice floated from within.
Moments later, the massive doors creaked open with a heavy groan, revealing a hall as resplendent as a royal palace.
A grand staircase split left and right, leading upward to the second floor. A chandelier hung like a crown from the ceiling. Thick crimson carpets stretched across the floor, while murals, porcelain, and countless decorations lined the chamber walls.
"Good day, God-sama."
The one who greeted him was a stunning woman dressed in a maid's uniform.
She looked twenty-five or twenty-six, tall and voluptuous, her pale skin flawless like carved jade. Chestnut hair cascaded down her back, while the low neckline of her uniform revealed a deep scar across her chest, yet her allure was only heightened, her every movement dripping with a courtesan's charm.
She blinked in surprise upon seeing Ryoji, then curtsied with elegance, lifting her skirts slightly as she smiled with perfect maid-like grace, her tone teasing.
"…And you are?"
She was familiar, but he couldn't quite place her.
"Mata Hari. Ojou-sama's personal maid."
She bowed again. At the motion, her generous bosom swayed boldly, as though challenging him to come face me head-on.
Are all Roman maids built like this? …Can I order one to take home?
No, no hidden meaning. It's just, the bed gets cold at night.
"Please, come in. Ojou-sama and the rest of the Student Council have been waiting for you."
Mata Hari turned gracefully, her skirts swirling around her like the wind itself, each step as fluid as a dancer's.
She led Ryoji up the stairs toward the second floor.
At the far end of the left corridor, another pair of grand double doors awaited. Mata Hari pushed them open, then gestured for him to enter.
Inside, two figures were already waiting.
(End of Chapter)