[<Amael->]
'Please Cleenah, don't talk about what happened.'
I cut off Cleenah.
I knew she was worried about my reaction to Simon; she even tried to stop me, but I don't know why I couldn't stay silent.
[<...>]
I didn't feel a single remorse about my words earlier.
No.
I should stop thinking about what happened with Simon; I am tired enough already.
I had just registered, so the next one was the last club I had to join.
Jayden and the others should be on their way or already there.
Ugh.
All the worst characters were gathered in the last club, and it will without doubt drain all my energy.
….
….
It's here…
The sound of vibrating engines echoed.
I could hear the erupting crowd from where I was.
"Kyaaa! Prince Alfred!"
"Lord John is so dreamy…"
"Scary, you mean? I prefer Ronald."
"I-I think I will join this club!"
"For why?"
"I like bikes-"
"Yeah, and I am the Queen of the Kingdom."
Entering the small tunnel, I heard the screams of girls and boys;
The stony ceiling above me trembled because of either the people jumping or the bikes' sheer speed.
At the end of the tunnel, the daylight blinded me a little, so I covered my eyes while walking.
The more I got closer to the entrance, the louder the cheers became.
It's just a presentation; calm down, guys.
Finally, the field was revealed to me.
Following the loud whirring of engines, the wind blew fiercely above me.
I looked up and saw them.
Air-Bikes.
They were driven at tremendous speed by the pilots in the suspended arena. Well, they were literally floating above the ground thanks to the new technologies, so it wasn't really an arena, but the crowd was protected by a transparent barrier.
Giant screens were projected on every corner so the spectators could follow the course.
The field looked like a racecourse with the spectators in the stands around, leaving an oval-shaped field, but the difference was that the racecourse was above the ground and the spectators' gazes were directed upward.
Another thing.
This was the most popular sport on the continent, if not the entire world.
Nearly all the students gathered here to watch or register for this club, which had no limited number of members. Anybody could do it.
The goal was simple.
The completion of a certain number of laps while avoiding obstacles. During the race, you can also find some items that can be used to collect bonus points that count at the end of the race. The race ends when someone completes all of the required laps.
What was exciting was the fact that 1st place gives you a lot of points, but it doesn't guarantee 1st place. Plus, you can fight your competitors by knocking them off your bike. All were allowed to win as long as they didn't break the rules.
Having seen enough, I headed to the registration office in a building behind the stands filled with spectators.
-Ding!
[50 Affection Points Obtained From Jayden Rayena!]
Oh.
Nice.
Now, I have 870 AP.
By the way, I easily paid back the loan I took two weeks ago.
It was easy with Jayden and Milleia's personalities…
'Show me the SHOP, Jarvis.'
[Yes.]
===
SHOP
[Mask Of The Marauder V2 ~500 AP~]
[Smoke Bomb ~50 AP LIMIT 5!~]
[Gladius of The Marauder ~350 AP~]
[Fire Bomb ~80 AP LIMIT 5!~]
===
As I scrolled, I noticed new items.
Two new items.
For two weeks, only the bombs were available, but now…
The first thing filling my vision was the Mask of the Marauder V2.
Only God would know how much I wanted to get rid of the ridiculous mask which Jarvis tricked me into buying.
[I did not trick you.]
'Shaddap. Show me the appearance of the mask.'
I wasn't going to make the same mistake.
This time I will see its appearance before buying it.
Oh.
The mask was black, covering only the mouth and nose, but its description stated that, like the previous model, it could change the features but only slightly. It also requires a lot of mana but providing better stealth in front of experienced people…like the headmaster.
I'm pretty sure, even with the old mask, he would have found that my features were altered.
I shrugged and bought it.
[370 AP]
'Can I sell the previous one?'
[No.]
What was that tone too neutral?
Is he sulking?
I don't care!
Next was the 'Gladius Of The Marauder'.
Gladius?
I think it's a short sword from ancient Greece.
It must be something like that.
I looked at the floating weapon, which I could only see.
The blade was silver, and the handle was silver as well.
The blade seemed extremely sharp from what I could see.
Hmmm.
I already had the weapon I got with my title's reward, which was also a short sword, a month ago and I also ordered a new staff.
Oh, yeah.
The weapon Julian gave me broke.
No.
It's better to say that it was reduced to smithereens when I tried to combine my Anathemas fire with it.
So in the end, I chose his weapon for nothing!
Still, I looked for him in every corner of the academy until I found him and asked for compensation.
When he asked how the hell his sturdy weapon was finished in smithereens, I told him to mind his own business because the Rings of Vysindra were still a little too early to reveal. Anyway, when I threatened to erase his whole house as compensation for having tricked me, that old man panicked as expected and promised to prepare a weapon made of Eden's branches.
Yeah.
Eden's Tree branches.
It was the most sought-after and valuable material in the world.
The most powerful weapons were made of the Sacred Tree's branch, so when he told me that, I snorted while hiding my happiness.
The Sacred Tree, which was on an island far from the Celesta Kingdom. They were imported here via boat and were very expensive products. They were special for two reasons: first, they were branches of the Sacred Tree of Eden, and second, they were a new type of energy. It was like finding something to replace electricity, fuel, gunpowder, and plenty of other important things on Earth.
By the way, I wondered if I had done something wrong?
Cleenah kept insulting me when I threa- I negotiated with Julian though.
Whatever.
Another weapon could only do good to me. Moreover, it was a weapon from that 'guy' so it must be a good one, just like the previous short sword. I could maybe even sell it at a high price in this world.
There was also the fact that the identity of 'Nyrel' I created was only known by Miranda, her friends, Jayden and Milleia.
There would be some moments where I would not have to act as Edward, so having another weapon and fighting style, if I may say so, could surely be useful to me.
I clicked and also bought the Gladius.
[20 AP]
I'm poor now.
I could gain a little more with Jayden and Milleia, but the points I was earning were clearly slowing down compared to the first time. Only big help, like my promise to give Jayden my Wings Krona, can earn a lot of Affection Points.
My 'friendship' with them reached its limit.
If I continue, it will just become weird.
Lyra is already annoying me with her questions about my motives, so it was better to keep calm for now.
Soon enough, my turn came.
The third-year student who was registering the newcomers stepped back a little when he saw me.
At least try to hide it.
"Register me. You must be aware of who I am."
"Y-Yeah, Edward Falkrona."
He stuttered.
"Then do it. If I'm not on the list by that night, I will erase your home."
I threatened.
"N-No, please! I-I will do it!"
"Don't say it, do it."
I snorted and walked away.
The people who were in the line behind me stepped back.
'Ah, did you see his face, he was having a scared expression'
I laughed inwardly.
[<A childish behavior.>]
You're talking about him staring at me with a preconceived notion? Yeah, it's childish. Hope his parents repair his brainless brain.'
[<You condescending way of talking, bordering on arrogance, is really hated by your peers, y'know?>]
'As long you are irritated by it, I don't care about others.'
[<You…are really…>]
I smiled with a satisfied expression.
Now that it's complete, I should find the others.
Jayden and Alfred have to have a minor squabble.
I will never miss this.
It's time to see whether Jayden grew up a little in two weeks.
In the last two weeks, I've acted more like a father to him than a wingman. I tried my best to control my emotions in response to his dumb reactions, but sometimes I couldn't.
Just seeing a dumb expression on his face in an obvious situation gave me a passionate desire to punch his face. Of course, it wasn't by jealousy at all that I wanted to punch his face…
Anyway, I 'raised' him like my child for two weeks, teaching him how to answer to third-rate nobles. The next step was the second-rate nobles, and like that, I planned to teach him how to answer an idiot prince.
But this time, I will not be there to give him tips.
Let's see how he does.
I wandered around the office to find them.
They should have already registered, and the idiot prince should appear just as they were about to see the race above.
Oh.
They are here.
Jayden was facing Alfred, and the latter's face didn't look good at all.
I hid behind a pillar and peeked out.