Chapter 75

After Zorv went back, the regular club hours naturally came to an end.

“Goodbye~ When the divine beast is born, you must show it to me first!”

“Goodbye!”

Yushina sent Roan and Zion back first, saying she still had work left.

The two returned to Panroa Hall together.

During that time, Zion expressed immense interest in the ‘reconstruction of Darc’ that Roan had mentioned.

“Did you really enter Akerandir with the goal of reconstructing your family?”

“…Yes.”

At first, lying to Zion weighed slightly on his conscience, but,

“During my time at the Holy Emperor Palace, my parents would always appear in my dreams and say, ‘Roan, the reason you survived is by the grace of the almighty Hiloa and…’”

Eventually, he reached the point of smoothly fabricating stories that had never happened.

‘Well, I am a black mage anyway.’

The single reason of being a black mage allowed him to shed a considerable amount of guilt.

Furthermore, most of the settings regarding Roan and the Darc family were empty anyway.

Since the person themselves claimed so, who could say anything?

Since even Harden knew that Roan had awakened black magic with the goal of reconstructing his family, it was as good as official.

‘To think I can write the lore of God & Devil myself. This might also be the fun of a hidden character.’

Of course, it would have been better if he could do these things with a monitor and keyboard instead of doing them in person at the risk of his life.

At any rate, Zion fell completely for Roan’s moving and grand lie.

“Oh my…! Ahem, I think there were aspects where I misunderstood you, Darc, until now.”

‘It probably wasn’t a misunderstanding, though.’

Zion spoke with tears welling in her eyes.

Roan thought her sensitivity was quite remarkable.

In the original progression, her personality would have been slowly turning dark by now due to all kinds of harassment and jealousy.

Zion’s life at Akerandir, proceeding with her initial personality intact, was quite interesting.

“Let’s work hard again starting tomorrow. I will also make great efforts for you, Darc. Should I call us rivals in good faith?”

“Thank you.”

Since there was absolutely nothing bad about building a friendly relationship with Zion, Roan nodded willingly.

This kind of misunderstanding was welcome anytime.

As Zion scurried into the female dormitory area.

Roan also returned to the Macgodal Room as always.

─ …! …!

─ … …?

The inside was noisy, as expected.

Hearing the two familiar voices coming from beyond the door, Roan’s head throbbed once again.

‘I wondered why it had been somewhat peaceful.’

Who would have thought the absence of the Hector and Demona duo would be this beneficial to his health.

Roan let out a small sigh and opened the door.

Inside the Macgodal Room, not only Hector and Demona but also Beanin were all gathered in the living room.

However, the atmosphere was unusual.

“Roan!”

First of all, Demona glared at Roan with sharp eyes the moment she saw him.

“Waaah! This cannot beee!”

Hector was face down on the table, weeping in a manner that did not match his bear-like massive physique.

“No, I told you both clubs are fine, right? And you can always join a new club additionally later. If possible, in our administrative club…”

Beanin was trying to soothe the two somehow, or rather, trying to covertly pitch his club.

‘No? It is normal.’

Roan decided to deal with Demona first.

“I think I have an idea, but what’s wrong, Demona?”

“You… how could you run away and abandon me!”

Demona jumped up and stomped over to Roan.

She seemed quite angry.

However, Roan spoke without even batting an eye.

“The one who pushed you was not me, but Zion.”

“Huh…? Really? Ah, was it?”

Recalling her memory carefully, it seemed so, and Demona nodded.

Strictly speaking, Roan had also abandoned her ‘together’ with Zion, but in any case, the one who physically pushed her was indeed Zion.

“What a nasty Saintess candidate!”

“And you must have received the 1,000 Talent activity fund in advance.”

“That’s true…”

In fact, it was fortunate that Demona had entered the Temple Club.

The Temple Club was the only club that provided that much activity money without asking any questions.

For her, struggling with fines, it would be like rain after a drought.

“Hehe, now that I think about it, it might be fine?”

“Yes, it will become even easier once the Fanatic Rabbit King hatches soon.”

“As expected of Roan~ You are a total genius, a genius~”

Demona, having completely cooled off, soon giggled and went back to her original seat.

Flutter─

The Vajra Beetle clinging to her back fluttered its outer wings as if finding her pathetic, but Demona did not notice.

Next was Hector.

“…What is the matter with you, Hector?”

“Giggle. The fanatic also entered the Temple Club apparently~”

“You heretic bastarrrd! Don’t tease me!”

“In the Temple Club?”

Roan asked in wonder at Demona’s words.

He felt sorry for Hector, but he hadn’t had the slightest thought that he would enter the Temple Club.

Professor Vulcan wouldn’t have permitted it in the first place.

And if he had really entered the Temple Club, Hector wouldn’t be crying so sorrowfully either.

Hector glared at Demona as if to kill her, then spoke in a small voice.

“It is the Temple… Club.”

“What club?”

“It is the Temple… Healing Club.”

Ah.

Only then did Roan feel like he understood the whole story.

The Temple Healing Club was a concept that assisted the Temple Club, a club that treated, healed, or cheered for spiritual or divine beasts injured in the temple.

To use an example from Earth, it was like the relationship between a sports club, cheerleaders, or a medical team.

Although he could guess the reason Hector entered that place even without being told.

“So, how it happened was…”

Hector insisted on starting the story.

To summarize, immediately after the commotion broke out in the Great Temple, he escaped the scene safely and also found out that this mess was due to the club promotions.

It was an instinctive situational judgment typical of someone from an Inquisitor family.

‘The seniors of the Temple Club will surely be bringing spiritual beasts with them!’

Hector tried to find the rioters… no, seniors accompanied by spiritual beasts in order to join the Temple Club somehow, and miraculously discovered a group.

─ Pavilto, find Pavilto!

─ Our only target is Pavilto!

Surprisingly, they were even looking for Hector!

If he had thought about it even a little, he would have noticed that there was no way the Temple Club would look for him while ignoring all other students.

However, at the sight of the seniors carrying lots of spiritual beasts looking for him, Hector lost his mind.

─ Uooooh! Seniors! Are you by chance the Temple Club?!

─ Uh… huh? Uh, yes. Well, we are the Temple Healing Club.

─ Then please accept me! I am Hector Pavilto! I am ready to lay down my life!

─ No, you don’t have to lay down your life… Huh? You are Hector Pavilto?

An atmosphere that was somewhat ambiguous to be called the Akerandir Temple Club.

However, Hector did not care.

─ Yes! I am Hector of the proud Pavilto family! I absolutely want to join the Temple Club!

─ Oh! That spirit is very good! Welcome to the Temple Healing Club, Pavilto!

Just as everyone was about to become happy.

The real Temple Club appeared from the opposite side of the alley.

─ I hear you fake bastards are trying to snatch away the guys trying to enter our club again!

─ ???

Only then did Hector realize the situation was going weirdly and looked back and forth at the seniors on both sides.

Flinch─

The Temple Healing Club members flinched in obvious panic.

However, they soon stepped forward with confident smiles.

─ Hahaha! Take him if you can.

─ You despicable bastards! Guys, prepare for battle!

─ This junior is a ‘Pavilto’! A ‘Pavilto’!

Flinch─!

Hearing Hector’s family name, the Temple Club was far more panic-stricken.

They then asked cautiously.

─ J-Junior. Are you really a Pavilto?

─ …Yes, I am Hector Pavilto, but?

─ Guys, retreat! It’s bad luck! Run away quickly!

─ Uwah, it’s the Thousand-Eye Pit Viper and a Pavilto!

The Temple Club fled immediately, running for their lives!

To Hector, who was completely bewildered, not knowing what was going on, the senior standing beside him offered the entry application with a bright smile.

─ Welcome to the Temple ‘Healing’ Club, Pavilto.

─ ???????

Thus, Hector got swindled in broad daylight.

“…And after all this, didn’t that heretic get angry next to me, claiming he entered the Temple Club!”

Hearing the whole story, Roan tilted his head.

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Whiaaat! I will split your head with my axe and drag out the specter of heresy, Roan!”

Naturally, Hector was furious.

To the point of suspecting if Demona’s soul had possessed Roan for a moment.

However, Roan had absolutely no intention of teasing him.

‘He Scrooge wouldn’t have been able to enter the Temple Club anyway, so it is much better than some other random club.’

While the Temple Healing Club exuded the image of a fake Temple Club from its name, it was a fine club on its own.

Although less than the Temple Club, its activity funds were quite substantial, and though weaker than the Temple Club, they ran their own temple team.

Most of all, since it was a club related to treatment and healing, if Hector joined it, Roan could use him usefully in the future.

Considering only the awkward combination of an Inquisitor and a healing club, it was flawless.

‘Paralysis.’

“Uuuggh─”

Collapse─

“…Cool your head for a bit.”

Hector, who was raging with his eyes rolled back, collapsed sideways after being hit by a simple paralysis magic.

Only then did the Macgodal Room quiet down a bit.

“See? I knew it from the moment you went up against Roan~ I look forward to working with you, fanatic. Sparky, you greet him too.”

Buzz─

As Demona spoke spitefully, Hector shuddered even while paralyzed.

That alone was a remarkable display of willpower.

Whack─

“Ouch!”

“Don’t tease your friend.”

“Sorry…”

Since it was of no help in cooling Hector’s anger, Roan lightly smacked the back of Demona’s head.

Meanwhile, Beanin,

‘…W-What kind of holy magic is this?’

Was startled when holy power flashed from Roan’s hand and a massive body like Hector’s fell flat.

Judging by the casting speed and effect, it seemed like basic punitive holy magic, but he had never seen such a high-performance one.

Normally, a basic punitive spell was relatively easy to endure if one had excellent physical conditions like Hector.

It was strange to collapse in an instant like that.

‘Does a freshman even learn punitive holy magic in the first place? And why are these kids so unbothered by seeing this…?’

Above all, the juniors, who calmly lived according to their own tempers instead of being surprised by Roan’s holy magic even in this situation, were even more surprising.

The one who used it, the one who suffered it, and the one who teased.

To Beanin’s eyes, they all seemed to lack the most basic sense of reality.

At any rate, when Hector’s paralysis was slowly wearing off and the atmosphere had calmed down to some extent.

Knock, knock─

A knock was heard at the door of the Macgodal Room.

“Eh? Someone is visiting our room?”

“I-Indeed?”

As Demona tilted her head, Beanin agreed.

Originally, it was not that strange of a thing for close students to visit each other’s dormitory rooms.

It was a bitter sight of them having realized their own reputation unconsciously.

“I will go check.”

Roan stood up first since he had a rough idea of who the visitor was.

When he opened the door, as expected, Zorv, whom he had met in the club room, was standing there.