Ch. 42.1 - Gourmet Club (2)
Since the Simulation Battle with the demons, Eisel had gained more confidence and was able to walk around with her head held high. Hardly any students ignored her anymore.
Even though the Morp family was known as traitors to the public, it didn't matter in the magical society where everything was proven by magic alone.
Eisel’s exceptional magical skills were enough to make her impervious to any criticism.
As a result, she could now write about such things with confidence:
[My Father]
A magic academy wasn’t just about magic classes; it was a place that focused on various streams like mental, physical, artistic, and cultural activities, and cared for its students in different ways.
Particularly in the mental aspect, they often discussed the reasons for learning magic, the mindset required to confront dark magic, or the home environment.
This assignment was about upbringing.
If there was anyone who had the greatest influence on Eisel’s upbringing, it was undoubtedly her father.
In the past, she might have been hesitant and afraid to confidently write about her father.
But now, she had nothing to be ashamed of.
She was a brilliant mage, more wise and insightful than any of them. And she could proudly say: my father is not a traitor. My father, Isaac Morp, was a great mage until his very last moment.
As she finished writing, Eisel suppressed a chuckle.
Of course, she couldn't let her guard down yet. She knew her assignment was provocative and could raise eyebrows among other professors.
But that was precisely why she took on the challenge.
This was just the first step in clearing her father's name. And she was determined to start from here.
".... By the way."
Eisel looked at Baek Yu-Seol, who was lying down and sleeping far away from her.
While everyone else had placed their assignments on the desk, he had not brought anything.
Nothing at all.
She owed him a lot, so she felt she should give him a gentle reminder.
"Hey there."
"....... Hmm?"
Baek Yu-Seol turned his head with blurry eyes. He looked like a corpse, to the point where Eisel might have mistaken him for one.
"Did you bring your assignment?"
"What assignment?"
"If you don't bring it today, you'll get an F."
"Whatever...." Baek Yu-Seol replied before flopping back down.
And a moment later, he spoke again.
".... F? An F?"
Suddenly, he raised his head and grabbed his hair, while biting down on his lip.
"Ugh, I’m already so busy I can die. Why do they assign so much homework? Do they think I'm only taking this class?"
"Oh, anyway, I was talking about..."
Eisel trailed off, realizing she had never actually seen Baek Yu-Seol do any of his assignments. She had been worried that he might receive an academic warning, but it seemed like she had done the right thing by reminding him.
As Eisel returned to her seat, Baek Yu-Seol frantically pulled out a sheet of paper.
"What was the assignment again?" he muttered.
Fortunately, the details were written down in his notebook.
"Write about things related to upbringing...?"
He had no choice but to jot down some quick ideas, as class was about to start and he had nothing prepared.
In a hurry, Baek Yu-Seol scribbled down the first thing that came to mind: the lyrics of a song he used to listen to when he lived in Korea.
It was by the band G.O.D, titled "Dear Mom."
The song that made Korea cry in the 20th century - It was the title of the song.
Immediately after jotting down the title [Dear Mother], Baek Yu-Seol quickly scribbled down the lyrics of the song.
"Have you all finished your assignments?"
"Yes!"
The students replied with a loud voice. Baek Yu-Seol felt anxious and sweated profusely as he hastily wrote down the lyrics, barely managing to complete it just before the submission deadline.
"Phew..."
At least he managed to write quite a lot, so he wouldn't fail.
With a sense of relief, Baek Yu-Seol once again leaned over his desk. He had no intention of attending the class even though he had submitted his assignment.
After the lecture, by chance, Eisel and he coincidentally ended up taking the same route back.
"Why are you following me?" He asked her as she walked close beside him, and kept giving him a suspicious look.
"I have something to do in this direction as well."
"I see."
Thus, walking side by side, they made their way through the winding corridor and arrived at the classroom gate after passing through a makeshift warp hole.
Coincidentally, they had the same destination. Even the item they were both looking at happened to be the same.
[Club Promotion Board]
"Do you also think about joining a club? Haven't you joined one yet?"
"Why not? You can still join, can't you?"
"Well, you don’t have any friends either."
"What? No, I mean, I was offered to join a club a few days ago."
Upon hearing this, Baek Yu-Seol stared at Eisel, trying to remember what had happened.
"Hmm… Jeremy?"
But it turned out that she didn't join Jeremy's club, and was considering other clubs instead.
Well, that was okay. It didn’t really matter.
"Join our Soul Chess club! It’s the best for mages!"
"We are recruiting for the Rune Writing Club. Let's study hard and go to college."
"Join the Book Club if you love and cherish books!"
There were many clubs in Stella, but there were not many clubs that were allowed to engage in 'special external activities,' and there were many unnecessary conditions attached to membership.
Previously, one of the reasons they left Kashif Derek alone was because, despite being a jerk, he came from a well-respected family and had enough influence to create a special club that allowed hunting and dungeon exploration.
If they were to subtly take his club away, it would be a win-win situation for them. However, this plan was on hold for now.
Taking away the club of a senior member would not only be difficult but also draw a lot of unwanted attention. It should be a last resort.
‘First things first,’ Baek Yu-Seol thought to himself as he looked at the list of club members.
There was Hong Bi-Yeon from the Scarlet Eagles Club, Jeremy from the Scalben club, Hae Won-ryang from the Blossom Club, Edna from the Healing Club, and Eisel, who was unaffiliated.
Most of them belonged to large clubs with second or third-year students as leaders.
Only Jeremy was part of the Scalben club, and he had likely earned his position as a leader. It seemed that he wasn't interested in any other clubs.
Although one could establish a club in his first year, there was little point in doing so if he created it late. Few people would join, and obtaining special outing permits would be even more difficult.
"Hey, don't you have a lot of connections?"
She looked genuinely bewildered at that question.
"Do you not know who I am?"
"Eisel."
"Well, that's true, but..." She let out a deep sigh. "Ask someone else..."
"But you've been quite popular lately."
"Ahem, is that so?" she asked, surprised. Her magical abilities had recently gained her popularity, and people seemed to look at her more favorably.
"However, I'm not at the point where I can start a club. And the same goes for you, doesn't it?" she added.
"That's true," he replied with a sigh.
As they pondered their options, they sensed someone approaching from the side.
TL Notes:
During the time when the song ‘Dear Mother’ was written, Korea was very poor due to financial crisis. Many people lost their jobs and some even went bankrupt. The Chinese noodle called Jajangmyeon, which is very cheap nowadays, used to be very expensive for most people. Hence the title - The song that made Korea cry in the 20th century.
The mother described in the song knows she cannot afford the noodle but decides to buy her son a bowl anyway. She only orders a single bowl for her son and assures him that she does not like the noodle so he could finish the noodle in peace. Only after when the kid grows up does he realize the things his mother endured for his well being and happiness.