Chapter 15: Chapter 14
"Excuse me, lady Lamonia," I turn around, surprised to see the heroine standing nervously right behind me. "I... I am unsure which club to join as well. May I accompany you in viewing the school's clubs?"
"Yeah… sure, if you would like to accompany, then I don't mind," I reply, struggling to figure out what is going on.
She shouldn't be here or want to hang out with me. Ellis should only take a moment to choose what club to join and then have her first encounter with one of the love interests. But that was when this was only a game. Maybe I changed something while not sticking to the script of my villainess character? Or could it be that I am undecided, unlike in the game where I would have been joining Marshall at the fencing club? That doesn't matter. All that matters is that I don't get on the heroine's bad side and end up being executed at the end of the story.
"Is there any club you were thinking of?" I ask as we start to walk with no destination in mind.
"Not really," Ellis shakes her head. "I was just planning on walking around and seeing what each club is like."
"Then how about we head to the sports field?" I suggest. "There should be plenty of clubs there to watch."
"Okay," Ellis gives a terrifying smile.
Not terrifying in a bad way, but in the way it makes my heart flutter. She really is the heroine of an otome game. With a smile like that, any man would fall for her. I catch her eyes back quickly turn away. Those eyes are just as dangerous. If I loved any of the love interests, I would be seriously worried about losing them to her.
"I am going back to the dorm," Bozzair says before flying off. I really wish he stayed to help me out here.
"Is that dragon really your?"
"Yeah, he is," I nod, watching Bozzair fly and hear several people try to call him over to them.
"I wish I had a pet as cute as him," Ellis moans, but I think she is lucky.
"Trust me," I tell her. "You do not want to go through what I did to get him as my pet."
<0>
The sports field is pretty basic, with just a single field surrounded by a running track. There are doors that lead to underground storage rooms, and even the changing rooms are underground. If I remember correctly, there was an underground swimming pool as well nearby with some kind of magic that made the ceiling appear as if it was the sky. We will probably see it next after checking out the clubs on the sports field.
First of all, there is the track team. I might join that club. I used to run track back in school, and I wanted to run a marathon, but I died before that could have happened. The second club I see is the archery team. I tried archery once but couldn't hit the target no matter how many times I tried. I am sure I would have gotten it if the instructor hadn't called me dangerous and forced me to stop. The final club is another one I am interested in. The magical sports club. They aren't interested in things like broom racing or chacing snitchs. The club shoots targets similar to archery but with magic instead of arrows.
I can see Zeno down at the archery range now. Unsurprisingly, he shows off to a group of girls, hitting five bullseyes one after the other. I thought he said he was going to join the hunting club. I wouldn't be surprised if he is only there to flirt, or maybe the hunting club is down there too. It is too hard to know for sure with how far away we are.
"Those guys are fast," Ellis gasps at the track team running around the field.
"They are using some kind of body enchantment magic," I tell her. "I'm not sure if they have increased the power of their leg or the effect of drag from the wind."
"I wish I could use that kind of magic," Ellis pouts. "It would have made my daily chores easier to do."
"It's not that hard once you know what you are doing," I tell her.
I have used it before to help with combat while secretly being an adventurer. It is difficult at first. Casting the spell is easy but keeping it going while doing something else takes practice. Still, after a while, it just clicks, and now I can keep the spell running with little thought at all. But then comes the problem of remembering to turn it off. I can't even count the number of times I nearly broke a door because I opened it with such brute strength.
"Can you teach me how to do that?" Ellis asks, and her eyes really are deadly weapons. When she looks at me with that pleading look, I can't help but say yes.
"Sure," I nod my head, turning my head away from her. "I can start teaching you during our evening free time if you are free."
"Then it's a date… no not a date a… a privet lesson," Ellis looks away with a blush. I really wish she wouldn't smile like that. It is not good for my health to have my heart racing all the time. "Just the two of us…."
I pretend not to hear that last part as we move on to the next area.
<0>
The pool is just as big as it is in the game, and just like in the game, it is impossible to tell we are underground. The ceiling looks like a sunny summers sky with clouds floating across the roof. It would have been surprised to see the amount of underground stuff if I hadn't played the game. The in-game explanation is that it is to save space, but in reality, the reason so much of the school is underground is that the game developers designed the outside before thinking about the inside of the school.
"It's bigger than I thought," Ellis gasps.
"Yeah,"
She's not wrong. The pool is large, and there are three diving boards of varying heights. Even with many people already in the water, the pool still looks spacious. As for clubs, they have already gathered in their area of the pool. The dive team our at the diving boards, the race team are to the far side, and the synchronized swimming club is in the centre of the room. I am surprised when I see a pair of catkin boys in the synchronized swimming club. I thought they would have hated swimming like my parent's cat hated water. I guess it was wrong of me to make assumptions like that.
"Have you ever done any swimming?" Ellis asks me as we watch the people in the pool.
"Yeah, I have," Noah and I went swimming in a lake near our home, and in my past life, I used to go swimming all the time with my friends. "What about you? Have you ever gone swimming?"
"Yes, I have," Ellis nods, surprising me.
That should have been a no. If the heroine went down Marshal's route in the game, my character would have tried to drown her. We both would have passed out under the water, and Marshal would have saved Ellis, leaving the lifeguard to save me. In the game, Ellis didn't know how to swim until Marshal taught her how. If you ask me, it was one of the best events in Marshal's route. I really liked the CG of that scene.
"I used to play in a river near my home," Ellis tells me. "It was one place no one would find me."
This world is different from the game world. In the game, Ellis never went near that river because the maids of her family's house would bully her when they washed clothes in the river. According to the heroine's backstory, Ellis was pushed into the river and shoved in the mud if she ever went near that river. It could be that she just picked times to swim when the maids weren't around, but I can't say the maids weren't as bad as they were in the game.
"One of my family maids taught me how," Ellis continues confusing me more. Her family's maids treated her like dirt in the game. There is no way one of them would take the time to teach her how to swim. "She was a nice old lady. I think she was the only one that ignored my mothers order for the servants to bully me."
"I'm sorry," I tell her. "It sounds like you had it rough growing up."
"It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't good either," Ellis replies with a weak smile. "Besides, it is over now. Once I graduate, they won't be able to touch me anymore."
"Do you have any plans after you graduate?"
"Not really," Ellis shakes her head. "But I would figure something out. What about you?"
"Probably marry prince Malone and live in the castle for the rest of my life," I answer with a shrug.
I can talk the king into letting me work as an adventurer again, so it is not so bad. The only bad side about this plan is that I would have to pretend that any child Marshal has with Arial is my own. It's not the worse thing, but I still feel bad lying about something like that.
"Oh yeah, you are engaged to him," I swear Ellis has some hostility in her voice, but I must be imagining things. Ellis is a pure and innocent girl that forgave all her enemies. Even my character before I was executed. "Do you really want to be locked away in a castle all your life?"
"No, but it is not the worse fate," I reply. "Three meals a day, people waiting on me and the power that comes with being queen are pretty good compensation for being locked away."
We move on in silence after that, but when I look at Ellis, I keep thinking that there is something more she wants to say.
<0>
"This is worse than I thought," Ellis comments as we enter the auditorium.
The stage has been split in half, with one side being occupied by a choir and a second by the theatre club. They seem to be competing for pace as the edges of the groups try to nudge each other away while securing as much of the stage as possible. The teachers in charge of each club are having difficulty keeping order. I feel bad for them as it looks like a fight might break out.
"I think we should move on," I suggest, and Ellis nods her head.
<0>
We enter the library next. It is a sizeable three-floored room with more books than I could ever hope to read. If you were to read a book here, then you don't even have to put it away as I watch the books fly back to their shelves by themselves. But unlike other rooms, the library is cramped with shelves and tables filling every place possible. Not to mention the number of people here. I think this room has more clubs than any other room we have been to so far. There is the history club, the writers club, the book club, the secret BL club some girls have started huddled into one of the corners and then there is the research club. Still, it is a lot more peaceful here than in the auditorium.
"Sister," Noah spots us as we walk past the book club. "Are you going to join the book club?"
"I'm still looking," I tell him, making his lips frown for a split second, but then he notices Ellis. "Oh, this is Ellis Lockridge. We are looking around at the clubs together."
"It is nice to meet you, Mr Lamonia," Ellis politely smiles.
"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Lady Lockridge," Noah replies, but for some reason, I feel tension in the air between these two. "I hope my sister isn't causing you any trouble. I can take over escorting my sister if you are feeling bothered."
"None at all," Ellis tells him, grabbing hold of my arm. "I am enjoying her company. Shouldn't we get going, lady Lamonia? We still have plenty of clubs to see."
"I will see you later, Noah," I tell him as Ellis starts to frag me away.
I would have thought those two would have gotten along better than that. In the game, Noah instantly falls for the heroine. It must be too soon. Maybe, later on, they will get along better. When that happens, Noah will be in for a treat. Having a pretty girl like Ellis on your arm is a nice feeling.
We visit the history club next, but where the subject interests me, the student's recruitment speech could use some work as it nearly puts both Ellis and myself to sleep. Then we crossed paths with the writers club, but they chased me away. It wasn't because I was not welcome there. I was a guest of honour, in fact. The problem was they kept bothering me, asking for details about my battle with the dragon wanting to write a story about it. I was glad Ellis dragged me away when the students got too close for comfort.
Our final stop was going to be the research club, but the secret BL club ambushed us before we got close. They pulled us into their corner, wanting both Ellis and me to join and share their books and pictures with us. I feel sorry for Ellis. By the time we got out of there, she was bright red after seeing multiple pictures of naked me sleeping together. I had a friend in my old life that would send me BL pictures every now and then, so it was no big deal for me, but Ellis looks like she has never seen a member of the opposite sex naked before. Still, I have to admit whoever drew those pictures has a natural artistic talent.
By the time we finally reached the research club, Ellis's face had finally started to go back to normal, but she was still a little red. Unfortunately for me, the research club was just as bad as the writers club, so we quickly left. I hope no other club we visit harnesses me like they did.
<0>
Our final stop is the multi-purpose area. It is another underground area used for some lessons but mainly as a space for clubs to meet. There are two floors with a café run by a maid/butler club and cooking where students can eat while staring out of a large window overlooking the sea. I am surprised I didn't see it when flying in, considering it is a massive glass window cut into the side of a floating island. But then again, the game makers did make the schools outside before the inside. The students at those clubs were friendly, but neither Ellis nor I were interested in joining. Still, for some reason, Ellis wanted me to try on one of the butler's uniforms, saying I would look good in it. She was insistent on the matter until she got embarrassed when I suggested she tries on one of the maid outfits. But in the end, we both ended up trying them on.
"I was right. You do look good in that," Ellis stares at me as soon as I step out of the changing room. "You have the perfect figure for cross-dressing, lady Lamonia."
"Wow, is that really lady Lamonia?"
"You have to join our club now. People would line up for hours just for you,"
It isn't just Ellis that likes my new look. Every maid swarms the room, complimenting me and begging me to join their club. This is even worse than the research and writing club. At least they only wanted my story. I fear these girls might want my body now. They really should complement Ellis as well. She is looking upset that the girls are swarming me and ignoring her. It is a shame she is frowning as that maid outfit looks good on her.
"Lady Lockridge," Our eyes finally meet, and I wish they hadn't as my heart starts to race. "You look good too."
"She's right," The girl in charge of the maid/butler club nods her head. "You two will be perfect for our club."
In the end, we turned everyone down but ended up agreeing to model for a poster advertising the club. Still, I changed my mind and now think that the maid/butler club might be fun. If nothing else catches my eye, I might end up joining. The girls were friendly, the boy well slightly jealous, was still fun to hang out with, and the club work wasn't that difficult. Even Ellis seemed to be open to the idea of joining. What am I saying? I should be avoiding her and any deadly ends to my school life.
Unfortunately, we spent too long in there and had to rush to see the rest of the clubs in time. We meet Marshal in the fencing club and watch as he defeats the club president. We peak at the dance club performing a routine, and Ellis gets so scared when we visit the horror club that she is still clinging to me. I would have thought she would have let go by now, but even ten minutes after we left, she still showed no signs of loosening her hold on my arm.
The final clubs are a gaming club, animal lovers club and an occult club. The gamers club was friendly, and some of the games they played I enjoyed playing with Noah growing up, but they were too intense for my liking. The animal lovers club kept asking about Bozzair, and I ended up promising to let them pet him sometimes. Finally, there was the occult club. We didn't stay long there. As soon as we heard someone mentioning talking to demons, we left. Now here we are. I am sitting with Ellis outside the main school building rethinking everything I have seen today.
"Have you decided on which club you want to join, lady Lamonia?" Ellis asks, looking at me.
"Well…" There is only one club that I really could see myself joining. "I think I am going to join the maid/butler club. Everyone seemed nice there, and the activities sounded fun."
"Then I think I will join that club too," Ellis smiles to herself.
"You don't have to join because of me," I tell her. I hopped she wanted to do something else so I would have as little contact with her as possible. "If there is something else you want to do, you should do it."
"It's fine. I thought that club looked fun too," Ellis replies with a bright smile forcing me to look away before muttering quietly to herself. "Besides, I get to work with you and see you in that butler outfit again."
I pretend that I didn't hear that last part. Still, I can't help that I have something in common with Ellis at this moment. Like she looks forward to seeing me dressed up as a butler, part of me looks forward to seeing Ellis in that maid uniform. It really suited her.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone