After the orientation of the History and Art Club met its end, Maya spoke to everyone with a happy tone.
“All right, everyone! That’s a wrap for today’s orientation!” Maya’s voice carried a joyful tone as she addressed the gathered members. “I’m so glad to see so many new faces joining us on this journey of discovery.”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
A round of applause and cheers erupted from the group, a clear indicator of the positive energy that had taken root during the club’s inaugural meeting. It was all thanks to Maya, who was spreading energy around like a radiant sun.
Senior Maya’s ability to lead and engage was evident in the way the members responded to her, and it was clear that her genuine excitement resonated with everyone present.
“Thank you all for being a part of this,” She continued, her expression radiating gratitude. “For the time being, we are still working on the future arrangements, but rest assured we will hold future travels that would help with our history research.”
The excitement in the air was palpable, and as Maya’s words settled, I noticed the sense of camaraderie that had formed among the members.
The differences in backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives seemed to fade into the background as a shared curiosity and passion took center stage.
‘Does she know that most of the people here joined this club just for the sake of free credits, I wonder?’ I thought.
Even though clubs are not mandatory, attending the events that were organized by the clubs would increase one’s score in the academy. It was like extra optional points that would be offered in some courses at the college.
“Anyway, we will end our orientation with this. We will meet next Saturday here again, and we will talk about how art has progressed after mana has come into our world.” Senior Maya’s voice held an excited tone, her eyes gleaming with anticipation for the next gathering. Her words were met with nods and smiles from the members, the promise of another engaging discussion bringing a sense of eagerness.
With her final announcement, the orientation came to a close, and the clearing was soon filled with the sounds of shuffling and laughter as the members began to disperse.
Some engaged in animated conversations, others lingered to exchange contact information, and a sense of camaraderie lingered in the air.
Most students here joined this club with their friends. Thus, the conversations flowed swiftly. There were even some freshmen who wanted to flirt with Maya.
With furtive glances and smirks, they initiated a somewhat clumsy attempt at flirtation with Maya. “Hey there, Senior Maya,” one of them began, his tone slightly nervous but attempting to sound confident. “You’ve definitely made this club a lot more exciting.”
His expression was blatantly nervous, and he had a small blush on his cheeks. 𝐎𝑣𝗅xt.
Observing this unfolding scene, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in bemusement. ‘Seriously? Are they really trying to win her over on the very first day?’ The sheer audacity of their endeavor left me both astounded and slightly amused.
And it was not only me but others as well since people looked at the scene with amused expressions.
But the boy couldn’t continue as he almost fainted from embarrassment. Seeing this, another boy chimed in, his words a bit more practiced, “Yeah, and we were wondering if maybe you’d want to explore the history of our hearts too.” His approach was marginally smoother, but the awkwardness still lingered in his tone.
‘Nah…’ I winced internally, cringing at the spectacle before me. The audacity and lack of self-awareness on their part were almost painful to witness. I couldn’t help but turn my gaze away, unable to bear the secondhand embarrassment any longer.
In a swift and timely move, Maya’s friend Amelia intervened, stepping forward with a touch of annoyance coloring her expression. “Boys, boys,” she chided mockingly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You might want to practice those pick-up lines a bit more and maybe work on your overall presentation too.”
The boys blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback by the unexpected interruption. Amelia’s acerbic comment seemed to momentarily stun them into silence, leaving their flattery hanging in the air like a deflated balloon.
Amelia’s gaze shifted, her mocking tone now directed at me. “And if you’re going to try and win a lady’s heart, at least look as handsome as our gloomy friend here.” Her words were laced with playful mockery, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she playfully pointed in my direction.
‘What is this woman doing all of a sudden?’ My eyebrows shot up in surprise at being singled out, my expression caught between bewilderment and mild irritation.
“Tch.”
“Ah, now he clicked his tongue. Mr. Edgelord.” Amelia spoke with an amicable smile, looking at me. For some reason, she seemed to like to tease me, which I haven’t liked even a bit.
“Cough….” I cleared my throat, attempting to respond, but Amelia had already moved on, leaving behind a chorus of laughter from those who had witnessed the exchange.
Maya, on the other hand, was handling the situation with her usual grace. Ignoring Amelia’s teasing and the boys’ flustered reactions, she retrieved a bag of snacks from her belongings, offering it to them. “Here, have some snacks,” she said, her smile still radiant. “It might help you recover from that rough start.”
The boys accepted the snacks with a mixture of gratitude and residual embarrassment, their flushed cheeks earning more chuckles from the surrounding members. Maya’s ability to diffuse awkward situations with charm was nothing short of impressive.
‘As expected, she is a natural leader.’ I thought. This girl was bright and happy-looking, but not everyone with such qualities could direct a crowd in such a manner.
If she was doing this unknowingly, she was a natural genius at managing crowds, and if she was doing this knowingly, then she was a scary monster. That was all I could say.
As the encounter came to an end, the boys eventually retreated from the scene, their confidence slightly dented. Maya refocused her attention on the members, her warmth and enthusiasm once again guiding the atmosphere as the orientation concluded.
I started packing my things up as well, but at that moment, my gaze went to the brown-haired boy who was approaching Sylvie.
THUMP
My heart started beating faster again.
‘He is using his mana.’ I instinctually knew that he was using his demonic energy, even though it was in a small manner.
‘He also probably did this when he first came through the gathering place.’ Probably the way to trigger my [Vengeful Bane] was related to the demonic energy. Since I hadn’t felt any anger, neither did my heartbeat increase while we were conducting the orientation.
Observing from a distance, I watched as Mason Kent approached Sylvie. His presence exuded confidence and charisma, drawing attention effortlessly. In his outstretched hand rested a seemingly insignificant item, and his tone as he spoke to Sylvie carried a veneer of innocence, a fa?ade that was difficult to decipher.
“Excuse me,” Mason’s voice was smooth, his expression politely apologetic. “I believe you dropped this.” He presented the small object to Sylvie, his green eyes holding a friendly warmth.
Sylvie blinked in surprise, her gaze shifting from the object to Mason and back again. A mix of gratitude and curiosity danced across her features, evident in the way her lips curved into a small smile as she accepted the item. It was a fleeting interaction, but something about it felt off-kilter.
As I observed closely, what intrigued me more was the subtle shift in Sylvie’s demeanor. The usual brightness in her eyes seemed to dim ever so slightly, a cloud of uncertainty passing over her usual alert presence.
‘As expected, it was because of his demonic mana.’ I concluded.
Mason’s words seemed to have a lingering effect, causing a momentary furrow in Sylvie’s brow as she hesitated, her response momentarily delayed.
It was a fraction of a second, hardly noticeable to anyone who wasn’t actively paying attention. Yet, for someone like me who had grown accustomed to observing the smallest of details, it was a telltale sign that something was amiss.
Because when interacting with someone that you don’t know, the average response time would be 1 to 3 seconds. However, in the case of Sylvie, her average response time was exactly 2.3.
But, right now, this was extended by a whole second since the time it took for her to respond was 3.4 seconds.
It was obvious that this guy had the effect the cloud one’s judgment.
‘That explains why Sylvie randomly expected such a thing. It seems they had prepared for something extraordinary, even to trick her.’ I thought.
Their goal was Sylvie’s. Therefore, it was obvious that they knew about her talent.
In the future, she would be key to discerning demons and damaging them, which was a threat to them as well.
Even though I am not sure if she has awakened her talent right now or not, demons are probably cautious about this right now. ((N1))
Sylvie accepted the item with a gracious nod, slipping it into her pocket with a small smile. “Thank you,” she said politely, her gaze fixed on Mason. “By the way, I don’t think we’ve met before. What’s your name?”
Mason’s smile remained friendly as he extended a hand toward Sylvie. “Apologies for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Mason Kent, a fellow member of the History and Arts Club. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sylvie.”
As Sylvie shook his hand, I observed the subtle shift in Mason’s demeanor. His words were polite, but there was a hint of something more in the way he held her gaze.
It was as if he was using his mana to create a fleeting connection, a subtle charm that could easily be overlooked by anyone not attuned to such nuances.
Sylvie’s smile remained courteous as she acknowledged his introduction. “Nice to meet you too, Mason. Thank you again for returning this to me.”
Mason’s response was measured, his tone pleasant. “You’re welcome, Sylvie. I’m glad I could help. If you ever need anything else, feel free to ask.” With a final nod, he excused himself and seamlessly blended back into the conversations happening around us.
Sylvie’s attention returned to the group, and I continued to observe from my vantage point. The exchange had been seemingly harmless, yet I knew what his goal was.
The item that he had given to Sylvie. It was a small item that she would forget soon, but an item that would change her future until she remembered it once again.
It was an item that made her academy life hard.
‘Abyssal Twin Tracer’
Was the name of the item that guy gave to Sylvie? Its sole purpose is to send its twin pair to its location.
An item that defies technology and is straight up from Demon Realm. This item would be discovered around the later times of the semester by the player, and this is where Sylvie’s position would slowly start to reveal itself.
But for now, nobody would know about it aside from me.
As the guy straight up left, Sylvie sat there for a second as she looked like she was thinking about something.
Suddenly, Sylvie’s expression changed as if a veil of confusion had descended over her. She blinked a few times, her brow furrowing as if she were struggling to recall something important. Her fingers moved to her pocket, where the item Mason had given her was safely tucked away.
“Um, what was I just thinking about?” Sylvie’s voice held a hint of uncertainty as she looked around, seemingly puzzled. It was as if a fog had clouded her memory, erasing the momentary contemplation that had crossed her mind just seconds ago.
The item also had disintegrated itself. Thus, she couldn’t find anything.
I watched her from a distance but didn’t do anything, as I knew doing something would do more damage than good. If I revealed that I knew about the item, then they would send a lot stronger people to the academy, which I can’t afford to risk right now.
‘Sorry for endangering you, but this is for the best:’ I thought, looking at the girl who was already leaving…..
And following her I left as well….The events of the story were coming closer and closer, and I needed to be prepared enough.
‘First demon is going to make its appearance soon.’
—————-A/N—————-
N1: Astron doesn’t know about Sylvie’s talent for reading emotions since, in the game, it was not explicitly mentioned. Rather, he thinks it is a talent similar to his which enables Sylvie to find demons.
————————————
You can check my discord if you want. You can see the illustrations of characters there.
The link to the discord server is in the description of the book.