“Armand, what are you worried about this time?”
Yeah, a crazy lich bastard ordered me to do something absurd.
“Karl, let me ask you something.”
“Anything!”
Karl, who was aiming to become the most popular student in the Ivory Tower, was well-informed.
“Tell me about the clubs at the Ivory Tower.”
“Armand, you're finally interested in clubs!”
Countless clubs had sprung up throughout the Ivory Tower. And those clubs were not merely gatherings of students.
They were cradles of power, where the heirs who would one day rule the Empire formed connections and maintained their bonds.
According to Karl, three clubs wielded particularly great influence at the Ivory Tower.
First was the Glory Society, a gathering of students who loved the Empire's Age of Glory.
Second was the Rose Order, a magic research club that used a black rose as its symbol.
Last was the Mythology and Esoterica Research Society, otherwise known as the Mystery Society.
But there was only one club I needed to know about.
“Tell me about the Mystery Society.”
“Oh, you're interested in the Mystery Society? That's unexpected.”
Though it called itself a research society, the Mystery Society was essentially a gathering of outsiders.
It had begun when students who wanted nothing to do with club activities kept being pestered by upperclassmen to join their clubs, so they created a club in name only to avoid them.
As time passed, all sorts of students gathered there.
“It has a lot of members, but apparently no real purpose. If they pursue anything at all, I guess it's fun?”
In other words, it's a gathering of loafers.
And the club Nekzul had ordered me to bring under my control was none other than the Mystery Society.
There was more going on behind the Ivory Tower's clubs than Karl knew.
According to Nekzul, the Glory Society was under the Headmaster's influence, while the Rose Order was under the Vice Headmaster's.
And Nekzul intended to use me to seize the Mystery Society, which no one had yet claimed.
Apparently, the balance of power among the clubs even affected imperial politics.
How did I get dragged into this kind of shadow war?
If he'd become a skeleton because of magic, he ought to have abandoned worldly ambition…….
“Karl.”
“Yeah?”
“Want to join the Mystery Society with me?”
“What?”
Karl's eyes widened.
“Armand, you're going to join the Mystery Society?”
“I'm considering it.”
“That'll be difficult…….”
“Why? Have you already joined a club? I understand the Mystery Society allows members to join multiple clubs.”
“Well, you see.”
Karl scratched his cheek.
“I'm already a member of the Mystery Society!”
***
The clubs at the Ivory Tower generally allowed students to join more than one.
Karl had already joined several.
“A lot of students like me are members of the Mystery Society in name only! They said anyone could join, so I did!”
After class, I went to the Mystery Society with Karl.
Its clubroom was a building that looked like an unfinished storehouse.
A nameplate hung above the massive iron doors. Around the words “Mystery Society,” written in formal calligraphy, shapes resembling flowers, people, and trees had been drawn with a child's clumsy hand.
It did not look like the sort of place where powerful figures would wage political intrigue.
Still, I have my orders, so I have to do it.
Karl and I opened the iron doors.
There was another door leading into the clubroom itself, and an upperclassman sat dozing at a table in front of it.
“Senior!”
When Karl shouted, the upperclassman raised her head and wiped the drool from her mouth.
“Hm?”
“I brought a friend as a new recruit. You'll give me merit points, right?”
Is this some kind of pyramid scheme?
“Uh, your name was…….”
“I'm hurt that you've already forgotten. It's Karl.”
“Mm, I know. Handsome Karl. Welcome back. A new recruit, huh…….”
She pushed up her glasses and looked me over.
“Your friend's cute too. What's your name?”
“Armand.”
“Welcome, Armand. The Mystery Society is always open. You know that Mystery Society is short for the Mythology and Esoterica Research Society, right? The purpose of our Mystery Society is to investigate hidden myths, ancient ruins, secret traditions, and the dark truths of the world.”
She recited the words without a hint of spirit, as though she had memorized them somewhere.
No, looking again, she had not even memorized them. She was reading directly from a sheet of paper taped to the table.
“Yes. I can hardly wait.”
“What a polite kid. So, you haven't joined any other clubs?”
“No.”
“Are you planning to join any?”
“No.”
“I see. Well, just let us know if you join one later.”
The sleepy-eyed senior pushed her glasses back up.
“Still, remember this. The Mystery Society may value freedom, but we don't accept problem members who threaten the club's foundations or spies from other clubs who approach us with ulterior motives. The line for what counts as a spy is a little vague, but anyway.”
“Understood.”
“So there's an admission procedure.”
The corners of her mouth rose as she pointed inside the clubroom.
“They'll guide you once you go in.”
I greeted her and entered the Mystery Society's clubroom.
Just as it had appeared from outside, the place resembled a storehouse, with a high ceiling and a vast interior.
Several sofas were scattered haphazardly throughout the clubroom, and members sat or lay across them. Along the edges stood a row of rooms made from crudely erected partitions.
The seniors who spotted Karl waved.
“Oh, Karl! Welcome!”
“Future Manager!”
“Who's the cute kid next to you?”
Karl introduced me with exaggerated gestures.
“My friend here is a prospective recruit I brought in! He says he wants to become a member of the Mystery Society!”
“Really?”
Several seniors rose from the sofas.
“Good. I was getting bored.”
“What's your name?”
I greeted them politely.
“I'm Armand Draco of the first-year Frog Class. I came because I wished to join the renowned Mystery Society. I look forward to getting along with all of you.”
The seniors surrounded me and scrutinized my face.
“Just look at him. He's got a Glory Society face.”
“No. I'd say he's got a Rose Order face.”
“Either way, it's not a Mystery Society face. Didn't he come to infiltrate us as a spy?”
“Tell us the truth.”
Still smiling, I shook my head.
“I did not.”
“Really? Multiple memberships are allowed, but anyone who comes with ulterior motives gets caught.”
“Certainly not. I came because I like the Mystery Society's free atmosphere.”
“We'll soon find out whether you mean that.”
The seniors led me to a table in the center of the clubroom.
An old wooden box sat alone on top of it.
“Do you know about the Mystery Society's admission procedure?”
“I do not.”
The seniors exchanged glances and grinned among themselves.
I don't know what this is, but I'm starting to worry.
The members who had been sprawled all over the room gathered when they heard the words admission procedure.
“The spirit of our Mystery Society is freedom. We will never tolerate anyone who threatens our freedom. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“No matter who they may be! We will defend our freedom!”
One of the seniors pointed at the wooden box on the table.
“Open that box!”
When I opened it, a beautiful golden music box was revealed.
“This is the Mystic Music Box, one of the Mystery Society's Mystic Objects. The Mystic Music Box possesses a special ability. Do you know what it is?”
“I do not…….”
“Recording.”
“Excuse me?”
“The voices of every member are recorded in the Mystic Music Box.”
His smile widened.
“Prove that you're not suspicious and that you're no one's lackey.”
“What do you mean…….”
I stood before the music box.
Now that I looked, the following words were written on the inside of the wooden box's lid.
Mystery Society Admission Procedure: Ideological Screening
Shout, “H is a fucking bastard. VH is a fucking bastard. Long live the Mystery Society!” at the top of your lungs.
*Dimwitted students who cannot deduce what H and VH stand for will not be admitted.
The moment I saw those initials, I understood what I had to do.
But I did not want to admit it.
“What is that?”
“Can't you tell by looking?”
“I do not know.”
“Then you can't join. You need at least this much deductive ability to join the Mystery Society. Do you really not know?”
One of the seniors surrounding me shouted.
“Armand must be too innocent to get it. Here's a hint: the Mystery Society hates the people in power at the Ivory Tower!”
Look, I hate those two as well, but I don't want to hand you blackmail material like this.
H is the Empire's sole remaining Immortal and the last elf, while VH is that crazy skeleton bastard who became undead after losing himself to magic. Isn't that what they mean?
“Hurry!”
They said the atmosphere here was easygoing, but this place was far more frightening than I expected.
But I have no choice.
I have to join the Mystery Society.
“Haa…….”
Pressing my throbbing temple, I leaned toward the Mystic Music Box.
As though it had been waiting, the Mystic Music Box began turning on its own and playing a soft melody.
This pretty music box is starting to feel more and more chilling.
“Th-the…….”
After hesitating, I finally whispered the blasphemous words.
“The Headmaster's a fucking bastard…….”
My true feelings slipped into the words before I knew it.
My life was hanging by a thread because of the student ring the Headmaster had made, and I had suffered all manner of humiliation on top of that.
Headmaster, is being born to Triple Destruction a crime?
What exactly did I do wrong?
Does being an elf excuse everything?
Ting-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling…….
The Mystic Music Box suddenly began playing a fast, rhythmic tune.
It was as though something harboring a grudge against the Headmaster and Vice Headmaster had heard my words and rejoiced.
“Ooh…….”
“The Mystic Music Box is reacting.”
“That's quite something.”
The next part was easier.
I had never even seen the Headmaster's face, but the Vice Headmaster was the crazy skeleton bastard who had strangled me only moments ago.
“The Vice Headmaster's a fucking bastard.”
The profanity carried the purest sincerity.
The Mystic Music Box grew louder until its sound filled the entire clubroom.
“Whoa, what's with that new kid?”
“Now that's a reaction.”
“That much?”
The booming music box made my blood surge.
I had already done it, so there was no reason to hold back.
To score points with the seniors, I boldly added one more line.
“Headmaster, Vice Headmaster—go fuck yourselves!”
“Oooh!”
“That's it!”
“Exactly!”
“We've got a star recruit!”
“I love it!”
The seniors cheered.
The Mystic Music Box went wild. Its volume rose and its tempo quickened until it was practically playing an entire orchestra.
Even for an artifact, is it not structurally excessive for a music box to make this kind of sound?
The senior who had egged me on shouted excitedly.
“New kid, the Mystic Music Box can measure the emotions carried in a voice!”
“Excuse me?”
“You're the first recruit to curse the Headmaster and Vice Headmaster with this much sincerity!”
The other seniors agreed.
“He's a first-year. He hasn't even met them yet, has he? To curse complete strangers that viciously!”
“Did you already hold a grudge before entering the Ivory Tower?”
“He's a born rebel. He was born to join the Mystery Society.”
“He's the perfect candidate to lead the Mystery Society as Manager!”
“We've been waiting for talent like this!”
Ah, so that is how it is.
I closed my eyes. Had I put too much sincerity into it without realizing?
Well, could a person's true feelings ever be hidden merely by trying?
Perhaps this entire course of events had been unavoidable from the beginning.
Giving up, I thrust both arms into the air.
“Long live the Mystery Society!”
Responding to my voice—no, to my sincerity—the Mystic Music Box went THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, then even added a crash of cymbals.
The members, swept up in the music box's madness, jumped up and down where they stood.
“The Mystic Music Box is completely ecstatic. That means you passed!”
“Has anyone ever actually failed?”
“Lackeys from the Glory Society and the Rose Order once tried to infiltrate us and were exposed. They say the vengeful spirit inhabiting the Mystic Music Box let out a mournful wail then. The spies supposedly went pale and ran away.”
There's actually a vengeful spirit inside it?
Like everyone else, I let my body move to the Mystic Music Box's performance and asked the seniors,
“Seniors, did I pass?”
“Of course you passed! You're already one of us!”
The seniors welcomed me enthusiastically. They shook my hand and hugged me, then piled onto me like athletes celebrating a score, pounding my head and back.
“Hup! Hup!”
Whenever one particular hand struck me with unusual force, I could have sworn I heard Karl's voice.
Once the welcoming ceremony ended, I sat on a sofa in the corner as the seniors instructed.
“Now, do whatever you want.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is the Mystery Society.”
The seniors' welcome lasted only a moment. Soon, Karl and I were sprawled across the sofa, staring into empty space.
That was it.
Not a single member was doing anything productive.
You had me infiltrate this worthless club just to claim it, you crazy skeleton?
“Karl, is this really the Mystery Society?”
“Yeah. Just think of it as getting your own lounge.”
No. This won't do. Nekzul isn't such an easy skeleton to deal with.
Just sitting on a sofa doesn't mean I've brought this club under my control.
I need to secure actual influence over the Mystery Society somehow.
“Karl, doesn't the Mystery Society have a club president?”
“He's a third-year, so apparently he hardly ever comes. Why?”
“I was curious.”
Suddenly, Karl grew wary of me and shifted farther away.
“Armand, don't tell me you…….”
Karl's expression turned serious, but I did not feel the slightest tension.
From what I had learned so far, most of what Karl said was nonsense.
No, more than most.
It was safest to assume everything he said was nonsense.
That remained true no matter how serious his expression was.
“Armand, are you planning to crush me underfoot and become the Manager?”
As expected, it was nonsense.
But it contained an interesting word.
“What do you mean, Manager?”
“You didn't know?”
“Tell me.”
“If you don't know, you can just leave it at that…….”
“I'm curious, so tell me.”
“Ugh…….”
Karl explained reluctantly.
“The third- and fourth-years in the Mystery Society are called the Elders, and they barely participate. The club president is the same. So they choose the actual person in charge from among the first- and second-years. That's the Manager.”
“Oh…….”
“You could call the Manager the real power in the Mystery Society.”
“I see. I understand.”
“Armand, are you really going to become the Manager? I won't give you that position! I'm going to become the Manager!”
“Do you think I'd want such a bothersome position?”
“True. You didn't even want to become class president, did you?”
“Exactly, so don't worry.”
“Okay!”
Sorry, but the fool who gets duped has only himself to blame.
I would become the Manager.
It was decided.