Free Web NovelChapter 50: Establish a club
"You’ve reached [F] Rank, haven’t you?" I asked Li while eating breakfast.
Li nodded and replied,
"Yes, sir. I’ll keep growing stronger and become a useful tool for you."
My wife’s face twitched slightly after hearing that. She tilted her head a little.
"Do you have any dreams?"
Li answered,
"Madam, my only dream is to serve Young Master."
My wife let out a sigh and continued eating.
I smiled faintly.
"Very good. This evening, I’ll buy you another martial arts manual as a reward."
Just as I expected from my maid. She really was a good tool. So, I didn’t hesitate to spend credits on buying her martial arts manuals, even though they were expensive.
Li knelt on the ground. She lowered her head, showing her utmost respect and gratitude.
"Thank you for your kindness."
Around thirty minutes later, after we finished breakfast, my wife and I headed to the academy. Since we had rented an apartment near the academy gate, it only took us ten minutes to arrive.
I pushed my wife’s wheelchair through the gate and headed straight to our classroom.
We continued to sit through Jonnathan’s boring lessons as usual. By 11 A.M., the lesson had finally ended, and we were already mentally exhausted.
I cracked my neck before stretching my back to relax.
My wife asked,
"What are we having for lunch?"
I kept my expression blank and replied,
"I haven’t decided yet."
Then, I left my seat and headed to the podium, where Jonnathan was packing up his documents before leaving.
"Sir, I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?"
Jonnathan frowned, surprised by my politeness. He replied in a neutral voice,
"Alright, I’m listening."
I paused for a moment before saying,
"I want to establish a club."
The moment those words left my mouth, every student in the classroom – even those who were about to leave – stopped and turned their attention toward me in confusion and bewilderment. None of them were sure whether they had heard me correctly.
"Really? Establish a club in the first year?" a student frowned in disbelief.
Another student scratched the back of their head in surprise.
"It’s impossible. To establish a club, you need at least 2,500 credits. Normally, first-year students save their credits to buy martial arts manuals and other resources to improve themselves. Besides, we also need at least 2,000 credits to qualify for the final exam. So, no one is stupid enough to spend 2,500 credits establishing a club at this point."
Some students rubbed their chins suspiciously.
"Besides, it hasn’t even been a full month since we enrolled. How could he have earned that many credits? I’ve been working our asses off and only managed to earn 300 credits."
...
"No matter how he earned those credits, it’s still a stupid decision. Although a club can earn more credits than the usual methods, it has to compete with the other clubs in the academy. Those clubs are run by second-year students. They’ll crush him."
"He’s wasting his credits. But I love idiots like that. Their suffering is my entertainment."
The student chuckled.
"I should post his stupidity on the academy’s social media. It’ll get a lot of attention."
...
"Great idea!"
The gossip quickly spread through the crowd as they mocked me. But that was fine because it had been my plan from the start. I wanted this news to spread throughout the entire academy, so recruiting members would become much easier.
Anyway, what they had been talking about was true. Being established as a first-year student was very hard.
Jonnathan frowned, but then his expression turned into one of amusement. I guessed he liked my request—not because he admired my courage, but because he found my decision foolish.
He cleared his throat.
"Are you sure? I know you have enough credits to do it, but as your professor, I just want to tell you that it’s not a good idea."
"You’d be better off spending those credits on improving yourself, or saving them until next year before establishing a club. If you want to earn more credits, just join an existing club. You can simply join one run by the second-year students. Lancelot, Tristan, and many other model students do the same. You should follow their example."
I shrugged. I knew that was an option, but I didn’t like the feeling of being controlled. Besides, I would earn far fewer credits if I chose that path.
I never followed the path that others had already laid out because it would only limit me, no matter how safe it was.
I was never someone who feared challenges or other people’s mockery.
"Thank you for your advice. But I won’t take back my decision."
He nodded in satisfaction. It seemed he wanted to see me fail.
"Meet me in my office at 4:00 P.M. We’ll complete the necessary paperwork."
Just like that, he left, and I returned to my wife’s seat.
Lancelot stood, leaning against the edge of a table, and said in a surprised voice,
"I didn’t think you’d actually establish a club yourself. It’s a brave decision, but I believe you’ll fail sooner or later. You’ll never be able to compete with the second-year students’ clubs. You should’ve joined one of them. Like me – I joined the strongest club, the one led by the first son of the Pendragon family, Arthur Pendragon."
"Once he graduates, I’ll inherit his club. Until then, he’ll support me a lot. It’s a much better choice than establishing a club on my own like you."
I replied in a neutral voice,
"Why are you telling me all this? What are you trying to prove? That you’re smarter than me? Luckier than me? Better than me? Or... are you just a coward?"
Lancelot frowned in annoyance, but then he simply shrugged.
"Nothing. You’ll never understand me. People who are born at the starting line always see things differently from people like you. I just can’t stand watching you make such a foolish decision, but you did not appreciate my sincerity. So, good luck."
He left, but I could see his anger in his eyes.
I turned to my wife and pushed her wheelchair out of the classroom.
"Do you think I’m a fool?"
My wife pouted.
"If you’re a fool, then what does that make me?"
